FISUR

My wife and I geocache with our three kids, ages 3, 8 and 12. Here's a few comments and observations: (1) Be sure to bring enough water and snacks for them, or they might get grumpy. (After we got into geocaching, we bought Camelbaks for 2 of them.) (2) All of my kids carry compasses, even the youngest who pretends to use it. Whoever has the GPS will occasionally call out the bearings for the others to check on their compasses. (3) On our longest hike (an 8 mile multi-cache), we borrowed a jogging stroller for the youngest who got in and out along the way. (4) On each geocache, we let the kids make the decisions as much as possible, such as deciding which way to go when we come to a fork in the trail. (5) On the longer hikes, I will end up carrying the 3 year old on my shoulders for a good portion of the time. She pretends I'm a horse. (6) Choose some fairly easy caches at first until you feel comfortable. (7) Let them find the cache, even if you know where it is (our 3 year old actually found one when we were close to giving up), (8) my kids have been accidentally learning a lot (e.g., how to read maps, identifying trees, etc.). (9) And obviously, their safety and enjoyment comes first. Cache On and Good Luck, FISUR

Someone once said, "I have never seen a statue of a committee." Not that I'm a suggesting a statue of Jeremy, but how about an action figure with kung fu grips?

About that GX: It's not the potential cult, religious, anarchist, or satanic imagery that bothers me. It's the potential for gang affiliation. Are you down with with GX's or the GG's (Gustaf Globes)? It could be like the Blood versus the Crips and the Sharks versus the Jets. There could be drive-by caching, the tagging of ammo boxes, the wearing of colors, and the occasional beat-downs. Then there would be the need for federal funding for gang intervention programs. It could get messy and expensive.

A quick, simple, stupid question: What does the X stand for? Is it for "X marks the spot" of the cache (which I thought it did), or does it represent longitude and latitude (as I read in someone's personal homepage)? I know, it can be whatever you want it to be, but what was the original intent? The Cache is Out There, FISUR

quote:Originally posted by k2dave: Was I not suppose to post this? Some (at least one) have suggested that I email Jeremy. In most other message boards I've been to I am allowed to(encouraged to on some) post my dissatifaction with the site. . . . K2, I've really enjoyed this thread (although I completely disagree with your position in every possible way ). If everyone agreed with everyone in these forums, they would be quite boring. Keep up the good work (or whatever you're doing). FISUR

We need a Geocaching nightlight, Geocaching boxers, a gold Geocaching necklace!!!! And a Geocaching theme song (a catchy one like that "Peanutbutter-Jelly-Time, Peanutbutter-Jelly-Time"). And how about a Geocaching Sports Bar? Yes, a Sports Bar!!!! But seriously, we have the T-shirts and hats, we've dropped off Geocaching keychains in caches, and we're waiting for delivery of the new lapel pins. We appreciate that such items are available. Cache on, Team FISUR

Since Independence Day (July 4th) we've had three first-timers to our cache. Obviously no record, but we're catching up to you. Caching On in the Colonies, Team FISUR P.S. Are we allowed to post messages here, or did we violate some unwritten rule of conduct? [This message was edited by FISUR on October 10, 2002 at 05:02 PM.]

The closest site I could think of is the one for Flat Stanley. Stanley is a flat cutout figure that school children mail out. I heard about Stanley years ago, but I have never seen him. He seems like a guy who really gets around.

If I ever run out of my limited-edition Team FISUR geocoins and decide to get some new coins, I'm going to be asking permission to use the official & pristine geocaching logo for one side of the coin. Nothing against the designs here, since many of them are fantastic, but I would want my geocoin to be associated with the geocaching.com brand. I would seriously consider using one of the public designs for the flip side if I could tweak it in a Team FISUR sort of way. But I'll have plenty of time to think about that. Cache On, FISUR [This message was edited by FISUR on October 09, 2002 at 05:17 PM.]

quote:Originally posted by Neuman:The logo that works best for coinage, in my opinion, is http://www.geocities.com/graphixoutpost/logospage.html. The only problem I can foresee would be for those who wish to have numbered coins such as thehttp://www.geocoins.ca or, my own personal favorite, the http://www.txgeocoins.com As you can see on the web pages, the numbering is on the logo side. Though MountainMudbug's design has space at the bottom, the numbering is stamped in after the coins are minted and must be in a straight line. Neuman The numbering system for the Green Man geocoin at www.geocachetreasure.com is on the rim or edge (not the "heads" or "tails") of the coin. As a result, the numbers do not interfere with the design on either side. I don't know how difficult or expensive that it, but it's something to consider. Cache On, Team FISUR

quote:Originally posted by Jeremy Irish: quote:Originally posted by GrizzlyJohn: I think the Team FISUR situation is the prime example. Thanks. I'll repeat my response to this example. 1. 100 coins were authorized. I don't believe we're telling them not to use them. Nor did we indicate that an open license was given after the first 100. 2. We're planning to produce a die to help recoup the costs that Team FISUR had to pay for the first die created. We're not required to do so but we're doing it because we feel bad that the lawyers reversed our decision. . . . Jeremy Irish Groundspeak - The Language of Location I wasn't planning on placing another post on this thread, but I wanted to respond to the above statements by Jeremy. (1) It's clear that I only received permission for the first set of geocoins, but I assumed that when my team (i.e., my family) ran out of coins (months, possibly over a year from now) it would be easy to get permission again. And that the next set would be much cheaper for me since I already had the die. I believe that my expectations were reasonable at the time, and that's the way I was thinking when I made the investment in a die. But I also realized that there were no guarantees. (2) The Team FISUR name and team motto are on the same side as the formerly-approved-and-modified geocaching logo. If I use the Groundspeak approved die, it appears that I'll be losing the team name and motto, and I will end up with a Rhode Island geocoin, not a Team FISUR geocoin. (If you need a visual aid in regard to the geocoin, look here.) I could always add the team name and motto on the flip side, but unfortunately that's additional money. And I'm not asking Groundspeak to help me "recoup the costs" of the die. The Team FISUR motto includes the word "integrity". There is no doubt in my mind that Jeremy Irish is a man of integrity, and that's good enough for me.

Near the Toaster Head Cache in West Greewich, RI, you'll come across a scarecrow type thing with a toaster for a head. It can be frightening, especially if you're quickly moving about the trails. The cache is a letterbox hybrid, so you can see those stamps left by those weird letterboxers who leave boxes in the woods. (How dare they!)

We went on a nice geocache hike today, came across an historic cemetary, came upon a ridge with a beautiful view and with hawks circling over us, met some fellow geocachers, and learned about some interesting caches in the next state over. It was a good day. The only lawyer I came upon was me (non-practicing). Cache On, FISUR

We appreciate Jeremy's post on this matter. But for clarification: We read the logo usage guidelines, contacted Groundspeak, and received written permission for the Team FISUR geocoins, including use of the anchor instead of the flag. Obviously Groundspeak made a mistake, and it looks like we'll be losing some money. But no one died or suffered severe psychological damage. And we found a nice geocache today. Life goes on. Team FISUR

quote:Originally posted by Dawgies:Why don't we wait a little while, let Groundspeak work the details out, and go along with what's already established? . . . Like I said though, I may have missed something. As mentioned in another thread, Team FISUR got permission for the production of 100 geocoins to be used as signature items by the team (i.e., my family). The permission included a modification of the geocaching.com trademark to include an anchor, one of the symbols of Rhode Island. After posting a photo of the 1st coin, we received an e-mail from Groundspeak stating that based upon updated legal advise, Team FISUR would not be authorized to print another set in the future. So as far as logo modification is concerned, the details appear to be finalized. At least for us. We look forward to seeing the suggested logos in this thread that can be used and modified for signature items.

[This message was edited by FISUR on October 05, 2002 at 01:22 PM.] [This message was edited by FISUR on October 05, 2002 at 01:23 PM.]

Oh yeah, in case you were wondering, the geocoin as pictured is exactly the one which was initially permitted.

Oh yeah, in case you were wondering, the geocoin as pictured is exactly the one which was initially permitted.

We received initial permission from Groundspeak for 100 Team FISUR geocoins to be used as signature items. However, within 48 hours of posting a photo of the coin, we received an e-mail from Groundspeak indicating that based upon recent legal advise, it "must not allow modifications of the logo." As a result, we cannot produce more coins with the same design. The die we invested in can't be used for another set of coins. Although this is disappointing, both financially and personally, it appears that the people at Groundspeak aren't out to get us. They're protecting their trademark as recommended by their attorney. Cache On, Team FISUR

We received initial permission from Groundspeak for 100 Team FISUR geocoins to be used as signature items. However, within 48 hours of posting a photo of the coin, we received an e-mail from Groundspeak indicating that based upon recent legal advise, it "must not allow modifications of the logo." As a result, we cannot produce more coins with the same design. The die we invested in can't be used for another set of coins. Although this is disappointing, both financially and personally, it appears that the people at Groundspeak aren't out to get us. They're protecting their trademark as recommended by their attorney. Cache On, Team FISUR

We just received the following e-mail from Bryan Roth at Groundspeak: "Dear Team Fisur, Just a quick note regarding your geocoin: I realize that we gave you permission to use the logo in your designated format on the 100 coins. Since that time, our trademark attorneys have informed us that we must not allow modifications of the logo in order to enforce it. Understanding that you have already printed these, and in all fairness, we will continue to allow you to use them as signature items, as planned. If you wish to print more in the future, we will require a design change for the logo usage. If you have not printed them and it is not too much trouble to change the logo, we'd really appreciate that too. Thank you and Happy Geocaching! Sincerely, Bryan" Well, at least we'll have 100 to pass out. But it'll be an additional investment to get a new die made, so these may be the first and last Team FISUR geocoins. So be sure to look for the new "limited edition" Team FISUR geocoins at a geocache near you. Cache On, Team FISUR

We just received the following e-mail from Bryan Roth at Groundspeak: "Dear Team Fisur, Just a quick note regarding your geocoin: I realize that we gave you permission to use the logo in your designated format on the 100 coins. Since that time, our trademark attorneys have informed us that we must not allow modifications of the logo in order to enforce it. Understanding that you have already printed these, and in all fairness, we will continue to allow you to use them as signature items, as planned. If you wish to print more in the future, we will require a design change for the logo usage. If you have not printed them and it is not too much trouble to change the logo, we'd really appreciate that too. Thank you and Happy Geocaching! Sincerely, Bryan" Well, at least we'll have 100 to pass out. But it'll be an additional investment to get a new die made, so these may be the first and last Team FISUR geocoins. So be sure to look for the new "limited edition" Team FISUR geocoins at a geocache near you. Cache On, Team FISUR

quote:I'm curious, could you give me the details on the purchase (ie, vendor, cost, qty etc...) There are a number of vendors with sites on the internet. We decided to go with Quality Challenge Coins (www.wemakecoins.com) which is in Pennsylvania. The Rhode Island map is from clip art which the vendor is licensed to use. If you do a search for "geocoins" in this forum, you'll come across the names of some additional vendors. We'll be paying $4.52 per coin for the first set, which includes the creation of the die. If we ordered another set (with geocaching.com's permission), we'd be paying $2.42 per coin. Have to go to work. FISUR

Today we received a sample photo of the soon-to-be-minted Team FISUR geocoins. Hopefully, the image is not too blurry and will show up below, but if not, check out our profile page. The coin has our team motto and the map of Rhode Island (shown actual size, minus Block Island - sorry). And yes, we did receive prior permission for the coins. What do you think?

I'm not sure what it is, but I'm pretty sure you're not suppose to touch it.