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Release Notes (Website and app: Icon updates) - December 5, 2016


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Release Notes - December 6, 2016

 

Today’s release brings more design consistency to the Geocaching map as seen on Geocaching.com and the Geocaching® app.

 

  • All icons on the website map now match what you’ve already been seeing on the Search results page. The new icon colors also match up with the app.
     
     
    5ea168ad-307d-4baa-9f37-2c250f0924f8_l.jpg
     
     
  • The views at various zoom levels on the Geocaching.com map are now more similar to the app. For instance, when you’re zoomed farther out, caches are denoted by a smaller dot icon with color only.
     
     
    65177229-259d-421f-9907-3cac60882213_l.jpg
     
     
  • When you zoom in, you’ll see larger icons with more detail.
     
     
    70d13ddd-560e-4353-917e-6d57649c01e3_l.jpg
     
     
  • We have recategorized the Filterable Cache Types to match the mobile app.
     
     
    44ab1abe-11be-4210-ab3a-c0fdadc11aaa_l.jpg
     
     
  • We’ve removed the Premium Member Cache key - the circle icon that indicated on the map which caches were PMO. It was only available to Premium Members, and was not well understood or used by many users.
     

 

We’ll have a few more updates in the coming weeks, and we’ll be sure to let you know when those happen.

 

Nadja from HQ’s product team is watching the thread to answer questions whenever possible.

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We’ve removed the Premium Member Cache key - the circle icon that indicated on the map which caches were PMO. It was only available to Premium Members, and was not well understood or used by many users.
What about the gray background that was used to indicate that a cache was disabled?
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  • We’ve removed the Premium Member Cache key - the circle icon that indicated on the map which caches were PMO. It was only available to Premium Members, and was not well understood or used by many users.

I'm curious to know how it was determined that the PMO descriptor was not "used by many users". I certainly appreciated being able to identify which caches were PMO or not, by having the icon be a square or circle.

 

If there's no way to identify PMO caches on the map, then could GS at least add a toggle in the Filters pane so users can toggle on/off PMO caches. I know this can be done via Search, so I'm asking specifically in regards to the Browsing Map.

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We’ve removed the Premium Member Cache key - the circle icon that indicated on the map which caches were PMO. It was only available to Premium Members, and was not well understood or used by many users.
What about the gray background that was used to indicate that a cache was disabled?

I am still seeing the grey, at zoom levels 12+. Although using a darker grey would be preferable, because the current grey level being used is very difficult to see against the map.

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What about the gray background that was used to indicate that a cache was disabled?

 

I'm not sure I understand the question. Disabled caches are denoted by being grayed out...

 

75fbde35-c9d3-4169-ac0c-6399dd82afaa.jpg

Would it be possible to change the grey to a darker one? As denoted in the image you included, the current grey level blends in with the map background. For example, the disabled cache under the Mystery icon at the 527 intersection is barely visible.

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I'm not sure I understand the question. Disabled caches are denoted by being grayed out...
Ah, so they are. I guess caches are well-maintained around here. There are very few gray icons on my map. I didn't notice them before.

 

Of course, even knowing what I was looking for, they're hard to spot. As others have mentioned, the gray background blends into the map very well.

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...was not well understood or used by many users.

It's happened quite a lot lately, I read this and think "What about me? I'm one of the few..."

 

I remember when Google changed the limits for their maps, and Groundspeak suddenly was in the 1% that got affected. I feel like I'm a part of the 1% that always get affected when something is changed now.

 

I fear that the old icons will be completely removed by this time next year, hopefully I'll get used to the new icons by then. Luckily my GPSr shows me the good old ones :)

 

If possible, could you please shrink the size of the icons on the map when zoomed in? They feel a lot bigger than the old icons...

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[*]We’ve removed the Premium Member Cache key - the circle icon that indicated on the map which caches were PMO. It was only available to Premium Members, and was not well understood or used by many users.------- Who are all the people who don't use these icons ??? if you have a newer cacher or 2 or 3 kids and you don't want to pay for 2 or 3 premium membership because you don't know if they really want to do this hobby!!! i always look on the map before i go to see where the caches are, that we all can do, then when i'am by myself i'll only go for premium caches. i'am sure there is some way to keep the rouund and square icon's. i'am also sure you understand that there are times when i need a cache for the day, you are going to search for premium caches not trad. because the premium's are usually better taking care of. so please reconsider this move.

Edited by wesser26
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Well, it's ugly. Turn Geocaching completely into APP usage. Hey, GPSr users, get an APP!

No, you can't make me! :laughing:

 

The map freezes up completely. Unusable. Trying to decide where to go eocaching Saturday, but I cannot use the map anymore.

I'm not seeing this. In fact, right now the performance seems better than I've been seeing lately. It used to be that the icons would slowly load and half of them would be unclickable, but now they seem to be showing up faster and I haven't found any unresponsive icons yet.

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  • We’ve removed the Premium Member Cache key - the circle icon that indicated on the map which caches were PMO. It was only available to Premium Members, and was not well understood or used by many users.

I'm curious to know how it was determined that the PMO descriptor was not "used by many users". I certainly appreciated being able to identify which caches were PMO or not, by having the icon be a square or circle.

 

If there's no way to identify PMO caches on the map, then could GS at least add a toggle in the Filters pane so users can toggle on/off PMO caches. I know this can be done via Search, so I'm asking specifically in regards to the Browsing Map.

 

Great question. In an effort to streamline, the map (used alone simply for browsing) will offer filters for cache types and hides and finds. As you noticed you can accomplish PMO cache filtering on the search page, but the intent is to merge the search filters and map experience at some point.

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  • We’ve removed the Premium Member Cache key - the circle icon that indicated on the map which caches were PMO. It was only available to Premium Members, and was not well understood or used by many users.

I'm curious to know how it was determined that the PMO descriptor was not "used by many users". I certainly appreciated being able to identify which caches were PMO or not, by having the icon be a square or circle.

 

If there's no way to identify PMO caches on the map, then could GS at least add a toggle in the Filters pane so users can toggle on/off PMO caches. I know this can be done via Search, so I'm asking specifically in regards to the Browsing Map.

 

The PMO designation was valuable to me, I used it regularly when planning a caching ride. Now, I cannot use the map to determine if a cache is PMO without opening the entire individual cache page. Serious flaw in your approach, Groundspeak!

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Non-PMO members who want to hide a cache can't see PMO caches on the map? Seems like that's just going to add more problems.

 

So that's what it looks like on the app...I'll get used to it, I suppose.

 

More and more cartoonish all the time. Is that what the world of mobile phones is like?

 

 

B.

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I Always zoomed to 2km so I get the nice large icons. Now its not posibble anymore :(

Now I need to zoom to 500m but then is the map to small.

 

What I still miss is a personal default mapview. I Always switch to "openstreetmap default", zoomlevel 2km and turn found caches off. I need to do this each time....

And maybe then is possible to set on what zoomlevel you see the large icons.

Edited by Underkoffer
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Ok I do not like the new icon at all but can live with them

My Question is how do we filter on the map for Premium caches HOW??

was working on a challenge that you have to Get X number of Premium caches with in X number of hour

For your particular need, your best option right now could be using the Search page. When you use Search, then you can add a filter and select "Premium" caches. Then Map the Results. Not an ideal situation, but may be your best option for now.

Edited by noncentric
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I'm still not sure why it was removed quite some time ago, but could you please put back the link to get back to the list of pocket queries from the pocket query configuration screen? Sometimes I'm 5 or 6 changes in and want to go back to the list and it's silly to either have to hit 'back' 6 times or go back to my profile and click the pocket query link.

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Went to geocaching.com map page tonight and just about died. New unfriendly icons! These icons have the same major flaw of most mobile device applications, they totally leave us color blind people in the dark. The unique shapes of the old icons made it very easy to tell the cache type regardless of color. Most colors selected before were unique enough to enhance the shape, at least for some levels of color blindness. Now, they all blend together. Not only are they all dots, but the color selections are no longer unique enough so multiple icons appear the same at a quick glance. Very frustrating to take a huge leap backwards in useability!! When looking for a new phone I actually avoided Android based phones because none of the geocaching apps were color blind friendly compared to GeoBucket. In fact, they all look like the new online icons, horrible for some of us. Is there any way to get the old icons back for us that like/need them?

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Went to geocaching.com map page tonight and just about died. New unfriendly icons! These icons have the same major flaw of most mobile device applications, they totally leave us color blind people in the dark. The unique shapes of the old icons made it very easy to tell the cache type regardless of color. Most colors selected before were unique enough to enhance the shape, at least for some levels of color blindness. Now, they all blend together. Not only are they all dots, but the color selections are no longer unique enough so multiple icons appear the same at a quick glance. Very frustrating to take a huge leap backwards in useability!! When looking for a new phone I actually avoided Android based phones because none of the geocaching apps were color blind friendly compared to GeoBucket. In fact, they all look like the new online icons, horrible for some of us. Is there any way to get the old icons back for us that like/need them?

 

Hear, hear! I'm slightly colour blind and while I can distinguish the colours, they don't pop out at all - they all look similar shades to me and it's really hard to gather information by a glance, I have to concentrate just enough to make it irritating. The former graphical icons were much better in this regard, there was never confusion between a Tupperware® icon and a question mark icon.

 

Is it too much to ask for returning the old style icons as an option??? It would be greatly appreciated! Otherwise allow us to customize the colour palette to our preference, I find the current one unbearable.

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For colorblinds the new icons are terrible - and every 12th man ist colorblind (and every 230th women).

This kind of icons is the reason, i do not use the app often.

So in the name of every 12th male geocacher: Please think about your customers and go back to the old icons!

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[...]

My Question is how do we filter on the map for Premium caches HOW?? [...]

 

Do it just the other way round:

1. Do a NewSearch for PMO caches only.

2. Map the result. Bingo!

 

Hans

Edited by HHL
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Summarizing all these replies:

 

Nobody likes it!

 

As far as I know Groundspeak is a profit oriented company.

Therefore it's hard to understand that so many customerunfriendly things have been implemented.

Information on maps have been reduced with this change.

Please stick with the old design! It was perfect!

The argument it's now a common design with the app is not valid. Gues why most people don't use the app?

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Summarizing all these replies:

 

Nobody likes it!

Unfortunately a totally wrong assumption.

[...] hard to understand that so many customerunfriendly things have been implemented.

What exactly do you mean by "many customerunfriendly things"? Could you please elaborate?

As for now your comment is without any noticeable value.

[...]
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There are also some icons missing... Ape, HQ ...

I don't like the new design. It has a very good visibility before, but now it is just... horrible.

Where are the PMO caches? Absolutly confusing.

Please make at least a choice, that the users can decide which design they would like to use.

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Non-PMO members who want to hide a cache can't see PMO caches on the map?

 

They have changed that months ago - the only reasonable way for basic members who are cache hiders is to use the old search (another reason for hoping that it stays) as the new search output hides major data about the PM-only caches.

 

In any case I wonder how GS could have determined that hardly anyone used the feature that PM-only caches had their own icon on the map as I know many PMs who strictly wish to avoid clicking

on PM-only caches as they do not want to get added to the audit list. Technically it does not seem possible to me to determine how many users found a feature useful which does not lead to an action visible to

GS.

Edited by cezanne
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I Always zoomed to 2km so I get the nice large icons. Now its not posibble anymore :( Now I need to zoom to 500m but then is the map to small.What I still miss is a personal default mapview. I Always switch to "openstreetmap default", zoomlevel 2km and turn found caches off. I need to do this each time....And maybe then is possible to set on what zoomlevel you see the large icons.

 

I agree. When I zoom the map out to see a decent area the icons are too small, I can't see what types of caches they are or whether I've found them or not. When I zoom in, the icons are visible but the map area is now too small to view a decent sized potential caching region. The map resolution and cache icon size was really good in the previous version. This has become really unfriendly to use - a real step backward.

 

Sorry but why do you keep making things worse? It seems that all this effort is about integrating the app which is a waste of time as Cgeo is so much better even when you've rebuilt it from the ground up. In effect you are dirtying your best shirt to polish a turd - makes no sense. I know I'm wasting my time with this as 'listening to customers' hasn't been that great in the past but hey, miracles happen.

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1. Icons on zoomed-out map are too small.

2. Icons on zoomed-in map are very, very similar to google POI icons (and blend in at some other, more colourful maps).

3. Where is actually the cache? Formerly, there was a tip at which the cache was located. Now, it is somewhere in the circle - but where? I mean I do not know where is the centre of the circle - e.g. at which side of the street...

4. How to recognize PM-only caches?

5. How to recognize disabled "found" caches?

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I was quite surprised by the change to the map this morning, as well. I can't say I'm particularly thrilled with the change - having the old icons be more responsive would have been the best of both worlds. For me, at least.

 

Please note that I do not cache with a smartphone, use a smartphone on a regular basis, or even own a smartphone. I have no intention to do any of the aforementioned things at any time in the foreseeable future and am frankly getting pretty tired of the "appification" of user interfaces. Perfectly good user interfaces are being dumbed-down or made overly cartoony for no good reason that I can see. And another thing - you durn kids stay offa my lawn! End of "cranky old man" rant.

 

Count me in as one of the "slightly color-blind" that is having trouble with the new look.

 

I have also noticed that at zoom levels of 2km and above I can get a view containing both the old icons and the new icons - it seems to be based on map tiles and changing to a different zoom level (5km, say) causes different tiles to display the icons differently.

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The new icons suck. They are all circles and probably look all alike if your color blind. The different shapes of the old make them unique and stand out better. They should have polled the membership before they did it, but I guess they don't care what we think.

 

If they you wanted the app crap to look like the original you should have used the original icons. And the map has and does freeze up all the time.

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Who on earth designed the colors? First of all, mess of the orange, green and yellow circles must be absolute hell for colorblind ( only 8 % of males ) cachers? Especially when there is no difference in brightness?

 

Secondly, it would more than nice to be able to differiate wherigos, letterboxes and mysteries from each other even on higher zooming levels. Now there is just blue dots. Same problem with different kind of events.

 

Otherwise I like dots, those show map better.

 

Oh, and by the way, you forgot lone APE-cache symbol from map preferences.

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It's a change because of change and again functionality is removed. No more indication of PMO caches (yup, I'm one of the few that used it AND understood it).

 

Still waiting for the time/date issues to be resolved though.

 

So glad GSAK, GDAK and my GPS still use the bigger and more logical icons on the map.

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I agree with most of this thread. At smaller zoom levels the icon for found and hidden caches has to fit inside the icon circle, making it too small and ugly, they don't stand out as much as they used to. Also, the fact that all the icons are circles now makes it way harder to distinguish cache types at first glance, especially in traditional vs mystery caches. At least put an option somewhere to change to the old style, please.

And the new MEGA and GIGA icons... just no.

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[*]We’ve removed the Premium Member Cache key - the circle icon that indicated on the map which caches were PMO. It was only available to Premium Members, and was not well understood or used by many users.------- Who are all the people who don't use these icons ??? if you have a newer cacher or 2 or 3 kids and you don't want to pay for 2 or 3 premium membership because you don't know if they really want to do this hobby!!! i always look on the map before i go to see where the caches are, that we all can do, then when i'am by myself i'll only go for premium caches. i'am sure there is some way to keep the rouund and square icon's. i'am also sure you understand that there are times when i need a cache for the day, you are going to search for premium caches not trad. because the premium's are usually better taking care of. so please reconsider this move.

 

You just proved by this that you didn't understood that concept ;) It's completely fine to do pm caches together with basic members. And there are some nice explanations on how they can also log these caches then.

 

So everything's fine with the actual map in that respect!

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Well, it's ugly. Turn Geocaching completely into APP usage. Hey, GPSr users, get an APP!

No, you can't make me! :laughing:

 

The map freezes up completely. Unusable. Trying to decide where to go eocaching Saturday, but I cannot use the map anymore.

I'm not seeing this. In fact, right now the performance seems better than I've been seeing lately. It used to be that the icons would slowly load and half of them would be unclickable, but now they seem to be showing up faster and I haven't found any unresponsive icons yet.

 

I'm using W10 x64 together with the most actual Firefox and even the newest version of the map freezes! It seems to take a bit longer now but after some time I receive a message reg. an unresponsive script and that's it! You can't even close the tab that easily then. Issue is described in a different post weeks ago already and it's still there :(

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Another dissatisfied customer here. Why make the geocaching.com map the same as the app map? They are two different systems with different capabilities.

 

Is that another of these times where the youngest member of the team decides what is best for the rest of the world (a bit like the loud "modern" musik when DIY shopping on OAP day) because that is the only thing they use and have no clue that there are others about.

 

The new icons are unfriendly, work intensive as one can't see what they are by just glancing at the map. Looks like I am slightly colour blind as well.

 

Please revert back and separate the two completely different systems (app and web) as other companies manage to do.

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I am also one of the "few" who tried not to click on the well understood round-shaped PMO icons. Owners don't need to be able to monitor what I'm doing. Guess I'll have to live with the PQ trick as well.

BTW, it would have been great to also move caches that have corrected coordinates to those corrected coordinates. And even greater to add the small "has corrected coordinates" mini-icon to those cache's icons, just as it's already done in the new search page. Talking about "Consistency"... I'd say recent updates are consistently not what customers have been waiting for... :sad:. The app is (currently) close to useless, please don't follow that path with the website !

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