Future of Locus and Geocaching
Inspired by a comment in https://help.locusmap.eu/topic/39323-geocaching-solver , I would like to start the following thread on the topic of "The future of Locus and geocaching".
In the past I advised a lot of my Geocaching-friends and other people within Geocaching-forums to have a look a Locus. Since it is the leading-edge app not only regarding offline Raster- & Vector map's use but also including Geocaching. Back then it has been the only app to reliable enable offline Geocaching without the need of Internet connection. We have been able to use detailed offline Vector maps. We have been able to update Caches and download its Spoiler-images for offline use. We got the chance to even expand Locus built-in features by using Add-ons like the "Solver"-Addon.
Thats all still true. But why lots of people are changing from Locus to C:geo - which is also my observation:
- It's mostly -not- paying a small fair annual fee for Locus 4 although on the other side use of C:geo is completely free
- it is that C:geo nowadays includes everything which have been unique to Locus in the past (offline maps, Solver, offline Caches' database, Live-Map)
- C:geo integrated features which Locus does not yet support (detailed support of Adventure Labs. individual Stages, stage texts, questions - not just displaying Header Coordinates of a Lab), Wherigo-Player
- Probably most important: Many of my Locus-user-friends told me that they don't have the feeling that Geocaching bug reports are taken seriously and the team work on fixing Geocaching-errors in a short time
Just some of yet unsolved bugs or ideas commented by myself within the last year:
- https://help.locusmap.eu/topic/38822-adventure-lab-gc-offlinizer-not-working-anymore
- https://help.locusmap.eu/topic/38822-geocaching-list-gpx-child-waypoints
- https://help.locusmap.eu/topic/37967-geocaches-add-to-watchlist-or-other-lists
- https://help.locusmap.eu/topic/38937-geocaching-additional-images
- https://help.locusmap.eu/topic/24201-adventure-labs-in-locus
- https://help.locusmap.eu/topic/37816-improve-update-of-geocaches
- https://help.locusmap.eu/topic/24315-friends-who-found-the-geocache
- https://help.locusmap.eu/topic/37173-geocaching-title-of-images
- https://help.locusmap.eu/topic/35411-additional-geocaching-quick-button-options
These people are going or already have been switched to C:geo and certainly never will come back to Locus again, which is a pity.
Partly I understand them, cause also myself got the feeling that Geocaching is not one of the priorities of Locus any more. I've the feeling that Bug reports aren't quite reproduced or understood. Even tiny bugs which could be solved by changing just a few lines of code like https://help.locusmap.eu/topic/38822-geocaching-list-gpx-child-waypoints aren't fixed. C:geo people would have fixed such a tiny bug within a few days. Maybe Locus lacks manpower or there aren't people who are active Geocachers and hence understand Geocacher-problems (maybe with the exception of Menion).
Finally: I don't want to blame Locus and its developer team. It's the opposite: I'm a Locus user since lots of years, since I'm geocaching using Android phones. I applied for Locus in dozens of talks with my Geocaching friends. I opened quite a lot of Geocaching-regarded bug reports. I answered lots of Geocaching-related questions of colleagues within Locus' forum. But the development and future of Locus regarding Geocaching-scene people finally switching to other apps makes me thoughtful and sad.
Maybe this thread could be an eye-opener how to deal with Geocaching people in the future - if Locus don't wants to completely lost this segment of users.
The same question
It's the same what I mentioned in the past time. I did some time ago a huge time invest to show people in a evening event what locus can do. I liked it and I did it for locus.
Currently I stopped making advertisements for locus map, because I do not see any chance to get them back from c:geo. People switch and they will not come back again, because there is no reason for them.
For me it's clear to stay, because I still like it. But I am looking with big eyes to c:geo regarding their filters. They are e.g. able to find Bettercaches just with the native app because of a free partnership - things I would never ask here but people use it as argument and I have no words against.
They did really a big filter investment - that's just wow.
Don't understand me wrong. I am still 100% for locus. But I am said seeing people leaving. And it's harder to find arguments for the great and awesome tool.
Wolfgang
It's the same what I mentioned in the past time. I did some time ago a huge time invest to show people in a evening event what locus can do. I liked it and I did it for locus.
Currently I stopped making advertisements for locus map, because I do not see any chance to get them back from c:geo. People switch and they will not come back again, because there is no reason for them.
For me it's clear to stay, because I still like it. But I am looking with big eyes to c:geo regarding their filters. They are e.g. able to find Bettercaches just with the native app because of a free partnership - things I would never ask here but people use it as argument and I have no words against.
They did really a big filter investment - that's just wow.
Don't understand me wrong. I am still 100% for locus. But I am said seeing people leaving. And it's harder to find arguments for the great and awesome tool.
Wolfgang
Hello Sonny and Wolfgang,
this is very important topic and thanks for bringing this on the light. I'll try to keep it as short as possible.
Locus Map (platform) is slowly growing. Also our team and we are forced to move from a small personal project to a more professional piece of software over last years. I'm not sure if this is obvious on the app quality, but hope so 😉. Together with this, we had to specify a priorities more precisely. It is not just about the Android app. It is more about Locus Map as a platform (web, Android, iOS).
Anyway priorities: they are still the same: maps, support for hiking & biking activities (data collection, planning, recording, navigation) and also sports activities & geocaching. In this order. As you see, geocaching is a high priority for us, but not as high as it is for c:geo or other specialised geocaching apps.
What were the major tasks we did this year? Completely new "My library" (huge project on all platforms), Android Auto (not yet published, I know), many improvements around maps & route planning and last months requirements from the Google Play (Edge-to-edge + native libraries, unfortunately). This means that we are working based on our priorities.
So what I'm trying to say: I'm sorry about this situation. Locus Map has grown also thanks to geocaching and I'll always support it and work on it. Unfortunately we are too small team and cannot currently give geocaching more attention. c:geo or other single-purpose apps will always have an advantage in this area. It is only on the user, if they decide to use the app "just for geocaching" or "not just for geocaching".
To be honest, there was close to no love this year. I may promise, I'll try to find more time to at least fix the most critical problems next year. So Locus Map & Geocaching is not dead, it is just not a high in priority. In any case, I believe that satisfy geocaching-only focused people will be more and more difficult. And the question is, if Locus Map should be able to do it in the end...
I hope, I've at least partially answered. Push and voting in various geocaching-related topics is welcome (and needed). Thanks also for the list of bugs. For example problem with import of waypoints is not as easy as it looks (I've give up it after an hour of work), but all should be doable of course.
Hello Sonny and Wolfgang,
this is very important topic and thanks for bringing this on the light. I'll try to keep it as short as possible.
Locus Map (platform) is slowly growing. Also our team and we are forced to move from a small personal project to a more professional piece of software over last years. I'm not sure if this is obvious on the app quality, but hope so 😉. Together with this, we had to specify a priorities more precisely. It is not just about the Android app. It is more about Locus Map as a platform (web, Android, iOS).
Anyway priorities: they are still the same: maps, support for hiking & biking activities (data collection, planning, recording, navigation) and also sports activities & geocaching. In this order. As you see, geocaching is a high priority for us, but not as high as it is for c:geo or other specialised geocaching apps.
What were the major tasks we did this year? Completely new "My library" (huge project on all platforms), Android Auto (not yet published, I know), many improvements around maps & route planning and last months requirements from the Google Play (Edge-to-edge + native libraries, unfortunately). This means that we are working based on our priorities.
So what I'm trying to say: I'm sorry about this situation. Locus Map has grown also thanks to geocaching and I'll always support it and work on it. Unfortunately we are too small team and cannot currently give geocaching more attention. c:geo or other single-purpose apps will always have an advantage in this area. It is only on the user, if they decide to use the app "just for geocaching" or "not just for geocaching".
To be honest, there was close to no love this year. I may promise, I'll try to find more time to at least fix the most critical problems next year. So Locus Map & Geocaching is not dead, it is just not a high in priority. In any case, I believe that satisfy geocaching-only focused people will be more and more difficult. And the question is, if Locus Map should be able to do it in the end...
I hope, I've at least partially answered. Push and voting in various geocaching-related topics is welcome (and needed). Thanks also for the list of bugs. For example problem with import of waypoints is not as easy as it looks (I've give up it after an hour of work), but all should be doable of course.
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