skydiver Posted June 18, 2003 Share Posted June 18, 2003 It would appear that the site is using a new formula (as of the implementation of the new nearest cache page) to calculate the distance from ones home coordiantes or zip code, to the nearest caches. Caches that used to be N miles away, are now N+x miles away. The result is that caches that used to be at the end of my list of nearest caches (last page), aren't on my list at all anymore (too far away now, except they didn't move). I'm curious what the reason is for this change? --------------------------------------- "We never seek things for themselves -- what we seek is the very seeking of things." Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) --------------------------------------- Link to comment
Moun10Bike Posted June 18, 2003 Share Posted June 18, 2003 It would be surprising if a slight adjustment in distance calculation would have such a radical effect, but is this what is reponsible for the big change in SGPS scores? Link to comment
Jeremy Posted June 18, 2003 Share Posted June 18, 2003 We reduced distance searches from 150 miles back to 100 miles, which was the original way the searches were working. I don't know what SGPS is. Can you explain? Jeremy Irish Groundspeak - The Language of Location Link to comment
Moun10Bike Posted June 18, 2003 Share Posted June 18, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Jeremy: I don't know what SGPS is. Can you explain? "Skydiver's Geocaching Point System." It is system of assigning points to all of the caches within 150 miles (now perhaps 100 miles?) of Missoula, Montana. In essence, the most difficult caches (i.e. those caches that receive the fewest find logs per unit time) are assigned the largest point values. The system encourages people to go after the tough caches. Pretty fun (even though my total just plummeted 800+ points )! Link to comment
skydiver Posted June 18, 2003 Author Share Posted June 18, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Moun10Bike:It would be surprising if a slight adjustment in distance calculation would have such a radical effect, but is this what is reponsible for the big change in SGPS scores? http://geocachingwa.org For the most part yes. I had a small bug that had a huge affect on the Montana caches west of Anaconda, but that had nothing to do with this, and I was able to fix it this morning. However, the fringe of the 150 mile radius appears to have dropped about 5 miles or so... which around Coeur D'Alene accounts for a TON of caches. --------------------------------------- "We never seek things for themselves -- what we seek is the very seeking of things." Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) --------------------------------------- Link to comment
skydiver Posted June 18, 2003 Author Share Posted June 18, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Jeremy:We reduced distance searches from 150 miles back to 100 miles, which was the original way the searches were working. Right, except I'm sending the dist=150 argument, so your change of the default from 150 to 100 didn't have an effect on me. In the past, with the 150 radius from zip 59801, there were a few caches in far eastern washington in my list, as well as one or two in southern Alberta/B.C, all of which were at around 149.X miles away. But now, everything on the list is either in Montana or Idaho. --------------------------------------- "We never seek things for themselves -- what we seek is the very seeking of things." Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) --------------------------------------- Link to comment
+Renegade Knight Posted June 18, 2003 Share Posted June 18, 2003 I would of had a point or two in that old system except my log was too old to be counted. I'm still looking forward to a Pocatello Implemention but undertstand there are data issues that need resolved. ===================== Wherever you go there you are. Link to comment
skydiver Posted June 18, 2003 Author Share Posted June 18, 2003 More info... Plotted all the caches that appear in the 150 mile raduis search on Delorme, and I get what looks pretty much exactly like a circle with it's east and west edges neatly sliced off at precisely 100 miles (imagine a rectangle with rounded top and bottom sides). --------------------------------------- "We never seek things for themselves -- what we seek is the very seeking of things." Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) --------------------------------------- Link to comment
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