paperless geocaching and cache descriptions review

[+eremmel65]

Modern devices are getting better and better suited for paperless geocaching. Unfortunate not all geocache descriptions are well designed for paperless geocaching and as far as I understand there is a limitation of the images that is allowed to be retrieved from geocaching.com (API). This issue is important with multi-caches that have pictures to find during the track in the description, but not in the special area (I noticed that this area is also used for spoiler pictures).

This brings me to two remarks/question:

1 is there a rule for the reviewers of new submitted geocaches that make sure that the supplied information is good enough to support paperless geocaching as well.

2 is the rule that 'only a certain set of pictures can be downloaded from geocaching' by tools like GSAK not too strict in relation to historical situation that not all geocache descriptions are 'paperless' ready.

 

As an example one might have a look to http://coord.info/GCTY0J:

The first set of 16 pictures are mentioned in the 'spoiler' section, but lack the number for the puzzle in the description

The second group of pictures to complete the route to the cache are not listed at all.

[+palmetto]

1 is there a rule for the reviewers of new submitted geocaches that make sure that the supplied information is good enough to support paperless geocaching

 

No. What's reviewed is the listing, as it appears on Geocaching.com. There's no requirement that the information lend itself to particular software that cachers might use.

 

This complaint about how listings are sometimes truncated by assorted devices is an old one. It particularly seems to effect Earthcaches, which sometimes run long such that the "questions to answer" will not be in the user's device.

 

2 is the rule that ....

 

No, see answer to 1.

[+The A-Team]

...as far as I understand there is a limitation of the images that is allowed to be retrieved from geocaching.com (API).

...

2 is the rule that 'only a certain set of pictures can be downloaded from geocaching' by tools like GSAK...

I'm not aware of any such limitation or rule.

 

Unless you're talking about the fact that images attached to a cache listing (like spoiler photos, or the A to P photos in GCTY0J) are not included in GPX files. That has nothing to do with the API, though. That's just the way the current version of the GPX file works. This will be changed very soon with the move to GPX version 1.0.2, which will have many changes including the inclusion of links to such photos.

 

Anyway, if you're using GSAK, you can use the "Grab Images" feature to download all images associated with caches. This would download those 7 photos that aren't attached to GCTY0J.

 

If I've misunderstood what you're referring to, feel free to correct me.