New Pocket Query Page

January 28, 2004

I like it!

The new pocket query page is much improved. The ability to generate the results to the screen is a big plus.

Keep up the good work Jeremy

Brian

January 28, 2004

Yes, a very nice change. A cleaner and more informative layout plus the ability to display on the screen. A round of applause for Jeremy!

January 28, 2004

Love it! Best $3 dollars a month I have spent in a long time!!

Informative layout, easy navigation and instant feedback on searches.

:lol:

1.4k · January 28, 2004

Yep, it's much better than the previous version. I like it :lol:

6.4k · January 28, 2004

Looks great!

Despite all the B&Ming some people do, the site just keeps getting better and better. Keep up the good work.

January 28, 2004

I like it too.

1.4k · January 28, 2004

It looks as if everything that was asked for (and more) was added to the new PQ page. Looks great and thank you.

20.7k · January 28, 2004

Wow! I love it.

The ability to create 20 PQs is a huge plus. This will allow PQs covering entire cross-country road trips to be created and queued to run 5 per day for four days. It also will help those people who sometimes don't receive a PQ because they set it to run every day and it gets too low in the queue. They can simply create identical PQs to be run on successive days.

Being able to run a PQ on-line will enable people to do quick and dirty searches for shorter stays. For instance, a while back I had to go to Boston, but I was only going to be there for a few hours. I could do a search on just micros and virts in the downtown area. (Did I mention that searching by size of container is a great bonus?) Since I would have a very limited time in the area, I would not get more than twenty, so I could just download a .loc file of the first 20.

The ability to auto-delete the search after running is terrific. This will allow me to keep my PQ list clean and current while planning for trips.

Kudos!

Now if I could only search by archived caches... Just kidding, sort of. I guess this makes the point that it is better for us not to know what's to come.

January 28, 2004

It is a much nicer layout out and I think it is not as confusing.

I would only add two things:

1) Would it be possible to add a delete link on the page that lists the PQs? This way you don't have to access the PQ and then click the delete button from that page.

2) Do you all have any idea as to the percentage of people that request .loc or .gpx files? If more people are requesting .gpx it might be better to have that as the default selection.

Not bitching here just suggestions. I think overall it is a vast improvement.

January 28, 2004

It looks as if everything that was asked for (and more) was added to the new PQ page.

You still can't select the number of cache logs you want included. As an esteemed caching friend noted...

Jan 6 Found from bills coords
Jan 5 Found from bills coords

Jan 4 Found from bills coords

Jan 3 Found from bills coords

Jan 2 Found from bills coords

Jan 1 Dude, your coords suck. Found 670 feet away at...

No to mention that cache owners often want all logs to keep as a permanent record of their caches.

-Rick

5.3k · January 28, 2004

Very nice...thanks!

January 28, 2004

And if I can add two more things.

Would it be possible to add the country in front of each entry where states/provinces are selected? For example: USA:Alaska, Canada:British Columbia, etc. That way they could then be alpha order by country and then state. It might make some of them a little easier to find and select.

And if the radio button could change from all cache types to selected cache types if certain cache types are checked. Right now the default is all cache types and if you click say just traditional the all radio button stays selected and does not change to selected. My guess is that if one does not also change that radio button the query will go and select all and not just traditional. And making that change seems pretty easy to overlook.

Just a thought.

Edited January 28, 2004 by GrizzlyJohn

January 28, 2004

Good work GC - I like the new look and functionality.

Some questions:

1. Do PQ's run on the search page go against your count?

2. Is the 5 queries/24 hours based on an individual time clock, or is it simply midnight to midnight Pacific time, or something else?

I can't wait for archive caches to show up so that I can get a PQ with all of my finds.

Thanks for all of your hard work,

Team Geo-Jedi

January 28, 2004

Bravo! Way to go!

9.4k · January 28, 2004

I'll try and get to all the questions soon. In the meantime, no, you can run your searches as much as you want on the site without taking away from your 5 queries a day rule.

In essence the "run" link acts as an advanced search feature.

9.4k · January 28, 2004

Cool new feature. I like being able to run the PQ and have it appear as if I did a search without having to wait for the email and run it trough spinner/watcher/etc

2.3k · January 28, 2004

Looks great... Should be very useful!

January 29, 2004

This is an awesome improvement. Thank-you!

A suggestion... Can caches that are "archived" be added to the THAT section? It would be interesting to see a list of caches in my area that once existed and their proximity to the currently active ones.

Kirk out.

4.7k · January 29, 2004

yes, yes, oh GOD yes!!!

3.8k · January 29, 2004

Nice job.

January 29, 2004

I think I am missing something here.

How do you output your query to the screen?

When I log on and go to the PQ screen my only output is to the email address.

please verify

Thanks

NJLOAD

1.5k · January 29, 2004

One change that may clear up a little confusion: At first, I was a little reluctant to click the "Run" link on the query list page because I wasn't sure if it meant that I would be submitting that PQ to be emailed to me that day, when in fact it only brings up the preview as a list of caches. Especially since the text at the bottom of the same page states that,"...a maximum of 5 queries can be run each day." (emphasis mine) Maybe two different terms could be used to make it more clear what action I am about to preform, say a query is "Run" when it is generated and sent to me by email and "previewed" when it is viewed as a list of caches.

Also, I second GrizzlyJohn's suggestion that a delete link be added to the PQ list.

Overall, I love the changes! Very nice!

1.5k · January 29, 2004

I think I am missing something here.

How do you output your query to the screen?

When I log on and go to the PQ screen my only output is to the email address.

On the PQ list page, click the 'run' link next to the PQ name. (see my above post)

January 29, 2004

The best. Use it all the time.

2k · January 29, 2004

Wonderful.

Was there also talk about having an option to display the results on the geocaching map?

January 29, 2004

I love the new interface as well. But I am continuing to have a problem with one of my queries. Every time I try to click on it do delete it, I get "Server Error in '/' Application". I've been trying for the least hour or so. However, when I click on any of the other queries I have, they immediately go to the query page. What's up with that?

I also second the nomination to be able to delete from the main query page as opposed to going to th query then deleting it.

Scott of Team GeoDillo

9.4k · January 29, 2004

Don't keep trying. I'll check on the error first thing tomorrow morning. In the meantime you can create up to 20 now, so have a ball. Just turn it off until I can fix it so the search doesn't go against your daily number.

1.9k · January 29, 2004

the turnaround time for the now PQ's seems supppppper fast, GREAT JOB Jeremy. A delete opion I agree would be great. Also if you make it more clear what the RUN button does that would be cool. I was hesatant to click it at first and use one of my pq's

January 29, 2004

Got to agree with everyone else....great stuff!

I especially like the grid approach for seeing which queries run on which days, and the Last Generated timestamp.

One thing that would be nice is to get a .gpx file (if it was chosen in the PQ) instead of a .loc file when you choose to run the query immediately.

9.4k · January 29, 2004

the turnaround time for the now PQ's seems supppppper fast, GREAT JOB Jeremy. A delete opion I agree would be great. Also if you make it more clear what the RUN button does that would be cool. I was hesatant to click it at first and use one of my pq's

Maybe the new feature should be called "Preview Pocket Query" instead of "Run Pocket Query". Running a PQ should send it through email as normal.

January 29, 2004

New PQ's is great...

It would be nice if we could enter a nic-name on the query setup, and the files would be generated with that name. Be much easier to remember what file has what query.

20.7k · January 29, 2004

Since the email has the query name, I just change the file name as I download it. No worries.

Edited January 29, 2004 by sbell111

1.9k · January 29, 2004

New PQ's is great...
It would be nice if we could enter a nic-name on the query setup, and the files would be generated with that name. Be much easier to remember what file has what query.

i have a set of unix tools i use on my pq's when they arive. I run them via a shell script.

1) checks what fies exist

2) checks if an old pq exists and deletes it if neeeded

3) renames the pq's based on the predetermined numbers

4) makes sure the files renamed properly

5) converts the files for my gps.

all the while it gives a verbose log of what is happening

im on osX and it is fairly user specific BUT if someone is interested and has a little terminal experience I can send it to you and give some useful info for the conversion stuff and what is required and where.

January 29, 2004

It is a much nicer layout out and I think it is not as confusing.

I would only add two things:

1) Would it be possible to add a delete link on the page that lists the PQs? This way you don't have to access the PQ and then click the delete button from that page.

2) Do you all have any idea as to the percentage of people that request .loc or .gpx files? If more people are requesting .gpx it might be better to have that as the default selection.

Not bitching here just suggestions. I think overall it is a vast improvement.

I really like the new layout and new features, too. And 20 queries? I'm in hog heaven ... of course by next week, I'll have hoarded 20 queries that I can't live without, and I'll want MORE!

I'm hoping the delete function will be added as a checkbox, like those for waypoints you want to download, with a "delete selected queries" button down below. That would be the most streamlined way to handle it.

I would also be interested in knowing the percentage of .loc requests vs .gpx ... We are now using the extra information provided by the .gpx files, and educating our local cachers about them, as well. Geocachers who are also programmers have made it a VERY easy transition!

1.3k · January 29, 2004

Maybe the new feature should be called "Preview Pocket Query" instead of "Run Pocket Query". Running a PQ should send it through email as normal.

Great Idea. I like "preview" much better.

It'd lessen the confusion.

southdeltan

January 29, 2004

i have a set of unix tools i use on my pq's when they arive. I run them via a shell script.

I put my instructions for windows at this forum post

9.4k · January 29, 2004

I'll change it to preview. Thanks for the feedback!

3k · January 30, 2004

WoW. It feels like Christmas. The one thing I always wanted when it came to PQs was the ability to DL them instantly. Now I can and that is awesome. No more cluttered email and PQs when I want them, not when they come in email at random times.

Thanks a ton.

3k · January 30, 2004

One thing that would be nice is to get a .gpx file (if it was chosen in the PQ) instead of a .loc file when you choose to run the query immediately.

I agree 100%

Is this something we will see in the future? I do have the format setup for .gpx but it spits out the .loc for the instant run.

1.5k · January 30, 2004

What does it mean if the "Last Generated" date next to a query is in bold? Three of my queries which I had set to run today have bold dates (ex 1/29/2004 12:57:56 PM), although I haven't received them yet. Does this mean that a query will be run or that it already has been run that day and I should have received it already?

Edited January 30, 2004 by DavidMac

1.5k · January 30, 2004

Excellent. The 5 PQ limit was hindering, but manageable. I guess they are no longer in 'beta' stage?

1.6k · January 30, 2004

The new query page is a major step up! I really do like it.

A couple of suggestions to throw out:

- USA in the country list so only one query for all locationlesses. I don't do them anymore, but still it would be nice.

- Still don't see a way to get only those caches that have been updated and/or logged (not just found) in the last 7 days. I can only get the ones that have been updated or found. In other words, it's missing the ever important DNF and other logs.

On a side note and I'm sure you've already thought of it, but I'm going to throw it out to see if I get a response. Would presenting "canned" GPS files lower server load? I mean, run your own set of queries everyday and break them into states or regions and let client programs handle the rest. You could probably reduce server load considerably. They would still need to download, but would eliminate multiple queries of just about the same thing. Just a thought.

Kudos on the new PQ page.

CR

1.6k · January 30, 2004

I forgot: I really like being able to turn the queries on and off on the main page.

CR

January 30, 2004

Cool new page. I like it!

Edited January 30, 2004 by SE7EN

1.6k · January 30, 2004

BUG?

Everytime I try to put in a distance of more that 150 miles and then come back to the query it is set to 500 miles.

As long as I'm getting the nearest [max_caches] counting from nearest to furthest, I don't mind. Just wanted to point that out.

CR

2.2k · January 30, 2004

I love the changes. As someone else stated, the site just keeps getting better all the time.

I have one request:

On the "By Coordinates" search option, it would be nice if our home coordinates showed up by default (If we have input them into our profile).

Keep up the good work.

RM

6.4k · January 30, 2004

I have one request:
On the "By Coordinates" search option, it would be nice if our home coordinates showed up by default (If we have input them into our profile).

Not sure how I feel about that one. Seems like the PQ centered on my home coords was a one shot deal. Set it and forget it. Every other PQ I've ever created after that has been centered on some location other then my home.

9.4k · January 30, 2004

It isn't an unreasonable request. It's probably better than defaulting to zero.

6.4k · January 30, 2004

It isn't an unreasonable request. It's probably better than defaulting to zero.

Certainly not unreasonable. Just not sure it's useful or not, or better then zeros, for that matter.

At least (for me) the zeros give an easy to read indication that the field is null. I might even suggest invalid characters like "x" or something might be better yet. This way, if the search by location is checked off and no coords are entered, the user can be kicked back to an error screen, rather then waste a query.

Or not.

On the other hand, I bet search from home coords is the single most popular PQ, so maybe default IS a good idea.

1.6k · January 30, 2004

Now I'm having more problems. It seems as though some of the options gets "stuck." For instance THIS query seems to be stuck on limiting the query to South Carolina. I change it, leave, and then come back, it's back to South Carolina again.

CR

New Pocket Query Page

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