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Not using favourites


rovers3

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the favorite system seems like changing things just to be changing things. not really adding any real value to caching. it's a made-up thing.

 

That pretty much sums up why they were instituted.

 

Even though I've been hanging around the forums for years, it still amazes me when I see opinions that are so completely different from my own.

 

To me, the favorites feature is the most useful addition to the website that I've seen in the last 4 years. I certainly understand that people might not be as enthusiastic about it as me but I'm surprised to see people say that it's worthless.

 

For the people that say they wont use favorites when caching...Hypothetically, does that mean that if you were in a new area, where there were lots of caches nearby and you had limited time for caching would you really not bother to use the favorites points to narrow down the caches that you might look for? I find it hard to believe that seeing that a nearby cache with lots of favorite points wouldn't be a factor in whether or not you might read the details of that cache to figure out whether it might be something that you might also enjoy. It seems at least as useful as any of the other criteria people generally use to find caches they like (D/T/Size/Age etc).

Edited by sdarken
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Even though I've been hanging around the forums for years, it still amazes me when I see opinions that are so completely different from my own.

 

To me, the favorites feature is the most useful addition to the website that I've seen in the last 4 years. I certainly understand that people might not be as enthusiastic about it as me but I'm surprised to see people say that it's worthless.

 

For the people that say they wont use favorites when caching...Hypothetically, does that mean that if you were in a new area, where there were lots of caches nearby and you had limited time for caching would you really not bother to use the favorites points to narrow down the caches that you might look for? I find it hard to believe that seeing that a nearby cache with lots of favorite points wouldn't be a factor in whether or not you might read the details of that cache to figure out whether it might be something that you might also enjoy. It seems at least as useful as any of the other criteria people generally use to find caches they like (D/T/Size/Age etc).

 

Let me answer, hypothetically, using your example. Sit back.

 

Was the cache in the example receiving favorites because:

 

- It was easy to get to?

- It was a significant hike?

- There was a lot of bushwacking?

- It was a p&g?

- It had a interesting container?

- It is kid friendly?

- It was a ammo can?

- It was a micro?

- It was a popular cache in the area?

- It is handicap accessible?

- It is the beginning of a series?

- It had a unique D/T combination?

- It was found by several in a group who like it?

- It is a popular area for snowmobiles?

- The other caches in the area were owned by a different, less popular cacher and this is a statement?

- It is the only cache in the area that is a PMO?

- It is the end of a series?

- It is at the end of a runway or approach?

- It is dog friendly?

- It is on an island only accessible in winter or by watercraft?

- It is the only cache in the area not a PMO?

- It is near a scene of a nearby tragedy?

- It was the only cache in the area many felt was correctly D/T rated?

- It was a cache associated with a popular event?

- It is along a popular horse trail?

- It was a cache that required a difficult climb?

- It was unique scenery?

- It has 4X4 access?

- It was already favorited by others? (mob mentality)

- It was a tribute to a popular local cacher who left us?

- It initially had tons of swag?

- The camo is weird?

- It was the only easy find in the area?

 

Favorites are like the rating systems on Ebay, Amazon, etc., proven to be subjective and not to work. The rating system that was already in place on GC worked fine. GC2551A, as of this writing, has 106 favorites. A guardrail style micro that starts a controversial series of caches approximately every 528 feet.

 

All the reasons above are valid reasons for putting a favorite on a cache for whomever does it, but there are only one or two valid to me, so how is the rating helpful? Do I look at who the cachers that did it are? Doesn't say much since there are others like me who offer there unused points to other cachers to use on caches I may not have even found, I may not know them, not to mention if I have to do that much clicking to see it, it would be much easier to just use the previous rating system. Am I to assume if a cache has no favorites, I will not enjoy it as much as one of the ones in that area without any points? That appears to be the implication.

 

I am getting ready for another business trip to an area I have visited, and cached, a couple times. In preparation I went and looked at the area again and forgot to filter out finds. A cache I had found in a series I decided to use as a center point for a PQ. It was nothing remarkable, a cache that was at a bus stop in a magnetic key holder and many logs, including mine, mentioning the damp log sheet. It has several needs maintenance logs and 17 favorite points. So to answer your question, hypothetically of course; No, the favorite points won't factor in for me.

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A cache I had found in a series I decided to use as a center point for a PQ. It was nothing remarkable, a cache that was at a bus stop in a magnetic key holder and many logs, including mine, mentioning the damp log sheet. It has several needs maintenance logs and 17 favorite points.

 

What's the GC number for that cache? I'd be interested to read the description and logs for that one.

 

Also, do you mind me asking why you are giving out favorite points if you consider them to be so worthless?

Edited by sdarken
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Favorites are like the rating systems on Ebay, Amazon, etc., proven to be subjective and not to work.

Yeah, everybody knows they don't work. I mean, it's obvious that those multi-billion dollar companies are spending resources on them because they don't work.

 

Thanks for your input; if it hadn't been for your enlightening comments, I might have trusted my own experience and thought that the favorites system was working well. Whew! Glad I dodged that bullet!

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while I've only awarded one or two of my fav points, I do have to admit that after two years, and 157 caches...(don't live in the most cache saturated area and travel little), I can remember each and every one of my 157 caches so far when I look back over them. They are all my favorite. Maybe we should adopt some sort of rating as they use on geocaching.com.au where you award 1 to 4 for caches, vice just favorite points.

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I find it hard to believe that seeing that a nearby cache with lots of favorite points wouldn't be a factor in whether or not you might read the details of that cache to figure out whether it might be something that you might also enjoy.

I am getting ready for another business trip to an area I have visited, and cached, a couple times. In preparation I went and looked at the area again and forgot to filter out finds. A cache I had found in a series I decided to use as a center point for a PQ. It was nothing remarkable, a cache that was at a bus stop in a magnetic key holder and many logs, including mine, mentioning the damp log sheet. It has several needs maintenance logs and 17 favorite points.

It seems to me that's a perfectly reasonable way to use Favorites... as an early-stage filter when you're checking out caches in a new area. That's how I'd use 'em.

 

Favorites are like the rating systems on Ebay, Amazon, etc., proven to be subjective and not to work.

I'm not entirely convinced this is true. When were they proven not to work? I'm sure they're not 100% predictive for anyone, but they seem to do a fairly decent job for most. I think that's all you can really hope for.

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The last time I checked, there was no facility to create a PQ based on favorites points.

 

So, I am forced to hand sort through a list of local caches in an area I want to visit to add favored caches to a bookmark list so I can create a PQ from that? Very efficient.

 

Feedback Site:

Searching for Favorites

A possibility to search for and filter caches as well as creating Pocket Queries based on a minimum amount of votes.
Status: Planned Yes, we plan to support searching for favorites, both on the web site and in Pocket Queries.
Add Favorite Points to GPX Files
add a <Groundspeak:favorites>X</Groundspeak:favorites> tag to the gpx files. X is the number of favorites.
Status: PlannedWe intend to add Favorites info to the GPX files, as well as in the Public API (beta to be released soon). (25008)
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