Lab cache counts as a find, but not in the calendar?

[+MotorBug]

Recently I noticed a one number discrepancy in the find count between the icon on my public profile page and my public statistics page and calendar. Through the miracle of GSAK, I traced it to the one-time lab cache allowed last month.

 

This is an issue for a challenge cache that requires a different icon for 9 milestone entries. http://coord.info/GC4YKW3

 

Which number will GC use for the milestone entry? Why count it one place but not the other?

 

Probably this has been discussed somewhere but I did not see it in any recent threads. If it is there please just point me to it.

[+lamoracke]

Well, its obvious this cache owner is not using the Geocaching.com milestones so if its just your GSAK stats every 100 caches, you can use it as an other icon in my book but its up to the CO. I personally loaded my lab caches into GSAK and call them an "other" cache. Thus, a different icon.

 

Lab counts as it stands do not count for Milestones so it won't count there. If you had one lab cache, your milestones will not match by 1, so just lock in the cache that is next in line. Hopefully some day they will count. Either way, this challenge CO uses 3rd party statistics so load them up as if it counts there.

[+Walts Hunting]

Lab Caches count in your Finds only. They do not count in your statistics when you go to that page. That is current policy. And yes it has been stewed over since they first did them.

[+steben6]

And it is really annoying. Wish they would fix it.

[+Walts Hunting]

That would be problematic since they have long prohibited caches that require a secret word to log and lab caches are exactly that. If they incorporate them then they will have to allow that for other types. They also have a limited life time which violates the long term requirements. I think they will remain as is which is something to deal with the issue of people logging multiple finds at an event that puts out temporary caches

[kanchan]

I confirmed with the CO that he would allow you to do it either way. I use GSAK where I have my 13 lab cache finds in the database (and my 7,200th find was a Lab Cache ).

[+r.e.s.t.seekers]

I am approaching a milestone and am hoping to make it an event. (There was a challenge cache, perhaps in Washington, that required different types of caches for different milestones.) I have found 8 lab caches. From what was said here, am I correct in guessing that I can ignore the 8 and the count on My Profile to figure my next milestone? Can I go by my count, which does not include the 8 labs? Locking in a milrstone is mentioned here, too. How does that work? What if I want to change the one it shows first?

 

I don't think my lab finds show in my calendar. They show in my count, but I wish they wouldn't.

[Keystone]

If you don't want lab caches to be included in your find count, Groundspeak added the ability to do a one-time (irreversible) deletion of your lab cache finds. Then your statistics would be aligned with your find count across all site features.

[+fishgeek]

Mygeocachingprofile.com handles them the same way that GS does, and it's a lot simpler than GSAK. You fill in the number of Lab Caches that you have and it includes them in your total and in caches by type, but nowhere else.

[+DragonsWest]

Got some of this sorted out this morning. Now that I have been the Lab Cache route and dealt with the challenges of getting them to show in my GSAK macro produced stats, I can't say I'm planning to do any more of these things.

[+niraD]

Got some of this sorted out this morning. Now that I have been the Lab Cache route and dealt with the challenges of getting them to show in my GSAK macro produced stats, I can't say I'm planning to do any more of these things.

Yeah, I haven't done any myself (there was plenty going on at the mega event without them), but if I ever do any, then I might log them to help GS with their beta testing (or whatever the lab caches are being used for), but then I'd delete them to avoid the confusion they cause.

[+CanadianRockies]

Well, its obvious this cache owner is not using the Geocaching.com milestones so if its just your GSAK stats every 100 caches, you can use it as an other icon in my book but its up to the CO.

Actually, Groundspeak generally prohibits the use of Lab caches in Challenge cache requirements. Groundspeak has given cache owners the option to use Lab caches in only three cases: challenges involving Total Finds, Longest Streaks, and the Finds for Each Day of the Year grid. Milestones are not among these exemptions, but Groundspeak might opt to add such an exception in the future.

[+CanadianRockies]

Lab Caches count in your Finds only. They do not count in your statistics when you go to that page.

Lab caches count in some statistics but do not count in other statistics. Currently, they do not count in your Container Types I've Found, Difficulty and Terrain of Caches I've Found, My Home Location Distances, and Maps statistics.

[+igator210]

I've had to go through this several times, to make my stats align.

 

First, Project-GC will not handle lab caches, yet. They are working on it, but there is no information as to when this will happen.

 

Groundspeak includes Lab Caches in your Finds and Calendar fields, but not in the D/T grid. The are NOT included in the MY Finds PQ.

 

MyGeocachingProfile can handle Lab Caches, but you have to enter the information manually.

 

GSAK can handle Lab Caches, but you have to download the GPX files manually. After downloading, you'll have to edit some any information that is appropriate. Read post #7 on downloading: http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=325271