As a cache owner, I'm annoyed!

[+DarkFlare]

Hey Groundspeak! I just found out from a friend of mine what's going on with the new geocaching app. He's a regular member because he doesn't get out caching much (new baby) and when he went to do the virtual in downtown Toronto that I have been bugging him to do forever, he was unable to open it in the new app.

 

For anyone who doesn't know, this is because Groundspeak has put in place a rule in the new app that if you're a regular member, you get 1.5/1.5 Traditionals only. (You still can see others will "geocaching classic" but who knows how long before it gets discontinued)

 

Now, I know most people will just hear the regular members groaning about this but I want to add my perspective because regular members aren't the only ones affected. I have been a premium member since 2011 and I'm a cache owner. I have both premium caches, and ones available for everyone and I'm really ticked that now all of the sudden a lot fewer people will be able to find my caches. I spend a lot of time setting up and considering how I should rate each cache. Downtown I have a really special multi that I spent months setting up to make it tourist friendly and wanted to make it so that everyone visiting my hometown could have a great unique experience. But now thanks to this new app, there are going to lots of cachers who will miss out on experiences like this just because they aren't sure about taking geocaching to the next level. Yes I understand running a site and apps aren't free, (that's partly why i'm a premium member in the first place) but that's what premium features are for, not cutting out caches without owners consent. The site has a lot of amazing features, keep promoting them and people will join on their own terms.

 

Groundspeak said themselves that a free app is the best way for new members to learn about the hobby, so why are we preventing them from finding cool caches and trying everything geocaching has to offer? This lockout will lead to new geocachers only finding the same, more boring traditionals, over and over and over. (the first lampost skirt was great but imagine if that's all you can find...ever) All the unique, different, tricky caches that really hook new members, the ones that people talk about at events will be lost. This will only promote more 1.5/1.5 traditionals filling up space and a decrease to all other cache types and anything tricker than a 1.5. (or people rating it low to make it available to be found)

 

I place caches to be found, and to hopefully inspire new members to join in on the fun and hide their own creative caches but now probably 90% of my caches available to regular members can't be accessed on this new app.

 

I want to make my voice heard now when it's just an app and not the full website because you never know. (Give 'em an inch, they take a mile is the old saying) Sorry for the rant and thanks for listening.

 

See you on the Trails,

Dave

(DarkFlare of Toronto, Canada)

[+Manville Possum]

As a cache owner that made all my caches PMO after several got muggled by intro app users... I want to express my thanks to Groundspeak. I believe they listened to cache owners complaints about the intro app and the newbie muggles.

 

Thanks Groundspeak, I don't mind paying a membership to use all the features of your site and won't complain about what you give others for free.

[+DarkFlare]

As a cache owner that made all my caches PMO after several got muggled by intro app users... I want to express my thanks to Groundspeak. I believe they listened to cache owners complaints about the intro app and the newbie muggles.

But there's the rub. If they wanted to listen to cache owners, shouldn't they stick with the conscious decision we made? You CHOSE to make your caches premium and that's great! It gives premium members unique caches to find, I do the same with some of mine.

 

BUT I have also made the decision to make caches available for everyone. Yes sometimes they get muggled, but that happens on my premium ones too. Just the life of being a cache owner.

 

Shouldn't it be up to me if I want my caches found by only premium?

Edited April 4, 2016 by DarkFlare

[+Team Taran]

There are other apps. Also if someone wants to find other types of caches, they can go to the site in their browser copy the cords and Input them into any app that accepts Input coordinates. They can print out the cache page or export as a PDFs and go find the cache. This is how I found my first 1000 caches and it worked fine. Is being able to access all the details from the app or your gps easier.? Yes! Is it necessary? No!

Edited April 4, 2016 by Team Taran

[+Manville Possum]

As a cache owner that made all my caches PMO after several got muggled by intro app users... I want to express my thanks to Groundspeak. I believe they listened to cache owners complaints about the intro app and the newbie muggles.

But there's the rub. If they wanted to listen to cache owners, shouldn't they stick with the conscious decision we made? You CHOSE to make your caches premium and that's great! It gives premium members unique caches to find, I do the same with some of mine.

 

BUT I have also made the decision to make caches available for everyone. Yes sometimes they get muggled, but that happens on my premium ones too. Just the life of being a cache owner.

 

Shouldn't it be up to me if I want my caches found by only premium?

 

It should totally be up to the cache owner if they want their caches PMO. There are several other geocaching apps that are not limited like Groundspeak's new app, and I guess that most are aware of them by now. Groundspeak's app is just a sample app, unless you are a Premium Members and then it's not a bad app. There are many better apps for basic members that just want to play geocaching for free, but I understand Groundspeak is a business too.

[ohgood]

Hey Groundspeak! I just found out from a friend of mine what's going on with the new geocaching app. He's a regular member because he doesn't get out caching much (new baby) and when he went to do the virtual in downtown Toronto that I have been bugging him to do forever, he was unable to open it in the new app.

 

For anyone who doesn't know, this is because Groundspeak has put in place a rule in the new app that if you're a regular member, you get 1.5/1.5 Traditionals only. (You still can see others will "geocaching classic" but who knows how long before it gets discontinued)

 

Now, I know most people will just hear the regular members groaning about this but I want to add my perspective because regular members aren't the only ones affected. I have been a premium member since 2011 and I'm a cache owner. I have both premium caches, and ones available for everyone and I'm really ticked that now all of the sudden a lot fewer people will be able to find my caches. I spend a lot of time setting up and considering how I should rate each cache. Downtown I have a really special multi that I spent months setting up to make it tourist friendly and wanted to make it so that everyone visiting my hometown could have a great unique experience. But now thanks to this new app, there are going to lots of cachers who will miss out on experiences like this just because they aren't sure about taking geocaching to the next level. Yes I understand running a site and apps aren't free, (that's partly why i'm a premium member in the first place) but that's what premium features are for, not cutting out caches without owners consent. The site has a lot of amazing features, keep promoting them and people will join on their own terms.

 

Groundspeak said themselves that a free app is the best way for new members to learn about the hobby, so why are we preventing them from finding cool caches and trying everything geocaching has to offer? This lockout will lead to new geocachers only finding the same, more boring traditionals, over and over and over. (the first lampost skirt was great but imagine if that's all you can find...ever) All the unique, different, tricky caches that really hook new members, the ones that people talk about at events will be lost. This will only promote more 1.5/1.5 traditionals filling up space and a decrease to all other cache types and anything tricker than a 1.5. (or people rating it low to make it available to be found)

 

I place caches to be found, and to hopefully inspire new members to join in on the fun and hide their own creative caches but now probably 90% of my caches available to regular members can't be accessed on this new app.

 

I want to make my voice heard now when it's just an app and not the full website because you never know. (Give 'em an inch, they take a mile is the old saying) Sorry for the rant and thanks for listening.

 

See you on the Trails,

Dave

(DarkFlare of Toronto, Canada)

 

I agree with your point. GC'ing should not strip classification power from the owners of caches, OR automagically limit who sees caches, unless the OWNER wants it that way.

 

I know people who have tried playing, and completely lost interest when they realized the game required a subscription to see anything more than a park-bench find. It turns a lot of people off to realize how corporate the game has become.

 

Giving power back to the owners would make a lot of sense.

[+kunarion]

Groundspeak's app is just a sample app, unless you are a Premium Members and then it's not a bad app. There are many better apps for basic members that just want to play geocaching for free, but I understand Groundspeak is a business too.

+1

 

Truth. The App is a demo, so people can test how their phone works with it, as with 99.9% of all "free" Apps. But Groundspeak TPTB are not all on the same page, they each have a different understanding of the Apps, they all have different terms for things (Free? Intro? GeocachingR?), and contradictory statements all over the place, and the terms keep changing with no apparent plan. In just this case, it sure is confusing when they say Geocaching is “free” and that The App is not free.

 

App stores are full of “free” Apps just like this one that are advertised as free but provide a much better experience if you pay, and reviews are full of complaints about “Give Me More For Free And I'd Rate It Higher”. Go figure.

Edited April 5, 2016 by kunarion

[+BethKatzPA]

As a premium member and a cache owner, I find the low limits on basic users horrid. I rate my caches based on their difficulty and terrain. If I wanted to make them for premium members only, I'd mark them that way.

 

I've been a longtime user of the paid app and a longtime premium member. Is it really your intent to push new basic users to other companies' apps? Really?