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Questions II


Guest Markwell

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Guest Markwell

Now that we have all of that stuff out of our system from the last "questions" forum... icon_wink.gif

 

Arffer - did I remember right when you indicated that you saw a "watch list" feature for the Travel Bugs? I see my owned Travel Bug showing up on "My Cache Page," but is there any way (yet) that I can indicate that I want e-mail notification when a T.B. moves?

 

I'd love to be able to watch Larry Boy to see when and where he moves. I also have relatives that will be intercepting Geoffrey when he arrives in Tennessee. They'd like to be able to watch him as well.

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Guest arffer

Markwell,

 

Part 1: This is an educated guess, but I am quite confident that anytime someone logs that they retrieved or dropped off a travel bug, its owner gets email notification just like log entries on a regular cache.

 

Part 2: Anyone retrieving a travel bug, when they log it they get an option at the time of the log to be notified anytime there is activity on the bug (this option is on the actual log page). This option is just like the 'Watch this cache' option on regular caches, but located on a different screen.

 

Anyone can watch a regular cache, but only someone logging a travel bug can watch a bug. Your relatives will not be able to watch your bug until they actually do a retrieve on him.

 

Now this can be simulated. Your relatives could log a note on him (You will need to give them the 6 digit serial number as that is the proof used to make a bug log entry). Have them use the 'Make a note' option rather than the 'Retrieve' option, otherwise the bug will be removed from the cache it is in and put into their possesion. Have them select the watch option in the process.

 

This 'simulation' of a retrieval will result in a log entry on the bug's page. You can delete this after the process is finished, they should still be watching the bug.

------------------

Team CacheCows of Wisconsin

 

[This message has been edited by arffer (edited 09 October 2001).]

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Guest JerryB

These should be easy:

 

  • A link to the travel bug page off of the home page
  • A button on the 'seek' page for 'closest travel bug'

 

Bugs on the way, now I've gotta figure out where to put them.

 

Jerry out.

 

(my first post with ubb code. did it work?)

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Guest Markwell

Arffer: Since I set up my in-law's account for them (password and everything) for the express purpose of cache-nanny-ing my remote cache, I logged in as them and made a note to the T.B. page with the 6 digit code, giving them the option of getting notified about it's movements. I'll be interested in seeing what happens.

 

JerryB: In this thread, the J-man indicates that there will be more integration with the Geocaching page, including links from the main page, but that it's just not there yet.

 

Also, while you can't specifically search for bugs in a certain vicinity, you can do a zip code or lat/lon search and caches with travel bugs in them will show up with the bug icon next to it.

 

Try a search on the zip code 60563 and look at the second one (Burlington Creek). That's where my T.B. is currently located.

 

[This message has been edited by Markwell (edited 09 October 2001).]

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Guest Moun10Bike

t>


Originally posted by arffer:

Part 1: This is an educated guess, but I am quite confident that anytime someone logs that they retrieved or dropped off a travel bug, its owner gets email notification just like log entries on a regular cache.


 

Actually, I can say from experience that you don't get email notification. I asked Jeremy about this, and if I remember right it is a feature he plans on implementing.

 

------------------

Jon (Moun10Bike)

29H/107F

N 47° 36.649', W 122° 3.616'

www.switchbacks.com/geocaching.html

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1) Moun10Bike,

 

Oh... hmm, Well, thanks for letting us know that. I guess those of us with travel bugs need to make a log on our own travel bugs and check the notify option so that we get emailed.

 

2) I noticed that when you checkmark the box to be notified of activity on a bug, when you view your 'My Web Page' that lists all the caches you are watching, the watched bugs are not listed. This implies that at least for now, once you start watching a bug, you can't unwatch it. Perhaps this is an upcoming feature.

 

3) Does anyone know from experiance that the bug activity option works? Has anywone tried this option and gotten an email when a bug is retrieved or dropped?

 

Thanks!

 

[This message has been edited by arffer (edited 10 October 2001).]

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Guest glenn95630

1. On an individual TB page there is spot that says, 'Track Images'. It appears that only the photos taken by the owner are listed here. Is that correct?

 

2. I think a neat feature would be a thumbnail page for each TB. I can imagine that after a few months, a TB will be photographed many times. It would be fun to have a page with thumbnails so that you could visually see the story of the TB's travels. The thumbnails would tell the story better if arranged chronologically. Maybe this thumbnail page already exists and I just don't know about it. The only thumbnail page I have seen has all the TBs on it.

 

I don't know about the other TBs, but the Star Wars TB has a photo posted by a finder.

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Guest glenn95630

It would be nice to have a link from the geocaching home page to the travel bug page.

 

If someone is at the geocaching home page and wants to get to the travel bug stuff, I don't see an easy way to get there.

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Guest Markwell

quote:
Originally posted by glenn95630:

It would be nice to have a link from the geocaching home page to the travel bug page. If someone is at the geocaching home page and wants to get to the travel bug stuff, I don't see an easy way to get there.


quote:
Originally posted by Markwell:

In this thread, the J-man indicates that there will be more integration with the Geocaching page, including links from the main page, but that it's just not there yet.


icon_wink.gif

 

I also really like the idea of a gallery for each TB. "View Thumbs of all Photos for this Bug"

 

[This message has been edited by Markwell (edited 10 October 2001).]

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quote:
Originally posted by glenn95630:

How do things get fixed?


 

Lets say that a bug named B1 is in a cache called C1 to start with.

 

Cacher Bob comes along and finds cache C1, and while there decides to take bug B1. He gets home and logs a find on cache C1 and then goes to the travel bug page, and logs a retrieval on bug B1.

 

At this point, the bug is listed as being in his possesion, and the bug icon is automatically removed from cache C1's page.

 

Now, cacher Bob goes and finds cache C2, and while there he drops off bug B1. He goes home and logs a find on the cache, but forgets to indicate that he dropped off the bug.

 

The bug is now physically present in cache C2, but the system shows that it is still in cacher Bob's possesion.

 

The bug owner, cacher Mary, has two ways to fix this:

 

1) Email cacher Bob and ask him to either delete and re-do his log entry on cache C2, or make an additional info log on cache C2 and this time correctly indicate that the bug was dropped off.

 

2) Cacher Mary can make her own retrieval log on bug B1's page. When you make a retrieval log entry, it does not matter if the bug is currently in a cache, or in posession of a cacher. This allows one cacher to hand over a bug to someone else. The bug will now be displayed as being in cacher Mary's hands. Cacher Mary can now make her own info log on cache C2, and indicate that the bug was dropped off in the cache. That fixes the problem.

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Guest Markwell

Here's the text that I added...

 

quote:

How the heck do I do this?

It is very important to do this in order!!!

Step 1: Log this Travel Bug with a "Found it? Log it!" (you'll need the 6 digit code found on the dog tag). Be sure to select "I have it!" That will put the Travel Bug in your "possession", and simultaneously remove it from the cache from which you took it. At this point, you also have the option of getting a notification each time Geoffrey moves. Make any comments that you want in the field. It is unnecessary to indicate where he is going at this time.

Step 2: When you have a Travel Bug in your "possession", the online form for logging a cache is slightly different. As you log your visit to the cache that is Geoffrey's "new home", you will have an option at the bottom of the screen to "drop off" any bugs in your possession. Make sure to "drop off" Geoffrey as part of your logging procedure (this can be done on a "Found It" or "Other" cache log). When you drop it off, a log entry will automatically be made to this Travel Bug page indicating Geoffrey's new home.

Extra Step (can be done at any time): Feel free to attach photos of your experiences to either the log entry in which you indicated that you picked Geoffrey up from a cache, or the "automatically produced" one that indicates you placed it in a new cache.


 

Note: Edited the phrase

That will put the cache in your "possession" to

That will put the TRAVEL BUG in your "possession" - icon_redface.gif

 

[This message has been edited by Markwell (edited 10 October 2001).]

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Guest Markwell

Dat's why I posted it in de forums, mohn!

 

I spend a lot of my day word-smithing educational introductions like the above, trying to catch it from all possible angels and then "dumming down" and looking at it from the vantage someone who has NO CLUE what to do.

 

Copy, paste, edit, cut, markup, whatever. Glad I could help. icon_wink.gif

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Guest Utahbill

2) Cacher Mary can make her own retrieval log on bug B1's page. When you make a retrieval log entry, it does not matter if the bug is currently in a cache, or in posession of a cacher. This allows one cacher to hand over a bug to someone else. The bug will now be displayed as being in cacher Mary's hands. Cacher Mary can now make her own info log on cache C2, and indicate that the bug was dropped off in the cache. That fixes the problem.[/b]

 

Being Homies master I to was concerned about this. I used option 2 to fix the problem. Then I deleted my log on the bug page that showed my grabbing the bug. All is well now.

Utahbill

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Guest Markwell

Jeremy now has a HOWTO for Travel Bugging linked on EVERY Travel Bug Page. See the How To here.

 

An EXTREMELY helpful addition!!! icon_biggrin.gificon_biggrin.gif

 

But (of course) I do have some comments on the text (remember - I wordsmith a lot icon_wink.gif)

quote:
Retrieving a Travel Bug

3. Once you claim the travel bug, it goes into your online "inventory." That basically means the next time you log a cache find, you'll have an option to select an item from a list of items that you have to place in the cache.


"inventory" is the word I couldn't seem to come up with. Very nice.

I would suggest "option to select an item from a list of items that you have" could be better stated as "option to select a Travel Bug from your inventory"

 

quote:
Placing a Travel Bug in a Cache

2. Once you have the travel bug in your possession, visit the cache page for the cache that you're placing the bug.


Actually, it should be "Once you have the Travel Bug in your inventory, and you have placed the actual Travel Bug in a new cache home, visit the cache page for the cache in which you're placing the bug.

 

quote:
4. On the "log a cache" page, there will be a dropdown box towards the end of the log page that has a list of bugs in your posession.

Change last word to "inventory" for consistency.

 

Comments? I know - I nitpick, but hey - isn't that what the forums are for?

 

[This message has been edited by Markwell (edited 11 October 2001).]

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Guest martinp13

ms with Travel Bug tags).

 

My two cents... I wouldn't want someone to keep a traveller and just put the dogtag (maybe with a new item) in another cache!

 

------------------

> Martin

Magellan 330 (1.56/WAAS enabled!)

Don't have time to program and record your shows while geocaching? Get a TiVo !

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Guest Markwell

From the Travel Bug FAQ...

quote:
Q. What is a Travel Bug?

 

A. Simply put, a Travel Bug is a new form of hitchiker you can track on Geocaching.com. A hitchiker is basically an item that is carried from cache to cache (or person to person) and you can follow its progress online.


 

How about:

Simply put, a Travel Bug is a new form of hitchiker you can track on Geocaching.com. It consists of a dog tag attached to an item that is carried from cache to cache (or person to person) and you can follow its progress online.

 

(I hope Jeremy is getting all this...) icon_wink.gif

 

[This message has been edited by Markwell (edited 11 October 2001).]

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Guest Markwell

D'oh!

 

quote:

Q. What is a Travel Bug?

A. Simply put, a Travel Bug is a new form of hitchiker you can track on Geocaching.com. A hitchiker is basically an item that is carried from cache to cache (or person to person) and you can follow its progress online.

Q. What can I do with a Travel Bug?

A. You can attach it to an item to make it a hitchiker, or use them without attaching them to anything...


 

Don't know if this second FAQ question was there earlier or not - but it totally negates my earlier post. Interesting thought: a Travel Bug dog tag unattached to a travelling item.

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