Webcam

[zaanhoeve]

Hallo all,

We want to start a discussion here about webcams.

All nodes have the webcam as a cache.

a webcam could be an attribute because:
it's a virtual cache (no logbook to be found)
Someone could make a multi cache with a webcam as a waypoint.

making it both (cachetype and attribute) makes the searching them not easier.

what is now the best option?

[biboleck30]

Hello Kees,
well we as the German node decided to keep the cache type as "webcam cache" due to several reasons. One of them is surely motivated by the history of cache types. At the time when we introduced cache attributes, we already had the cache types. One of them was the webcam cache. The other one is a tribute to the categories we are using for cache attributes and cache types. While we decided whether if you have to do something in advance (e.g. find clues to puzzles) as a cache type, we did chose useful information before caching as attributes.
On the other hand, the German system is rather similar to other nodes and Geocaching.com.
We differ between:
- normal Cache,
- Multi Cache,
- Webcam Cache,
- Event Cache,
- Puzzle Cache,
- Math and/or physics cache (special type of puzzle cache),
- moveable cache,
- drive-in cache,
- virtual cache,
- unknown cachetype (as type for new ideas).

However we originally wanted to get a switch to attributes instead of many different cache types.

Our cache attributes differ between the following categories:
- Infrastructure: car park available (if fees are to be paid check as well: General - fees)
- Waypoints: letterbox, point of interest, moveable cache, webcam cache, diving necessary, no gps needed,
- General: fees for car park or entry necessary,
- Special Times: night cache,
- Special System: OC only, only with a hyperlink to an external site,
- Special equipment needed: climbing gear, equipment for holes, diving equipment,
- Preparation necessary: research, puzzle, calculation,
- Persons: For Kids - should be found by kids at the age of 12 years and above solely, usually with big cache containers

[harrieklomp]

We in the Netherlands have decided to remove 2 cache types like the "Math and/or physics" (looks the same as the "puzzle cache") and the "drive in cache" and this is for us the same as a "normal cache"
We have added the "Guestbook cache" and the "Dead Drop USB cache"
I think every node has his own idea about the caches they would like on their site and there is nothing wrong with that 

You can take a look at http://www.opencaching.nl/articles.php?page=cacheinfo what we have on our site.

Greets
Harrie

[biboleck30]

Thanks for your inspring comment at first. The idea behind a drive-in cache is, that there are several cachers who plan a tour for statistical purposes to increase their number of found logs dramatically. If you wish to find out more about the cache types and their descriptions, you might want to have a look at http://www.opencaching.de/search.php (Search page) or our terms of use at http://www.opencaching.de/articles.php?page=impressum#tos.
"Guestbook cache" sounds a bit to me like a letterbox cache, isn't it the same? What is the idea behind a  "Dead Drop USB cache"? Do you share USB devices?

[harrieklomp]

For the drive-in we have a attribute and the "normal cache type" so that would be no problem for the point hunters 
"Guestbook cache" is a existing guest book like in a hotel or a park (i remember a Terracache in Germany http://www.terracaching.com/viewcache.cgi?C=TC9KZ and there was a physical guest book). It is not allowed to use a guest book on a wedding or a funeral. 
Those USB cache is not a official cache on GC and for more info you can look at http://deaddrops.com/

[OlofL]

[quote="harrieklomp"]...
I think every node has his own idea about the caches they would like on their site and there is nothing wrong with that  ...[/quote]
I have started to look at a solution for hiding unwanted cache types at a node and possibly converting display type of an imported cache from another node. For example if oc.de does not want to support guest books, they could hide the guest book type and display imported guest books from oc.nl as a virtual on their site.

[harrieklomp]

[quote="OlofL"]
I have started to look at a solution for hiding unwanted cache types at a node and possibly converting display type of an imported cache from another node. For example if oc.de does not want to support guest books, they could hide the guest book type and display imported guest books from oc.nl as a virtual on their site.
[/quote]
I think it is better to show th original imported guestbook, the image is available for all nodes.
If a German wants  to make a guestbook cache he or she can log in on a node where the cachebook can be selected and can make a cachebook  in Germany, only registered on another node.

[biboleck30]

Well I think that we should try to get to a conclusion whether if we wish to have caches listed on another platform from another country for caches hidden in a country where another oc node exists. My personal opinion to that is that we should try to avoid this for several reasons. The first and most important is to me that caches which are placed on vacation in a foreign country are usually not well-treated concerning maintenance. Another aspect is the confusing situation of legacy. Whose laws are ought to be applied when anybody has a complaint? Those of the platform from the foreign country where there server is? Or those of the country where the cache is placed in? And how to react to these kind of threads of our webmasters?

[OlofL]

[quote="harrieklomp"]...I think it is better to show th original imported guestbook, the image is available for all nodes...[/quote]
That was my initial point of view also but I changed my mind. It would put pressure on admins to add documentation and translation as well as explaining for the users why the imported cache type cannot be created on this site. There are numerous reasons why, perhaps lack of time, perhaps an easlier consensus, perhaps something else. Publishing the foreign caches types unaltered would make me say no to almost all new cache types and that is not what we want. We want to have a network of sites that can rapidly adapt to local demands and interests without needing a consensus for the entire network of nodes.