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How can I place a sound file on my cache page?


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1. You cannot make a sound file play automatically on your cache page. The site's programming won't allow an "embedded" sound file. You will need to host the content on a separate webpage and link to it.

 

2. You will need to work with your reviewer on compliance with the "no downloading of files" guideline. Either the sound file plays automatically through the browser with no extra software required, or if a download is required, your reviewer will ask you to include a warning statement on your cache listing above the link to the offsite webpage.

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1. You cannot make a sound file play automatically on your cache page. The site's programming won't allow an "embedded" sound file. You will need to host the content on a separate webpage and link to it.

 

2. You will need to work with your reviewer on compliance with the "no downloading of files" guideline. Either the sound file plays automatically through the browser with no extra software required, or if a download is required, your reviewer will ask you to include a warning statement on your cache listing above the link to the offsite webpage.

 

Thanks, I thought that would be the case, but you never know if you don't ask :P

Trigger

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1. You cannot make a sound file play automatically on your cache page. The site's programming won't allow an "embedded" sound file. You will need to host the content on a separate webpage and link to it.

 

2. You will need to work with your reviewer on compliance with the "no downloading of files" guideline. Either the sound file plays automatically through the browser with no extra software required, or if a download is required, your reviewer will ask you to include a warning statement on your cache listing above the link to the offsite webpage.

Where is this "no downloading of files" guideline? All I can find is:

"Caches that require a geocacher to visit another website will not be published if the finder must create an account with, or provide personal information to, the other website."

Is there something published somewhere else that I can't find?

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Is there something published somewhere else that I can't find?

Yes. In the same guidelines document, directly above the text that you quoted, is this sentence:

 

In the interest of file security, caches that require the downloading, installing or running of data and/or executables may not be published.
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1. You cannot make a sound file play automatically on your cache page. The site's programming won't allow an "embedded" sound file. You will need to host the content on a separate webpage and link to it.

 

2. You will need to work with your reviewer on compliance with the "no downloading of files" guideline. Either the sound file plays automatically through the browser with no extra software required, or if a download is required, your reviewer will ask you to include a warning statement on your cache listing above the link to the offsite webpage.

 

Thanks, I thought that would be the case, but you never know if you don't ask :)

Trigger

 

We used to be able to do it up until about 2005 or 2006, not that it matters. :P If you try it now, the HTML command for doing so (which I forget) will just be stripped out.

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Is there something published somewhere else that I can't find?

Yes. In the same guidelines document, directly above the text that you quoted, is this sentence:

 

In the interest of file security, caches that require the downloading, installing or running of data and/or executables may not be published.

Ah, yep, sorry, can't imagine how I missed that. Thanks.

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In the interest of file security, caches that require the downloading, installing or running of data and/or executables may not be published.

 

Don't ALL caches require this?

 

Like, didn't everyone have to download and install a browser?

 

Probably this should be re-worded to include the phrase "third-party applications beyond what is provided with the operating system"

 

Or something like that.

 

EDIT: I have a cache with a link to a hosted MP3 file: AT-5000 Auto Dialer

Edited by frinklabs
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I am in the process of designing some music based caches and would like to put some sound bites from music tracks onto my cache page for fellow cachers to identify. Has anybody got some advice on how this can be achieved, or if it can? Many thanks

Trigger :P

 

I have been routinely frustrated by the mind-numbing undocumented restrictions on html code in place by Groundspeak. And as I see, like two days ago the disaster inflicted on 20 of my active cache pages when all formatting went to hell, their methods of processing page code vary considerably from time to time. Best advice: Don't do what I did, which is to push the Groundspeak server to the limit of what it is allowed to do, because being a rule bender gets you burned in the end when the rules change. Host the pages on your own server, you'll have more fun that way and you have full control that they survive the way you mean them to be viewed... OR do it my way and push it to do all that it can. Sound is not unfortunately one of the things I have figured out a work-around for, but animation.. ah.. well that's another story. Please see some great examples from my collection including my personal geo profile and these:

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...a9-af6409b96185 (GC20H7Q - 2010 NASA Goldstone annual tour)

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...1d-099d7cf09a56

(GC22RFT - 2010 NASA Goldstone annual after tour dinner)

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...fe-f9f86e3bd06e

(GC226TW - Triangles Mega Event planning event) a great example of page rendering broken by the latest update which isn't kind to Groundspeak "hacking" (ummm.. optimizing) like I deploy.

 

Regards,

 

Matt

(Victorville, CA)

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In the interest of file security, caches that require the downloading, installing or running of data and/or executables may not be published.

 

Don't ALL caches require this?

 

Like, didn't everyone have to download and install a browser?

 

I did not have to download a browser, it came with my operating system.

 

EDIT: I have a cache with a link to a hosted MP3 file: AT-5000 Auto Dialer

 

This looks like a cool idea for a puzzle cache.

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In the interest of file security, caches that require the downloading, installing or running of data and/or executables may not be published.

 

Don't ALL caches require this?

 

Like, didn't everyone have to download and install a browser?

 

Probably this should be re-worded to include the phrase "third-party applications beyond what is provided with the operating system"

 

Or something like that.

 

EDIT: I have a cache with a link to a hosted MP3 file: AT-5000 Auto Dialer

 

I sort of thought the same thing. The second you go to a page you are "running data". But then I saw the part of the guideline that say the "may" not be published. It allows the reviewer to not approve the cache but doesn't guarantee that they won't

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I'm glad that sound can no longer autoplay on cache pages. It was quite similar to being rickrolled. And I also find most animation on cache pages annoying. It's much easier to read when you are not looking at a moving target. A close second to that is the use of dark backgrounds; don't you want your text to be easy to read?

 

I'm not a curmudgeon who wants to see creativity quashed, but I really do note see the need for all the extra bells and whistles on one's cache listing.

Save the creativity for the location and cache itself.

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I'm glad that sound can no longer autoplay on cache pages.

 

To be totally honest, nothing makes me close a web page faster than unsolicited music or sound. I am usually listening to music while i am on the computer, and opening a page and having music or sounds suddenly play can be very frustrating. A lot of webpages lose my traffic because of this (not that it matters one bit, of course).

Edited by maggi101
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I'm glad that sound can no longer autoplay on cache pages. It was quite similar to being rickrolled. And I also find most animation on cache pages annoying. It's much easier to read when you are not looking at a moving target. A close second to that is the use of dark backgrounds; don't you want your text to be easy to read?

 

I'm not a curmudgeon who wants to see creativity quashed, but I really do note see the need for all the extra bells and whistles on one's cache listing.

Save the creativity for the location and cache itself.

 

While I TOTALLY agree with what you say, autoplaying a tune was not what the OP was looking for. He was asking to"put some sound bites from music tracks onto my cache page for fellow cachers to identify." I know that we used to have at least one mystery cache near me that did that, but it was probably grandfathered in.

 

 

Regarding the ridiculous notion that downloading a browser or downloading the data for the web page is the same as what the guidelines is restricting is... well, ridiculous. The intent is obvious... to protect its users from trojans, virus', worms, and other nasties, as well as avoiding having to deal with broken links, links to family-unfriendly sites, and commercials.

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the part of the guideline that say the "may" not be published. It allows the reviewer to not approve the cache but doesn't guarantee that they won't

 

Wow, I like the interpretation this way. I always read the may not as 'might' but as that it was not allowed so more as 'cannot'. This interpretation gives the reviewer the discrepancy to determine if the cache is OK.

 

I have seen several puzzle caches that resolve to a password which allow you to open a password protected PDF file which contains the coordinates to the cache. I always thought that this violated this rule. But I suppose if it is up to the reviewer then he could determine that pdf is a common and safe file and allow it.

Edited by GeePa
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the part of the guideline that say the "may" not be published. It allows the reviewer to not approve the cache but doesn't guarantee that they won't

 

Wow, I like the interpretation this way. I always read the may not as 'might' but as that it was not allowed so more as 'cannot'. This interpretation gives the reviewer the discrepancy to determine if the cache is OK.

 

I have seen several puzzle caches that resolve to a password which allow you to open a password protected PDF file which contains the coordinates to the cache. I always thought that this violated this rule. But I suppose if it is may be up to the reviewer then he could determine that pdf is a common and safe file and allow it.

;)
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the part of the guideline that say the "may" not be published. It allows the reviewer to not approve the cache but doesn't guarantee that they won't

 

Wow, I like the interpretation this way. I always read the may not as 'might' but as that it was not allowed so more as 'cannot'. This interpretation gives the reviewer the discrepancy to determine if the cache is OK.

 

I have seen several puzzle caches that resolve to a password which allow you to open a password protected PDF file which contains the coordinates to the cache. I always thought that this violated this rule. But I suppose if it is up to the reviewer then he could determine that pdf is a common and safe file and allow it.

 

PDF files are commonly used to transport viruses.

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Regarding the ridiculous notion that downloading a browser ... is the same as what the guidelines is restricting is... well, ridiculous. The intent is obvious... to protect its users from trojans, virus', worms, and other nasties, ...

Wait a minute here. First you say that downloading a browser is not what the guidelines are restricting, then you go on to describe Internet Explorer. I'm confused. ;)

 

 

 

 

 

:):D;)

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the part of the guideline that say the "may" not be published. It allows the reviewer to not approve the cache but doesn't guarantee that they won't

Wow, I like the interpretation this way. I always read the may not as 'might' but as that it was not allowed so more as 'cannot'. This interpretation gives the reviewer the discrepancy to determine if the cache is OK.

It would be nice if the guidelines were written in grammatically correct, unambiguous English, wouldn't it?

 

This ambiguity was pointed out when the guideline was first published, and TPTB have chosen not to change it. I have no idea why, as it reflects poorly upon the professionalism of the Groundspeak staff and volunteers.

 

The guideline is implemented in wildly varying ways; locally, just within the last month, I've seen a local cacher forced to jump through multiple hoops including many disclaimers on the cache page to allow MP3 files as part of a cache puzzle, while another new puzzle requires downloading and installing a potentially malicious Windows-only application to solve the puzzle, but there is no mention or disclaimer on the cache page. Both approved by the same reviewer.

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