Open Caching

[roundcircle]

Sooooo, why then was it only up for just 3 hours and what the heck is going on?
Why would you create a site, have it up for only 3 hours then make it unusable and closed off if it doesn't work?

Maybe they want to generate some awareness and interest in the various caching communities.

You know they probably have secret gnomes watching this thread.

[caughtatwork]

Bald auch unter einem Baumstumpf in deiner Nähe:
Kostenlos, offen, in deiner Sprache!

Soon, under a tree stump near you:
Free, open, in your language!

[roundcircle]

How awesome is your cache?

With a new symbol.

[CraigRat]

Now they are just playing with us............

They still have made no formal or informal announcement of their intentions.

We in the open caching community just want to know what GPX format they plan to use!!

(Side note, the 'proper' Opencaching network uses the GCA format right now, but this only sort of works (version 1.1) in Garmin devices.... if they (Garmin) release a more supported open format we may move our format to match theirs which would mean no more GSAK conversions for most folk!)

[CraigRat]

Righto boys and girls, the veils are off, it's official:
http://garmin.blogs.com/pr/2010/12/geoc ... ngcom.html


Interesting bit:

For cachers who have created or found caches elsewhere, Garmin designed OpenCaching’s cache code system to seamlessly coexist and integrate with other databases, devices and applications. Also, developers can access the OpenCaching.com database through an API, and cache owners can share their information on other sites through the Creative Commons license. Cachers can quickly get credit for cross-listed caches found on other sites and easily add existing caches they own to OpenCaching.com, where they can also be tagged and enhanced with more helpful information.

The features on the site appear to be very similar to what we've been delivering, will be interesting to see the impact on both us and GC over the next period of time.

On a good note, this already has given GC a kick up the bum, they now have announced that a 3rd Party API WILL be released to access the GC data.
It saddens me that it's taken something this drastic for GC to start actually responding to some of the long-term issues with their site and the direction they were trying to take the game.

[mtrax]

yep looks like alot of missing features compared with groundspeak or GCA so I'd expect they would evolve once site got going and showed that it will be viable I guess.

see short review : http://www.gpsfix.net/garmins-opencachingcom/

[murf]

An interesting point, which probably isn't relevant to many...
It seems that even though the registration form states that your username must be at least 5 characters, a 4 character username is accepted! So if you are trying to get in early and get your same name, don't let it put you off, try your 4 char name first

[Map Monkey]

Bit buggy in the registering of an account. If the HANDLE is already taken, the following incorrect statement appears:

An account already exists with that email address. Why don't you try logging in?

hmmm,
mm

[Tuena]

Yea - I got that so just logged in using my present name & a different password & it worked. So then I thought I'll add my hides. Created a GPX file, selected the relevant button, selected the file & Open. Just took me back to the home page. Nothing achieved. I'll stick with GCA/GC.

[gmj3191]

I just exported one of my hides from GSAK into a GPX file and uploaded it just for fun.
It didn't work using GPX Ver 1.1, but did using 1.0

The logs didn't import, and only text is displayed.
I like the sliding values for size, which helps get around some of the difficulties with some containers.
A 1 litre systema can be a 4.0 and you then know it's at the top of the small and bottom of the regular ranges.

At this stage I still think having extra sites for caches has a bigger down side than upside in terms of messiness, and I don't begrudge paying GC.com the $30 pa

I've now uploaded my finds to see how that goes. It says they have been received and will be available soon in my profile, but not now, just real soon.

[CraigRat]

Bit buggy in the registering of an account. If the HANDLE is already taken, the following incorrect statement appears:

An account already exists with that email address. Why don't you try logging in?

hmmm,
mm

Have you ever logged in previously to Garmin's site using their MyGarmin service? If so that's the account it uses.

[gmj3191]

Yes, that happened to me.
After logging in I changed my My Garmin default login back to match my gc.com (and gca) handle.

[Happy Chappies]

Playing around with uploading mine just for chuckles - but am unsure about how it'll go long-term.

I can see sense for an open site if its a local community with fairly strong connections - and GCA is a great example of that. The peer support (and correction!) keeps it ticking along nicely. But I do wonder how feral it could get with a major corporation supporting an open, unreviewed, no holds barred kind of site...

Yet funnily enough, they mention 'rules' - none of which they can enforce I guess:

"No digging allowed, and always respect local laws, including property boundaries. “No trespassing” signs aren’t there for decoration."
"Never move or remove a cache. Log any issues with damaged caches, missing logbooks or inaccurate cache information. The cache’s owner should determine what to do next."

Hmm... given how much we see cache owners becoming unresponsive on GC I wonder how well those 'rules' will work on this basis. The most you can do is rate it badly. I could only see this leading to a general decline in cache quality/placement, and a site full of abandoned caches.



I'm also wondering, if I upload my caches onto this site will they be updated regularly (as GCA does) from GC.com or will it rely on the owner uploading that constantly, finders uploading their finds, or logging on both sites? I'd get tired of that pretty quickly.

[aussie-O's]

We're sorry. Something didn't work. Please try to register again later.

Thanks Garmin.

[Trigg-A-Nomics]

Sweet! Apparently I've already found 602 caches over there. In New Zealand. Where I've never cached.

Edit: After looking at the two Aussie caches currently on opencaching.com, I think what they're doing is pretty rude.
Compare:
http://geocaching.com.au/cache/gc1dxcj
http://coord.info/gc1dxcj
http://www.opencaching.com/#geocache/OX1DXCJ

They've taken taken the GC cache identifier, stripped out the GC, replaced it with an OX and listed it as an opencaching.com cache where you can add a log. So I import my GCA and GC caches and now people can log them in two places? Herp derp.

I think the GCA approach is much more sensible: you can find it here but if it's a GC cache you can't log it, go over to GC and log it.

It's a good approach for leeching caches from the other listing sites though. Import your owned caches to opencaching.com and you won't need any other sites!

Edit edit: Back to 0 caches now. The gnomes must be working overtime!