Pocket Queries

[+bobki]

Hi

 

I made a Pocket Query 5/12/2010 7:03:55 AM to get my cache stats. I could access it on my iPhone so I know it was generated.

It did not get to my Windows Live Mail Reader. I checked and confirmed the validity of my E-mail address.

I checked my ISP Inbox to determine if it had landed there but due to its size or something else was not passed onto my mail reader. It was not on the server.

This is the second week in a row that I have had this trouble. Previous Queries have been delivered with no trouble.

 

Is it possible to 'clear' my 'one week setting' and try to rerun it ?

Or maybe, resend it ?

[+StarBrand]

Did you return to the website and see if it was available for download?

[+bobki]

Did you return to the website and see if it was available for download?

Yes I did return and the 'Add to Queue' button is greyed out

[+StarBrand]

Did you return to the website and see if it was available for download?

Yes I did return and the 'Add to Queue' button is greyed out

There is a new download tab on the http://www.geocaching.com/pocket/default.aspx page - look near the top of the table.....

[+Markwell]

Read my post here.

[+bobki]

Did you return to the website and see if it was available for download?

Yes I did return and the 'Add to Queue' button is greyed out

There is a new download tab on the http://www.geocaching.com/pocket/default.aspx page - look near the top of the table.....

I just went there, to the top of the page. I activated it just now and I will wait to see if it gets delivered. If my memory serves correctly, I think I have done this in the last day or so. Nothing happened then. Say it does not happen now. What then ?

[+StarBrand]

Did you return to the website and see if it was available for download?

Yes I did return and the 'Add to Queue' button is greyed out

There is a new download tab on the http://www.geocaching.com/pocket/default.aspx page - look near the top of the table.....

I just went there, to the top of the page. I activated it just now and I will wait to see if it gets delivered. If my memory serves correctly, I think I have done this in the last day or so. Nothing happened then. Say it does not happen now. What then ?

Activated it???

 

Does it show any available downloads???

[knowschad]

Did you return to the website and see if it was available for download?

Yes I did return and the 'Add to Queue' button is greyed out

There is a new download tab on the http://www.geocaching.com/pocket/default.aspx page - look near the top of the table.....

I just went there, to the top of the page. I activated it just now and I will wait to see if it gets delivered. If my memory serves correctly, I think I have done this in the last day or so. Nothing happened then. Say it does not happen now. What then ?

Activated it???

 

Does it show any available downloads???

Bobki still has fewer than 500 finds. I don't know for sure, but suspect that his My Finds would still be emailed to him at this point. I'm assuming that the only criteria defining whether or not you need to download it is the number of caches in the PQ.

[Moun10Bike]

Bobki still has fewer than 500 finds. I don't know for sure, but suspect that his My Finds would still be emailed to him at this point. I'm assuming that the only criteria defining whether or not you need to download it is the number of caches in the PQ.

 

That is not correct. The My Finds PQ is not emailed regardless of the number of caches it contains. It must be downloaded from the download tab.

[+bobki]

Did you return to the website and see if it was available for download?

Yes I did return and the 'Add to Queue' button is greyed out

There is a new download tab on the http://www.geocaching.com/pocket/default.aspx page - look near the top of the table.....

I just went there, to the top of the page. I activated it just now and I will wait to see if it gets delivered. If my memory serves correctly, I think I have done this in the last day or so. Nothing happened then. Say it does not happen now. What then ?

Activated it???

 

Does it show any available downloads???

Yes it showed available downloads.

[+Markwell]

Read my post here.

 

Click the download tab:

 

 

[+bobki]

Did you return to the website and see if it was available for download?

Yes I did return and the 'Add to Queue' button is greyed out

There is a new download tab on the http://www.geocaching.com/pocket/default.aspx page - look near the top of the table.....

I just went there, to the top of the page. I activated it just now and I will wait to see if it gets delivered. If my memory serves correctly, I think I have done this in the last day or so. Nothing happened then. Say it does not happen now. What then ?

Activated it???

 

Does it show any available downloads???

Yes it showed available downloads.

OK. I got it up and running. Thank you soo much. Looks like I can save it right from the place that opens up

when, in my words, I activate that area at the top. Again, Thank you for the support !

[knowschad]

That is not correct. The My Finds PQ is not emailed regardless of the number of caches it contains. It must be downloaded from the download tab.

Did I miss the memo on that?

[Moun10Bike]

Did I miss the memo on that?

 

Yep

 

From Nate's release notes (emphasis added by me):

 

PQ1K

 

Our fearless leader made a promise some weeks ago, and by extension issued a challenge to the web team: Make PQ generation stable enough to increase the per-PQ cache limit. The challenge was accepted with not a little apprehension at first -- after all, the PQ generator had already been under an extremely heavy load, and "now you want us to deliver more!?" -- but in the end it came together and PQ generation time was cut in half. With the PQ generator now stable, we can comfortably increase the per-PQ cache limit to 1000.

 

Some specifics:

• If you change nothing about the way you use PQs you will not be affected by this change
  
• PQs requesting between 501-1000 caches will be available as a file download only, although we will still notify you by email when it is ready
  
• PQs with less than 501 caches will be emailed as attachments and available as a file download
  
• PQs will remain available for download a maximum of 7 days from the date it was generated
  
• My Finds PQs are no longer sent as email attachments, but will be available as a file download
  

[knowschad]

Did I miss the memo on that?

 

Yep

 

From Nate's release notes (emphasis added by me):

 

PQ1K

 

Our fearless leader made a promise some weeks ago, and by extension issued a challenge to the web team: Make PQ generation stable enough to increase the per-PQ cache limit. The challenge was accepted with not a little apprehension at first -- after all, the PQ generator had already been under an extremely heavy load, and "now you want us to deliver more!?" -- but in the end it came together and PQ generation time was cut in half. With the PQ generator now stable, we can comfortably increase the per-PQ cache limit to 1000.

 

Some specifics:

• If you change nothing about the way you use PQs you will not be affected by this change
  
• PQs requesting between 501-1000 caches will be available as a file download only, although we will still notify you by email when it is ready
  
• PQs with less than 501 caches will be emailed as attachments and available as a file download
  
• PQs will remain available for download a maximum of 7 days from the date it was generated
  
• My Finds PQs are no longer sent as email attachments, but will be available as a file download
  

It wasn't in red at the time, though, was it?

 

I'll read the black type too next time. Thanks.

[AZcachemeister]

Note to self:

In light of this new development, try to run a PQ based on the 'Ignore List' once again.

[+bobki]

Bobki still has fewer than 500 finds. I don't know for sure, but suspect that his My Finds would still be emailed to him at this point. I'm assuming that the only criteria defining whether or not you need to download it is the number of caches in the PQ.

 

That is not correct. The My Finds PQ is not emailed regardless of the number of caches it contains. It must be downloaded from the download tab.

Thanks guys ! I now think that you have to go to the "top" (if you are following this thread). 'Activate' the box and then 'select' the item you want. It will 'open' for you to 'run' or 'save'. Job done. You can figure from there.

I guess the question I now have, is, can you just have the PQ sent to your email ?

[+bobki]

Did I miss the memo on that?

 

Yep

 

From Nate's release notes (emphasis added by me):

 

PQ1K

 

Our fearless leader made a promise some weeks ago, and by extension issued a challenge to the web team: Make PQ generation stable enough to increase the per-PQ cache limit. The challenge was accepted with not a little apprehension at first -- after all, the PQ generator had already been under an extremely heavy load, and "now you want us to deliver more!?" -- but in the end it came together and PQ generation time was cut in half. With the PQ generator now stable, we can comfortably increase the per-PQ cache limit to 1000.

 

Some specifics:

• If you change nothing about the way you use PQs you will not be affected by this change
  
• PQs requesting between 501-1000 caches will be available as a file download only, although we will still notify you by email when it is ready
  
• PQs with less than 501 caches will be emailed as attachments and available as a file download
  
• PQs will remain available for download a maximum of 7 days from the date it was generated
  
• My Finds PQs are no longer sent as email attachments, but will be available as a file download
  

 

OK I read this but messed things up again this week. I think I inadvertily (sp?) 'deleted' the query, thinking it was from last week.

and now I see "•PQs will remain available for download a maximum of 7 days from the date it was generated

•My Finds PQs are no longer sent as email attachments, but will be available as a file download"

 

Available, even after they were deleted ?

Or can something be reset so I can rerun the FINDS Query ?

[+Bear and Ragged]

Bobki still has fewer than 500 finds. I don't know for sure, but suspect that his My Finds would still be emailed to him at this point. I'm assuming that the only criteria defining whether or not you need to download it is the number of caches in the PQ.

 

That is not correct. The My Finds PQ is not emailed regardless of the number of caches it contains. It must be downloaded from the download tab.

Thanks guys ! I now think that you have to go to the "top" (if you are following this thread). 'Activate' the box and then 'select' the item you want. It will 'open' for you to 'run' or 'save'. Job done. You can figure from there.

I guess the question I now have, is, can you just have the PQ sent to your email ?

If the PQ is 500 caches or under, yes.

If it's a My Finds PQ, No. (Not even if you have less than 500 finds.)

Edited May 20, 2010 by Bear and Ragged

[+bobki]

Bobki still has fewer than 500 finds. I don't know for sure, but suspect that his My Finds would still be emailed to him at this point. I'm assuming that the only criteria defining whether or not you need to download it is the number of caches in the PQ.

 

That is not correct. The My Finds PQ is not emailed regardless of the number of caches it contains. It must be downloaded from the download tab.

Thanks guys ! I now think that you have to go to the "top" (if you are following this thread). 'Activate' the box and then 'select' the item you want. It will 'open' for you to 'run' or 'save'. Job done. You can figure from there.

I guess the question I now have, is, can you just have the PQ sent to your email ?

If the PQ is 500 caches or under, yes.

If it's a My Finds PQ, No. (Not even if you have less than 500 finds.)

OK. It was My Finds with exactly 500. Guess I have to wait until next week. Hope I remember how to do this.

 

Thanks again

[+Salty-Eagle]

Some specifics:

• If you change nothing about the way you use PQs you will not be affected by this change
  
• PQs requesting between 501-1000 caches will be available as a file download only, although we will still notify you by email when it is ready
  
• PQs with less than 501 caches will be emailed as attachments and available as a file download
  
• PQs will remain available for download a maximum of 7 days from the date it was generated
  
• My Finds PQs are no longer sent as email attachments, but will be available as a file download
  

 

I wish I had known this before I renewed my membership!!!!! This is EXTREMELY inconvenient for me, as I use a Mac, and for this to even begin to work for me, I have to download the "generated" PQ's, move them to a separate directory, sort them out, then run GSAK in a Windows box. This doesn't include trying to remember which one's have downloaded, which haven't, etc, etc. Talk about a PAIN!!!

 

Is there ANY hope of having them automatically download even with the 1000 cache max? None hit the 1000, but some are around 800 or so, and don't tell me to go back the way it was, with less than 500 caches, as I generate PQ's for two states Databases, and have hit the 40 (?) PQ limit expiring sometime last year in the summer. Therefore, I can't keep up to date.

 

Thanks for the 1000 cache increase, but booooo on the "new" download fiasco.

[+Bear and Ragged]

 

I wish I had known this before I renewed my membership!!!!! This is EXTREMELY inconvenient for me, as I use a Mac, and for this to even begin to work for me, I have to download the "generated" PQ's, move them to a separate directory, sort them out, then run GSAK in a Windows box. This doesn't include trying to remember which one's have downloaded, which haven't, etc, etc. Talk about a PAIN!!!

 

Is there ANY hope of having them automatically download even with the 1000 cache max?

Firefox browser.

Download them all add on.

Create a folder "PQ update"

Open download tab.

Click and hold on PQ and Save Link with Download them all!, into the PQ folder.

Start GSAK

Click 'load file' point to PQ folder and save the path. (Or automate it. I have.)

Edited May 22, 2010 by Bear and Ragged

[+gelfling6]

Here's a question, and I imagine it's already been asked (or answered) before.. Though, I would suggest a few minor restrictions to prevent server overload..

 

GSAK users could submit a list of cache ID's, and receive a pocket query back of those submitted.

 

I.E. the list would be simple,

 

GCxxxxx

GCxxxx1

GCxxxx2

GCxxxx3

.........

 

Or, maybe even a comma-separated file..

 

GCxxxx,GCxxx1,GCxxx2,GCxxx3........

 

result, the pocket query sent back, would be of the requested caches.

 

to prevent abuse, limit the query to 200 per day (yes, I know PQ's can go to 1000.. and, yes, it WILL take 5 days to request all of them back.)

 

The reason, I have a few thousand which I have plotted out on a mapping program, (for personal use only) and quite a few are coming up as Archived. (you can imagine my frustration, when I went to one park, where close to 12 were supposed to be, Only to find all 12 had been archived. At least I got a good hike in, but the gas used to get there.. ARGH!)

 

This would also make it easier for users to keep track of their own caches in a single query.

[+Bear and Ragged]

Here's a question, and I imagine it's already been asked (or answered) before.. Though, I would suggest a few minor restrictions to prevent server overload..

 

GSAK users could submit a list of cache ID's, and receive a pocket query back of those submitted.

 

I.E. the list would be simple,

 

GCxxxxx

GCxxxx1

GCxxxx2

GCxxxx3

.........

 

Or, maybe even a comma-separated file..

 

GCxxxx,GCxxx1,GCxxx2,GCxxx3........

 

result, the pocket query sent back, would be of the requested caches.

 

to prevent abuse, limit the query to 200 per day (yes, I know PQ's can go to 1000.. and, yes, it WILL take 5 days to request all of them back.)

 

The reason, I have a few thousand which I have plotted out on a mapping program, (for personal use only) and quite a few are coming up as Archived. (you can imagine my frustration, when I went to one park, where close to 12 were supposed to be, Only to find all 12 had been archived. At least I got a good hike in, but the gas used to get there.. ARGH!)

 

This would also make it easier for users to keep track of their own caches in a single query.

Bookmark them.

Also shows the Archived log.

You don't have to run it as a PQ to see if the cache is Active/Temp Disabled/Archived

[+Lil Devil]

You guys are forgetting that Pocket Queries are designed to give you caches to put in your GPS (and PDA and phone).

 

Offline databases are not supported, and it's unlikely they will make any changes to make it easier. I'm actually surprised they don't make it more difficult to use offline databases.

[+DrRounds2]

Offline databases are not supported, and it's unlikely they will make any changes to make it easier. I'm actually surprised they don't make it more difficult to use offline databases.

 

They have just made it much more difficult now that we have to download the Pocket Query results.

Dave

[Great Birds]

You guys are forgetting that Pocket Queries are designed to give you caches to put in your GPS (and PDA and phone).

 

Offline databases are not supported, and it's unlikely they will make any changes to make it easier. I'm actually surprised they don't make it more difficult to use offline databases.

 

Regardless of what PQS are designed for, many users do use GSAK and have game related reasons for doing so. I am going camping this weekend and am not sure where we will be all the time so I will have several PQs of data in my GPSr and a copy of my GSAK data on a computer.

 

There is no harm in asking TPTB to make the site features accommodate the way we like to cache. Making it more difficult risks pushing a number of dedicated caches away from the game. GS walks a fine line between opening access to the database and letting freeloaders in, but they must work to accommodate users who geocache in ways GS didn't envision. If we keep asking they will find a way.

 

I installed Chrome for the exclusive purpose of downloading PQs. Each PQ has a unique URL and I have a bookmark for each one. A click on "open all in tabs" delivers my PQs to my hard drive in a folder where GSAK knows where to find them. Adjust the GSAK "load" settings not to accept older data and your database will stay pretty much up to date. Move the zip files to another folder and you will always have the latest PQ on hand to run again if needed.

Edited May 25, 2010 by Great Birds

[+Markwell]

They have just made it much more difficult now that we have to download the Pocket Query results.

As I said in another thread, they actually made it easier for some of us.

[+larryc43230]

They have just made it much more difficult now that we have to download the Pocket Query results.

As I said in another thread, they actually made it easier for some of us.

+1

 

I never was crazy about pocket queries being delivered as file attachments in e-mail messages. Downloading the files directly from the Web site streamlined my work flow considerably.

 

--Larry

[+StarBrand]

They have just made it much more difficult now that we have to download the Pocket Query results.

As I said in another thread, they actually made it easier for some of us.

+1

 

I never was crazy about pocket queries being delivered as file attachments in e-mail messages. Downloading the files directly from the Web site streamlined my work flow considerably.

 

--Larry

Me as well. I know some of the automated crowd got quite vocal but many of us are liking the download model even better.

[+Markwell]

Many complaints were being given regarding the reliability of e-mailing the results. Consider how many additional components were added to the mix:

• Queing the e-mails to be sent out via the e-mail server
  
• Relying on the fact that the e-mail server isn't down.
  
• Relying on the fact that the recipient's ISP didn't capture the results as spam
  
• Relying on the fact that the recipient's ISP didn't capture the results as a virus
  
• Relying on the recipient's ISP to deliver the results in a timely fashion.
  

That's a lot of rogue components that are NOT under the control of Groundspeak. Now if people cannot get their PQs there's no one to blame except Groundspeak, which is how most thriving customer service based companies wish to operate. It's infinitely better than saying "Sorry you didn't get the e-mail, but it's not our fault." There were many threads starting with the complaint that "I haven't receive my PQ results so the system is broken" only to find from the programmers that the results were indeed created AND sent, but never received.

 

Now, once they results are created they are instantly available directly on the website, the same source as the generated material. As long as the website is available, the PQs can be downloaded - and kept for re-download until they are replaced or expired.

 

Other than planned outages, I can't remember very many times at all except for the server fire when Groundspeak and Geocaching.com have been offline in the last year. Slow, maybe, but not offline.

[+Avernar]

They have just made it much more difficult now that we have to download the Pocket Query results.

As I said in another thread, they actually made it easier for some of us.

At the expense of the other group.

 

That's a lot of rogue components that are NOT under the control of Groundspeak. Now if people cannot get their PQs there's no one to blame except Groundspeak, which is how most thriving customer service based companies wish to operate. It's infinitely better than saying "Sorry you didn't get the e-mail, but it's not our fault." There were many threads starting with the complaint that "I haven't receive my PQ results so the system is broken" only to find from the programmers that the results were indeed created AND sent, but never received.

 

Now, once they results are created they are instantly available directly on the website, the same source as the generated material. As long as the website is available, the PQs can be downloaded - and kept for re-download until they are replaced or expired.

So why not give the option on a per PQ basis whether to email them or not? So if the email gets lost you can just say "Sorry you didn't get the e-mail, but you can download it from the site." Or even put "If you don't get your email, download directly from here" right below to the option.

 

Even now for PQ500s, people can check if the data was generated and download directly if the email was lost. It's a very handy feature in addition to the email.

 

"Just didn't want the conversation to sound one-sided."

[+GlobalRat]

 

Some specifics:

• If you change nothing about the way you use PQs you will not be affected by this change
  
• PQs requesting between 501-1000 caches will be available as a file download only, although we will still notify you by email when it is ready
  
• PQs with less than 501 caches will be emailed as attachments and available as a file download
  
• PQs will remain available for download a maximum of 7 days from the date it was generated
  
• My Finds PQs are no longer sent as email attachments, but will be available as a file download
  

 

 

Last notification I received was on 2010/05/18. PQ's have generated each week and are available for download, but no notifications are sent.

Edited June 2, 2010 by GlobalRat