Countdown timer

[+Geoscouts.eu]

Hi, Does anyone know of a suitable (copy and paste) countdown timer for a cache page. It's for an Space lift-off event in November. I've tried pasting a few of the ones I have found into the page but none of them show up in the listing. Java/flash issues I'm guessing. Help most appreciated.

 

Thanks

Team Geoscouts

[+larryc43230]

Hi, Does anyone know of a suitable (copy and paste) countdown timer for a cache page. It's for an Space lift-off event in November. I've tried pasting a few of the ones I have found into the page but none of them show up in the listing. Java/flash issues I'm guessing. Help most appreciated.

 

Thanks

Team Geoscouts

I don't have any constructive suggestions, but I know you can't use either Java or Flash on a cache page. As far as I'm aware, JavaScript is also filtered out.

 

--Larry

[+Viajero Perdido]

Try an animated .GIF image.

 

But you can't have it trigger any action once the animation stops. That would require JavaScript, which as mentioned isn't allowed.

 

(Personally, I hate moving, wiggling web pages, and thankfully my browser of choice, Firefox, lets me disable GIF animations.)

[+lookout.]

if im not mistaken, any type of interactive stuff on a cache page isn't allowed. so i think you are SOL, but maybe suggesting this on the suggestions for the site would be fun. that way in the future, any event can have the countdown timer in it.

[+larryc43230]

(Personally, I hate moving, wiggling web pages, and thankfully my browser of choice, Firefox, lets me disable GIF animations.)

A bit off-topic, but I can't resist asking: How do you disable GIF animations in Firefox? Does that require an add-on?

 

--Larry

[+Viajero Perdido]

A bit off-topic, but I can't resist asking: How do you disable GIF animations in Firefox? Does that require an add-on?

No add-on, just a quick adjustment under the hood.

 

Go to about:config (type that into the URL bar and hit Enter).

Set image.animation_mode to the string "none" (without quotes).

 

It's that easy.

[+larryc43230]

A bit off-topic, but I can't resist asking: How do you disable GIF animations in Firefox? Does that require an add-on?

No add-on, just a quick adjustment under the hood.

 

Go to about:config (type that into the URL bar and hit Enter).

Set image.animation_mode to the string "none" (without quotes).

 

It's that easy.

Oh, OK. I don't mess much with those configuration settings (the same way I don't mess much with the Windows Registry), so I forget to even look there.

 

Thanks!

 

--Larry

[+Don_J]

if im not mistaken, any type of interactive stuff on a cache page isn't allowed. so i think you are SOL, but maybe suggesting this on the suggestions for the site would be fun. that way in the future, any event can have the countdown timer in it.

 

You can suggest it but don't hold your breath waiting. They intentionally do not allow this stuff to keep malicious code off of the site.

[+Geoscouts.eu]

Oh well. Thanks for the info folks. It is as I suspected but it would have been good to have a countdown timer for our Geocaching in Space event.

[+3GDs]

Hi not sure if it will help or even if you can implement it but a great HTML countdown timer is here: Countdown timer

[+NYPaddleCacher]

Hi not sure if it will help or even if you can implement it but a great HTML countdown timer is here: Countdown timer

 

That uses an iframe, which unfortunately, isn't allowed in cache descriptions either.

 

 

[+Geoscouts.eu]

Hi not sure if it will help or even if you can implement it but a great HTML countdown timer is here: Countdown timer

 

That uses an iframe, which unfortunately, isn't allowed in cache descriptions either.

 

Yes, we already tried that one and as NYpaddle says, it don't work either. Come on Groundspeak ... we need countdown to events!

[+Carbon Hunter]

Can only seem to get a link to a countdown website - not to an actual dynamic and working countdown graphic.

[+Carbon Hunter]

I'm trying to get it on this page

 

MEGA count down cache

[+Geoscouts.eu]

I wish we could come to your Mega event

[Mr.Yuck]

Hi not sure if it will help or even if you can implement it but a great HTML countdown timer is here: Countdown timer

 

That uses an iframe, which unfortunately, isn't allowed in cache descriptions either.

 

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but they actually did allow iframes probably 5 or 6 years ago. I'm shocked there was an HTML countdown timer out there. A moot point though, as it doesn't work.

 

I don't think a Groundpeak authorized countdown timer for events would be such a horrible idea. I doubt they'd jump all over the idea, and have one by next week.

[+J Grouchy]

(Personally, I hate moving, wiggling web pages, and thankfully my browser of choice, Firefox, lets me disable GIF animations.)

A bit off-topic, but I can't resist asking: How do you disable GIF animations in Firefox? Does that require an add-on?

 

--Larry

 

Hit the ESC key. Stops the animation. Universal...works in any browser.

Edited February 3, 2014 by J Grouchy

[+ChileHead]

I don't think a Groundpeak authorized countdown timer for events would be such a horrible idea. I doubt they'd jump all over the idea, and have one by next week.

 

I think it would be trivial to do without any change by Groundspeak. A web service could be written that pulls in an image that is dynamic. Something like:

http://blahblahblah.com/countdown/20140501.png

 

would return an image with a number representing the number of days until May 1, 2014.

 

Maybe I'll write one ... shouldn't take long.

[Mr.Yuck]

I don't think a Groundpeak authorized countdown timer for events would be such a horrible idea. I doubt they'd jump all over the idea, and have one by next week.

 

I think it would be trivial to do without any change by Groundspeak. A web service could be written that pulls in an image that is dynamic. Something like:

http://blahblahblah.com/countdown/20140501.png

 

would return an image with a number representing the number of days until May 1, 2014.

 

Maybe I'll write one ... shouldn't take long.

 

Done yet?

[+ChileHead]

Done yet?

 

Yeah. More or less.

 

Use:

www.chilehead.us/countdown/countdown.php?date=yyyymmdd

 

where yyyymmdd is the year/month/day of the event.

 

For an event on May 5, 2014, the image tag in the listing would be:

 

<img src="http://www.chilehead.us/countdown/countdown.php?date=20140515">'>http://www.chilehead.us/countdown/countdown.php?date=20140515">

 

You can scale it if you want if it's too big:

<img src="http://www.chilehead.us/countdown/countdown.php?date=20140515" width="200">

 

By default the timezone is GMT, so you can change that too otherwise it might be off a half day or so. To specify the event for EST (East Coast US):

<img src="http://www.chilehead.us/countdown/countdown.php?date=20140515-0500">

 

For PST, West coast US:

<img src="http://www.chilehead.us/countdown/countdown.php?date=20140515-0800">

[Mr.Yuck]

Done yet?

 

Yeah. More or less.

 

Use:

www.chilehead.us/countdown/countdown.php?date=yyyymmdd

 

where yyyymmdd is the year/month/day of the event.

 

For an event on May 5, 2014, the image tag in the listing would be:

 

<img src="http://www.chilehead.us/countdown/countdown.php?date=20140515">'>http://www.chilehead.us/countdown/countdown.php?date=20140515">

 

You can scale it if you want if it's too big:

<img src="http://www.chilehead.us/countdown/countdown.php?date=20140515" width="200">

 

By default the timezone is GMT, so you can change that too otherwise it might be off a half day or so. To specify the event for EST (East Coast US):

<img src="http://www.chilehead.us/countdown/countdown.php?date=20140515-0500">

 

For PST, West coast US:

<img src="http://www.chilehead.us/countdown/countdown.php?date=20140515-0800">

 

Yeah, way too big for my tastes. They can also mess with the height, as well as the width. Why is the number of days underlined? The number is underlined for me, with what looks like a standard <hr />.

 

Would a Hours, days, minutes, seconds timer be a lot harder to accomplish? I don't know if that's what the OP was looking for, but I see those a lot on the internets.

[+ChileHead]

Why is the number of days underlined? The number is underlined for me, with what looks like a standard <hr />.

 

It's an "off by one" error when drawing the image. I didn't bother to look at where that's coming from yet, as I just hacked it together in a few minutes last night.

 

Would a Hours, days, minutes, seconds timer be a lot harder to accomplish? I don't know if that's what the OP was looking for, but I see those a lot on the internets.

 

The image is static ... not sure how to do an hours/mins/seconds without being able to use javascript on the cache page. It would be easy to do off the geocaching listing page though.

[+niraD]

The image is static ... not sure how to do an hours/mins/seconds without being able to use javascript on the cache page. It would be easy to do off the geocaching listing page though.

You could do hours and minutes, and not worry about seconds. That would generally be accurate enough, and if they want it updated, then they can refresh the page.

 

Or you could return an animated GIF that is crafted to display a countdown starting now and continuing for some amount of time. You'd have to figure out how long to continue the countdown, of course.

[Mr.Yuck]

Why is the number of days underlined? The number is underlined for me, with what looks like a standard <hr />.

 

It's an "off by one" error when drawing the image. I didn't bother to look at where that's coming from yet, as I just hacked it together in a few minutes last night.

 

Would a Hours, days, minutes, seconds timer be a lot harder to accomplish? I don't know if that's what the OP was looking for, but I see those a lot on the internets.

 

The image is static ... not sure how to do an hours/mins/seconds without being able to use javascript on the cache page. It would be easy to do off the geocaching listing page though.

 

That's why I was shocked to see there was an HTML countdown timer out there on the interwebs as outlined in post #10. Well, yours certainly does work, you're a fine gentleman. First Intercaches, and now this. Oh, and something about Waymarking.