Jump to content

Geocaching.com site update Nov 9th 2010


Recommended Posts

The hotfix is almost ready and the site will be going down shortly. We managed to get almost everything fixed:

 

-Find counts missing on cache page

-Line feeds stripped from cache log formatting

-Map not recognizing Premium status in Internet Explorer

-Feedback tab missing from home page

-Image upload errors

-Souvenir improperly awarded through API (iPhone/Android/WP7)

-Previewing a PQ on the map results in zero caches displayed

-Image alignment in cache details

-Image maps getting stripped out of HTML code in cache details

-HTML comments being stripped from cache details

-Zoom to address on GC Google maps just refreshes the map

-Error viewing Trackable in Firefox when not logged in

-Adding GPS device to profile causes 500 error

 

These bugs are translation errors that will have to be fixed in WebTranslateIt so it may take a little bit:

 

-Personal cache note not working with French as chosen language

-Map on cache details page doesn't display with French as chosen language

 

A note about HTML comments in cache descriptions: Allowing this is a security risk. We have returned the ability to add comments to the page for now, but at some point in the future it will have to be removed again. If you use this tactic on your puzzle caches please make other provisions. I know this sucks. I'm sorry. :)

 

Thanks again for the awesome feedback.

Link to comment

The hotfix is almost ready and the site will be going down shortly. We managed to get almost everything fixed:

 

-Find counts missing on cache page

-Line feeds stripped from cache log formatting

-Map not recognizing Premium status in Internet Explorer

-Feedback tab missing from home page

-Image upload errors

-Souvenir improperly awarded through API (iPhone/Android/WP7)

-Previewing a PQ on the map results in zero caches displayed

-Image alignment in cache details

-Image maps getting stripped out of HTML code in cache details

-HTML comments being stripped from cache details

-Zoom to address on GC Google maps just refreshes the map

-Error viewing Trackable in Firefox when not logged in

-Adding GPS device to profile causes 500 error

 

These bugs are translation errors that will have to be fixed in WebTranslateIt so it may take a little bit:

 

-Personal cache note not working with French as chosen language

-Map on cache details page doesn't display with French as chosen language

 

A note about HTML comments in cache descriptions: Allowing this is a security risk. We have returned the ability to add comments to the page for now, but at some point in the future it will have to be removed again. If you use this tactic on your puzzle caches please make other provisions. I know this sucks. I'm sorry. :)

 

Thanks again for the awesome feedback.

 

Is fixing the BBCode so that we can put colored text in our comments coming soon?

Edited by two bison
Link to comment

Is fixing the BBCode so that we can put colored text in our comments going to be returned to us?

 

No, I'm sorry but text color and font type will not be configurable in the logs. However, we will run a script to clean up the old BBCode tags so they will not look cluttered. I know that some, including yourself, enjoyed customizing the log text but for the sake of consistency and readability we feel this is the right move.

Link to comment

The hotfix is almost ready and the site will be going down shortly. We managed to get almost everything fixed:

...

-Line feeds stripped from cache log formatting

...

 

Awesome.. has it happened yet? Because.. I just tried re-uploading a field_notes files and .. linefeeds are still stripped in the editor so I have to re-enter line-feeds before submitting my logs :/

Link to comment
A note about HTML comments in cache descriptions: Allowing this is a security risk. We have returned the ability to add comments to the page for now, but at some point in the future it will have to be removed again. If you use this tactic on your puzzle caches please make other provisions. I know this sucks. I'm sorry. :)

wow, this is going to break a LOT of puzzle caches. how is allowing HTML comments a security risk?

Link to comment

Could you please PLEASE stop making my cache listings look WORSE after EACH new "fix"?!? Now <br /> tags are very liberally added, at places were they don't belong and were I definitely didn't type them in my description!!

 

Now _all_ my listings looks like an absolute mess :-((!

 

For the sake of an example, look at GC25G1C. The description input field in the cache edit page breaks long lines into two (as it had before) - and the rendering code inserts <br> tags at each of these line breaks in the editor! This is absolutely ridiculous.

Link to comment

Is fixing the BBCode so that we can put colored text in our comments going to be returned to us?

 

No, I'm sorry but text color and font type will not be configurable in the logs. However, we will run a script to clean up the old BBCode tags so they will not look cluttered. I know that some, including yourself, enjoyed customizing the log text but for the sake of consistency and readability we feel this is the right move.

 

Ah yes, it's all about the iPhones. Color is in some way less readable? Yeah, right.

Edited by two bison
Link to comment
Could you please PLEASE stop making my cache listings look WORSE after EACH new "fix"?!? Now <br /> tags are very liberally added, at places were they don't belong and were I definitely didn't type them in my description!!

 

Now _all_ my listings looks like an absolute mess :-((!

 

For the sake of an example, look at GC25G1C. The description input field in the cache edit page breaks long lines into two (as it had before) - and the rendering code inserts <br> tags at each of these line breaks in the editor! This is absolutely ridiculous.

wow, i just looked at some of my own caches. pages of blank space, line breaks where there shouldn't be any. ouch.

Link to comment

Wow - you are quicker in fixing things than I am in filing bug reports...

 

A left over is the pre/post site update logs issue. New logs use much more whitespace than old ones above and below the log. I guess it's because the WYSIWYG editor inserts <p> instead of <br />.

 

BTW: Please consider having the WYSIWYG editor as an option and not the default. For the normal two or three line log without fancy markup the old editor was a lot more convenient.

 

Kind regards

Link to comment

Could you please PLEASE stop making my cache listings look WORSE after EACH new "fix"?!? Now <br /> tags are very liberally added, at places were they don't belong and were I definitely didn't type them in my description!!

 

Now _all_ my listings looks like an absolute mess :-((!

 

For the sake of an example, look at GC25G1C. The description input field in the cache edit page breaks long lines into two (as it had before) - and the rendering code inserts <br> tags at each of these line breaks in the editor! This is absolutely ridiculous.

 

Just checked 2 caches I own - one is active and another one I am working on and.. ow!.. I have list of things in a <ul><li>...</li></ul>-style, and now the editor has added liberal amounts of <br>-tags everwhere - even in the middle of sentences that belongs to one paragraph in the rest of the text.. :/

 

Makes the cache description look like modern prose with these random linefeeds ... Not cool GC..

Edited by renelm
Link to comment

Greetings Geocachers! The following is a list of cases resolved in the latest website update. Please let us know in this thread if you notice anything unusual happening as a result of the fixes detailed below. All unrelated issues should be reported on our feedback site located at: http://feedback.geocaching.com. Thanks!

 

Hard for us to know what is and isn't a related issue, but when something comes up after an update and it wasn't an issue before chances are it is the result thereof.

Just had an email from a cache on my watchlist that has been published for several days that says it is unpublished GC2H6QY. Can't tell if this is recurring on other caches unless someone does something with a new cache on my watchlist, but wondering if others have the same problem on other new caches.

Link to comment

None of the tabs at the top of my public user profile have any effect. Ooh, now I can't even see it.

 

Anyway, I am logged in, have JavaScript enabled, using SeaMonkey 2.0.8 on Windows XP Pro SP3.

 

Clicking on Geocaches, Trackables, Gallery etc. does nothing.

Same here except I'm on Win7. Everything worked prior to the update.

Link to comment

Now <br /> tags are very liberally added, at places were they don't belong and were I definitely didn't type them in my description!!

 

Now _all_ my listings looks like an absolute mess :-((!

Yep, the problem with <IMG align> appears fixed, but now the text on all cache pages contains lots of unnecessary line breaks. They look awful! Not just mine or HTML-coded pages - looks like all cache pages are affected.

 

The <br> tags are not in the actual code, so it looks like this introduced error could be fixed en masse by another hot fix.

 

Thanks!

Edited by hydnsek
Link to comment

Not really sure I understand why your not allowing colored text? I have just tried to compose a log with it and whilst using

 

<font color="????">Some colored text here</font>

 

Works just fine in the log editor as soon as the log is saved the font tags are stripped out?

 

My guess is that when one is doing paperless caching all the code HTML and BB appears in its full glory. It makes past logs harder to read for folks out in the field. Why they come first and not the folks reading the logs on the cache listing, I don't know. On the other hand, my wife, who reads those as we approach our next search will pleased as punch to hear that all that stuff is gone. She'd like past logs to be helpful for the find or TFTC. She doesn't ever want to read about who folks are caching with or where there were going while caching.

Link to comment

 

A note about HTML comments in cache descriptions: Allowing this is a security risk.

 

so i guess the whole internet is a security risk

 

i would love to hear an explanation of that comment

 

i don't know if its been mentioned but the logs have too many blank lines between them, if my two line log takes half the page i can only imagine what a long log will look like lol

 

Untitledlog.jpg

Edited by t4e
Link to comment
We're rolling back the HTML filtering on the cache details ...
Thanks, that would be really appreciated.
... until we can test it more.
Test it "more"? Would be good, if you tested it at all! Because the <br>-overkill is something which everyone sees immediately. A single test would have been enough.

 

Sorry for being sarcastic, but tonight's "update" broke nearly all of my caches in one clean sweep (mainly because of breaking Geochecker links), and I'm ... well ... not amused about that :)

Link to comment

Right definate issues with the WYSIWIG editor.

 

Firstly it's impossible to make a log look the way I want using just the main editor page as pressing enter starts a new paragraph instead of just dropping to the next line which means there is acutally a space between lines that shouldn't be there.

 

How ever if I use source mode to type up the html and then swap back to the normal view I can get the log looking normal but as soon as the log is saved it feels the need to strip out certain bits of code insert line breaks where there were none and covert one line break into 3 or more ???

 

Why can it not just save the HTML code I type into it?

 

Sorry for ranting, I'm not usually one to complain, you do all do an excellent job but I really dislike this editor with quite a passion.

Link to comment

We're putting together a new build to push live shortly. These cases will be put to bed:

 

-Find counts missing on cache page

 

 

I was kinda hoping you might leave this as it is and call it a feature. :)

Hi GC-team,

 

I have only ONE question: Why don´t you first try a server update on a seperate system or page before you upload this update onto the main server? Wouldn´t it be great to have some users to check out the new update on a seperate site for a few days? In my view the whole community is used to eradicate the failures that these updates are producing. I cannot understand this at all!!! :):):D

Every time you released an update I had to change the listings to let it look like before.

 

 

I basically had the same question in a thread in the geocahing topics forum.

 

With the bug that introduced yesterday with the hot fix (I assume) with souvenirs, and some of the issues that have arisen regarding maps, lost formatting in the logs, stripping out html comments (which has probably broken more than a few puzzle caches) the idea of setting up a separate test server (either running on a separate port or on a different server) has a lot of merit. It could be done such that a subset of the user and geocache database was used (I do this all the time for unit testing of code I develop). I'm sure that if GS asked for volunteers to be beta testers of new monthly releases you'd get a lot of interest. It might even be done using Amazon S3 or some other virtual server environment that could be brought up for a few days prior to the production release to let beta testers kick the tires, then the virtual server shut down after the release is deployed to the masses. We're using Amazon S3 where I work and it's worked out pretty well.

Link to comment
Just had an email from a cache on my watchlist that has been published for several days that says it is unpublished GC2H6QY. Can't tell if this is recurring on other caches unless someone does something with a new cache on my watchlist, but wondering if others have the same problem on other new caches.

I am having this on every cache listing I attempt to pull up. I'm running Chrome with the GCTidy extension, and if I disable GCTidy, the problem goes away.

 

Accident, or is Groundspeak trying to stop us from using this extension?

Link to comment

Now <br /> tags are very liberally added, at places were they don't belong and were I definitely didn't type them in my description!!

 

Now _all_ my listings looks like an absolute mess :-((!

Yep, the problem with <IMG align> appears fixed, but now the text on all cache pages contains lots of unnecessary line breaks. They look awful! Not just mine or HTML-coded pages - looks like all cache pages are affected.

 

The <br> tags are not in the actual code, so it looks like this introduced error could be fixed en masse by another hot fix.

 

Thanks!

Woo hoo - cache pages are back to normal! :) No more extraneous line breaks, photos and tables are aligning correctly, etc.

 

Thanks for the fast work today, Groundspeak! And for the new features in the release. It's all good. :)

Edited by hydnsek
Link to comment

A note about HTML comments in cache descriptions: Allowing this is a security risk. We have returned the ability to add comments to the page for now, but at some point in the future it will have to be removed again. If you use this tactic on your puzzle caches please make other provisions. I know this sucks. I'm sorry. :)

 

Please explain in detail about an HTML comment tag can be a "security risk" ?!?!

Link to comment

 

Woo hoo - cache pages are back to normal! :) No more extraneous line breaks, photos and tables are aligning correctly, etc.

 

 

well the logs still have a lot of useless line breaks

 

 

Please explain in detail about an HTML comment tag can be a "security risk" ?!?!

 

don't hold your breath

Edited by t4e
Link to comment

t4e, do you ever post anything even remotely useful and constructive in these forums?

 

The issue is not comments, but IE conditional statements that can be inserted into comments. These can be used to insert all sorts of nasty stuff into the HTML.

 

Rest assured that Raine will be coding things such that these conditional statements get stripped but comments will be otherwise left untouched. The swath we initially cut today was just a little too wide, which is why we have rolled things back for now.

Link to comment

Regarding BBCode, it will no longer work and we have a script to convert the old code to HTML. We need to wait and do the conversion slowly because to convert that many logs at once would be insane. Please just leave the logs as they are and we'll do the conversion over time.

 

So, Nate, from this point forward, if I want to tag my logs, I should be using html and not bbcode tags? Or are we, as yet, in an in-between time before html tags are accepted?

Link to comment
The issue is not comments, but IE conditional statements that can be inserted into comments. These can be used to insert all sorts of nasty stuff into the HTML.

 

Rest assured that Raine will be coding things such that these conditional statements get stripped but comments will be otherwise left untouched. The swath we initially cut today was just a little too wide, which is why we have rolled things back for now.

Jon, Thank you very much for that detailed explanation. It is very much appreciated.

Link to comment

t4e, do you ever post anything even remotely useful and constructive in these forums?

 

 

you want me to dig up all the useful posts i made?

 

one is right above, about the excessive line breaks

 

and what exactly you have a problem with?...i pointed out that line breaks are still not fixed in logs...any problem with that comment?

 

this is a thread about bringing up issues, if its not allowed please close the thread

i asked the same question, as many others did, to get an explanation of what is so bad about HTML and as many times before there has not been an answer

 

i don't see you commenting on anyone else's posts

 

and FYI i am even hardly in the forums, but i guess i must have made the "black list" and now i get picked on for making any comments....look around before pointing fingers

 

and...according to MissJenn i am allowed to disagree with Groundspeak

Edited by t4e
Link to comment

Domo!!!

 

Links inside the logs are also showing 'Raw' URLs.

 

See this:

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LU...68-e1d7831f8957

 

ALL the praising for this update to follow soon, though.

Wonderful!

 

Still VERY RAW...

 

Fix coming?

 

Eventually, but that will be part of our large conversion of existing BBCode to HTML. Look for that to come in the near future.

 

t4e, the spacing in your logs should be back to normal now! :)

Link to comment

Is fixing the BBCode so that we can put colored text in our comments going to be returned to us?

 

No, I'm sorry but text color and font type will not be configurable in the logs. However, we will run a script to clean up the old BBCode tags so they will not look cluttered. I know that some, including yourself, enjoyed customizing the log text but for the sake of consistency and readability we feel this is the right move.

 

I, for one, am happy about this. It bugs me when folks copy and paste colorful signatures into every log.

There should be an option to pick the plain text editor by default. I almost never use any of the styles in WYSIWYG editors.

Link to comment

I would like to take this opportunity to first of all thank all the Groundspeak folks for working hard for us. HOWEVER, this would also be a prudent time to remind you all (lackeys) that you work for us. We pay you. We, as cachers, allow you to function and to "officiate" our sport. You have no power other than that which we give you. We can take it away.

 

I say this because it seems that some have forgotten it. Moun10Bike's comments were completely unacceptable and frankly I think he owes that cacher a public apology.

 

Finally, and this will likely fall on deaf ears considering the above, I would like to echo the sentiment that the WYSIWYG editor should NOT be the default.

 

Please do not over-react to this. Don't take it for anything more than what it says. There is no hostility here, implied or otherwise.

Edited by mikewithe
Link to comment

WYSIWYG

 

What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get makes a reappearance in this month's release. This time you'll find the new simplified text editor added to the geocache and Trackables logging page. In the next release we'll finish the job by adding a more feature-rich version to the cache details and profile pages.

[\quote]

 

Is this going to mean that we that will no longer be able to use HTML to make our profiles look the way we want them to?

 

 

Coming soon:

 

Stats, Ratings and Maps. Oh My!

 

Will we be able to choose to use the maps and or stats we already like and use?

Link to comment

The issue is not comments, but IE conditional statements that can be inserted into comments. These can be used to insert all sorts of nasty stuff into the HTML.

 

Rest assured that Raine will be coding things such that these conditional statements get stripped but comments will be otherwise left untouched. The swath we initially cut today was just a little too wide, which is why we have rolled things back for now.

 

Thanks, that sounds much more promising.

 

Thanks as well for the prompt fixes of the major issues.

Link to comment

Moun10Bike's comments were completely unacceptable and frankly I think he owes that cacher a public apology.

 

You are correct. It has been a long day and I allowed myself to forget that I am no longer just a cacher posting thoughts in a forum, but a representative of Groundspeak. I didn't mean to come off as harsh as I did but that's no excuse, and I apologize to t4e for my comments.

Link to comment

20805: Screencasts: Pocket Query Video

Added explanation video to /pocket

This is extremely annoying :). I've clicked "Do Not Show This Video Again" but this simply makes it hide automatically - it still shows initially for a few seconds every time I go to the PQ page.

 

After seven years of creating PQs I think I know how to do it now. Please can this video be suppressed permanently.

Link to comment

Still, the issue about showing HTML and encoded characters in plain text watchlist/owner emails remains. Will this be fixed?

 

EDIT: Sorry, my fault, was reading old mails. It is fixed now :) The only thing is, that it inserts two linebreaks, where there should be only one.

Edited by niximor
Link to comment

20805: Screencasts: Pocket Query Video

Added explanation video to /pocket

This is extremely annoying :). I've clicked "Do Not Show This Video Again" but this simply makes it hide automatically - it still shows initially for a few seconds every time I go to the PQ page.

 

After seven years of creating PQs I think I know how to do it now. Please can this video be suppressed permanently.

+1

Link to comment

Greetings Geocachers! The following is a list of cases resolved in the latest website update. Please let us know in this thread if you notice anything unusual happening as a result of the fixes detailed below. All unrelated issues should be reported on our feedback site located at: http://feedback.geocaching.com. Thanks!

 

The release is currently in progress.

 

Introducing Geocaching for Windows Phone 7 Mobile Application

 

Windows Phone 7 uses a combination of GPS, Wi-Fi positioning and cell towers to determine your approximate location. Groundspeak's Windows Phone 7 Application then queries the Geocaching.com database in real-time and provides a list of geocaches near you. Check out the Geocaching for Windows Phone 7 application page for a full list of features!

 

Souvenirs

 

We now have the capability to award Souvenirs retroactively! Souvenirs will be awarded in batches over the next several weeks. If you logged a geocache in the past that would have awarded a Souvenir it will automatically appear on your profile tab.

 

WYSIWYG

 

What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get makes a reappearance in this month's release. This time you'll find the new simplified text editor added to the geocache and Trackables logging page. In the next release we'll finish the job by adding a more feature-rich version to the cache details and profile pages.

 

 

New features:

 

18880: Allow the "My Finds" Query to run every 3 days

Increased frequency with which PMs can request the My Finds Pocket Query

 

20377: Create new Trackable Tattoo Trackable Type (Icon)

Added new Trackable type for trackable tattoos, email contact@geocaching.com with pic to request

 

23188: TwoNav GPS Field Notes support

Added Field Notes support for MyNav GPS units

 

23275: Shop Groundspeak: New Distributor

Added shop.j-mart.de, indiannationsdetectors.com, geosurvivalgear.com, ddgamezone.com, geokes.cz, cachers-corner.de, baseoftree.com, geocraft.cz, geocachingcentre.co.uk

 

18687: Put Hider's Name on the Log a Cache Page

Now reads: "In reference to {cache} by {cache owner}"

 

19281: Add Mass Delete to watch list functionality

Added checkboxes to watchlist to mirror bookmark functionality

 

20804: Screencast videos: Create page where "how to use" videos are displayed

Created new page at /about/screencasts.aspx for instructional videos

 

20805: Screencasts: Pocket Query Video

Added explanation video to /pocket

 

21917: rename /waypoints to /software

Changed URL and setup redirects

 

18824: Referral Field on Membership page

When creating a membership there is now a field to enter the username of the user who referred them

 

22311: Addition of Premium text to Send to GPS feature

Added reminder to Send to GPS that PMs receive more cache info in GPX downloads

 

18467: Coordinate Change Logs more logical and conversational

Reformatted coordinate change logs for clarity

 

18285: explanatory text at Additional Waypoints

Added additional text at Coordinates field to help explain the default values

 

20792: Localize Your Profile

Added new translations for the private profile

 

21902: change from "banned" to "locked"

Terminology change to account for a variety of scenarios

 

19806: Link "you logged this as found on..." to the log

This text on cache pages will now link to that log

 

21214: Text Change: All instances of Home Coordinates to Home Location

Updated the site with the term Home Location instead of Home Coordinates

 

 

Bug fixes:

 

22752: Attempting to view APE cache in Dutch results in server error

Fixed

 

23041: Referral field errors preventing account creation

Fixed misaligned error message on account creation page

 

22714: Remove mention of machete from ...hide/rate.aspx

Updated language and title for the Difficulty/Terrain selector page (formerly Cache Rating)

 

23073: User not signed in should not be able to search for an user

You must now be logged in to use the user lookup tool

 

23063: Trackable Adoption Page - Text Change Requested

Changed "tracking ID" to "reference number"

 

23187: Map is gone when cache page is translated

Map on cache details page will no longer disappear when switching language settings

 

22709: Cache Rating System gives .25 and .75 results

Modified to round down to .00 and .50 respectively

 

23350: Logging/viewing a waypoint log for Benchmark throws an exception

Fixed

 

22552: Change field title from Cache Note to Personal Cache Note

Text change

 

22718: Safari browser- Side Navigation links on gc.com become invisible once logged in

Fixed

 

23340: Additional waypoint notes don't show up on print friendly page

Fixed

 

23312: Add lackey icons to Groundspeak.com

Added Matthew, Aubrey, Kelly and Ernesto to Lackey list on www.Groundspeak.com/about.aspx

 

23192: Upcoming Geocaching Events shows text in German for all locales

Fixed

 

23522: Send to GPS for Garmin and DeLorme devices is broken

Hotfixed

 

22538: Link Addition to Geocaching Software

Added gototool.com

 

22932: Remove Netherlands Antilles from list of countries

Removed

 

4848: Stash Note in Serbian

Added

 

23521: Addition of brochures to resources page

Added Korean and Portuguese geocaching brochures

 

23248: Addition of podcast link

Added cachingnw.com

 

15597: Large gaps between friend widgets on my/myfriends.aspx

Fixed styling on friends page

 

Coming soon:

 

Stats, Ratings and Maps. Oh My!

 

One of our fairly new puzzle caches is totally ruined because the coords that were previously "hidden" in html in a TB are clearly visible in the log. Didn't use BBcode for this...just <> html stuff. :) Really upset. :)

Link to comment

Sorry for the previous reply. New to the forum and obviously don't know how to reply correctly. :) I am really upset that the previously "hidden" html text is now showing up in logs. We used this to hide the coords for a puzzle cache in a TB log and now the coords are clearly showing up in the log. :)

Link to comment
Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...