geospotter

Please include a link where we can contribute to bail money and legal fees.

Here's a photo from a few years ago.

It's my favorite kind of cache, something that will take a day (or two) to complete.

Actually, Brian, I think the Donner party knew where they were. They just started too late in the season. But your point is well made.

Oops! My fault. Sorry. It is the lostoutdoors.com map page. Actually it is aerial photos. Try this one.

Haven't heard anything. Check out this LONG run-on sentence from the back of the book. It includes a history of geocaching, instructions on creating a cache, hiding it, and sharing it with others, geocaching etiquette and conventions, basic land navigation techniques including using a GPS unit, basic backcountry safety and etiquette, where to look and where to hide, types of treasures, and everything the aspiring geocacher needs to get started in this fascinating, family-friendly, high-tech outdoor oriented pastime. I sure hope the author does a better job inside the book.

Welcome to the fun! As USAFA05 says, it's possible to find caches without a GPS. If you find one listed near you that looks interesting, go to this site, key in the coords, and see if you can find it. Enjoy!

Beautiful letter, Brian. Could you re-do my resume?

Thanks, Ju66l3r, for your post. I was referring to that thread, but to my post. Here is a portion of that post. Mark42, these quotes are from the JUDGE in this case. County court, County of Adams, State of Colorado Criminal Action No. 00- M-2096. The people of the State of Colorado, Plaintiff, v. Rodney Lyle Scott, Defendant. <snip> "Many times people are confused, lay people especially, saying, well, it's public property, and I can do what I want with it. But, everyone knows you really can't do that." <snip> "It says, "Any person who deposits, throws, or leaves any litter on a public or private property or waterways, commits littering." Littering is a Class 2 petty offense, punishable by a mandatory fine and could be up to a thousand dollars on a second conviction. " "Litter has a legal definition, and the Court is bound by the legal definition, not what someone may think is used in Webster's dictionary or might be used in common conversation. " <snip> *** End of quotes *** If you can show that the judge was wrong in this case I am sure he would appreciate it. And it ALWAYS comes down to what the judge thinks, not what you or I think. Depending on the legal definition, you and I could be on the same page!

Geocaching would just switch to Private Property caches. But to answer your questions -- I'd have to think about it.

So the multi-billion dollar PR business is a sham? The newspaper here has printed every one of our press releases. Newspapers also use 'stringers' (non-employee contributors). Where do you think the newspapers get their ideas for articles? From the newspaper? The 'life-style' section, where most stories regarding geocaching would end up, hardly tries to maintain journalistic integrity. I can't imagine showing both sides of the proper method to carve a turkey, or debating both sides of the newest cookie recipe. The idea is to give them information about a new sport that people are enjoying. The first impression should be good not bad.

I was just reading this posting. I know Criminal did a nice piece.

Great logo!

Do any of the associations, or GC, have a public relations firm or person? It seems that every once and a while we have newspaper articles that present misinformation that portrays geocaching in a bad light. Perhaps it time to have a PR firm write some articles for us, and submit them to newspapers nationwide. I don't mean hiring an expensive NY agency, but maybe someone just starting out or a recent graduate. I'd chip in for some 'good' press. Any other ideas along this line?

It might be an education thing. Those who read the forums are aware of the issue, but others may not. What we could use is a "Trade Fairly (or Don't Trade)" logo similar to the CITO logo. Stick it on the site's main page, maybe even on cache pages. Just a thought. Feel free to modify the wording as needed.

Cachew Nut, Thanks for the link. It's sad. $3-billion budget. My favorite line -- "...since the Forest Preserve's golf courses were privatized..." Huh?

I hear they are considering closing the forums because of all the crap.

Does this also include forum posts?

Isn't that exactly what they are doing by 'restoring'?

For clarification, I'm very aware of SDKs. While they wouldn't change the information, they would make that info available to virtually anyone interested in that data. For whatever purpose. Good and bad. What happens when a park official wants to have a cache moved/removed. He calls Jeremy. Sorry, it's not listed here. Try cachelistings.com. Nope not ours. Try morecaches.com. Yeah they listed it, but it's not really their cache they got it from John Doe's website, and he got it from Bill Smith's website, who got it from....

Mark42, Maybe you missed the post about judges NOT using the dictionary definition of 'litter'? My guess is that they also would not use the dictionary definition of 'abandoned'. They go by the legal definition. Please add links to those.

Would I log them on your site. Probably not. This site gives me what I need. Now, if I had a cache that didn't quite fit here? Maybe. The determining factor for me would be the additional types of caches you might allow, and just what YOUR guidelines would be. If I felt that your guidelines might hurt the sport in some way I would avoid it. As far as my cache data? Though I might give YOU permission to use it I would not extend that to others who might use your open SDK. Therefore, you'd have a problem. There is no way to know how that data could be used. However, the point of placing caches is to have them found. If everyone jumped ship and went to your site, it seems that that would then be the place to list your caches. Still, my overriding concern would be for the sport.

Jeremy has stated that he hates it when people capitalize the "C". I feel it makes easier reading for the uninitiated.

I did, until I found the cheap generic cartridges ($3 - see above), then it just wasn't worth it anymore. I use them primarily in my Epson printer. Epsons do NOT replace the printhead with the cartridge so if the inks clog your head it's bad. But I've used them for several years with absolutely no problems. Every once and a while I will throw an Epson cartridge in to keep things in order. I print a lot of photos so they have to be pretty good. The colors are virtually identical and the black ink is much better in the generic cartridges! Much deeper blacks. Check out computer shows in your area and give them a try. And, to stay on topic, I use them to print my topo maps.

I bought some of the National Geographic Adventure paper. I should also mention that I use ink jet cartridges that I buy for $3 each instead of the $30 each retail. So I wasn't holding out much hope of the ink/paper combination being waterproof. Well, I was wrong. I let in soak in water to see what would happen, and.....nothing. The image was completely stable. It says it's called "Teslin, Synthetic Print Sheet". About $20 for 25 sheets. I notice it also says "Not intended for use in laser printers." If it works with my cheap inks, you shouldn't have any problem using it for stash notes, maps, etc. Highly recommended.