Please stop automatic "took it to" logs

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

We've been asking for the ability to upload a pic with TB logs FOREVER.

 

As it stands now, it's a royal pain to upload a pic to a TB page. Take pic from my iPhone, email it to my Mac, then find the tb, edit tb, upload pic, etc....for each tb. Multiple pictures, multiple emails, blah blah blah

 

It would be sooooo much easier if I could just upload the pic directly from the field when I pick up/drop off...

Actually, I find it easy to upload a photo.

 

But then, I don't use a phone, email it to my computer, etc. Obviously, I don't do it multiple times, either.

 

Whatever toots ur whistle.............

[+JesandTodd]

We've been asking for the ability to upload a pic with TB logs FOREVER.

 

As it stands now, it's a royal pain to upload a pic to a TB page. Take pic from my iPhone, email it to my Mac, then find the tb, edit tb, upload pic, etc....for each tb. Multiple pictures, multiple emails, blah blah blah

 

It would be sooooo much easier if I could just upload the pic directly from the field when I pick up/drop off...

Actually, I find it easy to upload a photo.

 

But then, I don't use a phone, email it to my computer, etc. Obviously, I don't do it multiple times, either.

 

Whatever toots ur whistle.............

Multiple times are for multiple bugs and multiple photos. And yeah, it obviously toots my whistle since I still do it. I'd like it to be easier..

 

Since my gps is my phone, I wouldn't dream of lugging anything else around, especially I tend to cache on the fly...also, I log my bugs real time. So I pull the bug out of the cache, snap a pic, retrieve it electronically and move about my way.

Edited March 21, 2012 by JesandTodd

[+6NoisyHikers]

We've been asking for the ability to upload a pic with TB logs FOREVER.

 

As it stands now, it's a royal pain to upload a pic to a TB page. Take pic from my iPhone, email it to my Mac, then find the tb, edit tb, upload pic, etc....for each tb. Multiple pictures, multiple emails, blah blah blah

 

It would be sooooo much easier if I could just upload the pic directly from the field when I pick up/drop off...

 

This is totally off-topic but I agree that pics should be easier. I don't know why we can't upload a picture once - say, to the original cache found - and then access that picture from our gallery to include on a TB page (or several TB pages, as it were).

 

Back on-topic: If I've read everything correctly, what Kunarion is saying is that it is possible for someone to physically lose a TB, or forget about it, and then carry on caching and unknowingly logging visits with the lost trackable. That would be a problem, and it sounds like the only answer to that is to send a nice PM to the current carrier (who probably has no idea they are auto-logging) to ask them if they know they are auto-logging, and if they could add a log or a picture or two of your trackable enjoying its travels with them. If you don't get a reply, well...

 

And I know there is no rule about getting fabulous logs on a TB - any more than there is a rule about writing anything more than TFTC on a cache log - but it's nice to get. TB owners put their hearts into trackables too!

[+kunarion]

I don't know why we can't upload a picture once - say, to the original cache found - and then access that picture from our gallery to include on a TB page (or several TB pages, as it were).

You can link to it, but it takes several steps. With the photo on screen in a window by itself, right-click and look at the "properties". If the URL ends in "jpg", that's the picture's web address. It will have a URL like this one:

http://img.geocaching.com/track/log/large/62f60ac7-3b7d-4429-8064-aeff94f49220.jpg

 

Then post it into your TB log as is, to get a "My Link" URL, or use the IMG BB code to get a link that says "Image":

http://www.geocaching.com/track/log.aspx?LUID=3019cdf2-5258-4b49-a1ce-3584d17cb67d

 

I didn't try to get the thumbnail image that links to a photo, but I'd suspect it could be hand-coded. If so, an App could do that for you.

Edited March 21, 2012 by kunarion

[+Snoogans]

I haven't laughed so hard in awhile.

 

Waaaaaaa my trackable is alive and moving frequently! Waaaaaaaaaaa!

 

Why even release a trackable if you don't care to track its movements?

 

Anyone that is tired of their trackables can adopt them over to me.

[+kunarion]

I haven't laughed so hard in awhile.

 

Waaaaaaa my trackable is alive and moving frequently! Waaaaaaaaaaa!

 

Why even release a trackable if you don't care to track its movements?

That was super obnoxious. Cut it out.

 

The only thing certain is there are a hundred identical computer-generated logs. The Trackable Owner absolutely CANNOT know the trackable is still alive. It may have been lost months ago.

Edited March 21, 2012 by kunarion

[+ByronForestPreserve]

Page cluttering! Annoying. We have a local who 'visits' all the TBs in his collection to any cache that he finds. When you look at 'past trackables' most of what you see are his fifteen TBs. Page clutter. Makes it very hard to look for a particular TB that was left in the cache.

 

Well, see--I learned something today. I didn't realize that a "visit" log put the trackable into the past inventory of a cache. I figured only drop-offs did that. Why does it go into the inventory? A throwback to when visits/dips were done by dropping off and picking right up again? For that matter, why is there an option to "visit" when you're logging a DNF? (I know not to do that!)

 

*shrugs* I've looked at logs of trackables in caches around my area, and it always seems like the trackables visit pretty much every cache the carrier finds. So I log, oh, every second or third...but in my defense, one TB I've done that a lot with is in a race to rack up miles, and I did take pics with the other at a couple caches, which is its goal...

 

But I will definitely slow down on the visit logs...

[+kunarion]

I've looked at logs of trackables in caches around my area, and it always seems like the trackables visit pretty much every cache the carrier finds. So I log, oh, every second or third...but in my defense, one TB I've done that a lot with is in a race to rack up miles, and I did take pics with the other at a couple caches, which is its goal...

 

But I will definitely slow down on the visit logs...

I don't think you need to slow down on your logs. From what you've said, you're doing it exactly as the OP is asking.

[+Eartha]

Visiting is fine. Just think like a TB owner when doing so, and think how you would your own TB to be logged. Stories and photos are always welcome. Pages and pages of blank logs can get kind of dull after the first 20 logs, or so. Add a note now and then to keep it interesting.

[+kunarion]

Visiting is fine. Just think like a TB owner when doing so, and think how you would your own TB to be logged. Stories and photos are always welcome. Pages and pages of blank logs can get kind of dull after the first 20 logs, or so. Add a note now and then to keep it interesting.

I would suggest that people who like to post pages of "took it to" logs, please also be ready and willing to respond to PM questions. Be sure your email works, even posting a viable email address in your profile if possible. If I saw 15 pages of "visits" on one of my TBs, I might wonder what's going on, and ask. I don't necessarily require you to stop it, but I really need to know it's not just some computer glitch.

 

I'd also ask, among the mass of "auto-visits", for an occasional photo or personalized log, just so I know everything's OK.

Edited March 28, 2012 by kunarion

[Andronicus]

I didn't read the whole thread, but here is my views

 

c:geo is (or was) a web scraper, so likely just uses (or used) that check box from the online log submission page to dip all trackables in inventory. Too bad c:geo didn't set the feature to off by default, and maybe ask if the cacher wanted to keep it on everytime they opend the app. Or even better, required a box to be checked on each cache log submition.

 

The Visit feature was in response to feature requests. It was a major pain in the butt to dip my personal trackable and all my kids personal trackables everytime we found a cache. Now it is much simpler. I like this feature.

 

I have definatly been taken by supprise sometimes to see that my trackable has wandered all over some city since the last time I received a notification. Once I saw one take a trip to Florida and back with no notification. But that is better than getting tones of notifications.

 

As for why cachers do not add comments or photos, the Visit log does not allow for either of these during the submition. the cacher would have to go back after and edit the log. Personaly, I have only done that once.

[+charliewhiskey]

c:geo is (or was) a web scraper, so likely just uses (or used) that check box from the online log submission page to dip all trackables in inventory.

 

You say "was". Has it gone away?

 

Too bad c:geo didn't set the feature to off by default, and maybe ask if the cacher wanted to keep it on everytime they opend the app. Or even better, required a box to be checked on each cache log submition.

 

Yes! This would be great! How can we make that happen?

 

The Visit feature was in response to feature requests. It was a major pain in the butt to dip my personal trackable and all my kids personal trackables everytime we found a cache. Now it is much simpler. I like this feature.

 

I like it too.

[+kunarion]

I didn't read the whole thread, but here is my viewsAs for why cachers do not add comments or photos, the Visit log does not allow for either of these during the submition. the cacher would have to go back after and edit the log. Personaly, I have only done that once.

I use the web site for my logs, yet almost always next edit the TB logs, since regardless of the type of log (Drop or Visit), there's no option to edit as it occurs. I sometimes take photos of each individual TB (per mission, one asked for photos of firetrucks), and always type additional text. I probably would never Auto-Visit 10 pages of logs, partly because I don't carry TBs around with me. I pick'em up, plan a safe cache to drop them, and do so.

 

This topic isn't about why people do "Auto-Visits", so do you mind posting in the "Why Auto-Visit" topic? I truly want to know why -- I'm not being snarky (OK maybe a tiny bit snarky ). But I'd like to know why people do that (you mentioned liking the feature). As the pages keep building over weeks or even months (with no notifications, it's a surprise to see a TB that appeared to have zero movement has been logged all over the place), when would enough be enough? How do I know the difference between someone actually enjoying cache-to-cache visits and [some rogue App] accidentally being switched "ON Auto-Visit", where the TB hasn't even been in the cacher's hands for ages? The VISITS themselves aren't so big a deal, it's the ROBO-VISITS.

[+kunarion]

Too bad c:geo didn't set the feature to off by default, and maybe ask if the cacher wanted to keep it on everytime they opend the app. Or even better, required a box to be checked on each cache log submition.

 

Yes! This would be great! How can we make that happen?

That would need to be addressed by the c:geo programmers. If c:geo's development goal is to operate in a way that's light on Groundspeak's servers, I'm sure they'll be glad to fix it pronto.

[Andronicus]

I didn't read the whole thread, but here is my views ... As for why cachers do not add comments or photos, the Visit log does not allow for either of these during the submition. the cacher would have to go back after and edit the log. Personaly, I have only done that once.

I use the web site for my logs, yet almost always next edit the TB logs, since regardless of the type of log (Drop or Visit), there's no option to edit as it occurs. I sometimes take photos of each individual TB (per mission, one asked for photos of firetrucks), and always type additional text. I probably would never Auto-Visit 10 pages of logs, partly because I don't carry TBs around with me. I pick'em up, plan a safe cache to drop them, and do so.

 

This topic isn't about why people do "Auto-Visits", so do you mind posting in the "Why Auto-Visit" topic? I truly want to know why -- I'm not being snarky (OK maybe a tiny bit snarky ). But I'd like to know why people do that (you mentioned liking the feature). As the pages keep building over weeks or even months (with no notifications, it's a surprise to see a TB that appeared to have zero movement has been logged all over the place), when would enough be enough? How do I know the difference between someone actually enjoying cache-to-cache visits and [some rogue App] accidentally being switched "ON Auto-Visit", where the TB hasn't even been in the cacher's hands for ages? The VISITS themselves aren't so big a deal, it's the ROBO-VISITS.

Unfortunatly I don't know whay people would want to Auto-Visit every trackable in thier inventory. So can't help there.

[+BlueDeuce]

This topic isn't about why people do "Auto-Visits"

 

This topic is about how to remove the option. To which I fully concur.

[+JesandTodd]

 

The Visit feature was in response to feature requests. It was a major pain in the butt to dip my personal trackable and all my kids personal trackables everytime we found a cache. Now it is much simpler. I like this feature.

 

I like it too.

 

Me too...

[+BlueDeuce]

 

The Visit feature was in response to feature requests. It was a major pain in the butt to dip my personal trackable and all my kids personal trackables everytime we found a cache. Now it is much simpler. I like this feature.

 

I like it too.

 

Me too...

 

The option was for logging coins through events.

 

I have a personal TB that I drop through every cache I find or revisit so let me ask you this. Are you logging your personal travel bug so that you show it was there or are you using it for tracking your visits?

[+wolfchasers]

It is really annoying to see 25 pages of "took it to" or "visited" caches! How annoying and a waste. Just drop the trackable in the cache you want it in and send it on it's way!

[+kunarion]

It is really annoying to see 25 pages of "took it to" or "visited" caches! How annoying and a waste. Just drop the trackable in the cache you want it in and send it on it's way!

But wouldn't 25 pages of different cachers' personalized logs and photos with email notifications be even more annoying? (OK, I am still waiting to hear why people do the auto-visits, aside from how convenient it is to do).

Edited March 31, 2012 by kunarion

[+charliewhiskey]

It is really annoying to see 25 pages of "took it to" or "visited" caches! How annoying and a waste. Just drop the trackable in the cache you want it in and send it on it's way!

But wouldn't 25 pages of different cachers' personalized logs and photos with email notifications be even more annoying?

 

Absolutely NOT!

[Andronicus]

 

The Visit feature was in response to feature requests. It was a major pain in the butt to dip my personal trackable and all my kids personal trackables everytime we found a cache. Now it is much simpler. I like this feature.

 

I like it too.

 

Me too...

 

The option was for logging coins through events.

 

I have a personal TB that I drop through every cache I find or revisit so let me ask you this. Are you logging your personal travel bug so that you show it was there or are you using it for tracking your visits?

I do it to track my visits. Of coures I can do that other ways, I just like the easy map feature.

[+kunarion]

 

The Visit feature was in response to feature requests. It was a major pain in the butt to dip my personal trackable and all my kids personal trackables everytime we found a cache. Now it is much simpler. I like this feature.

 

I like it too.

 

Me too...

 

The option was for logging coins through events.

 

I have a personal TB that I drop through every cache I find or revisit so let me ask you this. Are you logging your personal travel bug so that you show it was there or are you using it for tracking your visits?

I do it to track my visits. Of coures I can do that other ways, I just like the easy map feature.

It's a complicated issue, but reading the OP, I think this topic is NOT about shutting off the ability to auto-log your own Trackables. If you make 10 pages of auto-visits on your own TB, it's no surprise when you visit its page and see 10 pages of visits, and if it is a surprise, you have complete control over addressing the issue.

 

There appears to be confusion over the definition of the auto-visit problem. If I look at my TB page, and discover that someone's been "visiting" one of my TBs in caches for months, never dropping it, never a photo, not typing anything, and they don't answer email, it looks like a computer glitch. It doesn't look like the logs are real. Or worse, the guy appears to be some kinda nut (in which case, a PM can make the problem worse). I might make a topic in these forums asking what's going on, why won't it stop and can't we make it stop, why would someone carry my TB around for so long anyway, what's with the pages and pages of logs. It would be a fair question.

Edited March 31, 2012 by kunarion

[+Ashallond]

and yet, I've got one being moved around, and am thoroughly enjoying it, and I've sent a note to the cacher expressing as much.

 

TB31RGQ is the page. I know not every cacher would do this, but with the track record I have of coins and TB's going MIA, it's nice to have ONE that has something interesting happen to it.

[+kunarion]

and yet, I've got one being moved around, and am thoroughly enjoying it, and I've sent a note to the cacher expressing as much.

 

TB31RGQ is the page. I know not every cacher would do this, but with the track record I have of coins and TB's going MIA, it's nice to have ONE that has something interesting happen to it.

Now this is what I mean when I suggest that logs NOT be auto-visits. If the logs contain human-typed words, and photos, that's what people may appreciate.

[+charliewhiskey]

and yet, I've got one being moved around, and am thoroughly enjoying it, and I've sent a note to the cacher expressing as much.

 

TB31RGQ is the page. I know not every cacher would do this, but with the track record I have of coins and TB's going MIA, it's nice to have ONE that has something interesting happen to it.

Now this is what I mean when I suggest that logs NOT be auto-visits. If the logs contain human-typed words, and photos, that's what people may appreciate.

 

Yes, these are not the automated "took it to" logs I wish to stop. The cacher is manually having the TB "visit" those caches and is considerately adding interesting logs. Bravo!

[+VeeRich]

I'm surprised TB owners don't like to have their TBs "visit" caches. I am both a TB owner and a TB mover and I "visit" TBs to cahes often and I would hope people who grab my travel tags and coins would visit them too. If I'm geocaching in a town and I find a dozen caches within a 15 mile radius I'm not going to visit TBs to every single cache. However, I am on the road a lot and when I travel 90 miles and I'm caching the whole way I like to "visit" TBs to maybe one cache per town. This way it illustrates the route on the map rather than just one line between 2 caches 90 miles apart. Don't most TB owners want that????

[+kunarion]

I like to "visit" TBs to maybe one cache per town. This way it illustrates the route on the map rather than just one line between 2 caches 90 miles apart. Don't most TB owners want that????

Yes, and this topic isn't about that.

Edited April 1, 2012 by kunarion

[+VeeRich]

Ahh I think I'm kind of getting it. Just meaning that people should put more effort into their logs ie: pictures and log explanations of their visit rather than just visited "XYZ micro skirt lifter"

[+charliewhiskey]

Ahh I think I'm kind of getting it. Just meaning that people should put more effort into their logs ie: pictures and log explanations of their visit rather than just visited "XYZ micro skirt lifter"

 

Take a look at my I Like Violet TB. That is the start of 15 PAGES of bland, mindless AUTOMATED "took it to" logs. That is what we wish to stop.

[+VeeRich]

Ahh I think I'm kind of getting it. Just meaning that people should put more effort into their logs ie: pictures and log explanations of their visit rather than just visited "XYZ micro skirt lifter"

 

Take a look at my I Like Violet TB. That is the start of 15 PAGES of bland, mindless AUTOMATED "took it to" logs. That is what we wish to stop.

 

Yeah, that is a bit much. But at the same time I like how it shows all of the places it's been on the map. When I log TBs if I'm doing a whole bunch of caches in one day I try to make it a point to log the TBs in a line in somewhat one direction, rather than back and fourth, up and down, north and east, etc... It's not always easy to pre-plan your caching route, though. Maybe the person who is currently carrying the TB wants to log every cache they take it to. It does just look like a cluster but it's a good visual of where it's traveled. I don't really see the harm. I don't mind if people carrying my TBs log them everywhere they go. I thought that was the whole point. But that's just my opinion and I could see why others might not want the long list of logs.

[+VeeRich]

I haven't laughed so hard in awhile.

 

Waaaaaaa my trackable is alive and moving frequently! Waaaaaaaaaaa!

 

Why even release a trackable if you don't care to track its movements?

 

Anyone that is tired of their trackables can adopt them over to me.

This is exactly my thoughts.

 

In the same breath the OP is saying "take my TB and log where it's been" and also saying "don't log everywhere it's been".

 

I like to realize that once the TB is out of my hand it's somewhat up to whoever is carrying it to do with it what they can. If they want to log every visit and not leave extremely detailed logs that's kind of up to them. I would just like to watch mine travel. Detailed logs and pictures would be nice but at this point I'd lust like to see some visits on the map.

[+kunarion]

I haven't laughed so hard in awhile.

 

Waaaaaaa my trackable is alive and moving frequently! Waaaaaaaaaaa!

 

Why even release a trackable if you don't care to track its movements?

 

Anyone that is tired of their trackables can adopt them over to me.

This is exactly my thoughts.

Perhaps there needs to be a popup when people read this thread:

================

If a TB has been in someone's hands for months with nothing but pages and pages of "took it to" logs, you absolutely cannot know if the TB is active or not. It is indistinguishable from a computer glitch. In some cases, the cachers didn't intend to do those logs, or didn't know they were happening -- they are automatic. Even if cacher lost the TB long ago, the logs continue. If a TB is “alive and moving frequently”, that's great. However, a bunch of robot visit logs is NO INDICATION that it's alive.

================

 

Bad logs are the #1 reason there are so many lost TBs. I don't find it funny. The premise is that cachers are doing folks a huge favor by “tracking” TBs everywhere they go, while holding the TBs for months, no photos, no logs, no indication if or when they will ever release it. Hey, thanks! In fact it's a track of that cacher only. If you love this practice, please post why it's such a good thing here, so we all can enjoy it (no takers so far): http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=292016

 

To the Trackable Owners who aren't laughing:

Have you written to an auto-logging cacher, to thank them for all the visits and ask them to drop the TB today in the most convenient cache? What was the response? With the assumption that cachers are doing you a huge favor by making 15 pages of auto-visits for you, they certainly will be thrilled to also do you the favor of placing the TB when asked, right?

 

Another idea for TOs: What do the cache logs say? You may go grab the cache log, and paste that as a note on the TB page, including any photos from that cache log. Then you have more than an empty auto-log.

Edited April 1, 2012 by kunarion

[+hstidsen]

That's for the accurate ones. If some App's "Auto-Visit" selection is accidentally switched "on", a cacher could have dropped the TB off (also not logged it correctly), and every Auto-Visit thereafter is not real.

 

But isn´t that a bug in the cacher and not a problem with the system or an app?

 

Seriously, doing something wrong or not knowing what you are doing isn´t the fault of the "all visited" link on the log page, it is the fault of the person doing it. To me it is exactly the same as if someone sat at home and logged 100 different caches found everyday without ever visiting any of them. It is possible, it is easy but it is not right to do just as it is not right to log a visit on a TB that you do not have with you.

[+kunarion]

That's for the accurate ones. If some App's "Auto-Visit" selection is accidentally switched "on", a cacher could have dropped the TB off (also not logged it correctly), and every Auto-Visit thereafter is not real.

 

But isn´t that a bug in the cacher and not a problem with the system or an app?

 

Seriously, doing something wrong or not knowing what you are doing isn´t the fault of the "all visited" link on the log page, it is the fault of the person doing it. To me it is exactly the same as if someone sat at home and logged 100 different caches found everyday without ever visiting any of them. It is possible, it is easy but it is not right to do just as it is not right to log a visit on a TB that you do not have with you.

True. That's the point of this topic. There's a mass of Auto-Visits, and although nobody knows the source*, it looks like a computer-generated error. If it is an error (regardless of how it happened), those logs are wrong and should be deleted -- but that's tons of work. And some of us are helping figure out how to prevent those mass errors in the future.

 

*Since the topic was started, numerous causes have been determined. Some are likely manually done on the drop-down menu on the site, most are from outside the website itself. It's complicated.

Edited April 3, 2012 by kunarion

[+Team Triggerfinger]

I am totally in favor of a toggle allowing the owner of a trackable to enable or disable "took it to" logs.

 

I would immediately disable every single one of mine.

[+kunarion]

I am totally in favor of a toggle allowing the owner of a trackable to enable or disable "took it to" logs.

 

I would immediately disable every single one of mine.

What if it's just a filter, turning off the view of those logs? Cachers could enjoy making the auto-visits to their heart's content, and TOs could hide the logs from their own view forevermore, with a click.

 

That prevents some annoyance and hurt feelings. But it almost makes another issue worse: The fact that the current TB holder has been holding it for far too long, carrying it around for whatever reason. If they even have it anymore, which all those logs are supposedly evidence of.

[+hstidsen]

I am totally in favor of a toggle allowing the owner of a trackable to enable or disable "took it to" logs.

 

I would immediately disable every single one of mine.

What if it's just a filter, turning off the view of those logs? Cachers could enjoy making the auto-visits to their heart's content, and TOs could hide the logs from their own view forevermore, with a click.

 

A filter like you have it on your account history page (http://www.geocaching.com/my/default.aspx) where you can filter on the type of logs (cache, tb, benchmark). On the TB page it should filter on log type so you could choose to see only pickups/drops, discoveries or visits. The TBs travel-miles should be calculated for all logtypes no matter the filter setting.

 

I would vote for that feature since it seems to satisfy both those TO's that hates the visit logs and those that loves to see where their TB has travelled.