Garmin and Active Captain-A Cautionary Tale
- Thread starter mcboatface
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone who enjoys boating.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
twistedtree
Guru
twistedtree
Guru
What AÇ has demonstrated is that nothing beats professionally assembled and edited content. User reviews are great, but user content is rubbish.
Northern Spy
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Ooooohhhhh. I get it (now).
Tom.B
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^^This^^
There is surely good content on there, but that doesn’t negate the mounds of poor content put there by inexperienced captains or crews or worse, people that have a beef with a business or even AC. Unfortunately, there isn’t any way to tell. I am okay with crowd-sourced reviews for a musical or a restaurant. I am NOT okay with reviews and observations that could put my life and boat in jeopardy.
I hate to say this because AC is a useful tool for so many (me included), but after the treatment the previous proprietor had toward some of his base customers here, I wouldn’t lose sleep if Garmin shuts it down completely. Hopefully, taking his code and finding a way to put it to productive use.
Bigsfish
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I’ve used AC for a number of years and would rate it an 8 out of 10. I don’t like that marinas can buy “Best status” but overall I like the product. I’ve never had a problem with Jeffery and have communicated with him and have had no quarrels.
I'm hoping the opposite, that Garmin is able to continue to build it, but independent of their product. There is not a replacement for it today. Bits and pieces, but nothing as widespread.
caltexflanc
Guru
I was an early member AC and then of the banned club as well.
He epitomizes the kind of person who loves to dish it out but can't take it.
Waterway Guide and CruiserNet have user content available and regular edited updates. The former in particular has very comprehensive marina info
As for hazards there is always the good old LNMs
He epitomizes the kind of person who loves to dish it out but can't take it.
Waterway Guide and CruiserNet have user content available and regular edited updates. The former in particular has very comprehensive marina info
As for hazards there is always the good old LNMs
But they cover small areas. I was a dedicated member and recommended it often and I was never banned. Wasn't bad like you guys. lol
twistedtree
Guru
Well, I think it you had been identifiable, Wify-B would have been banned for her dining habits.
Wifey B: In fact, had some incredible Rib Eye's tonight. Oh my. Bad girl I am. It's like all of you he banned. Apparently never crossed his mind that any of you who wanted to could easily sign up again and go right back in.
Hopefully, he's just out boating and not fighting anyone and enjoying whatever it is he and his wife enjoy.
twistedtree
Guru
Apparently never crossed his mind that any of you who wanted to could easily sign up again and go right back in.
Or worse for him (now Garmin), never did sign back up.....
I am sure Garmin doesn't really care or notice. When your financial statements are rounded to the nearest million dollars, the charges to be a featured marina don't even show up.
........... It's like all of you he banned. Apparently never crossed his mind that any of you who wanted to could easily sign up again and go right back in.
I didn't get banned from AC but he banned me from the Facebook page. You can't really sign up again for that unless you create an additional Facebook account.
The reason I care about the Facebook page is, that's apparently the only way to get support.
Doesn't appear to me he's providing it there either. I haven't seen any work done on the program since it was brought live in the test of the non-Flash version, none of the problems or issues addressed. Discussion on the facebook page was quashed and those critical sent to the dungeon. Now it appears instead of fighting and battling, the ultimate has been achieved, disinterest and complacency.
I wouldn't know because I can't see it. I would hope users might provide some support even if Jeffery/ Garmin doesn't.
One thing has got me confused. I see a lot of discussion about compatibility and such. I use AC as a standalone on a PC and I am able to import AC items into Garmin's HomePort. I don't have any AC information on my Garmin 5200 plotters.
What am I missing? What is going away?
What am I missing? What is going away?
Well, you've been using a flash version and that may be going away. No one knows for sure. The routes most had posted were on those versions and aren't on the new "Live Map" version. The ability to enter a location and zoom in was there while the Live Map requires entering a marina although that appears to have improved from initial version. The ability for the system to remember where you were looking and take you back there is gone.
Prediction: Garmin will re-brand AC and integrate it into their hardware. Their NEW hardware, not those "legacy" systems you bought 12 whole months ago. They'll try to make a "community" and be all social-media-like. Someone else will come along and re-create an independent replacement for AC.
Whether these, or any other similar projects by other vendors, get any traction with cruisers remains to be seen.
Personally, I still feel betrayed. I was an early and vocal supporter of AC. I put a ton of (free!) effort into a project which, in the end, only enriched Jeff even more. He never even sent me the hat he promised. It wouldn't have been so bad had he sold to a company which actually cared about its customers. But Garmin? Sigh.
Whether these, or any other similar projects by other vendors, get any traction with cruisers remains to be seen.
Personally, I still feel betrayed. I was an early and vocal supporter of AC. I put a ton of (free!) effort into a project which, in the end, only enriched Jeff even more. He never even sent me the hat he promised. It wouldn't have been so bad had he sold to a company which actually cared about its customers. But Garmin? Sigh.
twistedtree
Guru
In the tech industry, endeavors are often evaluated for whether they have the potential to be a feature, a product, or a company. A feature is just that. Something nifty, but not enough to be a product by itself. A product is enough to market and sell on its own, but not enough of a product to build a viable company around. And a company has enough of an offering to build a long-term viable company with sales, support, manufacturing, and a future ahead of it beyond a single product.
AC was/is at best a product, and arguably just a feature. In the context of Garmin, it's clearly just a feature, and not a very important one at that. After all, look what Garmin paid for it - too little to even justify accounting for it in their financials.
AC was/is at best a product, and arguably just a feature. In the context of Garmin, it's clearly just a feature, and not a very important one at that. After all, look what Garmin paid for it - too little to even justify accounting for it in their financials.
I was using whatever it was and am now using whatever it is (non-flash, I believe). It works the same for me.
I don't know anything about routes being posted. I have noticed that the markers seem to be misplaced by enough to be significant. Zoom in and you don't see a marina, it is up or down river by a significant distance.
For the most part, companies are owned by shareholders. Shareholders are investors. They invest their money hoping to make a profit. They care nothing about the company or it's products or service, only that the company makes a profit.
General Motors doesn't care about you. Toyota doesn't care about you. Any customer service is just so you will buy another car from them.
I continue to be surprised that Active Captain is free to use. It doesn't even have advertising except that the marinas that pay can post their own information. I suspect most of us would be willing to pay a few dollars a year for it.
Yes, but still it's very complete when it comes to listing marinas. We've used it from Alaska to the Panama Canal in the Western and Eastern Caribbean, the Gulf Coast, the East Coast, the Bahamas and the Loop. Been a great tool for all.
sunchaser
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Word of mouth in our cruising area is very important for getting updates on all things marine. Plus one gets to meet some very nice folks who don't get involved in social media yet are loaded with interesting facts and local knowledge.
dhays
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dhays
Guru
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Unless things that changed, all those markers are placed by users with no AC verification. So you can put a marina or a hazard anywhere you want. I am sure that the users try to do their best but they arne’t cartographers.
Tom.B
Moderator Emeritus
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Frankly, I think we all feel betrayed. He treated people that were trying, even innocently, to help him improve his product with constructive criticism like complete sh+t. We all put lost of time and effort into writing reviews and genuinely trying to help grow the community information database. And for what? For him to ban us and insult my wife for being married to a forum moderator? Many of us have similar stories and every AC thread leads to this sort of banter. It is a shame too. I think we all liked where it was headed, but we didn’t like the head.
This is going to sound bad. I don’t mean it personally, but I have zero sympathy for your feeling of betrayal. Many of us knew it was just a matter of time. I do hope Garmin adds some sort of moderated version of it to their plotters or on an app. I’d consider one if that were true.
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