Disabled/archived/locked caches

[+The A-Team]

While there have been some minor changes with the way disabled, archived, or locked caches are handled in the app, there are still issues with each.

• Disabled caches - You can search for these, but they don't show on the map. They should, but with a greyed-out icon like on the website.
• Archives caches - There's no way for these to be viewed in the app. Searching for one returns the message "This cache has been archived."
• Archived and locked caches - When searching for these, a spinning circle is briefly shown, but then that disappears and no message is provided. This is definitely not ideal behaviour.

 

There are countless use-cases for wanting to view a listing regardless of its status, so any non-retracted listing should be able to be viewed in the app. With disabled caches, there's no good reason for hiding them from the map, especially since they are shown on the website maps (#consistency).

[+L0ne.R]

1 hour ago, The A-Team said:

Disabled caches - You can search for these, but they don't show on the map. They should, but with a greyed-out icon like on the website.

 

I worry about potential drawbacks:

• Less reason for a CO to visit and maintain their caches, since people will still visit. The cache is essentially active since the listing is still visible. 
• They will log a "find" on a ziptie (the reason the cache was disabled), making it seem at first glance like the cache is there. 
• It makes it harder for reviewers to archive a cache with subsequent finds. Maybe they will end up archiving archive on the grounds that the owner did not respond to the reviewer disable log.  
• Some will actively seek these out to keep them in play or to get a "point" before the listing is archived.
• All caches may need to be locked once archived, to stop people from logging finds continuously on archived caches which still appear on the map. Especially archived caches which are covetted for their D/T rating or cache type.  People may not be able to open up new accounts and retroactively include old cache finds anymore. 
• A "finder" will leave a throwdown which will be followed by an OM by the owner, who will not check the location. More owners may take advantage of this loophole. More reviewers may be forced to disable again, asking that the owner check the throwdown and log an OM after the visit. 
• Or an accusation that the person who logged the NA/NM and the reviewer who subsequently disabled the cache are to blame (cache cop/overzealous reviewer) for archiving a "perfectly good cache" -- not mentioning that they left a throwdown (I have examples of this behaviour). 

Those who want to play that way have to work harder to find those cache listings, since they can't do it with the app. 

[+The A-Team]

19 hours ago, L0ne.R said:

I worry about potential drawbacks:

• Less reason for a CO to visit and maintain their caches, since people will still visit. The cache is essentially active since the listing is still visible. 
• They will log a "find" on a ziptie (the reason the cache was disabled), making it seem at first glance like the cache is there. 
• It makes it harder for reviewers to archive a cache with subsequent finds. Maybe they will end up archiving archive on the grounds that the owner did not respond to the reviewer disable log.  
• Some will actively seek these out to keep them in play or to get a "point" before the listing is archived.
• All caches may need to be locked once archived, to stop people from logging finds continuously on archived caches which still appear on the map. Especially archived caches which are covetted for their D/T rating or cache type.  People may not be able to open up new accounts and retroactively include old cache finds anymore. 
• A "finder" will leave a throwdown which will be followed by an OM by the owner, who will not check the location. More owners may take advantage of this loophole. More reviewers may be forced to disable again, asking that the owner check the throwdown and log an OM after the visit. 
• Or an accusation that the person who logged the NA/NM and the reviewer who subsequently disabled the cache are to blame (cache cop/overzealous reviewer) for archiving a "perfectly good cache" -- not mentioning that they left a throwdown (I have examples of this behaviour). 

Those who want to play that way have to work harder to find those cache listings, since they can't do it with the app. 

 

Just to be clear:

• Disabled caches are shown on the maps on the website
• Disabled caches were visible in the previous official app

...and the sky hasn't fallen.

 

Do you feel that they shouldn't be shown on the website either? All of your arguments would apply there too.

 

IMO, the issues you listed are either purely hypothetical and haven't been an issue in the past, or are so infrequently an issue that they aren't worth worrying about.

 

Addressing this point specifically:

Quote

All caches may need to be locked once archived, to stop people from logging finds continuously on archived caches which still appear on the map.

 

At no point did I suggest showing archived caches in the app. That isn't something I would ever suggest, nor is it something that HQ would ever entertain.