+dakboy Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 (edited) If you've got a twitter account, send tweets to @gogeocaching with the tag #geocaching. Maybe if it hits another medium they'll be more inclined to actually say or do something. 5 posts in the feedback forums now. The first 4 still have nothing more than "we're investigating" from 3 days ago. Edited October 18, 2011 by dakboy Quote Link to comment
+MickEMT Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 $ out of 5 gone today when I trie dto download them. we need some feedback! Quote Link to comment
+van der Decken Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Two out of my three that "ran" today disappeared when I clicked on them and the third that looked like it worked actually returned the previous run. Argh! Foo! Bar! Bletch! Quote Link to comment
+ZSteve Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 I reported the problem on Friday (Tuesday now) and have received no acknowledgement. The problem is quite frustrating. If you temporarily cut back from 1000 to 500, the e-mail of the GPX is valid... If the e-mail of the 500 cache gpx files is working, maybe an interim work-around would be for Groundspeak to waive the 5 query daily limit and we could run smaller queries. We'd still have to spend time changing queries, but at least we'd get the information. Quote Link to comment
+JJnTJ Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Don't worry, everyone. A new update for Challenges is in the works! Oh, and they've been working hard on even more features nobody asked for! Then maybe they'll get to less important things like Pocket Queries and perma-beta-maps Quote Link to comment
+SWiggles Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Today, 3 of my 4 regularly scheduled PQs ran and downloaded fine. The other disappeared when I tried to download it. As a test, I made a copy of that PQ and re-ran it. It worked and downloaded fine, so that may be a temporary workaround until GS resolves this one. Running the copy will still count against the daily quota, so it won't help if you've already run 5 today. Quote Link to comment
+baloo&bd Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 It hit me on all of the ones that run today, however I noted that the ones that ran yesterday that I DLd today worked. Someone else noted this in the feedback area, it seems they AMY work after they age a day or two. Unfortunately, I tried to manually DL the ones today (instead of using API) and they disappear of the list when you click on them. Quote Link to comment
+GuelphHiker Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 It would be nice if someone from Groundspeak would at least acknowledge that there is a problem and report that they are working on it (at least I hope they are). Maybe that is too much to ask. Quote Link to comment
+dakboy Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 It would be nice if someone from Groundspeak would at least acknowledge that there is a problem and report that they are working on it (at least I hope they are). Maybe that is too much to ask. They were "investigating" on the 15th according to the feedback forum posts I linked earlier. Nothing's been said in their other communications outlets (Announcements/Release Notes forums, blog, Twitter). My account is up for renewal this month, but I'm not doing it until the service I'm paying for has been restored. Quote Link to comment
+Sky King 36 Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 (edited) Thought 1: Sometimes, well, often, I feel like Groundspeak just doesn't "get" me. They implement features in a way that makes me feel like they don't quite understand how I cache, how I use data in support of caching. I feel like the features are often designed by someone "familiar" with caching, but not an avid cacher themselves. Thought 2: At some point or another I think we've all owned an HP printer where the driver software wouldn't fit on 2 CDs any more and came on a DVD instead. It monitors the paper, the toner, the connection, earth's gravity, everything... And yet, the actual printing function is bug filled and unreliable. I know exactly how much toner is in the printer that I can't print to. People so easily lose sight of the mission essential funtion, the "raison d'etre", the one thing that means passing or failing. HP long ago lost sight that people buy printers to print, not to monitor printing. Combining thoughts 1 and 2, I can't help but think that the reason for the silence is that no one at GS really gets the importance of this feature. Someone's thinking, "well, the good news is the site is up and all the other fun features are working great, oh, except for that little thing about PQs." It's not the forums, or souvenirs, or challenges, or benchmarks, or favorites, or trackables that hold us all together. The single function, the mission essential task, the SOLE raison d'etre is access to the database of caches. The cache database is the hub, the sun around which all other features, and every customer, orbit. Take away the cache database, and this whole thing never existed. So that is where I am at today. Every feature and function is working perfectly, except for that one about actually getting caches. Edited October 18, 2011 by Sky King 36 Quote Link to comment
+kwcahart Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 It's my fault. I asked for some options in the PQ's so they just did away with them. Quote Link to comment
+moumoute Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Again, same story here. This morning, 4 out of 4 PQs disappeared! It's very frustrating that Groundspeak doesn't even seem to care, no answer to this problem, and we can't work around it because of their 5 PQs per day rule. And their current survey is asking members if they are ready to pay 35$/year! Quote Link to comment
+Matthew 7:7 Too Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Still no official response, or even a public acknowledgement that the PQ server is broken! My missing PQs are still missing but count against my 5 a day so can't be regenerated! The least Groundspeak could do is warn their customers that they can't deliver a key element of their service to Premium members instead of letting us find out their failings the hard way! Time to swap the hamsters for meercats??? Chris Quote Link to comment
+dakboy Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 (edited) Still no official response, or even a public acknowledgement that the PQ server is broken!Twitter now says they have devs working on it and "hoping for a quick fix" and they'll keep people updated. They just started posting there about this an hour ago. Edited October 18, 2011 by dakboy Quote Link to comment
+Manville Possum Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Time to swap the hamsters for meercats??? What about feral cats? They need homes, and will work for hampsters. Quote Link to comment
+speakers-corner Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 So Im not the only one with problems. My 5 from today have also dissapeared. Does anyone know if a normal download will return and if so, when? Quote Link to comment
+N7MFT Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 This has been happening to me also, however most of the time mine do not reappear. It does not matter if I use the API or not. As far as the $35 for the use of this site. At this time I am sorry I renewed for $30. I am looking for work and it is hard enough to come up with the cash. This is not the time to be raising Fees. That is unless they are trying to get people to leave for one of the other sites? Quote Link to comment
+Matthew 7:7 Too Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Still no official response, or even a public acknowledgement that the PQ server is broken!Twitter now says they have devs working on it and "hoping for a quick fix" and they'll keep people updated. They just started posting there about this an hour ago. What's Twitter???? Why not use their own website?? Quote Link to comment
+speedwalkers Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 good news, today's PQ are ok - thanks Quote Link to comment
+Dgwphotos Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 I wonder if the fact that they are working on this problem, is why I just got three of todays Pocket Querys a second time. Quote Link to comment
+Dgwphotos Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 I wonder if the fact that they are working on this problem, is why I just got three of todays Pocket Querys a second time. Correction: four. Quote Link to comment
+ReedKyCacheFinders Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 There's a guy or gal in here that said they would pay us for the about 9 cents we each losing cause of this. Hate to tell that person but them Cents do add up after a while. Quote Link to comment
GOF and Bacall Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Time to upgrade from hamsters to gerbils? Not to knock the frog, but a reply from a lackey to the topic would go a long way towards soothing the irked cachers. What, actual communication between GC and its customers? You know it doesn't work like that. Things have to be prioritized first. Then added to the internal queue. Then lost, forgotten, remembered, typed up in triplicate, burned, reconstituted, voted on in committee, made available for public scrutiny, and prayed over by both the Pope and the Dalai Lama before being divided into segments, each to be posted in a different location. A more likely way to get a response here would be to post something about tathpags being trackable on G:Ceo on the BlueSquirrelCaching site. Pathtags are trackable on C:Geo via garmin's opencaching site? Cool! Quote Link to comment
+EdrickV Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 There were some responses on the feedback thread today (most in the comments area rather then at the top) and I think this one is worth quoting here: We believe that we have this issue lassoed and under control. I won’t mark this as “completed,” though, until things are confirmed as working with tomorrow’s PQs. The next time something happens, I think it would be a good idea to try and be patient while they try and fix the problem. And as far as getting status updates, the way I see it is the more time they spend doing status updates, the less time they're working on fixing the problem and the longer the problem may take to fix. I know that in the past, while making comparatively simple programs, I've spent hours tracking down a bug all caused by a single missing or misplaced ) in the code. And that's nothing compared to the systems that access and maintain the massive server and database system that Groundspeak has, which has to store not only every Geocache in the world (including archived ones) but every single log entry, every user's account info, all the images, (user uploaded or not) as well as the website. Quote Link to comment
+GuelphHiker Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 The pocket query system seems to be working now. Thanks to all those involved in fixing it. I sure miss it when it isn't there. Quote Link to comment
+dakboy Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 The next time something happens, I think it would be a good idea to try and be patient while they try and fix the problem. And as far as getting status updates, the way I see it is the more time they spend doing status updates, the less time they're working on fixing the problem and the longer the problem may take to fix. 2 points: 1) I don't think anyone was asking for status updates every 15 minutes. But at least an acknowledgement of the problem perhaps on the PQ pages themselves would have been reasonable. There was a complete lack of communication about a service which we are paying for here. 2) Part of good problem management involves keeping stakeholders (customers) informed. That means having someone who isn't actively working the problem talking to the people who are working on it, and passing information on when there is information to be passed on. This keeps the fixers focused, and the stakeholders informed. Quote Link to comment
+Chrysalides Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 1) I don't think anyone was asking for status updates every 15 minutes. But at least an acknowledgement of the problem perhaps on the PQ pages themselves would have been reasonable. There was a complete lack of communication about a service which we are paying for here. Having a banner on the PQ page would have been ideal. I had to search the forums to see if anyone else noticed the problem. Quote Link to comment
+Bosn Ski Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 1) I don't think anyone was asking for status updates every 15 minutes. But at least an acknowledgement of the problem perhaps on the PQ pages themselves would have been reasonable. There was a complete lack of communication about a service which we are paying for here. Having a banner on the PQ page would have been ideal. I had to search the forums to see if anyone else noticed the problem. I just complete my Geocaching survey and I suggested the very same thing. It can only take a few minutes to post a statement that PQ's are broke. If the problem spans over several hours, (days in this case), then another post can be added with a time stamp stating the problem is still being worked. It really can't take that long... Quote Link to comment
+dakboy Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 What's this survey? I haven't gotten an email about a survey. Quote Link to comment
+ReedKyCacheFinders Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 2 points: 1) I don't think anyone was asking for status updates every 15 minutes. But at least an acknowledgement of the problem perhaps on the PQ pages themselves would have been reasonable. There was a complete lack of communication about a service which we are paying for here. 2) Part of good problem management involves keeping stakeholders (customers) informed. That means having someone who isn't actively working the problem talking to the people who are working on it, and passing information on when there is information to be passed on. This keeps the fixers focused, and the stakeholders informed. Amen to that!! Quote Link to comment
+Bosn Ski Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 What's this survey? I haven't gotten an email about a survey. Here is a link to the Feedback page. I think I filled out the long survey. Lots of fill in the blanks... Quote Link to comment
+dakboy Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 What's this survey? I haven't gotten an email about a survey. Here is a link to the Feedback page. I think I filled out the long survey. Lots of fill in the blanks... Disappointed. I haven't gotten one. Quote Link to comment
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