Purpose Of Reviewer Notes

[+BalkanSabranje]

In our local forum, the following question could not be answered:

 

Whats the (originally intended) purpose of a "reviewer note"?

• Is it a note to the reviewer (then why do reviewers sometimes use this log type?)?
  
• Is it a note by the reviewer (then why can the owner use this log type?)?
  
• Is it a log type ment to exchange information both ways between reviewer and cache owner (then why can it be seen by everyone else after approval?)?
  

Just very curious,

BalkanSabranje

[Keystone]

Reviewer Notes, which have a Signal the Frog icon: , are different from all other log types because they automatically get deleted when a cache is published. Prior to a new cache being listed, reviewer notes are used as part of the process of communicating information between the cache owner and the volunteer reviewer.

 

A cache owner can leave an initial reviewer note by filling out the field right on the cache submission form. Or, supplemental information can be added by a later, separate log entry. Examples include disclosing the coordinates for all the other stages of a multicache, asking that the cache not be published until a later date (like the date of an event cache nearby), or explaining any issues which the cache owner thinks may be presented under the listing guidelines ("you may see railroad tracks on the online maps; these were removed years ago and it is now a rails-to-trails").

 

A reviewer may use a reviewer note to indicate unexplained problems with the cache submission that were noted during the course of the review. The reviewer note will cite the guideline that's relevant, explain why it's an issue for this cache, and suggesting action to be taken by the cache owner. The reviewer will also specify a preferred method for the owner to follow up with answers on the issue noted -- either e-mail or by leaving another reviewer note. If no method of communication is specified, send the reviewer an e-mail. This is because reviewers do NOT automatically receive notifications when a new note is left on the page -- they would need to watchlist the cache for that to happen. A minority of reviewers do just that.

 

Once the issues are resolved, the reviewer presses a button to publish the cache, and all the reviewer notes disappear. They can be accessed later on by the reviewer, if necessary to check on the history of the cache. For example, if someone else comes along and hides a new cache near an existing multicache, the reviewer can check the old notes to see where the other stages of the multi are located, so that the new cache won't encroach on the existing cache under the cache saturation rule.

 

After a cache is listed, the reviewer note log type serves no special purpose, other than the fact that it looks different, and only the cache owner and site volunteers have the ability to select this log type. Many reviewers prefer to use this log type when posting logs about maintenance issues, etc., as this aids in identifying them as a representative of the Geocaching.com website.

 

I hope that this information is helpful.

[+BalkanSabranje]

I hope that this information is helpful.

Yes, thank you!

 

But also: no, because:

 

Why is the RN option available after approval?

And: does the reviewer automatically get informed if a RN is posted (as with SBA)?

 

TIA,

BalkanSabranje

[Keystone]

Why is the RN option available after approval?

Because the reviewers asked Jeremy to retain that ability, in order to help identify us as volunteers representing the website. Even though we try to sign our maintenance notes with our reviewer name and "Geocaching.com Volunteer," we still get plenty of hate mail from people asking why someone with zero finds is nitpicking their unmaintained cache. Every little bit helps.

 

And: does the reviewer automatically get informed if a RN is posted (as with SBA)?

 

No. Reviewer notes, either before or after a cache is published, DO NOT TRIGGER AN AUTOMATIC NOTIFICATION TO THE REVIEWER. The reviewer would need to have the cache on their watchlist or a bookmark list in order to become aware of the note left for them on the cache page.

[+Prime Suspect]

Looks like this would be a good FAQ entry.

[Keystone]

Looks like this would be a good FAQ entry.

Done. Great idea, Prime Suspect, and thank you to Balkan Sabranje for asking good questions.

[+ChileHead]

I've always thought we needed a more structured reviewer note or field for entering coords of the other wps of a multi. This would allow an automatic entry into a database for the reviewers to maintain. I assume there is some sort of database now of coords of the wps of multis ... wouldn't a structured form make it easier for the reviewers?

[Keystone]

No, there is no integrated universal database of multicache and puzzle waypoints. Yes, it would be nice to have one.

It would be a bit of work to build it retroactively for the thousands of multi's and puzzles already out there. But yeah, this has been discussed.

[+ChileHead]

No, there is no integrated universal database of multicache and puzzle waypoints. Yes, it would be nice to have one.

It would be a bit of work to build it retroactively for the thousands of multi's and puzzles already out there. But yeah, this has been discussed.

Probably better there isn't one. I'm sure many of the caches that have come out are < 0.10 from another waypoint of another cache. The lack of a centralized database makes for more cache approvals!

[+BalkanSabranje]

Keystone, thanks for the info/insight and the FAQ entry.

 

BS/2

[+ODragon]

And: does the reviewer automatically get informed if a RN is posted (as with SBA)?

 

No. Reviewer notes, either before or after a cache is published, DO NOT TRIGGER AN AUTOMATIC NOTIFICATION TO THE REVIEWER. The reviewer would need to have the cache on their watchlist or a bookmark list in order to become aware of the note left for them on the cache page.

Is the same true for 'Needs Archived' notes? (Is it sent to some reviewer somewhere?)

[Keystone]

"Should be Archived" logs are routed to the appropriate reviewer through a process so convoluted and top secret that it cannot be disclosed here.

 

Seriously, we get them. You may or may not see an immediate response, however. In some cases the volunteer likes to give the owner an opportunity to respond to the problem.

[SCP-173]

Would it be possible to get an update sometime that makes your own reviewer notes on your own caches still visable after they've been deleted? Perhaps by clicking an added URL? There have been a couple occasions when I've needed the waypoints for different parts of a multi and had to email my approver to ask him to retrieve them for me. I've since started to keep them all written down after submitting a cache, but I still don't have them all from my earlier caches.

[Jeremy]

There have been a couple occasions when I've needed the waypoints for different parts of a multi and had to email my approver to ask him to retrieve them for me.

we had a pow wow during the last reviewer meeting and came up with a new feature that addresses the forgotten multi-coordinate issue. I pushed it up on my priority list.

[+Bjorn74]

"Should be Archived" logs are routed to the appropriate reviewer through a process so convoluted and top secret that it cannot be disclosed here.

 

Seriously, we get them. You may or may not see an immediate response, however. In some cases the volunteer likes to give the owner an opportunity to respond to the problem.

I think most of my reviewer notes get instantly converted to SBAs.

 

Once you work up a reputation and/or get used to the system it's fairly simple to use. I and my reviewer use the RNs as a subchannel to discuss things that are low on the priority totem pole. I think that's rather uncommon.

[+ChileHead]

There have been a couple occasions when I've needed the waypoints for different parts of a multi and had to email my approver to ask him to retrieve them for me.

we had a pow wow during the last reviewer meeting and came up with a new feature that addresses the forgotten multi-coordinate issue. I pushed it up on my priority list.

I hope it will address any other private between owner and reviewer) data that we may want to keep attached to caches? Things like puzzle answers, or maybe even extra hints that can be kept on the cache page but viewable only by admins and owners.

[+ODragon]

"Should be Archived" logs are routed to the appropriate reviewer through a process so convoluted and top secret that it cannot be disclosed here.

 

Seriously, we get them. You may or may not see an immediate response, however. In some cases the volunteer likes to give the owner an opportunity to respond to the problem.

No problem, thanks for the answer. It was more to clarify if it was like a reviewers note where you have to let them know you added one or if they'd notified that it was added and just give it a little time. It seems it's the latter which is good to know!

[+dogbreathcanada]

Directed here from another thread.

 

I still don't understand why, after approval, a Reviewer Note, added by the cache owner, gets emailed to everyone on the watch list. The same note is not viewable on the cache page by those same people who just received it via email.

 

That doesn't seem to me to be the expected behaviour of the Reviewer Note function.

[Keystone]

Yes, it is true that a reviewer note is copied to anyone on the watchlist. The person who wrote it would have benefitted from reading this thread or the FAQ entry.

 

But no, it is not true that nobody can see the reviewer note. I use them all the time when leaving maintenance notes on cache pages of active listings. It helps distinguish my note from other logs. They stay there and they are viewable by all. Perhaps in the case you are describing, the reviewer note was either deleted immediately by the owner, or the page dished up by the web server hadn't been updated from the database to display the new log.

[+dogbreathcanada]

Perhaps in the case you are describing, the reviewer note was either deleted immediately by the owner, or the page dished up by the web server hadn't been updated from the database to display the new log.

Okay. Thanks, Key. That's what happened. I was too quick on the "View Cache Page" link and got there before the query had recached with the new log data. Going back to the cache page today, I see that the Reviewer Note is there.

 

Strange. I can see how most people wouldn't expect Reviewer Notes to work in that manner. And most people don't search the forums everytime they plan to use a website feature.

 

During the pre-cache-approval period, there's the sense that the Reviewer Note is a Reviewer Eyes Only/Cache Owner Eyes Only feature. So it's not surprising that most people would think of it that way post-cache-approval.