Re: GCAGKCK Oldest in 15 countries

I would like a checker like GC7XQ7B but for 15 countries instead of 10.

Hi!
Here is your new checker: https://project-gc.com/Challenges/GCAGKCK/82970

Please test it and respond to confirm if everything is ok

Looks excellent. Thank you!

I get this reply from the reviewer. I don't really understand the problem. Do you understand the problem with more knowledge about how the checker works?

Checkern för den här challengen undantar ett antal cacher utan motivering och vad jag kan se utan anledning. Jag antar att de tidigare har haft felaktiga data för publiceringstid men så är inte längre fallet och de ska alltså inte längre undantas (det är åtminstone teoretiskt möjligt att de så småningom kommer att bli äldsta cachen i något land på riktigt och de ska då alltså inte undantas i checkern). Det behöver åtgärdas.


Translation:
The checker for this challenge excludes a number of caches without justification, as far as I can see, and without reason. I assume they may have had incorrect data for the publication time previously, but that is no longer the case, so they should no longer be exempted (it is at least theoretically possible that they may eventually become the oldest cache in some country for real, and thus they should not be exempted in the checker). This needs to be addressed.

The list of excluded caches come from similar challanges. From what I can see at least some of these caches had and incorrect country set. At least some of them had this issue fixed within the last year.

I can either remove this list as a whole or I can run through each cache on it and check if there is still a problem with them. Which option do you prefer?

If I understand well what the reviewer says the question is to remove the complete list. And according to the reviewer this shouldn't give any problems right? So if this is thrustworthy, I would say to remove the list. But if you think this will give problems anyway, then it would be better to check invidual caches....

Maybe this is a better checker https://project-gc.com/Challenges/GCAGKCK/83014

Please test and reply

@vogelbird How would it solve anything to make a new checker that excludes the same caches that the reviewer had issues with?

I can't judge it because I don't really understand the problem. But I conclude from Pleus comment that the problem isn't solved? So I guess I am still waiting? If there isna change that the reviewer possibly will be okay with, I can try again....

I've explained a problem in my comment above and offered you a solution. Please read it once again.

You offered me two options. In my reply I said that I think to understand that according to the reviewer it should be the first option. I said to do that one, IF you think this option is really okay and won't give problems. I have still no idea which caches we are talking about....

When I replied this, I got another checker from vogelbird, but according to pleu this doesn't solve the problem.

ok, give me a few minutes and I'm gonna through this list (you can see it in tag configuration) and verify which exclusions are still reasonable.

So as follows:
GC8DDP3 - Archived already and wasn't even an old cache, therefore removed
GC793AV - Final in different country than posted location. Cache archived already and wasn't even an old cache, therefore removed
GC6NEAV - This cache had fake a finding date from before the Geocaching even existed. The issue had been solved at some point, therefore removed.
GC69Y6N - This cache had fake a finding date from before the Geocaching even existed. The issue had been solved at some point, therefore removed.
GC6M188 - This cache had fake a finding date from before the Geocaching even existed. The issue had been solved at some point, therefore removed.
GC4V29J - The hiding date of this cache was... year 1982.. As long as it would end up messing the checker results the issue was already fixed. Therefore removed.
GC2DC2 - The cache location was set to Monaco even though the cache itself was 2km away, in France. The issue had been that this cache was showing as the oldest one in Monaco which wasn't true but the issue was fixed last year (22 years after publication...). Therefore removed.

To sum up - In some cases, these caches had fake hiding dates or fake locations which resulted in false checker results. In some cases caches are already archived and weren't old enough to mess up anything, in some cases, owners fixed the issues already.

Such lists are created to protect the cache finders from people intentionally messing with statistics. Sometimes problems are being solved but the lists are simply copied from old checkers and pasted to new ones without checking them each time. For example, you can see here: GC84K2E this cache location is posted as Russia even though this is a cache in Poland which doesn't require you to visit Russia at all. In this case, it's quite a new cache and therefore there is no reason to put it on such lists as it has a minimal potential to ever become the oldest cache in Russia (and is actually excluded by GC Headquarters from official statistics already).

Closing the topic - I have removed the whole list from your checker as there isn't a reason anymore for them to be there. Keep in mind though that finders of your challenge may stumble upon similar cases and if they report them to you please let us know so we can add these caches to the exclusion list. You can resubmit your cache to your reviewer now.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/24/2023 12:23AM by Svarträv. (view changes)

Thank you!