New feature: one log with multiple accounts

[+Vsimps]

I’ve been geocaching a lot with my girlfriend recently and it seems like a cool idea to be able to post one log but include other users as well in that single log. So something similar to a tagging feature. Then everyone tagged in the log would get credit for the find! 
 

Thoughts?

[RuideAlmeida]

18 minutes ago, Vsimps said:

... a cool idea to be able to post one log but include other users as well in that single log.

 

Usually when caching in large groups or during Events (outside of pandemics, of course), people have the habit of log with a generic nickname (GoingAPE2021, by instance), as a way to save space on the logbook. Then, later on the website, every member of such group will simply log with their individual nick, stating what they used on the logbook.

It doesn't work for what you want here?

[+IceColdUK]

I log finds for my wife - tbh, the online logging is more for my benefit than hers. (She only has her own account because she found caches in Rome and Vatican City without me, and I just couldn’t bring myself to log them on ‘our’ account.)

I put a fair bit of thought into my own logs, but I’m afraid ‘her’ logs are generally a cut & paste for any caches found that day.

 

If there were an option to essentially write a multi-user log, I’d use it.  Not sure how it would work technically though.  In theory you’d need to provide the passwords for both accounts...

[+mustakorppi]

I like it, provided that the feature verifies everyone in the group is actually present at the cache. This would require everyone using the feature to have smartphones, but could probably be implemented so it works even in places without cell reception. Except it'd get so complicated I don't ever see it happening, unfortunately.

[+IceColdUK]

Just as a thought exercise...

 

1. Make it possible to identify a ‘parent’ account as part of an account’s settings - this effectively authorises the parent account to log on behalf of the ‘child’.

 

 (The same parent can be identified for multiple child accounts, but no grandparents/grandchildren.)

 

2. Standard / child accounts can log as normal.

 

(If the parent has already logged a find on behalf of a child, the child would not be able to log again.)

 

3. Parent accounts have the option of including child accounts in their logs - a little like selecting trackables from your inventory.

 

(If a child had already logged a find themselves, the parent wouldn’t be able to include them in their own found log.)

 

4. Maybe this could be tied in with the idea of family PM accounts - a higher charge for a parent account, with some of the PM privs being inherited by the child account(s)?

 

All far too complicated to ever imagine it happening! ?

[+dprovan]

On 1/10/2021 at 2:02 PM, Vsimps said:

I’ve been geocaching a lot with my girlfriend recently and it seems like a cool idea to be able to post one log but include other users as well in that single log. So something similar to a tagging feature. Then everyone tagged in the log would get credit for the find! 
 

Thoughts?

From time to time, I think that would be a nice feature, but after considering all the elements, I decided against it. When I think about what the user would do to use it and the possible mistakes that could made with it as well as the nefarious uses it could be put to, I start wondering if it would actually worth the effort and side effects.

 

So I look at the opposite side and consider the advantages. It comes down to this: everyone that wants to log the find is forced to submit a log on the website. Hmmm, is that really a negative after all? Maybe it's a good thing to require a little effort.

 

It does also avoid filling those precious 5 log entries in pocket queries with "I found it, too" logs. Most of the time, those don't tell me anything, so I'd rather not have them, but sometimes it tells me there was a crowd here recently, and that can be important information, too. In the end, it's so rare to run into this situation, I don't think it's worth worrying about the log space.

 

I think one idea behind the suggestion is that everyone in the group would log essentially the same thing, so what's the point. But that's not my experience. Sure, there's lots of overlap, but people truly thinking about their cache logs will each have their own perspective on the cache, and I hate to lose that by encouraging people to file a single log the the whole group. The "me, too" logs are boring and repetitive, but they're boring and repetitive when those cachers aren't caching in a group, so they're just a fact of life, and I don't see a big reason to avoid them when they are in a group.

 

So after going over it in my head, I always conclude that it is an interesting idea, but I don't really want it.

 

On 1/10/2021 at 2:26 PM, RuideAlmeida said:

Usually when caching in large groups or during Events (outside of pandemics, of course), people have the habit of log with a generic nickname (GoingAPE2021, by instance), as a way to save space on the logbook. Then, later on the website, every member of such group will simply log with their individual nick, stating what they used on the logbook.

It doesn't work for what you want here?

I assume the main point is specifically so the other people don't have to "bother" logging the find. In other words, the web interaction you describe is exactly what they're trying to avoid.

 

Having said that, even as I see that what you're suggesting isn't what *they* want, I agree it works fine and, in my opinion, isn't too much to ask, so I consider it a reasonable alternative to what they're asking for.

[+cerberus1]

This has been asked for a few times, and sounds innocent enough...

"Hey Mike, I'm in Jersey right now.  Where are you ?"    "PA"     "Cool !  We'll have a good cache run today." 

We're already seeing "group accounts" placing caches with all members names nice n neat in the middle of the log. 

 - FTFers notice things like that.   

 

But I'm not sure every member of "a group" would like others messing around with their passwords anyway. 

[+Goldenwattle]

On 1/11/2021 at 9:26 AM, RuideAlmeida said:

 

Usually when caching in large groups or during Events (outside of pandemics, of course), people have the habit of log with a generic nickname (GoingAPE2021, by instance), as a way to save space on the logbook. Then, later on the website, every member of such group will simply log with their individual nick, stating what they used on the logbook.

It doesn't work for what you want here?

I have only found a couple of caches in a large group. I think there were about 30 people. To save 30 people using up a lot of the log, as you said, a generic nickname was used. However, also the group organiser wrote in their log the names of all in attendance. That stopped anyone 'piggy- backing' on the group, without actually finding the (scary) difficult to get to caches.

[+CAVinoGal]

On 1/10/2021 at 2:02 PM, Vsimps said:

I’ve been geocaching a lot with my girlfriend recently and it seems like a cool idea to be able to post one log but include other users as well in that single log. So something similar to a tagging feature. Then everyone tagged in the log would get credit for the find! 
 

Thoughts?

 

Interesting thought, however I prefer to write my own logs, even if I find caches in a group, or even with my husband (we cache together most of the time).  I suppose it could be an optional use thing, and those that tend to write TFTC, or in hubby's case, the time, find #, and who he was with along with the TFTC,  would enjoy having someone like me actually do the work to write the log and tag them to it.  I cache with friends who LIKE to write logs; we mention each other if we were together on a hike or cache outing, and it's fun to see our different perspectives and recollections of the day reflected in our logs.

 

As a CO, I like to see the individual logs of people who visit my hides, even if it's a simple TFTC.  I know most of the local cachers, it's fun to see them find my hides.  Only getting one log for a group wouldnt be as enjoyable for me as a CO, as to see each person's log.

 

I can see opportunity for abuse as well - tag a bunch of my friends who really weren't there and they would get credit for the find and not even have to make the minimal effort of creating an online log....

 

Yes, it's an interesting thought.  The implementation would be more problematic though.  

On 1/11/2021 at 5:30 PM, dprovan said:

From time to time, I think that would be a nice feature, but after considering all the elements, I decided against it. When I think about what the user would do to use it and the possible mistakes that could made with it as well as the nefarious uses it could be put to, I start wondering if it would actually worth the effort and side effects.

 +1 to this