I assume...

[+NattyBooshka]

...that now we have "challenges" which could amount to "name a pop group" etc, that as everything is now "on topic" that we can discuss anything here now?'

 

And does that mean the wonderful OT forum is to close?

[+agentmancuso]

...that now we have "challenges" which could amount to "name a pop group" etc, that as everything is now "on topic" that we can discuss anything here now?'

 

And does that mean the wonderful OT forum is to close?

 

I'd like to talk about why Feedback topics criticising Challenges are being censored. Could it be because they are the most popular Feedback topics ever? I think we should be told...

[+Amberel]

I'd like to talk about why Feedback topics criticising Challenges are being censored. Could it be because they are the most popular Feedback topics ever? I think we should be told...

To react to something that got to eighth on the overall list in just an hour and a half by suppressing it, rather than actually listening to it, is a high risk strategy. Maybe it will all just calm down again, maybe it won't.

 

The most critical thing is that it gives the other sites an opening - without Groundspeak doing something stupid they were never going to get a look in. But now Groundspeak HAS done something really stupid, and compounded it with arrogance.

 

If things stay the same I will be shifting all 50 of my Groundspeak caches to opencaching.org.uk in the near future. I won't be putting anything on Garmin opencaching because their web site is just too clunky, and also I was not enamoured of the way they confused things by starting up with such a similar name to the already established OpenCaching sites.

 

I've only recently renewed my Groundspeak Premium membership, so I have a while to decide what to do about that.

 

Rgds, Andy

[+NattyBooshka]

Censorship is ok... But only for inappropriate stuff... They don't seem to want to listen.

 

Fix Wherigo... I tried some of that, and the cartridges crash more often than a drunken banger driver. They're are then true finds that use smartphone/latest GPSr tech... All good.

 

Fix the apps for geocaching... The iPhone one works well now, others are behind and need attention.

 

Bring back real virtuals.

 

Or... Allow people to set "challenges" like "name a junction on the M6"

 

Now which idea to go with?

 

Premium renewal cancelled... The listing site should be moved to the off topic forum.

Edited August 19, 2011 by NattyBooshka

[+The HERB5]

... Groundspeak HAS done something really stupid, and compounded it with arrogance.

 

If things stay the same I will be shifting all 50 of my Groundspeak caches to opencaching.org.uk in the near future. <snip>

 

I've only recently renewed my Groundspeak Premium membership, so I have a while to decide what to do about that.

 

Rgds, Andy

I cancelled mine when an Official App appeared and they started actively blocking any other software, but not supplying an alternative.

 

I've disabled all my caches and will shortly archive them if no API is forthcoming.

 

GS wont listn to their own Feedback comments, maybe ACTION SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS...

[+Delta68]

I really do not know what Groundspeak are playing at

They seem to be going out their way to p*ss everyone off!

 

I have votes on suggestions which have been 'under review' for months. These are changes that people have actually requested and WANT, and others have backed as a good idea!

 

 

Mark

[+NattyBooshka]

I have votes on suggestions which have been 'under review' for months. These are changes that people have actually requested and WANT, and others have backed as a good idea!

Listening to customers? That would be just plain madness!

[+Lime Candy]

Posted elsewhere but worth repeating here:

 

Supremely ironic that Groundspeak banned ALR’s because some of them were getting out-of-hand and even downright dangerous. Yet most of the new Challenges are just locationless ALR’s that can’t be controlled or policed at all.

 

Can TPTB justify how taking a photo of a toilet/cat/frog kiss belongs in an "outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices" ?

[+NattyBooshka]

Posted elsewhere but worth repeating here:

 

Supremely ironic that Groundspeak banned ALR’s because some of them were getting out-of-hand and even downright dangerous. Yet most of the new Challenges are just locationless ALR’s that can’t be controlled or policed at all.

 

Can TPTB justify how taking a photo of a toilet/cat/frog kiss belongs in an "outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices" ?

No... they can't!

 

But I'm guessing the justification they used is "Its an easy game, and if people have to be premium to do it, we'll make a fortune" or something along those lines!

 

Millions of 10 year old iphone users can now log these day and night... and that's bottom line as even if they don't go premium, they make the site busy... which increases the price that can be charged for advertising.

 

Or am I just cynical?

Edited August 19, 2011 by NattyBooshka

[team tisri]

Millions of 10 year old iphone users can now log these day and night... and that's bottom line as even if they don't go premium, they make the site busy... which increases the price that can be charged for advertising.

 

Or am I just cynical?

 

Does that business model even work any more? I use AdBlocker and honestly couldn't tell you the last time I saw an ad on any web site.

 

Why buy premium membership just to lose the advertising when a piece of software does it for you across all sites?

 

At the very least I'd expect advertisers to be a little smarter than to just look at the number of visitors. If the visitors are young teenagers it's hard to see them being seen as a particularly high value market, unless GS wants to shift the focus of the entire site to providing stupid stuff for kids to do while selling them cheap junk along the way.

[+NattyBooshka]

Millions of 10 year old iphone users can now log these day and night... and that's bottom line as even if they don't go premium, they make the site busy... which increases the price that can be charged for advertising.

 

Or am I just cynical?

 

Does that business model even work any more? I use AdBlocker and honestly couldn't tell you the last time I saw an ad on any web site.

 

Why buy premium membership just to lose the advertising when a piece of software does it for you across all sites?

 

At the very least I'd expect advertisers to be a little smarter than to just look at the number of visitors. If the visitors are young teenagers it's hard to see them being seen as a particularly high value market, unless GS wants to shift the focus of the entire site to providing stupid stuff for kids to do while selling them cheap junk along the way.

Well... As the location for the challenge can be "Costa coffee" as indeed my local one is in the database... And the challenge could be "drink a coffee" then this game is open to commercial abuse... And I'm sure they'd love 10 year olds... As long a they have the couple of quid that is necessary! Of course Groundspeak can then "partner" with such locations. GPS enabled device adverts are one heck of a money maker... And if the game is the advert??? Well, it can't be blocked.

[team tisri]

Millions of 10 year old iphone users can now log these day and night... and that's bottom line as even if they don't go premium, they make the site busy... which increases the price that can be charged for advertising.

 

Or am I just cynical?

 

Does that business model even work any more? I use AdBlocker and honestly couldn't tell you the last time I saw an ad on any web site.

 

Why buy premium membership just to lose the advertising when a piece of software does it for you across all sites?

 

At the very least I'd expect advertisers to be a little smarter than to just look at the number of visitors. If the visitors are young teenagers it's hard to see them being seen as a particularly high value market, unless GS wants to shift the focus of the entire site to providing stupid stuff for kids to do while selling them cheap junk along the way.

Well... As the location for the challenge can be "Costa coffee" as indeed my local one is in the database... And the challenge could be "drink a coffee" then this game is open to commercial abuse... And I'm sure they'd love 10 year olds... As long a they have the couple of quid that is necessary! Of course Groundspeak can then "partner" with such locations. GPS enabled device adverts are one heck of a money maker... And if the game is the advert??? Well, it can't be blocked.

 

It could be, although I'd be surprised if kids don't soon learn to see through the "challenges" that are really nothing more than "buy a smiley face"

[+NattyBooshka]

Millions of 10 year old iphone users can now log these day and night... and that's bottom line as even if they don't go premium, they make the site busy... which increases the price that can be charged for advertising.

 

Or am I just cynical?

 

Does that business model even work any more? I use AdBlocker and honestly couldn't tell you the last time I saw an ad on any web site.

 

Why buy premium membership just to lose the advertising when a piece of software does it for you across all sites?

 

At the very least I'd expect advertisers to be a little smarter than to just look at the number of visitors. If the visitors are young teenagers it's hard to see them being seen as a particularly high value market, unless GS wants to shift the focus of the entire site to providing stupid stuff for kids to do while selling them cheap junk along the way.

Well... As the location for the challenge can be "Costa coffee" as indeed my local one is in the database... And the challenge could be "drink a coffee" then this game is open to commercial abuse... And I'm sure they'd love 10 year olds... As long a they have the couple of quid that is necessary! Of course Groundspeak can then "partner" with such locations. GPS enabled device adverts are one heck of a money maker... And if the game is the advert??? Well, it can't be blocked.

 

It could be, although I'd be surprised if kids don't soon learn to see through the "challenges" that are really nothing more than "buy a smiley face"

I'm sure they will... But, coffee here, or coffee and smiley there... Same price. If course there will be lots of free ones as they're launching the game utilising 5 million players... Some of whom will actually set a lot of these.