DocWahala

Interesting thread, especially with my most recent experience with this question as it pertains to gel pins. A few weeks ago, I asked someone to look at a possible coin idea. I sent two drawings, one was a fine line drawing and the other was done in charcoal. The response back was along the line of no matter how much I had changed my drawing, I was violating copyright laws. Interesting, because this was not a case of one drawing being based on the other. Also interesting because the drawings were works I had commissioned a regional artist to do for me, with the explicit understanding the drawings would be used as the basis for a geocoin, in which I was invoiced for, and our contract addresses this as well. As the owner of the artwork, I know I would not want someone to financially gain from something I have invested time and money in. As I am not a graduate of Juliard, even though I know I can draw, I am still going to pay someone else to do the finer work. I also know I am not going to be retiring from my day job, not on coin sales. It is the coins which are so clearly a copyright ,knockoff that make me laugh. Just run the word "star" - (stargaze, star wars, star trek) and see how many copies there are. And let's not get started on co-defendants. Lesson - stay away from copying, unless absolutely sure it it public domain. That, and work with the graphic artist department of the manufacturer. DocWahala

Perhaps more fun than stamp collecting? sure, the artwork is great, but the feel is always the same. Perhaps because it is easier to trade geocoins than it is to trade collectible LPs and 45s. (anyone still have a store nearby dedicated to just the old collectibles?) Perhaps more fun than being a die-hard Nascar fan (which I happen to be) lets face it, geocoins do more than just go in circles from left to right, and don't leave my ears ringing for three days. Perhaps we collect because its just a great way to kick start the economy and get through the recession? (Ok - Im stretching it a bit), but let's face it, at $10 a pop (x3 if you buy some to trade and some to release), we just gottaaaaaa be doing something for the economy. At the end of the day - we collect because it is fun to do, and every time we open mailbox and see a bubble-mailer, you have to admit, it feels like Christmas! DocWahala

Well, I don't yet have a picture of my favorite coin, so I'll start with Question #2 -theme. Unique Artwork - very particular about this, not just the detail, but something which demonstrates the coin designer is an artist as well. Creative association with the Cache experience - Tick Attack, Caching Memories, Cacheola, etc Navigation - I used to run in the Orienteering excercises when I was in the army. GPS is just the nexgt generation after compas/map reading, which owes its roots to things like the astrolabe. State coins - but only if I discovered a cache in the state. Military - was an important part of my life, will continue to collect these since there are not that many. Christian theme - another important area of my life - again, not hard to collect, since there are not very many options. Well, those are my themes. And like most other collectors, my "Dream List" will always be longer than my "I finally have it" list!

Why can't we just photo copy the canister, laminate it, and call it a proxy canister? DocWahala

I can offer two choices (or both). England... Nigeria. Give me another two/three months, and I can have one taken to Singapore. DocWahala

Interesting! I just happen to be in an email convo about coin design, and I just mentioned the theme I want to stay focused on, is Christian themed coins. I five different coins in various stages of development, (in fact, the first is about to have the manufacturer proof approved, so I can get samples made). Send a PM to my GC profile - will keep you posted. DocWahala

I get it, I pay half the gas, do half the driving while you harvest all the nanos and not have a life, do you really think that's fair? I'm on to you, you are trying to get me to help you get some of my nanos stuck in your tires, I'm watching you. Darn, now I have to go find that tinfoil hat I keep for protection. I thought that was the idea of caching? to come up with new ways of racking up never to be repeated numbers. 63,000 caches? How can I not resist? In fact, to get a record like that, I would probably weld some form of scoop to the front of the truck, so it can just shovel them up and force feed them into the bed of the truck, where I would be paying three starving college students to spend all day putting on pre-printed stickers with "SL-DW!" and they could just throw them right over the side. Since it combines so many of the power-cache tecnhniques and adds more, would have to come up with a new name for this technique. How about Power-Vacuum-leapfrogging-with-starving-students? Big numbers means youhave to think big! That's what it is all about. don't let anyone fool you with words like "History", "Scenery" "Challenging to find". No...it's all about getting in the record book, and maybe scoring a big fat endorsement contract with Michellin and Jeep. Maybe even a cover spot on the Wheaties box. DocWahala

Now where's the fun in having a truck with great big wheels if I canna drive in the ditch? If you wanna drive inna ditch, go ahead, but this is my ditch, stay outta my ditch. Share some gas money and we can drive over, I mean, after the rest of those 63,000 nanos lined up in the ditch

I guess if you were wanting TPTB to have a bit of heads up on what their competitor is up to, that wasn't a bad thing to do. Now, I know a lot can be said about ostriches and keeping the head in the sand and not wanting to acknowledge competitors. Funny thing about the Free Market, trying to hide the fact that there are competitors has never been too successful. Look at GM and then look at Toyota. Look at Texas Instruments and then look at Del. But seriously, I donna believe this is what is going on. Same Free Market forces punish businesses that make it a regular practice to let the consumer bring in outside source. Ever try to bring food into a movie theater? Heck, airlines won't let you bring your own bottle of whiskey, but have no problem charging big dollars for those tiny bottles they have. No need to drop geocaching. Something like that reminds me of another country saying "dont throw the baby out with the bathwater". Wouldnt stop driving just because GM won't sell you any Toyota parts, would you?

Now where's the fun in having a truck with great big wheels if I canna drive in the ditch?

Eventually, one of those 63,000 nanos would get stuck in my truck's tire and cause a flat, then I wouldn't be able to finish driving that power trail. Whoops.... I don't think it would have been a good idea to put those nanos so close to the road. DocWahala

Ceramic Resonator? Limiting resistorts? Neutrino? Quasar? Great, I really am a dinosaur, with my ammo can and the pressure switch from a Hallmark card which sings "Who let the dogs out". DocWahala

Repetitive caching is something not done by cache placers? So...ET Alley really was created by forces unknown? Caching is like Skiing. This Freestyle, Bunny Runs, Black Diamond. Salom, and even cross country. And then there are those people who somehow figured out a surfboard would be a great way to change skiing. Point is - All caching is caching, but not all caching is the same caching for all cachers. (ok...just had a Buddha moment). DocWahala

Heck they could be "virtual" stages to a multi. I'm going to create a new multi-smile trail and call it "All the Mile Markers on I-65 North and South-bound"! I hope your enthusiasm is now at least doubled if not goodropled! Heck, I'm not even thinking big enough for my own brain! It could be "All the Random White Reflectors on I-65 North and South-bound"!!! The last idea has the making of a good Virtual Power Run. OOoooohhh... VPR!! Now that's a concept!

Mrs B you are right, it would be a good start. But it realies on "if". IF..COs would do maintenance. In my local area, for those who have placed 5+ cache, I know which COs not only take the time to do maintenance runs, they also post a log. I also know which ones appear to have decided all of 2010 just was not their year to do anything with cachingand haven't logged on. the HormanClan is dead on - the most up to date info would come from the seekers. And how hard would it be to click a button when we are filling out the survey? And why not just come up with another icon for seekers to use? Maybe a TB with a Question mark on it. TPTB made one for Need Maintenance, Needs Archive, and Coordinates update - perhaps make one for TB updates. He's also right about the game being 99% good.... it is that 1% difference... which is often the difference between "good" and "excellent".

My five year old goes by the name WahalaKid. Ever since he could talk, he named our van "Nelly Bell". But when we go caching, he calls it "The Wahala Machine". And now that I've added a Tom-Tom to the dashboard when I go caching, he likes to tell his paw-paw "Nelly Bell is like the Red Power Ranger. She changes her name to Wahala Machine and she can talk! Really Paw paw. Thats true Paw Paw!"

No...it is now up to 201 votes (I also gave it +3). it is also "prioritized", so maybe something may come out of it.

Laugh... What makes it even funnier are the type of conversations the cache maggot will have to endure... Employer: Thanks for applying Mr X... I notice you checked "criminal conviction"... care to explain that? Mr X: Uh..yes...I was arrested for stealing a tupperware container. Employer: And why would you do that? Mr X: uh... I wanted the free stickers and key chains inside Employer: I see...well..... thanks for applying.

I agree. Not going to tell anyone how to deal with cache maggots. I do know this, some folks have their priorities wrong. Eco-sensitive areas? A popular cache is going to cause a trail to get laid down. But then again, the eco-clowns won't be happy until only "the enlightened" are allowed to appreciate nature. I guess they never figure that it is because of things like geocaching, that the next generation even knows that there are reasons for putting down the Play Station and getting up off the coach. Thanks Geocaching.com - you've helped me come to appreciate nature. Not "Forrest Defenders" and his make believe army of followers.

Would be very intersted in seeing the list. When I first read this, I thought of a Challenge the Mississippi Geocachers Association is working on with the Blues Trail. Is there a link with more information? I really like the part about issuing passports. I would like to share more about this with MSGA... maybe we can get something from MS added to the list.

Exactly what I'm hoping for, a solution not to fix the issue of bugs being stolen or "misplaced" but a way to fix the misinformation. If lazy CO's or bug owners wont do it, allow those of us that want to help do it! The both of you are correct... since this is nothing more than a large database, the coders should be able to develop the logic-strings to do this. And I do know a bit about managing large information systems. When you have 600 people spread out from Ivory Coast to South Africa, operating in 6 different drilling units, my management systems have to be both effective and efficient.

And why would it slow anything down? We already have a drop down for "Found/DNF/Log", there is a field for writing logs (which most just type "TFTC". How many more milliseconds would it take to click another button as part of a 3 question survey? Also curious...why would the CO be writing the logs? Ok..granted, Stargate might be different, but of the 1.25 million caches, how many fit the Stargate model? Generally discouraged, but then again, there is the "discover" for Geocoins. Why go hunt caches for coin icons, when I can go to a coin event and "discover" another 100 coins in one day.

Now that's a good suggestion. Maybe with a little prayer, someone from the TPTB might see this and will see what a positive change that would bring. In the meantime, until TPTB add one step to the logging process, it will be up to the cachers to let others know the TB is no longer there. So....let's keep capturing it in the logs we write.

The point about leaving a note in both the log and the TB is a good one. Have to be honest, I've missed on that step. But I wont anymore. As for CO passing on their resposibility... I agree. But there is a simple fix on that one...as a cacher I can leave a NM flag, or even a NA if necessary. What if there was a TB-Missing flag? As a cacher, if the log is trashed, I owe it to the CO to let him know. As a CO, I dont want a NM flag hanging on my cache page. Seems the flag has a way of "motivating" both the seeker and the CO to do something about that TB icon that has sat on the page for better part of a year. Personally, I think TBTB should remove the TB flag from the cache list. With it, some folks focus on only visiting the cache to GET something from the inside, never mind going there for the journey, the thrill of the hunt, the scenery, etc etc and the many reasons CO put up cache. And what happens when they get there and find no TB - disappointment. Again, the thrill of the hunt has been negated, the scenery around means nothing.... just "I wasted my time!" And if those icons were removed, then maybe we could give Geocoins a halfway decent chance of surviving out in the wild.

Like I said before, I have a watchlist for caches in my area that are still on my hunt list. Based on what I've seen logged on those, and the 9 caches I own, I would say "log ettiquete" has gone the way of the macro-log. Better than 2/3 now just hit one key on their paperless cache and leave "TFTC". Wow.. that says soooooo much.....