The Psion

This is kind of coming out of the blue, and will probably sound very odd, but I figured I'd give it a shot. In 2002, Cyan Worlds ran a series of puzzles that brought together the Geocaching and Myst communities in anticipation of the launch of URU. The puzzles were centered from the site preafter.com and featured four spirals hidden in New Mexico. Ever since, I've been interested about Geocaching, and when my college finally offered a seminar on the topic I jumped and I've been hooked ever since (I just passed into the double digits of finds and have been working on bringing more to the sport), but I digress.... I've always been interested in talking with some of the people who not only didn't reject all of us from the Myst community as obsessive weirdos, but also took the time to find these spirals. Ideally, I'd love to do sort of an email interview and (with permission of course), provide a copy to the entire Myst Community, who would greatly appreciate it, but even just to chat with them would be awesome in itself! And just in case you're unsure, if it helps, I could probably (but no absolute promises) scrounge up some sort of Myst/URU memorabilia to make it worth your effort. Here's a picture of the four spirals that were found, as well as those who found them: Information about the Zandi spirals More information about URU Feel free to contact me off the boards if you wish, or have any information that would help me find and contact these cachers: psion@uruobsession.com Thank you in advance for any help!

Thank you very much, I really appreciate the help!

Can somebody help me, this is my first travel bug that I've owned, and I'm really confused. I went to activate it, but I don't know what the activation code is. The bug didn't come with any paperwork or anything, just the bug, dog tag and a small zip lock bag (and three Styrofoam peanuts). Also, when I search for the actual tracking number, it says it was released on the fourth of December in Pakistan, but its origin is New York City. I just got it in the mail today, I don't understand how it was registered elsewhere already. Tomorrow (well really today) is supposed to be the last nice day and I was hoping to go out and drop this off somewhere, so any help would be appreciated! Thanks in advance!

I found this article at post-gazette.com and found it interesting. It's a little different than the normal articles you see about aspects of geocaching, but still a neat read (although a bit dry, since it's about investing really). (I'm still really new here, but I don't want this to be taken the wrong way, it's not supposed to be anyone promoting one brand over another, just an interesting read!) Streetwise: Navigate to Garmin, a reasonable investment From the Pittsburgh Post Gazette

My copy just came in today, a nice little mention. I just told our SM that I would gladly help teach the scouts about GPS technology. I'm thinking it would work well mixed in with other navigational methods during the first three ranks (I can't remember which one, I want to say first class, but the ranks have changed since I was a youth member...)

I only got the chance to do one, but it took me to a place I've been wanting to check out since, well, forever it seems! Crossroads

I think it's a tough balance, espeically for any community. Someone did mention above about the idea that this is a club, and newbies (myself included) are trying to see how they fit it, and if they can. And it's hard, it really is. I help to run a large forum and website elsewhere on the web (take a left, go two blocks and then make another left, just past the....), and I was around since its inception. That made the process a moot point almost, since we were all working on the same thing (a series of puzzles which involved geocaching actually) and it brought us together to build this huge community and information resource. Trying to become a part of other communities is tough, I feel I've been the most successful here (but it's still a slow process). One thing I have noticed (and I don't disagree with how Groundspeak has it set up, just an idea) is that many people can bond quickly and feel more involved with the access to the 'off-topic' forum. Right now, my concentration is finishing my college education and I don't want to pay for premium membership for fear I won't study as much as I need to, and consequently, I don't have access to the 'off-topic' goodness, hence, I think I'm becoming a part of the community, just very slowly. In the end though, it all comes down to how we each see things, individually. Just like the game, which we should play how we want to play, the same goes with forums. Someone else's opinions may be different, even opposite, how we feel about this forum (this home for many), but to that person, it is their truth, their reality. To deny what another is seeing is very harsh, to try to defend your home should be expected. The hardest thing is to accept the other, different view and continue to move on, hopefully together. We've had our fair share of drama, harshness, hackers and of course the wonderful day when an old-staff member went crazy, took over the forum and our coder was on vacation, and these kind of debates come up a lot (also do the fact that they are a quite a few other forums for the same series and we are one of the largest, so we try to keep it family oriented). I've found myself discussing communication theory on many occasions, and if anyone is interested, I'm always open to discussion and comments, just send me a PM or an E-mail. (and a reply to someone's comment above somewhere, I do think geocachers are nicer than other 'niche markets,' other cachers have always been very friendly to me, much more so than when I tried to learn how to ski, which was a fun day, although I really just fell down the hills instead of skiing down them...)

For right now, I'm just caching around my house and dorm. I'm trying to start close and work my way out from each one, although right now I'm trying to go east of school (if I went too far west, I'd be back in my hometown).

I'd love to do a SCUBA cache (NAUI certified), finding a slate would be so cool (or it could be a kind of log where each person cleans it off from the last find and then leaves a message for the next)!

I think it's a cool idea. I wish I had friends/family who were GPS inclined to use it!

The Essential Guide to Geocaching was a nice read, but it wasn't really needed, it's easiest to learn with a friend and some of the basic info here on the site. It did however offer some good ideas on hiding geocaches and what to include, etc, which I hope to do in the near future (read: when the snow is gone and I'm not in class), so I do think it's worth the money.

It's probably lame to all the people who have been here a while, but I'll remember 2005 as the year I found my first cache (and found the forums, and found it to be a lot like my other home on the web, and I'm very thankful for that!)

I've never been one to keep a hiking staff, I usually just find something out there and leave it on my way out. However, for five years I worked for the boy scouts at a summer camp, and saw some very interesting staffs, and these rank right up there with them. Probably the most interesting one I ever saw had (among other things) the couple's wedding vows burned into it. Both husband and wife had the vows on their staffs (although I only saw the one), and he said they gave them to each other for one of their anniversaries.

I did a quick search and found this: The New York Geocaching Organization You may also want to try: this thread and this thread

It's an issue that we've run into a lot over at a site that I help run. It gets even more complicated with international copyright laws (as a good portion of our membership isn't from the United States). Mostly, it's up the individual site's Terms of Service. It could be worded to go either way (property of the person who wrote it, or property of the server/domain owner). As far as the physical log, I kind of see it like a yearbook, it belongs to the cache owner, but people borrow it to sign it and then pass it on.

I've always been very happy with my basic silva compasses (not really sure what the model name is...). I did a decent amount of topo work/orienteering before discovering Geocaching, and they were always great!

The first cache I did was a multi. I thought it was a great way to show various aspects and points of interest at one location. I don't think I'd be very intrigued to go after a multi-requiring me to drive to multiple locations.

I need to find a good caching coat as well....the last cache I did over Thanksgiving Break, my spanish poncho hoodie got covered in burrs...now it's like pieces of velcro!

I cache alone. I'm trying to get two of my friends into it, but so far no luck... Either way though, I'm fine by myself, I like the quiet and the time away from everyone else.

Hehehe, ghosts! I go the third or fourth (depending on which study you look at) most haunted college in the country. I'm suprised the cahce (also an ammo can) on our land hasn't started to do weird things, guess I'll have to go down there some night and take a look!

My MP3 player (Musicstick brand) goes everywhere with me, but so far I haven't taken it caching with me. I've thought about it, but I always seem to forget it when I'm heading out the door.

I heard about geocaching in 2002, I went to a seminar in October, joined gc.com that night, found my first cache two weeks later (had to leave the seminar early due to a class) and then logged my find that night.

I don't know if it helps or not, but I got interested in Geocaching through the game URU: Ages Beyond Myst. Two years before the game was launched, Cyan Worlds (game company) ran this huge promotion where the Myst Community deciphered clues to obtain coordinates and we worked with members of the Geocaching Community to find those coordinates which contained spiral sculptures (Zandi Spirals to be exact...Zandi being a character from the game). Ever since I've been trying to get involved and the Environmental Education Center did a seminar on it (there is a multi in the wetlands project here) I was hooked, I got a GPSr and try to cache as much as I can when I'm home. So...I guess another way is non-traditional marketing. It's a tough find though becasue Geocaching fit perfectly with the backstory of URU, and a marketing team would have to think of in relation to their game/product/service. The good thing is, it's coming more into the mainstream of society (however slowly), so I think that could be a good thing. Side note: Does anyone remember the URU cache hunts? They were all in the Western part of the country I believe, I'd love to hear any stories and do an interview with anyone who was part of those (probably back in 2001-2003) for Myst Obsession (website I work at).

I guess I'm proud of my sheer persistance (or stubbornness, same thing....) Over the Thanksgiving break I was caching and flat out refused to give up, even though I should have (and knew I'd have a real tough time getting back to my car).

I don't think using a diving slate would be viable, considering how small most slates are, unless you are planning to get a bunch together to make a "book" of slates. Also, I would suggest making sure the dive isn't too deep (I'm not certified for Nitrox for example, that may turn some people away) or takes too long (in case cachers are doing other dives that day, but this probably wouldn't be too much a problem, divers should be doing their own tables anyway). Also, it was mentioned some underwater caches are located in wreks, you should be observant that some divers may be uncomfortable in a wreck or may not until they have that certification (I'm speaking from NAUI experience, I don't konw much about PADI, sorry). But then again, all of these are just things to consider, they shouldn't stop you from placing it, if I could travel more (I blame classes getting in the way, hehehe), I'd be doing as many underwater caches as I could!