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GPXfile in notification mail?


tsolt

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I've set up a push mail account so I get instant notification when there are new caches published in my area.

 

Would it be possible to include the GPX-file for the cache in the email?

Would sure make it a lot easier to enter coords, info and hints into the geocaching software running on my phone (to bad Garmin can't use a proper bluetooth protocol on the oregon-GPSr's..)

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Groundspeak wants you coming to the website. Emails & GPX files don't have ads in them.

 

well, that kind of sucks. I am a premium member already, and I'm willing to pay for the feature...

They also want you to actually take a look at the cache Web page, which includes important things like the hours the park is open, coordinates for the only legal parking in the area, potential dangers in the area of the cache ... that sort of thing.

 

TPTB are on record that this sort of feature is not on their list of future enhancements.

 

--Larry

Edited by larryc43230
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Groundspeak wants you coming to the website. Emails & GPX files don't have ads in them.

Neither does the PQ that will have the info in it the next day. Visiting the website is not a valid response to this frequently asked feature, since you'll have the info the next day anyway.

 

Also, premium members don't have most of the ads like a regular user.

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Groundspeak wants you coming to the website. Emails & GPX files don't have ads in them.

Neither does the PQ that will have the info in it the next day. Visiting the website is not a valid response to this frequently asked feature, since you'll have the info the next day anyway.

And the PQ has all the information stated in larryc43230's post too.

 

So what you're both saying is that the reasons stated by TPTB, plus the ad thing, are all hogwash, and we're left with no "real" reason anywhere.

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Groundspeak wants you coming to the website. Emails & GPX files don't have ads in them.

Neither does the PQ that will have the info in it the next day. Visiting the website is not a valid response to this frequently asked feature, since you'll have the info the next day anyway.

And the PQ has all the information stated in larryc43230's post too.

 

So what you're both saying is that the reasons stated by TPTB, plus the ad thing, are all hogwash, and we're left with no "real" reason anywhere.

TPTB just stated they wanted traffic to the site, never specified a reason (except the whole "current info" argument).

 

If this were a valid argument, then they should do away with PQ's, as any new cache in my area is going to show up in the next morning's PQ anyway.

 

I would say over 95% of the caches I've found have been from info off a PQ, not directly off the site, and almost every cacher with more than a couple hundred finds would probably say the same.

So here's the question to answer, if I find 95% of my caches off .gpx info (pq's), then why is there an exception here? Why can't I find this cache off .gpx info also? Why does everyone object to including .gpx info when they have no problem caching off of PQ'S?

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You'd be surprised how many caches are retracted after publishing due to some mistake or another. You would also be surprised how often the owner changes things soon after publishing. TPTB really want you to visit the web site and make certain you have the latest info before going off on a FTF.

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You'd be surprised how many caches are retracted after publishing due to some mistake or another. You would also be surprised how often the owner changes things soon after publishing. TPTB really want you to visit the web site and make certain you have the latest info before going off on a FTF.

If changes, retractions, etc. are made after being published, chances are they would still be missed by someone going after an ftf.

 

If I have time, and I get a published email, I grab the .gpx within minutes usually, and off I go. If it gets retracted 30 minutes later or the owner makes a change, I'm probably already in my car and would have missed it anyway.

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As many have already said, all the arguments against such a feature is not valid, as this will more or less only be interresting for the FTF-hunt.

 

If Groundspeak is worried about the traffic, I guess thats kind of lame too, considering how hard it can be to get access to pages during "rush hour" on geocaching.com.

 

The adds are not present on my premium member pages anyway, I do all my caching based on PQ's downloaded to GSAK, and then grouped into suitable gpx-files for my Oregon 550.

 

A feature like the one I'm asking for should really be in grounspeaks interrest, as it will lower the traffic on the servers, ease up on the use of daily PQ's, and make the all over experience better for everybody on www.geocaching.com.

 

By all means, make it a tick box-feature, so you can choose to not receive the GPX in the notification email. I'm sure this is not interresting for every single geocacher out there.

 

There is a small piece of software for windows mobile, that I use as a workaround, called GCZII, but why 3rd party when it could be implemented with 2 lines of code?

Edited by tsolt
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I've set up a push mail account so I get instant notification when there are new caches published in my area.

 

Would it be possible to include the GPX-file for the cache in the email?

Would sure make it a lot easier to enter coords, info and hints into the geocaching software running on my phone (to bad Garmin can't use a proper bluetooth protocol on the oregon-GPSr's..)

 

Bare notification - 4kb

GPX file - 16 kb

 

So you're proposing that every notification that goes out to every PM with notifications set up grows by 400% ??

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So you're proposing that every notification that goes out to every PM with notifications set up grows by 400% ??

 

Yes, where is the problem? We are no longer living in a low bandwidth world (the majority of users surely has a broadband connection). What would the alternative look like? Accessing the website to download the same GPX and generate about 400 to 500kB traffic for loading the average cache listing page.

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I've set up a push mail account so I get instant notification when there are new caches published in my area.

 

Would it be possible to include the GPX-file for the cache in the email?

Would sure make it a lot easier to enter coords, info and hints into the geocaching software running on my phone (to bad Garmin can't use a proper bluetooth protocol on the oregon-GPSr's..)

 

Bare notification - 4kb

GPX file - 16 kb

 

So you're proposing that every notification that goes out to every PM with notifications set up grows by 400% ??

16KB is only a couple seconds at most on dial-up. As Carsten points out, how much do you have to download to actually visit a cache page (excluding the WAP site)?

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So you're proposing that every notification that goes out to every PM with notifications set up grows by 400% ??

 

Sorry for quoting you a second time, but since there was already another answer I don't want to edit my original posting :)

 

You won't need a GPX file attached to every notification going out. As suggested before, it could be an option to toggle and furthermore it is not necessary for every logtype. But it would be great to have it sent with at least publish, archive and update coordinates notifications (and perhaps enable/disable listing).

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