Cleaning up the TB data base

[twoowls]

Anyone know how to show the TB as missing. I use a IPHONE and the GEOCACHE APP shows how many TBs are residing there. Most of the time when I get there the number is wrong. Since I do not know the TBs ID is there anyway to should the cache with the proper number of TBs? HELP NEEDED

[+Touchstone]

Here's the KB reference on the subject:

 

Trackable is listed on web page but is not there physically

 

I haven't played around with the iPhone app that much to know if it's possible to do within the app or not. You can always just include the information in your Log Entry though.

 

Edit: spelling

Edited July 18, 2010 by Touchstone

[+Ike 13]

Yep let the owner know. But even then that may not change anything. You can also let the CO know and they can mark it missing if the TB owner is inactive.

 

If both owners are inactive I don't know of anything that can be done.

[+Walts Hunting]

Congratulations you are the 1,000,000th person to start a thread complaining about missing TB 's. I would expect a Moderator to combine this one with the other 999,999 and move it to the TB forum and then pin it to the top.

 

Please contact GC immediately for your free upgraded Platinum Membership.

 

P.S. You are aware there is a search function for the forums aren't you.

[+wyld_bill2003]

Congratulations you are the 1,000,000th person to start a thread complaining about missing TB 's. I would expect a Moderator to combine this one with the other 999,999 and move it to the TB forum and then pin it to the top.

 

Please contact GC immediately for your free upgraded Platinum Membership.

 

P.S. You are aware there is a search function for the forums aren't you.

 

WOW!!! The OPs first post in the forums and you have to jump on him like this? The OPs question was answered by 2 very helpful people. IMHO this post was completely uncalled for. Way to make new cachers feel welcome.

[+Ecylram]

Congratulations you are the 1,000,000th person to start a thread complaining about missing TB 's. I would expect a Moderator to combine this one with the other 999,999 and move it to the TB forum and then pin it to the top.

 

Please contact GC immediately for your free upgraded Platinum Membership.

 

P.S. You are aware there is a search function for the forums aren't you.

 

WOW!!! The OPs first post in the forums and you have to jump on him like this? The OPs question was answered by 2 very helpful people. IMHO this post was completely uncalled for. Way to make new cachers feel welcome.

 

Maybe we can gather all the "That's been posted before" posts and move them to their own forum.

 

There's been over 3 million posts to these forums, I'm pretty sure just about everything has been discussed at one time or the other.

[hoosier guy]

Congratulations you are the 1,000,000th person to start a thread complaining about missing TB 's. I would expect a Moderator to combine this one with the other 999,999 and move it to the TB forum and then pin it to the top.

 

Please contact GC immediately for your free upgraded Platinum Membership.

 

P.S. You are aware there is a search function for the forums aren't you.

 

Wow the 100,000th innocent question answered in a rude manner!

[+BlueDeuce]

Congratulations you are the 1,000,000th person to start a thread complaining about missing TB 's. I would expect a Moderator to combine this one with the other 999,999 and move it to the TB forum and then pin it to the top.

 

Please contact GC immediately for your free upgraded Platinum Membership.

 

P.S. You are aware there is a search function for the forums aren't you.

 

Wow, really?

 

What do you always tell people who stress out too much? What's good for the goose, etc., etc.

[Pup Patrol]

The "no snark" rule that applies in the Getting Started forum should apply site-wide when it comes to answering the first post by someone.

 

And the search function here doesn't work, so advising them of that is not helpful.

 

What would have been more helpful would have been to direct the person to the The Travel Bug forum or maybe to the FAQ sticky found in the Getting Started forum.

 

Or one could remember the old saying: you're not obligated to reply to every post in the forums.

[+BlueDeuce]

Personally I wouldn't mind if gc.com took every bug listed in an active cache that hasn't had a Retrieve, Grab, Placed or Discovered in eighteen months and moved them to an unknown location.

 

That would sure make it easier to research the rest of the somewhat, fairly recently missing.

[AZcachemeister]

Apparently a sore subject for some folks, but indeed the topic is discussed almost monthly.

 

Only the TB owners and the cache owners have any power to fix this. Since may of either are AWOL, all you can do is ask EARTHA to remove them.

 

P.S. I NEVER expect to find a TB, so when I do, it's a treat!

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

Personally I wouldn't mind if gc.com took every bug listed in an active cache that hasn't had a Retrieve, Grab, Placed or Discovered in eighteen months and moved them to an unknown location.

 

That would sure make it easier to research the rest of the somewhat, fairly recently missing.

I actually agree with that idea. I would make it six months, but there's no real downside to it - start over by moving all TBs to an archive, then if it ever gets logged, great.

[+Cardinal Red]

There's been over 3 million posts to these forums, I'm pretty sure just about everything has been discussed at one time or the other.

Post # 3,000,000 hit the Forum 28 months ago. And we need to keep rehashing these frequently re-asked questions so we hit #5,000,000 before the end of 2012.

[+Ecylram]

There's been over 3 million posts to these forums, I'm pretty sure just about everything has been discussed at one time or the other.

Post # 3,000,000 hit the Forum 28 months ago. And we need to keep rehashing these frequently re-asked questions so we hit #5,000,000 before the end of 2012.

 

It's rehashing to you, but not the newbie.

 

After many years of scolds jumping on the newbies and the technical neophytes, the questions keep getting asked. It's going to keep happening because there will always be newbies and technical neophytes.

 

Frankly, the whole "Thats been discussed before" behavior comes across as cliquish & unfriendly and pushes people away.

 

A better way to handle the 'irritation' is to welcome the person, answer the question, then provide information to help the person find the information on their own. We've seen examples of this in this thread and others. Granted, this takes a little more effort, but its rewarded by a more positive and welcoming atmosphere.

[Keystone]

I am moving this thread from the Geocaching Topics forum to the Travel Bug forum. There, I'm sure we will see nothing but helpful and respectful posts.

[+Ecylram]

Based on something said earlier in this thread, I figured I'd try an experiment: Lets try using the forum search tool to answer this person's question and see what happens.

 

Searched "travel bug database" - Search failed, can't use words less than 5 characters in a search term. Guess that rules out "TB" as a search term as well.

 

Searched "travelbug database" - Generated 33 pages of hits going back to 2002. None of the top hits relate to the question

 

Searched "missing travelbug" - System bombed out of the search because it took more than 45 seconds.

 

Searched "Cleaning Database" (up, the, TB not allowed as search terms) - Returned 22 pages. Except for this thread there was nothing relevant in the top searches.

 

Searched "removing travelbug" - 26 pages. It was a stupid phrase to try because of its other uses.

 

Searched "travelbug inventory" - 33 pages. Nothing obvious in the top returned searches. Though a couple of might be promising.

 

Conclusion: Just because the information may be there, doesn't mean it will be easy to find...especially for someone new. The search feature is not 'Google' quality.

[+BlueDeuce]

Personally I wouldn't mind if gc.com took every bug listed in an active cache that hasn't had a Retrieve, Grab, Placed or Discovered in eighteen months and moved them to an unknown location.

 

That would sure make it easier to research the rest of the somewhat, fairly recently missing.

I actually agree with that idea. I would make it six months, but there's no real downside to it - start over by moving all TBs to an archive, then if it ever gets logged, great.

 

Yeah I know, I had to think about a what would be a workable time-line. You don't want to include too many still-in-play while trying to cover as many highly-likely-missing bugs.

 

Too soon and you increase logging problems. Too aggressive and gc.com probably won't buy in.

 

Let's start simple and see how things go from there.

[+BlueDeuce]

Conclusion: ....

 

Thanks. The forum mod has made it clear we've moved on.

 

Boring TB talk now.

[+Eartha]

If a trackable is missing, let someone know.

The people who can actually do something about it are:

1. The Trackable owner. They should be asked first.

2. The cache owner, they need to maintain their cache, and that includes the inventory in the cache.

3. Your local reviewer, Groundspeak, or me.