My Finds Pocket Query

[Bluestonecrew]

Why is it that this query can only be run once every seven days. I can write my own query which pulls much more information is set it to run every day.

 

This makes no sense.

 

Can someone please explain it to me?

[+TerraViators]

Why is it that this query can only be run once every seven days. I can write my own query which pulls much more information is set it to run every day.

 

This makes no sense.

 

Can someone please explain it to me?

I'm sure it is just a bandwidth or performance issue on the GS network.

[Bluestonecrew]

Why is it that this query can only be run once every seven days. I can write my own query which pulls much more information is set it to run every day.

 

This makes no sense.

 

Can someone please explain it to me?

I'm sure it is just a bandwidth or performance issue on the GS network.

 

But again, from a technical standpoint that makes no sense.

 

They allow people to set up their own queries and set them to run every day. Those queries can be and often are more taxing on the database and the query server then the "My Finds" query.

 

*Scratches head*

 

It just don't make no sense.

[+mtn-man]

Easy.

 

You have 115 finds. Sure, you can do that from one query. I have almost 4,000. It is very easy for me to push the button once and I get everything in a nice package. No fuss, no muss. Imagine someone with over 10,000 finds. One button.

 

Also, as far as taxing goes, the only log sent is yours. You are getting five logs every time you run it. Much more taxing.

Edited September 16, 2010 by mtn-man

[+Semper Questio]

Except there are hundreds or thousands of people with thousands of finds. If all these people were allowed to get their "My Finds" along with the regular PQ load, then they'd likely have some serious performance issues and a lot of folks getting angry that their PQs aren't being generated quickly enough.

[Bluestonecrew]

Easy.

 

You have 115 finds. Sure, you can do that from one query. I have almost 4,000. It is very easy for me to push the button once and I get everything in a nice package. No fuss, no muss. Imagine someone with over 10,000 finds. One button.

 

Also, as far as taxing goes, the only log sent is yours. You are getting five logs every time you run it. Much more taxing.

 

This is what I am saying. The personal PQs, are often MORE taxing on the servers then the My finds PQ at least the ones I run are. Yet, I can run those every single day. I am beginning to think this might be more about scheduling then about bandwidth.

 

Either way, if someone can provide me with the query criteria for the My Finds PQ I guess I could just duplicate it in a personal PQ.

[Bluestonecrew]

Except there are hundreds or thousands of people with thousands of finds. If all these people were allowed to get their "My Finds" along with the regular PQ load, then they'd likely have some serious performance issues and a lot of folks getting angry that their PQs aren't being generated quickly enough.

 

True enough but if I could run the My Finds PQ every day or even twice a week I would delete most of the personal PQs I have set up.

[+Bear and Ragged]

MyFinds PQ will return Archived caches you have found.

A normal PQ won't return Archived caches, unless it's a Bookmark PQ

 

(And MyFinds can run every 6.5 days. )

[+Semper Questio]

Except there are hundreds or thousands of people with thousands of finds. If all these people were allowed to get their "My Finds" along with the regular PQ load, then they'd likely have some serious performance issues and a lot of folks getting angry that their PQs aren't being generated quickly enough.

 

True enough but if I could run the My Finds PQ every day or even twice a week I would delete most of the personal PQs I have set up.

 

It's been a long day. I don't understand. So you run a few PQs a week to get your finds? Maybe you should give us a better understanding of what you are trying to accomplish...or am I really having a post-lunch, ready to go home, crash?

[Bluestonecrew]

Except there are hundreds or thousands of people with thousands of finds. If all these people were allowed to get their "My Finds" along with the regular PQ load, then they'd likely have some serious performance issues and a lot of folks getting angry that their PQs aren't being generated quickly enough.

 

True enough but if I could run the My Finds PQ every day or even twice a week I would delete most of the personal PQs I have set up.

 

It's been a long day. I don't understand. So you run a few PQs a week to get your finds? Maybe you should give us a better understanding of what you are trying to accomplish...or am I really having a post-lunch, ready to go home, crash?

 

Okay let me start from the beginning. Normally I use GSAK to generate stats for my profile page. But now there's a website which will do that for you. The only data format that site will accept is the My Finds PQ.

 

So if I choose to use those stats I can only update them every 7 days . . . well 6.5 days

 

So if I have a particularly good day and want to update my stats, I can't, I have to wait until the My Finds PQ becomes available again.

 

It's no big deal really I can always go back to using GSAK. Which accepts PQs that I can run every day if I like.

Edited September 16, 2010 by Bluestonecrew

[+Xaa]

Well, it still won't be the same.

 

Like people already said, you can't use the PQ's as generic replacement for your MyFinds PQ

 

- no archived caches in regular PQ

- no retracted caches in regular PQ

- max. 1000 caches in regular PQ

- max 500 mile from a certain center location (not sure about the 500 but there is a limit)

 

Maybe all these restrictions don't make a difference in your case, although I suppose the first one (the archived caches) is certainly going to make a difference.

 

You might be able to work around them by keeping a database with your finds, and periodically adding a PQ that does your last week of caches or something like that. It might work, it might just have a few differences to your real score.

 

If it were me, I wouldn't bother and just not care about those stats being a week off.

[jholly]

Except there are hundreds or thousands of people with thousands of finds. If all these people were allowed to get their "My Finds" along with the regular PQ load, then they'd likely have some serious performance issues and a lot of folks getting angry that their PQs aren't being generated quickly enough.

 

True enough but if I could run the My Finds PQ every day or even twice a week I would delete most of the personal PQs I have set up.

 

It's been a long day. I don't understand. So you run a few PQs a week to get your finds? Maybe you should give us a better understanding of what you are trying to accomplish...or am I really having a post-lunch, ready to go home, crash?

 

Okay let me start from the beginning. Normally I use GSAK to generate stats for my profile page. But now there's a website which will do that for you. The only data format that site will accept is the My Finds PQ.

 

So if I choose to use those stats I can only update them every 7 days . . . well 6.5 days

 

So if I have a particularly good day and want to update my stats, I can't, I have to wait until the My Finds PQ becomes available again.

 

It's no big deal really I can always go back to using GSAK. Which accepts PQs that I can run every day if I like.

 

Will this site work with a .gpx generated by GSAK? If so do an incremental PQ for the finds and add that to GSAK and then generate a new found .gpx.

[Bluestonecrew]

Well, it still won't be the same.

 

Like people already said, you can't use the PQ's as generic replacement for your MyFinds PQ

 

- no archived caches in regular PQ

- no retracted caches in regular PQ

- max. 1000 caches in regular PQ

- max 500 mile from a certain center location (not sure about the 500 but there is a limit)

 

Maybe all these restrictions don't make a difference in your case, although I suppose the first one (the archived caches) is certainly going to make a difference.

 

You might be able to work around them by keeping a database with your finds, and periodically adding a PQ that does your last week of caches or something like that. It might work, it might just have a few differences to your real score.

 

If it were me, I wouldn't bother and just not care about those stats being a week off.

 

Now that answers my question. I was unaware of the restrictions on personal PQs.

[+CB_JeffH]

Well, it still won't be the same.

 

Like people already said, you can't use the PQ's as generic replacement for your MyFinds PQ

 

- no archived caches in regular PQ

- no retracted caches in regular PQ

- max. 1000 caches in regular PQ

- max 500 mile from a certain center location (not sure about the 500 but there is a limit)

 

Maybe all these restrictions don't make a difference in your case, although I suppose the first one (the archived caches) is certainly going to make a difference.

 

You might be able to work around them by keeping a database with your finds, and periodically adding a PQ that does your last week of caches or something like that. It might work, it might just have a few differences to your real score.

 

If it were me, I wouldn't bother and just not care about those stats being a week off.

Thanks, you just cleared up a lot of confusion for me as well.

[+pppingme]

If you really want to pull the data, there is a work around (if you use gsak, or some other program that will merge all of your gpx files together into one list).

 

If you just want to keep an accurate list of your finds, just pull a .gpx of each cache after you log it.

 

If you want to continue to pull data about your found caches, build a bookmark list, you can add up to 1000 caches to each list, and pull that as often as you want.

 

Well, it still won't be the same.

 

Like people already said, you can't use the PQ's as generic replacement for your MyFinds PQ

 

- no archived caches in regular PQ

- no retracted caches in regular PQ

- max. 1000 caches in regular PQ

- max 500 mile from a certain center location (not sure about the 500 but there is a limit)

The two important restrictions here, archived, and 500 mile limit, don't apply to bookmark pq's. Once you pass 1000 finds, start a new bookmark list. As for retracted caches, its unlikely that their status will ever change.

 

The only real limitation with this method is that some programs/sites insist on using an actual "my finds" pq, and will not use one exported from gsak. I have no idea what these programs are looking for, but it probably wouldn't be hard to modify a .gpx exported from gsak to fit their needs. If you use the findstatgen macro with gsak, its not an issue.

[+TheTilleyHat]

Can anyone help me figure out how to download the MyFinds PQ into the Groundspeak geocaching app I have on my cell phone. When I try to download pocket queries, I offered every other PQ I generated except for the MyFinds PQ

[+The A-Team]

Can anyone help me figure out how to download the MyFinds PQ into the Groundspeak geocaching app I have on my cell phone. When I try to download pocket queries, I offered every other PQ I generated except for the MyFinds PQ

You can't. If you give us more information about why you would want to, we might be able to suggest alternatives/workarounds.

[+Chrysalides]

Can anyone help me figure out how to download the MyFinds PQ into the Groundspeak geocaching app I have on my cell phone. When I try to download pocket queries, I offered every other PQ I generated except for the MyFinds PQ

You can't. If you give us more information about why you would want to, we might be able to suggest alternatives/workarounds.

Don't know about the guy with the great hat, but I'm puzzled why it is not visible from Groundspeak's API.. in my case I'd like GSAK to download it automatically. But I can cope with doing that 1 file by hand. Having GSAK automatically download all the other PQs is a great convenience.

[jholly]

Can anyone help me figure out how to download the MyFinds PQ into the Groundspeak geocaching app I have on my cell phone. When I try to download pocket queries, I offered every other PQ I generated except for the MyFinds PQ

You can't. If you give us more information about why you would want to, we might be able to suggest alternatives/workarounds.

Don't know about the guy with the great hat, but I'm puzzled why it is not visible from Groundspeak's API.. in my case I'd like GSAK to download it automatically. But I can cope with doing that 1 file by hand. Having GSAK automatically download all the other PQs is a great convenience.

The MyFinds PQ is not available via API. It is only available via the website. This is a conscious decision on the design of the API. I was told that the PQ's are stored as a zip file and they open the zip's in memory to dole out the data. The designers felt this would tax the system to much processing all these PQ's. We did not get into the discussion of how many of the users have 1,000 or more fines versus how many users are running 1,000 cache PQ's daily.

[+GrateBear]

Say what? On my PQ page, it says it can "only run every 3 days". What are you looking at that is 7 days? And, even if it was 7 days, why would you need to run it more often? I put this in the same category as those who want to run PQs that give them 10,000 caches. Why?

[+The A-Team]

Say what? On my PQ page, it says it can "only run every 3 days". What are you looking at that is 7 days? And, even if it was 7 days, why would you need to run it more often? I put this in the same category as those who want to run PQs that give them 10,000 caches. Why?

Check the date on the post you're referring to. This is an old topic that was dredged up.

[jholly]

Say what? On my PQ page, it says it can "only run every 3 days". What are you looking at that is 7 days? And, even if it was 7 days, why would you need to run it more often? I put this in the same category as those who want to run PQs that give them 10,000 caches. Why?

On the second tab on the PQ page the date for the PQ to autodelete is seven days on the first day it is run. Even after the three days when you can run another MyFinds the time left on the download page will still show 4 days. The date on the download page does not match the reality of the page with the "Add to Queue" button. Been that way ever since the MyFinds went to three days.