What do fellow cachers think about Groundspeaks new web site "Logging" screen?

Question

I personally feel the new web based logging screen is a step backwards for the geocaching community.  Though you can opt out of the new format when logging a find directly from the cache page, you cannot opt out when logging from uploaded field notes (Drafts) from a GPS'r or a Smartphone app.

What I see missing with the new cache logging page:

- No text editing capabilities

- No emojis

- Not able to insert a caption for a picture

- Not able to upload multiple pictures

- No ability to visit "all" trackables

- No indication of how many favorites you have remaining

- Needs maintenance notification to simplistic

- No ability to mark a cache for "Needs Archived"

- Inefficient screen layout

- It appears Groundspeak is trying to make the web site look like their new Smartphone App.

I look forward to reading the thoughts of others (good and bad) regarding this "new" web based cache logging screen.

Answer 1

Released exactly like the new app was - barely ready for actual use, with most features missing..... Hopefully they will eventually make it useable. At present I am just opting out.

If they actually made more effort to incorporate the full set of extant features in the new 'experience' before releasing it, and then did bug fixes and added extra features, people would be more positive towards it.

Comments

Perhaps they could be a bit clearer on beta status, but I don't really mind that they release a trial version of a new logging page that doesn't have all the obscure features of the old (I mean, how often does the function to add a corrected coordinate here get used?) as long as it works for regular day-to-day logging - and it does. Since the old page is available as well, it's not a problem if you need one of the obscure features; they're still there to be had on the old page.

Also, it seems they are listening to the feedback. I complained originally that the new page didn't remember the date from the last log you wrote (as the old one did). My wife said yesterday that apparently it does now (I haven't had occasion to log multiple caches on a different date from the actual find myself yet).

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It’s also slow as hell and crappy Javascript.

I believe this *cannot* be salvaged except by scrapping it.

Answer 2

I agree with others that its a step backwards. We have opted out on the site and now prefer to use cachley to write the logs.

i hope it updates and it corrected as soon as possible.

Answer 3

I experienced it today for the first time.

I don't like it. I want to put in Emojis (They still work, if you know how to write them, but on the old page i had a greasemonkey script, that inserted them by one click)

I also want to add a caption to uploaded pictures..

I would like to top out when using drafts.

You always get to the cache page after you logged a draft and then you have to click "Back to drafts", which means, you have to click more often, when you log more drafts. Thats inefficient.

Comments

Greasemonkey scripts are by definition dependent on how the web page the operate in. Presumably, your script could continue to work with the new page after being updated for the new layout. This is not a problem with the new layout; this is how greasemonkey works.

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Yes i am aware of that. But i am not a programmer and can not update the script on my own.
I just wanted to state what was new for me and what i disliked when i yesterday had to use the new layout. And for now it seems for me to be more ineffective than it used to be. That is of course, only for the way I use the site. The Emojis for example. Like I said, they still work, but right now I have to "write" them. And the extra click on "Back to Drafts" is annoying.

Answer 4

As usual with GC, it seems updates are just a way to experiment features which are not needed by users and not have any consideration about really useful stuff.

So, first log for me with the "new" screen... nothing to say except the big point : you don't need a second log to ask a maintenance after a found it anymore. Well... that's all folks.

No up to date upload system for pictures, no text editing, the trackables menu is just the same than before with a whooosh effect...
And during this time, editing a cache is just a nightmare for owners and stats are useless...

Welcome in '00's age of the internet guys :)

Answer 5

I have opted out of this new feature immediately after I found out it was missing many tools such as posting an NM. Personally I liked the old logging screen. I'm pleased that I'm not the only one who thinks this.

Hopefully the Groundspeak team will update it to a usable format in the near future.

Comments

As said before NM is there, just not so easy to find

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Thanks, but I still agree that this new screen wasn't an improvement.

Answer 6

I'll hold my thoughts about the way they implement changes but I'm hoping they natively add the following soon:

• Text editor with advanced formatting
• Ability to multi-select photos for uploading including ability to caption and change dates
• Repeat last log
• Auto-visit individual trackables
• Manual sort of trackables in list
• Ability to expand text box (make bigger)

Answer 7

I definitely don't like it.

It seems that latelely GS just makes useless 'Inventions' and 'features' instead of coding useful things,

For example, i miss since beginning a feature, that allows to upload mor than one picture to a log, or adding pictures to more than one TB / GC at a time.

Comments

The most recent HQ newsletter contains: "What’s next? [...] Adding ability to include multiple photos with a draft or log on Geocaching.com."

Answer 8

I don't like it, because the gclh extension is not working. So I takes much more time than before to log a cache.

Also no text editing function, no smilies... there is room for improvement.

Answer 9

We have used the new website logging facility on an iPad, and a few initial observations are:

(i) if you are retrospectively logging, you have to remember to change the date every time as it reverts to the current date! This is frustrating, as it means extra editing of a log's date if you forget and get it wrong! On the main computer, it appears to hold the date from log to log though.

(ii) if you do have to edit a page, the screen you get is the old version

(iii) There are only three log options - found it, DNF and write note. Needs maintenance is a different button. Also, we haven't tried any write notes or Owner maintenance on our own caches yet, so can't report on those options.

(iv) There does seem to be a visit all button for TB's and we find the click menu for TBs rather than a drop down type menu a lot better for the iPad and the main computer.

Will see if we have anything more to add when we have used it some more.

Answer 10

The text comes up in a text box for me so I have no problems editing it. I assume you mean no options for formating. I'm not at all sure that I see that as a problem. Logs shouldn't look like christmas trees.

I have a "Cache should be archived" option which, I assume, is the same as "Needs Archived" but with better language.

The maintenance notification may be simplistic but it does now have more than one predefined option. That's still more than it used to have.

I haven't really used the new app, but in general consistency across platforms is a good thing. That's not to say that they need (or should) be identical, but as similar as reasonable.

As for actual problems, the logging screen no longers remembers the date from the previous log I wrote, meaning that I have to change the date for every single log I write when backlogging finds from some other day. This is annoying and very likely to increase the frequency of finds logged on the wrong date.

Answer 11

I agree - I don't like it. I hope you have raised this on the geocaching forums - get enough votes and changes will be made.

Answer 12

Well everyting negative is said. Nothing to ad. I tried to use it for some time now to give it a chance, but I still don't like it. Too many things missing and the need one always has to remember setting the date drives me crazy. Opt out for good.

Answer 13

I opted out directly :)

Answer 14

I tried to put a NM marker on a cache over the weekend - I had no idea whether this was successful as there were no prompts or error messages.

However when checking, it hadn't gone on. Further checking we found another NM log a few days earlier. This is fine and obviously a further isnt required, however a pop up message telling you what is happeneing, i.e. "you cant log this as there is already a NM marker on this cache" would be very helpful rather than sitting there not knowing what is occurring
 

I am guessing this new format is also part of the new 'you cant log a cache more than once' and 'you cant log your own caches' regime

Comments

I did log a NM a few days ago on a cache which already had a NM and it worked. Now you have to select "write note" and then select NM additionally. In the listing page this appears as two logs, which I find confusing...

Answer 15

In my opinion there are two sides - one is that new logging visualy looks quite better and bring some new features e.g. FI and need maintenance in one step but on other side some tings are there complicated as you write too

Answer 16

The new logging page needs getting used to. But we know Groundspeak and are sure that the logging page will be developed further.

Answer 17

I don't like the new look, I am sticking with the old look