Opencacaching.org.uk closes

Other issues that relate to international Geocaching.
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Zalgariath
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Opencacaching.org.uk closes

Post by Zalgariath » 21 October 16 10:50 pm

I went to download my finds PQ from the UK Opencaching site today and it now redirects to GC.com. :cry:

They had trouble a few month back when the main admin could no longer maintain the site. Someone else did step in but it looks like the movement has ended in the UK. The other Euro sites seem to be doing great guns though! ...must be part of the whole Brexit thing :evil:

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Re: Opencacaching.org.uk closes

Post by MavEtJu » 22 October 16 9:41 am

You can still try trigpointing.uk.

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Re: Opencacaching.org.uk closes

Post by caughtatwork » 23 October 16 11:19 am

That's very disappointing. The fewer sites there are that list geocaches the more the world will be beholden to the capitalism of the USA.

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Re: Opencacaching.org.uk closes

Post by Zalgariath » 23 October 16 8:34 pm

So I sought my GSAK via last GPX date to find and eliminate dead caches. Trouble is now I can't update my OC.uk caches. Anyone know how to manually hack a GPX file and manually change the last GPX date to some time in 2050? ;)

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Re: Opencacaching.org.uk closes

Post by caughtatwork » 24 October 16 8:27 am

The last GPX date in GSAK is set by GSAK on the date you last ran the file I think. There's no element in the file that tells you when you last got a file. Or are you looking for something different?

What are you actually trying to do? Expire them? Mark them as archived? Never expire them?

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Re: Opencacaching.org.uk closes

Post by Zalgariath » 24 October 16 4:49 pm

Yeah I'm trying to trick GSAK into thinking the "Last GPX Date" is a point in the future so when I sort by that column these ones don't always show at the top. :-k

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Re: Opencacaching.org.uk closes

Post by caughtatwork » 24 October 16 9:29 pm

The GSAK date seems to be set based on the creation date of the file.
<time>2016-10-24T21:27:11+11:00</time>
Try and update that date in the file and see what happens.
It's probably the one just under the urlname element.

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Re: Opencacaching.org.uk closes

Post by Zalgariath » 25 October 16 9:38 am

Crazy enough to work, will give it a try.

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Re: Opencacaching.org.uk closes

Post by Zalgariath » 16 November 16 6:17 pm

They are back! Though for the moment the old url has not been re-secured. The OC Europe guys pitched in and www.opencache.uk is up and running. A great outcome for the OC community. Here is hoping they can get some new vollies on board to keep it going.
15 November 2016
This is one of the most important Opencache news items for a long time.
First I should introduce myself. My caching name is Amberel. My Opencaching "qualifications" are that I have a proven long term commitment to Opencaching, having been involved in Opencaching UK almost from the beginning. I have set many Opencaches and found a great many more, and I have served on the committee for many years.
Most of you will be aware that the opencaching.org.uk site was taken over by Tim Day in the summer. Tim did a lot of work updating the site, and it appeared that he was nearly finished. But then it was closed down without warning and we have been unable to get hold of him. The Opencaching Facebook page was also closed.
Since then we've been trying to pick up the pieces. I created a new Opencaching UK Facebook page. The nearest domain name I could obtain is opencache.uk, which is not as good as having access to the original domain but is OK. I was able to obtain from Lord Darcy (the original founder of Opencaching UK) all of the source code for the web site, and the database as of June this year. And I tried to get it to run. But this is a complex web site, and I have no experience in this area – I really struggled and wasn't getting very far. Cacher dartymoor also looked at the system and tried to assist.
But then we had the most amazing turn for the better. I was contacted by Grzegorz, an Opencacher from Poland who is one of the team that developed the Opencaching web site software. Under his guidance I set up a virtual server on the web, and he then took over, converting the data and installing the latest version of the software. We have also been helped immensely by Andrei from Romania, with whom I have been working to translate the site into English.
So we have now ended up with the latest version of the software and a better web site than we have ever had before, and we are ready to relaunch Opencaching in the UK, at opencache.uk instead of opencaching.org.uk.
As I mentioned, the main database was restored from a June 2016 backup. Activity that occurred during Tim's tenure generally is not in the database. However, I do have some data in my offline GSAK database and may be able to help if you have lost logs you entered during this period – just let me know your caching name and the cache(s) and I'll see what I can find.
We are still dependent on our Polish and Romanian friends for support. It would be wonderful if we could find someone else in this country with the relevant Linux, Apache, PHP, MySQL programming and sysadmin skills to help dartymoor keep the system running. But a long term commitment to Opencaching is as important as the technical skills.
In terms of the number of caches listed, Opencaching is not a rival to geocaching.com. But we hope it will grow, and be seen as a place where you can find quality caches (our guidelines on https://wiki.opencache.uk/index.php/Caching_Guidelines go into more detail). We think it is good to have alternatives, especially where those alternatives are not subject to commercial pressures. And alternative sites allow for more innovation (geocaching.com favourites were copied directly from the Opencaching recommendations feature).
For Opencaching to reach a critical mass in this country we need people to have a long term commitment to Opencaching and quality caching, even when the number of finds on their caches is low. We need people to remember to keep a particular eye open for Opencaches when they are out and about, because finding is as important as hiding. And can I ask that as part of the relaunch, cache owners check the status of their listings please, especially where caches are cross listed – if the cache has changed status it is very easy to forget to update the listing on ALL sites.
So, please do visit the new site as soon as you are able, and see the improvements. Help build Opencaching in the UK by using the site, and sharing the news with your friends. And remember the new address is opencache.uk

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Re: Opencacaching.org.uk closes

Post by caughtatwork » 17 November 16 8:59 am

Brilliant. I hope they are able to succeed and continue to diversify the geocaching experience.

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