What's new on Geocaching Australia

[blossom*]

C@W, I have a question about the 100 GCA Finds rewards pathtag. It's for 100 GCA finds but is that 100 finds on unique caches? Or do the multiple finds on the Moveable caches count as part of the 100? And if multiple finds do count, is there a limit on the number of finds on the same cache would count?

I ask becasue I've got a lot of finds on one of the Moveable caches and I don't want to cheat by getting to the 100 in the wrong way. I think I have 15 finds on one of them (is there a spot I can see this?)

[caughtatwork]

GCA Found: 40.
That's the number we use.
If you find a cache you get +1 whether you've found it before or not.

To answer the second question, yes, you can see the caches you have duplicate (well, more than 1 find on).
http://geocaching.com.au/cacher/statist ... duplicates

You can get there from your cacher page, then under the statistics tab, at the bottom called duplicates.

[caughtatwork]

http://geocaching.com.au/
You may need to hit refresh or F5 to get the latest files.

The last 50 caches to be published now appear on the home page. Hover your mouse over the text to halt it. Click on the link to go to the cache page.

A more "in your face" method of bringing attention to new GCA caches.

[caughtatwork]

GCA Cache Alerts will alert you to the status of selected caches within a selected radius from your home co-ordinates. For each cache type that is available at Geocaching Australia you can set a radius and alternative email address to be notified. Currently only published and retracted log types are available. This may be extended over time to include other log types like temporarily disabled or reactivated.
http://wiki.geocaching.com.au/wiki/Cache_alerts

You can update your cache alerts here.
http://geocaching.com.au/my/alert/

Or you can come in from your my settings page and select Set Your Cache Alerts.
http://geocaching.com.au/my/settings/

This is a very complex database query and while it has been tested thoroughly and has been under beta test with our beta testers in production for some weeks now, there is a possibility of inaccuracies.

If anything looks wonky with your alerts, please start a thread (so we don't clutter up this one) and I'll track the bugs down.

[caughtatwork]

Geocaching in Banned Zones

In light of the discussion and outcomes of this thread http://forum.geocaching.com.au/viewtopi ... 24&t=13679, we have made a small change to the cache page.

If a cache is determined to be in a banned geocaching zone based on the zone data we have available, a warning is output to the cache page and the cache details are initially hidden from view.

You may reveal the cache details by clicking on the link Show Cache Details at the bottom of the warning.

This will reveal the cache details.

While it is not a perfect solution, it does imply that you have read the warning (even if you had to read it just to work out how to show the cache details) and therefore take the accountability upon yourself should you wish to seek the cache.

This is standard javascript code for hide / reveal a hidden <div>, so if you find a bug in this function, please start a new thread highlighting your operating system and browser, including version, so we can debug.

[Richary]

Just for clarification (and I assume the answer is no) - will this in any way affect the download GPX functionality for all NSW (etc) caches that we currently have on the state page?

[CraigRat]

No.

It's not feasable for us to do anything with the GPX with regards to the zones with the resources we have, so it's business as usual for them for now.

[Richary]

As I thought given the other discussions on the topic. But wanted to clarify as it wasn't clear in the original post about warnings, for others as much as me.

Thanks for that and all the hard work

[setsujoku]

Looks like there is a new April fools day feature that displays a couple of random images and errors, before another refresh returns you back to normal transmission.

[caughtatwork]

http://wiki.geocaching.com.au/wiki/Codeword

We have introduced a new method of verifying that you have found a cache called a codeword. Yes, we are aware that codewords can be shared and that it's not real proof, but if you want to play the game that way you can always say you found a cache but didn't have a pen, logbook was too wet to write in, other excuses for your written to to fail to appear in the logbook.

Codewords will only be used on special caches, see below.

Some geocaches have a codeword that are used to prove that you have found the final destination or cache. The codeword is entered on the log page when your log your find, proving that you have the codeword for that cache. The cacher makes a note of the codeword from the cache or final destination and when they log the cache they use the codeword as proof of a find.

The codeword is alphanumeric only (no special symbols such as %, $, &, etc) and is case insensitive. i.e. testing is the same as TESTING. It is important to be able to differentiate between (letter) I and (number) 1 as well a (letter) O and (number) 0 when assigning a codeword.

The caching community at large cannot create a codeword based logging mechanism for a cache.

Codewords are currently being used for educational caches for schools and other educational purposes where there is a high risk of the cache going missing.

This is just a heads up in the event that I've boobed the code and you get weird errors. The code was tested thoroughly, but you know, better fools and all that.

[Coffee and Cache]

http://wiki.geocaching.com.au/wiki/Codeword

We have introduced a new method of verifying that you have found a cache called a codeword. ...........

Hi caughtatwork - Sounds interesting. Is that currently being used for GC caches? Do you have an example?

[caughtatwork]

GC caches do not have this capability, although there are a lot of people who have asked for it.

One example I have for now (to be released in the future) will be an "easter egg" hunt where at the listed co-ordinates there will be hidden an "item". Your proof of finding (and keeping) that item is to log the codeword that is hidden with the item. Your logging of the codeword in this case disables that cache listing as you've found and kept that item. That stops others from trying to find something that is no longer there.

Another example will be an educational based cache. i.e. A cache set out for kids for educational purposes. e.g. Go to place A, find information, follow the clues, go to place B, get more information, follow more clues, etc, get to the final location, get the codeword. This stop the kids from coming back and muggling the caches as well as any danger of 20 kids being spotted retrieving and rehiding the cache. This is sort of like a letterbox style hide. With a "follow the clues" concept, schools don't need to have a GPS to find the cache. This will be used with the upcoming Burke & Wills activity. In this case the codeword is used to confirm you found the final location but doesn't disable the cache listing and prevents the cache from being subject to many, many kids, feet, hands and muggles.

[PesceVerde]

Hi. Sounds interesting.
EDIT: Unintentional spoiler removed - PV

[caughtatwork]

No more spoilers.
I need to keep somethings secret.

[CraigRat]

After much procrastination on my behalf, we finally have the QLD Protected areas data in to our Zones database.

There are over 1040 areas that have been added, covering substantial chunks of QLD. Data is derived from this dataset: http://data.australia.gov.au/127



GCA cache hiders are advised to check the appropriate landholder policies before hiding a cache in any of these areas.

There are 4 or 5 zones still to be added that are causing me some problems, but this should get you started

They can be viewed here:
http://geocaching.com.au/zone/select/13