Re: Streak vs Slump January Challenge

GC8XW2P

I would like a checker created for:

Choose any January
Look at your longest streak that month and compare it to your longest slump that month. If your streak is longer than your slump – YOU QUALIFY!

Examples:

You found at least one cache on 1/1 and you found at least one cache on 1/2. Then, the rest of the month you found at least one cache every other day. You qualify because your longest streak was 2 days, and your longest slump was 1 day.

You did not cache until 1/1 - 1/15. Then starting on 1/16, you found at least one cache every day for the rest of the month. You qualify because your longest streak was 16 days and your longest slump was 15 days.

FAQ:

My streak started in December and continued into January. Does that count? NO. ONLY the days you streaked DURING January count.

I found a cache 1/1 this year and 1/2 last year and 1/3 the year before. Does that count as a 3-day streak? NO. Choose ONLY ONE January.

Do Adventure Labs count as cache finds? NO, but Adventure Lab Bonus caches count.

Do events count? Yes. The 12 types of caches that count are: traditional, multi, event, CITO, MEGA event, GIGA event, earth cache, virtual, webcam, mystery, letterbox and wherigo.

Do all past finds count? Yes.

If my streak is the same length as my slump, does that qualify? NO. Your streak must be at least one day longer than your slump.

My goal is to do this exact same challenge for each month of the year. I looked, but could only find checkers for streak vs slump for the cacher's lifetime.

I extended the great Slump vs Streak checker from SeekerSupreme to do this, it will be simple for us to tag it with the correct month for all 12 of your challenges.

Can you please test it and get back to us.

https://project-gc.com/Challenges/GC8XW2P/57701

Happy New Year and Thank you so much for your fast reply.

I ran it for me and it said I qualified because I do not have any slumps in January. Which is correct because my first January of geocaching, I was streaking and found a cache all 31 days.

So then I ran it for Mugglehoney who definitely has longer slumps than streaks and I received the following message: " [mugglehoney](https://www.geocaching.com/profile/?u=mugglehoney) has used [Project-GC](https://project-gc.com/Challenges/GC8XW2P/57701 "Project-GC Challenge Checker") to see if they qualified for this challenge and they did. I don't have any slumps in the month of January" That is absolutely not correct.

So then I ran it for other cachers that I know and it seemed to work - both meeting the challenge and failing it.

So then I tried to figure out why it worked for Mugglehoney. Mugglehoney used to be part of Jax-man, but then they got their own account. After they had their own account, they logged caches they did with me prior to having their own account and they dated those finds prior to their own account start date. I wonder if that is what messed things up. For example: They have found logs on 1/12/2017, but didn't have their own account until 5/13/2017

Is it possible to add a line of script that says the checker starts on the day the cacher opened their account?

- -

Also, I was wondering what you thought about handling the actual month the cacher opened their account. Say they opened their account on 1/31 and found a cache that day. Would this checker say they qualified? Maybe there needs be be a line of script that says they must have been a member for 31 days in the January that is being checked to see if they qualify.

Any input you have on these issues is welcomed and appreciated. Thanks again for your assistance because programming is way, way beyond me.

Yes, you are correct as to what caused the issue. The script takes the day of joining OR a date specified in the config as "day 1"..... I can change this to be the day of the first find with no problem.

However, you also have realised the issue about "what if they found their first cache on Jan 31st". Currently, the script would PASS that user after 1 find as they have no slumps in Jan and a 1 day streak. There are two options I can think of:

1- backdate their 'start day' to the start of the month. The user in the example would then FAIL (edit: in their first year ) as they have a 30 day slump.

2- If the users first ever find is on the 2nd (or after) of the configured month, then ignore all of the finds that user found the month they joined in.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/04/2021 09:52PM by GreyHams. (view changes)

Its fixed along the lines of 'option 2'. option 1

Please note, I had to treat the end of the month in the same way as the 'start'.... so if today is 4th Jan..... you cannot count 2021 if you found caches each of the last four days..... the checker assumes a slump from 5th Jan 2021 to 31st



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/04/2021 09:51PM by GreyHams. (view changes)

Awesome. This now works perfectly! Thank you so much.

Creating challenge caches are new to me. How do I now get this checker on the cache page?

Also, when I am ready for the other months, how do I contact you with the GC code for those so that the checker can be created?

Finally, after 12 months, I will want to do a calendar year and then a lifetime slump vs streak challenge. I know there are lifetime checkers out there. How do I clone them to put them on my cache page.

Thank you again for your help.

Just so you know the new checker says I qualify with my streak from 1 December 2016 to 28 December 2019, i.e. your FAQ in OP (and I assume cache page) does not match the checker.

Pleu,
If you streaked from dec 2016 to dec 2019, you qualify, so the checker worked.

What does "FAQ in OP" mean? Why does it not match the checker?

I think I see what you mean... I need to change the wording... How about: If your streak started Dec 30, 2020 and ended Jan 5 2021, do all 7 days count toward your streak? NO, only the 5 days in Jan count toward this challenge.

@jax-man Yeah, the new wording is better. The first version of the checker did give me red tho so I assumed this was the intention of the challenge. :)

Thank you again GreyHams for all your help.

Right now the script name says: Streaks and slumps (by SeekerSupreme) extended (by GreyHams)" How can I make it say "Streaks vs Slumps January (by SeekerSupreme) extended (by GreyHams)"? Is that something I do, or something you do?

The script is the name of the generic script, and will be used in all of your chalenges.

The tag is specific to January

When your cache is published, the name of your cache (whatever it is) will be used. :-)

Your challenge name will be added automatically to the checker once your challenge is published.

To put a link on your cache page:
- on the checker page, there is a 'link' button on the right side of the page, click that.
- this will drop down some options, we recommend the third. Select the text and press 'control & c'
- go to your cache page and paste that in the text, "control & v" (you may need to change to 'source' mode. The "</> Source" button above the text should be green)

Here is the 'link' text for THIS checker.
<a href="https://project-gc.com/Challenges/GC8XW2P/57701"><img src="https://cdn2.project-gc.com/Images/Checker/57701"; title="Project-GC Challenge checker" alt="PGC Checker"></a>

When you wish other checkers to be made for the other months, just start another new thread with your new GC codes, you probably want to say "this is exactly like this checker....https://project-gc.com/Challenges/GC8XW2P/57701, except I want this one tagged for February, not January". This way any of the checker creators can tag them.

To clone a checker you are only cloning the 'tag' (the configuration)..... on the checker page, above the 'link' button is a clone button. It is as simple as entering the new challenges GC code. This new checker will work in EXACTLY the same way as the old one, so you should double check the tag configuration to make sure it doesnt filter countries or something (in the grey box in the middle of the checker page is a 'show' button...this displays the 'tag')

Oh, and I edited my 'options' way above to reflect how the checker works..... can you make sure you are happy with them

I see that the checker for GC8XW2P is cancelled and the cache is published as a normal mystery cache "Does your windshield need replaced?"

May we ask the reason:
Did your reviewer reject the challenge criteria?

For us it is good to know for future reference

The reviewer got back to me and said: "As I haven't seen this exact challenge cache concept before, I brought it up for discussion by the Community Volunteer Reviewers in our private forum. Those who commented were unable to reach a consensus. Therefore, I'm reluctant to give the green light for your idea. I recommend writing to Geocaching HQ staff via the Help Center, with a link to this cache page.

I did and the concept was rejected.


Curious as to why you are curious?

As a Moderator of the forum I like to know the reason why a checker is rejected by the reviewers.
This way we can advice cachers if a challenge is feasible before we make a checker.

I do not know why it was rejected because in my humble opinion, it meets all requirements.

They did say: "The main concern among the appeals team and most reviewers was the slump aspect. While your challenge does not reward slumps, the overwhelming consensus was that slumps are negative and that including them in challenge criteria does not comply with the guideline that challenges must be positive.

We can only suggest attempting to design your challenge in a way so that slumps are not part of"

But the challenge does not require a slump. It actually encourages against slumps. I think if the name was different, for example: January - Make Your Streak Count, it would have been approved.

I've decided to just go with the more difficult and more boring challenge of Streak through January. That actually has already been approved and I'm working on scouting 12 locations (one for each month) But I wanted to publish a cache with that GC code because first it was an earth cache that was denied then it was the challenge that was denied so the code was getting old.

Thanks