The new "Destroyed" logging option

[+Egnix]

I just noticed than when you log a benchmark you can choose "Destroyed". So I'm wondering what qualifies as destroyed (and I'm asking as it pertains to geocaching.com, not the NGS).

 

For example, I had a benchmark I was looking for...it was supposed to be in a round monument box in the middle of a street and it had a very good textual description of where it was. What I found there was what used to be a round hole filled in the blacktop. Would this be considered "Destroyed"?

 

Inquiring minds want to know

[Jeremy]

I added it today since people wanted to indicate if it was visibly destroyed. Since we are not mirroring the NGS requirements at the moment, those logs will be considered non NGS standard logs. If we do go that route eventually I'll add a different log type that will have "NGS Report - Destroyed" or something like that.

 

Jeremy Irish

Groundspeak - The Language of Location

[Rubbertoe]

Yup, I would say you better be 99.9% sure that what you are looking at is the remains or former location of a benchmark. I mean, being able to look at the hole in the rock - where a marker was planted, that'd be a destroyed marker for sure... but if you are in the area and you think you are in the right location, but can't find anything - I'd just leave that one was a note.

 

I've got two marked with notes that I'm sure are destroyed, so I'm gonna go back and adjust my logs accordingly.

 

The Toe Pages

[Rubbertoe]

Umm... I went back and changed those two benchmarks I just mentioned to "destroyed" from "note" and I noticed the only apparent difference is now I have two frowny face icons instead of note icons.

 

Just wondering if there are any differences (in the system) between a "not found" and a "destroyed" report. If not, it just looks like another "not found" report to everyone.

[+Egnix]

Okay...so my next question:

Is it supposed to work yet? I just tried to edit a log to change it from "Not found" to "Destroyed" and it still shows up as "Not found"...

[Elias]

quote:

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Originally posted by Rubbertoe:

Just wondering if there are any differences (in the system) between a "not found" and a "destroyed" report. If not, it just looks like another "not found" report to everyone.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Egnix:

Is it supposed to work yet? I just tried to edit a log to change it from "Not found" to "Destroyed" and it still shows up as "Not found"...

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The log is flagged differently in the database so the appearance of "not found" is just cosmetic. We'll be able to use this data to provide statistics or other info on people's hunts that might be useful or interesting. But there's definitely a difference in the database so when we get around to using a more appropriate icon on the log page, all of your "destroyed" listings will be instantly updated and displayed correctly.

 

-Elias

[Jeremy]

quote:

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Originally posted by Egnix:

Is it supposed to work yet?

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I messed it up. You were selecting destroyed but it was still updating the database with "not found." It should work now and will have the X icon for now.

 

Jeremy Irish

Groundspeak - The Language of Location

[Rubbertoe]

Ahh, good deal. I went back and edited them one more time and indeed there is now a little "X" icon instead of the frowny. Muchos gracias.

 

The Toe Pages

[survey tech]

Egnix

I have dug up numerous markers that were merely paved over and were still in perfect condition once uncovered, so it would not be appropriate to call it destroyed. In fact this happens routinely when the cover gets knocked off by traffic. I know of some markers that have been paved over and dug up repeatedly.

[Rubbertoe]

I notice that the icons for each benchmark logged is now shown on the summary page for each user's benchmarks - however, I had to go back and manually edit several of them in order for their icon to appear. Also, I don't get the skull icon on the two markers that I've logged as destroyed. Is that what it is intended for? Or is that the icon for "officially missing" status from the NGS?

 

Mmm... I like all the perty icons, now that I've got 'em all displayed properly.

 

My Benchmark Summary Page (I think)

 

The Toe Pages

[+Egnix]

quote:

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Originally posted by survey tech:

Egnix

I have dug up numerous markers that were merely paved over and were still in perfect condition once uncovered, so it would not be appropriate to call it destroyed. In fact this happens routinely when the cover gets knocked off by traffic. I know of some markers that have been paved over and dug up repeatedly.

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Thanks for the info, Mr. Surveytech.

 

I am glad to see the "Destroyed" option, but I still feel like it would be nice to have some kind of "found something" option. I'm not a surveyer looking for a survery disc to make an official record, I'm a geocacher out looking for something which in this case is a survery disc...but if I do find something in which I have a high degree of certainty is related to what I was looking for...I feel that counts as something more than a "note" and definately more than a "not found".

It's a bit depressing to go wander about the streets and finally say "Ooh! Look! I found something!" then come home and click "not found".

 

Anyone else have any thoughts (besides me being a nut case)?

[+Web-ling]

quote:

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Originally posted by Egnix:

 

It's a bit depressing to go wander about the streets and finally say "Ooh! Look! I found something!" then come home and click "not found".

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I realize I'm in the minority here, but if I find anything that I can clearly identify as being part of the benchmark - a broken disk, the witness post, one of the reference disks, or an azimuth disk - I log a FOUND IT. I don't log FOUND IT if I just find the hole or a chunk of concrete that looks like it might have been associated with the marker. I won't use the DESTROYED option unless it's extremely obvious where the disk was, and it's not there. I did edit a few logs to DESTROYED for some elevated tanks and radio towers that clearly were not there.

 

 

[This message was edited by Web-ling on October 17, 2002 at 10:57 AM.]

[+embra]

quote:

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Originally posted by Egnix:

I am glad to see the "Destroyed" option, but I still feel like it would be nice to have some kind of "found something" option. I'm not a surveyer looking for a survery disc to make an official record, I'm a geocacher out looking for _something_ which in this case is a survery disc...but if I do find something in which I have a high degree of certainty is related to what I was looking for...I feel that counts as something more than a "note" and definately more than a "not found".

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Seems to me that you have to find something--some kind of evidence--to constitute a "Destroyed" option. If I find it: found. If I can't find it: not found. If I find fairly clear evidence that the marker is not where it clearly should be: Destroyed (with detailed explanation). None of those categories: maybe a note.

 

My point is that my Destroyed icons (well, icon...I've only had one like this) designate something found, not that I couldn't find anything. It provides descriptive information to others who may search for the BM, and it brings some uniformity to what our find numbers mean...although I have to count myself among those who get *much* more enjoyment out of searching (and sometimes finding) than I do out of looking at my found list.