Grey icons

[knowschad]

Use of similar shades of the same colour (grey on grey for example) is particularly difficult for people with visual impairment.

 

The cache pages have been steadily becoming more visually difficult for folks like me who are in their 50s. Even with the page increased in size I find it visually difficult to read it. I think this site needs to consider the fact that there is a wide range of ages who geocache and read the pages. Give us older folks a break please and make the pages visually friendly to us again. We need contrast and color. Not shades of grey and similar shades of bland colors that blend in together.

 

Here, you go first:

 

 

 

Edited December 13, 2012 by knowschad

[+Avernar]

Second, I have no idea what you mean above about how to enter this stuff in Chrome, or even Firefox for that matter...

 

Third, while it is great to use monkeys to suppress what the hamsters are doing, it doesn't send the right message to Groundspeak. What they need to hear is that we like the bruce-O icons better. If we just use monkeys, they won't hear from us, or understand that what we want is different from what they have launched without warning.

Which browser do you use? We can help you get it working.

 

There's no need to suffer while we complain about the icons. While this fixes it on my computer I still have to look at the bland icons on my iPad.

[+little-leggs]

I say ( please ) put it back as it was ... gray is not good ....

[+Cool Cow Cachers]

In the IT business, we call this "a solution in search of a problem"

 

Hopefully someone familiar with Greasemonkey will script an icon replacement routine.

That's exactly what I've been thinking. I only wish I was a programmer.

 

In the meantime, let's hope that we see another of these emails regarding the new icons.

 

"Occasionally, during this process, we are faced with the reality that certain ideas don't catch on as we had hoped."

[+NeverSummer]

Second, I have no idea what you mean above about how to enter this stuff in Chrome, or even Firefox for that matter...

 

Third, while it is great to use monkeys to suppress what the hamsters are doing, it doesn't send the right message to Groundspeak. What they need to hear is that we like the bruce-O icons better. If we just use monkeys, they won't hear from us, or understand that what we want is different from what they have launched without warning.

Which browser do you use? We can help you get it working.

 

There's no need to suffer while we complain about the icons. While this fixes it on my computer I still have to look at the bland icons on my iPad.

Depends on what computer I'm using. PC with Firefox and Chrome. Mac with Firefox.

 

Has anyone else contacted Groundspeak about the bruce-0 icons option? I have. We all should, if we like his better than what GS has given us.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

What a tough crowd.

 

Perhaps Groundspeak should run their future releases through Usability Analysis and Focus Groups.

 

Well that wasn't really helpful. Some people are complaining about the icons, other are complaining the release process. I'm pretty sure that those that are complaining about the process understand that the amount of usability testing for a bunch of icons is not the same as it would be for software used to manage a nuclear reactor. There is, one might say, a large gray area between no user engagement whatsoever and exhaustive user testing.

[+woodlandcreatures]

I don't usually post in the forums, but I came here to say how much I dislike most of the new icons. Some are an improvement, like the cache published and needs archived. Some are pretty neutral, and I think I only don't like them because they're unfamiliar, but I'm sure I'll get used to them, like the arrows showing which direction caches are. Most of the changes, though, are very much a change for the worse. I don't just hate them because they're new. Icons are supposed to be an easier, quicker way to get information than from reading text. This objective is much harder to achieve if the icons blend into the background, are not easily distinguishable from each other, or are unintuitive so that you need to hover over them to read what they mean anyway ("oh, it means premium member only. I never would have guessed!") I know I'm preaching to the choir for the most part, because most people in this thread don't like the new icons, either, but I just had to add in my voice, so hopefully Groundspeak will realize that it is not a small minority of cachers that want something to be done to address this. I hope Groundspeak is listening, and I hope they don't just think, "meh, just some whiners in the forums. Most people won't care about the change."

 

Hopefully they will use better icons (they don't have to be changed back to the old ones, just not horrible like they are now. It's not "new" that's bad, it's "bad" that's bad!), but until then, if someone makes a Chrome app to fix this, I'll be your best friend!

[jri]

Firefox Stylish style to switch to thebruce0's alternate icons:

 

And for those that haven't got Stylish, here's a userscript version of Avernar's style that should work in Chrome and Opera without any plug-ins, and also with Greasemonkey in Firefox:

 

// ==UserScript==
// @name    	Coloured Geocaching Icons
// @namespace   inge.org.uk/userscripts
// @description Replaces grey log icons with coloured ones
// @include 	http://www.geocaching.com/*
// @version	0.0.1
// @attribution	Icons by thebruce0
// @attribution	Style by Avernar
// @attribution	Script by jri
// ==/UserScript==
(function () {
var s = document.createElement("style");
s.type = "text/css";
s.innerHTML = '\
img[src*="/images/logtypes/3.png"] { display:inline-block; padding: 16px 0 0 0 !important; height: 0px !important; width: 16px !important; overflow: hidden !important;background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABAAAAAQCAYAAAAf8/9hAAACvklEQVQ4y52TzW9UZRhHz/sxd9oZrrYFLp2B6TfaxkLblIgkbBDjwhjYaIyu3OkOiC6MiQmJceHCuCBRFm6J+zZxoXFRQmAkLKZ2AJ1KWxhKS5GhQ4d2eu977+OiQUXCxvMHnJwneX5KRPg37509LxduRjQSjUl5JJFjm97kcI/PuQ8OKf6Deiz47qfr8vEP85jdXRQG8rS3pLBGcA4eNCOqs4vI7Tt8drybU0eH1BOCr3+uyKcTC/QeGWVwZxtZHEYccRO0ZxBjaKCorNSZm5rm8zcLfPTaoALQAKcnZul5ZZzRXAfJ0gqlqcv4rRnS1uK3pilNFYnv1djf2UbPoRG+mLzx9wn6nW/Oi+0q0Bd4tCvD9VKZ8i/TrK1tYCw8bKxTLpb4/UqZDk/oD1pQhW7e+vaiAOhL1ZDCQIGsgDYgAKJwThAVE8eCJAkJgsKSQejuz3N5ob5VsJakaGvVaCUkcUyQD8j35vH9DM4Jvp8l19dFsLsTcQ6bwPNZSwMPAKu1xaLR4oiaIcNjw7w0NowCUAYNHHv3GEoLzcihRGGUoFKprQKSJrFLEAQElNV41hDFDhfFhJHDswaNQeIEAUIHEkVbBYEnLK1usD3IoDyP6tw8peJVHtZqxC7BWovf0cbQ+Aj9e/PUZZN7yxvssvGW4PhoO2dKN3kht49fSzPcvbVE3+AAuT05Up4mCh2Li0vcmCnTqD8g2PcityvznDyQ++eR9n7yozzqHWSos5U9O7JkUobYgbgQqzUqnaYRhiyuNPhtpUF27g8qX76uACzA5IlxXv2qSLnZh854+FawsQMUGkcYJTxywrVqHXNrlomTB5/eQvV+Td4+O83MKjzX1cn2XT4taY/Ndbj/Z43V6jIj2+D7D/fTE3SopwSPmSwtyLniXSrL60RakdLCwM40779c4I2xwrPX+H/5CxoNM5mqa2nIAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC);}\
img[src*="/images/logtypes/4.png"] { display:inline-block; padding: 16px 0 0 0 !important; height: 0px !important; width: 16px !important; overflow: hidden !important;background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABAAAAAQCAYAAAAf8/9hAAAAfklEQVQ4y+2OywqAIBRE/eSiTdGuiKIPFCmxFHVbK7cTBkFPqGjZhdlcmDOHACBhEOFpkjiF75IFQCkFYwxN04JzDiEEuq6HlBJKKWitYYyZY609An6D3+ATg6ul1drZ3TPwAOfc5leV9Rbg16+yB+RZgWEY3xmsy48B+7LPBPte38JBwojCAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC);}\
img[src*="/images/logtypes/5.png"] { display:inline-block; padding: 16px 0 0 0 !important; height: 0px !important; width: 16px !important; overflow: hidden !important;background-image: url("http://www.geocaching.com/images/logtypes/7.png");}\
img[src*="/images/logtypes/7.png"] { display:inline-block; padding: 16px 0 0 0 !important; height: 0px !important; width: 16px !important; overflow: hidden !important;background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABAAAAAQCAYAAAAf8/9hAAAA7UlEQVQ4y2P4//8/AyWYaIWP+cT+wzCKAR0dHXszMzP/o2OQOLLCR7yi/2EYxQBsmmH49OnTHhQZAMKbN2/+/+jRI7jmx4KSYD5IHORKog14E58KNuBdQQncAJA8hgEwgG7A9+07wQb8ffmSPAN+HjsBNuDf5y+kGQDCKAa8/wDmw+TABpSXl/9/+vTpf3QAEgPJgTT8vnUHnAb+ffiIaQAIl5aWohgC0wxzATrGMADZEGTNJBkAMwRZM8yAL/MXgcPg86y5qAZ0dXVtJ5QWQBqeSCjAExPMAJBeojPT5+mz/j8WkAC7hKzciAsDAPGNxpDvEa5MAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC);}\
img[src*="/images/logtypes/9.png"] { display:inline-block; padding: 16px 0 0 0 !important; height: 0px !important; width: 16px !important; overflow: hidden !important;background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABAAAAAQCAYAAAAf8/9hAAABNUlEQVQ4y9WTzaqCUBSFzzNaL9GwBwh8Ap/BUTNDKn8TCyHIiSNDKhREcSRWAzUqWJd9LgnRoPszuNwDCzZ7r/15XHAYAPYbsb8HjEYjCILwI0mSBHY8HjGfz9Hr9b682O/3sVqtcDqdwAzDQBzHyPMcg8Hg7fJwOERRFEiSBKZpgmmaBtJms0FVVZBlmRtFUeQmEtXUG4/HoBv7vg9d17k6AMmyLGRZhjAM0TQNHofq7XbLZ+R5LL8ASPRvbdvier12AKqpt16vn5ZfAI8v7/d7pGnaAaimHs0OhwMotyfAYrFAWZY8Vc/zuOF+vyOKIr54u92621EG5HNd9xMQBAHquuZkVVWhKAqm0ymWyyVmsxk3OY7DezSbTCbY7Xa4XC48F0bJE5mG35Ft2zifz2D//zF9AF4TA3n5NbqoAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC);}\
img[src*="/images/logtypes/10.png"] { display:inline-block; padding: 16px 0 0 0 !important; height: 0px !important; width: 16px !important; overflow: hidden !important;background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,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);}\
img[src*="/images/logtypes/11.png"] { display:inline-block; padding: 16px 0 0 0 !important; height: 0px !important; width: 16px !important; overflow: hidden !important;background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABAAAAAQCAYAAAAf8/9hAAAAhElEQVQ4y2P4//8/w9Zkjf/kYJBeBpgB/5/HkISJN2CfwP9jRUBlh4TIMSDq/9lKhv+HChn+32phINcF/GAD/h8SINMAisOAZAPuu/z/v5UVQpNsAEjTOkaIn9cxIAzBYih2A6CaYRhsyHUDrIZiNQBZMy4MNoQSA8CG0CQWKM5MA2YAACoBwYRGVUL4AAAAAElFTkSuQmCC);}\
img[src*="/images/logtypes/46.png"] { display:inline-block; padding: 16px 0 0 0 !important; height: 0px !important; width: 16px !important; overflow: hidden !important;background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABAAAAAQCAYAAAAf8/9hAAABNElEQVQ4y2Oora1lAGHNWYw8QHwGiJ8D8WoglobJ/f//HwU//fxQLmKD5X+gmv8MMEVQQ+SA+CFIAojfArEKzIA///6wgOgXX57IhK43OwlS479G7z9IEz+aIepQA0B4NUhsz4MNAWX7YxffendFJ26zw36QnMtyxft33l/TAmm4CrIZyQB7JAM+gMT05rD/BPEtF4mAxe2Xyjy+/Oq0CchFIA2foc5WBGInqP9RDFh/a2Gc/RLppyAxh6Wyj8++OGIDCw+QAeuQNKDjY7AwWHV9doruHLafa2/OS0IOUJAB0tAAw2VIHXIYoWOYv0GGrADiJ1B8jFhDcJoM1NRIjCEM+JxHjCF4DSDGEIIGEDKEKAPwGUK0AVgM+QDEOSQZgGQIKMfyA/Ftkg2AGlIBxH+AeAIA2HukfG+LfJUAAAAASUVORK5CYII=);}\
img[src*="/images/logtypes/47.png"] { display:inline-block; padding: 16px 0 0 0 !important; height: 0px !important; width: 16px !important; overflow: hidden !important;background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABAAAAAQCAYAAAAf8/9hAAAAxUlEQVQ4y6WTIRLDIBBFOQI2x4iNzFWQyEhsZCUSi0RG5hqVXAGJ3LI7pUOGCdB2dr6B/Mf+DTAAYP/odoNrDi01AT1zCWkDDAcRBPjoSVvcaG0YIIMEnYo7TjKpVFTjgBADGW2qB4KO91oPMJnpAtDp5D3u44DVrfQBZkYzGlHYCYF6gE+UNDDMjKeiKP/dEE9/AlPsot4vrTqwT1sBME6eSfciLWapAMNXOZtnPUPuZBhQmsuZDAHkISrz169ROAG/PucX2eOXay6HXT8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=);}\
img[src*="/images/logtypes/74.png"] { display:inline-block; padding: 16px 0 0 0 !important; height: 0px !important; width: 16px !important; overflow: hidden !important;background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABAAAAAQCAYAAAAf8/9hAAABGElEQVQ4y2P4//8/A7l45ZVvgWRr7jn8rsh/7r0DJGs8+vC7me+sO4e16q79t+69dY8oTU/efJBbfulLeMjCB9tBGmHYpP36KwaQM5AFkXHptle97QfeleKSN2q5/oEBZAouBaeefDN2mnTrKi55EGbQrr/2B5fk169fOfHJE2WATsP1n3gNIOQFt6l3zuCSBxnOELTg3i5cCjLXPZ8z+fjHHLyBCIuqKSc+ZqJLIkfjovNfotAtM++8/hxuwL1XH1TQJbGliQP3f9g4T751HqTGvv/WDRRJq+6bD2EGgBTiSljfvn9nq931ugWUIlEkUlY9XQQzoGnvmzqSM9PC819iYQaATCcmmWOkeVi8gwLx1+9fzIQMAACJi7lYa9tzAQAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==);\
}';
document.documentElement.firstChild.appendChild(s);
}());

 

To install, copy and paste the script above into Notepad or another text editor and save it as a file called ColouredIcons.user.js (the ".user.js" bit is important), then -

• In Chrome, navigate to chrome://chrome/extensions then drag'n'drop the script file onto the page to install it.
• In Opera, move the file to your User Javascript folder (you can set which folder this is at Settings > Preferences > Advanced > Content > JavaScript options).
• In Firefox, with Greasemonkey installed, open the script file from the File menu to install it.

Me, I'm not much good at graphics, but there are a whole load more dull grey icons on the site. If anyone else feels like coming up with their own versions of them, you can just create them in your favourite graphics program, then use the Data URI Kitchen to convert them to the URL format used in the script above or Avernar's stylesheet. Use the "upload a file" option and tick the box for base64 encoding.

[+Viajero Perdido]

Remember the original smilie?

 

 

It was a true work of art, the work of a professional. Someone who can use color gradients to give even a teeny icon a three-dimensional look. Millions of us fell in love with it, well, maybe in large part because of what it represented, not just the bunch of pixels - which were well chosen.

 

Contrast with:

 

I've been a software developer, and on occasion I've had to create icons (gulp) - and of course the results were poor. Then I had to good fortune to land at a company which had competent graphic design professionals on staff. What a difference. Let the developer do software, and let the graphic pro do graphics. I don't think Groundspeak has access to (or wants to pay for) a graphics pro.

(We're never going to get the original smilie back, are we?)

[knowschad]

Remember the original smilie?

 

 

It was a true work of art, the work of a professional. Someone who can use color gradients to give even a teeny icon a three-dimensional look. Millions of us fell in love with it, well, maybe in large part because of what it represented, not just the bunch of pixels - which were well chosen.

 

Contrast with:

 

I've been a software developer, and on occasion I've had to create icons (gulp) - and of course the results were poor. Then I had to good fortune to land at a company which had competent graphic design professionals on staff. What a difference. Let the developer do software, and let the graphic pro do graphics. I don't think Groundspeak has access to (or wants to pay for) a graphics pro.

(We're never going to get the original smilie back, are we?)

 

Whoever does Groundspeak's avatars is certainly a graphics pro in my book. Tough to make a caricature work at that size, but they do.

 

BTW: I like your new avatar!

[AZcachemeister]

Remember the original smilie?

 

 

It was a true work of art, the work of a professional. Someone who can use color gradients to give even a teeny icon a three-dimensional look. Millions of us fell in love with it, well, maybe in large part because of what it represented, not just the bunch of pixels - which were well chosen.

 

Contrast with:

 

I've been a software developer, and on occasion I've had to create icons (gulp) - and of course the results were poor. Then I had to good fortune to land at a company which had competent graphic design professionals on staff. What a difference. Let the developer do software, and let the graphic pro do graphics. I don't think Groundspeak has access to (or wants to pay for) a graphics pro.

(We're never going to get the original smilie back, are we?)

 

I think it was already mentioned that the old icons were generic 'clipart' that nearly any site could have employed.

 

Groundspeak wanted site-specific icons that couldn't be seen on any other site.

 

Now they have them.

[+UMainah]

Contrast with:

 

I've been a software developer, and on occasion I've had to create icons (gulp) - and of course the results were poor. Then I had to good fortune to land at a company which had competent graphic design professionals on staff. What a difference. Let the developer do software, and let the graphic pro do graphics. I don't think Groundspeak has access to (or wants to pay for) a graphics pro.

(We're never going to get the original smilie back, are we?)

Groundspeak has something like 60+ employees I think. They definitely have graphic pros. In fact, here is the person most likely responsible for the new icons:

Nate Cavanaugh

Graphic Designer - Groundspeak

Specialty - Icon Design

http://www.linkedin....anaugh/4/78a/16

Edited December 14, 2012 by UMainah

[+NYPaddleCacher]

Remember the original smilie?

 

 

It was a true work of art, the work of a professional. Someone who can use color gradients to give even a teeny icon a three-dimensional look. Millions of us fell in love with it, well, maybe in large part because of what it represented, not just the bunch of pixels - which were well chosen.

 

Contrast with:

 

I've been a software developer, and on occasion I've had to create icons (gulp) - and of course the results were poor. Then I had to good fortune to land at a company which had competent graphic design professionals on staff. What a difference. Let the developer do software, and let the graphic pro do graphics. I don't think Groundspeak has access to (or wants to pay for) a graphics pro.

(We're never going to get the original smilie back, are we?)

 

Whoever does Groundspeak's avatars is certainly a graphics pro in my book. Tough to make a caricature work at that size, but they do.

 

BTW: I like your new avatar!

 

I think some of the graphical design work that was done for the full souvenir artwork was pretty nice as well.

 

I also work in a placed where we're blessed with a few good user interface and graphical designers, allowing me to focus on system architectures, and development of business and backend logic. We actually lost a real good user interface designer a year or so ago, but for a project that I'm working on now I managed to secure his services as a consultant, even though he lives in a timezone 12 hours away. Of course, that also means if it's necessary to spend some face-to-face development time that we could probably meet halfway, which, as far as I can tell would be in Hawaii.

[knowschad]

Groundspeak wanted site-specific icons that couldn't be seen on any other site.

Yeah, I think they accomplished that, at any rate.

[+Don_J]

Remember the original smilie?

 

 

It was a true work of art, the work of a professional. Someone who can use color gradients to give even a teeny icon a three-dimensional look. Millions of us fell in love with it, well, maybe in large part because of what it represented, not just the bunch of pixels - which were well chosen.

 

Contrast with:

 

I've been a software developer, and on occasion I've had to create icons (gulp) - and of course the results were poor. Then I had to good fortune to land at a company which had competent graphic design professionals on staff. What a difference. Let the developer do software, and let the graphic pro do graphics. I don't think Groundspeak has access to (or wants to pay for) a graphics pro.

(We're never going to get the original smilie back, are we?)

 

I think it was already mentioned that the old icons were generic 'clipart' that nearly any site could have employed.

 

Groundspeak wanted site-specific icons that couldn't be seen on any other site.

 

Now they have them.

 

Even better, they have icons that some of us can't even see on their site.

[+Don_J]

...and yet more inconsistencies noted:

 

There appears to be no new 'Benchmark Destroyed' icon.

 

In my bookmark lists, the caches directly west of me get a plain blue arrow, while those in any other direction get a red arrow with a circle (like a compass).

 

Are caches directly west somehow superior/inferior?

 

Your browser is probably loading a mix of cached and new images. Same thing with the stars. Every time I stumble upon a page that has a D/T combo I haven't loaded yet, I get a mix of old and new and have to do a hard refresh.

[+Roman!]

I still love them.

[+Don_J]

Firefox Stylish style to switch to thebruce0's alternate icons:

 

And for those that haven't got Stylish, here's a userscript version of Avernar's style that should work in Chrome and Opera without any plug-ins, and also with Greasemonkey in Firefox:

 

// ==UserScript==
// @name    	Coloured Geocaching Icons
// @namespace   inge.org.uk/userscripts
// @description Replaces grey log icons with coloured ones
// @include 	http://www.geocaching.com/*
// @version	0.0.1
// @attribution	Icons by thebruce0
// @attribution	Style by Avernar
// @attribution	Script by jri
// ==/UserScript==
(function () {
var s = document.createElement("style");
s.type = "text/css";
s.innerHTML = '\
img[src*="/images/logtypes/3.png"] { display:inline-block; padding: 16px 0 0 0 !important; height: 0px !important; width: 16px !important; overflow: hidden !important;background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABAAAAAQCAYAAAAf8/9hAAACvklEQVQ4y52TzW9UZRhHz/sxd9oZrrYFLp2B6TfaxkLblIgkbBDjwhjYaIyu3OkOiC6MiQmJceHCuCBRFm6J+zZxoXFRQmAkLKZ2AJ1KWxhKS5GhQ4d2eu977+OiQUXCxvMHnJwneX5KRPg37509LxduRjQSjUl5JJFjm97kcI/PuQ8OKf6Deiz47qfr8vEP85jdXRQG8rS3pLBGcA4eNCOqs4vI7Tt8drybU0eH1BOCr3+uyKcTC/QeGWVwZxtZHEYccRO0ZxBjaKCorNSZm5rm8zcLfPTaoALQAKcnZul5ZZzRXAfJ0gqlqcv4rRnS1uK3pilNFYnv1djf2UbPoRG+mLzx9wn6nW/Oi+0q0Bd4tCvD9VKZ8i/TrK1tYCw8bKxTLpb4/UqZDk/oD1pQhW7e+vaiAOhL1ZDCQIGsgDYgAKJwThAVE8eCJAkJgsKSQejuz3N5ob5VsJakaGvVaCUkcUyQD8j35vH9DM4Jvp8l19dFsLsTcQ6bwPNZSwMPAKu1xaLR4oiaIcNjw7w0NowCUAYNHHv3GEoLzcihRGGUoFKprQKSJrFLEAQElNV41hDFDhfFhJHDswaNQeIEAUIHEkVbBYEnLK1usD3IoDyP6tw8peJVHtZqxC7BWovf0cbQ+Aj9e/PUZZN7yxvssvGW4PhoO2dKN3kht49fSzPcvbVE3+AAuT05Up4mCh2Li0vcmCnTqD8g2PcityvznDyQ++eR9n7yozzqHWSos5U9O7JkUobYgbgQqzUqnaYRhiyuNPhtpUF27g8qX76uACzA5IlxXv2qSLnZh854+FawsQMUGkcYJTxywrVqHXNrlomTB5/eQvV+Td4+O83MKjzX1cn2XT4taY/Ndbj/Z43V6jIj2+D7D/fTE3SopwSPmSwtyLniXSrL60RakdLCwM40779c4I2xwrPX+H/5CxoNM5mqa2nIAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC);}\
img[src*="/images/logtypes/4.png"] { display:inline-block; padding: 16px 0 0 0 !important; height: 0px !important; width: 16px !important; overflow: hidden !important;background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABAAAAAQCAYAAAAf8/9hAAAAfklEQVQ4y+2OywqAIBRE/eSiTdGuiKIPFCmxFHVbK7cTBkFPqGjZhdlcmDOHACBhEOFpkjiF75IFQCkFYwxN04JzDiEEuq6HlBJKKWitYYyZY609An6D3+ATg6ul1drZ3TPwAOfc5leV9Rbg16+yB+RZgWEY3xmsy48B+7LPBPte38JBwojCAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC);}\
img[src*="/images/logtypes/5.png"] { display:inline-block; padding: 16px 0 0 0 !important; height: 0px !important; width: 16px !important; overflow: hidden !important;background-image: url("http://www.geocaching.com/images/logtypes/7.png");}\
img[src*="/images/logtypes/7.png"] { display:inline-block; padding: 16px 0 0 0 !important; height: 0px !important; width: 16px !important; overflow: hidden !important;background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABAAAAAQCAYAAAAf8/9hAAAA7UlEQVQ4y2P4//8/AyWYaIWP+cT+wzCKAR0dHXszMzP/o2OQOLLCR7yi/2EYxQBsmmH49OnTHhQZAMKbN2/+/+jRI7jmx4KSYD5IHORKog14E58KNuBdQQncAJA8hgEwgG7A9+07wQb8ffmSPAN+HjsBNuDf5y+kGQDCKAa8/wDmw+TABpSXl/9/+vTpf3QAEgPJgTT8vnUHnAb+ffiIaQAIl5aWohgC0wxzATrGMADZEGTNJBkAMwRZM8yAL/MXgcPg86y5qAZ0dXVtJ5QWQBqeSCjAExPMAJBeojPT5+mz/j8WkAC7hKzciAsDAPGNxpDvEa5MAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC);}\
img[src*="/images/logtypes/9.png"] { display:inline-block; padding: 16px 0 0 0 !important; height: 0px !important; width: 16px !important; overflow: hidden !important;background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABAAAAAQCAYAAAAf8/9hAAABNUlEQVQ4y9WTzaqCUBSFzzNaL9GwBwh8Ap/BUTNDKn8TCyHIiSNDKhREcSRWAzUqWJd9LgnRoPszuNwDCzZ7r/15XHAYAPYbsb8HjEYjCILwI0mSBHY8HjGfz9Hr9b682O/3sVqtcDqdwAzDQBzHyPMcg8Hg7fJwOERRFEiSBKZpgmmaBtJms0FVVZBlmRtFUeQmEtXUG4/HoBv7vg9d17k6AMmyLGRZhjAM0TQNHofq7XbLZ+R5LL8ASPRvbdvier12AKqpt16vn5ZfAI8v7/d7pGnaAaimHs0OhwMotyfAYrFAWZY8Vc/zuOF+vyOKIr54u92621EG5HNd9xMQBAHquuZkVVWhKAqm0ymWyyVmsxk3OY7DezSbTCbY7Xa4XC48F0bJE5mG35Ft2zifz2D//zF9AF4TA3n5NbqoAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC);}\
img[src*="/images/logtypes/10.png"] { display:inline-block; padding: 16px 0 0 0 !important; height: 0px !important; width: 16px !important; overflow: hidden !important;background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,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);}\
img[src*="/images/logtypes/11.png"] { display:inline-block; padding: 16px 0 0 0 !important; height: 0px !important; width: 16px !important; overflow: hidden !important;background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABAAAAAQCAYAAAAf8/9hAAAAhElEQVQ4y2P4//8/w9Zkjf/kYJBeBpgB/5/HkISJN2CfwP9jRUBlh4TIMSDq/9lKhv+HChn+32phINcF/GAD/h8SINMAisOAZAPuu/z/v5UVQpNsAEjTOkaIn9cxIAzBYih2A6CaYRhsyHUDrIZiNQBZMy4MNoQSA8CG0CQWKM5MA2YAACoBwYRGVUL4AAAAAElFTkSuQmCC);}\
img[src*="/images/logtypes/46.png"] { display:inline-block; padding: 16px 0 0 0 !important; height: 0px !important; width: 16px !important; overflow: hidden !important;background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABAAAAAQCAYAAAAf8/9hAAABNElEQVQ4y2Oora1lAGHNWYw8QHwGiJ8D8WoglobJ/f//HwU//fxQLmKD5X+gmv8MMEVQQ+SA+CFIAojfArEKzIA///6wgOgXX57IhK43OwlS479G7z9IEz+aIepQA0B4NUhsz4MNAWX7YxffendFJ26zw36QnMtyxft33l/TAmm4CrIZyQB7JAM+gMT05rD/BPEtF4mAxe2Xyjy+/Oq0CchFIA2foc5WBGInqP9RDFh/a2Gc/RLppyAxh6Wyj8++OGIDCw+QAeuQNKDjY7AwWHV9doruHLafa2/OS0IOUJAB0tAAw2VIHXIYoWOYv0GGrADiJ1B8jFhDcJoM1NRIjCEM+JxHjCF4DSDGEIIGEDKEKAPwGUK0AVgM+QDEOSQZgGQIKMfyA/Ftkg2AGlIBxH+AeAIA2HukfG+LfJUAAAAASUVORK5CYII=);}\
img[src*="/images/logtypes/47.png"] { display:inline-block; padding: 16px 0 0 0 !important; height: 0px !important; width: 16px !important; overflow: hidden !important;background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABAAAAAQCAYAAAAf8/9hAAAAxUlEQVQ4y6WTIRLDIBBFOQI2x4iNzFWQyEhsZCUSi0RG5hqVXAGJ3LI7pUOGCdB2dr6B/Mf+DTAAYP/odoNrDi01AT1zCWkDDAcRBPjoSVvcaG0YIIMEnYo7TjKpVFTjgBADGW2qB4KO91oPMJnpAtDp5D3u44DVrfQBZkYzGlHYCYF6gE+UNDDMjKeiKP/dEE9/AlPsot4vrTqwT1sBME6eSfciLWapAMNXOZtnPUPuZBhQmsuZDAHkISrz169ROAG/PucX2eOXay6HXT8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=);}\
img[src*="/images/logtypes/74.png"] { display:inline-block; padding: 16px 0 0 0 !important; height: 0px !important; width: 16px !important; overflow: hidden !important;background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABAAAAAQCAYAAAAf8/9hAAABGElEQVQ4y2P4//8/A7l45ZVvgWRr7jn8rsh/7r0DJGs8+vC7me+sO4e16q79t+69dY8oTU/efJBbfulLeMjCB9tBGmHYpP36KwaQM5AFkXHptle97QfeleKSN2q5/oEBZAouBaeefDN2mnTrKi55EGbQrr/2B5fk169fOfHJE2WATsP1n3gNIOQFt6l3zuCSBxnOELTg3i5cCjLXPZ8z+fjHHLyBCIuqKSc+ZqJLIkfjovNfotAtM++8/hxuwL1XH1TQJbGliQP3f9g4T751HqTGvv/WDRRJq+6bD2EGgBTiSljfvn9nq931ugWUIlEkUlY9XQQzoGnvmzqSM9PC819iYQaATCcmmWOkeVi8gwLx1+9fzIQMAACJi7lYa9tzAQAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==);\
}';
document.documentElement.firstChild.appendChild(s);
}());

 

To install, copy and paste the script above into Notepad or another text editor and save it as a file called ColouredIcons.user.js (the ".user.js" bit is important), then -

• In Chrome, navigate to chrome://chrome/extensions then drag'n'drop the script file onto the page to install it.
• In Opera, move the file to your User Javascript folder (you can set which folder this is at Settings > Preferences > Advanced > Content > JavaScript options).
• In Firefox, with Greasemonkey installed, open the script file from the File menu to install it.

Me, I'm not much good at graphics, but there are a whole load more dull grey icons on the site. If anyone else feels like coming up with their own versions of them, you can just create them in your favourite graphics program, then use the Data URI Kitchen to convert them to the URL format used in the script above or Avernar's stylesheet. Use the "upload a file" option and tick the box for base64 encoding.

 

/images/logtypes/3.png

 

Has anyone put together a list of which image name represents which icon? I have no idea what any of that script means, but it is good enough of an example that I can modify it to replace the grey icons. Like I said earlier, I can learn what the other new icons mean, (had to learn what the original one meant when I first joined), but all of the grey ones look the same to me, (and I guess many others). I can't learn what I can't see.

 

I really appreciate everyone's help as Groundspeak seems to be rather mute on the subject. I keep coming home from work and hoping to see that at least the grey ones have been reworked to give them some contrast, and I keep getting disappointed. The fact that non forum members are coming here for the very first time to complain should be a giant red flag and I think it would get someone's attention. I'm beginning to wonder if it's hamsters running the place, or ostriches.

[+The_Incredibles_]

Sigh. My guess is nobody is listening. It kind of makes you wonder if there's any point at all spending time on the Features forum.

 

The grey is difficult for many people to see, as has been mentioned.

 

I also dislike the wrenches. The maintenance crosses were so clear and easy to identify. I wish they would have just left things the way they were.

 

[+Roman!]

Sigh. My guess is nobody is listening. It kind of makes you wonder if there's any point at all spending time on the Features forum.

 

The grey is difficult for many people to see, as has been mentioned.

 

I also dislike the wrenches. The maintenance crosses were so clear and easy to identify. I wish they would have just left things the way they were.

 

 

I learnt something long ago from the company I work at, the people that work at HQ (any HQ) are infinitesimally smarter than us average people and although our meek minds many see the decisions they make as uneducated, uncaring and many other bad things in reality we just can not and never will comprehend the sheer brilliance of these people.

[+K13]

Sigh. My guess is nobody is listening. It kind of makes you wonder if there's any point at all spending time on the Features forum.

 

The grey is difficult for many people to see, as has been mentioned.

 

I also dislike the wrenches. The maintenance crosses were so clear and easy to identify. I wish they would have just left things the way they were.

 

 

ME TOO!!

[+The Jester]

Sigh. My guess is nobody is listening. It kind of makes you wonder if there's any point at all spending time on the Features forum.

 

The grey is difficult for many people to see, as has been mentioned.

 

I also dislike the wrenches. The maintenance crosses were so clear and easy to identify. I wish they would have just left things the way they were.

 

 

I learnt something long ago from the company I work at, the people that work at HQ (any HQ) are infinitesimally smarter than us average people and although our meek minds many see the decisions they make as uneducated, uncaring and many other bad things in reality we just can not and never will comprehend the sheer brilliance of these people.

You are sucking up for the Moun10Bike coin, aren't you...

 

You need to consider the Peter Principle - people raise to the level of their incompetence.

[+Roman!]

Sigh. My guess is nobody is listening. It kind of makes you wonder if there's any point at all spending time on the Features forum.

 

The grey is difficult for many people to see, as has been mentioned.

 

I also dislike the wrenches. The maintenance crosses were so clear and easy to identify. I wish they would have just left things the way they were.

 

 

I learnt something long ago from the company I work at, the people that work at HQ (any HQ) are infinitesimally smarter than us average people and although our meek minds many see the decisions they make as uneducated, uncaring and many other bad things in reality we just can not and never will comprehend the sheer brilliance of these people.

You are sucking up for the Moun10Bike coin, aren't you...

 

You need to consider the Peter Principle - people raise to the level of their incompetence.

 

Actually I gave up on that, I've resorted to sarcasm. As a manager I always get asked questions about decisions coming out of HQ and after years of trying to make sense of things this is my standard response. Peter Principle accounted for.

Edited December 14, 2012 by Roman!

[jholly]

Remember the original smilie?

 

 

It was a true work of art, the work of a professional. Someone who can use color gradients to give even a teeny icon a three-dimensional look. Millions of us fell in love with it, well, maybe in large part because of what it represented, not just the bunch of pixels - which were well chosen.

 

Contrast with:

 

I've been a software developer, and on occasion I've had to create icons (gulp) - and of course the results were poor. Then I had to good fortune to land at a company which had competent graphic design professionals on staff. What a difference. Let the developer do software, and let the graphic pro do graphics. I don't think Groundspeak has access to (or wants to pay for) a graphics pro.

(We're never going to get the original smilie back, are we?)

What is sad is that GS does have graphic folks on staff.

[+NeverSummer]

Remember the original smilie?

 

 

It was a true work of art, the work of a professional. Someone who can use color gradients to give even a teeny icon a three-dimensional look. Millions of us fell in love with it, well, maybe in large part because of what it represented, not just the bunch of pixels - which were well chosen.

 

Contrast with:

 

I've been a software developer, and on occasion I've had to create icons (gulp) - and of course the results were poor. Then I had to good fortune to land at a company which had competent graphic design professionals on staff. What a difference. Let the developer do software, and let the graphic pro do graphics. I don't think Groundspeak has access to (or wants to pay for) a graphics pro.

(We're never going to get the original smilie back, are we?)

What is sad is that GS does have graphic folks on staff.

To their credit, judging by their linkedin profile, and knowing that Groundspeak hired them in the first place, I'd say they have talent. The question is if that talent is lost when applied to this game in a way like this. Their icons are flashy, hip, and new...and owned by Groundspeak. (Does this person geocache? Regularly? Do they have context of the game and how each icon is used and seen throughout the process of hiding, logging, PQs, etc etc, day after day after year after year?...)

 

However, all it took was some chatter in this forum and thebruce-0's edits, and we have a vast, cohesive, clearer set of icons. Colors can be worked on from there to clear up colorblindness issues. (Wrench 1, red, NM. Wrench 2 with checkmark, green, OM, etc) Who wouldda thunk that taking some feedback from the community would help perfect something somebody with some skills spent their time on? I hope the guy has been alerted of this thread, takes some props for some good work, and then takes the edits to heart.

 

(and then announces that a change to site appearance is going to happen)

Edited December 14, 2012 by NeverSummer

[+Sol seaker]

A few suggestions I whipped up, thanks to The A-Team's convenient list...

 

Themes:

RED - problems with a cache/negative cache availability

GREEN - related to cache availability/location

BLUE - Attention grabbing (DNF will of course be the most common, and won't appear alongside event announcements)

YELLOW - FIND COUNT INCREASERS (Finds, Attends, Webcams)

GREY - Informational

 

Other notes:

Will attend: used a 2nd shade to visually make it pop away from notes. Note & Will attend shapes are sufficiently different, imo. And will attend really is just a form of note as it serves no other purpose.

Maintenance done: Added a checkmark to separate the shape from the NM icon

Needs archival: It's really an informational note, but provides a potential alert to finders, so added the RED exclamation over a grey Archival icon. It's not yet archived, but it should be (or needs reviewer attention)

Coordinates altered: changed the shape to better imply motion, no need for a large grey block

Note posted: shrunk the width a bit to feel more like a sheet of paper than .. a square?

Reviewer note: adjusted size to match the grey note (dog ear is already a good 'note' theme)

 

Those seem, to me, to be a little more intuitive, by shape and by colour. For the most part, the new log icons seem fine, there were just a few things that just didn't feel right.

 

And that DNF should not be grey.

 

These are good!!

 

Frankly, I'm pretty tired of everyone being up in arms every time Groundspeak changes a toilet paper roll in the bathroom, but this is someone who's actually making a suggestion rather than a complaint!!

 

And a good suggestion at that! These are really good. Clear and intuitive.

 

I hope GS sees these and takes them to heart.

It's not a bad thing to tweak what you've got a bit.

You're close. Just a little tweaking and it will be better.

[+6NoisyHikers]

 

To their credit, judging by their linkedin profile, and knowing that Groundspeak hired them in the first place, I'd say they have talent. The question is if that talent is lost when applied to this game in a way like this. Their icons are flashy, hip, and new...and owned by Groundspeak. (Does this person geocache? Regularly? Do they have context of the game and how each icon is used and seen throughout the process of hiding, logging, PQs, etc etc, day after day after year after year?...)

 

 

This is a very good point. It often happens in business that people are brought in for their skill but they have little working knowledge of how the business operates. If they had to use these icons themselves, would they find them effective?

[Alan White]

Firefox Stylish style to switch to thebruce0's alternate icons:

That's wonderful. Many thanks for posting.

 

Is it possible to adapt it so that it references a local file rather than an embedded image? In other words, e.g. replace references to "/images/logtypes/3.png" with "file://mycomputer/somefile.gif". I tried but my limited HTML isn't up to it.

[+Edisto Patto]

Firefox Stylish style to switch to thebruce0's alternate icons:

 

And for those that haven't got Stylish, here's a userscript version of Avernar's style that should work in Chrome and Opera without any plug-ins, and also with Greasemonkey in Firefox:

 

// ==UserScript==
// @name    	Coloured Geocaching Icons
// @namespace   inge.org.uk/userscripts
// @description Replaces grey log icons with coloured ones
// @include 	http://www.geocaching.com/*
// @version	0.0.1
// @attribution	Icons by thebruce0
// @attribution	Style by Avernar
// @attribution	Script by jri
// ==/UserScript==
(function () {
var s = document.createElement("style");
s.type = "text/css";
s.innerHTML = '\
img[src*="/images/logtypes/3.png"] { display:inline-block; padding: 16px 0 0 0 !important; height: 0px !important; width: 16px !important; overflow: hidden !important;background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,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);}\
img[src*="/images/logtypes/4.png"] { display:inline-block; padding: 16px 0 0 0 !important; height: 0px !important; width: 16px !important; overflow: hidden !important;background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABAAAAAQCAYAAAAf8/9hAAAAfklEQVQ4y+2OywqAIBRE/eSiTdGuiKIPFCmxFHVbK7cTBkFPqGjZhdlcmDOHACBhEOFpkjiF75IFQCkFYwxN04JzDiEEuq6HlBJKKWitYYyZY609An6D3+ATg6ul1drZ3TPwAOfc5leV9Rbg16+yB+RZgWEY3xmsy48B+7LPBPte38JBwojCAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC);}\
img[src*="/images/logtypes/5.png"] { display:inline-block; padding: 16px 0 0 0 !important; height: 0px !important; width: 16px !important; overflow: hidden !important;background-image: url("http://www.geocaching.com/images/logtypes/7.png");}\
img[src*="/images/logtypes/7.png"] { display:inline-block; padding: 16px 0 0 0 !important; height: 0px !important; width: 16px !important; overflow: hidden !important;background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABAAAAAQCAYAAAAf8/9hAAAA7UlEQVQ4y2P4//8/AyWYaIWP+cT+wzCKAR0dHXszMzP/o2OQOLLCR7yi/2EYxQBsmmH49OnTHhQZAMKbN2/+/+jRI7jmx4KSYD5IHORKog14E58KNuBdQQncAJA8hgEwgG7A9+07wQb8ffmSPAN+HjsBNuDf5y+kGQDCKAa8/wDmw+TABpSXl/9/+vTpf3QAEgPJgTT8vnUHnAb+ffiIaQAIl5aWohgC0wxzATrGMADZEGTNJBkAMwRZM8yAL/MXgcPg86y5qAZ0dXVtJ5QWQBqeSCjAExPMAJBeojPT5+mz/j8WkAC7hKzciAsDAPGNxpDvEa5MAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC);}\
img[src*="/images/logtypes/9.png"] { display:inline-block; padding: 16px 0 0 0 !important; height: 0px !important; width: 16px !important; overflow: hidden !important;background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABAAAAAQCAYAAAAf8/9hAAABNUlEQVQ4y9WTzaqCUBSFzzNaL9GwBwh8Ap/BUTNDKn8TCyHIiSNDKhREcSRWAzUqWJd9LgnRoPszuNwDCzZ7r/15XHAYAPYbsb8HjEYjCILwI0mSBHY8HjGfz9Hr9b682O/3sVqtcDqdwAzDQBzHyPMcg8Hg7fJwOERRFEiSBKZpgmmaBtJms0FVVZBlmRtFUeQmEtXUG4/HoBv7vg9d17k6AMmyLGRZhjAM0TQNHofq7XbLZ+R5LL8ASPRvbdvier12AKqpt16vn5ZfAI8v7/d7pGnaAaimHs0OhwMotyfAYrFAWZY8Vc/zuOF+vyOKIr54u92621EG5HNd9xMQBAHquuZkVVWhKAqm0ymWyyVmsxk3OY7DezSbTCbY7Xa4XC48F0bJE5mG35Ft2zifz2D//zF9AF4TA3n5NbqoAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC);}\
img[src*="/images/logtypes/10.png"] { display:inline-block; padding: 16px 0 0 0 !important; height: 0px !important; width: 16px !important; overflow: hidden !important;background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,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);}\
img[src*="/images/logtypes/11.png"] { display:inline-block; padding: 16px 0 0 0 !important; height: 0px !important; width: 16px !important; overflow: hidden !important;background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABAAAAAQCAYAAAAf8/9hAAAAhElEQVQ4y2P4//8/w9Zkjf/kYJBeBpgB/5/HkISJN2CfwP9jRUBlh4TIMSDq/9lKhv+HChn+32phINcF/GAD/h8SINMAisOAZAPuu/z/v5UVQpNsAEjTOkaIn9cxIAzBYih2A6CaYRhsyHUDrIZiNQBZMy4MNoQSA8CG0CQWKM5MA2YAACoBwYRGVUL4AAAAAElFTkSuQmCC);}\
img[src*="/images/logtypes/46.png"] { display:inline-block; padding: 16px 0 0 0 !important; height: 0px !important; width: 16px !important; overflow: hidden !important;background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABAAAAAQCAYAAAAf8/9hAAABNElEQVQ4y2Oora1lAGHNWYw8QHwGiJ8D8WoglobJ/f//HwU//fxQLmKD5X+gmv8MMEVQQ+SA+CFIAojfArEKzIA///6wgOgXX57IhK43OwlS479G7z9IEz+aIepQA0B4NUhsz4MNAWX7YxffendFJ26zw36QnMtyxft33l/TAmm4CrIZyQB7JAM+gMT05rD/BPEtF4mAxe2Xyjy+/Oq0CchFIA2foc5WBGInqP9RDFh/a2Gc/RLppyAxh6Wyj8++OGIDCw+QAeuQNKDjY7AwWHV9doruHLafa2/OS0IOUJAB0tAAw2VIHXIYoWOYv0GGrADiJ1B8jFhDcJoM1NRIjCEM+JxHjCF4DSDGEIIGEDKEKAPwGUK0AVgM+QDEOSQZgGQIKMfyA/Ftkg2AGlIBxH+AeAIA2HukfG+LfJUAAAAASUVORK5CYII=);}\
img[src*="/images/logtypes/47.png"] { display:inline-block; padding: 16px 0 0 0 !important; height: 0px !important; width: 16px !important; overflow: hidden !important;background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABAAAAAQCAYAAAAf8/9hAAAAxUlEQVQ4y6WTIRLDIBBFOQI2x4iNzFWQyEhsZCUSi0RG5hqVXAGJ3LI7pUOGCdB2dr6B/Mf+DTAAYP/odoNrDi01AT1zCWkDDAcRBPjoSVvcaG0YIIMEnYo7TjKpVFTjgBADGW2qB4KO91oPMJnpAtDp5D3u44DVrfQBZkYzGlHYCYF6gE+UNDDMjKeiKP/dEE9/AlPsot4vrTqwT1sBME6eSfciLWapAMNXOZtnPUPuZBhQmsuZDAHkISrz169ROAG/PucX2eOXay6HXT8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=);}\
img[src*="/images/logtypes/74.png"] { display:inline-block; padding: 16px 0 0 0 !important; height: 0px !important; width: 16px !important; overflow: hidden !important;background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABAAAAAQCAYAAAAf8/9hAAABGElEQVQ4y2P4//8/A7l45ZVvgWRr7jn8rsh/7r0DJGs8+vC7me+sO4e16q79t+69dY8oTU/efJBbfulLeMjCB9tBGmHYpP36KwaQM5AFkXHptle97QfeleKSN2q5/oEBZAouBaeefDN2mnTrKi55EGbQrr/2B5fk169fOfHJE2WATsP1n3gNIOQFt6l3zuCSBxnOELTg3i5cCjLXPZ8z+fjHHLyBCIuqKSc+ZqJLIkfjovNfotAtM++8/hxuwL1XH1TQJbGliQP3f9g4T751HqTGvv/WDRRJq+6bD2EGgBTiSljfvn9nq931ugWUIlEkUlY9XQQzoGnvmzqSM9PC819iYQaATCcmmWOkeVi8gwLx1+9fzIQMAACJi7lYa9tzAQAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==);\
}';
document.documentElement.firstChild.appendChild(s);
}());

 

To install, copy and paste the script above into Notepad or another text editor and save it as a file called ColouredIcons.user.js (the ".user.js" bit is important), then -

• In Chrome, navigate to chrome://chrome/extensions then drag'n'drop the script file onto the page to install it.
• In Opera, move the file to your User Javascript folder (you can set which folder this is at Settings > Preferences > Advanced > Content > JavaScript options).
• In Firefox, with Greasemonkey installed, open the script file from the File menu to install it.

Me, I'm not much good at graphics, but there are a whole load more dull grey icons on the site. If anyone else feels like coming up with their own versions of them, you can just create them in your favourite graphics program, then use the Data URI Kitchen to convert them to the URL format used in the script above or Avernar's stylesheet. Use the "upload a file" option and tick the box for base64 encoding.

 

/images/logtypes/3.png

 

Has anyone put together a list of which image name represents which icon? I have no idea what any of that script means, but it is good enough of an example that I can modify it to replace the grey icons. Like I said earlier, I can learn what the other new icons mean, (had to learn what the original one meant when I first joined), but all of the grey ones look the same to me, (and I guess many others). I can't learn what I can't see.

 

I really appreciate everyone's help as Groundspeak seems to be rather mute on the subject. I keep coming home from work and hoping to see that at least the grey ones have been reworked to give them some contrast, and I keep getting disappointed. The fact that non forum members are coming here for the very first time to complain should be a giant red flag and I think it would get someone's attention. I'm beginning to wonder if it's hamsters running the place, or ostriches.

[+Edisto Patto]

Thanks...added to Chrome and now have the blue DNF's back!!!

[knowschad]

Frankly, I'm pretty tired of everyone being up in arms every time Groundspeak changes a toilet paper roll in the bathroom

Nothing wrong with changing the toilet paper, but when you do that when you should be using the plunger... there's the problem.

[+K13]

Frankly, I'm pretty tired of everyone being up in arms every time Groundspeak changes a toilet paper roll in the bathroom

Nothing wrong with changing the toilet paper, but when you do that when you should be using the plunger... there's the problem.

 

:laughing: coming from someone who just finished a BATHROOM upgrade. :laughing:

[+fbingha]

http://blogs.kqed.org/newsfix/2012/12/14/uc-suspends-use-of-new-logo

Groundspeak, Ahem, follow their lead.

[+steben6]

http://blogs.kqed.org/newsfix/2012/12/14/uc-suspends-use-of-new-logo

Groundspeak, Ahem, follow their lead.

+1

[+thebruce0]

http://blogs.kqed.or...use-of-new-logo

Groundspeak, Ahem, follow their lead.

Nice find, fbingha...

 

And a, ahem, quote of importance:

"While I believe the design element in question would win wide acceptance over time, it also is important that we listen to and respect what has been a significant negative response by...members of our community. Therefore, I have instructed the communications team to suspend further use of the monogram. For certain applications, this process could require a measure of time to complete. In due course, we will re-evaluate this element of the visual identity system. "

Edited December 14, 2012 by thebruce0

[+NeverSummer]

http://blogs.kqed.or...use-of-new-logo

Groundspeak, Ahem, follow their lead.

Nice find, fbingha...

 

And a, ahem, quote of importance:

"While I believe the design element in question would win wide acceptance over time, it also is important that we listen to and respect what has been a significant negative response by...members of our community. Therefore, I have instructed the communications team to suspend further use of the monogram. For certain applications, this process could require a measure of time to complete. In due course, we will re-evaluate this element of the visual identity system. "

Do TPTB know yet? Have they seen thebruce0's updated, feedback-driven icon versions? It would be nice if they could even acknowledge that they are aware of the fact that the icons changed. Announcement? Announcement forum? Weekly email? Anything?

 

It would be nice to know if they are listening. Groundspeak is the new FSM. We all gotta believe in some random possibilities that someone out there is listening, right?

 

phew! edit to add a lighthearted laugh. I'm not really on that serious a tirade here!

Edited December 14, 2012 by NeverSummer

[+Don_J]

http://blogs.kqed.or...use-of-new-logo

Groundspeak, Ahem, follow their lead.

Nice find, fbingha...

 

And a, ahem, quote of importance:

"While I believe the design element in question would win wide acceptance over time, it also is important that we listen to and respect what has been a significant negative response by...members of our community. Therefore, I have instructed the communications team to suspend further use of the monogram. For certain applications, this process could require a measure of time to complete. In due course, we will re-evaluate this element of the visual identity system. "

Do TPTB know yet? Have they seen thebruce0's updated, feedback-driven icon versions? It would be nice if they could even acknowledge that they are aware of the fact that the icons changed. Announcement? Announcement forum? Weekly email? Anything?

 

It would be nice to know if they are listening. Groundspeak is the new FSM. We all gotta believe in some random possibilities that someone out there is listening, right?

 

phew! edit to add a lighthearted laugh. I'm not really on that serious a tirade here!

 

Nope. Three days and they are completely mute. Intentionally or not, they are basically continuing to discriminate against certain people that have visual handicaps, when there is a perfectly viable solution available to them. Get rid of the grey and add some contrast. Some of you are debating the images themselves, but the fact is, a good segment of us haven't even seen all of the images because it is impossible for us to do so without putting them into a image editing program. It's like looking at bunch of little dust bunnies, and it doesn't have to be that way.

Edited December 14, 2012 by Don_J

[+Atti]

In German I would say: ich finde die neuen Icons echt gräulich. (meaning: I really think these new icons are "gräulich").

And "gräulich" you know has a double meaning: it means grayisch and horrible. And I think these icons fit both translations.

Sorry if that was rude but that's what we Germans are (in)famous for - we prefer to call it honest and direct.

 

These icons make it definitely harder to navigate the site. More distinguishable icons would be better. You might wanna add some color.

 

Regards

Atti

[+Viajero Perdido]

...a good segment of us haven't even seen all of the images because it is impossible for us to do so with putting them into a image editing program.

In Firefox, you can right-click the image, View Image. Then hit Ctrl-plus (or roll the mouse wheel while holding Ctrl) until the image is big enough to decipher.

 

Hmm, I have an idea for a puzzle...

[jholly]

http://blogs.kqed.or...use-of-new-logo

Groundspeak, Ahem, follow their lead.

Nice find, fbingha...

 

And a, ahem, quote of importance:

"While I believe the design element in question would win wide acceptance over time, it also is important that we listen to and respect what has been a significant negative response by...members of our community. Therefore, I have instructed the communications team to suspend further use of the monogram. For certain applications, this process could require a measure of time to complete. In due course, we will re-evaluate this element of the visual identity system. "

Do TPTB know yet? Have they seen thebruce0's updated, feedback-driven icon versions? It would be nice if they could even acknowledge that they are aware of the fact that the icons changed. Announcement? Announcement forum? Weekly email? Anything?

 

It would be nice to know if they are listening. Groundspeak is the new FSM. We all gotta believe in some random possibilities that someone out there is listening, right?

 

phew! edit to add a lighthearted laugh. I'm not really on that serious a tirade here!

 

Nope. Three days and they are completely mute. Intentionally or not, they are basically continuing to discriminate against certain people that have visual handicaps, when there is a perfectly viable solution available to them. Get rid of the grey and add some contrast. Some of you are debating the images themselves, but the fact is, a good segment of us haven't even seen all of the images because it is impossible for us to do so with putting them into a image editing program. It's like looking at bunch of little dust bunnies, and it doesn't have to be that way.

They are ignoring us on purpose. The grey bug splats is a thing of beauty to them and the fact you or any of us visually challenged have a hard time discerning the bug splats is completely and fully our problem. Fortunately most of them have tool tips. You have to understand that they have high priced graphic art talent on the team that basically had nothing to do so they put them to work redesigning the icons. Surely you would not want that time and effort to go down the tube, would you? There is a whole boat load of good ideas to work on in the Features forum, but that is not nearly as much fun as admiring the wonderful bug splats on the windshield. You would think that a simple and useful request like putting a link to my public profile on the My Profile pulldown would be quick and easy to implement, but apparently I do not understand the difficulty and the man-months of engineering required to implement the suggestion. It seemed pretty simple in greasemonkey. Only a few times have TPTB recalled their mistakes, I fear that this not destined to be one of those cases.

[+thebruce0]

OTOH, they may be staying silent to avoid rustling the hornets' nest while they recreate the icons to be implemented shortly...

[+Harry Dolphin]

That Blackface icon is racist

Really? Are the yellow face icons racist too? How about the red face icon? And are the green face icons somehow offensive to anyone? And isn't the violin associated with the music of the Imperialist West?

 

Well, I'm surprised that you jumped in with such bizarre statements without reseraching what I was discussion. I know of no racial epithet concerning Blue Faces or Red faces.

Black-face, however, was a very racist part of our culture. Dress white people up to like like black people, and exaggerate the features. (Or paint the faces of black people black, with exaggerated features. Wouldn't want black people to appear on stage.)

While it is sad of your education that you never heard of this, what is sadder is that you chose to jump in without investigating what I was talking about.

Al Jolson, The Jazz Singer

Billy VanWare, about 1900.

 

Try researching next time before you jump in like that. I think it is the exaggerated mouth in the icon that make it so racist. And it would have been nice of the icon developer to think of such things.

The last time I ran into a situation like this, it was a discussion of tattooing TB numbers on your arm. "Yes. I've known a few people with numbers tattooed on their arms. They got them before escaping from NAZI Concentration Camps."

Probably dead by now, but they are a part of our history to be considered.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

...a good segment of us haven't even seen all of the images because it is impossible for us to do so with putting them into a image editing program.

In Firefox, you can right-click the image, View Image. Then hit Ctrl-plus (or roll the mouse wheel while holding Ctrl) until the image is big enough to decipher.

 

Hmm, I have an idea for a puzzle...

 

I've thought of doing something similar but with a gigapan image. To get an idea of what one could take a look at the gigapan.com site and look at some of the most popular photos.

For example, take a look at the picture taken in Barcelona

 

 

With the Gigapan viewer, reading the name on the bow of container ships in the harbor can easily be done. In another cityscape photo where, at full scale, it's difficult to even tell that there are vehicles in the photo but zoomed in, one can read license plates.

[+Don_J]

...a good segment of us haven't even seen all of the images because it is impossible for us to do so with putting them into a image editing program.

In Firefox, you can right-click the image, View Image. Then hit Ctrl-plus (or roll the mouse wheel while holding Ctrl) until the image is big enough to decipher.

 

Hmm, I have an idea for a puzzle...

 

General question about Firefox. If I were to do exactly what you say, will it mess up my zoom settings in other open tabs, and will change my zoom settings in all Geocaching.com pages that I open afterwards? I have things just how I like them and I'm not sure that I want to mess with it.

Edited December 15, 2012 by Don_J

[AZcachemeister]

Let's recap:

 

Challenges were decided to be a complete failure.

 

TPTB decided it was best to bury this failure, and remove all traces thereof.

 

While redesigning the site to remove the traces, TPTB decided to 'spring a surprise on us', and implement these new icons that have apparently been developed in complete secrecy in a bunker somewhere under the Olympic Mountains.

 

Site update completed, all traces of Challenges removed, and new icons (mostly) deployed.

 

New Icons not well received.

 

Complete removal of Challenges not well received.

 

I would like to think there is a mad scramble occurring at the lilypad to decide what to do to reverse all the negativity.

 

Possibly someone is being fitted for a Marie Antoinette costume.

[+niraD]

Well, I'm surprised that you jumped in with such bizarre statements without reseraching what I was discussion.

For the record, I understand the connection between blackface and racism. It's the connection between the grey DNF icon and blackface that I find unconvincing. If you're trying that hard to find something to be offended by, then surely you'll find it.

[AZcachemeister]

...a good segment of us haven't even seen all of the images because it is impossible for us to do so with putting them into a image editing program.

In Firefox, you can right-click the image, View Image. Then hit Ctrl-plus (or roll the mouse wheel while holding Ctrl) until the image is big enough to decipher.

 

Hmm, I have an idea for a puzzle...

 

I've thought of doing something similar but with a gigapan image. To get an idea of what one could take a look at the gigapan.com site and look at some of the most popular photos.

For example, take a look at the picture taken in Barcelona

 

 

With the Gigapan viewer, reading the name on the bow of container ships in the harbor can easily be done. In another cityscape photo where, at full scale, it's difficult to even tell that there are vehicles in the photo but zoomed in, one can read license plates.

 

Yeah, 'take the third digit of the license plate of the black Volvo...'

[+Don_J]

http://blogs.kqed.or...use-of-new-logo

Groundspeak, Ahem, follow their lead.

Nice find, fbingha...

 

And a, ahem, quote of importance:

"While I believe the design element in question would win wide acceptance over time, it also is important that we listen to and respect what has been a significant negative response by...members of our community. Therefore, I have instructed the communications team to suspend further use of the monogram. For certain applications, this process could require a measure of time to complete. In due course, we will re-evaluate this element of the visual identity system. "

Do TPTB know yet? Have they seen thebruce0's updated, feedback-driven icon versions? It would be nice if they could even acknowledge that they are aware of the fact that the icons changed. Announcement? Announcement forum? Weekly email? Anything?

 

It would be nice to know if they are listening. Groundspeak is the new FSM. We all gotta believe in some random possibilities that someone out there is listening, right?

 

phew! edit to add a lighthearted laugh. I'm not really on that serious a tirade here!

 

Nope. Three days and they are completely mute. Intentionally or not, they are basically continuing to discriminate against certain people that have visual handicaps, when there is a perfectly viable solution available to them. Get rid of the grey and add some contrast. Some of you are debating the images themselves, but the fact is, a good segment of us haven't even seen all of the images because it is impossible for us to do so with putting them into a image editing program. It's like looking at bunch of little dust bunnies, and it doesn't have to be that way.

They are ignoring us on purpose. The grey bug splats is a thing of beauty to them and the fact you or any of us visually challenged have a hard time discerning the bug splats is completely and fully our problem. Fortunately most of them have tool tips. You have to understand that they have high priced graphic art talent on the team that basically had nothing to do so they put them to work redesigning the icons. Surely you would not want that time and effort to go down the tube, would you? There is a whole boat load of good ideas to work on in the Features forum, but that is not nearly as much fun as admiring the wonderful bug splats on the windshield. You would think that a simple and useful request like putting a link to my public profile on the My Profile pulldown would be quick and easy to implement, but apparently I do not understand the difficulty and the man-months of engineering required to implement the suggestion. It seemed pretty simple in greasemonkey. Only a few times have TPTB recalled their mistakes, I fear that this not destined to be one of those cases.

 

Yeah, we are past the three day cutoff for a rollback. That was not what I was looking for anyway. Just an adjustment to the grey ones. I fully understand that if time and money was put into it, it's not going to change back as that would indicate a complete failure. Even if a TV network rolls out a complete flop, they are still going to air the episodes that are already in the can because they are paid for. I remember when NASCAR.com used to roll out a completely new web site, each year, one week before the season started. Each was more hideous than the last, but we were stuck with it for the next year because it was paid for and rolling it back would be a giant admission of failure. Microsoft even left us with Windows ME for a good period of time, but at least they fixed the bugs, even if the bugs were "new features".

 

What was it, "Make better mistakes"? How about not waiting a year to decide it was a mistake. I'm not saying that changing icons and trying to freshen up the web site is a mistake. I actually like some of the new icons and I can learn to live with the rest. I just want to be able to see them and be able to distinguish one from another.

[AZcachemeister]

That Blackface icon is racist

Really? Are the yellow face icons racist too? How about the red face icon? And are the green face icons somehow offensive to anyone? And isn't the violin associated with the music of the Imperialist West?

 

Well, I'm surprised that you jumped in with such bizarre statements without reseraching what I was discussion. I know of no racial epithet concerning Blue Faces or Red faces.

Black-face, however, was a very racist part of our culture. Dress white people up to like like black people, and exaggerate the features. (Or paint the faces of black people black, with exaggerated features. Wouldn't want black people to appear on stage.)

While it is sad of your education that you never heard of this, what is sadder is that you chose to jump in without investigating what I was talking about.

Al Jolson, The Jazz Singer

Billy VanWare, about 1900.

 

Try researching next time before you jump in like that. I think it is the exaggerated mouth in the icon that make it so racist. And it would have been nice of the icon developer to think of such things.

The last time I ran into a situation like this, it was a discussion of tattooing TB numbers on your arm. "Yes. I've known a few people with numbers tattooed on their arms. They got them before escaping from NAZI Concentration Camps."

Probably dead by now, but they are a part of our history to be considered.

 

Let's let it go.

Probably not the cruelest joke ever played on our brothers.

[knowschad]

That Blackface icon is racist

Really? Are the yellow face icons racist too? How about the red face icon? And are the green face icons somehow offensive to anyone? And isn't the violin associated with the music of the Imperialist West?

 

Well, I'm surprised that you jumped in with such bizarre statements without reseraching what I was discussion. I know of no racial epithet concerning Blue Faces or Red faces.

Black-face, however, was a very racist part of our culture. Dress white people up to like like black people, and exaggerate the features. (Or paint the faces of black people black, with exaggerated features. Wouldn't want black people to appear on stage.)

While it is sad of your education that you never heard of this, what is sadder is that you chose to jump in without investigating what I was talking about.

Al Jolson, The Jazz Singer

Billy VanWare, about 1900.

 

Try researching next time before you jump in like that. I think it is the exaggerated mouth in the icon that make it so racist. And it would have been nice of the icon developer to think of such things.

The last time I ran into a situation like this, it was a discussion of tattooing TB numbers on your arm. "Yes. I've known a few people with numbers tattooed on their arms. They got them before escaping from NAZI Concentration Camps."

Probably dead by now, but they are a part of our history to be considered.

We (or, at least, I) know what blackface is/was, Harry. The problem is you making the connection between them simply because of a visual resemblance that you perceive. Intent is the keyword here, and I see no malicious intent in that icon design.