Submit A Report Today....

[+gnbrotz]

I remember someone asking this a while back, but couldn't find the original post and did not recall an answer being given.

 

Now that the NGS is becoming much more interactive with us, I'm more motivated to submit official reports for marks. I've done this for a handful in the past, but only when I had verified a change in the official status of the mark. Many marks I've hunted have been "found as described" or with very minor changes that I didn't feel were worth the effort. That being said, most of these marks in my area have not had an official log in about 40 years.

 

At this point I'm not ready to go back and revisit them all, but assuming I date my report with my actual recovery date, rather than a current one, is this something that would be acceptable to NGS?

[+embra]

I've been wondering the same thing. I think I'll forget about my earliest finds--who knows what I did *then*--but for things where I have a photograph to verify to myself, at least, that I found the quarry, and a record of the date, how far back should we go? I was thinking I might go back a year, but that's an entirely arbitrary figure in my mind.

[Z15]

I have submitted reports a year+ later. Just make sure you put the date you found it, not todays date. I was just (over weekend) going over some of the work I did last year and found a few I missed sending in and did so.

 

I would suggest though that you pull up a current datasheet from NGS and be sure the mark has not been destroyed in the meantime

[+embra]

I would suggest though that you pull up a current datasheet from NGS and be sure the mark has not been destroyed in the meantime

...or recovered by someone else in that same meantime. Good procedure.

[caseyb]

NGS should accept the data. But all the replies here have good advice. use the date you found it and check a current datasheet, and make the decision to report based on what you find there. If a mark has not been recovered in 40 years, and you found it, we would certainly like to know.

 

-Casey-

[+gnbrotz]

Thanks, Casey (and others for your advice). A couple of follow-up questions:

 

On the mark recovery submission page it states "Text such as RECOVERED AS DESCRIBED, or MARK NOT FOUND, or DESCRIPTION IS ADEQUATE, etc. is not necessary." Keeping this in mind, is a simple "Found in variable condition" all that's wanted if no description updates are needed?

 

Is there any way we can get our own radio button on the submission page instead of having to check "other" and then fill in "GEOCAC"? I notice the US Power Squadron ranked high enough to get their own.

[Z15]

On the mark recovery submission page it states "Text such as RECOVERED AS DESCRIBED, or MARK NOT FOUND, or DESCRIPTION IS ADEQUATE, etc. is not necessary." Keeping this in mind, is a simple "Found in variable condition" all that's wanted if no description updates are needed?

 

If you check the buttons and leave the text block blank the program defaults and enters the text in the EXAMPLE below;

 

RL0058'RECOVERY NOTE BY GEOCACHING 2003 (MR)

RL0058'RECOVERED IN GOOD CONDITION.

 

RL0111'RECOVERY NOTE BY GEOCACHING 2004 (MPR)

RL0111'MARK NOT FOUND.

Edited March 1, 2005 by elcamino

[+gnbrotz]

If you check good and leave the text block blank the program defaults to the EXAMPLE below

Good to know. Thanks.

[Z15]

Is there any way we can get our own radio button on the submission page instead of having to check "other" and then fill in "GEOCAC"? smile.gif I notice the US Power Squadron ranked high enough to get their own.

 

Very good idea, this would be good recognition by NGS....

[caseyb]

Is there any way we can get our own radio button on the submission page instead of having to check "other" and then fill in "GEOCAC"? smile.gif I notice the US Power Squadron ranked high enough to get their own.

 

Very good idea, this would be good recognition by NGS....

I've been working on this issue for a while now. If I could change it myself I would have done so a while ago. Unfortunately others are involved. I can only push people so hard..... hopefully *something* will be happening soon.

 

-Casey-

[+gnbrotz]

I've been working on this issue for a while now.  If I could change it myself I would have done so a while ago.  Unfortunately others are involved.  I can only push people so hard.....  hopefully *something* will be happening soon.

Can you get us access to your web servers? I'm pretty sure all that needs done is to insert the following snippet into that page of code:

 

"input type="radio" name="primary_agency" value="GEOCAC" />GEOCAC - Geocaching<br />"

 

Perhaps you could direct the responsible party to these forums so we can browbeat them a bit.

 

Seriously though, there are probably a few other things to be looked into. Thanks for embracing the idea. I'll look forward to it's implementation.

[caseyb]

Can you get us access to your web servers? I'm pretty sure all that needs done is to insert the following snippet into that page of code:

Actually, NGS is looking for a webmaster as our old web master just retired. We are also looking for a Database Admin.... Holograph, after what you did with your little NGS database, I am wondering if I could offer you a job want to work for NGS?

 

-Casey-

[caseyb]

Very good idea, this would be good recognition by NGS....

DONE!

 

The mark recovery page now has a "radio button" for "geocachers".

 

 

-Casey-

 

thanks to liz.reid@noaa.gov for making that happen.

Edited March 11, 2005 by caseyb

[+gnbrotz]

Thanks Liz!!!

[+Black Dog Trackers]

I just entered a bunch of recent marks to the NGS.

 

I suggest including a "clear" button next to both the PID input box and the description box with this kind of coding within the <form:

<input type="reset" value="clear">

 

That would make doing several PIDs easier and reduce the probability of those errors that we've seen where the description is for a different PID.

[ArtMan]

Excellent idea, BDT!

 

I have found several marks where I entered incorrect information, apparently from paging back after making one entry and then not changing the date or the status radio button. I am much more careful (paranoid?) now, after I have had to send a few very embarrassing e-mails to Deb, asking her to correct my screwups. She's been very nice about it, but I feel like an idiot!

 

In fact, in a recent email to her, I made a similar suggestion to what BDT proposes - that when you page back, your personal information remains in place but the station-specific data is cleared, if that's possible. I hope the response is as good as it was for our request to get the GEOCAC radio button.

 

-ArtMan-

[+embra]

It may be worth mentioning here that I find an auto-fill program like Roboform valuable for speeding up the entry of repetive form information...such as the NGS reporting page.