New cache symbols- Water, and Kid-Friendly

[+Wheels]

I'd like to recommend some new cache symbols-

 

If the cache has the 'Boat' or 'Scuba Gear' attributes, add a 'W" to the symbol- see Traditional/Water example - https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B85t7TC0Z6f6TlhZV09neGlkajA/view?usp=sharing

If the cache has the 'Recommended for Kids' attribute, add a 'K' to the symbol- See Kid/Multi example - https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B85t7TC0Z6f6NUFyV2Z1SGNhS28/view?usp=sharing

 

While Premium Members can search the attribute using Pocket Queries, adding the new symbols would enable anyone to find out if that cache nearby was kid-friendly or required a boat at a glance.

[+cerberus1]

While Premium Members can search the attribute using Pocket Queries, adding the new symbols would enable anyone to find out if that cache nearby was kid-friendly or required a boat at a glance.

Basic members today (most using the app) are limited to 1.5/1.5 or less traditionals.

That kinda makes most "kid friendly".

The rest (like me) who use a GPSr instead, D/T helps a lot.

After going by the D/T, we check the attributes to see what might be needed.

Edited April 28, 2016 by cerberus1

[+cerberus1]

With folks able to access a cache by simply loading an app (and that's it...), I'd prefer that we don't dumb down this hobby further, by eliminating even more basic research to play.

[+Tassie_Boy]

Best bet would be to add attributes back into the app however i do have 2 pieces of advice:

 

- if you're after something specific in a cache jump on the website and play around, for some reason planning is a lot easier when you have everything there in front of you.

 

- water caches are generally quite simple to spot, the are surrounded by blue on the map.

[+The A-Team]

I'd like to recommend some new cache symbols-

 

If the cache has the 'Boat' or 'Scuba Gear' attributes, add a 'W" to the symbol- see Traditional/Water example - https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B85t7TC0Z6f6TlhZV09neGlkajA/view?usp=sharing

If the cache has the 'Recommended for Kids' attribute, add a 'K' to the symbol- See Kid/Multi example - https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B85t7TC0Z6f6NUFyV2Z1SGNhS28/view?usp=sharing

 

While Premium Members can search the attribute using Pocket Queries, adding the new symbols would enable anyone to find out if that cache nearby was kid-friendly or required a boat at a glance.

The problem you'd quickly run into is where to draw the line. Why just water and kid-friendly caches? What about caches where climbing equipment is required? What about tree-climbing caches? What about wireless beacon caches? Those are all scenarios where it would be equally handy to see that information at-a-glance on the map, but I'm sure we can agree that it would quickly get hopelessly messy if we had to reflect dozens of different styles of caches on the map, on top of the dozen or so cache types.

[+noncentric]

I'd like to recommend some new cache symbols-

 

If the cache has the 'Boat' or 'Scuba Gear' attributes, add a 'W" to the symbol- see Traditional/Water example - https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B85t7TC0Z6f6TlhZV09neGlkajA/view?usp=sharing

If the cache has the 'Recommended for Kids' attribute, add a 'K' to the symbol- See Kid/Multi example - https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B85t7TC0Z6f6NUFyV2Z1SGNhS28/view?usp=sharing

 

While Premium Members can search the attribute using Pocket Queries, adding the new symbols would enable anyone to find out if that cache nearby was kid-friendly or required a boat at a glance.

The problem you'd quickly run into is where to draw the line. Why just water and kid-friendly caches? What about caches where climbing equipment is required? What about tree-climbing caches? What about wireless beacon caches? Those are all scenarios where it would be equally handy to see that information at-a-glance on the map, but I'm sure we can agree that it would quickly get hopelessly messy if we had to reflect dozens of different styles of caches on the map, on top of the dozen or so cache types.

And let's not forget that most caches with attributes have multiple attributes. If we used "D" for dog-friendly, then what happens for caches that are both Kid and Dog friendly? What if we used "B" for bike-friendly? Then what happens with cache that is both Bike and Kid friendly? The icons will quickly become unrecognizable.

[+T.D.M.22]

I'd like to recommend some new cache symbols-

 

If the cache has the 'Boat' or 'Scuba Gear' attributes, add a 'W" to the symbol- see Traditional/Water example - https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B85t7TC0Z6f6TlhZV09neGlkajA/view?usp=sharing

If the cache has the 'Recommended for Kids' attribute, add a 'K' to the symbol- See Kid/Multi example - https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B85t7TC0Z6f6NUFyV2Z1SGNhS28/view?usp=sharing

 

While Premium Members can search the attribute using Pocket Queries, adding the new symbols would enable anyone to find out if that cache nearby was kid-friendly or required a boat at a glance.

 

Adding them for everyone would mean that premium members are paying and not getting anything. Kinda the point of premium membership is to get stuff you can't get for free. And it's better that it's something that people actually use rather than something nobody would use.

[+The A-Team]

I'd like to recommend some new cache symbols-

 

If the cache has the 'Boat' or 'Scuba Gear' attributes, add a 'W" to the symbol- see Traditional/Water example - https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B85t7TC0Z6f6TlhZV09neGlkajA/view?usp=sharing

If the cache has the 'Recommended for Kids' attribute, add a 'K' to the symbol- See Kid/Multi example - https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B85t7TC0Z6f6NUFyV2Z1SGNhS28/view?usp=sharing

 

While Premium Members can search the attribute using Pocket Queries, adding the new symbols would enable anyone to find out if that cache nearby was kid-friendly or required a boat at a glance.

The problem you'd quickly run into is where to draw the line. Why just water and kid-friendly caches? What about caches where climbing equipment is required? What about tree-climbing caches? What about wireless beacon caches? Those are all scenarios where it would be equally handy to see that information at-a-glance on the map, but I'm sure we can agree that it would quickly get hopelessly messy if we had to reflect dozens of different styles of caches on the map, on top of the dozen or so cache types.

And let's not forget that most caches with attributes have multiple attributes. If we used "D" for dog-friendly, then what happens for caches that are both Kid and Dog friendly? What if we used "B" for bike-friendly? Then what happens with cache that is both Bike and Kid friendly? The icons will quickly become unrecognizable.

I shudder to think what a kid-friendly, dog-friendly, scenic view, bicycle-friendly, horse-friendly, stroller-accessible, parking fee-required, flashlight-required, field puzzle, night cache might look like on the map.

 

It isn't inherently a bad idea, but I just don't think it can be implemented in the way you think. A better way might be if you could use the attributes as filters on the map, toggling them on and off to show only specific caches on the map, like a simplified and more dynamic Pocket Query system.

[+noncentric]

I'd like to recommend some new cache symbols-

 

If the cache has the 'Boat' or 'Scuba Gear' attributes, add a 'W" to the symbol- see Traditional/Water example - https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B85t7TC0Z6f6TlhZV09neGlkajA/view?usp=sharing

If the cache has the 'Recommended for Kids' attribute, add a 'K' to the symbol- See Kid/Multi example - https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B85t7TC0Z6f6NUFyV2Z1SGNhS28/view?usp=sharing

 

While Premium Members can search the attribute using Pocket Queries, adding the new symbols would enable anyone to find out if that cache nearby was kid-friendly or required a boat at a glance.

The problem you'd quickly run into is where to draw the line. Why just water and kid-friendly caches? What about caches where climbing equipment is required? What about tree-climbing caches? What about wireless beacon caches? Those are all scenarios where it would be equally handy to see that information at-a-glance on the map, but I'm sure we can agree that it would quickly get hopelessly messy if we had to reflect dozens of different styles of caches on the map, on top of the dozen or so cache types.

And let's not forget that most caches with attributes have multiple attributes. If we used "D" for dog-friendly, then what happens for caches that are both Kid and Dog friendly? What if we used "B" for bike-friendly? Then what happens with cache that is both Bike and Kid friendly? The icons will quickly become unrecognizable.

I shudder to think what a kid-friendly, dog-friendly, scenic view, bicycle-friendly, horse-friendly, stroller-accessible, parking fee-required, flashlight-required, field puzzle, night cache might look like on the map.

 

It isn't inherently a bad idea, but I just don't think it can be implemented in the way you think. A better way might be if you could use the attributes as filters on the map, toggling them on and off to show only specific caches on the map, like a simplified and more dynamic Pocket Query system.

That would be a nice feature. Those additional filters would only be available to Premium Members, so it wouldn't help the OP that wants the attributes to be more visible for all members.

[+thebruce0]

Given how GS does the worldwide map of cache icons layering, it might be possible on high zoom levels where it already allows filtering for and displaying your found caches, and toggling more specific cache types. It could basically be added as a filter feature on the left panel working just like the cache type options.But it's unlikely to get made...

Edited April 29, 2016 by thebruce0

[+Wheels]

Thanks for all the replies. WRT the water caches being 'in the water', there are lots of bankside caches in Hampton Roads that are not obviously boat-only looking at the location and attributes, thus the idea for a specific symbol. I've climbed down a few banks to some water's edge caches.

[+Viajero Perdido]

This gets more complicated when you realize the website supports 23 languages and counting...

[+GPa_LES]

I think an icon sharped like a hotel would be nice to indicate a TB Hotel. Also a way to search just for TB Hotels.

Edited October 19, 2016 by GpaLysle

[+cerberus1]

I think an icon sharped like a hotel would be nice to indicate a TB Hotel. Also a way to search just for TB Hotels.

Since any cache larger than the smallest micros can house "coins", that's one heck-of-a-lotta "tb hotels".

- Because you know many would include it just for that icon.

Edited October 19, 2016 by cerberus1

[+Mudfrog]

I realize this is asked for to make things even easier than they already are. But imo, an extra click/tap or two for bringing up a cache page to actually read its description isn't that much of a hindrance.

[+HHL]

I'd like to recommend some new cache symbols-

[...]

 

I don't like that idea because the cache icon is representing the cache type and not the cache status, size or any other attributes. The chars K or W would make the icons very hard to read. But you can flag your cache icons by yourself: Create a PQ for the desired attribute - then export this PQ as an Attribute Poi. These Attribute Pois will flag the cache icons on the map. Unfortunately this is working on GPSrs only.

 

Example:

 

 

The Traditional cache on the island is a micro cache (film canister Attribute Poi) and has some bad attributes ('A' Attribute Poi).

The Multi cache bottom down right has Favorite Points (small blue ribbon Attribute Poi), a Parking Area is available ('P' Attribute Poi), a Spoiler image is available (film strip Attribute Poi), bad attribues are available, corrected coordinates are set (yellow triangle Attribute Poi) and the cache is part of a planned cache tour (grenn socket Attribute Poi).

 

Frohes Jagen

Hans

 

NB: An easy and smooth way to generate these pois is using GSAK.

Edited October 20, 2016 by HHL