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BUG: TB information missing from Pocket Queries


jlfbos

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The zip file of the Pocket Quiry has no Travel Bug data .

 

Downloading the GPX file directly from the GC6C7ZB page, it shows the trackable mark.
Ref: (example) GC6C7ZB page. Inventory of GC6C7ZB shows all the trackables.
 
    <Groundspeak:travelbugs>
        <Groundspeak:travelbug id="5199004" ref="TB629RQ">
          <Groundspeak:name>BSA</Groundspeak:name>
        </Groundspeak:travelbug>
        <Groundspeak:travelbug id="5726662" ref="TB6M0VZ">
          <Groundspeak:name>Candy erobert die Welt</Groundspeak:name>
        </Groundspeak:travelbug>
        <Groundspeak:travelbug id="6499385" ref="TB7EYYG">
          <Groundspeak:name>ILa's Tag</Groundspeak:name>
        </Groundspeak:travelbug>
        <Groundspeak:travelbug id="794086" ref="TB19E3K">
          <Groundspeak:name>Papa Smurf</Groundspeak:name>
        </Groundspeak:travelbug>
        <Groundspeak:travelbug id="5828543" ref="TB6QDWE">
          <Groundspeak:name>Travel Bug Nepomuk</Groundspeak:name>
        </Groundspeak:travelbug>
        <Groundspeak:travelbug id="6596651" ref="TB7J754">
          <Groundspeak:name>The Masked Bandit - Season's Fall Geocoin</Groundspeak:name>
        </Groundspeak:travelbug>
        <Groundspeak:travelbug id="6893086" ref="TB7X5KH">
          <Groundspeak:name>Red9yo</Groundspeak:name>
        </Groundspeak:travelbug>
      </Groundspeak:travelbugs>

 

However, generating the Pocket quiry zip file containg the GPX/LOC file of GC6C7ZB, this does not contain the travelbugs.

The file only shows:  <Groundspeak:travelbugs />

 

Please advise

 

Thank you
Jan

Edited by Rock Chalk
Moderator note: This post was originally in the Travel Bug forum. We merged it with this thread. However, it appears this post must have been published prior to this thread, so it's displaying as the first post in the thread. Apologies for any confusion.
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2 hours ago, ian-and-penny said:

It seems that trackable data is not appearing in PQ's any more, - - and this seems to have been the case for a few weeks now. 
 

Can trackable information be put back into PQ's please.

 

A question for you: are you running a PQ for geocaches that have TBs, or just noticed in the PQ you ran that no TBs are showing?

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Just tested it with ....

(1.) .... a PQ created today containing the TB Hotel GC3B3CW and

(2.) .... a gpx file downloaded directly from the listing of GC3B3CW.

Result:
GC3B3CW.gpx from the listing contains serveral Groundspeak:travelbug tags within Groundspeak:travelbugs tag. But Groundspeak:travelbugs tag of GC3B3CW is empty in the gpx file of the zip file containing the PQ .

 

So infos about travelbugs in a cache are missing in created PQs.

Edited by c.s.g.
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17 hours ago, Max and 99 said:

I just ran of PQ of nearby caches that have TBs listed in them, and got plenty of results.

 

Then...

 

I ran a PQ of nearby traditional caches of size small or larger that have TBs and got lots listed.

Did you just run the PQs, or did you also download and inspect the resulting GPX files?

 

I just checked my PQs that ran overnight, and the resulting GPX files are indeed missing all trackable information.

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3 hours ago, The A-Team said:

Did you just run the PQs, or did you also download and inspect the resulting GPX files?

 

I just checked my PQs that ran overnight, and the resulting GPX files are indeed missing all trackable information.

That's above my skill set. I just ran the PQ and viewed the results. Glad the issue is being figured out!

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Just bumping this because the issue persists, wherein PQ's do not include information about whether there are Trackables in a cache's inventory or not.  Seems to be a missing and/or malformed tag in the PQ files that started somewhere between 5/25/2018 and 6/1/2018.

 

Is this a bug or an intentional change?

 

image.png.7152ec0933bd45e34d8c4899995c55dd.png

 

Edited by noncentric
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I just ran an ad hoc PQ on the caches I own, three of which I know contain a trackable. After the PQ ran the the "preview" page shows three caches contain trackables, but when I download and look at the GPX file it contains no trackables. It would be nice if GS would at least acknowledge there is an issue. 

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1 hour ago, K13 said:

I wonder if the average GPS unit has the ability to display the TB info?  If not, I couldn't expect that field to be added to the PQ download.

I have an eTrex 20, which is probably considered 'average', and it used to display that trackables were in a cache's inventory - if that info was in the .gpx file.

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On ‎9‎/‎26‎/‎2018 at 10:26 AM, Cheminer Will said:

Maybe it was removed on purpose for a reason that I can not think of?  It is just strange that there is no response or fix after all these months.

I doubt it. TPTB have resisted making any changes to the PQ system for years, forever promising that a replacement system is on the way. If it was intentional, I'm sure someone would have told us by now to end the speculation.

 

I guess they just don't consider this to be enough of an issue that it be prioritized above the development of new functionality.

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3 hours ago, ian-and-penny said:

It seems that trackable data is not appearing in PQ's any more, - - and this seems to have been the case for a few months  now. 
 

Can trackable information be put back into PQ's please.

 

Yep, from my old PQ files, it looks like the trackable info disappeared somewhere between 5/25/2018 and 6/1/2018.  I have PQ files from both those dates and the files from May show trackables, while the ones from June (and after) do not.

 

The "Groundspeak:trackables" tag changed at some point between those two dates, as I noted in an image file above.  :(

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As someone who does enjoy the trackable side game, I'm bumping this so it doesn't fall over the edge of the Internets.  (To me, this is a more important fix than any of the "make GC.COM look like a phone app" changes - the TB info in the PQ is actually broken whereas I've encountered no problems significant enough to remember with the existing ("old") map, drafts, or profile pages.)

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It is surprising that this still hasn't been fixed. I wonder if the lack of action implies one of the following:

  1. TPTB don't consider trackables and/or PQs to be a high enough priority to work on fixing this issue at this time.
  2. TPTB are planning some upcoming major changes to trackables and/or PQs and don't want to bother with fixing this issue when a replacement/new feature is on its way.
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17 minutes ago, The A-Team said:

It is surprising that this still hasn't been fixed. I wonder if the lack of action implies one of the following:

  1. TPTB don't consider trackables and/or PQs to be a high enough priority to work on fixing this issue at this time.
  2. TPTB are planning some upcoming major changes to trackables and/or PQs and don't want to bother with fixing this issue when a replacement/new feature is on its way.

 

Or, couldn't it simply be the site realizes that since many inventories aren't accurate anymore anyway,  removing that from PQs helps end the frustration of not finding one "supposed" to be there?

Notice that "Drop  off a trackable  you do not own" is worth "points" for this new promotion.

- It sounds (to me) like they're trying to fix things.  :)

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17 minutes ago, cerberus1 said:

 

Or, couldn't it simply be the site realizes that since many inventories aren't accurate anymore anyway,  removing that from PQs helps end the frustration of not finding one "supposed" to be there?

Notice that "Drop  off a trackable  you do not own" is worth "points" for this new promotion.

- It sounds (to me) like they're trying to fix things.  :)

If that were the case, I would think they'd start with modifying the API to not return trackable information, but it currently still works for that. Searching on the website still reports about trackables too. It's just PQs that don't.

 

In the end, though, you're right that the trackable information isn't particularly useful anyway, what with the countless mis-logged trackables. That being said, I do watch for whether a cache I'm looking for is reported as having a trackable in it, and will look closely to see if it's actually there and buried or if it's missing.

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I've just noticed this problem after running a PQ to check the caches I visited at the weekend and in particular the 4 we dropped TBs in. So adding another request for the missing information to be restored. How are we to report missing TBs to owners if we don't know there's supposed to be any in the cache?

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5 hours ago, tyke said:

 How are we to report missing TBs to owners if we don't know there's supposed to be any in the cache?

 

We've made a mention in a Found It, "Didn't see any trackables listed " or similar. 

I wouldn't report it to the owner, as I don't know if someone  (the CO himself maybe) stopped by just to grab it.

 - That's allowed...

I've found most trackables the past couple years in caches  they weren't logged into.

This incorrect logging is done by long-time members as well as the new folks for some odd reason.

 - But I agree, we have noticed a good number of people who want to report "an error" to the owner/CO when they really don't know for sure.

The majority of trackables marked missing from our ammo can hides showed the trackable still there safe n sound when we checked. 

The "reporter" just didn't see it.   :)

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Has this been raised with Groundspeak? I download pocket queries to GSAK and then used to use a filter in GSAK to decide upon which caches to visit in a new area (plus save them on my GPS with a different coloured icon. I'm visiting a new area tomorrow and having to use the GC site for this (plus won't get notification in the field).

 

#edit# I've just found a work around of using a second pocket query!

 

Also a feature request for TB status would be that finders of a cache could flag - Not found in cache to the TB this would assist tracking them I think.

 

Geofaf

Edited by geofaf
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6 hours ago, geofaf said:

Also a feature request for TB status would be that finders of a cache could flag - Not found in cache to the TB this would assist tracking them I think.

 

Most should realize by now that a trackable in inventory doesn't mean it's there.

There's already been more than a few ideas on marking "trackable not there" in caches.

Groundspeak did acknowledge that one by creating an auto-fix algorithm thing that's used time-to-time.

We were glad, as most times when someone claims a trackable's not there, we find it in with swag... :) 

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On 8/26/2018 at 5:57 PM, noncentric said:

Just bumping this because the issue persists, wherein PQ's do not include information about whether there are Trackables in a cache's inventory or not.  Seems to be a missing and/or malformed tag in the PQ files that started somewhere between 5/25/2018 and 6/1/2018.

 

Is this a bug or an intentional change?

 

image.png.7152ec0933bd45e34d8c4899995c55dd.png

 

It's not a malformed tag.  The tag shown in the pocket query results is a valid, but empty tag.  Putting the "/" within the tag before the ">" makes it a self-closing tag.  

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I found a workaround.  I create a pocket query of just TBs.  In GSAK, I use the Geocaching.com access menu, to download pocket queries.  Click on the Run GPX load after downloading, and then click on the Settings Dialog box.  This opens up your Load GPX settings, click on the User Flag Set user flag and Clear all users flags first buttons, then save the settings under a TB download settings name.  Then exit.  Select the TB download settings in the drop down list.  Then click on OK.  This downloads all the queries into the database and sets the user flag.  In the search filter, select Has User flag set, and deselect Not set and press Go.  Now all the caches that have TBs in the query will be displayed in the filter, but they may not have any TB icon or TB names.  At this point, select Geocaching.com menu again and Refresh cache data.  Under Scope, select All in current filter, and then select Go.  The API downloads all the TB info into the database and marks the cache with the TB icon.

 

Its not perfect because caches that previously had TBs but are not in the current query won't have the flag set.  Without the flag set, the filter won't display those caches that have old TB info when you refresh the caches.  I guess you could filter on just the TBs and then run the refresh again, but that gets to be a lot of refreshing. 

Edited by Fantom1
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On 1/3/2019 at 5:41 PM, Fantom1 said:

I found a workaround [...]

 

Perhaps another solution exists for those who automate their GSAK, which means updating the TB field with a database operation in a macro. I will be experimenting and report on the GSAK forum, although I don't understand why this bug has been ignored since last July.

Edited by Il Boss
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