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I have a question for you iPhone, Blackberry and android geeks.
In the forums software setting there is this question and at the current time it is set to NO.
I don't really understand API. Should I enable this and if I do what benefits will the phone users get from this?Quote:
Allow clients to connect to vBulletin API.
Everybody must be sleeping through your storm Rick. Sorry I can't help yah.
I believe this is only enable if you have an outside application that needs to access the site. It has no effect on smartphones that browse to the forum using their browser.
Yes, allowing access to the API would ope up access to the database without visiting the site directly. Probably not something we want. This is how many software writers want access to gc.com. By accessing them by an api so they could get virtually unlimited cache data without needing to visit the site or getting PQs.
And what's wrong with that?Quote:
Originally Posted by brdad
If you enable it I may write a standalone APP or desktop widget for Android to access this site where you would be able to quickly check the news, maybe chat, ... I don't know what this does.Quote:
Originally Posted by attroll
Nothing for the entities that find it in their best interest. Google maps API allows people to embed their maps elsewhere which is great. I think gc.com's argument was allowing blanket access to their API would open the door for individuals or companies to list their cache listings on their own site. Doesn't make it right or wrong, it's just a business decision they made.Quote:
Originally Posted by cano
Opening API will make new and interesting project possible.Quote:
Originally Posted by brdad
Yes, gc.com is a business, it's not about a gocaching or about interest of all of us, the only purpose of gc.com is to generate money for them, they couldn't care less about geocaching community. The good thing is a new geocaching sites are emerging and eventually will render gc.com obsolete.
So how do you really feel about GC.com...... :)
Wow I think I agree with Cano. That's scary.
I'm glad that GC is making money. It would be tough to convince several dozen people to work on my source of entertainment for 40 hours a week for free!
I was looking around on Garmin's site yesterday and clicked on the opencaching link. Good thing gc.com is here. Would take about 3 days of gentle caching and you'd be all done with Maine caches listed there. It may be a fledgling site, but it's gonna be a while before it takes off here in Maine if more people don't list caches there.
Keep in mind also that most of the caches listed in Maine are already on GC.com.Quote:
Originally Posted by JustKev
Exactly. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Mainiac1957
I think it's great that despite becoming the business they have, they can still provide the core experience to anyone that wants it for free. Most any activity I have ever been involved in cost me more per day than gc.com charges for an entire year.
That's not my point. It doesn't matter how much it costs you. If they do it for money, they will optimize it for the most profit, if they do it for the game, they will optimize it to make the game better. With their focus on profit we are loosing just to mention:Quote:
Originally Posted by brdad
unlimited access and distribution of cache data,
ability to use any alternative geocaching app on a mobile device,
ability to develop a good wherigo player, since the specification of wherigo cartridge is not disclosed and their player is a total crap
and much more...
So it's not about it costs you less than a toilet paper, it's about it cost you the better game itself.
Cano, I agree with you but what can we do about it? Our hands are tied. I agree Jeremy needs to make money to keep the webs sites and sever going and maybe to some profit for himself but I am sure that Jeremy is now rolling in the money. If you think about it we are all doing all his work for him for free. We are the ones that are putting out and maintaining all the caches for him and keeping the caches up to date in his database. The cache approvers do not get paid for overseeing and approving caches so they are doing that for free too. All he does is maintain the servers and the software. He get the $30 or $35 a year for all the users that become premium members and then he gets all the profits off the Google ads that are posted all over gc.com. It is a hobby that we all enjoy and he has us by the gonads and we doing everything for him while he is getting rich off it. It to bad but that is the way of the world it seems like.
I pay for GSAK too, Clyde started it out as a hobby project but had to give up his job in order to work full time making GSAK what it is. All the more power to him, and a better program we get for his efforts.
How would GSAK look like if it was closed and nobody was allowed to make their own macros? Now compare it to gc.com now when it's closed and if gc.com was open.Quote:
Originally Posted by brdad
There are many successful people who turned a hobby into a business. It's the way life is. You have to make money to live. If you can turn a passion into a paycheck what's wrong with that. While everyone doesn't like how GC.com operates, there are plenty who do like it just the way it is. I being one of them. I have met and talked to Jeremy on several occasions, and he is a nice approachable guy. If he makes money doing what he likes so be it. I guess if that upsets some people you still have the option to go get caches from one of the other sources. Groundspeak was the first and is still the biggest listing service for geocaches. Maybe that will change and maybe it won't :cool:
Gc.com lets you place your own caches for free, lets you create your own caching software for free, lets you download (most) cache listings for free, lets you log your finds for free ... all as long as you stay within their TOU. GSAK and it's macros are limited to their TOU as well. There are some things you are not allowed to do with their product.Quote:
Originally Posted by cano
Sure, it sounds great if companies could give their products and services for free. I wish I could go to Ford and pick up my new free SUV, stop buy Best Buy on the way home and pick up my new free 200" TV, stop and get a few caches with my free Trimble GPS, all while phoning a friend on my Free 50G Android holographic tablet with free unlimited service. And while I was gone, the free maid service would be cleaning my free house. And since everything is free, I can cache all day because I don't have to pay for anything!
Is here on this forum at least one person, I ask only for one person, who actually got what I meant?Quote:
Originally Posted by brdad
Or start their own site.....Quote:
Originally Posted by Mainiac1957
I follow what you said, cano. We can all use our imaginations and think of how we'd be able to do things differently if gc.com was open. Since it isn't, we have to either make do with what is there or use other sites.Quote:
Originally Posted by cano
Browsing around while at work, I see that more caches are popping up on the opencaching's site and a few questions popped into my head about logs and whatnot.
What are those of you that are posting caches on their site doing about paper logs?
Do you're caches contain one log book for each website?
Are you going to go through and verify cache finds from that site?
Are you going to allow people who have already found the cache using GC.com to go through and post their finds there without revisiting?
If someone has already been to the cache because its listed on GC.com, does the site allow for you to post the date you were actually there if technically, your visit to the cache happened before it was placed on opencaching.com's site?
Caches are independent from sites, no need to have separate log sheets, with open API there will be soon hundreds of different synchronized caching sites, everybody will have their own they love.Quote:
Originally Posted by masterson of the universe
I will allow to log my cache on another sites without revisiting, because you found it. OpenCaching actually allows you to upload your finds PQ, so it's easy to log them all.
Trackables may be a small part of the game but I would guess to be a large source of income for Groundspeak as anyone can buy TB's without being premium. I think that aspect of the game may suffer a bit down the road. Someone that creates a site and generates tags/coins similar to pathtags.com which allows for trading and tracking with no tie to actual cache websites could have quite the business.