+Chaddk Posted October 21, 2003 Share Posted October 21, 2003 I've gone looking for many a TB to help on its journey, and have found many that have been missing for a LONG time. It would be nice to spare someone else the disappointment. How about a flag that shows with a TB when people can't find it in a given cache. This could be a way to mark it as Missing in Action. Don't actually remove the TB from the cache page, but show a flag with it. If the bug gets placed again, these can be cleared or reset. Just a thought. Maybe it would take two confirmations of MIA before the flag would show - different dates, just in case someone else had picked it up? Just a thought. Quote Link to comment
+charis_sophia Posted October 21, 2003 Share Posted October 21, 2003 That is a really good idea! TBs were the first thing that interested me about geocaching and yet most of the ones I've gone looking for have not been in the caches. I was almost put off the sport right away. I think a flag would be great! I only hope that seeing a lot of MIA flags wouldn't discourage folks. Peace be with you! charis Quote Link to comment
+BlackstoneVal Posted October 21, 2003 Share Posted October 21, 2003 STRIKETHROUGH of the travel bug name could indicate (MIA) inactive status similiar to cache pages themselves. There could be two ways of setting this status. The bug owner should be able to set or reset, at will, on the TB page with a link, say just under the bug name, that would read something like (deactivate this travel bug) or (reactivate this travel bug). Of course, Login as owner is necessary for this option to appear. This edit could be done no matter where the bug is logged, a cache or in hand. No need to post a log message, but the option to post a note is there. A second way to set this inactive status could be left to the owner of a cache where a bug is logged but has been verified as missing. When logged in as cache owner, the page could appear with the edit option to deactivate (missing) and maybe reactivate (found), appearing next to each travel bug listed. TagId should no be required for this update, since it is very likely the cache owner will not know it if it is missing, but they will have the ability to maintain their own cache page with accurate info on whether a bug is present or not. I do not think it is necessary or even recommended that every cacher have the ability to change this status on ever travel bug. The above recommendation limits update to bug owner or current cache owner, each of whom can read the logs and notes of others, and each maybe contacted by email to warn them of missing bugs. I would think that if someone were to eventually log a FIND of bug, then an inactive status is automatically reset. The Strikethrough name would appear wherever the bug name is listed, such as TB searches. One other consideration would be on cache searches that list the TB ICON. Does it make sense that it appears only if there is at least one active bug? Or if there are only inactive (missing) bugs, then have another graphic for ICON with strikethrough or X'ed-out tag. I have been meaning to search the forums to see if such a suggestion has been made before, but now that the topic is active, that is my 2 cents. Val (May be late, but always on time.) Quote Link to comment
+Chaddk Posted October 22, 2003 Author Share Posted October 22, 2003 Very cool idea. Though I don't really like strike-through things, this would be quite effective, and the concerns you present are way cool, too. The idea of people actually watching the logs for their cache's might be a little novel, as so many are set & forget. But it would be a great place to start just having the two people who could edit the status. Again, the automatic activation of a find is cool, and should probably work for a "place" too. Just in case. Peace. CK Quote Link to comment
Pooh and friends Posted November 20, 2003 Share Posted November 20, 2003 Yep this sure would be better than going back over the past logs to see when it was first missed. Why is this being ignored by Groundspeak? They can archive a cache quick enough, so mia bugs cant be that hard to take care of. Happy Hunting! Quote Link to comment
+brad.32 Posted November 20, 2003 Share Posted November 20, 2003 It seems that in many cases the bug stays MIA for a long time because the TB owner is not aware of the problem. They should be keeping an eye on their bugs and grab them back (or move to a graveyard, etc) when they go missing. ... but if the owner is unresponsive to a notification email from someone who visited the cache, then it makes sense to allow the owner of the cache to modify the status of the TB in the cache: "it's not really here". Quote Link to comment
Keystone Posted November 20, 2003 Share Posted November 20, 2003 Yep this sure would be better than going back over the past logs to see when it was first missed. Why is this being ignored by Groundspeak? They can archive a cache quick enough, so mia bugs cant be that hard to take care of. Happy Hunting! To the contrary, this issue is not being "ignored by Groundspeak." Jeremy has posted several times about an alternative solution... the ability to remove the bug from the cache page and place it in "limbo." I am sure that he will get around to implementing this programming change when time and priorities permit. There are nearly 40 people involved in approving or archiving caches. These are easy actions involving a button push or two, and writing a note. Programming changes are a different thing. Until the travel bug functionalities are updated in the ordinary course of the conversion of GC.com to the new platform, if you'd like a bug removed from the cache page you may write to the contact at geocaching.com e-mail address with the information, and it will be placed "in limbo." Quote Link to comment
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