"seek A Cache" Refinement ?

[+BGunner01]

It's probably been discussed at length somewhere in the forums before, but I couldn't find it, so....I'll ask again anyway.

 

Has consideration ever been given to expanding GC.com's cache search feature that would include an option to search "by direction" from a particular Zip Code?

 

To this non-programmer, it seems like all the information is already in the system and all it would take is a few changes in the program to refine it to sort/display search results by one, several, or all of the 8 basic compass directions.

 

For example, say I'm going on a trip next week to some city. I'll be approaching from the west - so I'd like to know all the caches that are NE, E, and SE of the city. It would be great to enter the city's Zip Code and then select NE, E, SE in a little window and get all the caches in those directions and at some radius (already a nice GC.com cache search feature) from the Zip Code.

 

I think something similar to this can be done now (although I haven't done it very much) by downloading cache locations in the ".gpx" file format and then sorting caches by direction, but it would certainly be much easier/faster/convenient to be able to sort the caches "by direction" directly from the "Seek A Cache" page.

 

Just a thought.....thanks to GC.com staff for all your hard work and maintaining a GREAT site!!

[+Markwell]

The question is always what is it best to spend the website's resources in developing. You are correct in that getting Pocket Queries (you're already a premium member) will solve this problem offline. If you get a pocket query of the whole area that you'll be visiting, ClayJar's Watcher program will allow you to filter the caches in MANY different ways that the website will not allow.

 

You can limit the caches on your pocket query to caches that you would most likely visit (the correct terrain/difficulty, single stage vs. multi-stage, etc.) and get the results sent to you in GPX format. From there, Watcher can sort by direction from any center that you designate, and FURTHER limit the caches that you intend to find (ones that have been found recently, etc.).

 

Take a look into Pocket Queries and Watcher, and you'll find that everything you're looking for is probably there.

 

And since that's true, while it may be easier for an initial user to do it on the website, it might not make sense to devote developer time to enhancing the online search features as opposed to them working on other things like multiple watch lists and being able to turn watch lists on and off.

Edited July 2, 2004 by Markwell

[+HoPri]

BTW,

 

via the test feature of pocket queries you need not to wait until the query is executed and sent to you. You get the results in the usual way on the web site, just like the seek function typically provides them.

 

Best regards,

HoPri