Secret Society Or Public Domain

[+Donmoore]

I read on one of the posts on here about a TV news group looking to do a bit on Geocaching.

 

I was just thinking do we really want or need this kind of publicity for geocaching?

 

I found out about it from a friend and it seemd like a cool underground group to be in. Like when you are out and about searching for caches trying not to be spotted by the public, Gives you a chance to be a kid again.

 

So should we not leave Geocaching to be found by more covert methods other than mainstream publicity? I would really like to hear your views on this.

 

Me personally would rather it be a more underground thing as my biggest fear about it is that i don't want to be out caching some day and being able to easliy find the cache because i am 35th in line to get to sign the log book!

[+lordelph]

You're equating geocaching "the activity" with geocaching.com "the website"

 

If you'd prefer "underground" then don't do caches on geocaching.com, try using Navicache, Terracaching, or set up your own, secret, listing site.

 

Half the fun is meeting other cachers though. Sadly, I'm sat here working when it's a lovely day with cache events galore this weekend

[Dave from Glanton]

So should we not leave Geocaching to be found by more covert methods other than mainstream publicity? I would really like to hear your views on this.

 

Me personally would rather it be a more underground thing as my biggest fear about it is that i don't want to be out caching some day and being able to easliy find the cache because i am 35th in line to get to sign the log book!

I don't "advertise" the fact that I'm a cacher, but there are cases where I've volunteered the info (e.g. "what did you get up to this weekend, Dave?"). However, in my experience, whenever I explain caching to my friends or colleagues the reaction has either been pretty lukewarm, or - in one very memorable case - very, very negative. So no danger of me bringing masses to the sport.

 

Sadly, I'm sat here working

Join the club.

Funny how we can still find time to surf the forums when we're supposed to be working though, isn't it?

[+Sensei TSKC]

Donmoore,

 

I actually agree with your sentiments and can see where you are coming from.

 

LE.

I think you may have misunderstood the original post too, in some respects.

 

There is an air of excitement, seeking and retrieving a cache, signing the log and replacing the cache with the majority of people not knowing what you are doing.

 

I think I side with the OP to a certain degree but we must also be seen to be responsible people with an upright integrity.

 

I suppose the last thing you want when out seeking for a cache, is every passer by commenting on what you're doing or telling you where it is! It was a good thing GC.com made it a requirement to register before being allowed to view the co-ords.

 

However, LE is absolutely spot on when it comes to meeting other cachers "in the field" so to speak.

[+Mr Nibbler]

If people ask what I've been up to I tell them - some think I'm barking, some like the idea, some couldn't care less. Mind you, now I've got a fractured skull most of them think I'm completely away with the fairies

 

According to Mrs N they could, of course, be right.

[+Donmoore]

I have possibly put myself across wrong which i thought might happen.

Yes i agree with comments about meeting other cachers and telling other people what you got up too, thats all great part of the sport.

 

What i am trying to put across. Me telling my workmate or the occassional passer by what i'm up to is all good and that chances of the majority of them wanting to take part is small. so maybe out of every 10 people we tell you get 1 to take it up. But getting it on the news and other mass media does not do it for me.

 

I think at least the people who do these TV pieces should have the dignity to disguise their voice and have their faces blacked out ( i must add i'm joking before someone takes me the wrong way)

 

Any way keep the comments coming so far so good!

[The Washers UK]

I work at Wolverhampton council and I tell all my work mates about Geocaching. On Mondays they love to hear how many tupperware boxes we have found, new people who I tell, I normally get a sideways look and you know they are thinking, I always knew she was strange !!! but 9 times out of 10 these people come back to ask me more, I have however never converted any one to caching, even though people are interested, I think mainly because you have to spend money on a GPS and then put some effort in walking to the caches, so I don't think we have too much to worry about lining up to sign the log books.

[+Tiger-Eyes]

If it wasn't for TV coverage of geocaching I would never had known about it, countryfile and Anglia news between them have shown me a fantastic hobby and enabled me to take my family out to places we would never had known about. and soon I will be placeing my own caches in an area that is currently very sparce. Is that a bad thing?

[+sTeamTraen]

... reaction ... in one very memorable case - very, very negative.

 

Share! Share!

[Dave from Glanton]

... reaction ... in one very memorable case - very, very negative.

 

Share! Share!

 

I was out and about with a non-cacher friend of mine. I knew we'd be passing the Silverlink Park (home of a cache I had yet to bag) so insisted that we take a small detour. On the way I tried to explain to him what this was all about and he just didn't get it.

 

The cache in question is concealed in undergrowth just off the main path, so I asked my pal to keep an eye out and shout to me if any potential muggles came along, then went hunting.

 

When I came out a couple of minutes later (OK, more like 10!) my friend was looking very twitchy. When I asked him what the matter was he said (words to the effect of) "I want to get out of here now. What you're doing looks just looks suspicious and I don't want to be involved. I don't want to be around if you're poking around in bushes - it's just seems plain dodgy, and I don't know what the legal implcations of this would be for me."

 

I am not making this up.

 

Even having had the chance to calm down a bit, he was still *so* paranoid about it. A few days later we were in the pub together and bumped into one of his friends. I can't remember how, but the conversation came around to technology, GPS and the like. My mate said quietly to me "don't mention that geocaching lark to this guy - I don't want him to know I might be involved with anything suspicious".

 

I thought about seeing if North Tyneside Council would let me place a cache right outside his house, but somehow I don't think he'd see the funny side.

[+wizard1974uk]

Don't know what is so suspicious about it? Sure to the uninitiated you might look suspicious, but surely educating those who do not know about it is a lot better than having a policeman tapping you on the shoulder because someone has reported you acting suspiciously?

 

Not everyone you tell about geocaching is automatically going to rush out and buy a GPS and poke around is bushes, but it will make them aware that not everyone poking around in bushes is up to something dodgy.

 

Dave, I think your mate is more embarassed than paranoid.

[+Pieman]

I think however many times geocaching is on the telly we're pretty safe from it becoming a mainstream activity. The fact that you have to buy a GPS and be interested to walk to find something a quarter of a mile away will put off 99% of the population. The fact that you then have to scrabble about in undergrowth should account for most of the other 1%!

[+The HERB5]

I too like the idea of geocaching being an underground pastime, but similarly, if it weren't for the TV coverage I wouldn't be a cacher now.

 

A double edged sword methinks....

[+The Flying Boots]

We've told everyone we know what we do and have had very mixed reactions from people thinking wer're a bit crazy to people thinking "what great fun". As yet no-one we know has dashed out and bought a gps to start doing it as well. It's a pity as we're short on local caches close to home now. We need more placers

 

Our brother in-law got as far as looking up GC.com to find the details on one of our cache placed only spitting distance from where he lives. We wouldn't tell him it's exact location but have offered to loan him the GPS to find it himself but he's never taken us up on our offer.

[+Bear and Ragged]

Whilst I don't wish Geocacheing to become "mainstream", I feel that if questions are asked, we should make every effort to put out "Positive" publicity about our past-time.

 

We should not appear to be a "Secret Society" of some kind, that carries out "Initiation" ceremonies, in order to become a member and carry out our activity...

 

If you are challenged 'out in the street' as to what you are doing, surely, when told, the person says "Oh, I've heard of that" and then leaves you to it, is the better option?

 

*Rolls down trouser leg*

[+Sensei TSKC]

We've told everyone we know what we do and have had very mixed reactions from people thinking wer're a bit crazy to people thinking "what great fun". As yet no-one we know has dashed out and bought a gps to start doing it as well. It's a pity as we're short on local caches close to home now. We need more placers

We did too but they took us up on it. Out of the five lots of people we told about Geocaching, four of them rushed out, bought the equipment and have the sole aim of catching up with me.

[+Kryten]

*Rolls down trouser leg*

 

Not true, your avatar shows that your trouser leg is still rolled up, and your lodge requires the wearing of odd shoes. Is there also a handshake

[+Sensei TSKC]

We should not appear to be a "Secret Society" of some kind, that carries out "Initiation" ceremonies, in order to become a member and carry out our activity...

 

If you are challenged 'out in the street' as to what you are doing, surely, when told, the person says "Oh, I've heard of that" and then leaves you to it, is the better option?

 

*Rolls down trouser leg*

As a matter of fact it is not a secret society but indeed a society that has secrets.

 

If it were a secret society, you wouldn't know about it!!

 

[jhamner]

I wouldn't worry about it becoming too mainstream. It seems to me that everyone I tell about it gives me a crazy look. Then they forget about it because it doesn't sound as interesting as it really is.