Challenges

[+de Hunters]

I can imagine the Challenges is going to stop; but why removing all about the Challenges itself?

Done quite a bit of the Challenges and now you can't see ho many you've done or which ones completed...

Tabblad removed completely and I find that a really shame; it seems you now have waisted a lot of time doing these challenges.

It's okay to shut down the Challenges, but leave the tabblad intact...

 

[+DragonsWest]

I can imagine the Challenges is going to stop; but why removing all about the Challenges itself?

Done quite a bit of the Challenges and now you can't see ho many you've done or which ones completed...

Tabblad removed completely and I find that a really shame; it seems you now have waisted a lot of time doing these challenges.

It's okay to shut down the Challenges, but leave the tabblad intact...

 

 

My take on it is this - it was never fully implemented to the degree they originally intended (which has a certain whiff of "we'll add stuff to it as we go along") Seems a radical bit of surgery, particularly as there were a few people who were into them, with a considerable number of completions. But having to support it probably didn't look attractive when confronted with the very small amount of use it was getting.

[+NeverSummer]

Please refer to the thread already merged on the topic of Callenges los...

 

Wait...what's that?

 

Nevermind, the thread was vaporized with the rest of the Challenge information.

[+Manville Possum]

I took photos of all 22 of the ones that I listed. Most were my Waymarks, Earthcaches, and Virtuals listed on other geocaching sites anyway, but a couple were really enjoyed by tourists.

[+lamoracke]

I would have posted this in the challenges topic, but its gone, along with all evidence we ever did on the challenges.

 

Okay, you made a mistake, challenges are stopped, fine...I personally do not see why they would remove all history of them in your profile and your find count. I did 76 of them, took pictures of them all, wrote logs, and now its all gone. What if they did that folks's locationless cache finds some day?

[+K13]

I would have posted this in the challenges topic, but its gone, along with all evidence we ever did on the challenges.

 

Okay, you made a mistake, challenges are stopped, fine...I personally do not see why they would remove all history of them in your profile and your find count. I did 76 of them, took pictures of them all, wrote logs, and now its all gone. What if they did that folks's locationless cache finds some day?

 

Shhh! Don't give them any ideas!!

[+roundnround we go]

it seems you now have waisted a lot of time doing these challenges.

It's okay to shut down the Challenges, but leave the tabblad intact...

 

 

If you walked away from those challenges with memories of good times the was the time really wasted?

[+DragonsWest]

it seems you now have waisted a lot of time doing these challenges.

It's okay to shut down the Challenges, but leave the tabblad intact...

 

 

If you walked away from those challenges with memories of good times the was the time really wasted?

 

The Frog will be by with a memory eraser. You are instructed to remain in your home until his visit.

 

Thank you for your cooperation.

[+Gustav129]

Not totally erased yet, but the link didn't work....

Screenshot from a few minutes ago.

Edited December 14, 2012 by gustav129

[Clan Riffster]

it seems you now have waisted a lot of time doing these challenges.

It's okay to shut down the Challenges, but leave the tabblad intact...

 

 

If you walked away from those challenges with memories of good times the was the time really wasted?

Irrelivent. Groundspeak has acted in a Draconian manner, wiping away all traces of the challenges we've created and completed. Some time ago, Groundspeak realized that locationless caches were not something they wanted to pursue anymore. They locked them down entirely, not allowing any new logs. But folks got to keep their stats. Some other time ago, Groundspeak decided that virtual caches were something they no longer wished to pursue. That time they were more lenient, only removing the ability to create more. The existing ones were allowed to stay, so long as they remained viable, and again, folks kept their stats. With Challenges, they deleted every trace of them. It's like they never existed. For those of us who enjoy a growing record of what we've done in the name of Groundspeak, that was most foul.

[+Gustav129]

The challenges tab is still on your public profile page, but you get the "form letter" when you click on it. If it's about server space, why not let me unarchive two unpublished caches that were archived along time ago. With millions of users, how many archived unpublished caches are there?

Edited December 14, 2012 by gustav129

[+Tape worm]

I would like my "stat" of completed challenges back, please. Locationless stats where left, so why remove the challenge stat?

[+ccurzio]

Irrelivent. Groundspeak has acted in a Draconian manner, wiping away all traces of the challenges we've created and completed. Some time ago, Groundspeak realized that locationless caches were not something they wanted to pursue anymore. They locked them down entirely, not allowing any new logs. But folks got to keep their stats. Some other time ago, Groundspeak decided that virtual caches were something they no longer wished to pursue. That time they were more lenient, only removing the ability to create more. The existing ones were allowed to stay, so long as they remained viable, and again, folks kept their stats. With Challenges, they deleted every trace of them. It's like they never existed. For those of us who enjoy a growing record of what we've done in the name of Groundspeak, that was most foul.

 

To be fair, it's their website and their system. I did a bunch of challenges too. But I'm more concerned with having fun and less concerned about the statistics and numbers.

 

If you want to maintain your challenge stats, you could start up your own Challenges website and publish/maintain them there.

[+LewisClan77]

I still have proof of the 140 that I completed...

[Clan Riffster]

To be fair, it's their website and their system.

That's true. We are just the lowly customers...

Who cares what the customers think?

[+Tape worm]

To be fair, it's their website and their system.

That's true. We are just the lowly customers...

Who cares what the customers think?

 

Yup, unfortunately next to no backlash will happen, even though some of us liked them.due to the "popularity" of them. I was stoked when I completed 50 of them, considering there wasn't a ton around. Had a few I never got around to logging. Oh well life moves on and some of them are going to make great virtuals elsewhere.

[+BBWolf+3Pigs]

 

Who cares what the customers think?

 

Didn't the customers show what they thought by the relatively low popularity of them? There were less than 10 Challenges in Rhode Island, compared to 2000+ geocaches. To me, that says a lot.

[+Tape worm]

 

Who cares what the customers think?

 

Didn't the customers show what they thought by the relatively low popularity of them? There were less than 10 Challenges in Rhode Island, compared to 2000+ geocaches. To me, that says a lot.

Sounds like the early days of Geocaching, and how has that developed threw the years?

 

Your comparison is kinda unfair given challenges where around for a year and a half, and Geocaches, have been around for 12.

 

Not that it really matters now, they have been pulled.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

 

Who cares what the customers think?

 

Didn't the customers show what they thought by the relatively low popularity of them? There were less than 10 Challenges in Rhode Island, compared to 2000+ geocaches. To me, that says a lot.

 

What it doesn't say is why they were unpopular. So GS has eliminated Challenges because very few were playing that game. I'd suggest that despite numerous requests to fix some of the problems with them, very little development was done with Challenges after the initial implementation, and that had a pretty significant impact on their popularity.

[+BBWolf+3Pigs]

 

Who cares what the customers think?

 

Didn't the customers show what they thought by the relatively low popularity of them? There were less than 10 Challenges in Rhode Island, compared to 2000+ geocaches. To me, that says a lot.

Sounds like the early days of Geocaching, and how has that developed threw the years?

 

Your comparison is kinda unfair given challenges where around for a year and a half, and Geocaches, have been around for 12.

 

Not that it really matters now, they have been pulled.

 

Okay...a different set of numbers.

 

In the last year, nearly 600 caches were hidden in Rhode Island. Less than 10 Challenges were created.

 

If people liked the idea, they would have created more Challenges.

[+Tape worm]

But where 600 Geocaches hidden in Rhode Island within the first year and a half of GC's launch date? I'll bet the number was between 50 and 100.

[+Frank Broughton]

To be fair, it's their website and their system.

That's true. We are just the lowly customers...

Who cares what the customers think?

 

Really.... i hear ya Clan! BTW - Merry Christmas and thanks for your service to your community!

Edited December 25, 2012 by Frank Broughton

[Clan Riffster]

But where 600 Geocaches hidden in Rhode Island within the first year and a half of GC's launch date? I'll bet the number was between 50 and 100.

His mind is made up. Let's not confuse the issue with facts...

[Clan Riffster]

To be fair, it's their website and their system.

That's true. We are just the lowly customers...

Who cares what the customers think?

 

Really.... i hear ya Clan! BTW - Merry Christmas and thanks for your service to your community!

Thanx Frank!

Blessed Solsice back at ya!

[+BBWolf+3Pigs]

But where 600 Geocaches hidden in Rhode Island within the first year and a half of GC's launch date? I'll bet the number was between 50 and 100.

His mind is made up. Let's not confuse the issue with facts...

 

You can't compare the first year and a half of geocaching (when there were only a handful of players in Rhode Island) to the first year and half of Challenges (when there were hundreds of players).

[Clan Riffster]

But where 600 Geocaches hidden in Rhode Island within the first year and a half of GC's launch date? I'll bet the number was between 50 and 100.

His mind is made up. Let's not confuse the issue with facts...

 

You can't compare the first year and a half of geocaching (when there were only a handful of players in Rhode Island) to the first year and half of Challenges (when there were hundreds of players).

Of course you can. We are discussing growth, yes? In the early days of caching, the number of caches in any geographic region was relatively low, due to the small number of people participating. It took quite some time for the hobby to take off. The same is true for Challenges. Groundspeak, as well as anyone capable of doing simple math, knew that it would take time for Challenges to reach similar degrees of participation, and opted against giving them the time they needed to grow. The analogy is actually pretty accurate.

 

Even if you refuse to see it...

[+BBWolf+3Pigs]

But where 600 Geocaches hidden in Rhode Island within the first year and a half of GC's launch date? I'll bet the number was between 50 and 100.

His mind is made up. Let's not confuse the issue with facts...

 

You can't compare the first year and a half of geocaching (when there were only a handful of players in Rhode Island) to the first year and half of Challenges (when there were hundreds of players).

Of course you can. We are discussing growth, yes? In the early days of caching, the number of caches in any geographic region was relatively low, due to the small number of people participating. It took quite some time for the hobby to take off. The same is true for Challenges. Groundspeak, as well as anyone capable of doing simple math, knew that it would take time for Challenges to reach similar degrees of participation, and opted against giving them the time they needed to grow. The analogy is actually pretty accurate.

 

Even if you refuse to see it...

 

I guess we will have to agree to disagree.

[+BBWolf+3Pigs]

But where 600 Geocaches hidden in Rhode Island within the first year and a half of GC's launch date? I'll bet the number was between 50 and 100.

His mind is made up. Let's not confuse the issue with facts...

 

You can't compare the first year and a half of geocaching (when there were only a handful of players in Rhode Island) to the first year and half of Challenges (when there were hundreds of players).

Of course you can. We are discussing growth, yes? In the early days of caching, the number of caches in any geographic region was relatively low, due to the small number of people participating. It took quite some time for the hobby to take off. The same is true for Challenges. Groundspeak, as well as anyone capable of doing simple math, knew that it would take time for Challenges to reach similar degrees of participation, and opted against giving them the time they needed to grow. The analogy is actually pretty accurate.

 

Even if you refuse to see it...

 

OK, let's look at the start of caching in Rhode Island...

 

At least 7 caches were placed during the first 18 months of geocaching (First one in RI was placed Dec 00). I say at least because that is what is currently active - there may have been more that were archived but I didn't feel like doing more digging around. This is more than the 6 Challenges created in RI during the first 18 months Challenges were around.

 

Those 7 caches received 126 "Found It" Logs from Dec 00 to Dec 01. The Challenges received far fewer than that many "Completed" logs (if memory served each had no more than 4-6).

 

So, geocaching actually caught on faster than Challenges (at least in RI) in the initial 18 months of each "game".

 

And that's with an extremely large installed based of potential players for Challenges than the initial start of Geocaching. At the start, geocaching was word of mouth. For Challenges, every geocacher knew about it.

 

At the roll out of Challenges, people were clamoring for the return of Virtuals (which Challenges were supposed to replace). So why weren't more created?

 

I didn't look at Waymarking - how many waymarks and logs were recorded at Waymarking.com during its first 18 months? Probably more than there were Challenges.

 

GS probably looked at the numbers, and decided the experiment had failed.

[Clan Riffster]

GS probably looked at the numbers, and decided the experiment had failed.

I don't think anyone disputes this. Challenges did not take off as intended. What we wonder is why they didn't do what they did with other failed experiments, such as virtuals and locationless caches. We know Groundspeak is not omniscient, nor are they omnipotent. They will make mistakes. From a marketing perspective, Challenges were just one of many. Yet, with their other mistakes, Groundspeak opted against erasing all traces of our hard work. All of our experiences. Gone, with the click of a mouse.

[+Shop99er]

Virtual, locationless, and webcam caches were shut off because the decision was taken that a cache had to have a logbook. TPTB realized that since they had been approved cache types for a number of years, they needed to leave them in the system so as to not impact players' numbers.

 

Challenges did not gain much of a following because they never counted in the numbers game. If they had been made a countable cache, they would have possibly survived. Right up until someone at GS realized that they didn't have a logbook. At that point, they would have been removed anyway. Sooner or later, they would have disappeared.

 

Since the number of finds never counted, TPTB figured that no one would care if the logs/pictures vanished. I thought that decision was a mistake, and still do. I enjoyed challenges, and created a few.

[AZcachemeister]

 

Challenges did not gain much of a following because they never counted in the numbers game. If they had been made a countable cache, they would have possibly survived.

 

Um, at the beginning, Challenges DID count in your total finds...if you recall, they were touted (with generous hyperbole) to be the replacements for virtual caches.

 

With the early Groundspeak-created Challenges being like 'Kiss a frog' (that a fellow forum flounder claimed he did while sitting on his toilet) there was much complaining that such a thing should count in the 'regular' total finds.

 

So, they were taken out.

 

Personally, I'd say this inauspicious beginning, coupled with the lack of control by the creator(s) spelled the doom of Challenges...right from the beginning.

[+tozainamboku]

Actually Challenges did seem to have some traction. There were plenty of people doing them, and while the number submitted fell off after a while there were still a few being created.

 

The issue was the Groundspeak came up with the idea of Challenges as a way for people to have a game within the Geocaching.com for sharing locations with have the need to place a cache or find a cache.

 

The bring back virtual threads often make the claim that there are places that people would like to bring others to but at which they are unable to place a cache. Challenges were supposed to provide a means to share these location and encourage others to visit. The ideas that there was challenge (something specific to do beyond a visit) was suppose to give this a game-like quality similar to finding a cache an signing a log (and therefore not just a waymark).

 

The worldwide challenges were supposed to be like the locationless cache and take you to interesting places that were not specific. Perhaps the idea was to have challenges that everyone could do while waiting for various areas to be populated by coordinate specific challenges.

 

My guess is that challenges, while popular, were not living up to their desired purpose. Clearly we go some hint when the Action challenge was grandfathered with only the promise for a replacement with Discover challenges.

 

It was clear that the action involve in the challenge was becoming more important that than the place. They were not being used to bring people to cool places but instead to get people to do silly actions or post silly pictures.

 

I'm quite sure that for many doing something silly and posting pictures of it is fun. I'm sure some people get enjoyment from figuring out just what silly things you can get people to do. However that wasn't going to satisfy the "bring back virtual caches" crowd. Many want to see something more educational - a la EarthCaches. Some would like to create multipart tours that take you to several places that are connected by some historic, cultural, or scientific event.

 

I'm not sure why TPTB never did implement the Discover Challenge. I suspect they were trying to create some online "test" you needed to answer to log completed. While this might work in some cases, it is probably too restrictive. And certainly many people would just guess the answer (or "discover" it by research on the internet). I think it would have been OK to have logs on Discover Challenges on the honor system like other Challenges. People who visited the location will know they have learned something; people who already knew the answers (or found them on the internet) could claim the did the challenge knowing they missed the opportunity to visit a cool place; and people who simply want to log bogus completed logs could do that and we can scratch our heads wondering what they are thinking.

[+nikcap]

...

There were less than 10 Challenges in Rhode Island, compared to 2000+ geocaches. To me, that says a lot.

 

This is also comparing apples and oranges.

 

There are currently 6 active Virtual caches in RI. Just about the number of Challenges that where available. I don't know how many VC have been archived. But, I will estimate that about 25% of the Challenge created where archived because they were "Inappropriate" or didn't make good Challenges.

 

I think some of the problem is there really are a lot of good ideas for Challenges/Virtual ideas out there. In NJ, I was determined to get Challenges off the ground. I started but creating few that I thought was interesting, including the four iconic locations that our featured on the Central Jersey Geocoin. I then re-listed 3 or 4 archived vitual caches that where still there and seemed interesting. I even copied and posted the info from the old VC page and asked the player check out the same tasks as where originally listed on the cache page.

By the time I got to 10 Challenges, I ran out of ideas.

 

So, my question to the group is: Do you have an idea for a Virtual cache in you local caching neighborhood?

Why do you think it's good?

Why didn't it work as a Geocaching Challenge?

 

My most successful Geocaching Challenge was Save, The Evil Clown of Middletown It had about 30 completions. If new Virtual caches where allowed I don't know if it would made a good Virtual cache. The Waymark currently has zero finds.

 

 

On another note, I compared the World Wide Challenges to Locationless caches a few of months after they came out. I was able to pick similar Challenges to the Locationless cache that "inspired" them. The World Wide Challenge had a multiple of 5 or 6 more completions then the Locationless cache. Even with ten times more people playing Geocaching now, I don't know that equated to Challenges (At least the World Wide Challenges) as being a failure. Unfortunately, the comparison I made was in the now vaporized Challenges forums (at least, I can't find it anywhere else).

[Clan Riffster]

Personally, I'd say this inauspicious beginning, coupled with the lack of control by the creator(s) spelled the doom of Challenges...right from the beginning.

Yup. They could give classes to anyone who wanted to ensure that a project will fail.

 

Step 1: Listen to the vocal minority shouting "Bring Back Virtuals!".

Step 2: Have them count toward your cache find total.

Step 3: Take ownership from the creators.

Step 4: Give them a deliberately confusing name.

Step 5: Allow a handful of disgruntled players to wreck the statistics.

Step 6: Listen to the vocal minority and remove them from the cache find total.

Step 7: Eliminate one type, whilst promising new types.

Step 8: Listen to the vocal minority and elect to terminate the process.

Step 9: Erase all traces of its existence.

[+TeamTrekkerz]

I got the standard form letter back from GS when I asked the reasoning behind getting rid of anything to do with Challenges, so I sent them the following reply:

 

I'm having a little bit of trouble understanding why you would retire something that people obviously enjoy. Each time that I would get on the Challenge page, there were challenges being completed WORLDWIDE.

 

Virtual Caches - Gone but still logable. Moved to Waymarking.com

Webcam Caches - Gone but still logable. Moved to Waymarking.com

Locationless Caches - Gone but still logable. Moved to Waymarking.com

Project A.P.E. Cache = Gone but still logable

Now Geocache Challenges - Gone

 

On the Groundspeak cache type page :

http://www.geocaching.com/about/cache_types.aspx

 

Geocache Challenges are still listed and it states "Challenges are not technically geocaches, but you do earn a smiley for completing them."

Therefor Geocache Challenges should still be logable, just no new challenges accepted.

 

It appears that Groundspeak is very good at getting rid of cache types yet never adding any new cache types.

I've been a member since 2008 and I have yet to see one new cache type.

 

And your plaque that reads “Let’s make better mistakes tomorrow.” makes absolutely no sense.

Maybe change it to read "Learning from yesterdays mistakes" makes a lot more sense.

 

Maybe have Cache type contest open to all GS members to come up with some new cache types.

Then all members could vote on them.

 

Just a suggestion to make GS better.

 

I'm sure that if I get any reply at all it'll be another form letter since GS is obviously to busy getting rid of stuff to actually write a reply.

[+CanadianRockies]

It appears that Groundspeak is very good at getting rid of cache types yet never adding any new cache types.

I've been a member since 2008 and I have yet to see one new cache type.

According to Cacheopedia, the "Wherigo" type was added in 2008 and the "Groundspeak Headquarters" and "10 Years! Event" types were added in 2010. I believe the "Lost and Found Event" and "Groundspeak Lost and Found Celebration" types also were added in 2010, while the "Groundspeak Block Party" type came in 2011.

Edited December 26, 2012 by CanadianRockies

[+CanadianRockies]

On another note, I compared the World Wide Challenges to [Waymarking's] Locationless caches a few of months after they came out. I was able to pick similar Challenges to the Locationless cache that "inspired" them. The World Wide Challenge had a multiple of 5 or 6 more completions then the Locationless cache.

I believe that's called "damning with faint praise."

[4wheelin_fool]

Challenges would have been popular if they had introduced them slowly. They were a product of evolved thinking on Groundspeak's part behind a wall of secrecy. If they had called them virtual challenges, and simply created a new icon, it would have been jumped on. Then they could have branched off from that, and eventually moved them to another site. Instead, they envisioned the process way ahead in the theoretical future, and just sprung them all at once on us, which confused everyone. They were fine the way they were originally, except there was no learned process by the site users, which left a big gap.

 

The town announced there would be no more ballfields built as there was inherent problems. People needed a few more, and they were told to use the existing ones that were there, but they would not be replaced. People clamored for more however. Then one day an announcement was made. The large private area nearby was now open to the public! No, they are not ballfields, they are bazingas! A bit different, but similar, and on the other side of town. And now we have 1000 new ones! All forms of new activities are possible! Enjoy! The public wandered in, got confused and left. A few stayed behind and played ball like before. A year later they closed for lack of activity..

[Clan Riffster]

It appears that Groundspeak is very good at getting rid of cache types yet never adding any new cache types.

I've been a member since 2008 and I have yet to see one new cache type.

According to Cacheopedia, the "Wherigo" type was added in 2008 and the "Groundspeak Headquarters" and "10 Years! Event" types were added in 2010. I believe the "Lost and Found Event" and "Groundspeak Lost and Found Celebration" types also were added in 2010, while the "Groundspeak Block Party" type came in 2011.

He joined in November 2008, roughly 11 months after the first Wherigo was published.

As for the rest, they are not available to the masses in the creation process.

Except for the Lost & Found event, which was a one day wonder.

Anomalies, at best.

Edited December 26, 2012 by Clan Riffster

[+NYPaddleCacher]

It appears that Groundspeak is very good at getting rid of cache types yet never adding any new cache types.

I've been a member since 2008 and I have yet to see one new cache type.

According to Cacheopedia, the "Wherigo" type was added in 2008 and the "Groundspeak Headquarters" and "10 Years! Event" types were added in 2010. I believe the "Lost and Found Event" and "Groundspeak Lost and Found Celebration" types also were added in 2010, while the "Groundspeak Block Party" type came in 2011.

 

Except for the Wherigo I would hardly consider those new cache types. They're more like "special icons that you can get easily if you live in Seattle, but for everyone else, you'll have to spend hundreds, if not thousands of dollars".

[+Gustav129]

It appears that Groundspeak is very good at getting rid of cache types yet never adding any new cache types.

I've been a member since 2008 and I have yet to see one new cache type.

According to Cacheopedia, the "Wherigo" type was added in 2008 and the "Groundspeak Headquarters" and "10 Years! Event" types were added in 2010. I believe the "Lost and Found Event" and "Groundspeak Lost and Found Celebration" types also were added in 2010, while the "Groundspeak Block Party" type came in 2011.

 

Except for the Wherigo I would hardly consider those new cache types. They're more like "special icons that you can get easily if you live in Seattle, but for everyone else, you'll have to spend hundreds, if not thousands of dollars".

 

Hahahaha! Great post. Because that's how I feel too, I live on the other side of the state. I'm not saying that those wouldn't be fun to do, but I definitely wouldn't consider them a separate "cache type" More of Mega Events.

Edited December 26, 2012 by gustav129

[+nikcap]

On another note, I compared the World Wide Challenges to [Waymarking's] Locationless caches a few of months after they came out. I was able to pick similar Challenges to the Locationless cache that "inspired" them. The World Wide Challenge had a multiple of 5 or 6 more completions then the Locationless cache.

I believe that's called "damning with faint praise."

 

I'm not sure that's what it's called. And just to be clear, I wasn't refering to the Waymarking Locationless caches. This was in reference to the actual Locationless Caches that Geocaching.com used to host. Such as this one: Mailnoxes which had 1,456 find over the course of three years. The World Wide Challenge had over 3,200 completions in about a year. The Waymarking category: Themed Mailboxes has 545 logs in it.

[+Governor Worf]

Personally, here's what I'd like to see done about challenges: Groundspeak could make challenge caches (100 caches in a day, etc) a new icon for the type, maybe using the now defunct challenge icon. This would separate challenge caches from unknown (puzzle) caches. Since virtual caches are on their way out (unfortunately, since I REALLY enjoy those and they really provide a point of education to this hobby), this would provide a replacement for X-icons in a day type challenge caches.

[AZcachemeister]

Personally, here's what I'd like to see done about challenges: Groundspeak could make challenge caches (100 caches in a day, etc) a new icon for the type, maybe using the now defunct challenge icon. This would separate challenge caches from unknown (puzzle) caches. Since virtual caches are on their way out (unfortunately, since I REALLY enjoy those and they really provide a point of education to this hobby), this would provide a replacement for X-icons in a day type challenge caches.

 

Your confusing Challenge Caches with 'Challenges'.

 

About as different as 'Caribou' is from 'Wombat'.

[+nikcap]

hei

Personally, here's what I'd like to see done about challenges: Groundspeak could make challenge caches (100 caches in a day, etc) a new icon for the type, maybe using the now defunct challenge icon. This would separate challenge caches from unknown (puzzle) caches. Since virtual caches are on their way out (unfortunately, since I REALLY enjoy those and they really provide a point of education to this hobby), this would provide a replacement for X-icons in a day type challenge caches.

 

Your confusing Challenge Caches with 'Challenges'.

 

About as different as 'Caribou' is from 'Wombat'.

 

... About as different as 'Caribou' is from 'Wombat'

 

That's pretty funny.

 

Actually, those challenge caches should be the next thing on the chopping block.

 

Those would be much better on their own site, or shadow site like the now defunct Geocaching Challenges. I was actually hoping that the Action Challenges would take place of those. I recall seeing some additional Challenge icons that made me think that would be the case.

 

People have been barking for a long time for a new icon, we were in line to get several new icons with the Geocaching Challenges but players seemed to be unhappy about them.

 

Honestly, I'm glad that Groundspeak is keeping it simple. Really, Traditional, Multi, Puzzle/Unknown and Event. That's all you need. I would say that the majority of cachers agree on that.

 

is it true they are working on a power trail icon?

[+TeamTrekkerz]

I'm sure if I get any reply at all it'll be another form letter since GS is obviously to busy getting rid of stuff to actually write a reply.

 

So here's GS reply:

 

Request Update

Hello Darrell,

 

Thank you for your feedback and suggestion, we appreciate your time.

 

Best Regards,

Community Relations Specialist

 

I'm sure they appreciate my money even more.

IMHO GS is becoming a real joke.

Why pay for a premium membership if they are just going to keep doing away with stuff???

[+BlueDeuce]

I'm sure if I get any reply at all it'll be another form letter since GS is obviously to busy getting rid of stuff to actually write a reply.

 

So here's GS reply:

 

Request Update

Hello Darrell,

 

Thank you for your feedback and suggestion, we appreciate your time.

 

Best Regards,

Community Relations Specialist

 

I'm sure they appreciate my money even more.

IMHO GS is becoming a real joke.

Why pay for a premium membership if they are just going to keep doing away with stuff???

 

I've been a paying member for several years now. They added it and then took it away without changing the price. Not really seeing membership costs as an issue here.

[+TeamTrekkerz]

I've been a paying member for several years now. They added it and then took it away without changing the price. Not really seeing membership costs as an issue here.

Why pay for a premium membership if they are just going to keep doing away with stuff???

 

It's not that I mind paying to be a premium member, it's just the fact that they have made virtually no improvements. At least not in the 4+ years that I've been a member.

Edited December 27, 2012 by TeamTrekkerz

[+JJnTJ]

It's not that I mind paying to be a premium member, it's just the fact that they have made virtually no improvements. At least not in the 4+ years that I've been a member.

 

I couldn't disagree more. Since I started a little over two years ago, they've added:

 

1) Personal cache notes (I use 'em every day), and then increased their size

2) Corrected coordinates for puzzles

3) Corrected coordinates in GPX downloads

4) Favorite points (I was initially skeptical, but I think they're a Good Thing)

5) Souvenirs (I think they're a waste of limited resources, but a little bit fun)

6) THE API, which has changed how I go about caching and use every day in GSAK and my mobile phone

7) On-site basic statistics

8) Friends (though it's still less useful than it could be)

9) Finds highlighted in your own Bookmark lists

10) Upgraded maps (still have issues, and some lost functionality, but I really love live scrolling!)

11) PQ servers (and the website in general) seem to do pretty well under load, despite the explosion in users.

 

And probably more, but that's off the top of my head. I often disagree with how Groundspeak prioritizes development, but I have to admit they've done some really nice things in the last two years.

 

They've also done some boneheaded things, like Challenges, which were:

 

1) named poorly (there were already Challenges!)

2) integrated poorly (no big map of challenges near you, no way to have a "pocket query" of them, so you had to use a separate app instead of using your favorite device)

3) conceived poorly (no ownership?!)

4) launched poorly (lame ones out of the gate, coordinate format different than every other GS entity, no editing once published)

5) maintained poorly (it took a while to fix some of the launch issues, and they got few updates after that)

 

The Android app was pretty good, though. It functioned well and was a nice, self-contained way to complete them.

 

I'm a little concerned they just wiped away almost all traces of Challenges, though. Will they do that with their other active-but-abandoned things like Wherigo, Benchmarks and Whymarking? I really like the first two...

Edited December 27, 2012 by JJnTJ

[+DadOf6Furrballs]

I couldn't disagree more. Since I started a little over two years ago, they've added:

 

1) Personal cache notes (I use 'em every day), and then increased their size

2) Corrected coordinates for puzzles

3) Corrected coordinates in GPX downloads

4) Favorite points (I was initially skeptical, but I think they're a Good Thing)

5) Souvenirs (I think they're a waste of limited resources, but a little bit fun)

6) THE API, which has changed how I go about caching and use every day in GSAK and my mobile phone

7) On-site basic statistics

8) Friends (though it's still less useful than it could be)

9) Finds highlighted in your own Bookmark lists

10) Upgraded maps (still have issues, and some lost functionality, but I really love live scrolling!)

11) PQ servers (and the website in general) seem to do pretty well under load, despite the explosion in users.

 

And probably more, but that's off the top of my head. I often disagree with how Groundspeak prioritizes development, but I have to admit they've done some really nice things in the last two years.

12. 3 days between "My Finds" PQ, up from the previous 7 day waiting period.