dewelch

Once again, to each his/her own. There might be a variety of reasons for urban caches. In a "city" the size of Los Angeles you might have to go 20 miles in order to find a place that is NOT urban. Even the natural areas in the mountains that surround the city you are still up against an urban/wild interface area so a cache location that might look like it is in the middle of neighborhood can actually be quite wild. I have one virtual cash that is right next to the 405 freeway, but it is in a Wildlife Reserve that is part of the Sepulveda Flood Basin. It is quite an urban location but the park itself is an oasis in the middle of the city. Not everyone has the ability to drive significant distances to a wild cache. I recommend that they do get out of the city, but I can understand why they like urban caches. We did one recently down in Orange County near my mother-in-laws as a time filler between family committments. It is in a nice park, fairly urban but with a nice playground, etc. Joe (Age 4) had a good time finding the cache and then spending time in the park. Urban caches are also easier to maintain, if more easily plundered. Placing a cache in a wild area that is a 1 hour drive and then a 1 hour hike in requires a big committment if you plan to maintain it adequately. I try to get out of the city because I need to get out of the city, but if there is an interesting urban cache nearby, I bag it. The hunt is the point for me. I make computing clear!

Once again, to each his/her own. There might be a variety of reasons for urban caches. In a "city" the size of Los Angeles you might have to go 20 miles in order to find a place that is NOT urban. Even the natural areas in the mountains that surround the city you are still up against an urban/wild interface area so a cache location that might look like it is in the middle of neighborhood can actually be quite wild. I have one virtual cash that is right next to the 405 freeway, but it is in a Wildlife Reserve that is part of the Sepulveda Flood Basin. It is quite an urban location but the park itself is an oasis in the middle of the city. Not everyone has the ability to drive significant distances to a wild cache. I recommend that they do get out of the city, but I can understand why they like urban caches. We did one recently down in Orange County near my mother-in-laws as a time filler between family committments. It is in a nice park, fairly urban but with a nice playground, etc. Joe (Age 4) had a good time finding the cache and then spending time in the park. Urban caches are also easier to maintain, if more easily plundered. Placing a cache in a wild area that is a 1 hour drive and then a 1 hour hike in requires a big committment if you plan to maintain it adequately. I try to get out of the city because I need to get out of the city, but if there is an interesting urban cache nearby, I bag it. The hunt is the point for me. I make computing clear!

I encouraged my son (Age 4) to take a Pez from a recent cache knowing it would attract all manner of things. I also agree that avoiding anything with a strong smell for the same reasons. I have run across scented candles in some caches. I make computing clear!

Just a note that there is an active set of geo-trashers in the North San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles. (Gee, I hate it when school is on vacation! ) They have left taunting messages at destroyed caches and today posted a taunting log entry online. Make sure you check any cache page before you go out hunting so you don't end up looking for something that is already missing. Douglas I make computing clear!

Just a note that there is an active set of geo-trashers in the North San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles. (Gee, I hate it when school is on vacation! ) They have left taunting messages at destroyed caches and today posted a taunting log entry online. Make sure you check any cache page before you go out hunting so you don't end up looking for something that is already missing. Douglas I make computing clear!

From the US Coast Guard Navigation Center... http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/gpsnotices/ =-=-=-= GPS Service Interruptions The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the U.S. Coast Guard periodically receive notices of potential GPS service interruptions that could affect GPS service availability in a localized geographic area. To ensure the public receives timely notification of such occurrences the NIS will post the applicable sections of the FAA’s Notice to Airmen (NOTAM), and the Coast Guard's Broadcast Notice to Mariners (BNM) as they become available. =-=-=- This info was posted in alt.satellite.gps today and I thought it might interest people here. Douglas I make computing clear!

On the upper right hand corner of the cache page there is a box hat says "Log your visit" Click this and it will take you to the appropriate place. You may need to be logged in first. I make computing clear!

Jake, Unfortuntely, it is responses such as yours, essentially telling people to 'Shut the *** up!" that continues to fan the flames of dissent and animosity as much as anyone complaining about the Membership issue. This is exactly the attitude some people believe will be fostered under the new system. Jeremy created a very public system and therefore the Geocaching public feel they should be able to say something about that system in an effort to make their voice heard. Participating in Geocaching as a sport and a community adds value to both. People have donated their time, if not their money, to do right by Geocaching and geocaching.com. People have placed caches, managed caches, developed new and interesting alternatives to the standard "box" cache, assisted newcomers in learning about the sport and a host of other valuable things beyond donating cold hard cash. I believe they should have an opportunity to make their views known. Do I agree with everyone all the time? Of course not. I do, though, believe they should have an opportunity to state their views. Geocaching is a public sport and geocaching.com is a publically available web site. Therefore, it is open to the the praise and criticism of the public. The possibilty of dissent and criticism is soemthing that any web site operator has to face, especially when it is a site so dedicated to building a community. The only way for Geocaching.com to avoid facing these views is to be an entirely closed system with members eligible only by invitation. Even then there is bound to be differing opinions amongst the membership. The community is what makes Geocaching.com and Geocaching.com facilitates the community. They are inseparable. One without the other is damaging to both. I make computing clear!

How about a waiting to see what happens choice? I make computing clear!

Sometimes you just have to go with your gut feeling on things like this. My first response to reading the first post about subscriptions was this... "D***N another good thing spoiled." It immediately reduced my interest in Geocaching by half, at least. Was this a valid judgement? It didn't really matter. The damage was already done. I am in no way questioning Jeremy's great work on the site, but, as the recent discussions have shown, the interjection of "business" into Geocaching.com brings the introduction of "politics" and, I fear, will bring an untimely end to people's enjoyment of the sport. What was the harm of keeping this site as a 1 server, slow access, bailing wire and duct tape operation? Why did it need to expand into a business at all? I wish Jeremy all the success in his life and career, but I worry that commercializing Geocaching may end up destroying what he (and all of us) have here. Already I am seeing energy that was once used to generate neat cache ideas and helping newcomers enjoy the sport being turned to the creation of political camps and a major fragmentation of the community that existed here only one day ago. It is not difficult to see where this will all end. I have seen it happen before with other "communities" when someone, not always the founder, has tried to commercialize the community. What was once fun becomes work and the community is shattered. I would really hate to see that happen here, but my experience has shown me that that road (the fragmenting of the community) is too easily followed. Douglas I make computing clear!