+Cachemarkers Posted February 9, 2017 Share Posted February 9, 2017 So, I have solved a few mystery caches where after getting the solve, a password is revealed with a link on the cache page that leads to an online document that can only be opened with the password noodled in the puzzle. I am trying to place such a cache and cannot figure out how to make this type of page. I've tried google docs and sheets, adobe (wants 15 bucks to do it), and Create PDF to do this for free. Nothing gives me a link and password together. One or the other, but not both. Suggestions on how to do this? Windows 7 PC and Open Office so an MS word doc is also out of the question although I could probably go to the library to do it. Thanks in advance. Quote Link to comment
+kunarion Posted February 9, 2017 Share Posted February 9, 2017 (edited) You can do this if you upload it to a web host. First you make a password-protected file (PDF or Doc or whatever), then upload it to the online site in a selected directory. At that point, your file has a URL. If you have a nice, secure way to make a file to hide puzzle coordinates (and if you don't mind providing info on how you set it up), post it! Sounds pretty cool. Have you asked your Reviewer about password-protected text files on some server? It may be good to be sure everything's OK with that idea before you put a lot of work into it. You know, just in case. You should contact the cachers who made the password caches. They've already gone through the process that you ask about. If you can't find a free place that will host a file as you hope, PM me. I have a website, which is where I stash some cache-related files that won't fit on a Geocaching.com cache page. I mainly use my site for my own convenience, especially to filter and forward email. Edited February 10, 2017 by kunarion Quote Link to comment
+lee737 Posted February 9, 2017 Share Posted February 9, 2017 I've seen one cache using certitude for this purpose..... https://www.certitudes.org/ Quote Link to comment
+dprovan Posted February 9, 2017 Share Posted February 9, 2017 I'm not sure I know what you're talking about, but certitude allows you to require the solver supply a keyword. That's a simple way to have a password-to-coordinates conversion. If you really want a password-to-document conversion, supply a link to the document in the certitude "bonus info". Quote Link to comment
+kunarion Posted February 10, 2017 Share Posted February 10, 2017 (edited) I'm not sure I know what you're talking about, but certitude allows you to require the solver supply a keyword. That's a simple way to have a password-to-coordinates conversion. If you really want a password-to-document conversion, supply a link to the document in the certitude "bonus info". Emphasis mine. I think the sticking point is that the OP doesn't have that link, the place to host the file. Certitude does seem like a simpler way to do this, if the password is to unlock coordinates. But the OP's idea may make for a tougher difficulty. If one solves for a "password", one might look for the "Certitude" link. Having to find the file and decide that the password is used there, that's a little trickier. I like it. Edited February 10, 2017 by kunarion Quote Link to comment
+Cachemarkers Posted February 10, 2017 Author Share Posted February 10, 2017 I'm not sure I know what you're talking about, but certitude allows you to require the solver supply a keyword. That's a simple way to have a password-to-coordinates conversion. If you really want a password-to-document conversion, supply a link to the document in the certitude "bonus info". Emphasis mine. I think the sticking point is that the OP doesn't have that link, the place to host the file. Certitude does seem like a simpler way to do this, if the password is to unlock coordinates. But the OP's idea may make for a tougher difficulty. If one solves for a "password", one might look for the "Certitude" link. Having to find the file and decide that the password is used there, that's a little trickier. I like it. Right. I don't have a link. Let me work with it some more and I may take you up on your offer. A fellow cacher steered me towards a couple locals who used the method I described. Thanks all! Quote Link to comment
+NYPaddleCacher Posted February 10, 2017 Share Posted February 10, 2017 You can do this if you upload it to a web host. First you make a password-protected file (PDF or Doc or whatever), then upload it to the online site in a selected directory. At that point, your file has a URL. If you have a nice, secure way to make a file to hide puzzle coordinates (and if you don't mind providing info on how you set it up), post it! Sounds pretty cool. Have you asked your Reviewer about password-protected text files on some server? It may be good to be sure everything's OK with that idea before you put a lot of work into it. You know, just in case. You should contact the cachers who made the password caches. They've already gone through the process that you ask about. If you can't find a free place that will host a file as you hope, PM me. I have a website, which is where I stash some cache-related files that won't fit on a Geocaching.com cache page. I mainly use my site for my own convenience, especially to filter and forward email. Another option would be to create an image or text file with the puzzle coordinates and put it into an archive file. There are several archive tools which will allow one to create password protected zip or rar files. The file could then be put in a file sharing site like Dropbox, which will provide a URL Quote Link to comment
ohgood Posted February 10, 2017 Share Posted February 10, 2017 http://scanova.io/blog/blog/2015/07/14/password-protected-qr-codes/ how to password protect qr codes, it might make the process even easier for you. Quote Link to comment
+Kalkendotters Posted February 11, 2017 Share Posted February 11, 2017 http://scanova.io/blog/blog/2015/07/14/password-protected-qr-codes/ how to password protect qr codes, it might make the process even easier for you. Technically, it does not protect the qr-code It does password protection by making a QR-code that first goes to their own website. On that site it will ask the password, and if that is correct it redirects it to your given website/page. So it only works as long as you have an internet connection and scanovia.io maintains its website. Quote Link to comment
ohgood Posted February 11, 2017 Share Posted February 11, 2017 http://scanova.io/blog/blog/2015/07/14/password-protected-qr-codes/ how to password protect qr codes, it might make the process even easier for you. Technically, it does not protect the qr-code It does password protection by making a QR-code that first goes to their own website. On that site it will ask the password, and if that is correct it redirects it to your given website/page. So it only works as long as you have an internet connection and scanovia.io maintains its website. I'm sorry, i thought you were OK with using a internet source for hosting and processing. are you only looking for an offline solution ? Quote Link to comment
+NYPaddleCacher Posted February 12, 2017 Share Posted February 12, 2017 http://scanova.io/bl...ected-qr-codes/ how to password protect qr codes, it might make the process even easier for you. Technically, it does not protect the qr-code It does password protection by making a QR-code that first goes to their own website. On that site it will ask the password, and if that is correct it redirects it to your given website/page. So it only works as long as you have an internet connection and scanovia.io maintains its website. I'm sorry, i thought you were OK with using a internet source for hosting and processing. are you only looking for an offline solution ? The OP wrote that they were trying to create a puzzle cache that used a password to unlock a file with coordinates in it. Unfortunately the scanova.io site is a commercial site and would likely cause issues for having the cache published. Quote Link to comment
+Cachemarkers Posted February 14, 2017 Author Share Posted February 14, 2017 You can do this if you upload it to a web host. First you make a password-protected file (PDF or Doc or whatever), then upload it to the online site in a selected directory. At that point, your file has a URL. If you have a nice, secure way to make a file to hide puzzle coordinates (and if you don't mind providing info on how you set it up), post it! Sounds pretty cool. Have you asked your Reviewer about password-protected text files on some server? It may be good to be sure everything's OK with that idea before you put a lot of work into it. You know, just in case. You should contact the cachers who made the password caches. They've already gone through the process that you ask about. If you can't find a free place that will host a file as you hope, PM me. I have a website, which is where I stash some cache-related files that won't fit on a Geocaching.com cache page. I mainly use my site for my own convenience, especially to filter and forward email. Another option would be to create an image or text file with the puzzle coordinates and put it into an archive file. There are several archive tools which will allow one to create password protected zip or rar files. The file could then be put in a file sharing site like Dropbox, which will provide a URL Quote Link to comment
+Cachemarkers Posted February 14, 2017 Author Share Posted February 14, 2017 Dropbox! I should have thought of that! Well, next time. I ended up publishing this using Certitude and already have a few finders. I've never done a puzzle cache before and am happy with how it came out! Thanks for the idea. Quote Link to comment
+Team Microdot Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 http://scanova.io/blog/blog/2015/07/14/password-protected-qr-codes/ how to password protect qr codes, it might make the process even easier for you. 14 day free trial? Quote Link to comment
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