The RCG coders are always hard at work, and sometimes they slip one by me. I was looking at the Maps page today and saw something new in the Tools list called "Find Users Near This Place." Now you can find like-minded RC enthusiasts that are located near the Maps location on which you've clicked. Very slick! I have uploaded some screen shots to help you find this feature and see what it does. Thanks to the RCG coders for this cool new addition to the site!

1. Click on the Maps button.
2. Click on a location.
3. Click on the "Tools" link.
4. Click on the "Find Users Near This Place" link.
5. BAM! Now you have even more RC possibilities!

It's been there for a few months, at least I think it has, I remember looking at it before.

Originally Posted by NorCalMatCat

It's been there for a few months, at least I think it has, I remember looking at it before.

You are correct... it has been here. However, some people didn't know how to do it.

How are members in the area found? I clicked on our club run site and nobody I know of from the area appeared on the list.

Originally Posted by Prins Willem

How are members in the area found? I clicked on our club run site and nobody I know of from the area appeared on the list.

I would guess that they must:
A. Have a presence on RCG and
B. Have listed their adress listed, possibly by pinpointing it on the map.

Originally Posted by Prins Willem

How are members in the area found? I clicked on our club run site and nobody I know of from the area appeared on the list.

I should have been more specific. I meant members of RCG who are also members of the Wisconsin Scale Boating Association, like boater_dave, jshander, and myself.

My question was/is how does the mapping pick up forum members to display? Does it draw the info from our profiles or do we have to do something?

I'm almost positive that it draws information via your IP address, but I'm not exactly sure.

Originally Posted by DJO

I'm almost positive that it draws information via your IP address, but I'm not exactly sure.

I hope not because that would violate the privacy of those who don't have a profile location set.

It already guesses your location using your IP address if you look into your settings.

Originally Posted by DJO

It already guesses your location using your IP address if you look into your settings.

Yeah but my hope is that it does not show you on the map if you do not have it setup in your profile... I have my location set because I don't care, but I know others do and purposely will not set their location.

Right, that makes sense. I'm not sure.. and there's really no way to tell if that's the case.

Originally Posted by DJO

Right, that makes sense. I'm not sure.. and there's really no way to tell if that's the case.

Just out of interest in this topic, I clicked on a local club, pulled up the list of nearby members and started clicking on random profiles. Many of the ones listed did not have visible locations listed so I would guess that it is indeed pulling the info off IP addresses.

Doesnt really bother me as my internet 'footprint' is wide and I have my location set here anyways. I'm sure that there are some that will, or would object if they discovered this tho. (Its not like most websites on the net dont already track this information anyway, but some people will freak about anything.)

Originally Posted by Arkole Blake

Just out of interest in this topic, I clicked on a local club, pulled up the list of nearby members and started clicking on random profiles. Many of the ones listed did not have visible locations listed so I would guess that it is indeed pulling the info off IP addresses.

Doesnt really bother me as my internet 'footprint' is wide and I have my location set here anyways. I'm sure that there are some that will, or would object if they discovered this tho. (Its not like most websites on the net dont already track this information anyway, but some people will freak about anything.)

As a programmer, a webmaster, and a professional in the industry, I can say for sure that almost all websites do indeed have the info, but to have it in a manner in which one can access and utilize that info is a different thing. By being able to see the location of someone on the map that chose not to set their information either intentionally or perhaps just because they didn't know how to, creates a privacy issue which is different then actually having the information.

What I do not know is whether it is stated in the terms of use that the information is captured, and used for the purpose of displaying on the map, and or there is an opt-out feature so that the information is NOT used on them for that purpose (therefor not show on the map at all).

I hate legalities and politics but as a professional in the industry I have to know about it all and see how silly and can be or can't be sometimes.

Yep, not meaning to debate or start one, just posting what I found through a tiny bit of research

No I'm not trying to debate either, just present a professional opinion and info .