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The feature is confusing to most. I think it should be removed, or at least explained in a mannor that non - hard core geocaches can understand.

 

The feature has to be explained in a mannor that a 8 year old can understand. Try it out on an 8 year old, if they understand it then great.

 

To be honest - after reading the pages and help files, I'm still not sure what this thing does. In my first reading it seems like if I set this incorrectly, then some other geocacher can take ownership of my trackables. but I don't think that is true.

 

However, the statement:

 

"The coin may be collected by another player."

 

Ts impossible for me to understand. Then if I set my trackable to collectible, other players can collect but if it is set to non-collectible - they can't collect. What the heck does collect mean?

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The feature is confusing to most. I think it should be removed, or at least explained in a mannor that non - hard core geocaches can understand.

 

The feature has to be explained in a mannor that a 8 year old can understand. Try it out on an 8 year old, if they understand it then great.

 

To be honest - after reading the pages and help files, I'm still not sure what this thing does. In my first reading it seems like if I set this incorrectly, then some other geocacher can take ownership of my trackables. but I don't think that is true.

 

However, the statement:

 

"The coin may be collected by another player."

 

Ts impossible for me to understand. Then if I set my trackable to collectible, other players can collect but if it is set to non-collectible - they can't collect. What the heck does collect mean?

 

I've read this entire thread hoping to get some clarification and I'm coming away even more confused than when I began. I agree with the writer who said to explain this in 8-year-old terms. Been caching for a year so still relatively new, but it seems to me this new feature has only muddied the waters. We have less than a dozen travelers ourselves, so maybe that is part of my confusion. I don't understand why a cacher would have a collection of travelers with no intention of sending them traveling....! Is this for numbers or bragging rights?

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ooh come on what is so hard to understand?....the feature is there purely for coins that you personally own and never release in the wild

 

by moving them in the collection they do not sit in your inventory so when you log caches you only see the TB/Coins that you picked up and going to move not an endless list with the personal once

 

the feature is great to those that have personal coins and TB's, if you don't have any it doesn't affect you in any way, ignore it

 

I don't understand why a cacher would have a collection of travelers with no intention of sending them traveling....! Is this for numbers or bragging rights?

 

because some like to collect coins, i buy it, i activate it and stays with me and goes to events only for discovery.....

 

how would a collection make it "for numbers or bragging rights"?

Edited by t4e
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I must be dumber than a bag of hammers... I still do not get it.

 

My confusion and I get this weird sensation I'm not alone is the "Status Types":

 

Collectible

The coin may be collected by another player.

 

Non-Collectible

The coin cannot be collected and should continue its travels from geocache to geocache.

 

Unknown

The owner did not choose Collectible or Non-Collectible upon activation. These items cannot be collected by another player.

 

Status Types; Can Be Collected / Cannot Be Collected - this is extremely confusing to me. I have a large collection with a dummy archived cache as a vault - I've been collecting and sending coins and TBs out for years now without any confusion and fairly good success rate. Although I understand and appreciate the major improvement for having a spot to place my private collection rather than a dummy GC. The Collection and Inventory concept is an awesome idea. It's the Status part that is apt to cause many problems and confusion for many of us and especially newbies. At a time when so many newbies are getting involved and not necessarily getting the proper introduction or education before jumping in it would seem this could have disastrous results.

 

The way I see it is the "Status" is a huge waste of time and effort as I think it's a safe bet NOBODY will want their coins or TBs Collected by another player ever! Thus all will remain as "Unknown".

 

In my stupidity, I think that setting the Status to "Collectible" should mean this is a Coin/TB that is part of a private collection and not released into the wild - thus another player Can Not Keep it or Collect it.

 

Further a Non-Collectible would mean it is not part of a collection and thus would travel from cache to cache and I guess the thieves/uninformed could keep it if they so choose to be scum bags.

 

In fact I'm thinking that the wording it's self could be part of the problem.

 

Say if you made it "Collection" , "Non-Collection" or "Unknown" item as the status then:

 

"Collection" would indicate it is part of a collection that most likely would not be out traveling the world from cache to cache and is part of a players collection that might be brought to events for discoveries.

Further as a Database key this could allow an owner (providing it was programed for) to move the collection into the Event/Cache - in the Cache page's inventory it could show up as "Collection" indicating to all that the item is not really in the cache and is part of a collection and just there for Discoveries.

 

"Non-collection" would indicate the item was placed into the cache for someone to pick up and continue its journey. Again this would make for a nifty Database key (if so programed) allowing separation on a cache page inventory/history. Helpful to those that are trying to sort out what TBs are really placed into the cache and which were just dipped for mileage/discoveries. Typically the cache page owner.

 

"Unknown" Well this would mean its anyones guess and the default should be the same as it ever was - or the same as "Non-collectable".

 

Now I do understand that the principal is basically the same - to me it is far clearer and there would be NO MENTION of Collectible by other players - that is just an out and out suggestion for people collect the Coins & TBs (just plain stupid IMHO) and that is enough to discourage anyone from placing them out in the wild. To me it is like a BP attempt at fixing the oil disaster... An Obvious problem exist and the solution is worse then the initial problem or a mere no so well thought out solution that just makes it worse.

 

If you want another player to keep your coin - as in you are selling or gifting then that is what Adoptions are for.

 

I know that this concept was initiated after many hours of deliberation and thought by humans with far superior intelligence than I and that I'm but a mere mortal low life that as mentioned before dumber that a bag of hammers...

 

I do hope some intellectual out there will help me to understand - please help!

 

Until then it seems my best bet is not to dabble with this new concept or if I should embark on it perhaps leave all as Unknown until clarification makes some remote amount of sense.

 

Whatever the response please be kind I mean no harm and as I stated several times I'm dumber than a bag of hammers so be amiable...

 

I'm now in a Wiki and just want to reply - a simple question (so you would think) collectible? Ok, no help - no info - what the heck? I agree with the original response - I have a TB in Germany and I get some silly question and I still don't know if I answered correctly. Maybe itz me! (ok, looking for a post button...) Ah, I think I found it down there.

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Bottom line is we need to check boxes.

 

The first is set by the object owner. Is it collectible or should it always travel. That way as an owner I can set my intent.

 

The second is set by the person who is holding it (at the time). Is it in my collection or not. This way I can simplify my inventory for items I will not be moving around.

 

Decide on nice names for them and this would solve all the problems. Currenlty we are trying to do too much with a single check box and it does not allow the owner or holder to really do what they want to.

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As usual it appears GC forgot to beta test a major change. Don't you have a sandbox?

 

having a collection inventory is a nice idea but that works fine without confusing the issue with the "collectible" checkbox.

You don't need it - the mission or goal says everything. -

this feature is just superfluous and so confusing even a seasoned moderator like eartha can't interpret it correctly. Please get rid of it - it has already spawned threads on various other forums asking Whattheheck

eg.http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=252904

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having a collection inventory is a nice idea but that works fine without confusing the issue with the "collectible" checkbox.

You don't need it - the mission or goal says everything. -

this feature is just superfluous and so confusing even a seasoned moderator like eartha can't interpret it correctly.

no, the collectible preference isn't for informational purposes only, it controls whether a cacher is able to put it into their collection or not.

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The traditional way of doing that still works - just adopt them the geocoin or travel bug.

I can't imagine how seeing "The owner hasn't set their collectible preference." is going to help stop some someone keeping a jeep tb.

 

but the link below it is even worse - a good idea on paper except once again they forgot to beta test it -

"First time logging a trackable item? Click here."

Ok click!

the poor newb then goes in a loop - he gets sent straight back to the trackables home page where he puts the tracking number in ( again ) is sent to the trackables individual page .... sees that link (again)

"First time logging a trackable item? Click here." ....

here try it - http://www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?id=590651

 

what were they thinking? It should pop up a little javascript help box preferably playing a good video tutorial like this : il.youtube.com/watch?v=ttGepPtL58s&feature=relate

Edited by forthferalz
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The traditional way of doing that still works - just adopt them the geocoin or travel bug.

I can't imagine how seeing "The owner hasn't set their collectible preference." is going to help stop some someone keeping a jeep tb.

of course it isn't, because that's the whole point of it: the owner should set the preference.

 

i agree that the "unknown" state is a bit stupid. it should default to non-collectible for all trackables, and in effect it does: nobody can move the trackable into their collection except the owner. the text should be changed to reflect that, but that's just a cosmetic thing. other than that, the features work fine and make perfect sense.

 

but the link below it is even worse - a good idea on paper except once again they forgot to beta test it -

"First time logging a trackable item? Click here."

Ok click!

the poor newb then goes in a loop - he gets sent straight back to the trackables home page where he puts the tacking number in ( again ) goes to the trackables individual page .... sees that link (again)

"First time logging a trackable item? Click here." ....

the link takes them to the main TB/GC page, which has all the links to the FAQs, docs etc.. that's only a problem if the person actually can't read and just clicks the first button they see. if that takes them back to the same page as before, that should really give them a clue that this wasn't what they were supposed to do.

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huh? that was what they were supposed to do and it's not supposed to be a guessing game!

A help link should go directly to a help page - not the page you just came from.

it's not necessarily the page you came from. it's only the page you came from when you got there by entering a tracking number. in that case, you've already seen all the links to all the info. but if you got from a cache listing to the TB page (because the TB is listed there), the link makes perfect sense. the page has all the links that would explain to them what a TB is and how it works. it is the help page.

Edited by dfx
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huh? that was what they were supposed to do and it's not supposed to be a guessing game!

A help link should go directly to a help page - not the page you just came from.

 

sure spoon feed every piece of information without requiring the use of common sense and initiative, that's why we have the lazy generation of today, its like they have tunnel vision or wear some of them eye protectors they put on horses so they loose their peripheral vision...once something is outside the "tunnel" it becomes a case of brain surgery to figure it out...its not a "guessing name" its a case of RTFM

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