Feature Request: Notify when Bookmarks are rated

[+Singletree Expedition]

When a user rates a Bookmark List, there is no notification sent to the list owner. It would be useful to the owner of the list to know when this occurs in case any action is desired.

[+StarBrand]

"Action" required?? Like what? (just so I understand....)

[+Singletree Expedition]

"Action" required?? Like what? (just so I understand....)

Good question. If my public list gets bad ratings, I may want to make private. If it gets good ratings, I may want to make the extra effort of keeping it up-to-date or perhaps create additional lists that could also be helpful. If a user adds their name, maybe I'd like to send them a thank you note.

 

Either way, it would be nice to know when ratings come in.

[knowschad]

Bookmark ratings actually show up somewhere?!? Where? I don't see them on mine or on other's bookmark lists. I thought that was functionality that never really went anywhere.

 

Nevermind... I found it!

Edited July 21, 2009 by knowschad

[+Singletree Expedition]

Bookmark ratings actually show up somewhere?!? Where? I don't see them on mine or on other's bookmark lists. I thought that was functionality that never really went anywhere.

 

Nevermind... I found it!

You've made a great point in support of this request. You've had positive ratings for months/years and didn't even realize it. Keep up the good bookmarks.

[knowschad]

Bookmark ratings actually show up somewhere?!? Where? I don't see them on mine or on other's bookmark lists. I thought that was functionality that never really went anywhere.

 

Nevermind... I found it!

You've made a great point in support of this request. You've had positive ratings for months/years and didn't even realize it. Keep up the good bookmarks.

 

Absolutely right. And you don't even know that you have ratings until you have ratings, and look at the bookmark list again.

 

Bookmarks, regretfully, are a feature that Groundspeak seems to have initiated with great plans, but pretty much dropped support of, for some reason. Its not that they are worthless, but that they could be so much more.

[+Konnarock Kid & Marge]

Since we have had a lot of repeated, rude remarks on some of our bookmark lists. I absolutely agree with the OP regarding the notification. Like the OP, we didn't know of the nonsense until I happened to go to one of our lists to do an update.

The other question I would like to add is, I thought that ONE rating per bookmark list, per geocacher, was the LIMIT? If this is the case then how can the OP and us have obviously repeated remarks on our bookmark lists? I know that multiple computers can possibly be used but surely there is a limit as to how many computers most households have!

I can understand ONE remark that is negative if the geocacher doesn't think a particular bookmark is not useful but repeating the same snarky remark several times.? There is nothing objective in repeating the same nasty remark! I thought this couldn't happen! I have emailed Groundspeak asking why and how can it happen and if repeated remarks can be removed. I will let the forum know as to what GroundSpeaks position is.

At the least folks, this is a good example where rating systems can go astray and can be used for ulterior purposes! No more rating systems!

Edited July 30, 2009 by Konnarock Kid & Marge

[+J-Way]

At the least folks, this is a good example where rating systems can go astray and can be used for ulterior purposes! No more rating systems!

The rating system on bookmark lists is pretty much useless, but it is the only way that cache owners can defend themselves from a very powerful and public tool. Get in an argument with a cache owner? Think the owner has smelly feet? Find a cache but keep getting your log deleted because you didn't stand on your head? Think the cache is microspew? Simply add the cache to your "Caches that smell of elephant poo" public bookmark list! Tell the story of how you were wronged in the description for all the world to see. As long as you follow site guidelines and are reasonably honest in your account there's absolutely NOTHING the cache owner can do about it... EXCEPT add a rating with comments to the list. And since almost no one looks at list ratings except the list owner, who cares?

 

[Off topic:] I scanned through KK&M's lists. The comments on two of the lists are... odd. And appear to be from a cache owner who doesn't like lists in general and doesn't want their caches on anyone else's lists. KK&M was right to be offended.

 

But I do sorta agree with the comments on the FTF list. I understand putting your FTF list on your profile, or extolling about your victory in your log, or putting them on a private/shared list; but a public list? The cache page only shows the first three lists in order of listing, and yours is probably going to be number one. What if someone puts the cache on a useful list, similar to your wheelchair list, but it isn't visible on the cache page because it's the 4th one published?

 

A public list should be a list of caches in a grouping that is useful to at least some of the general public. A list of caches in a puzzle series. A list of caches along a trail. A list of wheelchair accessible caches. A list of caches you find exceptionally worthy. A list of caches you find exceptionally awful. A list of caches that smell like elephant poo. All of these examples are potentially useful to people other than yourself.

 

A list of First-to-Finds, a list of Seventh-to-finds, a list of caches used to complete a challenge cache, or a list of caches you're thinking about maybe seeking in the future are useful for you personally, but no one else in the entire world really cares. So stop cluttering up cache pages with public lists and use "Private" or "Shared" lists instead. Private lists can only be seen by the list owner. Shared lists are visible from the owner's profile and you can send the link to other people (this is very useful for challenge cache verification), but they are NOT visible on the listed cache page.

[/Off Topic]

 

Back to the original request, I agree. The list owner should be notified when someone rates a list. But to carry this farther, should the cache owner be notified when someone adds their cache to a public list?

Edited July 30, 2009 by J-Way

[+Singletree Expedition]

Back to the original request, I agree. The list owner should be notified when someone rates a list. But to carry this farther, should the cache owner be notified when someone adds their cache to a public list?

Thanks for the support. And yes, as a cache owner I would also like to be notified when my cache is added to a public list. (And when images are uploaded, but that's another topic)

[+J-Way]

About Konnarock Kid & Marge's FTF list...

 

I think I taste feet, but I'm not sure. For some reason I re-visited KK&M's FTF list, then went to a couple of the actual caches listed... turns out that as of right now, that list is NOT public, and everthing in the rant section of my post above is currently wrong

 

So if the cache was always shared-but-not-public, then I definitely stuck my foot in my mouth, and I apologize. But if so, how did the negative raters find it to rate it? Or was it once public but then you changed it to shared?

[+dakboy]

Since we have had a lot of repeated, rude remarks on some of our bookmark lists. I absolutely agree with the OP regarding the notification. Like the OP, we didn't know of the nonsense until I happened to go to one of our lists to do an update.

The other question I would like to add is, I thought that ONE rating per bookmark list, per geocacher, was the LIMIT? If this is the case then how can the OP and us have obviously repeated remarks on our bookmark lists? I know that multiple computers can possibly be used but surely there is a limit as to how many computers most households have!

I can understand ONE remark that is negative if the geocacher doesn't think a particular bookmark is not useful but repeating the same snarky remark several times.? There is nothing objective in repeating the same nasty remark! I thought this couldn't happen! I have emailed Groundspeak asking why and how can it happen and if repeated remarks can be removed. I will let the forum know as to what GroundSpeaks position is.

At the least folks, this is a good example where rating systems can go astray and can be used for ulterior purposes! No more rating systems!

As the owner of the list, can you see the name behind the rating & comment? I think if names were published there like they are for cache logs, the snarkiness would be much, much lower because of the accountability/visibility.

[+Singletree Expedition]

As the owner of the list, can you see the name behind the rating & comment?

Nope, it's anonymous.

I think if names were published there like they are for cache logs, the snarkiness would be much, much lower because of the accountability/visibility.

Yep, I'd say you're right about that.

 

And J-Way, KK&M's list is indeed public and shared. It's just been voted off the screen (like mine). If you click "View all # bookmark lists..." from a cache page you'll see it, but since it received bad ratings it no longer shows on the screen. I imagine that is the reason for the negative ratings... simply to get them off the cache page. It's a valid concept, yet easily abused. Personally, I enjoy seeing personal lists like FTF's, My Solved Puzzles, and Challenge type lists. The challenge lists are even useful if you are working on the challenge yourself. It's obvious that some folks don't appreciate them, but it wasn't obvious to me until I just happened to stumble across the negative remarks on my own lists after reading a KK&M post from another thread. It would have been nice to realize this as it was happening. Hence, the request for the notification.

 

And J-Way, I hope you enjoyed SoCal as much as we did recently. I said to someone there "Nice day, isn't it?". And they said "it's always like this". I'm not sure about Chattanooga but here in Bristol we've had nothing but rain since we returned.

[+Konnarock Kid & Marge]

About Konnarock Kid & Marge's FTF list...

 

I think I taste feet, but I'm not sure. For some reason I re-visited KK&M's FTF list, then went to a couple of the actual caches listed... turns out that as of right now, that list is NOT public, and everthing in the rant section of my post above is currently wrong

 

So if the cache was always shared-but-not-public, then I definitely stuck my foot in my mouth, and I apologize. But if so, how did the negative raters find it to rate it? Or was it once public but then you changed it to shared?

No apology is needed. I did list the bookmarks as public and I see the merit of criticism of making such a list public. Maybe it ought to be private since it doesn't really become useful for anyone but me! I still wonder how in the heck can the same criticism be repeated? That's not constructive, it's plain rude!

Edited July 31, 2009 by Konnarock Kid & Marge

[+J-Way]

Oddly enough, KK&M's list (which is public) is rated so low that it doesn't ever show up on the cache listing; you have to click to see it. And if the cache isn't on any other lists, then there's no way to know it's on the FTF list (see BIG ARM JONES; it's on the FTF list, but there's no way to know). I never knew that ratings had that much effect.

 

Anyway, I still disagree with making a FTF list public, but I also let others play their game so I'm not going to vote on these or any other lists (unless they affect me personally). I've actually got a thread open over in this forum petitioning for a change in how Bookmark Lists are published. This FTF list would be in my revised "Shared" category; visible from your profile and linkable, but not visible from the cache page.

 

As for SoCal: The hike was Awesome, the meetings were meetings . Sunny and about 85-90 (very little humidity).

 

No rain back in Chattanooga, but stupidly hot (highs and relative humidity both in the upper 90's).

[+Konnarock Kid & Marge]

Oddly enough, KK&M's list (which is public) is rated so low that it doesn't ever show up on the cache listing; you have to click to see it. And if the cache isn't on any other lists, then there's no way to know it's on the FTF list (see BIG ARM JONES; it's on the FTF list, but there's no way to know). I never knew that ratings had that much effect.

 

Anyway, I still disagree with making a FTF list public, but I also let others play their game so I'm not going to vote on these or any other lists (unless they affect me personally). I've actually got a thread open over in this forum petitioning for a change in how Bookmark Lists are published. This FTF list would be in my revised "Shared" category; visible from your profile and linkable, but not visible from the cache page.

 

As for SoCal: The hike was Awesome, the meetings were meetings . Sunny and about 85-90 (very little humidity).

 

No rain back in Chattanooga, but stupidly hot (highs and relative humidity both in the upper 90's).

I agree with you and will take my FTF list off of public view but I still would like to have my question answered by some Groundspeak expert. I emailed them weeks ago and received an answer about a week ago asking for clarification. What's the deal? Why are not my questions answered by Groundspeak? It's not that hard!

[+paleolith]

I tried to see what the deal is with KK&M's lists, but there are now no repeated remarks on the public lists -- a couple of stupid, rude comments, but not repeated. Did something get fixed, or were the repetitions on a list you made non-public? If it's the latter, perhaps you'd want to post a link to it (assuming it's now shared). If nothing is happening and there's no feedback, perhaps others want to also write to GS and ask why.

 

Edward

[+Konnarock Kid & Marge]

I tried to see what the deal is with KK&M's lists, but there are now no repeated remarks on the public lists -- a couple of stupid, rude comments, but not repeated. Did something get fixed, or were the repetitions on a list you made non-public? If it's the latter, perhaps you'd want to post a link to it (assuming it's now shared). If nothing is happening and there's no feedback, perhaps others want to also write to GS and ask why.

 

Edward

Edward,

Thanks for your thoughts. My bookmark list was public but I made it non-public after Groundspeak offered no remedy! All that was said was there must be a "bug in the system", but there was no offer to take the repeated, offensive remarks from the bookmark comments. I probably should not have made the list as shared and public in the first place but I still don't have an explanation of how one remark can be repeated.

 

If you are interested, here is what was said 6 times between 1:12:54 to 1:12:56 PM on May 30, 2009.

 

"Another OCD cacher list, do you really think we care that your obsessiveness is on display? Make it private and quit cluttering cache pages with useless lists! !"

 

I hate giving the wise a__ further publicity but I am an open book and don't believe in living in the shadows of anonymity! So to answer your question, no nothing is happening but I did get feedback. They (Groundspeak) shouldn't have even bothered!

 

P.S. As an after thought, Groundspeak should consider having the rating cacher's identity be shown on the bookmark lists as well as any other rating scheme they may dream up! If so, then lazy sneaky cachers may think twice before posting rude comments and showing their true colors.

Edited August 18, 2009 by Konnarock Kid & Marge