Exclude and Include parameters

[+ingie]

Im trying to start a pocket query and there are those two boxes for selecting what you wish to be included and what you wish to be excluded in your parameters. Here are my questions:

 

Why are there two sections? Isnt one just the opposite of the other? Is it so that those who are setting parameters can more clearly set them depending on what they want or dont want?

 

What is the red box with the slash through it...does it mean really really exclude? Do I need to have that red slash there to exclude it?

 

I searched the forums already for this topic...sorry if its a repeat, if it is, just send me to the thread...the site doesnt explain that. Geeesh.

 

thanks for any help. Just got an updated GPS and excited to use it as a motivator to hike more.

 

Ingrid

[+Chief301]

All those sections are for is, as you surmised, to customize your pocket query. Once you have found a whole bunch of caches in your area, for example, you might want to exclude "Caches I Have Found" from your search.

 

Be careful, though, not to choose conflicting parameters. One common mistake is to choose both "caches I have found" and "caches I have not found", thinking that the result will be all the caches I have found AND all the caches I haven't found. What that actually gets you is all the caches that I have both found and not found, which is impossible of course (you can't both find and not find the same cache), so the PQ returns zero results.

 

The pictograms are cache attributes as defined by the cache owner. Some CO's define attributes of their caches, many do not. So for example, the "Pets" attribute means that the location is pet friendly....conversely, the "Pets" symbol with the circle/slash means that pets are NOT allowed at that location. So if you like to go caching with your dog, say, you might want to exclude all locations where pets are not allowed from your PQ.

 

There's a hundred different ways to customize a PQ, such as caches of a certain size or difficulty. Experiment a bit and see what works for you.

[+ingie]

So...just use one section of the two? Pick *what to include* and click my includes, and leave the second one (*excludes*) alone? Ill go give things a try.

 

Thanks.

Edited April 29, 2013 by ingie

[+niraD]

Why are there two sections? Isnt one just the opposite of the other? Is it so that those who are setting parameters can more clearly set them depending on what they want or dont want?

There are a number of permutations. Consider the "Available During Winter" attribute. It comes in both the normal (recommended) version and the red-slash (not recommended) version.

 

Including Available During Winter gives you caches with the Available During Winter attribute, where the CO has specifically indicated that they are available during winter.

 

Including Not Available During Winter gives you caches with the Not Available During Winter attribute, where the CO has specifically indicated that they are not available during winter.

 

Excluding Available During Winter gives you caches without the Available During Winter attribute, where the CO has either specified the Not Available During Winter attribute or hasn't specified anything about whether the cache is available during winter.

 

Excluding Not Available During Winter give you caches without the Not Available During Winter attribute, where the CO has either specified the Available During Winter attribute or hasn't specified anything about whether the cache is available during winter.

 

Do you see how that give you more flexibility?

[+ingie]

Im getting close to understanding. Since I live in an urban area with a lot of hiking trails around the perimeter, Im going to practice using what works for my situation here and then play some more. I always expect to understand everything right away.

 

onwards!!