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Team GeoBlast

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  1. Never seen it done but I'm curious to what the overall intention would be for doing it might be? If it is to be different for the sake of being different, then you are proabably on to something. If it is to have very few visitors to your cache, it's definately going to help there. One thing that you may or may not have considered with a restriction like this is security. When you are suggesting such a narrow window of opportunity and not offering a very solid reason for it on your cache page, it's going to scare away some of the finders that are in fact able to cache on the day you are requesting. Are you hiding in the bushes waiting? Be sure you provide a very good and non-creepy reason for your rule.
  2. Changed? A better choice of words would be -expanded- the nature of the game and as a result, different choices are now made available for different types of players. I respectfully (sincerely and without malice) ask why we should look at this critically? It's not like we are altering a 100 year tradition of GeoCaching. Please read my original post (somewhere on page 2). For better or worse, micos have radically changed the physical attributes and number of caches, changed how we search and log them, and--I maintain--lowered the overall quality and variety of caches because they are so easy to hide. In many places a high percentage of caches are typical micro hides in boring places. It's a numbers game now. Yes, the game expands and offers something for everybody if they are willing to work at it. The problem with copious micros is that they make the task so much harder. It is similar to the challenge of finding healthy food in the grease-belt: possible, perhaps, but the easy availability of junk food works against us. From my perspective micros are unhealthy for the game and we would be wise to talk about it. All good points. I think it is a given that each geographic area is different and the GeoCaching experience is as varied as the people hiding caches. Although I don't believe it to be true where I hunt, I can see how a handful of enthusiastic but non talented micro hiders can skew things in the wrong direction. But I will also contend that it is just as easy to do the same thing with traditional caches AND the time investment you need to make to locate and have that less than desirable experience is much greater. So, let's talk about it. You've got a hider that is running rampant with film canisters or for the sake of discussion, Tupperware, in your area. Because he didn't need to take a test before he joined up at GC.com, most of your current choices for action are after the fact. None of these are solutions, just ideas. 1. Send the cacher an email and make some gentle and constructive suggestions on hides that you thought were great and ask him to go check them out. Normally people that are just throwing caches out are inexperienced and perhaps they will be motivated to improve their own hides. 2. Organize a cache award contest in your area. I think our recent contest did wonders for raising the awareness of what it takes to put out a good cache and that once people go find all of the nominations and winners, lessons will be learned, ideas will be hatched, and it will serve to up the overall quality of caches in our area. 3. Look for a cacher that was a flash in the pan and adopt his unimaginative work with your own improvement. I think this type of thing is really where the most gains can be made. If someone has zero game in making a cache, they are not going to maintain it and it will be up for adoption soon. 4. Lastly, it doesn't have to be about numbers if you don't want it to me. Consider the time you take to ensure you are seeking quality caches. You can spend a little more time researching the caches you seek (and their hiders), you can spot talent or lack there of very easily with the information made available to you. Here's the bottom line here; To make a good hide of any size you need talent, education and motivation and you don't have to possess any of it to start hiding caches.
  3. Micros have changed the nature of the game and we need to look at that critically and respectfully. Changed? A better choice of words would be -expanded- the nature of the game and as a result, different choices are now made available for different types of players. I respectfully (sincerely and without malice) ask why we should look at this criticially? It's not like we are altering a 100 year tradition of geocaching. The future and growth of the game depends on meeting the diverse needs of different players. To suggest that new types of caches (that a certain sector of players like to seek and hide) is a negative would be the same as suggesting that everyone that can't physicially hike to a mountain top, or lives within a reachable distance of that mountain top, or even has the desire to go there for that matter shouldn't have an opportunity to participate. I'm looking forward to the -next- type of cache. It might not be for me but there's probably a few people that would enjoy it.
  4. One of the main reasons that Geocaching has evolved is inclusion. While it is my personal hope that the well placed cache in the middle of the woods remains a staple of the game, you have to consider the person that really wants to play that can't physcially get out to the woods, or needs a quick lunchtime diversion in an urban setting, or really likes to solve puzzles and so on. You can also do things with a micro that cannot be accomplished with a traditional cache and it expands the possiblities of the game, for some. I will use one of my own caches as an example. I live in Honolulu and we have a wonderful Chinatown area that I wanted people to see. But I wanted them to see some areas that are off the beaten path and experience it in a different way. So, I created The Matrix. This is a multicache where I used a combination of all types of caches ito show people a route less traveled through our Chinatown. There's no way this could have been accomplished using all traditional caches. Why not just seek the type of cache that makes the game fun for you? The choices available are a positive in my opinion. It is also not manditory that you find every cache so why not be selective in your hunts? If a cache has been around for any length of time, it's pretty easy to judge it's creativity or value to finders by reading the logs. In answer to your question, yes, Micros are really caches.
  5. Generally when I hide a cache, I try to add a bit of a twist to it. Thought this might be a good idea. I'm thinking now that the CD would be the way to go. Could save the message on the computer as a .wav file and if anything happens to the CD, it would be easy to replace The other way to approach this is to eliminate supplying the machine or the media in the field and make the files available for upload in some cleaver way before they set out to find it. You can store something like 25 megs for free in places like Yahoo Briefcase for example. That way the cacher would have to download onto whatever they use...portable CD player, IPOD, Palm. Like any possible solution to doing a cache like this, you are going to lose a few folks to the technology but at least this is going to keep you from dealing with a machine and the ultimate demise of it.
  6. Not sure how it would tell a flashlight beam from the sun?
  7. In Geocaching terms, it is the stuff you find in a cache.
  8. Our family caches under one ID name but we make it really clear in our handle: -Team- GeoBlast that we are not an individual. Recently, someone called us on this being "bad form" because we logged a cache in Denver and Hawaii on the same day. We don't have a team to pad our numbers (we only have 50 some finds) we have a team so we all can keep track of our hobby together. I think this kind of thing only matters to people who look at the amount of finds as a competition. This is NOT us. We also put a forward on GC.com's bot notification mail and it goes to every family member with email. It's much more fun activity when we are working together than a bunch of individuals and also much easier to keep track of. We do, however, see the potential for abuse of this and believe that maybe there should be some rules in place to prevent this while allowing family members to have one ID. One example how ths could get out of hand would be if someone is logging a find as a team -and- an individual, that's going to get a little crazy and cause a disruption in the Geoforce. On caching with kids and keeping them involved. We have this suggestion for a caching game: Huckle-Buckle-Beanstalk – A method of group caching, which takes its name from a classic children's game. When a member of the group spots the cache, they walk elsewhere (to not give away the cache's location), then call out, “huckle-buckle-beanstalk!” This continues until everyone in the group has either spotted the cache, or given up, after which the cache is retrieved and logged. It really get's hilarous when half the search party has found it and is yelling it unison! It also gives more than one person the thrill of the find.
  9. I'm asking you why you started this thread. How on topic can a question be? The truth is that it becomes a bit uncomfortable when someone asks you simple questions about your own actions doesn't it Ed? Everything seems to be fine when it is you jumping on everyone else. There's 1000's of caches in Hawaii, if it is the fact that "it's the cache and not the owner" that bothers you so much, how did -this particular one- come to bother you so much? Tell me again that this doesn't have -anything- to do with the ongoing beef you are having with this cache owner?
  10. I asked you some questions please have the courtesy to answer them.
  11. Let me start by thanking everyone for their opinions on land use in Hawaii, no tresspassing signs in general, but mostly for taking the time to share your widely varied experiences about no tresspassing signs this thread. This topic is indeed a very dear topic to anyone who has done any amount of GeoCaching. This is will be my last post on this subject as I think we have covered it very well. While I leave this thread feeling that I have learned a lot of new things, there are a few strong convictions that I brought with me that have been reinforced by some of the comments (such as the quoted post here) and that is that land issues are very complex and unique in different areas of the planet. If I ever was tempted to jump into a this type of disscussion in regards to an area in which I do not reside or have not done very indepth research, this pretty much took care of that urge. As I have mentioned before, I am a consultant who is dealing with land issues very close to this cache. I don't know a lot about a lot of things but this is one area where I do have inside knowledge. To see a GeoCacher, who resides in Minnesota or even Hawaii, doing an internet search on a tax map and offering it as absolute proof of who controlls the land, it's access, and it's future is, well, comical from where I sit here in Hawaii. Yes, the land is in fact owned by the US goverment but what the tax map doesn't show is that they have leased it or in the case of other parcells (note that this parcell was about 1/20th of land in Barbers Point), to the private sector. This is not special or inside knowledge if you read the papers here. The shortest lease that I am aware of is 99 years. These leases are all different and I admit that I don't know about each and every one of them, but the one constant I can guarantee across the board is that they give up all control of access to the property. While I am glad it branched into areas that are common among all GeoCachers, the origin of this discussion is a direct extention of local beef between two people in Hawaii. Ed Chen continues to deny this (still trying to pull of you in) but his motivation is clear to anyone paying the least bit of attention or has any personal experience with him. Ed is seeking support for his actions on a national level (he refers to you as the silent majority) because has found zero support on a local level for his agressive and rude behaviors to local cachers. Without drawing anymore attention to Ed, this is no way an isolated incident. If you GeoCache in Hawaii, it's a forgone conclusion you have been confronted by him for some reason. It is an insult to continue to suggest that it is unrelated and he carries to ill will towards the owner of the cache in question. If you have doubts of this please do not take my word for it, you can read all about it and draw your own conclusions. Make sure you note the dates in which incident start and the beginning of this thread. Warm Aloha to all, Team GeoBlast Find it comical all you want until I posted that it was IN FACT owned by the US Govertment there are many statements by your fellow hawiians and even the reviewer that he was under the impression it was owned by the State of Hawii which has now come to light to be a falacy in which the story now changes to you know it is owned by the US Govertment and is leased out. Interesting how the story has changed and evolved as other information comes to light - from both sides of the situation. One qoute even seems to suggest clearly it is not US GOV land: Geo blast states : None of us have shown any reservations what so ever in saying that this is no longer US Government Property and the signs are outdated and meaningless as the infastructure. The issue is and has always been control of access (hence permission) with this cache and areas within Barbers Point, where you say the signs exist. I was correct in my previous statement and I am correct now. There's several different ownership/leasehold scenarios existing right now in both this area and Iroquois Point. But again, and I repeat, there is one constant. Access. The property is no longer a military base and access is not controlled by the US Government . I am sorry that this doesn’t fit into the advancement of your own personal smear campaign against the owner of the cache but this is a fact. Hopefully, I have clarified what I was saying for you. Is there anyone else you'd like to throw into “the lair lair pants on fire” sweepstakes while you are at it? Why does everyone become a lair when it comes to refuting anything you say? How can a person become ignorant and disrespectful so fast if they do not take kindly to you getting in their face? Let's refocus for a moment on your posting the fact that you are not upset at the cache owner while we have watched you spew venom at him for almost 2 weeks now? Now you claim that demanding -a name of the person- that granted permission is not argumentative or vindictive? Please! I’ve got another question for you. Why not just pass on the cache and go find another one? Barbers Point is a complete hellhole, full of trash, hot, and dusty. I am sure there's plenty better placed caches that you would be more comfortable finding close to where you are. Or… is this in fact the last cache in Hawaii that you haven't found?
  12. Let me start by thanking everyone for their opinions on land use in Hawaii, no tresspassing signs in general, but mostly for taking the time to share your widely varied experiences about no tresspassing signs this thread. This topic is indeed a very dear topic to anyone who has done any amount of GeoCaching. This is will be my last post on this subject as I think we have covered it very well. While I leave this thread feeling that I have learned a lot of new things, there are a few strong convictions that I brought with me that have been reinforced by some of the comments (such as the quoted post here) and that is that land issues are very complex and unique in different areas of the planet. If I ever was tempted to jump into a this type of disscussion in regards to an area in which I do not reside or have not done very indepth research, this pretty much took care of that urge. As I have mentioned before, I am a consultant who is dealing with land issues very close to this cache. I don't know a lot about a lot of things but this is one area where I do have inside knowledge. To see a GeoCacher, who resides in Minnesota or even Hawaii, doing an internet search on a tax map and offering it as absolute proof of who controlls the land, it's access, and it's future is, well, comical from where I sit here in Hawaii. Yes, the land is in fact owned by the US goverment but what the tax map doesn't show is that they have leased it or in the case of other parcells (note that this parcell was about 1/20th of land in Barbers Point), to the private sector. This is not special or inside knowledge if you read the papers here. The shortest lease that I am aware of is 99 years. These leases are all different and I admit that I don't know about each and every one of them, but the one constant I can guarantee across the board is that they give up all control of access to the property. While I am glad it branched into areas that are common among all GeoCachers, the origin of this discussion is a direct extention of local beef between two people in Hawaii. Ed Chen continues to deny this (still trying to pull of you in) but his motivation is clear to anyone paying the least bit of attention or has any personal experience with him. Ed is seeking support for his actions on a national level (he refers to you as the silent majority) because has found zero support on a local level for his agressive and rude behaviors to local cachers. Without drawing anymore attention to Ed, this is no way an isolated incident. If you GeoCache in Hawaii, it's a forgone conclusion you have been confronted by him for some reason. It is an insult to continue to suggest that it is unrelated and he carries to ill will towards the owner of the cache in question. If you have doubts of this please do not take my word for it, you can read all about it and draw your own conclusions. Make sure you note the dates in which incident start and the beginning of this thread. Warm Aloha to all, Team GeoBlast
  13. Ouch, that last sentence is mean! Throw my dinner away; don't trust what you'd put in it. Your commisson don't mean the area is currently open to the public. And once you begin development, you probably don't want folks in the area looking for a tin box - so maybe the cache should remain archived until delelopment is completed. As stated above, can you kindly remove the "No Trespassing" signs"? or do you not have authority to do that? I don't have any authority to do anything. I am working on the design for the redevelopment of the common recreation spaces. We are coordinating with several of the developers that are going to building in this area and some of the management companies that have taken over the existing housing. One of the main challenges our design team has faced for the past 4 years is getting approval to move forward on the smallest of issues. That is why "getting permission" to do anything in this area hits closer to home and it borderline laughable to hear someone suggest. One thing that I can tell you for certain is that you could put a cache in this area and it will remain undisturbed for at least three and probably five years at the current pace.
  14. Old or new, the existence of any No Trespassing signs means the cache should be archived, IMO. ---- That's a pretty broad stroke considering we are talking about 220 countries around the world, don't you think? Land issues are unique where ever you go. If the area is really open now, the cache hider should petition the proper authorities to remove the signs. ---- It's not that easy as the signs are part of a massive clean up that will cost millions of dollars. The area is going to be redeveloped and there's hundreds of people involved, not one clear cut owner to petition. What would happen if a member of the local press chose to do an article on geocaching and out of chance happened to choose this cache to find. You can bet his article would then be centered around the issue that geocachers are in the habit of ignoring No Trespassing signs ---- I am not sure where you live but living your life in fear of what the press would think or say is a recipe for a very paranoid existence. At least it would be in Hawaii where this cache is located. The worst case scenario for local Geocaching in Hawaii would be for the press to get wind of how people in the local GeoCaching community are acting towards eachother.
  15. I think this is a valid point. The cache description should detail this for people who don't live in Hawaii and are vacation caching. If you look back at the original post, this was not the core issue presented to the cache owner Ed Chen was asking for -a name- of the authorizing authority from the cache owner. For the sake of argument, let's say the cache owner did state that this is public property (you have to understand that this is like saying the Statue of Liberty is open to the public to someone that lives in New York) and put a bold print warning on the cache page about the existence of the signs. Would you say that this would be sufficient? Or taking into consideration the very recent history between the cache owner and Ed (see link provided earlier) would you expect the cache owner to treat this as an arbitrary request? As for the signs being brand new, we really have no way of verifying their age. I do not doubt their existence either given the overall condition that the military left this area in. I can, however, tell you from personal knowledge that the information on them is very outdated. In closing, I will say that I would view this particular issue in a completely different light without the history behind it. The game cannot exist without guidelines and rules. But the guidelines and rules should not give people the right to harass others and should be in place to advance the quality of the game. It is not fair to throw a topic like this out there for dicussion without putting all of the history for consideration as well.
  16. I am a private consultant who has been commissioned by the current landowner/developer to develop the area for -public- recreational use. If this is not a good enough source for you then I suppose I will throw your dinner in the trash. You never intended to listen to reason or facts anyway. Aloha.
  17. "Not until the OP can't produce pictures of these signs" So you must be the silent majority that Ed makes reference to when he's reminded that not one local cacher supports any of his actions and why he proudly carries the -GeoChacher from Hell- tilte. It's common knowledge that military also left behind abandoned communication equipment, buildings the size of football fields, an airstrip, lookout towers, and so on. The clean up effort to remove all trace of their occupation is massive and a very public topic here. Each and every Hawaii resident (with the exception of the person that started the thread) has come into this forum and said that it's now public land. None of us have shown any reservations what so ever in saying that this is no longer US Government Property and the signs are outdated and meaningless as the infastructure. I am personally working with a private homebuilder in designing childrens' recreation areas less than a mile from where this cache is located.... and yes, all of it will be for public use. A map indicating it's been public land since 1999 has been offered. A recent thread in a local Geocaching Forum has been shown exposing the real motivation behind starting this thread in the first place. The reviewer has offered his unbiased opinion on the situation and why the cache is still active. The cache owner has indicated that he's talked to local law enforcement. ....yet you remained focused on the existence of a sign? Let me leave you with my favorite quote from your new universal paralell twin that pretty well sums up his MO. When asked if his badgering of this particular cache owner (and him saying he is going to remove 9 cache hides because he doesn't want to deal with being assaulted) is a step in the right direction for local GeoCaching in Hawaii: "A 'step in the right direction' is discouraging disgruntled, disrespectful and discourteous participants." Your dinner is getting cold.
  18. So these aren't old, left over signs. They are recent signs. But apparently there ARE signs. Nice new ones. Why lie if you are in the right? (again, I'm assuming the OP is truthful. If he's lying all bets are off) Why not just say they are old signs that haven't been removed yet if that's the truth? Why would you ask the base police for permission if the cache isn't on the base? And if you DID have permission, what's the big deal about adding something like "R. Lee Ermey at the base commander's office OKed this cache" to the cache page? I can see deleting the SBA depending on the wording, but if someone asked for one of my caches to be archived for this reason and I did have permission and it WAS ok I would add big bold red letters to the cache description addressing the concerns; so other cacher's wouldn't avoid my cache for the same reasons. I would hope the majority of cachers would pass up a cache surrounded by no trespassing signs, and then post a SBA or shoot or an email to the reviewer when they got home absent of any info on the cache page. Here's some more information for the non-residents to work with: 1. Mr. Chen is involved in a personal argument with the owner of this cache over another incident that occurred a week or so ago. 2. The argument revolves around Mr. Chen seeking out a recently archived cache and removing it without consulting the owner. A custody battle of the cache erupted and a flame war broke out. 3. In retaliation for this the cache owner in turn deleted all of Ed's find logs on all of his other caches. http://www.hawaiithreads.com/showthread.php?t=7465
  19. Hopefully there are some lessons learned by this thread. I am a long time Hawaii resident and for this reason I would never jump into a local issue in another state without doing some very complete research. I would also not rush to support someone making some serious accusations without a deep understanding of that person's MO might be. The fact is that you well intended folks got totally sucked into what can be decribed as a local tiff: hook, line, and sinker. The area has been open to the public for sometime and as someone as already pointed out, the military has left several signs and other remnants of their occupation. Ed Chen is not worthy of a comment.
  20. It's important to remember that every travel bug has an owner. Whenever you pick one up, you might consider your opportunity to make that person's day. While it is interesting to see that it moved to a new location and how far it went, it's a gift to get a personalized picture of the place or a places along the way. So yes, we take photos. Sometimes we even get carried away. We found this two travel bugs on our vacation and took them with us. I think Julie was the most patient person in the world because as you can see, I got a little carried away. Both of these TB owner's contacted me and thanked me for the effort. That kinda brought it home for me. Tourist Bertu from Germay: http://www.geocaching.com/track/log.aspx?L...a1-41bc9702328e Mr. Bunny Foo Foo born in a Walmart in Maine: http://www.geocaching.com/track/log.aspx?L...d7-586e9e7fb000
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