Cache locations on google maps move!

[+pairofdocs]

My apologies for posting this (in case this has been asked before), but I did not find anything by searching.

 

We use our Android phone for geocaching. It works well, except for the compass, which is not terribly accurate. So, we have started using the feature of the app we use (c:geo) which shows the location of the cache on google maps. We noticed that many of the caches seemed to be misplaced, and I just now was able to determine that the problem is not with the phone or the app!

 

This picture shows the location of cache GC12MN8 that I just screen-grabbed from Firefox:

 

Immediately after grabbing this image, I went to the same cache using Internet Explorer (to avoid any browser caching issues) and this is what I saw:

 

What is happening is that repeated look-ups produce different results! In a matter of one minute, the cache purportedly moved almost 10 meters!

 

Thus, it seems that either geocaching.com is not sending the proper coordinates or google maps is not displaying them properly. What's going on? More importantly, is there some way to fix this massive bug?

 

p.s. This issue is not limited to this one particular cache. I suspect that this experiment is repeatable with any cache, as verified by my limited experimentation.

Edited March 31, 2011 by pairofdocs

[knowschad]

My apologies for posting this (in case this has been asked before), but I did not find anything by searching.

 

We use our Android phone for geocaching. It works well, except for the compass, which is not terribly accurate. So, we have started using the feature of the app we use (c:geo) which shows the location of the cache on google maps. We noticed that many of the caches seemed to be misplaced, and I just now was able to determine that the problem is not with the phone or the app!

 

This picture shows the location of cache GC12MN8 that I just screen-grabbed from Firefox:

 

Immediately after grabbing this image, I went to the same cache using Internet Explorer (to avoid any browser caching issues) and this is what I saw:

 

What is happening is that repeated look-ups produce different results! In a matter of one minute, the cache purportedly moved almost 10 meters!

 

Thus, it seems that either geocaching.com is not sending the proper coordinates or google maps is not displaying them properly. What's going on? More importantly, is there some way to fix this massive bug?

 

p.s. This issue is not limited to this one particular cache. I suspect that this experiment is repeatable with any cache, as verified by my limited experimentation.

Is that your phone/GPS that is positioning the ammo box at the coordinates where it thinks the coordinates are? I mean... you're not just looking at the Google maps on the cache page and seeing that, right? If so, then I would have to think that your phone/GPS is simply "bouncing". The same thing happens with any GPS... its just that you are seeing it on an overlaid photo.

[+fizzymagic]

Awesome! Groundspeak has discovered how to mess with the coords sent to c:geo (which, BTW, violates the TOS of geocaching.com) making its maps useless.

 

Well played, lackeys, well played!

 

To the OP: buy the Groundspeak app, already.

[+Walts Hunting]

Maybe you think the compass isn't accurate because it keeps pointing to the new location for the cache as you move and it recomputes your location inaccurately. There have been a number of posts on this forum about discrepancies in GE's accuracy.

[+StarBrand]

Awesome! Groundspeak has discovered how to mess with the coords sent to c:geo (which, BTW, violates the TOS of geocaching.com) making its maps useless.

 

Well played, lackeys, well played!

 

To the OP: buy the Groundspeak app, already.

I find that cool as well!!

 

Use of that app is forbidden and can get your account banned.

[+Don_J]

The map on the cache page shows it in a bush, in front of a park building just south of your screen shots. If I copy the coordinates into Google Earth, it show the exact same spot. The same is true for Google Online maps.

[+Too Tall John]

I've noticed if I'm signed out, the caches will wander around on the Google Maps directly on GC.com. I've always assumed it was intentionally done so people can't easily find the caches w/out being signed in, just like you can'tsee the coordinates. I bet the dis-allowed app is suffering from the same thing, somehow. So, since the app breaks the TOU, you can bet GC.com won't fix it.

[knowschad]

Awesome! Groundspeak has discovered how to mess with the coords sent to c:geo (which, BTW, violates the TOS of geocaching.com) making its maps useless.

 

Well played, lackeys, well played!

 

To the OP: buy the Groundspeak app, already.

 

Just curious, but how can you tell from those screenshots that it is c:geo?

 

Nevermind. I will try to read better in the future.

Edited April 1, 2011 by knowschad

[+Walts Hunting]

I have the GS app and had c:geo until it came out. I was out today to grab a few around my doctors office since I was early. It crashed every few minutes (about 10 times) so I reloaded C:geo and didn't have another program. I guess as long as I have paid for the froggie's app I don't really have to use it I have supported their inferior product.

[+LuckyPlan]

My apologies for posting this (in case this has been asked before), but I did not find anything by searching.

 

We use our Android phone for geocaching. It works well, except for the compass, which is not terribly accurate. So, we have started using the feature of the app we use (c:geo) which shows the location of the cache on google maps. We noticed that many of the caches seemed to be misplaced, and I just now was able to determine that the problem is not with the phone or the app!

 

This picture shows the location of cache GC12MN8 that I just screen-grabbed from Firefox:

 

Immediately after grabbing this image, I went to the same cache using Internet Explorer (to avoid any browser caching issues) and this is what I saw:

 

What is happening is that repeated look-ups produce different results! In a matter of one minute, the cache purportedly moved almost 10 meters!

 

Thus, it seems that either geocaching.com is not sending the proper coordinates or google maps is not displaying them properly. What's going on? More importantly, is there some way to fix this massive bug?

 

p.s. This issue is not limited to this one particular cache. I suspect that this experiment is repeatable with any cache, as verified by my limited experimentation.

 

I think I've actually noticed that a cache can "move" on Google maps when the weather outside is bad ie: cloud cover. Kindda weird but I guess it has something to do with it.

[+JoLTeam]

Why is c:geo "forbidden" ?

[+power69]

My apologies for posting this (in case this has been asked before), but I did not find anything by searching.

 

We use our Android phone for geocaching. It works well, except for the compass, which is not terribly accurate. So, we have started using the feature of the app we use (c:geo) which shows the location of the cache on google maps. We noticed that many of the caches seemed to be misplaced, and I just now was able to determine that the problem is not with the phone or the app!

 

This picture shows the location of cache GC12MN8 that I just screen-grabbed from Firefox:

 

Immediately after grabbing this image, I went to the same cache using Internet Explorer (to avoid any browser caching issues) and this is what I saw:

 

What is happening is that repeated look-ups produce different results! In a matter of one minute, the cache purportedly moved almost 10 meters!

 

Thus, it seems that either geocaching.com is not sending the proper coordinates or google maps is not displaying them properly. What's going on? More importantly, is there some way to fix this massive bug?

 

p.s. This issue is not limited to this one particular cache. I suspect that this experiment is repeatable with any cache, as verified by my limited experimentation.

 

I think I've actually noticed that a cache can "move" on Google maps when the weather outside is bad ie: cloud cover. Kindda weird but I guess it has something to do with it.

nah. its the smiley bug. if u click refresh map, watch the caches dance around

[tiiiim]

Am I missing something here? From what I can tell, the OP noticed this discrepancy first when using c:geo. He/she then went to their computer and tried loading the same map on both Firefox and IE (that's where the screenshots come from). So it's not that the coords are 'messed with' before being sent to c:geo, it's that they're being 'messed with' before being sent to Google Maps.

 

Or have I got it all wrong?

 

In any case, I don't notice the same behaviour....

[+TheGrey]

It is not specific to the cell phone app. I've noticed the same thing with Google maps before, but I was only using a desktop web browser.

 

It really confused me, because I loaded up a cache page and went out to find it. I came back home and brought up the page again to log the find, and noticed Google maps was now showing it about 50 feet away from where I remembered seeing the icon before.

 

I thought something flukey was going on with my browser, so I just shut everything down. I brought the page back up the next day, and it showed up in the correct location.

 

So... I don't know what is causing it, but you are not alone.

[+TerraViators]

It is not specific to the cell phone app. I've noticed the same thing with Google maps before, but I was only using a desktop web browser.

 

It really confused me, because I loaded up a cache page and went out to find it. I came back home and brought up the page again to log the find, and noticed Google maps was now showing it about 50 feet away from where I remembered seeing the icon before.

 

I thought something flukey was going on with my browser, so I just shut everything down. I brought the page back up the next day, and it showed up in the correct location.

 

So... I don't know what is causing it, but you are not alone.

I've noticed this as well.

[+StarBrand]

Why is c:geo "forbidden" ?

It 'scrapes' the existing web pages for info and then reformats it for the APP. That is really tough on site resources and is forbidden by the Terms of Use agreement (TOU).

[+Too Tall John]

It is not specific to the cell phone app. I've noticed the same thing with Google maps before, but I was only using a desktop web browser.

 

It really confused me, because I loaded up a cache page and went out to find it. I came back home and brought up the page again to log the find, and noticed Google maps was now showing it about 50 feet away from where I remembered seeing the icon before.

 

I thought something flukey was going on with my browser, so I just shut everything down. I brought the page back up the next day, and it showed up in the correct location.

 

So... I don't know what is causing it, but you are not alone.

I've noticed this as well.

I noticed a long time ago that this happens when I'm signed out. With the recent map issues (ie the maps not showing smileys on your found caches, basically the map not recognizing that you are signed in) this is probably happening even if you ARE signed in. Regardless, since c:geo isn't an official app, getting the maps to recognize that you are signed in is probably broken, so that's why it happens there, too.

 

My original theory on why this happens is that is set up to intentionally not show accurate positions of caches while you aren't signed in, much as you can't see coordinates when you aren't signed in. Someone from Groundspeak will have to confirm this theory before I'd take it as gospel, though...

[+Rainbow Spirit]

Even when logged in, when I search off the Google Maps from the cache page, I often get two location icons, one stays in position at GZ, but the other one wanders about as I focus in and out on the map. This is from my PC, using IE. Strange..

[reddragon72]

Why is c:geo "forbidden" ?

It 'scrapes' the existing web pages for info and then reformats it for the APP. That is really tough on site resources and is forbidden by the Terms of Use agreement (TOU).

 

The official geochaching app for android is broken. Yes I have reported it. So for now people on android are forced to use non official apps. Besides your comment can be nulled by the fact that I can use my phones browser to pull the same info as c:geo so what makes the difference?

[niraD]

The official geochaching app for android is broken. Yes I have reported it. So for now people on android are forced to use non official apps.

There are third-party apps that respect Groundspeak's TOU. For example, GeoBeagle or GeoHunter.

 

Besides your comment can be nulled by the fact that I can use my phones browser to pull the same info as c:geo so what makes the difference?

The difference is that a browser merely displays web pages, where a scraper processes the web pages to extract data so it can later reuse that data in a different way.

[reddragon72]

The official geochaching app for android is broken. Yes I have reported it. So for now people on android are forced to use non official apps.

There are third-party apps that respect Groundspeak's TOU. For example, GeoBeagle or GeoHunter.

 

Besides your comment can be nulled by the fact that I can use my phones browser to pull the same info as c:geo so what makes the difference?

The difference is that a browser merely displays web pages, where a scraper processes the web pages to extract data so it can later reuse that data in a different way.

 

I'm going to drop this as I am not affiliated with C:Geo and am not going to argue it's merits, as well as promote it. /dropped/

[+GeoGeeBee]

Why is c:geo "forbidden" ?

It 'scrapes' the existing web pages for info and then reformats it for the APP. That is really tough on site resources and is forbidden by the Terms of Use agreement (TOU).

 

The official geochaching app for android is broken.

 

That's not true. It has a minor bug that only affects a couple of specific handset models, and is easily worked around if you have one of the affected handsets.

 

I have one of the affected handsets, I've used both c:geo and the official app, and I prefer the official app.

 

I'm not trying to convince reddragon72; I'm just posting this so new Android users won't assume that they shouldn't use the official app. Try it and make up your own mind!

[reddragon72]

Why is c:geo "forbidden" ?

It 'scrapes' the existing web pages for info and then reformats it for the APP. That is really tough on site resources and is forbidden by the Terms of Use agreement (TOU).

 

The official geochaching app for android is broken.

 

That's not true. It has a minor bug that only affects a couple of specific handset models, and is easily worked around if you have one of the affected handsets.

 

I have one of the affected handsets, I've used both c:geo and the official app, and I prefer the official app.

 

I'm not trying to convince reddragon72; I'm just posting this so new Android users won't assume that they shouldn't use the official app. Try it and make up your own mind!

 

Mine wont show the maps. Supposedly there is a "fixed" version located on some not so good sites that I refuse to download. So as of now I have no map on my Geocaching app. I did word that wrong and yes the app does seem to work for most users, and I let a little anger get in the way when mentioning it being broken.

 

Also when playing with the app(without the map background of course) something I did notice is that the official app doesn't put smilies for found caches. That feature needs to be added... now before you start thinking just turn off found caches, I like to show people that I run into that like the idea of geocaching what it is all about. So I pull up the app and the map and show them what it looks like and I love the smilies that show found caches for that reason, and I just like to see my accomplishments. I guess I'll goto the suggestion box for the official app and ask them to add that in there.