Jump to content

dbrierley

+Premium Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    156

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Posts posted by dbrierley

    Why are people afraid to post NM/NA logs?

    in General geocaching topics

    Posted

    The negativity about "Needs Maintenance" and "Needs Archiving" logs can come from other geocachers, aside from the cache owners. I have seen logs posted after an NM/NA log claiming that the NM/NA log wasn't justified because they have seen caches in worse condition.

     

    Even if a cache is disabled, action might not be taken for a very long time; an urban cache in the Boston, Massachusetts, area was disabled for nearly three years.

    Worst idea for a geocache container ever?

    in General geocaching topics

    Posted

    The seller has changed the Etsy listing. According to the cached version of the page in Google, the first paragraph was:

     

    Here is how to get a bang out of your next hide ! These little babies make quite the impression on the geocaching crowd. I call the one that I placed this weekend the "Pineapple Surprise" which is a nickname that were given to these type of hand grenades back in WWII.

     

    Now, it's:

     

    Here is how to get a bang out of your next hide !

    The FCC is about to make a decision that will affect the use of GPS all across the US, ours as well as others.

    in GPS technology and devices

    Posted

    More good news here.

     

    From the FCC statement quoted in the article:

     

    "In particular, it has revealed challenges to removing regulatory barriers on spectrum that restrict use of that spectrum for mobile broadband. This includes receivers that pick up signals from spectrum uses in neighboring bands. There are very substantial costs to our economy and to consumers of preventing the use of this and other spectrum for mobile broadband. Congress, the FCC, other federal agencies, and private sector stakeholders must work together in a concerted effort to reduce regulatory barriers and free up spectrum for mobile broadband. Part of this effort should address receiver performance to help ensure the most efficient use of all spectrum to drive our economy and best serve American consumers."

     

    It seems that the FCC may turn its attention to requiring more filtering by future GPS receivers.

    After tragic death of experienced geocacher - what needs to change?

    in General geocaching topics

    Posted

    If you did not see Willi searching for that cache, don't make assumptions about what he did or did not do. If you weren't with the cache owner when he hid the cache, don't make assumptions about what conversations he did or did not have. If you did not read the exchange between reviewer and owner prior to publication, don't make assumptions about what was said or not said.

     

    But then:

     

    If the cache was published based on assumption of adequate permission, then I ask myself whether the safety issue makes it unreasonable for me to assume that adequate permission is in place. If I find the assumption unreasonable, then I disable the listing and ask the cache owner to confirm that permission is in place. I use this form letter:

     

    It seems there are assumptions being made all around. "Unreasonable" and "reasonable" are relative terms, just like "adequate."

    too much hand-holding expected?

    in General geocaching topics

    Posted

    Adding information about parking and trails is very useful; it only takes a minute or two when writing a cache description, so it isn't really hand holding. In the forums people have complained that woods caches don't get nearly as many visits as urban caches. One reason that urban caches may be more popular is that online services can easily provide maps and driving directions. Increasingly, the descriptions for woods caches have very little information about parking and trails; these caches seem to be intended for geocachers that are already familiar with the parks the caches are in. Many people don't even know these parks and trails exist, let alone how to get to them. Map information from the online services is often incomplete or inaccurate for some of the rural parks.

     

    You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.

    Putting a cache on private land?

    in General geocaching topics

    Posted

    In Illinois as with most states, a person is guilty of trespassing only after they have been notified and given the opportunity to freely leave the property. The state code says a person is guilty of trespass only when he/she:

     

    • "enters upon the land of another, after receiving, prior to such entry, notice from the owner or occupant that such entry is forbidden;" or
    • "remains upon the land of another, after receiving notice from the owner or occupant to depart."

    The key point here is that generally in the US, it is not illegal to enter private land. It is only illegal to enter or remain knowingly, after having been notified. s:

     

    This is not always true. In California it is an infraction to enter any land that is fenced, or properly posted without fencing, without regard to whether you are asked to leave. It can rise to a misdemeanor if you remain on land after being asked to leave. Even in Illinois, you can violate the law if "written notice forbidding such entry has been conspicuously posted or exhibited at the main entrance to such land or the forbidden part thereof." Therefore, a notice at the entrance will be deemed sufficient to provide you warning even if you enter by another way. And of course if you enter into an agricultural field or orchard . . .

     

    It can be important to know the rules. A nearby cache was placed on private property, behind fenced land that was posted in part. I decided not to look for it in light of the above law. But other cachers did. Neither the cache owner or the reviewer took any interest in the problem, but it was archived after a run in with the angry property owner. Luckily, no one was arrested.

     

    +1

     

    Furthermore, it is important to note that entering private property and placing something on that property, such as a geocache or letterbox, are two different things. I doubt there is any legal defense for leaving something on private property without landowner permission.

    The FCC is about to make a decision that will affect the use of GPS all across the US, ours as well as others.

    in GPS technology and devices

    Posted

    This should be interesting. "The Communicators: Lightsquared Broadband Network Plan" will be airing on C-SPAN tonight at 6:30 ET

     

    I missed it, how did it go? How thick was the BS?

     

    I haven't watched them, but the C-SPAN shows are:

     

    : Interview with Sanjiv Ahuja, CEO of LightSquared.

     

    Part II: Interview with Rep. Paul Broun of the House Science, Space and Technology Subcommittee and Jim Kirkland, founding member of the Coalition to Save our GPS.

    The FCC is about to make a decision that will affect the use of GPS all across the US, ours as well as others.

    in GPS technology and devices

×
×
  • Create New...