recent geocaching update (2-12)

Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 9:27 pm

Oh, I forgot to add that you shouldn't expect the Google Maps LINK to disappear from the cache page. The new fees apply to the API usage (where the maps are built into the webpage. Just linking to to the Google Maps page is not part of the API.

Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 9:31 pm

[quote="sweetlife"]here is a link to a GSAK macro that uses google maps and can easily switch it to Satelite view.[url] http://gsak.net/board/index.php?s=fb217bc4e0599a6c5581466bc7731fb3&showtopic=17505&st=0&#entry155762[/url]

That looks really good. Better than Bing.com

Joined: 2009-06-05 Posts: 2124 Location: Menominee, MI

That macro is F'ing awesome! Thanks for the link, Barry.

Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 11:10 pm

Ok, lets put into prospective, and if I'm wrong, please feel free to correct me.
I know this is a apples to oranges type of thing but it's really red apple an green apples.

How many computers in the world runs a version of Windows software?
I use to work for a small town cooperative, but had nine different departments. I do bit know how many total computers we had that ran Windows, but the company HAD to pay a fee for the use of program. Hundreds of dollars
I now work for a convenience store chain that has over 350+ corporate stores and another 150+ franchise stores. Every few months, we get emails from the home office telling us that some sort of "Update" is need and to "Comply with our licensees, we have to be make sure that the "Updates" complete or we will lose the licensees. I asked my DM about it one time and he said the cost is thousands and thousand of dollars.

From what I have read, Google is now charging companies that use their product "X" amount of times a fee. Somewhere I saw that geocaching maps a viewed 3,000,000 times a day! In turn it would have cost Geocaching.com millions of dollars a day to use the Google Maps.
Are you all of a sudden willing to pay $100-$500 annual Premium
Fees to use a map program?? Cuz the GC.coms cost would have been passed down to us. GC.com is doing the best they can with what they go to work with.
Again, that is how I believe it works, or something close to it. If I am wrong, someone please correct me.

Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 11:15 pm

its even better when you load a PQ of all the caches in WI that you have not found yet.

Still have 17,650 caches to find

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-S1AlsqXabGA/TzyPupx1GgI/AAAAAAAADSg/fH38_S-P3bc/s800/WI%2520Map.jpg

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 8:25 am

Ugh, I take it back. It's taking forever for these satellite maps to load. I didn't have this problem yesterday. Boo!

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 9:13 am

Being a Mac user (art teacher in me), I have found that dependent on your browser, the maps load faster, slower or not completely.

Firefox seems to be the best so far and the newer version of Safari works o.k. but the older browser causes glitches.

Time to update or change browser? I think I like this even less. You get use to one and need to change to a different one. Guess I'll just have to take a day and experiment until I find a combination I can live with. Lots of good advice by everyone so far. Keep it coming.

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 9:28 am

beccaday wrote:

Ugh, I take it back. It's taking forever for these satellite maps to load. I didn't have this problem yesterday. Boo!

Had the problem yesterday, but looks worse today. Using FireFox 10.0.1, navigated to a cache with Mapquest, and then kicked into Aerial. No load....so brought up the cache page, loaded Bing and Google maps, zoomed in on Birdseye and hybrid, got the views I needed from each, and then peeked back at Mapquest aerial....only 2 tiles loaded by then. Even after refreshing, same result. Still have a speed curve to overcome.

Still plan to run it through Android, and have a host of browsers to try there, (Dolphin is normal preference, btw, even over FF) but as long as the old method is still available, all is still good.....but would prefer GREAT! Smile

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 10:01 am

I wasn't aware of this plug-in for gsak, very nice.

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 11:58 am

LOL this thread just got way to technical for me!!

I guess I have my own personal fight with the new maps, and you all have your own.

For me its just a little slower, but heck Im in no hurry because I don't even know where im going.... Smile

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 4:13 pm

huffinpuffin2 wrote:

beccaday wrote:

Ugh, I take it back. It's taking forever for these satellite maps to load. I didn't have this problem yesterday. Boo!

Had the problem yesterday, but looks worse today. Using FireFox 10.0.1, navigated to a cache with Mapquest, and then kicked into Aerial. No load....so brought up the cache page, loaded Bing and Google maps, zoomed in on Birdseye and hybrid, got the views I needed from each, and then peeked back at Mapquest aerial....only 2 tiles loaded by then. Even after refreshing, same result. Still have a speed curve to overcome.

Still plan to run it through Android, and have a host of browsers to try there, (Dolphin is normal preference, btw, even over FF) but as long as the old method is still available, all is still good.....but would prefer GREAT! Smile

By the way, I just heard that this is actually a technical issue with the Mapquest connection that they are working on. (I thought it was just everybody trying to run the maps at the same time...) Hopefully they will get the bugs worked out soon.

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 8:08 pm

Ok - The techie in me just needs to know more. I've been waiting to post this to see what my map "habits" were.

Here's what I use the maps for.
1) I look at PQ's which are now much better. They PQ's are just to get a basic idea of the location of the caches in relation to each other (i.e. no high-res detail required) These maps are internal to GC.com and are affected by the upgrade.
2) I look at a specific cache on Bing or Google maps. These options work just like they used to work and I can zoom way in and use street level but these maps are external to GC.com and therefore not affected by the upgrade.

How else do you use the maps on GC.com?

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 11:34 pm

Would like to have the 'high-res' ability on a multi-cache view......so I can clearly see and pre-plan shortcuts through people's backyards when I plan my caching routes, or something like that. Seriously, for example, doing the Kiel Marsh series, I'd like to have hi-res over all 10 caches on a single screen, that I can just pan and zoom seamlessly. As it is now, to look at all 10 close-up, the res is lo, and the tiles keep prairie doggin'. Wacko

Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 6:38 am

huffinpuffin2 wrote:

Would like to have the 'high-res' ability on a multi-cache view......so I can clearly see and pre-plan shortcuts through people's backyards when I plan my caching routes, or something like that. Seriously, for example, doing the Kiel Marsh series, I'd like to have hi-res over all 10 caches on a single screen, that I can just pan and zoom seamlessly. As it is now, to look at all 10 close-up, the res is lo, and the tiles keep prairie doggin'. Wacko

Isn't part of the fun of geocaching that you don't know where you're going or where the hunt is leading you too?

Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 7:17 am

True. But once the puzzle is solved, then comes the fun of uncovering What the path is leading you to....and playing smart by knowing when and where to take the long route, because there is something un-fun in the way. Something like that. Gotta go now, not sure where, but to your point, it is sure to be fun! Smile