Mystery cache mystery

[+Jayeffel]

I just noticed something, but since it it actually the first mystery cache I solved , I guess I would not have seen it before. I figured the coordinates from the puzzle and used the checker, which upon telling me I was correct changed the coordinates on the cache page. Does that t only do it to my screen? I would imagine so, otherwise one person could solve a puzzle for everyone. I have found a few, but never figured the clues before. Most are way above me. 

[+fuzziebear3]

Yes -- that is for your convenience.  It is the same functionality as if you edit the coordinates with the pencil.   In either case, only you will see that change.

 

[+Jayeffel]

Thanks

[+rosebud55112]

And then after you go out and find that cache, the smiley face will show up back at the original posted (not corrected) coordinates.  This is good for solving geo-art that contains mysteries, but bad for using the map to brute force other mysteries

[+noncentric]

59 minutes ago, rosebud55112 said:

And then after you go out and find that cache, the smiley face will show up back at the original posted (not corrected) coordinates.

Yes - the cache icon will change from a puzzle piece, which indicates caches that have corrected coordinates, to a smiley face.

The coordinates on the cache page itself will still show the italicized, corrected coords whether a cache is found or unfound.

[+niraD]

1 hour ago, rosebud55112 said:

And then after you go out and find that cache, the smiley face will show up back at the original posted (not corrected) coordinates.  This is good for solving geo-art that contains mysteries, but bad for using the map to brute force other mysteries

It's also bad for knowing where the final location is so you can avoid it when hiding your own cache. Or if you want to visit the location again for some reason (e.g., dropping a trackable that fit's the puzzle cache's theme). And probably other reasons. About the only reasons to view the original location are for geoart or for making sure the bogus coordinates don't overlap with a stage of a new cache.

[+TyroneShoelaces]

2 hours ago, niraD said:

It's also bad for knowing where the final location is so you can avoid it when hiding your own cache. Or if you want to visit the location again for some reason (e.g., dropping a trackable that fit's the puzzle cache's theme). And probably other reasons. About the only reasons to view the original location are for geoart or for making sure the bogus coordinates don't overlap with a stage of a new cache.

 

There should be a toggle switch on the map to display found puzzles at either the posted or solved coords.

Edited August 3, 2018 by TyroneShoelaces

[+niraD]

5 minutes ago, TyroneShoelaces said:

There should be a toggle switch on the map to display found puzzles at either the posted or solved coords.

From your mouth to Groundspeak's ears...

[+Max and 99]

4 hours ago, Jayeffel said:

I just noticed something, but since it it actually the first mystery cache I solved , I guess I would not have seen it before. I figured the coordinates from the puzzle and used the checker, which upon telling me I was correct changed the coordinates on the cache page. Does that t only do it to my screen? I would imagine so, otherwise one person could solve a puzzle for everyone. I have found a few, but never figured the clues before. Most are way above me. 

Aha! You just solved a mystery for me!

 

I did not realize that by using a geochecker (I usually don't use them), it will change the coords for me on the page.  Long story short....I did not know HOW those corrected coordinates showed up on the cache page for a puzzle I solved since I did not change them myself. Now I know! I'm glad you brought this up.

[+Jayeffel]

3 minutes ago, Max and 99 said:

just solved a mystery for me!

Glad I could help-- in any way!

[+NanCycle]

54 minutes ago, Max and 99 said:

I did not realize that by using a geochecker (I usually don't use them), it will change the coords for me on the page.  

 

I've never had the coordinates changed for me after using a geochecker.  Is it the "official" solution checker that does this?

[+Max and 99]

35 minutes ago, NanCycle said:

 

I've never had the coordinates changed for me after using a geochecker.  Is it the "official" solution checker that does this?

Good question! It's only happened to me once but I bet others can let us know. I bet you're right!

[+barefootjeff]

37 minutes ago, NanCycle said:

1 hour ago, Max and 99 said:

I did not realize that by using a geochecker (I usually don't use them), it will change the coords for me on the page.  

 

I've never had the coordinates changed for me after using a geochecker.  Is it the "official" solution checker that does this?

 

Yes, it's one of its features. See this page in the Help Centre.

[+niraD]

2 hours ago, barefootjeff said:

2 hours ago, NanCycle said:

3 hours ago, Max and 99 said:

I did not realize that by using a geochecker (I usually don't use them), it will change the coords for me on the page.  

I've never had the coordinates changed for me after using a geochecker.  Is it the "official" solution checker that does this?

Yes, it's one of its features. See this page in the Help Centre.

Third-party checkers can also update the coordinates, but at least Certitude does not do this by default. It requires another click to do the update.

[+NanCycle]

48 minutes ago, niraD said:

Third-party checkers can also update the coordinates

 

I'm flabbergasted -- I've never seen this.  Which ones will?  I looked at Geochecker and couldn't find anything there. 

[+niraD]

2 hours ago, NanCycle said:

3 hours ago, niraD said:

Third-party checkers can also update the coordinates

I'm flabbergasted -- I've never seen this.  Which ones will?  I looked at Geochecker and couldn't find anything there. 

Certitude supports it. I'm not as familiar with any others.

[+dprovan]

3 hours ago, niraD said:

Third-party checkers can also update the coordinates, but at least Certitude does not do this by default. It requires another click to do the update.

I never clicked on anything to tell certitude to update the coordinates, it just did it automatically starting a couple months ago. There's a checkbox that I could uncheck in order to disable the update, but it was checked the first time I noticed it and I've never touched it.

 

34 minutes ago, niraD said:

Certitude supports it. I'm not as familiar with any others.

Well, the geocaching.com checker does it, too, and there's no way to disable that.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

18 hours ago, rosebud55112 said:

And then after you go out and find that cache, the smiley face will show up back at the original posted (not corrected) coordinates.  This is good for solving geo-art that contains mysteries, but bad for using the map to brute force other mysteries

 

It's also bad for someone that wan'ts to hide in the area and can't look at the map and easily so the final location of mystery caches.   A lot of geocachers don't do geo-art and it's unfortunate that GS decided to cater to those that want to see a pretty picture on the map rather than those that want to place a geocache.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

6 hours ago, dprovan said:

I never clicked on anything to tell certitude to update the coordinates, it just did it automatically starting a couple months ago. There's a checkbox that I could uncheck in order to disable the update, but it was checked the first time I noticed it and I've never touched it.

 

Well, the geocaching.com checker does it, too, and there's no way to disable that.

 

It's easy for the official GC checker to set the corrected coordinates because it's likely running on the same server as the rest of the application.  I have never seen a third party checker update the coordinates, but it would mean that the API has a method that be called and any authorized app (with access to the API) could do it.

[+fraggle_[DE]]

10 hours ago, niraD said:

Third-party checkers can also update the coordinates, but at least Certitude does not do this by default. It requires another click to do the update.

 

Certitude  does not update the coordinates in the listing page. Instead it updates the "Personal Cache Note" field, if you click the "Update Note" button. The attached picture shows the corresponding message .

 

I've never tried it because any existing note will be overwritten.

[+niraD]

1 hour ago, fraggle_[DE] said:

 

Certitude  does not update the coordinates in the listing page. Instead it updates the "Personal Cache Note" field, if you click the "Update Note" button. The attached picture shows the corresponding message .

 

I've never tried it because any existing note will be overwritten.

Huh... I see an "Update coordinates" checkbox above the "Update Note" button, and sure enough, if I click the "Update Note" button with the "Update coordinates" checkbox selected, then the coordinates are updated.

[+fraggle_[DE]]

2 hours ago, niraD said:

Huh... I see an "Update coordinates" checkbox above the "Update Note" button,..

 

Huh, I don't see such a checkbox. Mysterious!

 

In this case I withdraw my statement and change it to "For me Certitude  does not update the coordinates in the listing page. .."

[+noncentric]

6 hours ago, niraD said:

8 hours ago, fraggle_[DE] said:

 

Certitude  does not update the coordinates in the listing page. Instead it updates the "Personal Cache Note" field, if you click the "Update Note" button. The attached picture shows the corresponding message .

 

I've never tried it because any existing note will be overwritten.

Huh... I see an "Update coordinates" checkbox above the "Update Note" button, and sure enough, if I click the "Update Note" button with the "Update coordinates" checkbox selected, then the coordinates are updated.

 

Yep, as with niraD, I also see an option to Update Coordinates using Certitude.  Either with or without being logged in on Certitude.  If I'm not already logged into Certitude, then clicking the Update Note button with take me the Certitude login page.

 

Certitude will update the Personal Cache Note with the coordinates + keyword solution (if it's a keyword puzzle) - BUT, it does overwrite whatever was already in the PCN section, so be warned!

 

I wonder if  fraggle_[DE]  does not get the "Update coordinates" option because of the GDPR rules?  Although it would be odd that it would give the option to Update Note but not Update Coordinates.  Odd.

[+fizzymagic]

First: the on-page coord checker is very nice in that it updates the coords automatically.

Second:  As many others have pointed out, Certitude can do it as well.  I'm not completely sure how it does it, as I rarely log in to Certitude but it can fix the coords even if I am not logged in to it.  If it used the API that would not work.

[+dprovan]

1 hour ago, fizzymagic said:

First: the on-page coord checker is very nice in that it updates the coords automatically.

Second:  As many others have pointed out, Certitude can do it as well.  I'm not completely sure how it does it, as I rarely log in to Certitude but it can fix the coords even if I am not logged in to it.  If it used the API that would not work.

How can it update your coordinates if it doesn't know who you are? I'm not quite sure what you mean by logging into certitude. I don't log into certitude, but certitude does send me to geocaching.com so that I can tell geocaching.com that certitude may act on my behalf. It's the same authorization it's always needed to update my personal note. A few months ago, out of the blue, it started updating my coordinates, too. Since I never update the coordinates manually, it took a couple puzzle solves for me to realize what was happening.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

8 hours ago, dprovan said:

10 hours ago, fizzymagic said:

First: the on-page coord checker is very nice in that it updates the coords automatically.

Second:  As many others have pointed out, Certitude can do it as well.  I'm not completely sure how it does it, as I rarely log in to Certitude but it can fix the coords even if I am not logged in to it.  If it used the API that would not work.

How can it update your coordinates if it doesn't know who you are?

 

Perhaps  it stores the user credentials in a cookie.   It is likely using OAuth for obtaining the username (by requiring one to login to geocaching.com).

Edited August 5, 2018 by NYPaddleCacher

[+baer2006]

19 hours ago, noncentric said:

I wonder if  fraggle_[DE]  does not get the "Update coordinates" option because of the GDPR rules?  Although it would be odd that it would give the option to Update Note but not Update Coordinates.  Odd.

It can't be a GDPR issue. I'm in Germany, too, and I do see the "Update Coordinates" checkbox (even though I never use it).

[+fizzymagic]

On 8/5/2018 at 7:19 AM, NYPaddleCacher said:

 

Perhaps  it stores the user credentials in a cookie.   It is likely using OAuth for obtaining the username (by requiring one to login to geocaching.com).

 

Certitude does not use a cookie for my credentials and it does not know who I am, but their little link thingie updates my coordinates on the cache page just fine, as long as I previously entered the correct solution on the same computer.  So it knows that the computer is the one that entered the correct solution (presumably using cookies), but not who I am.

 

As a result, I am very certain it is NOT using oauth or the Geocaching API.

Edited August 7, 2018 by fizzymagic

[+Mn-treker]

Cirtitude and that new puzzle checker provided by Groundspeak both will update the coords on the cache page.

The other puzzle checkers will not.

I have personally seen this. Cirtitude will also add any extra note as well. This is a new addition a few months ago. 

[+on4bam]

1 hour ago, Mn-treker said:

Cirtitude and that new puzzle checker provided by Groundspeak both will update the coords on the cache page.

 

 

At least Certitude gives you the option to update (or not). I prefer NOT.

 

 

[+TeamRabbitRun]

On ‎8‎/‎4‎/‎2018 at 7:27 AM, NYPaddleCacher said:

 

It's also bad for someone that wan'ts to hide in the area and can't look at the map and easily so the final location of mystery caches.   A lot of geocachers don't do geo-art and it's unfortunate that GS decided to cater to those that want to see a pretty picture on the map rather than those that want to place a geocache.

 

I'd agree with this complaint, as long as you stipulate that it ONLY show you corrected locations on Puzzle Caches that you've found!

 

Obviously (to me, anyway), it shouldn't show you any finals on unsolved Mysteries.

[+noncentric]

On 8/7/2018 at 6:58 AM, Mn-treker said:

Cirtitude will also add any extra note as well. This is a new addition a few months ago. 

Just be careful though.  If you already had something in the personal cache note section, then Certitude will completely replace what you had before.

[+Mn-treker]

3 hours ago, noncentric said:

Just be careful though.  If you already had something in the personal cache note section, then Certitude will completely replace what you had before.

Very true! I found that the hard way.

But I had the coords, that is what was important to me.

[+fraggle_[DE]]

On 4.8.2018 at 11:09 PM, noncentric said:

I wonder if  fraggle_[DE]  does not get the "Update coordinates" option because of ..

 

Hm, could it be it has something to do with the cache type? Just a few moments ago I was surprised to see the "Update coordinates" checkbox at the certitude site. This time it was a letterbox hybrid cache which had a starter puzzle.

 

The last time where I didn't see the checkbox it was a Wherigo.

[+noncentric]

On 8/13/2018 at 10:26 AM, fraggle_[DE] said:

Hm, could it be it has something to do with the cache type? Just a few moments ago I was surprised to see the "Update coordinates" checkbox at the certitude site. This time it was a letterbox hybrid cache which had a starter puzzle.

 

The last time where I didn't see the checkbox it was a Wherigo.

I asked Certitude and the reply I received was:   "There is no « update coordinates » checkbox if the solution is not a set of coordinates (e.g. the solution is a keyword for an intermediate stage that doesn’t yield final coordinates)."   Does that sound like the cache you were looking at?

[+fraggle_[DE]]

7 hours ago, noncentric said:

.. "There is no « update coordinates » checkbox if the solution is not a set of coordinates .."   Does that sound like the cache you were looking at?

 

That's it! I've never minded the type of solution text, but after some tests I can say: the checkbox is there if you use coordinates, and is not there if you use non-coordinates-keywords.

Afterwards this behaviour totally makes sense.

Thank you for finding out, noncentric!