Include Manually Added Steps in Leader Board and Challenges

[THitch]

Please make modifications to show the manually added steps in both the Leader Board and the Step Challenges.  While I understand that the change to exclude the manually added steps (implemented this week on the Leader Board but earlier in the Challenges) is related to individuals who cheat the system, the feedback in the Fitbit community seems to suggest that your core and very active customers WANT this feature for valid reasons and are offended that you've put the need to address cheaters above the desires of your committed users.  

As suggested in the community forum posts, if you feel it necessary to differentiate the steps manually entered, this could be accomplished by showing the total steps as the primary total and including the manual steps as a subset of that total (e.g., Rob H. Total 95,993 (12,000 manual).  That will better expose the "small number" of those who are cheating the system.  Seems it would better to cater to the 95% of the users who are doing it right versus the < 5% who are cheating.

My husband and I have been loyal Fitbit customers since January 2014.  We believe in the product and most importantly, the purpose of the product so much so that we have personally purchased or influenced the purchase of Fitbit trackers for 15+ individuals.  Although some of these individuals have come and gone in our Fitbit world, we still have a very competitive and active group of Fitbit friends.  For different reasons (running, using treadmills, elipticals, forgetting to charge the Fitbit, etc.), we often enter a portion of our steps manually.  The inability to see our total steps, whether manual or otherwise, on the Leader Board defeats what I believe to be the purpose of the Leader Board, which is to encourage activity through friendly competition.  

Thank you for your consideration!

[cpadad]

Please change it back!   I take off my fitbit hr when I shower, and I often forget to put it on.   This change is leading to public humiliation at work this month, and my friends have been more than I can bear!   I need you to count my manually entered steps (forunately I rarely forget to take my phone with me, i.e., it also counts my steps, but it doesn't save me from friend humiliation.

[ProfessorStephe]

I am very offended by this change. If your product accurately counted steps on my treadmill and eliptical, I would not need the manual log at all. Please go back to counting manually logged steps or at least give us the option of whether or not to count them. I will buy another company's device if this does not change soon.

[bobfromnm]

Please consider this request from your dedicated users.   In addition:

• ASK your users before making such changes in the future
• INFORM you users when changes such as this are being made...  it was quite painful reading all of the forum posts where users where trying to figure out what happened.  It was like you tried to sneak the change by us and nobody would notice
• TREAT your customers with respect, rather than insinuating that we are all cheaters
• THINK creatively when addressing issues...   I would not mind seeing my total steps next to those entered manually, for example
• Stop and THINK:   a group of friends that get together on a challenge, or that look at each other on their "friends" board are actually a group of people who have self-selected to band together.    I respect my friends and I would ask that you respect our privacy.   Everyone in my friends group does some for of manual logging based on their mix of activities.  
• For those of use who have been deemed to be "evil" cheaters, you might want to consider INNOVATING new devices that will capture the steps/activity that the current trackers do not.  

[allan473]

I agree with the previous post 100%. I was one of those who spent a lot of time trying to figure out why I was not getting my steps.

When are things going to return to the way they were - not "if" but "when"?

[SunsetRunner]

I strongly disagree to putting back the manually added steps to the leader boards and challenges.  They DO NOT belong there IMO and only encourage cheating.  I can see that many cheaters have already drop down on the leader boards since manually steps are not counted anymore.  Averaging 70K steps per day for more than a month?  Yea, right...

I'm a core user also and disagree with that proposal.

Please do not put back the manual steps within the leader boards and certainly not within the challenges.

[DavidLWhite]

Don't screw everything up for the rest of us to punish "cheaters" ! Sent from my iPhone

[ProfessorStephe]

Sorry you can't trust your friends. When I have to use my elliptical because it's too dark to walk safely outside or when the weather is bad, I should be able to count my steps if I so choose. There should be an option within the settings to leave it up to the user. Maybe you should find friends you can trust.

Moderator Edit: Personal info removed

[Slchipman]

I agree, stop punishing those of us that use it honestly. I not have an issue with manual steps not counting in challenges but in the friends page, I do. I do my workout in the pool under doctors orders and count steps because the Fitbit cannot count accurately in water. And honestly who cares if others cheat???? It is for our health that we do this and track activities. I do not like looking lazy when compared to friends because Fitbit can't count steps at the gym in the pool or on machines. It is not a challenge anymore to get more steps when half of my daily steps don't show up anymore. Let those cheat that want to cheat their own health. And stop punishing those of us that are motivated to do more.

[dmtalon]

I have been running with Garmin for quite a few years now, and currently own a Garmin 920xt.  I also have a Charge HR.

I like to wear just one watch at a time, but now to count steps correctly, I need to wear two.  For activities specifically, I used to be able to use fitdatasync (3rd party app) to move my activities over automatically (and count on the leader boards) but that is 1) a third part app and 2) no longer working.

When I travel for work, I really don't want to bring everything I own with me, so I travel with just my Garmin 920xt.  This watch tracks step too, and at the end of each day I would manually input my steps into fitbit website.  With this change, I now have to either just not participate in the leadership boards, or carry two watches.  My charge HR is not a GPS watch its an activity tracker which is why I use a real training watch for that.  This shouldn't be extra hard.

The longer I deal with having to wear two devices, the more likely I will be to just pick one, and the Garmin literally does EVERYTHING I need except its missing the extra social aspect of fitbit which is whats keeping me wearing the fitbit.

Cheaters are only cheating themselves, and I love the idea of having a total with a (manual count) listed as a subset.  This doesn't prevent cheating, but if you're in a competition, and have steps outside if fitbit you should be able to back them up.

Thanks,

[allan473]

Another vote to return manual logging to leaderboard. No need to repeat the reasons.

[ktousi]

All, Not sure about you but I am frustrated with the lack of response from Fitbit. My fitbit died today and I did not realize until after walked for almost 2 miles. Tried to figure out how to make the concerns listed here more visible. James Park is the CEO and co-founder of fitbit. He does have a Twitter Account - @parkjames. Maybe if we start to let the head guy know, something might happen? If not fixed by new year, I will be discontinuing my account.

[tajenner]

I just finished my 6 1/2 mile run on the treadmill with my inaccurate FitBit flex recording it as a 2.77 mile run and 6,573 steps.  So I had to manually add my 6.5 mile run that was roughly 10,500 steps, because I am a cheater that lives in the great white north.  Who does not want to risk falling on my butt or get hit by a car if i go run on the icy roads.  Now because I chose to be a cheater and run on a treadmill for my own safety, I also don't get credit on the leaderboard for those steps/miles that I actually ran.  This seems really fair, because I am a cheater.  Thanks for keeping me honest FitBit!

[tajenner]

I am also frustrated with the lack or response.  I would suggest posting/messaging FitBit on their FaceBook page as I am awaiting a response currently through FB messenger.  I am also near the point of leaving.

[ktousi]

Good idea - I will try this as well

[allan473]

I wrote on FB yesterday. I was referred to one of these threads.

[jab51]

I find that Fitbit doesn't accurately count steps anymore without manually logging. I use tracker for my exercise walking to see my distance, but since May it stopped tracking right. I also bike a lot. That doesn't count either, it used too. So I had to start putting in manually. I am motivated by leader board. Not so much with changes and lack of working right. I know several people who stopped using theirs because of issues. I may be next. Also, recently my tracker started crashing part way into activity, another new thing.

[gailfit]

For 2 1/2 years I used fitbit as a fancy way to count steps and to motivate me to move. I cheered and jeered friends and family. I was aware that it did not count my 3 weekly weight and/or barre classes nor my climbing steps. When I realized it did not measure treadmill accurately, I was first told to stick it in my waist band then later to manually add. I often wear a band when walking to hold my phone so I tried to put the fitbit into that and walk on the treadmill. It was off about 400 steps per mile. Along with all the other users, I am ready to move on since the social challenge with friends no longer shows even my treadmill steps.  I am not always able to walk outside and walking in circles in my home is not a measure of anything other than determination. Also, along with others, I find my battery life getting shorter and shorter. Too bad fitbit, this is your loss as we get the word out that while your technical support has improved they do not tell the truth when you make changes and you do not listen to your customers. 

[flyingattreelv]

This is just rediculous, Fitbit has great customer support but they sure don't appear to listen to their customers. Guess it's time for me to find a new scale/sleep tracker and move on from Fitbit.

[SunsetRunner]

Fitbit support was very helpful in explaining how I could go about wiping a Fitbit so it can be resold privately to recoup some of our investment in the hardware, service and trust of this company. After ignoring us or even denying the problem (like Fitbit's staff does on Amazon), I think starting the new year clean without Fitbit might be a great way to go. 

[ProfessorStephe]

I just heard from Fitbit customer support. They have absolutely no intention of changing their approach to include manual steps. Their way or the highway apparently....I'm choosing the highway on my next upgrade or replacement.

Moderator Edit: Personal info removed

[ktousi]

Very sorry to hear this. Guess the rest of the "thank you for your input" responses were just platitudes?

[ProfessorStephe]

Apparently

Moderator Edit: Personal info removed

[SunsetRunner]

Well that makes my discussion easier and moves my time table up.  Posting my Fitbit for sale on Craigslist, new tracker ordered (and this one will support Google Fit too!).  

Nice knowing you Fitbit.  Say hello to Blackberry and Nokia on the way to obscurity. 

[DerrickS]

This functionality has been restored to its original design--manually logged steps do not count towards your 7-day Friends Leaderboard, Challenges, and Activity Groups--only tracker data does.

[allan473]

Seems like Fitbit and pissed off a lot of users. I can't see why it has to be this way. It makes no sense.