Geoblogging

[+CYBret]

When I first started geocaching I never dreamed of the community aspect of this game. In many ways, it really didn’t exist yet. I honestly never thought there would be much of an opportunity for me to meet up with other cachers, let alone call many of them my closest friends. It never occurred to me that I would spend considerable amounts of time reading my friends’ logs from all over the country/world and catching up on how they spent their time. Yet, for me and a lot of other cachers, this has become our reality and our community….our global circle of friends.

 

The rise of geocaching coincided roughly with the rise of weblogs or “blogs.” In a lot of ways, I feel like my cache logs are mini-blogs of the few minutes to few hours that it took me to find that one cache. I’ve been wondering if it would be a good idea for Groundspeak to recognize this trend and provide a way for us to go beyond simply logging caches to logging our experiences or adventures. In short, could Groundspeak provide a blogging section for cachers…and would we use it?

 

In a few discussions with others, I’ve heard the term “adventure log” brought up. The idea seems to be that you would create a log/report for the whole day of caching. Tell those goofy stories about how you met up with others in the morning and all the fun things that happened on the road from cache to cache. Individual finds/dnf’s/notes/other logs could be interspersed within this larger “adventure log” and the result would be a full report of the day’s activities.

 

Of course, and adventure log wouldn’t give you an extra smiley…but it might bring some extra smiles.

 

I know there are several cachers who are already keeping geo-blogs. They submit their links to my site and I read over their experiences, so this is already being done. Doing it in-house could only improve the idea and bring some consistency to it.

 

I’d love to hear some other thoughts on this idea and some thoughts from cachers and the Groundspeak team. What do you think?

 

Bret

[+Prime Suspect]

Perhaps something like what's done on Radio Paradise. Every Account holder has a "Journal" area, which can be used for just about anything (I use it to keep my "Live List", musicians I've seen perform in person). Entries can be set to be either public or private. Private entries can only be seen by the author. Public entries can be seen by anyone, and any other account holder can post a comment to it.

[+nfa]

I think that geocaching blogs would be a really cool premium member feature...I love the idea of sharing the cumulative log of a day of geocaching adventures with pictures mixed in throughout the blog.

 

If it were centralized through gc.com, then the community-building aspect of it would be maximized.

 

I've been using a blog to track my adventures, geocaching and otherwise, in the adirondacks, but love CYBret's idea.

 

http://adirondackdiary.blogspot.com/

 

Jamie - NFA

[+Semper Questio]

I think I'd have to get on board with it being both a great idea and a Premium Member feature.

 

As popular as blogging has become, this might be a good draw for more subscribers.

[+CYBret]

I just realized that something like this would provide a great link between Geocaching.com and Waymarking.com. Records of both could be intertwined in the adventure log.

 

Just something else to think about.

 

Bret

[+Team Lil' Red]

I am STUNNED that you posted this today. My girlfriend and I have spent the weekend geocaching and discussed this very idea. I just came to this section to post the idea, and here it was!

 

After caching for a bit we started to recognize some of the local names and thought it would be neat to read about their adventures and what they were planning. The logs are nice, but hardly tell the whole story of a day of caching, or looking for a place to set up a new one. I would LOVE to have this feature - perhaps if cost is an issue for the site it could be available to premium members. I would even be willing to pay a little more for a premium package to make this function happen.

[+oldsoldier]

Excellent idea! Of course, I tend to keep my ramblings to myself, but, I think having the opportunity to tell a story is an excellent idea. I also think it should be a premium member only area. After all, its not what happened, its HOW what happened is TOLD.

[+Beffums]

I don't know if I would use it myself, but I would love to read others stories of their caching days. I too would be willing to pay a bit more for a premium membership to have this added.

[+NoLemon]

This is a great idea.

 

I agree with what Cybret said about geocaching becoming a community. When I started caching it was something to do now and then; another reason to get out and explore. Somewhere along the line in the last four years, caching has evolved into my primary hobby. My circle of close friends have expanded to include many that I've met because of caching. Some of my favorite/most fun experiences in the last couple of years have been 'caching adventures'. I'd love to have a place to chronicle those adventures. What better place than right here on geocaching.com where the adventures can be told and integrated with cache logs?

[+The Cheeseheads]

Are you thinking of a central site where everyone can post their stories, or something like a blog aggregator which would pull everyone's personal geo-blogs into a single page for anyone to peruse?

[+Semper Questio]

Are you thinking of a central site where everyone can post their stories, or something like a blog aggregator which would pull everyone's personal geo-blogs into a single page for anyone to peruse?

 

Hmm. Not to be flippant, but why not do both?

[+Renegade Knight]

It's an idea with a lot of merit. It wouldn't be hard for this site to stick a 'blog' in your profile that consists of your cache logs. In this section it woudln't hurt to show the ones that have been deleted either.

 

That's not quite what you proposed but I think it's simpler to implement and if nothing else we could follow other cachers who's logs we enjoy much more easily.

[+Airmapper]

I like the idea as well. I kind of have a blog on frappr, but don't like it's setup that well, I like to tell about my overall day of caching, but a cache log is really just for what you did/ seen there at that cache, something like a in house blog tool would let cachers tell about their day as a whole.

[+badlands]

I think it's a great idea, just not sure about how it might impact the hunt. How would you keep spoilers out of the adventure logs? People would be reading the adventure logs looking for clues on some of the more difficult (evil, puzzle) caches and the cache owner wouldn't be able to delete anything that was to descriptive.

[Cape Cod Cacher]

First blogs:

Woke up, had a great breakfast with my team members... <blah, blah, blah 10 paragraphs later>...

and now I'm going to bed!

 

Blog after a year: we went, found some caches and came home.

 

Kind of like posted logs TNLNSL TFTC

[+CYBret]

Are you thinking of a central site where everyone can post their stories, or something like a blog aggregator which would pull everyone's personal geo-blogs into a single page for anyone to peruse?

I’m not sure about all the technical details of how something like this works. But here’s what I envision. In my head this is what I would do with a feature like this. I’m guessing other people might have other ideas.

 

On your profile page there would be a link to your geocaching blog. OR perhaps on your profile page there would simply be a calendar (like I’ve seen on many blogs) with highlighted dates for those you’ve made entries on. A person could then click on one of those dates and find out what your activity that day had been.

 

When they do, they would be directed to that day’s “Adventure Log.” Take for example my recent trip to Southern Illinois. At the top of the log there could be a title for that adventure. “CYBret Does Southern Illinois” or something (I’m sure some people’s titles would be pretty….interesting).

 

I’d have to start off by whining about getting up at “O dark thirty” to go caching with these guys. Picking up two of them in one town and another about an hour down the road. I’d then have to tell about forgetting my ATM card and having to sponge off my friends all day for gas and food. This is the sort of stuff I end up writing in cache logs. It doesn’t really belong there, though. Placing it in an Adventure Log makes more sense.

 

After explaining the three-hour drive and Ron getting peed on by a turtle, There would be a link to my cache log for the first cache I found that day – Devil’s Backbone. After the cache log entry, the adventure log would continue with the story of our next cache attempt…which was a DNF complete with pictures. Maybe it would be better to place some of that story in the adventure log than on the cache page itself. That way it would be better preserved as part of my own caching history.

 

The adventure log would continue with the day – telling the little side stories that make caching in groups so much fun, linking to our finds/dnfs/notes/waymarks/etc. In the end, you would have one cohesive log that would encompass the entire adventure.

 

That’s just one idea for this kind of application. I think there would be other possibilities. It would also be possible to keep it fairly “bare bones” and simply have one page that would provide the day’s logs – similar to when you go to your account page and click on “Geocaches” and see your own last 15 logs. This would be viewable to anyone, though.

 

Anyway, that’s the idea that’s been bouncing around in my head.

 

There have been some interesting points brought up about spoilers and such. Stuff to think about.

 

Bret

[+sbell111]

I kinda like the idea, but it is not without issues.

 

For instance, I see blogs as very 'freedom of speech'-friendly. Some cachers blogs might get further away from family-friendly than others are comfortable with.

 

Also, there is the issue of spoilers. If a cacher wants to document his adventure in his blog and include what some owners may consider spoilers, there will be drama. Certainly a cache owner would not have the authority to delete part of someone else's blog.

 

Further, some cachers will certainly want to include their adventures in seeking other sites' caches (and other non-listed caches) in there adventure blog. This would be in addition to all the ancillary blah-blah-blah not be directly related to thier play at GC.com or WM.com.

 

Finally, there is the issue of drain on GC.com's servers to house everyone's blogs when there are many ways for any of us to build this type of blog already available.

[Mustcache]

I kinda like the idea, but it is not without issues.

 

Also, there is the issue of spoilers. If a cacher wants to document his adventure in his blog and include what some owners may consider spoilers, there will be drama. Certainly a cache owner would not have the authority to delete part of someone else's blog.

 

 

Since pictures are posted already that may contain spoilers, a simple "warning" would take care of that.

 

I would imagine that a blog would contain an overall story of the days caching and not contain contents that normally would be in a cache page log entry.

I like the idea.

 

Perhaps just having another section of the profile page where you would place a link to the blog would do it. Then the member could have the blog hosted on any server of their choosing.

A standard blog link on the profile page and maybe a special icon on their forum logs to show they have a blog page.

[+sbell111]

Since pictures are posted already that may contain spoilers, a simple "warning" would take care of that.

 

I would imagine that a blog would contain an overall story of the days caching and not contain contents that normally would be in a cache page log entry.

I like the idea.

...

We currently get a fair amount of threads about someone posting a spoiler pic or a spoiler in their log (even if encrypted). Typically, the advice given to these cache owners is to request the the finder change his log (or remove the pic) and to delete the log if they do not comply. Since the cache owner would not have the authority to delete blog entries, it will cause drama.

[+Maingray]

Are you thinking of a central site where everyone can post their stories, or something like a blog aggregator which would pull everyone's personal geo-blogs into a single page for anyone to peruse?

 

Both, and one I'd definitely use.

[+erikwillke]

I'd use it

[+TFTC]

I brought this up a couple months ago - didn't seem to go anywhere though. I'm glad you brought it up again since I'd like to see it happen.

[+CYBret]

At the very least I think it would be great if there were links on individual log pages that moved you back and forth through that cacher's logs. I've been doing something similar with my logs on my last two big caching days, but it's awkward to have to do it manually. It would be great if the links were provided.

 

I wonder if that would be possible.

[+Corp Of Discovery]

I think it's a good idea. Don't know that I'd write much but I would definately enjoy reading other cachers adventures.

[+The Leprechauns]

I kinda like the idea, but it is not without issues.

 

For instance, I see blogs as very 'freedom of speech'-friendly. Some cachers blogs might get further away from family-friendly than others are comfortable with.

 

Also, there is the issue of spoilers. If a cacher wants to document his adventure in his blog and include what some owners may consider spoilers, there will be drama. Certainly a cache owner would not have the authority to delete part of someone else's blog.

 

Further, some cachers will certainly want to include their adventures in seeking other sites' caches (and other non-listed caches) in there adventure blog. This would be in addition to all the ancillary blah-blah-blah not be directly related to thier play at GC.com or WM.com.

 

Finally, there is the issue of drain on GC.com's servers to house everyone's blogs when there are many ways for any of us to build this type of blog already available.

I've been thinking for awhile about how a geoblogging feature might best be implemented. Now that I've taken sbell111 off my "ignore" list, I see that he raises valid questions. I'm wondering whether one of my ideas might answer some of those concerns.

 

Another new feature that's been floating around for awhile is the so-called "friends group." We've seen a preview implementation of this over at Waymarking.com, and I think it's pretty cool so far. What if access to an adventure blog is tied to being a member of the same "friends group?" There could be a shared blog for each group, or simply the ability to access each member's blog, or both. I would personally want to have my own adventure blog, as I expect I would join several "friends groups."

 

Joining a friends group would be voluntary and opt-in. By joining the group you would get to see any spoilers, etc., in your friend's blog. You'd be subjected to whatever foul language your buddy chooses to use. But how is that much different from team hunts and team puzzle solving efforts that take place all the time? By restricting the blog to group members, the cache owner's rights to have a spoiler-free cache are accorded some respect.

 

I also don't know if I'd want the general public to be able to read my blog entries. Cache page log = public, adventure blog = private, to share with my friends group(s).

[+Miragee]

I like the idea of a "friends group" being able to read the Geoblog . . . . although since I already spend so much time on my other blog, I don't know if I need yet another thing to keep me at the computer . . .

 

I wish the "Geoblog" feature had been available on GC.com last year when I started caching.

[+The Cheeseheads]

Intrestingly, Invision, who makes the forum software, also has blogging software which looks like it integrates right in with the forums.

[+trza]

I think that geocaching blogs would be a really cool premium member feature...I love the idea of sharing the cumulative log of a day of geocaching adventures with pictures mixed in throughout the blog.

 

If it were centralized through gc.com, then the community-building aspect of it would be maximized.

 

I've been using a blog to track my adventures, geocaching and otherwise, in the adirondacks, but love CYBret's idea.

 

http://adirondackdiary.blogspot.com/

 

Jamie - NFA

 

I'm new to geocaching and love to blog. This seems like a great idea.

 

I'd most likely use this feature to help me plan my day trips and share them with my friends.

[RubiconJW]

Given the number of cachers who would post to the blog I can see it moving faster than a chat room with 100 people on board!! A lot of cachers have a "flair for writing" and hence write tales of the adventure that are interesting to read.. OTOH there are those that ya have to suffer thru, decypher, & still are left wondering what thay meant to say.

IMHO individuals that want to write of their adventures should do so on their own.. not in a "conglomerate". I feel there would be too many in any given day to sit and read.

Having said that.. whatever the PTB decide is fine with me but I may choose to not participate due to potential volume.

No flames intended.. just my .02 cents..

 

JW