Pocket Query - What Does 'updated' Mean?

[+washboy]

In the 'That' section are various AND flags including 'Updated in the last 7 days' and 'Found in the last 7 days'. But what constitutes an update?

 

I want to identify caches, within my local area, that have changed recently, i.e. have received new log entries, have been archived or suspended or have had their description changed by the owner.

 

'Found within...' appears to select only 'Found' log entries (as one might expect) but I also want to know about DNFs, Notes and archive requests.

 

I'd assumed that 'Updated in...' means that something about the cache has changed (description, logs or status). However, I've concluded that's not the case and that it's simply that the cache owner has edited the cache description. Yes? Does that include suspending or archiving it? If not, maybe it should.

 

This question has arisen as a result of my trying to use GSAK (a most excellent tool). I'm in the UK which, I guess, is equivalent to a large US state, in cache terms (3500-odd active caches). It's perfectly reasonable for me to want PQs covering the whole country/island.

 

GSAK facilitates the maintenance of such a small database but all the PQs I've tried so far work fine until a cache becomes archived/suspended or goes missing (usually signalled by DNFs). I'd hoped that using GSAK would mean fewer and smaller PQs since, after initially populating GSAK, ongoing PQs would be only for newly-placed and archive/suspended caches, plus new log entries. I'd have thought that's less of a strain on GC.com's PQ server(s) than regularly PQing all 3500 caches.

 

I'd like to see an extra item in the 'That' section of PQs: a simple 'Caches With New Data in...' to include ANY change (like a 'dirty' flag). Right now, I'd settle for a 'Have New Logs in...' to include all types of log entry. Oh, and while you're at it ( ), it would be really good to allow selection of the number of days, from 1 to 30 days, instead of just 7.

 

I really appreciate the hard work that all those involved in Groundspeak put into the service. I know that just keeping ahead of demand on the servers is a challenge in itself, and that it comes before development and enhancement of special facilities. Still, what are the chances, Jeremy?

 

Erm, having said which, I do hope that Groundspeak do not actually seek to discourage maintenance of small, up-to-date, local, offline databases by premium members for personal use (?).

Edited June 3, 2004 by washboy

[CoyoteRed]

Your suspicions are correct. "Updated" only means the cache discriptions have changed. "Found" means, well, found.

 

Any change to the cache in the last 7 days, including DNFs, and notes, has been suggested AND thought a good idea by TPTB. However, it seems to have not made it the to-do list.

 

What I've been doing is sorting by "Last Updated" and if the cache isn't in my last query I look at the page for a reason (sometimes I get older travelers that move out of my area) and if it's been archived I download the individual GPX. When I'm done I import all of the individual GPX files and I'm done. Works pretty well, considering.

 

I've found that there are basically two reasons for a cache to not be in a PQ, older traveler or archived. It's almost safe to flag it as archived, but D/L the individual GPX to get the last logs.

 

Hope this helps.

[+washboy]

Any change to the cache in the last 7 days, including DNFs, and notes, has been suggested AND thought a good idea by TPTB. However, it seems to have not made it the to-do list.

 

Ah! I did some searching before posting but didn't unearth that. Perhaps TPTB will confirm if it did make it to the to-do-list, etc.

 

What I've been doing is sorting by "Last Updated" and if the cache isn't in my last query I look at the page for a reason

 

I'm trying to avoid PQing all 3500 caches each session. My PQs are intended to provide just the new and modified stuff (except they don't - that's the point) so, sadly, your method won't work for me. Thanks for your suggestion, though

 

What's needed is the enhancement(s) I mentioned.

[+Alan2]

Thanks for clearing that up. It gave me the reason I was not getting all the "founds". I only checked updates and not also "found" in the the last 7 days.

 

alan