# Of Logged Finds

[Alohazonies]

Why does the number of finds on log pages vary? I have found 24, but on some of the log pages of certain caches it says I have 23 finds.

[+Touchstone]

The find count should update to your current total when someone posts another log on the cache page. Just consider it a "feature" of GC.com .

[+Thot]

Said another way, the count only updates when a new log is added.

[Keystone]

The find count should update to your current total when someone posts another log on the cache page. Just consider it a "feature" of GC.com .

Let me explain why this "feature" works the way it does.

 

In the ancient times of geocaching (2000-2002), when you viewed a cache page it would regenerate on the fly with current find count data for every geocacher who logged something on the cache page. Now, imagine you are a database. If 200 people have visited cache GC1234, that is 200 visits to the spots where you've parked the find counts for those 200 people. If I were a database, I'd be out of breath by then.

 

This was creating a lot of load on the servers as the website grew more popular. Initially, Jeremy just removed the find counts from next to each visitor's name. This made it very easy for Geocaching.com to serve up a webpage without checking everyone's find count. But it also created an uproar in the forums.

 

Jeremy needed to find a happy medium, and unfortunately there was a shortage of bemused fortunetellers. So instead, he made a "compromise" in the programming for the cache pages. Like Touchstone said, the find counts are static until the page is updated. Thus, the many people who are just viewing the cache page are not triggering 200 trips to the database, checking everyone's find count. A new log, or an edit to the cache page by the owner, will cause the find counts to update.

 

For a glimpse into history, see Jeremy's Announcement from October 3, 2002.