Release Notes (Website: Attribute search filters) - August 31, 2020

[+Geocaching HQ]

Release Notes (Website: Attribute search filters) - August 31, 2020

 

With today’s release, Premium members can now filter for any of the 70 available attributes in the Advanced Search filters on the Geocaching homepage and search map filters. Expand the filter panel and select the desired attributes to include in your search.

 

(See also our release notes on Attribute Search in the Geocaching® app and New Attributes.)

 

Filtering by attributes helps you find caches that match your plans, abilities, and desired experience, and lets you focus on the caches that will make your cache outing a success.

• If you’re geocaching with kids, search for “Recommended for kids”.
• Only have an hour for caching? Search for caches with the “Takes less than one hour” attribute.
• If you’re looking to take your kayak on a tour, consider the “Boat required” attribute.

 

Your search results will show caches that include all the attributes you have selected. For example, you could search for caches that have the attribute “Dogs allowed” and “Recommended for kids” to show all caches that are both dog friendly and kid friendly. 

 

You may select up to 10 attributes at a time to include in your filtered searches. As you include more attributes, you will receive fewer results. For example, if you only select “May require wading”, you will get more search results than a search that includes “May require wading”, “Special tool required”, and “Available 24/7”. (But that does sound like a fun cache outing!)

 

This filter update only includes attributes in their positive state. If you are looking to exclude attributes from your search, let's say it's hunting season and you want to avoid caches in hunting areas, you can still use a Pocket Query to perform that search. 

 

Note for cache hiders: Attributes communicate what to expect at a cache location. You can identify attributes for your geocache before submitting a cache listing or you can add attributes after publication by editing your cache. Learn more about attributes.

 

Erin (Oceansazul) and Nicole (nykkole) are watching this thread to answer questions whenever possible.

 

Any posts in this thread should relate to features in this release. Comments unrelated to the release may be removed. Please direct unrelated comments to other appropriate threads. Thanks!

[+peter-tvm]

Excellent. Now finding caches with specific attributes will be much easier than using several pocket queries.

[+barefootjeff]

2 hours ago, Geocaching HQ said:

This filter update only includes attributes in their positive state. If you are looking to exclude attributes from your search, let's say it's hunting season and you want to avoid caches in hunting areas, you can still use a Pocket Query to perform that search. 

 

Great to see the attribute searches now available, but this limit to just the positive state is a bit disappointing. I own a challenge cache that requires finding a number of caches with the "takes more than an hour" attribute, the negative state of "takes less than an hour". Searching for the negative state of this attribute isn't the same as excluding caches that don't have the positive state, as many caches don't have either.

[+barefootjeff]

I'm getting the tooltips appearing in French but my language setting is English:

 

 

[+sernikk]

Are there any plans of adding search for negative attributes? I see, and as you wrote, currently it is impossible

Edited August 31, 2020 by sernikk

[+Hynz]

13 hours ago, Geocaching HQ said:

This filter update only includes attributes in their positive state. If you are looking to exclude attributes from your search, let's say it's hunting season and you want to avoid caches in hunting areas, you can still use a Pocket Query to perform that search. 

Referring especially to the new "Power trail" attribute:

 

I can't help pointing out that apparently you will be able to see exclusively power trail caches on the map but you are not able to filter *out* those caches cluttering the map view.

Being currently no Premium Member I couldn't care less but it definitely wouldn't improve my experience .

So please allow filtering also for negative attributes.

 

[+HHL]

1 minute ago, Hynz said:

So please allow filtering also for negative attributes.

No. That's not sufficient. Filtering for negative attributes is not the same than filtering for a positive attribute not being available (ie: show all caches that do not have the positive attribute). That's what we actually want to have to exclude "special" caches (climbing, boating, tools needed, etc.) from the search result.

 

Hans

[+Hynz]

1 minute ago, HHL said:

No. That's not sufficient. Filtering for negative attributes is not the same than filtering for a positive attribute not being available (ie: show all caches that do not have the positive attribute). That's what we actually want to have to exclude "special" caches (climbing, boating, tools needed, etc.) from the search result.

 

Hans

Yes, you're completely right. Searching for caches having *not* certain attributes would be good and helpful.

[+Vooruit!]

In the meantime, Project GC does support this.

[+thebruce0]

2 hours ago, Hynz said:

I can't help pointing out that apparently you will be able to see exclusively power trail caches on the map but you are not able to filter *out* those caches cluttering the map view.

Being currently no Premium Member I couldn't care less but it definitely wouldn't improve my experience .

So please allow filtering also for negative attributes.

 

Two things.

1. Pocket Queries (a PM feature) can filter out the positive (power trail) attribute.  Only the search (for now?) cannot.

 

2. Filtering for negative attributes is different than filtering out positive attributes. There's no negative power trail attribute.  But I do believe you were implying to filter out the [positive] power trail attribute. Just clarifying the difference between "filtering a negative" attribute.  

[+NYPaddleCacher]

2 hours ago, thebruce0 said:

4 hours ago, Hynz said:

I can't help pointing out that apparently you will be able to see exclusively power trail caches on the map but you are not able to filter *out* those caches cluttering the map view.

Being currently no Premium Member I couldn't care less but it definitely wouldn't improve my experience .

So please allow filtering also for negative attributes.

 

Two things.

1. Pocket Queries (a PM feature) can filter out the positive (power trail) attribute.  Only the search (for now?) cannot.

 

I've suggesting this before and Ill suggest it again.  GS should consider getting rid of "Pocket Queries".

 

With the inclusion of attributes  (and adding   the setting a negative attribute and selecting attributes to exclude) there is really only one useful feature with pocket queries that we can't do with the current search page or filters on the maps page;  the ability to save and replay a search.

 

When we create a search, with filters on either the main search page or from the map, if we could save the search criteria as a "name search", schedule it to periodically re-execute and specify a named list for the results, we could eliminate pocket queries and avoid the confusion of have multiple, differing search forms.  

[+MartyBartfast]

2 hours ago, NYPaddleCacher said:

With the inclusion of attributes  (and adding   the setting a negative attribute and selecting attributes to exclude) there is really only one useful feature with pocket queries that we can't do with the current search page or filters on the maps page;  the ability to save and replay a search.

 

Well you can (sort of), construct and execute your search then bookmark the URL

 

Sample search

 

2 hours ago, NYPaddleCacher said:

When we create a search, with filters on either the main search page or from the map, if we could save the search criteria as a "name search", schedule it to periodically re-execute and specify a named list for the results, we could eliminate pocket queries and avoid the confusion of have multiple, differing search forms. 

This would be useful and would probably eliminate the need for PQs, and would also avoid the overhead of having to maintain the old PQ code.

[+The Jester]

11 hours ago, NYPaddleCacher said:

 

I've suggesting this before and Ill suggest it again.  GS should consider getting rid of "Pocket Queries".

 

With the inclusion of attributes  (and adding   the setting a negative attribute and selecting attributes to exclude) there is really only one useful feature with pocket queries that we can't do with the current search page or filters on the maps page;  the ability to save and replay a search.

 

When we create a search, with filters on either the main search page or from the map, if we could save the search criteria as a "name search", schedule it to periodically re-execute and specify a named list for the results, we could eliminate pocket queries and avoid the confusion of have multiple, differing search forms.  

The one issue I have with this, is Search is limited to one area, while PQ's can select multiple states/countries at the same time.

[+thebruce0]

22 hours ago, The Jester said:

Search is limited to one area, while PQ's can select multiple states/countries at the same time.

 

Technically the search interface is limited to one area as you can only select one. But you can edit the search result URL to add region ID codes to the list for the "r" value.

eg, Ontario is ...&r=69&... so if I want to include Quebec I'd edit it to ...&r=62,69&...

Just need to do searches for the regions you want to know which IDs to use.

[+The Jester]

17 hours ago, thebruce0 said:

 

Technically the search interface is limited to one area as you can only select one. But you can edit the search result URL to add region ID codes to the list for the "r" value.

eg, Ontario is ...&r=69&... so if I want to include Quebec I'd edit it to ...&r=62,69&...

Just need to do searches for the regions you want to know which IDs to use.

Why should I need to do research to find region codes when in the PQ I can just select states/countries by names that I know.  Now it's pretty well automated, I set up the PQ's, they are generated on the days I want, a GSAK macro handles where the data goes and I only have to check the PQ's occasionally (yearly at most) to see if changes are needed.  With Search I'd have to set-up and edit every Search everyday.  No, I don't want to get rid of PQ's.

[+thebruce0]

51 minutes ago, The Jester said:

Why should I need to do research to find region codes when in the PQ I can just select states/countries by names that I know.

 

Ah, the forums never fail.  I didn't say you should.

I simply responded to: "Search is limited to one area, while PQ's can select multiple states/countries at the same time" by reiterating the relatively little known backdoor that does allow Search (the functionality, not the UI) to include multiple regions. That's all it was.  Not a statement for/against Search or PQs.

 

 

53 minutes ago, The Jester said:

No, I don't want to get rid of PQ's.

 

At this point, nor do I. But, I have bookmarks set up for common Searches and they may include some url parameter tweaks, so that I can use some of the benefits of the search results page that may not exist with the PQ results.  Likewise, I have bookmarks set up for PQs I use in various manners as well as result preview lists and maps, so I can use some of their functional benefits over the search results page.

Both have benefits and drawbacks.

[+The Jester]

3 hours ago, thebruce0 said:

 

Ah, the forums never fail.  I didn't say you should.

I simply responded to: "Search is limited to one area, while PQ's can select multiple states/countries at the same time" by reiterating the relatively little known backdoor that does allow Search (the functionality, not the UI) to include multiple regions. That's all it was.  Not a statement for/against Search or PQs.

 

Yep, they never do.  I didn't say you said I should.  You pointed out a workaround (interesting, thanks) , and I was responding why should I do all the extra work when PQ's do it for me.  Don't read more into what I wrote then a simple statement of fact.

[+thebruce0]

Moving on... because topic...

 

 

To @Oceansazul and @nykkole - are there plans to implement more attributes in the web search, and the ability to filter in and exclude?  Even if it's somewhere down the line  

[Oceansazul]

On 8/31/2020 at 3:06 PM, barefootjeff said:

I'm getting the tooltips appearing in French but my language setting is English:

 

 

@barefootjeff We released a fix for this issue. Thanks for the bug report.

 

On 9/3/2020 at 4:35 PM, thebruce0 said:

To @Oceansazul and @nykkole - are there plans to implement more attributes in the web search, and the ability to filter in and exclude?  Even if it's somewhere down the line  

@thebruce0 I love that you asked.  We have heard some player feedback regarding how large, and challenging to use, the existing filter panel has become but also, in listening to players and as a Pocket Query user myself, I understand the value of filtering to include and exclude attributes in their positive and negative states, for certain outings I am planning. We are watching feedback and assessing but aren't able to make any commitments at this time.

[+thebruce0]

On 9/9/2020 at 9:30 PM, Oceansazul said:

@thebruce0 I love that you asked.  We have heard some player feedback regarding how large, and challenging to use, the existing filter panel has become but also, in listening to players and as a Pocket Query user myself, I understand the value of filtering to include and exclude attributes in their positive and negative states, for certain outings I am planning. We are watching feedback and assessing but aren't able to make any commitments at this time.

 

Have you considered exapandable regions? Like most complex forms, there's usually a normal view and an advanced view. Instead of dropping all the options into the basic popup search window, provide them in expandable sections.  Especially for an extensive block like the attributes.  There are ways to bridge the chasm between beginner and advanced interfaces   (also, this is (or was?) the Advanced Search feature ;))

[+bruzie]

On 9/4/2020 at 11:35 AM, thebruce0 said:

Moving on... because topic...

 

 

To @Oceansazul and @nykkole - are there plans to implement more attributes in the web search, and the ability to filter in and exclude?  Even if it's somewhere down the line  

 

Please, please, please give us the ability to exclude attributes. Here's my default view of all my unsolved puzzles in New Zealand (newest first). There's only two in that list that aren't AL Bonus caches, and I want to be able to filter out the bonus caches:

 

 

Edited November 7, 2020 by bruzie