Does anyone actually use and rate bookmark lists?

[+edexter]

I've been maintaining a number of bookmarked cache lists in my local area ("A Lists") which are shared and public (They are lists of caches with at least 5 favorite points that have been "favorited" by at least 25% of the premium members who have found them). I also check other Bookmark List from time to time and have noticed that nearly all of them say "Be the First to Rate This List" as do all of mine. There's no way I can tell if anyone actually looks at the list, or finds it useful in anyway, though I do of course. Given the lack of feedback my assumption is that folks don't look (so sharing it is pointless) but given that very few lists are rated, I wonder. So that's my question: do you ever use someone else's bookmarked list,and if you do, have you ever rated one?

edexter

[+CanadianRockies]

There are bookmark lists of challenge caches in the U.S. and Canada, which I often used when I traveled. But with the new Search page that allows one to filter for Mystery caches with "challenge" anywhere in their titles, those bookmark lists aren't as critical anymore. (Although they do include a few challenge caches that don't have "challenge" titles.)

[+NanCycle]

I have used others' lists to see what caches they found to qualify for various challenges. I've only rated one or two; for a long time I wasn't aware that they could be rated or maybe I'd have done more. Sometimes I've looked at others' lists for no real reason, just curiosity I guess.

[+Windstorm+]

I look at some bookmark lists for caches that I think would be interesting (e.g., fire lookout caches or hiking caches). If I really liked a cache I found, I might see if the CO has a bookmark list of their favorite caches on the theory that I would probably enjoy their favorites too. There are a couple of bookmark lists for local blackout challenges that I know will be useful when I get around to working on them. I have never rated a bookmark list.

[+AustinMN]

I use a number of bookmark lists for my own use (private). For example, I have a BML called "Weekend Plans" where I bookmark caches I plan on seeking this weekend. Turn the list into a PQ, and I can dump it directly to my GPS.

 

I had a preiod of time where I was seeking very lonely caches - caches that had not been visited in over a year. I put a notification on that list so I could remove a cache if it got found.

 

I'm not a fan of challenge caches so I only have a couple BML's for challenge caches.

[+Harry Dolphin]

On occasion, I look at bookmark lists. For things like Jasmer Challenge (Only need three months!) Or webcam caches. Things like that. No. I do not rate them.

[+The A-Team]

I definitely use bookmark lists. The majority of mine are related to tracking my progress or completion of challenge caches, but I've also made a few to group together caches along a particular route/series for the purpose of making a Pocket Query. I've also made a few for the benefit of others, like two listing all of the challenge caches in a region and one listing all of the night caches. I've received ratings on these "helpful" lists, but I don't think I've ever rated someone else's list.

[+Isonzo Karst]

I create and use them for myself quite a lot. I sometimes pull queries from others lists.

It's been a long time since I rated one. I think since I realized that the list owner isn't notified.

[+dprovan]

I use lists a lot for myself, and occasionally from other people. But I've never felt any need to rate a list.

[+JeepFreak81]

I also use bookmark lists, both my own and others but have never thought to rate them.

[+JL_HSTRE]

I frequently use them, but never rate them.

[+NeverSummer]

Yes, use. No, rate.

[+niraD]

I use my own bookmark lists a lot. I sometimes use others' bookmark lists, generally to identify a type/series of caches that is hard to identify with the current search/PQ tools.

 

I rarely rate others' bookmark lists. When I do, I rate highly lists of the type described above, and I rate poorly public lists of personal info (e.g., JohnDoe's solved unfound puzzles or JaneDoe's FTFs). IMHO, those personal info lists should be shared (if you want to share them) but not public (so they don't clutter up the cache page).

[+edexter]

OK, so it looks like people regularly use bookmarks to track their own information, occasionally use public/shared bookmarks created by others but seldom rate those bookmarks they create. The "rating system" seems to consist of only two parts: 1, a yes/no answer to the question "Did you find this bookmark useful?" and 2, a comment box. That seems like a simple and clear way to leave feedback about the list but since few people use it, it doesn't result in much actual feedback reaching the list owner. That fits with my experience. I think I'll explicitly ask for feedback to see if that changes anything. Thanks.

edexter

Edited October 4, 2015 by edexter

[+GrateBear]

I use them, but never noticed they could be rated.

[+hzoi]

So far several folks have rated our airport/layover bookmark list as useful. More so recently, since I made it a project to add caches around most international airports around the world. I imagine it makes a handy offline pocket query for travelers, which is why I put it together.

 

I've rated a few as useful in the past, but I usually forget.

[+DanOCan]

I have rated a list when I found it to be useful, for no other reason than "Because I can."

[+lamoracke]

I have one bookmark lists which has 21 positives and 2 negatives so they do happen. Personally I think its kind of mean to negatively rate a bookmark list anonymously, just don't use it then. I have a couple of others with a rating or two.

 

One thing I have noticed is that these bookmark lists I have used for challenge caches never get rated. I just do not think its done much. I either make them for my individual challenges or make detailed ones for challenges I qualify for, ratings do not seem to apply to those, at least for me.

[+LadyCache]

I use bookmark lists by others that are posted on mega events to help see what others might think are good caches in the area. I also have found some interesting bookmark lists. Now that I see this question of rating a particular booklist, I will probably rate the informative ones. I really appreciate those who take the time to put together a good list.

[+L0ne.R]

1443894603[/url]' post='5540960']

I rate poorly public lists of personal info (e.g., JohnDoe's solved unfound puzzles or JaneDoe's FTFs). IMHO, those personal info lists should be shared (if you want to share them) but not public (so they don't clutter up the cache page).

 

+1

[+Wild-Skye]

Have often used other people's lists ...made pqs occasionally...never bothered to rate them..I will in future

[+GrayFinders2]

I rarely rate others' bookmark lists. When I do, I rate highly lists of the type described above, and I rate poorly public lists of personal info (e.g., JohnDoe's solved unfound puzzles or JaneDoe's FTFs). IMHO, those personal info lists should be shared (if you want to share them) but not public (so they don't clutter up the cache page).

It would be nice if CO's had the option of determining whether or not a public bookmark list gets displayed on their cache page so they could turn off the clutter ones or at least be able to sort the display order to put them at the end. I'm sure CO's wouldn't want my "Caches that were a waste of time" list displayed on their page.

[+MountainWoods]

Nope.

[+Tre Altrix]

I would, but I can't even find where I can search the public lists anymore. All I can seem to do is create lists. Any help?

[+edexter]

I would, but I can't even find where I can search the public lists anymore. All I can seem to do is create lists. Any help?

 

Caches that are on a public list have a box on the right hand edge labeled "Bookmark Lists"

edexter

[+tealeaf]

I have 2 public bookmark lists that I built to help visitors to our area. One lists caches that are near places that sightseers go (often with non-caching family). The other is about well-done caches that are easy to get to, usually in places you'd never go unless there was a cache. Would prefer not to be rated; if you don't like my choices, don't hunt for them.

[+W7WT]

I am 90 with a body of a 90 year old and my wife has a severe memory loss plus limited mobility. Therefore it is important that I screen what we look for. I use bookmarks to keep myself organized and include hints and so forth in the description. Most cachers would not appreciate my bookmarks as I leave out caches that I feel we would not be able to do. I spend more time putting together the bookmarks and planning the trip than actually doing it. We do what we can do. Dick & Arlene

[+paleolith]

When you create or modify a bookmark list, you are given the options (as check boxes):

 

[ ] I want to share this list with others.

[ ] Make this list public (show on bookmarked listings).

[ ] Notify me when items on this list are logged.

 

where the [] represent check boxes. I'm sure a lot of people find this confusing -- it confused me when I started out, and I'm a computer programmer and mathematician.

 

First issue, the third option is presented as parallel to the other two, when in fact it's completely independent. Or to put it another way, the first two options should be grouped in a box, with the third option outside the box. That's confusing but not fatal.

 

Second issue, the first two options are presented as two check boxes, which implies that it should be meaningful to check none, either, or both. In fact this is not the case: checking both boxes is the same as checking just the first. The choices in fact are

 

( ) I want this list to be displayed only to me.

( ) I want this list to be available only to people to whom I provide the link.

( ) I want this list to be shown on cache pages which are on the list.

 

[ ] Notify me when items on this list are logged.

 

where the () represent radio buttons. The wordings I've provided need improvement, and further explanation would help, but that's the logical organization. I suspect the confusion here is the main reason we see so many people making public bookmark lists of the caches they found to qualify for a challenge -- they look at the options, know that they need at least the CO to be able to see the list, and figure "make this list public" is the most obvious option which will accomplish this.

 

I've just now been exploring list management (again), and find various other confusing things, but those have probably been explored in other threads. Especially bad is that on the list edit linked from the profile page, public lists are shown as shared rather than publix. I think I'll just leave it at "bookmark lists are confusing at best".

 

As to using and rating lists ... very little. I can't remember a case when I've used someone else's list to actually find caches, though I've explored a few very interesting lists online, and perhaps rated them. Typically those are based on attributes rather than location. Very early in caching, I created a list of all the caches in one (fairly small) park, and kept it up for quite a while. Looking back, I seriously doubt it ever helped anyone -- searching for nearby caches is too easy, especially with the move to smart phones. In fact, I somewhat doubt anyone ever even noticed its existence.

 

I can tell a rather odd story of the effect of the ranking system and of the small number of raters. I have two challenge caches, Santa Monica Mtns History Adventure and Spinal Tap. These are both traditional challenge caches based mostly on geography and age rather than other attributes -- see the first for links to even older, similar ones. The first has a straightforward history -- I set it up after seeing the Utah and Washington history challenges, creating a bookmark list for the caches that qualify for the challenge. That list is rated "useful" by 2 of 3, and shows up first in public lists for the cache. The second public list shown on the cache page is rated useful by 2 of 3, and the third list by 108 of 110. Under those is a link that says "view all 4 bookmark lists", but when I click it, I see a list of 6 (count them, six) lists, including two "shared" by me (including the one already discussed), three "shared" by others, and one "not shared" by me. Huh? this is one of the very confusing things already mentioned. But at least the important one is listed first, even above the one with apparently higher ratings.

 

Spinal Tap has a longer history. I won't repeat the description, which you can read if you want. The gist, though, is that the cache was set up with me as the formal owner and Don_J as the keeper of the related list. This worked fine; I could link to the list from the description, and since the list was long-standing, it had a few ratings (7 of 8).

 

Then a few months ago, Don_J died suddenly, of a stroke. This was quite unexpected, as he was 54yo and a very strong hiker (though of course one seldom knows all about another's health). This presents me with the problem that my replacement list, though I have it linked from the description, probably isn't going to out-rate Don's list for quite a while. Of course I can't update Don's list, and it seems unseemly to ask a reviewer or GCHQ to intervene in such a situation, even though I'm sure Don would have wanted the more accurate list to show. I could even ask those reading here to go stuff the ballot box, but that's not an idea I like either, and based on observations, I'm not sure it would work anyway.

 

Actually ... what the heck ?!?!?!?!?! I thought I had carefully updated my description so that at least the link in the description pointed to my new list. Apparently I didn't. Don't go looking for my boo-boo, as I've fixed it. Luckily there had been very few changes in recent months. But you can see the remaining problem: a list I can't edit, and which will eventually go out of date, is the top public list automatically linked from the cache page, yet it was intended to be the reference list for the challenge.

 

And that's in addition to the fact that I haven't reverse-engineered the algorithm for selecting which public lists to display on a cache page. When will my list, that I can update, appear on the list of public lists? I don't think I can predict.

 

Edward