Distinguishing Benchmarks

[+BuckBrooke]

Greetings, all.

I'm a benchmarker who pays premium membership to encourage support of the Geocaching mirror of the NGS database of surveying marks and locations in the U.S. I participate little with geocaching, and use the Benchmarking area (kindly provided, for whatever the reason) as a convenient addition and alternative to using the NGS website. The forum is also a good community to chat about and learn the hobby.

 

I haven't seen a topic here specifically addressing benchmarks, so I'll take a stab at it. After reviewing the Waymarking forum, and the Waymarking site, I would like to strongly encourage Jeremy and the Geocaching folks to not incorporate the NGS database mirror into Waymarking. Don't move those benchmarks into Waymarking.

 

People adding other benchmarks into Waymarking categories, either country by country or however, is fine. However, the NGS marks have already been approved by the NGS, and have a wealth of supporting documentation on the datasheets that will not be provided by people uploading other marks. If Geocaching allows their mirror of the NGS to be diluted by other marks, or absorbed into a hidden corner of Waymarking, a lot of the functionality will be lost.

 

Fewer professionals will spend time using the Benchmarking site, with its logs and photos that provide info on recently recovered stations, info not available in the NGS database.

[+The Blue Quasar]

Totally agree... keep the NGS Benchmarks separate... just like the UK Trigpoints are.

 

While I'm not a big fan of Benchmarks, due to lack of success, if the Canadian ones were listed on Waymarking as equivalent to the NGS or UKT ones... then great.

 

Every country that has a version of a Benchmark, should have equal standing... like it is for all other things searchable at the various Groundpeak sites.

 

The Blue Quasar

 

{Yes, I have an opinion on everything... or, I am really hoping to see Waymarking set up successfully}

 

edit: typo

Edited September 27, 2005 by The Blue Quasar

[+Black Dog Trackers]

BuckBrooke -

 

The Waymarking topic on benchmarks is here.

[+BuckBrooke]

Aha! I don't know how I missed that one. It didn't come up in the topic search...hmmph. Thanks, BDT.