Suggestion for improved logging

[team tisri]

When I log a cache find it gives me a list of the trackables I own to let me specify which, if any, I left in the cache.

 

Can we have a similar list of trackables in the cache to let me specify which, if any, I took away with me? Firstly it would speed logging them (especially after a long day's caching when I might have picked up several) and secondly it would help overcome issues where newbie cachers take a travel bug and don't log it. I've seen that happen several times, along with cachers writing in their log "I took geocoin PC123456" and leaving it at that.

 

We'd still want some validation - perhaps having a list of trackables with check boxes to indicate whether they were taken and text boxes to enter the code for confirmation.

[+Cache O'Plenty]

I'd certainly would want an additional text box to enter the log that would appear on the TB page.

 

However, how would you know what the TB's purpose/goal is if you didn't visit it's page?

[+t4e]

you can always visit the TB page for details,

 

i like the idea of having a similar box for retrieval as we have for dropping, the thing is though it should still require entering the tracking number otherwise anyone can take it out of the cache

[+Bear and Ragged]

Something like-

 

When you log the cache a window appears and asks "Did you collect a TB/GC from this cache?"

 

"No" lets you carry on logging.

"Yes" lets you enter tracking numbers. (Trackable may not be listed in the cache inventory yet!)

[+Crew 153]

According to this thread Opinionate indicates that it is on the WISHLIST so maybe one day.

[+jvSquared]

I wouldn't want an extra pop up window to weed through, especially since I find myself moving a TB is less often than logging the cache. But from the other thread mentioned by Crew153, I would agree fully with one comment/request about being able to drop a TB when editing a log already posted.

 

Or how about the ability to drop off a bug when you edit your own found log from 1/2 seconds ago?

How many people have to do a note log right after a found log. And then go and edit the found log to mention the bug, if you already didn't mention it, and then delete the note log from cluttering up everyones PQ's.

 

You can 'edit' a log, you can change that log from a found to a note and so on, with owners and watchers getting all that generated email traffic, so why can't you 'drop' off a bug during an edit?

 

As for prompting to pick up TBs and the like, I would like to second something already mentioned here, that a list of the names usually isn't sufficient enough to know which one you actually picked. I often have to enter the unique TB ID before I know which one out of the list is the one that I actually picked up. And if you picked a couple from a couple different caches, currently you don't need to know which one came from where, and forcing you to enter the ID at the same time as a found log would complicate the pickup process.

 

The only benefit I see of having a pop up warning, is that there might be more people noticing that the online inventory doesn't match the physical inventory and more bugs get properly reported as missing. Then again, I suppose the opposite could be true, and more could be improperly reported as missing.

[team tisri]

I'd certainly would want an additional text box to enter the log that would appear on the TB page.

 

However, how would you know what the TB's purpose/goal is if you didn't visit it's page?

 

By the time you've picked it up and taken it home it's a bit late to be fussing over its goal. If you can't help it you've still got it in your possession.

 

If someone wants people who can't help a specific goal to leave it behind they need to put a mission sheet on the bug.

[+deb3day]

I agree that there needs to be some kind of reminder of what was in the cache when you logged and that if you took one of these things you need to log that as well. I recently marked two items missing in my TB hotel. After doing so, I did some research thru logs and determined that there were two logs by newbies that indicated that they'd picked up trackables but their profile pages had absolutely no trackables listed. I emailed both of them. I got no response from one and the other said, yes, I have the TB but I haven't dropped it yet. That person even changed their log, on my cache, that they still have the bug and will drop it on a trip to Florida in a future month. I wrote back again, trying to educate this person that they have to log that they have the bug on the TB's page, but to no avail. I did my best to help out a newbie. If they don't listen, I can't do anything else.

[+jvSquared]

I agree that there needs to be some kind of reminder of what was in the cache when you logged and that if you took one of these things you need to log that as well.

<SNIP>

I did my best to help out a newbie. If they don't listen, I can't do anything else.

 

You sent a personal email explaining the TB logging procedure, and it didn't click with this newbie. I doubt that a pop up would have helped them either. It might help jog the memory of a more experienced cacher, but I don't think the annoyance factor is worth it.

[team tisri]

I agree that there needs to be some kind of reminder of what was in the cache when you logged and that if you took one of these things you need to log that as well.

<SNIP>

I did my best to help out a newbie. If they don't listen, I can't do anything else.

 

You sent a personal email explaining the TB logging procedure, and it didn't click with this newbie. I doubt that a pop up would have helped them either. It might help jog the memory of a more experienced cacher, but I don't think the annoyance factor is worth it.

 

I'm not talking about a popup. When you log a cache it already gives you a list of the trackables in your possession so you can drop them off. All I'm talking about is another list of the trackables in the cache so you can pick them up again.

 

Below the text you type would be two lists, possibly even put side by side, under headings along the lines of "Did you drop off any of these" and "Did you pick up any of these".

 

If you prefer to log trackables later you can always ignore the "pick up" list and log them using the current way, it's just a way to remind people to log them out. If someone wants to ignore it completely there's not much we can do, just like there's not much we can do if a cacher decides to go visit the cache and throw it in the river.