Hidden Date Vs. Publication Date

[+su&sco]

Is the hidden date always the same as the publication date? I know the hidden date is shown on the cache page, but not sure about the status of the publication date.

[Keystone]

The "Hidden Date" defaults to the date when the cache page is first created.  It can be edited by the cache owner at any time, either before or after publication.

 

The "Publication Date" is the date when a Community Volunteer Reviewer enters a "Published" log to make the cache publicly available.  This is often different than the Hidden Date.  For example, if the CO creates a cache page on November 26th, submits it for review on the 27th, but the cache isn't published until the 30th because of the US Holiday this week, then the cache will have a hidden date of 11/26 and a publication date of 11/30.

[+barefootjeff]

I like to have the Hidden Date on my caches be the day I actually placed the container, which is usually some days (or perhaps weeks if it's a complex hide) after I created the listing and will most likely be some days before it gets published as our reviewer typically clears the queue once or twice a week. This probably doesn't matter much to others but I've sometimes found it handy to know which day I physically placed a cache if, say, I want to go looking for photos I took that day.

[+su&sco]

Thank you both.

[+Nunavut Taidy]

So, a follow up question if I may: on the month to month calendar (Jasmer) if there is a difference between the hidden on and the published on dates, (specifically if there is a gap of a month or months), which date gets used?  As an example, a cache recently was published (December 2024) but it was hidden/submitted in January 2024.  When I find it, and I will, which month gets credited?

[+hzoi]

13 minutes ago, Nunavut Taidy said:

which month gets credited?

 

Should be the hidden date. The oldest caches don't even have a "published" log.

 

Unfortunately, that can end up in errors like GC2DBE, which purports to be hidden in January 2001. Per its GC #, it was clearly hidden months later, in December 2001.

Edited December 5, 2024 by hzoi

[+OusKonNé & Cétyla]

Personally, as soon as my caches are published, I always update the Hidden Date in order to have the same value as the Publication Date.

 

This avoids any confusion.

[+Nite*Owls]

On 12/5/2024 at 12:56 PM, hzoi said:

 

Should be the hidden date. The oldest caches don't even have a "published" log.

 

Unfortunately, that can end up in errors like GC2DBE, which purports to be hidden in January 2001. Per its GC #, it was clearly hidden months later, in December 2001.

There was another cache where the publication date was months BEFORE the hidden date, like the hidden date had been changed to later than it was initially hidden.  This could mess up challenges and stats, and it just looks wrong. I kindly messaged the CO but they didn't understand the situation or how to fix it. I also emailed HQ to see if they could fix it and make this kind of change impossible to do, but they didn't care, and they sent a reply full of errors which was pretty unprofessional. I just gave up after that.