Questionmark instead of username in Geocaches Hidden Top list

Question

What does a questionmark instead of a username in Geocaches Hidden Top list mean?

Answer 1

Hi - I don't want to sound argumentative - however I think the Question Mark is for a person who has chosen to be anonymous on GC (a new thing that can be done now)  -
I know a cacher who has hidden their statistics in both GC and Project GC and yet their name does appear on top finders / top hiders lists and other lists.
So I believe the '?' in these lists are for those cachers who have chosen to be anonymous
I had seen this on another stats list and noted that there was an anonymous cacher in the top 5 of the world finders list. Same '?' appears

Comments

Not to nitpick, but aren't hidden statistics the same as anonymous?

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"but aren't hidden statistics the same as anonymous?"
No
As a cacher you can now make your whole geocaching dot com profile hidden from anyone (I haven't found out how to though) nothing of your profile or account would be visible and this comes up 'anonymous' on various pages and sites. (I believe this came in when GC made changes regarding data protection)
Hidden Statistics are a choice made on Geocaching dot com and this reflects with the stats being hidden on PGC too - however their profile (bar the statistics) are viewable - you see what is shown in most of the tabs just not on the statistics tab
The same will follow with PGC if you try and view their stats nothing will be seen
However when it comes to doing a stats search such as top hiders
The Anonymous cachers will be shown as '?' but no caching ID, numbers will be there but you will not be able to link to their GC profile like you can with others - it just puts them in the relevant placing
The Hidden statistics cachers will appear on the list with the relevant details, caching ID, numbers etc showing and you can link to their profile.

So - No they are not the same :-)
One hides their complete identity - the other just hides their statistics

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Thank you for your answers, however it is not completely clear.
According to GC help center, there is no way to go completely anonymous.
"... At this time, there is no way to block another geocacher from seeing your public profile page or your geocaching activity..."

On the other hand, when statistics are hidden, then the found and hidden numbers are shown anyway.

So why showing the question mark in the hidden top list, when this information is not hidden.

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My answer is based on knowing people who have chosen to hide their statistics and seeing what I can see of their profiles and statistics and additionally that you can click on their name when they appear of a top finders list (for example) - additionally I know that if you tried to do this with those that have chosen to be anonymous - you can not.
If you go to cacherstats.com (apologies for mentioning another stats site)  you will see in 5th place (in the world)  cacher details anonymous and nothing else
This tallies with top finders list (it shows '?'  in 6th - but I think this might be labcache stats differences)  and this account can not be linked to

This is not the same as ticking the box in profile stats where it says "Show my statistics on my public profile"  'hiding your stats' as these cachers are not anonymous on those lists

I understand the help centre may say "there is no way to block another geocacher from seeing your public profile page or your geocaching activity..." but almost
Hiding your stats does not prevent access to the profile and viewing other tabs
Being anonymous - '?'  prevents access to the profile

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Okay, thank you Deepdiggingmole for the good explanation. Anyway, still a little contradictory.

Would be great, when a moderator would clarify this mystery.

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In PGC site https://project-gc.com/Profile/ProfileStats it is possible to adjust the ProfileStats with clicking "settings". Right there is the option "hide my profile stats form others". My guess is, that this option is also used to hide the username in the top hidden list, instead showing the questionmark. Still contradictory, since the hidden cache number is public in the GC profile, as already mentioned "...there is no way to block another geocacher from seeing your public profile page or your geocaching activity..."

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speedy-1702
Can you do a check for me - do a search for Top finders in UK, South East England, Kent - see if I am on the list (6th or thereabouts) is my ID on the left ?and can you click on my ID and get to my profile on GC ?
Then in Project GC select 'Statistics' then 'profile stats' and put my ID in to see if you can view my stats page
please let me know what you get
cheers

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Seeing Your ID ranked #6 in Kent and able to see your GC profile with find and hidden cache numbers.

Then, searching your profile on PGC: "Deepdiggingmole has chosen to hide their statistics from others."

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Yup - I didn't hide my stats on GC but did on PGC (I could hide my stats on GC too but the point here is made) -
it shows that despite hiding my stats I AM NOT showing up with a '?' on the top finders list - I was not anonymous
Unlike the cacher shown as 6th in the world for cache find who is. It seems that that person is someone who exercised their rights under Geocaching HQ's privacy policy and not simply 'hiding' his stats.

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Okay, would you please let your PGC profile 'hidden' for a week or two? Than we will return to the top find list in Kent and see what is showing at#6, after the list is been generated anew.

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No need
Charlton11 on that list (second place, check him out on both sites)  has had his stats hidden, on both GC.com and Project GC, for over 2 years - He has never shown up as anonymous or with a '?' and appears on the lists with his ID
I don't know how to get through that 'Anonymous' ('?') and Hidden stats ARE two different things - I have shown with proof this is the case and yet I am still having to argue the difference
Anonymous - i.e the '?' instead of your ID is not as a result of you hiding your stats
You have asked the question - I have given you the answer, and evidenced this - and yet you are still saying I am wrong

If you knew the answer why ask in the first place ???

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In addition - I have just had it confirmed
On the geocaching site - Any user can say "do not share my information with third party websites."  Someone who exercises that right will show up as a question mark on Project-GC, Cachly or any other third party partner application.  
This is nothing to do with hiding your stats - which is a different operation on the geocaching site
I hope that is now clear and question answered

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thank you, Deepdiggingmole, for solving this mystery. Now it is crisp and clear answered.

Answer 2

It means that that position is taken by a person whose statistics are hidden.

Comments

no, it is not the statistics hidden flag. See comment from Deepdiggingmole below. It is the "do not share my information with third party websites" within GC authorizations, leading to the questionmark.