Photo Library For Monument Types

[joegeodesist]

I'm considering a new website for NGS which provides photo examples of monument types. See the VERY ROUGH DRAFT HERE. To complete this I need an "ideal" photo of each of the 100 or so monument types.

eg., Monument type = DD: Survey disk (other agency)

QUESTION: Can any of you clever 'cachers figure out how to harvest existing photos from geocaching.com and sort them by monument type, or establish a web-friendly photo library that we all can contribute to?

[2oldfarts (the rockhounders)]

Here is the logging thread from the last contest that required the finders to find 1 of each type of the benchmark 'marker' types. Someone may wish to 'harvest' the better pictures from it.

 

Contest logging thread

 

The logs list the marker ID numbers and what they are.

 

Hope this is what you are interested in?

 

John

[Papa-Bear-NYC]

Joe

 

Although it is not primarily a photo thread, you should also look at the Disk Logo List Thread. So although the marker type may be "DD", there are many many different types of DD. I'm guessing we are over a thousand on that list by now.

 

Most of those on the thread have example PIDs (recovered on GC) and it would be nice to not only have a set of pictures for standard monuments, but it would be nice that the logo list itself be standardized. For example you will see entrries like "IBC type 1", "IBC type 2", etc. These are logical but somewhat arbitrary. Does the NGS keep a standard list of different disk types (as opposed to the list for diferent monument types, which we are familiar with).

 

The other thing that would be nice would be a little description and history:

 

Something like:

 

IBC Type 1

Description: Bronze, 2" diameter.

Use: Used from 1910 - 1930 for triangulation stations on or near the Canadian boundary with the New England States.

Example: QH0246 "SNOW IBC"

 

 

(I made up the logo type and history for illustration).

Edited March 25, 2006 by Papa-Bear-NYC

[+Black Dog Trackers]

joegeodesist -

 

I don't really know, but it could be possible that permission must be obtained from Groundspeak to 'harvest' pictures from geocaching.com to go to another website.

 

An alternative is to solicit pictures from us directly.

 

Also, such a website has already been made! It was started by Dustyjacket and is now maintained by BuckBrooke and is here.

[holograph]

From the Groundspeak terms of use:

 

"All comments, articles, tutorials, screenshots, pictures, graphics, tools, downloads, and all other materials submitted to Groundspeak in connection with the Site or available through the Site (collectively, “Submissions”) remain the property and copyright of the original author."

 

That means no one has the right to extract and republish any content from the site without the permission of the original poster. Groundspeak reserved the right to reuse or sell the content, so it may be possible to negotiate the use of photos from them.

 

It would probably be permissable to link to the content, but not to display the content itself. Linking to the content violates no copyright, and doesn't even violate the GC terms of use.

Edited March 25, 2006 by holograph

[+McMurdo1]

From the Groundspeak terms of use:

 

"All comments, articles, tutorials, screenshots, pictures, graphics, tools, downloads, and all other materials submitted to Groundspeak in connection with the Site or available through the Site (collectively, “Submissions”) remain the property and copyright of the original author."

 

That means no one has the right to extract and republish any content from the site without the permission of the original poster. Groundspeak reserved the right to reuse or sell the content, so it may be possible to negotiate the use of photos from them.

 

It would probably be permissable to link to the content, but not to display the content itself. Linking to the content violates no copyright, and doesn't even violate the GC terms of use.

 

Just because this has been discussed in here before, I have kept a seperate file of photos of my finds named in the format that Deb asked for. If needed I can ftp it to a site or an ftp server.

[+Black Dog Trackers]

joegeodesist -

 

Like McMurdo1, most of us would have the pictures of our finds in our computers. I have some suggestions for you to get the pictures from us.

 

Somewhere in your web space, make a temporary web page consisting of a table of the mark types. Using the list from here using just the second and third column and then make a third column for you to enter your pick of a picture.

 

1. Instant photo contest!

If you do it and start the ball rolling, we will send you submissions of each type until a picture appears in the table for that type. If a better picture comes along, replace it. The pictures will come in to you. You pick the winners!

 

When you get the list filled with a good amount of pictures, then you can use them to populate your real website like you indicated.

 

2. An alternative is to simply watch the Benchmark Gallery and if you find a good picture, email the person and request they send you a copy.

 

3. Another alternative is to mine the NGS database for rare types and then search for them on the geocaching site to see if any of us has found the mark and photographed it.

 

4. Another alternative is to search Dustyjacket's site that I previously referenced and email the photographers to ask for their pictures.

 

If I were you, I'd use version 1 above.

 

In your website, I suggest putting a section in it to make clear the distinction between a REFERENCE disk, an AZIMUTH disk, a RESET disk and triangulation stations, traverse stations, benchmarks, etc. by using phtographic examples of them. Edit the pictures to include an arrow pointing to the word REFERENCE or AZIMUTH or RESET (each example) and another arrow to the center of the disk to indicate the triangle, straight line, or arrow to point out that difference as well. Then use extracts of datasheets and caption these extracts with a note as to which kind of disk (using the examples) can and cannot be used to report a find for the PID. Underline or change the color of the key writing in the datasheet that indicates which type of disk is appropriate for the PID. Use an example in which the PID is for a REFERENCE disk, and an example in which the PID is for an AZIMUTH disk, etc. The reason I suggest all this stuff is that not knowing it is the main reason for faulty found reports here.

[+BuckBrooke]

Joe,

Here's the webpage I put together for my entries for the contest last time. I'll add the few more types I've gotten recently. Feel free to use those pictures that are good enough, if you'd like, to get the ball rolling. They've got the GPS unit in some of them, but...

Edited March 26, 2006 by BuckBrooke