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Gsak Sync W/ Offline Data.


hodr

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Posted (edited)

I downloaded the GSAK software to load up some caches for a trip I had planned, but found it to be next to useless without the premium account on GeoCaching.com (which I went ahead and purchased).

 

However, It seems to me that since you can bring up the online data for a cache it should be trivial to pull the html information for date hidden, description, and most importantly the difficulties.

 

And before you yell that the number of stars isn't given in plain text, they create each star independantly <IMG SRC="../images/staryellow.gif" width=18 height=18 alt="*"> so you could count the times the gif is called, which is trivial.

 

By parsing the HTML you could get all the data needed to make this a truely killer app that delivers even more than the premium geocaching.com account.

Edited by hodr
Posted (edited)
I downloaded the GSAK software to load up some caches for a trip I had planned, but found it to be next to useless without the premium account on GeoCaching.com (which I went ahead and purchased).

 

However, It seems to me that since you can bring up the online data for a cache it should be trivial to pull the html information for date hidden, description, and most importantly the difficulties. 

 

And before you yell that the number of stars isn't given in plain text, they create each star independantly <IMG SRC="../images/staryellow.gif" width=18 height=18 alt="*"> so you could count the times the gif is called, which is trivial.

 

By parsing the HTML you could get all the data needed to make this a truely killer app that delivers even more than the premium geocaching.com account.

 

I won't do this

 

This is comonly known as spidering a web site and can cause overload on the servers. I currently have a good working relationship with Groundspeak, and they take a very dim view of this process (and rightly so). Jeremy has gone as far as to say that IP addresses caught doing this will be banned. All news is not bad though, as Groundspeak have said they are going to set up a "sandbox" for developers like myself. I have not been told what will be available in this "sandbox" but I am hoping requests like this can be met (for premium members).

 

Besides, the information you are wanting is already in the GPX file (but not LOC). Currently, premium members can download individual GPX files from the cache page that contain all this updated information. You can then just load that into GSAK if you need the most up to date information offline.

Edited by ClydeE
Posted

Since pocket queries bring all the information to a PDA near you, this sounds like just another gripe over the premium membership fee. Sorry, I'm not trying to flame here, but you'd spend that much on two tickets to a crummy movie plus popcorn and sodas.

Posted
you'd spend that much on two tickets to a crummy movie plus popcorn and sodas.

Hmmm... Where can you get tickets, popcorn, and sodas that cheap at a theater? I might actually go if I could. As it is, movie theaters have priced themselves out of my life. And don't get me started on the prices at ballpark concessions......... :blink:

Posted
you'd spend that much on two tickets to a crummy movie plus popcorn and sodas.

Hmmm... Where can you get tickets, popcorn, and sodas that cheap at a theater? I might actually go if I could. As it is, movie theaters have priced themselves out of my life. And don't get me started on the prices at ballpark concessions......... :blink:

It must have been a long time since I've been to the movies. I figured $30 would still get two admissions and popcorn and soda. Thank goodness for Blockbuster.

 

:lol:

Posted
Ok, so it wasn't the most thought out idea... :blink:

Don't feel bad. On the face of it, it's not a bad idea. But for the reasons listed above, turns out that it *is* a bad idea. That's how we learn...we generally save the bad vibes for someone who proceeds on that path knowing the darker side to it. (There have been numerous data mining efforts directed to geocaching.com before, so it is a bit of a hot-button topic.)

Posted
you'd spend that much on two tickets to a crummy movie plus popcorn and sodas.

Hmmm... Where can you get tickets, popcorn, and sodas that cheap at a theater? I might actually go if I could. As it is, movie theaters have priced themselves out of my life. And don't get me started on the prices at ballpark concessions......... :o

It must have been a long time since I've been to the movies. I figured $30 would still get two admissions and popcorn and soda. Thank goodness for Blockbuster.

 

:)

I took my wife to a movie last week and it was $16.00 for the movie and over $20.00 for the popcorn and pop.

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