Mentioning of other applications allowed?

[+Ben0w]

Rumors are, that it is only accepted to mention Groundspeak products here in the Groundspeak forums, especially when it comes to smartphone apps.

 

Is that really true? There are other apps, that make Groundspeak approved use of their API, an official list is given here: https://www.geocaching.com/mobile/partners/

 

At least those should be free to be mentioned here (as on this website), shouldn't it?

 

Is there a guideline or a change of the TOU I accepted at login I overlooked?

[Keystone]

It is fine to promote, ask questions about, and otherwise discuss authorized Geocaching Live! partner applications. Examples include GSAK, Project-GC, Neon Geo and GeoBucket.

[+lowca]

Is it fine or will be fined, if I mention other, not authorized application?

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

Rumors are, that it is only accepted to mention Groundspeak products here in the Groundspeak forums, especially when it comes to smartphone apps.

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say, "Not so". Primarily because of one particular word used.

 

Mentioning of another product isn't necessarily what brings the clampers down on a subject.

Pro vs. Con discussions or comparisons of a 'competing' product to that of the parent company's product... possibly (probably?).

Partner apps are not normally considered as 'competing' products.

 

Non-partnered apps or other 'competing' products... can also be mentioned, but there are limitations (rightfully so, IMO).

It would seem as if these products are being promoted in these forums (operated on behalf of Groundspeak), then yes, you should expect such thread to come to an early demise.

I mean... if I owned/operated a forum (I don't) and others used my forum for promotion of a non-partnered or competing product, I would probably kill the discussion also. It is, after all is said and done, MY forum... not theirs.

 

As far as a discussion of "how to use/where to purchase/the features of" such a 'competing' item, the same rule would apply.

Most of those products/companies have a forum of their own. One should use those forums for full-on discussion or promotion of those products.

Edited April 9, 2015 by Gitchee-Gummee

[Pup Patrol]

"API Partners" are that: partners who entered into an agreement with Groundspeak.

 

http://www.geocaching.com/about/termsofuse.aspx

 

C. License. Subject to your compliance with this Agreement, Groundspeak hereby grants you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, fully revocable license to view and use our services for your own personal, non-commercial purposes in accordance with this Agreement and any guidelines or policies posted on our websites or applications.

 

Additionally, you may access and use our services via the authorized application of one of our official API partners.

 

Non-mentionable others probably run afoul of this key aspect of the TOU:

 

D. Restrictions. Permission to use our services is subject to the following restrictions. Whether these restrictions have been violated shall be determined in our sole discretion. You agree not to:

 

i. Use any robot, spider, scraper or other automated means to access our services for any purpose without our express written permission.

 

 

B.

[+dprovan]

It is fine to promote, ask questions about, and otherwise discuss authorized Geocaching Live! partner applications. Examples include GSAK, Project-GC, Neon Geo and GeoBucket.

If I read between the lines, I interpret this semi-official answer to mean that, yes, it's true, except that there are a also few non-GS products which can be mentioned because they have obtained GS approval.

 

I'm kinda puzzled by Pup Patrol's point that suggests that the fact that the TOU forbids me to use a certain class of applications implies that I am forbidden to talk about them.

[+narcissa]

After seeing that hammer come down on a few people, I determined that discussions about any of these things are best reserved for off-site groups and in-person conversations.

[Pup Patrol]

It is fine to promote, ask questions about, and otherwise discuss authorized Geocaching Live! partner applications. Examples include GSAK, Project-GC, Neon Geo and GeoBucket.

If I read between the lines, I interpret this semi-official answer to mean that, yes, it's true, except that there are a also few non-GS products which can be mentioned because they have obtained GS approval.

 

I'm kinda puzzled by Pup Patrol's point that suggests that the fact that the TOU forbids me to use a certain class of applications implies that I am forbidden to talk about them.

 

Well, threads have been locked for mentioning certain "non-GS" products, or applications that contravene GS's TOU.

 

People have posted here on GS's forums when there have been problems with these items. It often happens when there has been a GS update, and their non-partner/non-GS item breaks. Most of the time they have been told to go to that product/app's forums, and the threads here were then locked.

 

Which is quite understandable. It is GS's forum, so anything asking about something that GS does not endorse/own/partner with should be unacceptable. Why ask about a Ford product on a forum created by GM, for GM owners?

 

 

B.

[+ras_oscar]

If you are in doubt, send a PM to a moderator with the proposed post/thread and ask them the question directly. That's how I found about that other caching game that seems to grow playing peices within inches of ours.

[+dprovan]

I'm kinda puzzled by Pup Patrol's point that suggests that the fact that the TOU forbids me to use a certain class of applications implies that I am forbidden to talk about them.

Well, threads have been locked for mentioning certain "non-GS" products, or applications that contravene GS's TOU.

I have no doubt, but I was thinking you were saying that was justified by the TOU even though it's not.

 

Which is quite understandable. It is GS's forum, so anything asking about something that GS does not endorse/own/partner with should be unacceptable. Why ask about a Ford product on a forum created by GM, for GM owners?

While I'd prefer that they'd run the forum for our benefit rather than they're own, I understand that it's their ball, and I really don't care that much about who they want to keep out. I'd just prefer that GS was up front about the restriction so people like the OP wouldn't have to ask and get non-answers such as the one that dribbled out a few non-GS products that can also be discussed without actually coming out and saying that only GS and GS partner products can be mentioned.

[Pup Patrol]

"API Partners" are that: partners who entered into an agreement with Groundspeak.

 

http://www.geocaching.com/about/termsofuse.aspx

 

C. License. Subject to your compliance with this Agreement, Groundspeak hereby grants you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, fully revocable license to view and use our services for your own personal, non-commercial purposes in accordance with this Agreement and any guidelines or policies posted on our websites or applications.

 

Additionally, you may access and use our services via the authorized application of one of our official API partners.

 

Non-mentionable others probably run afoul of this key aspect of the TOU:

 

D. Restrictions. Permission to use our services is subject to the following restrictions. Whether these restrictions have been violated shall be determined in our sole discretion. You agree not to:

 

i. Use any robot, spider, scraper or other automated means to access our services for any purpose without our express written permission.

 

 

B.

 

Not sure how someone could misinterpret what I meant above by saying "run afoul" of the TOU.

 

So y'all want GS to post some clarification about what can and cannot be talked about on their forum?

 

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=330541

 

B.

[+niraD]

Well, threads have been locked for mentioning certain "non-GS" products, or applications that contravene GS's TOU.

Yeah, but they've loosened up about that over the years. There was a time when any posts referring to c:geo by name would be hidden/deleted. And it took me a while to figure out what the "unmentionable Android app" was. But more recently, the focus seems to be on posts that PROMOTE unauthorized apps or competing products. Mere references don't trigger deletions or warnings.

[+Ben0w]

I understand now, that bringing an authorized GS Geocaching Live! partner app into the discussion is accepted (as long as other rules of good discussion practise are kept intact). That perfectly meets my point. Thank you all and especially Keystone for clearing that!

[Pup Patrol]

Well, threads have been locked for mentioning certain "non-GS" products, or applications that contravene GS's TOU.

Yeah, but they've loosened up about that over the years. There was a time when any posts referring to c:geo by name would be hidden/deleted. And it took me a while to figure out what the "unmentionable Android app" was. But more recently, the focus seems to be on posts that PROMOTE unauthorized apps or competing products. Mere references don't trigger deletions or warnings.

 

Posted 28 March 2015

When will c:geo be fixed to take on changes to geocaching.com website?

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=330823

 

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=330541

Can't use the quote function on a locked thread.

 

Pup Patrol Posted 26 March 2015

The OP asked for clarification of what specifically can not be posted here on this forum.

 

As I said back in post #10, the word "munzee" has seen an evolution in terms of moderating action. At one point in time, it was a "verboten" word. Later, that changed.

 

The two things that used to bring on moderating action are "c:geo" and "pathtag". It seems like there has been some leniency of late about both of those. Some threads get locked, a lot don't.

 

 

B.

[+niraD]

Posted 28 March 2015

When will c:geo be fixed to take on changes to geocaching.com website?

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=330823

Posted 04 February 2015

Suggestions for Android Apps? other than c:geo and Neongeo

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=329590

 

Merely mentioning c:geo isn't the problem.

[+dprovan]

Not sure how someone could misinterpret what I meant above by saying "run afoul" of the TOU.

Are you talking to me? If so, how was I supposed to interpret "run afoul"?

 

So y'all want GS to post some clarification about what can and cannot be talked about on their forum?

 

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=330541

Good one! If that thread wasn't locked, you could post exactly the same statement there pointing back to this thread!

 

Anyway, I'm glad the OP's question was answered. Did the OP miss where this is spelled out clearly?

[+Ben0w]

Anyway, I'm glad the OP's question was answered. Did the OP miss where this is spelled out clearly?

As OP I'm glad too.

I wasn't aware of this beeing spelled out clearly until Keystone did it in his answer to my question in this thread.

 

I had a feeling, that Groundspeaks rules for discussion contents got more strict than I recall. This feeling was fueled by people fearing bans or using creative descriptions for other vendors applications. Then I answered a question including giving out my personal usage of an (authorized) app - well, beeing unsure, I wanted to clear if this was acceptable. Promptly my question about authorized apps was positively and officially (I consider Keystone as official) answered. Thank you all.

 

For reasons already given I perfectly understand that Groundspeak doesn't want to get unauthorized apps promoted in their forums. Just "mentioning" them may be a grey area. That was not the originally intended point of this thread but feel free to discuss it here.

[+J Grouchy]

As far as a discussion of "how to use/where to purchase/the features of" such a 'competing' item, the same rule would apply.

Most of those products/companies have a forum of their own. One should use those forums for full-on discussion or promotion of those products.

 

Brings up an interesting point: Is discussion of GS and GS-associated apps/products in any of those forums allowed and, if not, how is any sort of comparison (and discussion of it) to be made?

Edited April 14, 2015 by J Grouchy