Jump to content

Stats banner OK?


Recommended Posts

Q: Should customers of GC.com be able to use the keenpeople stats banner in their signature line?

Unlike other polls I believe this one should be pretty accurate as the voters are the only ones that should be affected. If you are here to vote you either like them and use the forums or do not like them and use the forums. Anyone who does not use the forums should NOT be affected.

Pleas feel free to elaborate on your vote in a post.

 

Remember, wherever you go- there you are!

Link to comment

Yes. How is it someone else's choice if I want to display MY stats. If you're not the competitive type, don't compete. Plus, It's not just about competition. I just like to know what fellow cachers are up to. If it was just about the competition, I probably wouldn't display my stats. I'm #3 in the state, out of the 4 people that registered on keenpeople.

 

mystats.php?userid=jmb&vopt=user&txtdata=%233+out+of+4&bgcol=ccffcc&fgcol=3300ff

 

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Because now I am Lost.

Link to comment

I don't have a stats banner but think that those that wish to display them should be allowed to do so.

 

On a related note.... how 'bout a keenpeople banner that displays benchmark finds? Many of us find that we enjoy finding and doccumenting benchmarks more enamoring than finding caches.

 

Jeff

http://www.StarsFellOnAlabama.com

http://www.NotAChance.com

If you hide it, they will come....

Link to comment

I'm ok either way with the stats banners. But here's a what if.

 

What if Geocaching.com maintained a selection of approved images on their own server? These could be buttons to the various geocaching clubs (MiGo, InGeo, etc) as well as a few other images like a "Visit My Geocaching Page" image that I could link back to my own page (or you to yours, yadda yadda yadda).

 

The sizes could all be controlled by gc.com so that wouldn't be a problem.

 

Just a thought.

 

Bret

 

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field.

When a man found it, he hid it again." Mt. 13:44

CYBret's Geocaching Page

Link to comment

What if Geocaching.com maintained a selection of approved images on their own server? These could be buttons to the various geocaching clubs (MiGo, InGeo, etc) as well as a few other images like a "Visit My Geocaching Page" image that I could link back to my own page (or you to yours, yadda yadda yadda).

 

I mentioned a version of this in the other thread. By controlling where the images reside, their loading rate should be equal to the upload capacity of the Groundspeak servers. Groundspeak could also compress these images for optimization.

 

Jeff

http://www.StarsFellOnAlabama.com

http://www.NotAChance.com

If you hide it, they will come....

Link to comment

If they are slowing down page loads, increasing CPU usage, generally making things difficult for the people that run this FREE service, than I say get rid of them.

 

Now I do feel that many people feel strongly about them, so they shouldn't just wiped out, but put on hold until a less invasive way is created to allow them.

 

In short, if you don't like it, leave. Want to display your stats, create your own website, or homepage or something.

 

When at home, all I have is simple dial-up (rural living eh), and I did notice problems getting the pages to load after the influx of stats banners.

 

Just my $0.02 ($0.10 CDN)

 

Scott

Link to comment

That is part of the problem...

 

Constant conversion of IMG tags to html require server usage. Also then MY browser has to load all these images (slowly whan I am at home), also if quite a few people are loading these images the server thay reside on gets usage too slowing things down even more.

 

Images make the internet slow, there is no argument there. IMHO message forums are meant for sharing of information, not cool graphics.

 

Scott

Link to comment

quote:
Originally posted by McKenzie Clan:

That is part of the problem...

 

Constant conversion of IMG tags to html require server usage. Also then MY browser has to load all these images (slowly whan I am at home), also if quite a few people are loading these images the server thay reside on gets usage too slowing things down even more.

 

Images make the internet slow, there is no argument there. IMHO message forums are meant for sharing of information, not cool graphics.

 

Scott


 

I am on dialup. I have noticed no difference with our without the signature files. I know that last night the user load was a bit much (that'll be the arguement that I couldn't tell) but in the past - I have noticed no difference loading threads where there are 0-3 posts with sig file images or threads with 20-30 sig file images.

 

A bigger problem is 50 posts per page.

 

I still beleive it has a lot more to do with what was on the signature than how large it is.

 

southdeltan

 

Link to comment

Wow! The results look a little like the CA recall icon_razz.gif I think the sig lines were getting a little out of control. I like KISS. Something that could fit in the avatar image would be pretty cool though. But then people would be faced with the quandary of having a cool avatar(like Doc Deans eye), or showing off their stats. Hmmmm.. tough choice icon_wink.gif

 

Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them. The rest go geocaching.

Link to comment

Ok, so I'm an "alternative" icon_razz.gif

 

The problem with any images in the sigs has been time downloading and also readabilty of the message threads. You have to wade through the sigs as you read the threads.

 

One thing that might work is to have sig stats posted off to the side of the messages under the avatar, or included as part of the avatar. Wouldn't interrupt the flow of the threads that way. Perhaps there could be one design used by all, which would greatly speed up the transfer times because they would all be the same image with different numbers in them.

 

That Quack Cacher:

Lone Duck

 

When you don't know where you're going, every road will take you there.

Link to comment

quote:
Originally posted by SpongeRob:

I'm really confused on how the "IMG" tags slow down a server. First the IMG tag is converted to HTML which tells *YOUR* browser to go get the image.


 

I'm not sure it was slowing the server down, but it was increasing the page load time. It's not wholly clear to me why yet (since the sites the images were coming from were loading quickly in other browser windows at the exact same time) but when the 40-50 images on the page were requesting from all over to render the one page I was looking at, then all of the on-site and off-site images took their sweet time loading. If I went to a thread with few to no off-site images, the on-site images (little warning icons and quote icons, etc) loaded in normal time again...so there was definitely something to the off-site images.

 

--

 

http://magazine.audubon.org/features0101/goodwood.html

Link to comment

quote:
Originally posted by Bloencustoms:

I think it would be fine to have the stats banner on your profile page, that way there won't be a lag issue loading forum pages. Anyone who cares what your stats are will look there anyway.


I think thats a good idea, I went ahead and did it, looks fine. I voted alternative myself for the above reason. Thanks to all who voted/posted here.

 

Remember, wherever you go- there you are!

Link to comment

I voted no. AFAIK it's not about having stats banner in the sig line. It's about having an image in the sig line. Yes, what I've read, Keenpeople's banners were part of the problem, but still only one part. If gc.com says no to images in sig line, then the banner pics are banned too. Simple as that.

 

That said, I have nothing against having stats. Vice versa, I've been called a mindless drone and whatnot in these forums for wanting a stats page made by gc.com in this site. I still want stats, but IMO it really is not what this poll is about.

 

(BTW, Keenpeople's stats seem to be for the US only. Nothing for me there.icon_frown.gif)

 

- I just got lost in thought. It was unfamiliar territory. -

Link to comment

I didn't care for the stats image one way or the other until I saw one stating 10,000 found and 1,000 placed.

It appears to me that those "stats" are subject to tampering by the little-minded.

 

Since I am not into numbers, and will never be near the top of any geocaching list, the images meant nothing to me. But, someone tampering with them will eventually cause hard feelings and who knows where that will lead.

 

I agree that GC.com could make stats easier to see. Maybe have a BB-like tag to include you GC stats if you like.

 

On the profile page, I'd like a breakdown of micros, night caches, as well as the traditional/multi/virtual breakdown.....maybe have tags for those as well.

 

DustyJacket

Not all those that wander are lost. But in my case... icon_biggrin.gif

Link to comment

I think the keenpeople site is great. It allows those who wish to participate to do so. The fact that a user could input erronous stats reflects the fact that they could report erronous finds. The whole system is based on honor anyway, and is subject to innacuracy due to cheating, or human error. As would a stats page here. You guys got what you want, and you're still complaining. icon_rolleyes.gif

 

[This message was edited by Bloencustoms on March 32, 1999 at 25:60 PM]

Link to comment

quote:
Originally posted by Bloencustoms:

You guys got what you want, and you're still complaining. icon_rolleyes.gif


 

No, what we want is for GC.com to have a stats list with all cachers on it or allow another site like Dan's Stats.

Keenpeople.com is opt-in, so the stats listed there are useless. It only reflects those that have signed up. Since most cachers don't visit the forums, they don't know to add their stats onto that site.

If GC.com is worried about the few people that don't want to be listed on a stats site, they should allow those people to make their spot anonymous on the list. That way, the list would still show how many caches everyone has but wouldn't show names of those that don't want to be listed.

 

Took sun from sky, left world in eternal darknessbandbass.gif

 

nm_button.gifmystats.php?userid=Team%20GPSaxophone&vopt=&txtdata=&bgcol=FFFFFF&fgcol=000000

Link to comment

Well I do like the banners and images, but I have ADSL and the speed is great. I images are are problem for those on dial-up open your internet options click on advanced then scroll down to multimedia. Now the easy part uncheck the show pictures. No more images. Now the rest of us who want them can have them.

 

Link to comment

quote:
Originally posted by J&MBella:

Plus, It's not just about competition. I just like to know what fellow cachers are up to.


 

Well then, my opinion is that gc.com should support some sort of stat keeping system (here comes the but), but just have the stats show up on the profile... Oh wait a minute! They aleady do!!! icon_eek.gif

 

For those of you that want to see my stats, click on my avatar where you can get a link to my profile and look at the number of caches I've found. It even has this nifty function where it breaks it all down into categories of the different kinds of caches I've found. Not to mention TBs and benchmarks!

 

WOW!

 

"Sometimes you are a very large fool Perrin Aybara. Quite often in fact." Annoura Sedai (Book Nine of The WoT)

Link to comment

quote:
Originally posted by Doc-Dean:

I think that the people that want to display their stats will just find another way... expect to see people pasting them into the body of the messages now.


 

My thoughts exactly. I've created a text file containing my signature text that I keep on my desktop that I will just cut and paste into the message. Personally I don't believe that the banning of signature file images is a bandwidth issue or in response to a large number of complaints. IMHO it was simply done to curtail the display of stats.

 

mystats.php?userid=Gorak&vopt=user&txtdata=Because+I+can...&bgcol=FFFFFF&fgcol=009966

_________

Gorak

Link to comment

quote:
Well then, my opinion is that gc.com should support some sort of stat keeping system (here comes the but), but just have the stats show up on the profile...

It is true that stats are on everyone's profile and the total finds is added to any cache you log. That's not what we're asking for. We want to be able to compare our stats to others in our area, or to all cachers.

 

Yes, some people will be competitive with this information and some won't. A large number of cachers would never look at the 'leaderboard' to see where they 'rank'. They have fun just finding caches, and that seems to be Jeremy's position as well. Stats aren't needed to enjoy the game as he envisions it.

 

The fact is, the leaderboard would only be used by people that want it. It doesn't have to be on the main page of the site, just available to any geocacher that is interested. Adding a leaderboard would not change geocaching for people that don't care about stats. It will allow easier access to keep track of your geocaching friends.

 

Took sun from sky, left world in eternal darkness bandbass.gif

 

nm_button.gifmystats.php?userid=Team%20GPSaxophone&vopt=&txtdata=&bgcol=FFFFFF&fgcol=000000

 

Took sun from sky, left world in eternal darkness

Link to comment

quote:
Originally posted by Gorak:

quote:
Originally posted by Doc-Dean:

I think that the people that want to display their stats will just find another way... expect to see people pasting them into the body of the messages now.


 

My thoughts exactly. I've created a text file containing my signature text that I keep on my desktop that I will just cut and paste into the message. Personally I don't believe that the banning of signature file images is a bandwidth issue or in response to a large number of complaints. IMHO it was simply done to curtail the display of stats.

 

http://www.keenpeople.com/stats/

_________

Gorak


I'm trying to understand the logic here. If you believe that the site administration doesn't want stats banners in the forums, why go out of your way to defy them?

 

[This message was edited by Bloencustoms on March 32, 1999 at 25:60 PM]

Link to comment

No.

I don't have a problem with the stats. I'm not interested, but if that makes the game(this is a game after all) more fun for you then go for it. I just don't like the images breaking up the flow of the text. I'm here to read about things.

Why is there such a big stink about this? If you want to put your stats in every post you make type them in. This issue obviously came up in response to the stat banners, but no one says you can't continue to do it if you want--just do it in a way that's less intrusive. This decision is not nearly as Draconian as it's being made out.

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...