Sociological Concerns

[+fizzymagic]

So I am having some doubts about Waymarking. I have been vacillating between not being happy with it and being quite content. I suppose it is that way for anything new -- there are advantages and disadvantages. Maybe I ought to read the book Who Moved My Cheese?, but I get enough pop-psych at home as it is.

 

Anyway. The following is a hypothetical scenario that outlines some of my concerns. I don't know that it will happen this way, but it very easily could.

 

Let's assume I have some really neato thing that I want to turn into a waymark. It doesn't fit neatly into any existing category, or, if it does, I think the category owner is a dweeb and I don't want to jump through his or her hoops to list it in that category or be associated with the other losers who have listed their waymarks there.

 

So how to list it? As a virtual, the cache stood by itself; it wasn't part of any category, so none of the baggage of the category got transferred to the virt. But now I have to find a category to put it into. So I finally find one, and try listing it. The owner decides that it's not a good fit, and rejects it. And they are right; it really is a unique thing that doesn't fit into any category.

 

So now, if I want to list it, I have to create a category, volunteer to be the category owner, and get it past the approval process for categories.

 

In other words, for anything truly interesting and unique, listing it as a waymark will end up being so much trouble that it won't be worth it.

 

Here's another possible scenario: I list a waymark in a category for which it is a decent, but not perfect, fit. Later, a category is approved for which it is a better fit. Now I start getting emails from people complaining that I have listed it in the "wrong" category. Do I remove it from its present category and re-list it in a new one as a new waymark? Do I multiple-list it in more than one category, with potentially different requirements for people to log it in the two different categories, and put up with all the number-punchers who log it as many times as they can?

 

Technically, waymarks are infinitely flexible. Sociologically, I think they present some serious difficulties. It will be interesting to see how things evolve. I actually think that a study of how this evolves could make a very interesting PhD thesis for somebody.

[+MountainMudbug]

I'm having the same problem adjusting to this new style of locationlessvirtualwaymarks.

 

Seems like so much more aggravation than it is worth category-wise. I liked the OLD WAY.

 

Why couldn't TPTB just move locationless 'caches' and virtual 'caches' to a new site with basically the same format, call them locationless 'marks' and virtual 'marks' and leave the rest of the process mostly the same......

 

Somebody moved my cheese and I'm not happy.

Hope I get used to it, obviously there isn't a lot of sympathy for those of us who aren't overjoyed.

[+Team Neos]

Somebody moved my cheese? Argh, must be an educator (I didn't look at your profile)..I swear I must have seen the video that goes with that at least 15 times since entering the education field.

 

I share your feelings and concerns...I am curious to see how this turns out, and expect that many little unexpected bumps in the road will appear that no one even dreamed might be a problem.

 

As to your particular example though, I do have a notion that was made just to cover that kind of contingency. I suggested a category that I hope will eventually be accepted titled "Last or Only" with places/things like you suggest in mind. If it really is unique, the only one of it's kind, of the last remaining one if it's kind, it would belong in that category.

 

The suggestions that are being made are supposed to help get listings into the right place from the beginning, but I agree with you about how that process will actually work out-- I am guessing that more than a few sub-categories will move around or seem out of place where they end up.

[2oldfarts (the rockhounders)]

This new way of doing virtuals has one major disadvantage for the "cache" owner. He can no longer do a virtual with a surprise ending. If it takes you to a nice little hidden park (or whatever surprise the owner had in mind) you will know before hand because it will have to fit in its PROPER category.

 

John

[+tozainamboku]

This new way of doing virtuals has one major disadvantage for the "cache" owner. He can no longer do a virtual with a surprise ending. If it takes you to a nice little hidden park (or whatever surprise the owner had in mind) you will know before hand because it will have to fit in its PROPER category.

 

John

Why can't there be a suprise category. If you have a virtual and you don't want to give away whats there you could create a waymark in this category.

[+cache_test_dummies]

Or a puzzle category, or a multi category. Sure, why not?

 

I think people will, over time, come up with all sorts of spins to categories to make this even more fun.

[+Tsegi Mike and Desert Viking]

I too asked regarding puzzle virtual waymarks. Altho I do not recall ever being directly answered, I found this last night on the waymark directory:

 

Coordinate Play

 

  Quick Description:

Themes, puzzles, anagrams and other coordinate-related play.

 

Detailed Description:

No description listed.

 

Instructions for placing waymarks into this category:

You cannot record a new waymark in the coordinate play category, you must select one of its subcategories.

 

Instructions for logging waymarks of this category:

No log instructions provided.

 

Coordinate play Variables:

None

 

It looks to me like we may still get to play our game like that after all.

[+budd-rdc]

We have to be careful of trying to create categories just to handle exceptional cases. I can foresee a "Miscellaneous Category" go out of hand. We wouldn't want to defeat the purpose of categorizing, which is organization.

 

I initially liked the "WOW!" category when I first saw it proposed, but now I have reservations. People expecting surprises might get a letdown instead - "where's my WOW?" This is where keeping Virtuals might be a good idea, since owners can list the location without hinting at the "WOW" factor.

 

I think the sociological concerns are valid, and we'll see how Waymarking will handle them.