Geocaching.com site update Feb 14th, 2012

February 15, 2012

I'm a premium member and I like OSM, since it is a very good alternative to Google maps. I even use it on my Garmin device. Well, at least in Germany it is a good replacement.

BUT the site update has totally broken the maps function with all of my Android devices (tried buildin browser as well as Firefox beta and Dolphin browser). The caches cannot be touched to open the popup on the map. No reaction at all....

You have released an alpha state software. There is not only an alternative to Google maps, there is also a free alternative to GC. Will start listing my caches at Opencaching, today...

...one of your disappointed customers who has paid your loan (so far)

7.8k · February 15, 2012

You have released an alpha state software. There is not only an alternative to Google maps, there is also a free alternative to GC. Will start listing my caches at Opencaching, today...

There's nothing like a good geocide. Unfortunately, this one's a bit weak, so I'd only rate it a 2.

Edit: Never mind.

Edited February 15, 2012 by The A-Team

February 15, 2012

Maps are *not* working properly on iPad. We are able to see the caches right on their place, but tapping on their symbol results in ... nothing. No popup like on desktop browsers. Useless.

It would be great to get a statement from Groundspeak for this issue. Caches on the map are only clickable if you use the pocket query mode.

7.8k · February 15, 2012

Maps are *not* working properly on iPad. We are able to see the caches right on their place, but tapping on their symbol results in ... nothing. No popup like on desktop browsers. Useless.

It would be great to get a statement from Groundspeak for this issue. Caches on the map are only clickable if you use the pocket query mode.

Did you check the Bugs forum?

SUBMITTED (33667) - Clicking cache icons on map doesn't work on mobile devices

February 15, 2012

Maps are *not* working properly on iPad. We are able to see the caches right on their place, but tapping on their symbol results in ... nothing. No popup like on desktop browsers. Useless.

It would be great to get a statement from Groundspeak for this issue. Caches on the map are only clickable if you use the pocket query mode.

Did you check the Bugs forum?

SUBMITTED (33667) - Clicking cache icons on map doesn't work on mobile devices

Thanks for that. They're already working on a bugfix:

This appeared to be intermittent at first yesterday, but now seems to be persistent and reproducible. I have entered a bug into our system.

February 15, 2012

This was a huge takeaway, and my subscription dollars are getting me less than they did last week.

NO THEY ARE NOT. Geebus.

Last week, a Premium and a "normal" member saw exactly the same maps. The Premium member had the extra option to hide/show caches based on their type.

Now, a Premium and a "normal" member see exactly the same maps. The Premium member has the extra option to hide/show caches based on their type.

February 15, 2012

If you want to return the Google map and Google satelite view into your geocaching map, install Mozilla Firefox and Grease Monkey add-on. Then download this script and install it. This script adds these two map views into new map (see the map options in upper right corner). Credit goes to Pesulap from Czech Republic.
https://rapidshare.com/files/2126139919/116103.user.js

EXCELLENT!!

As for the amount of requests made to Google, it's been said before, but wouldn't making Google Maps a premium only feature reduce them enough?

February 15, 2012

Sorry to say but I'm upset with Geocaching.com because of their latest changes which have impacted C:GEO application that I use. This was poorly coordinated and broke their applications.

It time for you to realize that other people use your site and you should coordinate changes with all users.

I believe you broke this and should contact them to help resolve this issue.

Thank you Ron RWillow

1.2k · February 15, 2012

What Groundspeak seems to want to ignore is the removal of TERRAIN maps. I hike hilly and mountainous areas and the Terrain maps are much more useful than the Topo maps. It's a huge loss for me personally that is going to make finding terrain 2.5 and above much more difficult.

Big thumbs down on the new default maps. What was in beta was much better.

They are not lost, you can still use them, just not on that GS page.

I see that from an individual cache page I can access the Google Terrain view. But only for that cache. If there's a way to still plan a multiple cache hike using Terrain View then please let me know how to do so because I do not see that available. The best remaining option seems to be the My Topo map option which is better than nothing but not nearly as nice as Google Terrain.

With GSAK this is available and really it is the best way.

February 15, 2012

I pay what I consider to be a large amount of money each year for what is simply access to a few extra features on geocaching.com. I have never felt I needed to complain before but the recent changes are quite unacceptable.

1. Pocket Queries show smilies for caches I have logged as DNF!

2. Maps are extremely slow.

3. Once map appears caches then takes ages to appear!

4. Once the caches appear then the popups / ability to select them takes ages to appear!

Waiting over a minute to be able to click a cache on a map is simply unacceptable.

5. Using Android browser I cannot now select a cache to view it. (or is it just because it's slow?)

6. The UK is now missing aerial / satellite view. This means we can't zoom down to find parking places / un-mapped trails / safe access.

7. c:geo no longer works! But at least I expect the guys developing to get it fixed soon. (When are you going to implement mapping in your application properly?)

OK, rant over now.

p.s. to all those people whining about open street map inaccuracy - The whole idea of OSM is that you can fix it your self - have a go, it is fun!

1.2k · February 15, 2012

If you want to return the Google map and Google satelite view into your geocaching map, install Mozilla Firefox and Grease Monkey add-on. Then download this script and install it. This script adds these two map views into new map (see the map options in upper right corner). Credit goes to Pesulap from Czech Republic.
https://rapidshare.com/files/2126139919/116103.user.js
I can't figure out how to get this to load. It saves a file 116103.user.js to my desktop, but that is it.

Drag & drop the file to an open browser window and then the same all all gm scripts after that.

1.2k · February 15, 2012

It seems to me that no one except Groundspeak understands why they needed to change the maps. Groundspeak CANNOT afford to pay the price that Google wants to charge for their maps. If they could, they would not have made this change.

You will notice the default map is not pointing to OSM's tile server. They are pointing to MapQuests OSM servers. You have to physically switch to OSM's tile servers to create any load on them. What exactly is the issue there?

We've explained why the maps had to do the change, people have guesstimated on the attributed costs that we would incure if we stuck with Google maps.

-Raine

Umm, I do believe you have the wrong quote. I was talking about the people who are threatning to drop their premium membership because of it.

Darn forum software

1.2k · February 15, 2012

If you want to return the Google map and Google satelite view into your geocaching map, install Mozilla Firefox and Grease Monkey add-on. Then download this script and install it. This script adds these two map views into new map (see the map options in upper right corner). Credit goes to Pesulap from Czech Republic.
https://rapidshare.com/files/2126139919/116103.user.js
EXCELLENT!!

As for the amount of requests made to Google, it's been said before, but wouldn't making Google Maps a premium only feature reduce them enough?

We can't legally include those map types in our new maps because of Google's license agreements.

-Raine

1.2k · February 15, 2012

I pay what I consider to be a large amount of money each year for what is simply access to a few extra features on geocaching.com

Huh? $30 was not even a large amount of money in 1977 terms let alone 2012! I gave a tip in a restaurant that size the other day and I live below the poverty line in the USA! I threw in 50 bucks last night toward a sheet pizza and wings while bowling with some friends. We are talking PEANUTS when we talk how much our premium account costs us here.

To this there IS NO DEBATE! So please cut the theatrics...

Edited February 15, 2012 by Frank Broughton

February 15, 2012

If you want to return the Google map and Google satelite view into your geocaching map, install Mozilla Firefox and Grease Monkey add-on. Then download this script and install it. This script adds these two map views into new map (see the map options in upper right corner). Credit goes to Pesulap from Czech Republic.
https://rapidshare.com/files/2126139919/116103.user.js
EXCELLENT!!

As for the amount of requests made to Google, it's been said before, but wouldn't making Google Maps a premium only feature reduce them enough?
We can't legally include those map types in our new maps because of Google's license agreements.

-Raine

Excellent! And to boot, it's using a browser that's not Chrome....my regular browser. Thanks!!!!

1.2k · February 15, 2012

We just updated the MapQuest OSM layer to use the JPG images instead of PNG so the tiles should load faster now.

Avg PNG image was 105k vs ~25k for the JPG images.

Do a hard refresh of your browser to get the new tiles to load.

-Raine

February 15, 2012

A while back I copied a GPS Visualizer map from their website to mine, and one of their stipulations is that you procure your own Maps API key and use it instead. All you had to do was place it in the javascript.

It worked great. I too have been trying to think of a way to do something similar for the cache map. So far the only thing I've come up with is to browse the Google Map using your own site/drive with your own key, but you'd need to be able to call an API on geocaching.com to get the caches to display. I don't see that happening, but that's under Groundspeak's, not Google's, control.

Coincidentally, I'm working on something that has similar usage limits. I'm working on a location disambiguation service (so one can type a portion of a city name and it will return possible candidates with a unique identifier for each) for a semantic web application. I'm using the geonames api, which does have fairly generous usage limits. A colleague of mine that's also working the the project asked me about the limits and indicated that he'd been doing some testing with the Google geocoding API and indicated that it also has a limit on request per IP address. However, he suggested that one of the ways around this is to put the geocoding code in javascript, thus the request would be coming from the browser (rather than the single address of the server).

I really haven't thought this through but I wonder if it would be feasible for members to personally obtain a Google maps API key (it's really easy and something I've done for several applications) and stuff it in their geocaching profile. Then when the mapping page is selected it reads that key out of their profile and constructs javascript so that requests are using the geocachers API key (rather than the one Groundspeak has registered) for google map requests. My colleague seems to think this would work but I haven't had a chance to ask him about the details.

Edited February 16, 2012 by korey99

9k · February 15, 2012

Sorry to say but I'm upset with Geocaching.com because of their latest changes which have impacted C:GEO application that I use. This was poorly coordinated and broke their applications.

c:geo is not "their" application. It's an unsupported 3rd party app that's never been recognized by Groundspeak. c:geo needs to fix their own application, if and whenever Groundspeak changes anything they make use of. I'm sure Groundspeak feels zero remorse for 'breaking' that app

2.3k · February 16, 2012

If you want to return the Google map and Google satelite view into your geocaching map, install Mozilla Firefox and Grease Monkey add-on. Then download this script and install it. This script adds these two map views into new map (see the map options in upper right corner). Credit goes to Pesulap from Czech Republic.
https://rapidshare.com/files/2126139919/116103.user.js
EXCELLENT!!

As for the amount of requests made to Google, it's been said before, but wouldn't making Google Maps a premium only feature reduce them enough?
We can't legally include those map types in our new maps because of Google's license agreements.

-Raine
Excellent! And to boot, it's using a browser that's not Chrome....my regular browser. Thanks!!!!

Now I just need a script for the scale and life will be wonderful yet again.

February 16, 2012

Don't take Geebus's name in vain with me. I'm not talking about a non-premium member, nor am I worried about getting more features than a non-premium member. I paid my premium subscription, and I'm comparing my total perceived value of the product I received last week to the value of the product I received this week. This week's is worse. The maps aren't as good. That is all.

This was a huge takeaway, and my subscription dollars are getting me less than they did last week.

NO THEY ARE NOT. Geebus.

Last week, a Premium and a "normal" member saw exactly the same maps. The Premium member had the extra option to hide/show caches based on their type.

Now, a Premium and a "normal" member see exactly the same maps. The Premium member has the extra option to hide/show caches based on their type.

February 16, 2012

Geocaching Staff,

I must say that I am never one to file a complaint or go against the grain, however I am very disappointed with the changes in your service. I understand the position that you are in with Googles new policy. I just dont feel that this is my problem. I had never heard of Geocaching until last week. I used your site for one day and immediately became a premium member because I wanted to support the community. I didn't need/want any of the premium member features, I just wanted to financially sponsor this website because I enjoyed Geocaching so much. I now feel a little cheated to be honest. I paid hard earned money ( only 30 dollars) for the service that I was able to preview. Had I known you were going to take away the google map feature I would not have supported the sight.....In fact this is all I use it for.

That said I for one would be willing to pay a little more to regain this feature if this is feasible please let me know. Thanks

Dave

February 16, 2012

If you want to return the Google map and Google satelite view into your geocaching map, install Mozilla Firefox and Grease Monkey add-on. Then download this script and install it. This script adds these two map views into new map (see the map options in upper right corner). Credit goes to Pesulap from Czech Republic.
https://rapidshare.com/files/2126139919/116103.user.js
I can't figure out how to get this to load. It saves a file 116103.user.js to my desktop, but that is it.

All I did was drag the file into the browser window and it asked if I wanted to install it. Works like a charm and holy cow it's so much faster than IE!!!

February 16, 2012

I'm all for upgrades to software and other things. But they need to work. Map layers are very very slow and a few layers don't even work or don't even want to load. My computer is up to date and check on all my java and flash player updates, just in case, and still no luck. I'm not sure how you go from a beta map that works to a released map that looks totally different from the beta and it's all buggy. Not happy with the change.

14k · February 16, 2012

A while back I copied a GPS Visualizer map from their website to mine, and one of their stipulations is that you procure your own Maps API key and use it instead. All you had to do was place it in the javascript.

It worked great. I too have been trying to think of a way to do something similar for the cache map. So far the only thing I've come up with is to browse the Google Map using your own site/drive with your own key, but you'd need to be able to call an API on geocaching.com to get the caches to display. I don't see that happening, but that's under Groundspeak's, not Google's, control.

A year and a half ago or so I was playing around with developing a "personal" geocaching site using Drupal. I wrote some code to ingest the results of a pocket query into the Drupal data model then used an openlayers module to display my pocket queries on a map (as well as a few other visualizations). I deployed it on a server for which I had already obtained a GM API key and could display caches from my PQs in a variety of ways with a Google Maps base layer.

I had a look at the javascript code for the greasemonkey script someone posted in this thread that will display caches on the base layer and there's nothing in there specifying an API key. A lackey indicated that they couldn't do something like it as it would violate their license agreement with Google. It's not clear to me if someone using this greasemonkey script would make it appear to Google that Groundspeak is violating their agreement. I have no idea what that agreement entails, or whether it's negotiable to allow Groundspeak users to provide personal GM API keys.

7.8k · February 16, 2012

I'm all for upgrades to software and other things. But they need to work. Map layers are very very slow and a few layers don't even work or don't even want to load. My computer is up to date and check on all my java and flash player updates, just in case, and still no luck. I'm not sure how you go from a beta map that works to a released map that looks totally different from the beta and it's all buggy. Not happy with the change.

1. It wasn't ever advertised as an "upgrade", but rather an "update".

2. The slowness is most likely temporary, and I expect will work itself out within several days.

3. The Beta Maps did not "work". They had many bugs, some of which have been rectified with the current maps. The new maps have introduced a couple of new bugs, but are largely working as advertised. Show me an update to any software that doesn't have bugs. It's a way of life in software development.

14k · February 16, 2012

Here is something about the new maps that I *do* like.

Go to the hide-n-seek a cache page and select "search with Google Maps" (that link text should be changed). Enter a location name (pick a city you might be visiting in the future). Then zoom in/out and pan the map until it shows a couple hundred caches or so. Then click on "Save as Pocket Query". All you need to do is change the name of the query and save it.

Before this feature existed if I wanted to create a pocket query for, say Buffalo, NY I'd either have to know the a postal code in Buffalo, the GC code for a cache in Buffalo, or already know the lat/long coordinates for a point in Buffalo. To me, that's a significant improvement.

February 16, 2012

If you want to return the Google map and Google satelite view into your geocaching map, install Mozilla Firefox and Grease Monkey add-on. Then download this script and install it. This script adds these two map views into new map (see the map options in upper right corner). Credit goes to Pesulap from Czech Republic.
https://rapidshare.com/files/2126139919/116103.user.js

Thank you and it is great to go back to normal...

February 16, 2012

If you want to return the Google map and Google satelite view into your geocaching map, install Mozilla Firefox and Grease Monkey add-on. Then download this script and install it. This script adds these two map views into new map (see the map options in upper right corner). Credit goes to Pesulap from Czech Republic.
https://rapidshare.com/files/2126139919/116103.user.js
I can't figure out how to get this to load. It saves a file 116103.user.js to my desktop, but that is it.

Any chance of this script being tweaked to support terrain maps?

February 16, 2012

This change looks bad.

Lack of iPad functionality is a major problem - can't get cache details.

Hope I don't have to buy a desktop just to continue GCing .....

February 16, 2012

Now that you mention it, one of my projects didn't require an API key either, I don't think... It must use the referrer or something like that to figure out who's asking for maps. My project is at Cache Radius Map

Modifying that would be a simple matter. Like your project, it just reads data from a GPX and displays it in a Google Map. It's kind of pain having to deal with the GPX files rather than live data though. Like I said before, Groundspeak allowing us to access their web service/API would be nice.

A while back I copied a GPS Visualizer map from their website to mine, and one of their stipulations is that you procure your own Maps API key and use it instead. All you had to do was place it in the javascript.

It worked great. I too have been trying to think of a way to do something similar for the cache map. So far the only thing I've come up with is to browse the Google Map using your own site/drive with your own key, but you'd need to be able to call an API on geocaching.com to get the caches to display. I don't see that happening, but that's under Groundspeak's, not Google's, control.

A year and a half ago or so I was playing around with developing a "personal" geocaching site using Drupal. I wrote some code to ingest the results of a pocket query into the Drupal data model then used an openlayers module to display my pocket queries on a map (as well as a few other visualizations). I deployed it on a server for which I had already obtained a GM API key and could display caches from my PQs in a variety of ways with a Google Maps base layer.

I had a look at the javascript code for the greasemonkey script someone posted in this thread that will display caches on the base layer and there's nothing in there specifying an API key. A lackey indicated that they couldn't do something like it as it would violate their license agreement with Google. It's not clear to me if someone using this greasemonkey script would make it appear to Google that Groundspeak is violating their agreement. I have no idea what that agreement entails, or whether it's negotiable to allow Groundspeak users to provide personal GM API keys.

3.2k · February 16, 2012

This was a huge takeaway, and my subscription dollars are getting me less than they did last week.

NO THEY ARE NOT. Geebus.

Last week, a Premium and a "normal" member saw exactly the same maps. The Premium member had the extra option to hide/show caches based on their type.

Now, a Premium and a "normal" member see exactly the same maps. The Premium member has the extra option to hide/show caches based on their type.

Actually no one is seeing any useful maps. The aerial photos never load completely. They are not responsive when attempting to zoom in. The cache icons do not reduce in size when zooming in so they tend to obscure the area that needs to be seen. The aerials are not well focused and so far I've not been able to see enough to determine their accuracy. Dragging the map around to check a larger area at the desired scale is impossible as there are not enough active tiles to see anything in the surrounding terrain. In a word ..useless.

Edited February 16, 2012 by edscott

February 16, 2012

anybody else getting a consistent tiled pattern at all zoom levels

Yes!

February 16, 2012

As suggested in reply #257, let users who want Google Maps provide their own Google Maps API key. Reading through the documentation, it appears this would be a legal solution. Those who want Google Maps would be able to get it and it wouldn't cost Groundspeak.

One of the really nice things about Google Maps is that the map data with streets, trails and the like is shared across all 3 layers (satellite, street, terrain). Especially with Mapquest's aerial imagery, you're getting outdated street data since there is no way for users to edit the maps like you can with OSM and Google Map Maker. These changes are making it much more difficult to scout out caches in the mountains near where I live in West Virginia.

2.4k · February 16, 2012

The maps are working fine for me.

I went back and checked again to see what I might be doing wrong, but they still work fine for me.

All upgrades come with bugs. I'm sure we'll all have patience in getting any worked out.

Change is hard. It's tough to get used to new maps. These don't seem tough to me.

I'm focused on find caches, not staring at the map anyway.

I love the new search features right on the map page. Really great idea there!!

1.2k · February 16, 2012

Geocaching Staff,

I must say that I am never one to file a complaint or go against the grain, however I am very disappointed with the changes in your service. I understand the position that you are in with Googles new policy. I just dont feel that this is my problem. I had never heard of Geocaching until last week. I used your site for one day and immediately became a premium member because I wanted to support the community. I didn't need/want any of the premium member features, I just wanted to financially sponsor this website because I enjoyed Geocaching so much. I now feel a little cheated to be honest. I paid hard earned money ( only 30 dollars) for the service that I was able to preview. Had I known you were going to take away the google map feature I would not have supported the sight.....In fact this is all I use it for.

That said I for one would be willing to pay a little more to regain this feature if this is feasible please let me know. Thanks

Dave

How have you "never heard of Geocaching until last week", but your forum post clearly indicates you first signed up in 2007??

February 16, 2012

As I write this post, it's nearly 2:00am EST on a weeknight. Most American users are going to be in bed and I'm still seeing a lot of map tiles loading slowly or failing altogether. If the server is having problems with what should be a relatively light load right now, I can only imagine what things are going to be like this weekend when people are going to be busy looking at caches to find.

February 16, 2012

What Groundspeak seems to want to ignore is the removal of TERRAIN maps. I hike hilly and mountainous areas and the Terrain maps are much more useful than the Topo maps. It's a huge loss for me personally that is going to make finding terrain 2.5 and above much more difficult.

Big thumbs down on the new default maps. What was in beta was much better.

Is the Open Cycle Map layer not good enough for you terrain wise?

No Open Cycle maps are not good enough. The option I'll probably use will be the My Topo option. As I said, I am aware of the Open Cycle maps but they are not as nice or as detailed as either the My Topo maps or the Google Terrain view. The Terrain view made it particularly easy to plot hikes along ridges and through valleys. The hills in the area you show have terrain that just isn't captured by Open Cycle. Also, the lack of shading makes it trickier to read those maps.

Here's an image with a comparison on 3 map types of the Deam Wilderness area in the Hoosier National Forest you showed above.

...snip...

The first is a Terrain view I pulled from Google Maps. The next two are remaining available views at geocaching.com. The middle is the My Topo view and the last is the Open Cycle view. Of these 3 I will now use My Topo but will sure miss Google Terrain.

P.S. Edited to fix image embed.

Can you zoom the Google terrain view any more than that? In NZ the maximum zoom for Terrain view is shown below. It would be around 3 kilometres (<2 miles) across the screen.

To my mind a bit too broad scale for any decent route planning.

There is no My Topo layers for NZ and while the OpenCycle map can be zoomed in, it doesn't present a hell of a lot more detail.

If I'm planning anything requiring a topo map I use the open source product produced by the local Garmin community (the last map). This can be zoomed in for greater detail and is of course compatible with the map on my GPS when I'm actually in the field.

And, to be honest, I don't really like the look of the Terrain map. I'm used to reading a paper topo map, and the Terrain map looks like something out of an Atlas to my mind.

February 16, 2012

It never ceases to amaze me how the negative comments outnumber the positive comments every time GS upgrades.

And to think there are those who think the lackeys are filthy rich because of the site? 30 bucks a year is NOTHING.

I suppose for the people who dont want to pay the Premium Membership to have access to PQ's, its more difficult to plan a days cache outing. Im not sure I'd even bother trying to cache if I didnt have the PQ's to work with.

Groundspeak provides us with a very handy product at a very fair price.

If you take into account ALL Of the costs of 'playing' this game, the Premium Membership is an after thought in my book.

Perhaps having a basic membership cost of $10 per year just to use the site would generate a bunch of money.

February 16, 2012

I like the look of the new map layers, only problem is that there appears to be no satellite coverage for Perth, Australia

Tried in explorer and firefox, no joy.

February 16, 2012

I can now report that the high tension wires that are just south of where I live are really plugged into Grand Coulee Dam.

Edited February 16, 2012 by Berta, Nick and Zoey

February 16, 2012

_HATE_ the new maps! The new maps look like crap in Norway. And the new maps broke C:geo. Worst change ever

February 16, 2012

After just upgrading to Premium membership (and its not only $30 here in NZ, its more like $50 with exchange rate), I have been quite disappointed at the lack of extras it provides. Now I that I have no aerial images on the map anymore and replaced with a really crap map, I feel that the Premium Membership is a real rip off. Bring back Google maps at your cost.

February 16, 2012

Any help on how to open caches on ipad would be appreciated.

some aspects of the new maps are good, eg they show paths/trails etc. but they are still out of date. Glasgow has a new motorway that opened about 6 months ago, this still isnt on the maps.

I would be happy to pay a bit more on my premium membership to get google maps back, please.....

New maps do not work on IPad.

Can I get a refund on my membership as its now worthless.

February 16, 2012

These maps are a joke. Just drop MapQuest, it has no value. The satellite imagery is useless, and that's IF it loads.

The Geocaching.com experience used to be quite slick, now it is not. Very, very disappointing.

February 16, 2012

ditto

Ipad support.

The new maps work better with the iPad2, because now they actually show the cache icons. However, when I want to view a cache by clicking on the cache icon, nothing happens.

With the beta maps, the cache icons didn't display. I had to use the "old maps" to browse in map view and be able to see a cache.

Now, i can see the cache icons, but can't view the cache details. It would be nice to be able to click a cache icon and see the cache bubble.

February 16, 2012

I hate the new maps but will learn to live with them if they will give us some thing we really want (REAL virtual caches).

other than that make maps a premium membership. If you want to cache for free you can, but you don't get to see the caches on a map. If you do pay you can have google maps back. This will lower the amount of hits and make it affordable for GS to offer it.

furthermore GS NEEDS to have an actual dialog with its customers, no other company on earth would ignore its paying users if they were so upset yet GS ALWAYS does. Please acknowledge there is a problem and keep us updated on what you are doing to fix it.

February 16, 2012

Hi!

For starters, a lot of people are griping at GSP about this change and seem to think that the switch in maps is supposed to be an "improvement". It's not. It's simply GSP's business reaction to the change in licensing the map data from Google.

...(deleted lots of stuff)...

You're right and you're wrong ;-)

You're right because just bashing doesn't help.

You're wrong because the so called new maps were already pretty old now and still having issues here and there.

For me the new maps just partly do work. Speed seems to be at least ok now. Not sure if they've changed something or if it is just a lower load now... What I still don't like is the visibility of the caches in the lower zoom steps (when the caches are just small dots). It's REALLY hard to find them on the screen :-( And it's some more issues for me here and there that doesn't really make me feel comfortable with the new maps.

I would still prefer using the old maps even with the limitation to 500 caches. I like them WAY more than the new ones...

Bye,

Christian

February 16, 2012

If you want to return the Google map and Google satelite view into your geocaching map, install Mozilla Firefox and Grease Monkey add-on. Then download this script and install it. This script adds these two map views into new map (see the map options in upper right corner). Credit goes to Pesulap from Czech Republic.
https://rapidshare.com/files/2126139919/116103.user.js

Is their another source? Greasemonkey says it is corrupt.

February 16, 2012

Old Maps circa 2005...

New maps...

Hmm, I kind of like the old ones if you ask me... <_<

14k · February 16, 2012

These maps are a joke. Just drop MapQuest, it has no value.

This may actually be a good suggestion. If the mapping page did not provide a satellite photo imagery layer at all people couldn't complain about the inconsistent coverage, but this leads to another question.

Just what is the value of satellite maps. I'd suggest that the primary value is when you're just looking at one cache and want to see the "real life" physical features at ground zero or near the cache. If you're looking at a lot of caches on a satellite base map I would contend that the satellite imagery is mostly just a matter of aesthetics and really doesn't provide any functional value. Someone else complained that the mapquest satellite imagery was not available in Perth, Australia. So I did a search for Perth in the maps interface, then saved it as a pocket query then edited the PQ so that it only displayed 100 caches. Then viewed the map (using the PQ map preview) and zoomed the map so that it showed all 100 caches. Then, using the greasemonkey script that someone else posted I changed the basemap to the google Satellite imagery. I recommend trying this for yourself and I think you'll find that the satellite imagery really doesn't provide any functional value.

Geocaching.com site update Feb 14th, 2012

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