Geocaching map - please don't auto-zoom out!

[+the Seagnoid]

I am logging my caches at home after a geotrip, and I am using the website geocaching map to identify the correct caches to write up. I add a search filter (eg a word in the cache name) and the query returns caches across the whole world and the map zooms out to match. I just have to zoom back in again. I find this really annoying. Could we please limit the search for caches matching the filter criteria to just those within the search window or to a radius that approximates that (up to the limit that the search returns). In other words add the map centre and zoom level as a fixed component of the search filter. If I wanted all caches in the world, I would zoom out to all of the world first. But the majority of the time I am focused on one small area.

 

Anyone else find this auto-zoom out feature annoying? Auto-zoom in is nice, but frankly, that can be dropped as well if required to fix the auto-zoom out problem.

 

Please assume that the current centre and zoom level is what the user wanted and don't change it!

Edited September 5, 2022 by the Seagnoid

[+HHL]

Use your Garmin Field Notes (Drafts) (click here) instead. No hustle with unnecessary map searches.

[+barefootjeff]

3 hours ago, the Seagnoid said:

I add a search filter (eg a word in the cache name) and the query returns caches across the whole world and the map zooms out to match. I just have to zoom back in again.

 

Before you add your filter, click on the Search this area button at the top of the map. That seems to stop it from zooming out.

[+dprovan]

There's a logic to what it's doing, and I'm not sure it would be logical to assume the user wants what you're expecting. The problem is that you didn't limit the search to a specific area.

 

Having said that, there isn't a way to limit the search to "the area currently showing on the map" even if you thought to specify that, and perhaps that's more the problem. I would suggest that the solution here is that when the search filter is entered from the map, a new special location be added to "Query: Your Location" and "Query: Home Location". Perhaps we could call it "Query: Area Shown". Furthermore, perhaps that could even be the default when the filter is pulled up from the map. That's what you're expecting, it's just that there is no such feature.

 

Until then, though, just ignore the map and look at the list. I was kinda surprised to discover that the list that comes up in the left margin is ordered from distance from the center of the map, so the first entry will normally be the cache you're looking for even though the map has panned out. That's kinda interesting because it means the search default is actually already the equivalent of "Query: Center Of Map", it just provides no way to limit the search to, say, within 10 miles of the center of the map.

[+barefootjeff]

1 hour ago, dprovan said:

Having said that, there isn't a way to limit the search to "the area currently showing on the map" even if you thought to specify that, and perhaps that's more the problem.

 

As far as I can tell from my experimentation, clicking on Search this area does in fact limit the search to the area currently showing on the map and that seems to stick for the duration of the session or until you click on Search this area again.

[+dprovan]

6 hours ago, barefootjeff said:

As far as I can tell from my experimentation, clicking on Search this area does in fact limit the search to the area currently showing on the map and that seems to stick for the duration of the session or until you click on Search this area again.

Well, good point. I see what you're saying now. But if the map has the "search this area" tab, it has already limited the filter to the center of the map with a 10 limited radius, so if that's the way the OP was doing it, he wouldn't be having this problem with or without pushing that button. In my experiments, I was entering the map from the Play/View map menu item, and in that case it doesn't have a "search this area" button, the search field in the field is blank, and I see the behavior OP is describing.

 

I don't know how the OP was getting into the map, but if was from that menu item, perhaps the only problem here is that that way of bringing up the map doesn't set the search location the way it's set in the other ways into the map.

[+capoaira]

14 hours ago, the Seagnoid said:

Anyone else find this auto-zoom out feature annoying? Auto-zoom in is nice, but frankly, that can be dropped as well if required to fix the auto-zoom out problem.

 

Please assume that the current centre and zoom level is what the user wanted and don't change it!

Yes, I agree! I'm always annoyed of this unnecessary zooming. 

For logging I would also recommend you to use Drafts. But that don't solve the auto-zoom problem if new filters are set.

I agree also, that if you adding new filters, you want them in that area and zoom-level you are and not all the 1000 first (for that I would use the search page and not the map).

Another point: It is easier to zoom out than to zoom in, because the point you will zoom in is often coverd by caches. So IMO the UX would be better if there are no auto-zoom. 

[+dprovan]

9 hours ago, capoaira said:

Yes, I agree! I'm always annoyed of this unnecessary zooming.

Just to be clear, it isn't "unnecessary". The search was for a certain set of caches. It wasn't constrained to a particular location or distance. So the map responded by showing all the requested caches including the ones beyond the limits of the current map. I think that makes perfect sense.

 

The problem isn't the zoom. The problem is that there are times when the search from the map isn't constrained to the map. Looking at it the other way: the caches in the list presented shouldn't include the other caches which caused the zoom out.

[+x_xenolith_x]

Was looking for some thread about looking at the caches on a map. Found this one that might be related to my issue.

Have a major issue and have tried Firefox and Chrome and have the exact same error results. have not had this issue ever before and this is what happens..

 

Example

Select and area and move the mouse curser left, right, top and bottom and will zoom to a different area and drill down -3 on the map. It's impossible to look a waypoints on a map with the attitude of the 3rd party mapping software that is used on geocaching.com.

 

any help would be greatly appreciated.

[+the Seagnoid]

On 9/6/2022 at 9:02 PM, capoaira said:

Yes, I agree! I'm always annoyed of this unnecessary zooming. 

For logging I would also recommend you to use Drafts. But that don't solve the auto-zoom problem if new filters are set.

I agree also, that if you adding new filters, you want them in that area and zoom-level you are and not all the 1000 first (for that I would use the search page and not the map).

Another point: It is easier to zoom out than to zoom in, because the point you will zoom in is often coverd by caches. So IMO the UX would be better if there are no auto-zoom. 

Drafts? two finger typing on a phone? No likely. I am sticking to my notebook, thanks.

[+funkymunkyzone]

On 9/10/2022 at 7:24 AM, the Seagnoid said:

Drafts? two finger typing on a phone? No likely. I am sticking to my notebook, thanks.

You use two fingers to type on the phone?  You're an expert!  I'm a one finger typist on the phone!

[+capoaira]

On 9/9/2022 at 9:24 PM, the Seagnoid said:

Drafts? two finger typing on a phone? No likely. I am sticking to my notebook, thanks.

Drafts working also on the Website: https://www.geocaching.com/account/drafts

Mark the caches as found on your phone or GPSr and complete your logs on your notebook.

In the official app, the Drafts have an auto-sync. On other Apps, you maybe have to upload your drafts with a view clicks. For drafts on your GPSr use the upload link on the webpage and upload the geocache_visit.txt