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Read Thread: Comment Date Request

Comment Date Request
Board: Suggestion Box
Mar 29, 2017 5:47am
Thread (disabled) Board
So I understand that comment dates are stored separately from find dates and that if I log an n/a find with a comment, the comment date will be the date that I entered it. That makes sense (although I would prefer to be able to set the comment date myself).

When I am logging a find with a comment at the same time, however, it would be better to make the comment date the same as the find date. Because realistically, my comment is going to be about the date that I found it. I am definitely not the only one who scrambles to fit in some letterboxing time and always gets home later than planned and then doesn't have time to log it the same day (or week or month). I know we can View Finds to get the exact dates and experienced boxers may do that, but the comments are right there in front of your face. How often, if ever, is someone's comment going to be NOT from the same date when they are logging their find?

I'm finding that the newbies I teach don't even make an AQ login for quite a while, even though I strongly encourage it. They have no reason to be a in a hurry and at first aren't concerned with removing finds from their search lists, so that's just one more example of when a comment can be WAY off.

I've just seen too many people start letterboxing, only to get frustrated because there is so much that they can't find and they don't know how to evaluate the likelihood of a box being there, and then they quit. We will ALL be better off if there is a continual influx of newbies (because there is a continual outflux) and newbies will eventually plant boxes for US to find!
Re: Comment Date Request
Board: Suggestion Box
Reply to: #943608 by MO UR4Me
Mar 29, 2017 10:48am
Thread (disabled) Board
It's not just newbies who don't post their finds in a timely manner. [whistles innocently]

But I totally agree with you. The most relevant timestamp for the comment is when I was actually in the vicinity of the box making the find or attempt. The least relevant timestamp is when I'm sitting at my computer some years weeks later when I'm logging the find. It would be better to have no date at all on the comment.
Re: Comment Date Request
Board: Suggestion Box
Reply to: #943608 by MO UR4Me
Jun 25, 2017 5:40pm
Thread (disabled) Board
When I am logging a find with a comment at the same time, however, it would be better to make the comment date the same as the find date.

I've updated the code to do this. But I'll be honest with you--I don't think it's going to do much to solve the problem of newbies being able to evaluate the likelihood of a box being there, growing frustrated, and quitting. I did a few queries to find out how common it is for people to leave a comment more than a week after they recorded the find, and it amounts to less than 1% of the comments.

I also updated the code so mystery boxes will now show a month and year as the date rather than no date at all. That's a premium member perk, however. =) I figure as long as the actual day of the find isn't displayed, it'll help keep mystery boxes... mysterious. And at least premium members can now have a sense of how old a comment is on mystery boxes. (Of course, the owner of a box will always see the exact date.)

-- Ryan
Re: Comment Date Request
Board: Suggestion Box
Reply to: #947400 by Green Tortuga
Jun 27, 2017 9:37am
Thread (disabled) Board
Is it just me? I no longer see any dates with the comments. Traditional non-mystery boxes only show the comment and the member name, but no date.
EDIT: maybe because I am not a premium member?
Re: Comment Date Request
Board: Suggestion Box
Reply to: #947478 by Bon Echo
Jun 27, 2017 11:22am
Thread (disabled) Board
Yeah, one some listings I will see the month and year, but no member name. Others show the member name, month and year.
Re: Comment Date Request
Board: Suggestion Box
Reply to: #947478 by Bon Echo
Jun 27, 2017 3:26pm
Thread (disabled) Board
I no longer see any dates with the comments.

Sorry about that. Bug in the code I updated. You should be able to see dates (just the month and year, though) on everything but mystery boxes. (Premium members can see the month and year for mystery boxes.)

-- Ryan
Re: Comment Date Request
Board: Suggestion Box
Reply to: #947482 by Fox Socks
Jun 27, 2017 3:27pm
Thread (disabled) Board
but no member name.

Member names won't show up on mystery boxes to help keep the boxes more "mysterious."

-- Ryan
Re: Comment Date Request
Board: Suggestion Box
Reply to: #947489 by Green Tortuga
Jun 27, 2017 3:44pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Looks good now. I've been chained to a desk for the last week or so writing bash scripts, R scripts and python scripts and debugging (so many bugs!) so you have my sympathies.
Re: Comment Date Request
Board: Suggestion Box
Reply to: #947490 by Green Tortuga
Jun 28, 2017 6:02am
Thread (disabled) Board
Here are a couple that I see that are not showing the member name on the comment, and they don't have a mystery box icon.

https://www.atlasquest.com/showinfo.html?boxId=255847
https://www.atlasquest.com/showinfo.html?boxId=242618
Re: Comment Date Request
Board: Suggestion Box
Reply to: #947512 by Fox Socks
Jun 28, 2017 12:40pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Good grief! I just can't seem to get this query quite right! I tried to fix it again.... let me know if this time it worked out better. =)

-- Ryan
Re: Comment Date Request
Board: Suggestion Box
Reply to: #947400 by Green Tortuga
Jul 30, 2017 6:41am
Thread (disabled) Board
Thanks. Just wondering, were you looking at the date that they logged the find or the date they entered that they actually found the box? The latter date is the one that I really should match the comment. Based on people logging my boxes at events, I would guess that say more than 1% log their funds after the actual date they found them. I know I rarely have time to log stuff the day I find it because I use up all my time out finding it.
Re: Comment Date Request
Board: Suggestion Box
Reply to: #949298 by MO UR4Me
Jul 30, 2017 7:50am
Thread (disabled) Board
were you looking at the date that they logged the find or the date they entered that they actually found the box?

I was looking at a comparison of the two. I suspected that the vast majority of finds were recorded within a few days of the actual find, and I figured the order the comments and "incorrect" dates wouldn't even be an issue if the two dates were within a week of each other.

So I ran a query that counted the number of days between the recorded find date and the date the comment was listed and about 99% of them had been recorded within a week of their find date. Those who record a find months or years later are definitely an anomaly.

-- Ryan