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Fe: Watchers - List Who Is Watching


Softheads

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This has been discussed ad nauseam in the past (do a search). The net result is that there is really no reason, other than curiosity, to know who is watching your cache. Since that is not a compelling reason, it was decided that programming effort would not be wasted on this.

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Please don't :lol:.

It is interesting to know how many people care what is going on on your cache listings. Gives you some idea as to how "interesting" your cache listing is. I get a bit of a kick out of it when 20 people are watching one of my caches.

I agree. Maybe just put a note under the number saying that there is no way to identify the watchers.

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Without knowing what is "behind" the number, is is difficult to determine the LOE (Level of Effort) required to throw a page with watchers listed. My thinking was; that there is already a query in place that counts the watchers, it couldn't be much work to show the users it counted. I may be wrong.

 

I agree, it is purely curiousity, but for a newby, it would be nice to know more experienced geocachers are interested in my caches. Basicly giving me feedback weather I did a good job or need improvement to advance Geocaching. :lol:

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While I was tongue in cheek when I suggested that you remove this feature, I don't necessarily mind if you plan to replace this feature with something else, and wait until that is ready to make the change.

 

If I recall, someone suggested that the number people ignoring a cache be shown to the owner - and that was shot down. (I still think it should be shown. Everybody I've spoken to in my area has only 1 set of caches on their ignore list, and I think the few people that hid those should know, but that's another story). I personally don't see how it's a matter of privacy. Clear all watchlists - and tell people that if they watch a cache the owner will know.

 

How is that any different from an audit log? Why should an owner see who's looking at cache pages? (A cache thief can get a premium membership for 3 bucks then run a PQ of MO caches).

 

Anyways - back to my reason for posting:

 

If you ARE going to remove the watchlist - you should replace it with something.

 

One possibility would be the total number of cachers to bookmark a listing (not the total number of bookmarks, one cacher could have a cache on several bookmark lists). I personally don't see how that would solve the "problem" of people asking - but it's an option.

 

Another option would be the "Top 5%" (or was it 10%) indicator that Markwell suggests. Everytime a person adds a cache to that list - it goes up on the page. I would actually like to see this whether or not you remove the watchlist count.

 

Another option would be to put a link on the number that explains why the people watching are not shown to the owner (this could be a link that only the owner sees).

 

southdeltan

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In another post I asked recently if an owner can know who is watching a cache they own only because I would like to talk to the watchers about that specific cache once in a while. Posting a note hoping to “fish out” the onlooker/s seems to be the least private thing of all. Even though it doesn’t reveal anyone, it ‘could,’ I think, make the onlooker a bit uncomfortable.

 

By the way, I couldn’t care less who knows which caches and bugs I’m watching.

 

Knowing how many people are watching my caches gives me a sort of vague rating about the importance of the cache.

 

As I recall, I have seen that as soon as it's listed there is someone watching it. Is that someone me or am I dreaming?

 

Thanks,

 

Iowa Tom, AKA -it :)

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An answer and something to bring up...

 

You are not the "1 watching this cache". If a cache you own has someone watching it, it could be the approver or someone local that got an insta-notify on caches in your area.

 

BUT - relying on the Number Watching This Cache to act as a benchmark for importance is now moot. People can "watch" caches through bookmarks (I've converted all of my watchlist to bookmarks except for travel bugs) and Pocket Queries. So I'm watching many more caches than my profile says I'm watching.

 

ALSO - Many watchers may have a cache on their list, but they've gotten out of Geocaching all together. My oldest cache was listed in 11/11/2001, and has been archived since August of 2002. It still has 2 watchers. :)

 

SO - even if you knew who was watching, that wouldn't be all that are watching, and many who are watching may not actually be watching.

 

And therefore, since the watchlist is so meaningless now, why bother knowing? If you want to contact the watchers, post a note and delete it right away. They'll get the e-mail and no one else will see the note.

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.....relying on the Number Watching This Cache to act as a benchmark for importance is now moot.

 

It may be to some degree but I can tell you that I know that at some point in time a particular cache was worthy of someone's attention. The ones that I have that are being watched are ones that should be watched, considering their uniqueness. Ones that are most popular seem to be ones that have bugs deposited in them.

 

Tom

Edited by Iowa Tom
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Because this question crops up so often and its usefulness limited, we'll most likely remove the # of people watching the cache from the page entirely.

 

Please don't remove # of people watching the cache. For me seeing that number would help determine whether or not to replace a missing cache.

 

I know of one person that has designed a t-shirt and was senting it to anyone that had 50 people or more watching a cache (as a measure of its popularity). She was planning on sending the t-shirt to the owner of The Pipeline* GCC51C, but I don't know if she ended up sending it or not.

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Well, it's been 15 months and it hasn't been changed... yet. But perhaps bumping this old thread, plus yet another "who's watching my cache?" thread in the Getting Started forum, will get this back on the to-do list.

 

With a year gone by since the introduction of bookmark lists, it's clear that bookmarks are where it's at. I don't use my watchlist anymore, except for caches that don't fit on one of my bookmark lists. Sorry to mess up the t-shirt contest.

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Yes, please don't get rid of the number of watchers. It shows the number of folks interested in the cache, good or bad, and that's important.

 

Good OR bad? If they are all watching because it's bad, the cache should be removed. But that's a moot statement since you don't know. Interest in the cache shows up in the LOGS... good or bad. How many are watching is just an ego boost. You don't know who they are, where they are or why they are.

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If they are all watching because it's bad, the cache should be removed.

Not unnecessarily. Sometimes there is a problem cache that needs a close eye by the community.

 

I'm trying to think of a situation where there is a 'problem' cache, that shouldn't be removed (or relocated). If there is ANY problem... it is hurting the game of geocaching, creating a bad image to the public, is no fun searching for, muggled, negatively impacting the environment, eyesore, whatever. You people out there want to place a cache SO badly, that you will do anything to make it happen. Including jeopardizing the game. No matter how bad the location is or how many minor problems it creates you have to come up with some excuse, make a new rule, argue with the reviewers, or start another thread to justify your actions.

I'm starting to rant and going off subject of the thread but I'm not off the subject of the overall game. Do a profile so I don't have to reply and participate in a flame war, because I won't.

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The watchlist number is meaningless now. People who watch a cache through a bookmark listing don't show up. You may have 100 people watching a cache, but the watchlist may only show 3.

 

I don't know how many people use bookmarks vs watchlists ... personally, I use watchlists as a quick way to see who logs the FTF on a new cache and then I unwatch it. I use bookmarks for longer term "monitoring" of a cache.

 

When I started geocaching, I used to put every cache I found on a watchlist. It didn't take long before that started filling up my mailbox!

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Meaningless or not I still use my watchlist, if only because I'm lazy. One click to put something on my watchlist vs click, select from drop down box, click to put something in my bookmarks.

 

If the watchlist ever gets completely removed a nice feature would be a link that with one clicked would place that cache in a predetermined bookmark, possibly even named watchlist.

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Because this question crops up so often and its usefulness limited, we'll most likely remove the # of people watching the cache from the page entirely.

 

It seems to me that there is far too much interest in this. So I dont see why you dont enable us the ability to see who is watch but give the watcher the opt-out option. So if they dont want to be seen watch a cache they dont have to. But the number of people should not be removed.

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If they are all watching because it's bad, the cache should be removed.

Not unnecessarily. Sometimes there is a problem cache that needs a close eye by the community.

I'm trying to think of a situation where there is a 'problem' cache, that shouldn't be removed ...

I'm trying to think of why someone would be brazen enough to think that they are the protectors of the community and feel the need to police on it's behalf. :)

Edited by sbell111
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Because this question crops up so often and its usefulness limited, we'll most likely remove the # of people watching the cache from the page entirely.
It seems to me that there is far too much interest in this. So I dont see why you dont enable us the ability to see who is watch but give the watcher the opt-out option. So if they dont want to be seen watch a cache they dont have to. But the number of people should not be removed.

I agree. There IS far too much interest in this. Jeremy should implement his plan and remove the number from the page. This will drive interest down because the number won't be mocking you.

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Because this question crops up so often and its usefulness limited, we'll most likely remove the # of people watching the cache from the page entirely.

 

Please don't. Yes, curiousity would be satisfied by being able to know who was watching, however having that number there helps me, at least, gauge not only if the DNF's have simply abandoned weather or not they will look for it again (maybe I need to change something) but it also lets me get a better feeling for how many potential DNF's there were (most don't seem to log but will watch it.

 

For the same reason you don't want to spend time adding a link to see who is watching, don't spend any time removing it.

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The number of watchers is irrelevant, due to bookmarks. For example I could create a bookmark called DNFs and add my DNFs to it. These numbers wouldn't be referenced on the page in the section showing the # of watchers. It's also easier to remove caches from bookmarks than it is the watchlist. Bookmarks offer more flexibility (including the ability to download a pocket query of those caches) than watchlist so I'd be willing to bet it's a better solution for most everyone. Those who have been around since before bookmarks may not all be using them, but if watchlist were to be removed today, I bet you'd have a lot of people singing praises of the bookmark list.

 

:)

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I expect that the watchlist will always be there, because it is part of the very early feature set which Groundspeak kinda sorta guaranteed would always be part of the "basic game of geocaching" that would be made available on this site free of charge. The bookmark lists, a premium member feature, are far more useful and I would guess that development efforts would be focused on enhancing that feature. Therefore I predict that development efforts to enhance the watchlist, a basic feature, would be given a very low priority. This would include the feature request being discussed in this thread.

 

EDIT to note that I also predicted that there would never be an off-topic forum. :)

Edited by The Leprechauns
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The watchlist number is meaningless now. People who watch a cache through a bookmark listing don't show up. You may have 100 people watching a cache, but the watchlist may only show 3.

 

Somebody who has a cache bookmarked isn't a watcher - he's a bookmarker. The two different features serve two different purposes. Bookmarks let you make a list of caches - but it's a passive list. Watching is an active feature - it sends you emails when there is activity on the cache.

 

I use both depending on what my needs are.

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Somebody who has a cache bookmarked isn't a watcher - he's a bookmarker. The two different features serve two different purposes. Bookmarks let you make a list of caches - but it's a passive list. Watching is an active feature - it sends you emails when there is activity on the cache.

 

I use both depending on what my needs are.

On my bookmark lists, I have the box checked that says:

 

Notify me when items on this list are logged

 

I get emails when the caches are found, notes posted, disabled, etc., just like on a watchlist.

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Somebody who has a cache bookmarked isn't a watcher - he's a bookmarker. The two different features serve two different purposes. Bookmarks let you make a list of caches - but it's a passive list. Watching is an active feature - it sends you emails when there is activity on the cache.

 

I use both depending on what my needs are.

On my bookmark lists, I have the box checked that says:

 

Notify me when items on this list are logged

 

I get emails when the caches are found, notes posted, disabled, etc., just like on a watchlist.

 

You learn something new every day... OK, disregard my earlier post.

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Because this question crops up so often and its usefulness limited, we'll most likely remove the # of people watching the cache from the page entirely.

 

No, don't do that!!!!

 

I agree that it is not a good idea to show who is watching a cache, but it is always a cool thing to me to see that people notice and watch my caches.

 

KEEP THE NUMBER OF WATCHERS

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Because this question crops up so often and its usefulness limited, we'll most likely remove the # of people watching the cache from the page entirely.

 

No, don't do that!!!!

 

I agree that it is not a good idea to show who is watching a cache, but it is always a cool thing to me to see that people notice and watch my caches.

 

KEEP THE NUMBER OF WATCHERS

 

I think people are using the number of people watching this cache as a kind of a rating system. Cache may be watched for a variety of reasons but those that have a lot of watchers are exceptional in some way. Has anyone asked for a way to search for caches that have a lot of watchers?

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I used to have hundreds of caches on my watchlist. Now I have 2.

 

I have about 100 caches on various Bookmark lists for which I receive notifications.

 

Nah - watchlists as a rating system isn't really great.

 

I may be watching it because I found it previously. I may be watching it because I want to find it. A reviewer may be watching it because it has problems. etc., etc., etc.

 

Watchlist as a rating? Not really.

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Because this question crops up so often and its usefulness limited, we'll most likely remove the # of people watching the cache from the page entirely.

 

No, don't do that!!!!

 

I agree that it is not a good idea to show who is watching a cache, but it is always a cool thing to me to see that people notice and watch my caches.

 

KEEP THE NUMBER OF WATCHERS

 

I agree, please don't do that! To some extent it shows that people are interested in the item for whatever reason.

 

I have quite a few geocoins and Jeep TBs on my watchlist, some of which haven't moved in over a year. I have this fantasy that some of these people will notice the watchers and think, "Wow, there are 15 people waiting for me to place this in a cache", and maybe they'll do it.

 

I'm not holding my breath, but I can hope.

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i am not sure if this topic ever came up before but if it has I am sure I will be redirected. In any case i am often curious who is watching my caches. I was wondering is it beyond the scope of possiblity to allow the cache owners to see the list of users that are watching their specific caches.

 

Hmmm. Would be a great Premium Member Perk. then you could see who is watching all your caches not just member only caches.

 

Just a thought :)

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Brought up often. Short answer - no current way to see. Privacy issues.

 

Possible solution - write a note on the cache page asking the watchers to id themselves.

 

Also keep in mind that more and more people are using bookmark lists to keep track of caches and you don't even know they placed it on the bookmark list unless it is public. The watchlist number may be just a few of those really watching and getting emails.

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