Helping Users Add Attributes

[+caderoux]

Will attributes be searchable?

 

Attributes will not be searchable for a while to allow people to update their cache listings with the appropriate information. We will be providing an email update to cache owners so they can add this information to their listings. The search capabilities will be in development for a while anyway.

 

It occurred to me that a good way to encourage users to add attributes and make it easy for them is to show your caches which have attributes and which don't on your my cache listing page - this would make it obvious to users which caches they need to update.

 

Then maybe from there to a bulk updater for common attributes you want to add...

[Jeremy]

I'll be emailing all current cache owners to let them know of the new attribute functionality on the site. It'll also be a good time to make sure that all the accounts that own caches have active email addresses.

[+Moose Mob]

<snip>It'll also be a good time to make sure that all the accounts that own caches have active email addresses.

Will the active caches where the email is not valid be marked as "available for adoption"? Particularly if the cache owner of has had no signs of activity on this site in a very long period of time? (shifting topic to what was discussed on another thread)

[Jeremy]

That will not be the intent. I will only update the accounts as inactive to make them change their email addresses the next time they log in. I'm sure there are a lot of geocachers who have changed their email address and forgot to update it on the web site. This doesn't mean they've gone anywhere, but it would be nice to make sure we can let them know when their cache needs maintainence.

[+Moose Mob]

Realizing this is going way off topic....

 

I would have to agree. If a person has recently changed thier e-mail address, it wouldn't be fair to do something so drastic so quickly. Some thing like that would have to be placed in the terms of use, etc. It also would be hard to make the assumption that Groudspeak would have the authority to give away title of someone elses property, even if it is just a tupperware container.

[+RJFerret]

Getting back to the topic, I noticed less than half the NEW caches placed since attributes went into affect had them (in State ID's 2-10).

 

After you click Submit when reporting a new cache, does the system now take you to the "Edit Attributes" page automatically?

 

I think when the search ability is instituted, we'll see more existing cache pages updated as until then there's no incentive or benefit for the cache owner (in fact it costs time!)

 

Once they are searchable, then folks will want to add attributes so their cache shows up in searches and gets visited.

 

(It's rather 'chicken and egg'... Searches that produce no results 'cause pages haven't been updated will prompt negative feedback and spurious forum threads, whereas there's little reason to update pages 'cause you can't search yet!)

 

Patience,

 

Randy

[+southdeltan]

Getting back to the topic, I noticed less than half the NEW caches placed since attributes went into affect had them (in State ID's 2-10).

 

After you click Submit when reporting a new cache, does the system now take you to the "Edit Attributes" page automatically?

I mentioned in another thread that I thought the "edit attributes" link wasn't visible enough on the "submit a new cache" page.

 

When you submit a new cache, the top of the page says:

 

 

The "edit attributes" is in a location where it could easily be overlooked.

 

I suggest it's added, with a larger font, in a more central location on the page. Either above the cache type or below the Terrain rating.

 

southdeltan

[Jeremy]

We're going to work on revamping the whole list of options on the cache details page. At that time we'll provide a quick and recognizable link for attributes. In the meantime I don't mind a smaller rollout of the attributes functionality in case we run into any issues.

[+RJFerret]

Cool!

 

(Gee, don't want to feel immense time-pressure to get that search function up and running???)

 

Just kidding!

 

{grin},

 

Randy