Turns out the maintenance button was a bit more elaborate than I originally considered. =)

But now, whenever you look at the box details for your own boxes (those that you have credit for planting or authoring), the "Record Find" button is now replaced with the "Maintain Box" button.

It largely serves the same purpose, but I've tweaked each page slightly since they're used for different purposes. The "Maintain Box" page allows you to update the first aid request and status of each box. The "find" date will automatically use today's date. It didn't seem necessary to require people to specify the exact date they maintained a box. Exact dates are important for finds, but whether I checked up on a box today or yesterday really doesn't matter much. *shrug* So it's an easy way to update several things at once instead of having to go through several pages of changes like you did before. Much more efficient. *nodding*

If somehow you end up at a "Record Find" page that you're the planter or author for, AQ will automatically redirect you to the "Maintain Box" page instead (and vice-versa).

Kind of cool. Don't know why I never thought of this before. =)

Internally, of course, AQ still handles and stores the finds exactly as it did before. Just a clearer definition of how it's used on the web interface.

As always, if you find any problems, please let me know. *nodding*

Happy trails!

-- Ryan

This is so cool, Ryan. This is so appreciated - thank you!

~SHH :-)

when I read the first post on this, what I thought the maintenance button did was tell potential finders that the box had been temporarily pulled for maintenance...rather, it appears that it tells them you've finished maintenance. I wonder if perhaps on the drop down status, there could be a "pulled for maintenance", so we know the box isn't mising, but that the owner has it...

I had a pair of boxes go missing, I recarved, but then efound the park is under construction. I am waiting for the park to be finished before replanting...probably near but not at the original places. I know I would much rather see them listed as "temporarily pulled by owner" than just missing for months and I'm not apparently doing anything about it... perhaps that's just vanity.

night writer

Yeah, I'm in the same boat, Night writer. I had a supervisor pull one of my boxes while they do construction and he said he would replace it when construction was over. 6 months later and I am still waiting. The box still exists..and it WILL be replanted..but I have no idea when!

LW PhD
"Nice Counts"

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Exact dates are important for finds, but whether I checked up on a box today or yesterday really doesn't matter much.

Unless, of course, you're going back through your Plants and updating the last time you did maintenance, which for me was not today or yesterday, but two weeks ago. In some cases, months ago.

I rather liked having the date changeable.

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there could be a "pulled for maintenance", so we know the box isn't mising, but that the owner has it...

You do realize that if the owner has the box, it must be missing, right? You can't have the box AND have it planted at the same time unless you created two of the boxes!

The status is for the finders benefit. Missing means the box is not where the clues say it should be. Retired means the box is not only not there, but it will not be replaced either.

-- Ryan

ah, there's the difference... you think missing=not where it belongs, while I think missing=nobody knows where it is.

ah unnerstan now sair...

night writer

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Unless, of course, you're going back through your Plants and updating the last time you did maintenance, which for me was not today or yesterday, but two weeks ago. In some cases, months ago.

Why did you wait so long? Just curious. =) I'm inclined to think if the maintenance report could wait for weeks or months to begin with, you don't really need to record maintenance on those at all. Especially if others have found the boxes since then. In that case, it won't even show up as the "last found date" which was the main purpose of recording finds on your own boxes anyhow.

I'll have to think about adding dates again, but I like the simplicity of not using them. I don't really expect anyone to go back weeks, months, or years to record maintenance they did so long ago. Despite the new name, you're just recording finds of your own boxes.

-- Ryan

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you think missing=not where it belongs, while I think missing=nobody knows where it is.

While I won't disagree with what you think missing means, they way I think about it is if I look for a letterbox and it's not there, the box is missing. =)

I don't really care why it's not there. Doesn't matter to me if the owner pulled it, a flood carried it away, a squirrel ran off with it, or some other random disaster happened to it. The box is gone and I can't get it, so it must be missing.

Now if I live in an area and might be able to get back to look for the box in the future, I might be interested to know if the box will be replaced or not. If it's not going to be replaced, I won't worry about looking up the clues when I'm in the area again. If the box *is* supposed to be replaced, I'll check to see if it has been. Thus, the distinction between missing and retired.

From a finder's point of view, though, that's all we really need to know. It would be nice to know when a box is scheduled for replacement, but specialized information like that is best included directly into the clue. (You're more than welcome to tell people in the clue you pulled the box temporarily.) For an at-a-glance piece of information, though, anything beyond missing and retired isn't necessary.

-- Ryan

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you think missing=not where it belongs, while I think missing=nobody knows where it is.

This ought to be a Wiki entry.

I think:

Active = It's alive and well (and well-hidden, hopefully) and just waiting for somebody to find it.

Missing = Nobody (including the planter) knows where it is. It's gone for good.

Unknown = It's been reported missing several times but the planter hasn't verified this.

Retired = The box was pulled for whatever reason, but it's not missing. Stamp and logbook are probably intact. And... since the planter has it, and if you really really want the stamp impression, perhaps if you grovel enough it'll magically appear in your logbook.

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I'm inclined to think if the maintenance report could wait for weeks or months to begin with, you don't really need to record maintenance on those at all. Especially if others have found the boxes since then. In that case, it won't even show up as the "last found date" which was the main purpose of recording finds on your own boxes anyhow.

While I understand where you're coming from, the truth is that many boxes (mine included) don't have a lot of traffic. It could have been 6 months or more since the last time a Find was logged, and since I'm pretty confident in their whereabouts, I've only checked on them once during that elapsed time, mostly to make sure they weren't overweathered or damaged.

As for some others that are close enough to check on more often, I've not logged them as Found because they would have appeared in my Finds log. Just untidy, which is why I appreciate the Maintenance log!

Up until now, I've been updating the clue by modifying the "Verified OK and well-hidden" phrase embedded in the AQ-hosted clue, so that if somebody looks at the Clue Last Updated date they'll see it's still active and was probably checked on by yours truly.

So... can we have the date back? P-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-lease? (to quote Roger Rabbit)

Steve

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This ought to be a Wiki entry.

It already is, actually. =) http://www.atlasquest.com/aboutlb/wiki/browse.html?gCatId=18#q92

-- Ryan

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This ought to be a Wiki entry.

I think:

Active = It's alive and well (and well-hidden, hopefully) and just waiting for somebody to find it.

Missing = Nobody (including the planter) knows where it is. It's gone for good.

Unknown = It's been reported missing several times but the planter hasn't verified this.

Retired = The box was pulled for whatever reason, but it's not missing. Stamp and logbook are probably intact. And... since the planter has it, and if you really really want the stamp impression, perhaps if you grovel enough it'll magically appear in your logbook.

These are the definitions floating around in (what's left of) my brain ;-). Thank you StarSAELS for taking the time to transcribe these. I too would love a "out of maintenance" option on the drop down menu. Mentally, if I see "Missing", I figure "it's gone, probably forever" I rarely take the time to check the clues (but maybe I should).

I have two boxes right now that are "Missing" and I'd love to be able to label them "out for maintenance, will be back soon, don't give up on me or them!!" (well, something to that effect... ;-)) One is pulled pending a relandscaping project, and the other is pulled for a new logbook and a new hiding place. Both will be put back ASAP - possibly in new hiding places - and I've stated all that in the clues.

Also, I had several that were Missing/Unknown (and I labeled them as such) for a time. After I verified that they were indeed gone, I retired them, as I won't be replanting them.

Just my two cents on the subject, this is not to be construted as a complaint, request or criticism. If an "out for maintenance" option never ever appears, I won't lose one bit of sleep ;-)) I LOOOOOVE AQ, no matter what ;-))

Mama Fox

Oh Great Green One--Is there any way to change the date for the maintenance? My obsessive side is thrown off by the date automatically defaulting to today. Probably not a problem for anyone but us OCD types.

*laughing*
oh brother!
y'all remember my disagreements with this issue??
I have never liked it this way but...hey...there isn't much at AQ that I don't like so the scales are still in favor of AQ being a wonderful place :) *chuckles*

I believe (strongly) that if a box is missing then it is MISSING and not in the hands of the planter.
i feel it should mean you just simply do not know where it is and the posse either is or should be out in search of it ;)

if it has been pulled for maintenance etc i feel it is just inactive versus active and still wish we had that as an option for our box status.

I know GT is probably rolling his eyes at me as we speak ;) LOL

the box is alive and well = active
I don't know where the flippin thing is = missing
i have pulled the box forever and ever = retired
i have it in my grubby paws for maintenance = ____________
(opposite of active = inactive)

dixie
*ducking to avoid flying "inactive" letterboxes*

I don't know what I was thinking when I thought I could get away without allowing people to select the maintenance date. *shaking head* I'm a bit carefree about the dates I use, but I keep forgetting that some people like exceptional amounts of precision.

So, I've added the ability to select the date that you checked up on a box. You can't change already entered dates (just like regular finds--that's how they are handled internally, after all), but you can remove the finds and readd the correct ones if it's important to you. =)

Happy trails!

-- Ryan

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I believe (strongly) that if a box is missing then it is MISSING and not in the hands of the planter.
i feel it should mean you just simply do not know where it is and the posse either is or should be out in search of it ;)

if it has been pulled for maintenance etc i feel it is just inactive versus active and still wish we had that as an option for our box status.

I'm with Dixie on this (maybe it's because we both speak "Southern" ;-))

I have 3 boxes that are "missing", and I'd love to send the posse out in search for them...... In my heart of hearts, I hope I'll get an email from some kind stranger saying they found this "thing" with my email addy in it, and what should they do with it........ ;-))

I have 2 boxes that are "inactive", needing new logbooks, new hiding places, riding around in my car at the moment, but will be replanted - hopefully soon!

I think that's a difference that I'd like to know about other people's boxes too.

Probably, it just boils down to personal preference and the choices are only as good as the planters who update regularly (I do). Honestly, though, if I see a box is labeled as "missing" - I don't go look at the clue - I assume it's gone, and the posse was unsuccessful. Sounds like I should go look at the clue though.......

And again - this is nit picking for me - I'm not losing sleep either way. But I would like to tell people quickly that the box should be replaced and "check back later"!

Wonder what people who don't use the boards, and don't log finds, but just search and find LB's think "missing" means? Well, I guess we will never know ;-))

Mama Fox - contributing more than her usual .00 cents ;-))

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i have it in my grubby paws for maintenance = ____________
(opposite of active = inactive)

Which brings up another question...why do people take boxes home to maintain them? I've never done this. I always do my maintenance work at the location (replace baggies, replace logbooks) or go home get the necessary item and return to the box with it (and make a note on the clue page if necessary if I can't get to the box right away).

This is the first new feature that has excited me. I like this one. It allows me to keep track of the maintenances that I have done rescently, and it doesn't add a find to my PFX. I logged a maintenance last night on one of my oldest boxes and found that if you leave a note it leaves a red cross. If you simply indicated that a maintenance was preformed without leaving a note it doesn't leave a red cross. It also shows up in green on the finders list. This is really cool. Now I have a way of knowing which boxes I still need to do a Spring check on. Thanks Ryan. I like this feature.