Waymarking on the Decline?

[+Dew Crew]

I'm just wondering if manager/officers of other catagories have noticed the same thing as me. My inbox is no longer constantly being flooded with email notifications to approve a waymark. Have others noticed that waymark submissions have gone down, or do you think this is just natural as the category begins to 'fill up'?

[+Jake39]

It's been getting slower since the summer.

Not that many posts, on the Forum, tell the story too. (Talked out I guess)

I didn't believe in "Categories" having "Officers" before, but can now see the merit as a few "Cat. Owners" or in some cases "Officers"don't seem to be on line that often and some "Waymarks" sit there for days on end if not weeks. The interest in Waymarking must be waning.

[+BruceS]

I'm just wondering if manager/officers of other catagories have noticed the same thing as me. My inbox is no longer constantly being flooded with email notifications to approve a waymark. Have others noticed that waymark submissions have gone down, or do you think this is just natural as the category begins to 'fill up'?

 

I think it is is down some but this may be due to school starting etc. and people are busy with other things. My submission rate is down considerably. I have over hundred in the queue to submit. I have also noticed a few of the other very active submitters have not submitted many lately. I don't think it is because categories are filling up. The second largest category (U.S. National Register of Historic Places) has 1000 waymarks in it so there are only 84,000 sites left to waymark :-).

[+frivlas]

Say it ain't so. I know I myself haven't been submitting as many lately...although I do have somewhere around 200 waiting to list. Having the kids go back to school seems to have given me less free time rather than more. To me it actually seems like I am having more competion for local waymarks. Cool!

[+robert]

The second largest category (U.S. National Register of Historic Places) has 1000 waymarks in it so there are only 84,000 sites left to waymark :-).

I added one for you this weekend, Bruce.

Edited September 19, 2006 by robert

[Rayman]

I think it is is down some but this may be due to school starting etc. and people are busy with other things. My submission rate is down considerably. I have over hundred in the queue to submit. I have also noticed a few of the other very active submitters have not submitted many lately. I don't think it is because categories are filling up. The second largest category (U.S. National Register of Historic Places) has 1000 waymarks in it so there are only 84,000 sites left to waymark :-).

 

Do I get a prize for submitting the 1000th?

 

I'm guilty of not Waymarking much lately. I've noticed I go in streaks, where I cache alot and waymark a little, then I do a lot of Waymarking and cache little. Most of the summer I've been in cache mode, but after marking about 20 things over the weekend, I think I'll switch to that for a bit.

 

I do agree with you Bruce, in that people are just busy with other stuff. There's been an influx of new people to the activity lately, so I'm sure Waymarking is not on the decline.

[+tozainamboku]

It's all those stupid lame categories. Come on people, propose some interesting categories that people will want to waymark and even better ones where people will want to visit those waymarks. There are just too many lame categories to go through and find the ones I'm interested in Waymarking. Back when Waymarking started we had categories like Pennsylvania Historical Markers and McDonald's Restaurants. Now we have International Space Station Sightings and Cityscapes. Who can keep up with these?

 

I don't think Waymarking is on the decline at all. We have more categories and a way to get new categories added that seems to work fairly well. With more categories to waymark, some categories will get fewer new waymarks as people will tend to be looking for things they are interested in. I haven't checked to see if the total number of new waymarks in all categories is going up or down, but I suspect it's the former.

Edited September 19, 2006 by tozainamboku

[+budd-rdc]

Maybe the novelty is starting to wear off like any new activity. If there's a stat on the number of participants, that's probably a better indicator of whether Waymarking is on the decline or not.

 

The number of participants have increased somewhat in my area, thanks to their fear that frivlas or WalruZ will steal the locations that they want.

[+robert]

I <3 Waymarking.

 

[+TerryDad2]

I've wanted to add more categores that I think are worthy, but because of the 5 category limit, I am saving my last 2 for something extraordinary. Maybe relax that limitation and you might get some more good categories submissions.

[OpinioNate]

Maybe there has been some slight fluctuation, but overall activity is increasing at a respectable rate and doesn't show any signs of stopping. Last Monday (or maybe the Monday before) we broke 200 new waymarks in a single day. That put the total number of waymarks at about 22,000. Not bad. For comparison there were 7600 geocaches at the same point in geocaching history.

[OpinioNate]

I've wanted to add more categores that I think are worthy, but because of the 5 category limit, I am saving my last 2 for something extraordinary. Maybe relax that limitation and you might get some more good categories submissions.

 

Go ahead and create your last two. We decided that the limit will be increased to 10 categories in the next release since it appears our most prolific contributors are topped out.

[+robert]

I've wanted to add more categores that I think are worthy, but because of the 5 category limit, I am saving my last 2 for something extraordinary. Maybe relax that limitation and you might get some more good categories submissions.

 

Go ahead and create your last two. We decided that the limit will be increased to 10 categories in the next release since it appears our most prolific contributors are topped out.

That's good news. I'm only at 2 started but am getting more into it so hope to come up with some more.

 

Thanks for the update, anxiously awaiting v2.0!!

Edited September 19, 2006 by robert

[+Jake39]

Go ahead and create your last two. We decided that the limit will be increased to 10 categories in the next release since it appears our most prolific contributors are topped out.

Thanx Nate, ..Now I can set up the "Skateboard Parks"

OK..Let's hear some suggestions for setting up the "Category" unless someone else wants it.

Edited September 19, 2006 by Jake39

[+ChapterhouseInc]

the number of waymarks submitted has tapered off some, but as stated above, you look for what you like. and each time you find one, one would have to 'travel further' for the next one (historical markers & NRHP are quite distribuited amongst the landscape).

 

there was a '10,000 marks' thread, what happened to it? and no '20,000' postings? 200 in a day, you say. in how many categories, by how many users?

 

I've wanted to add more categores that I think are worthy, but because of the 5 category limit, I am saving my last 2 for something extraordinary. Maybe relax that limitation and you might get some more good categories submissions.

 

Go ahead and create your last two. We decided that the limit will be increased to 10 categories in the next release since it appears our most prolific contributors are topped out.

 

10. now that seems like a nice number. that should suffice for eternity. you should be able to give them away to create more.....but what about the math? not everyone on the planet will waymark, of those that do, how many will be premium members & 'want to manage a category'? leading 10 groups might mean that you will take less of a role in others' categories.

 

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=143951

[+The Blue Quasar]

Being the only person in my area that is enjoying Waymarking, for whatever reason, I have been holding back on creating more.

 

It's like building a RollerCoaster in Antarctica. Sure, it might be a great coaster but if people don't come to ride it, then it seems pointless.

 

This may change when Waymarking is released, more accepted, or whatever.

 

Challenges facing Waymarking

- Awareness or Exposure or Promotion of the activity

- Quality of the Categories or Individual Listings within, whether interesting or appealing

- Ease of navigation of the Waymarking website

- Uniformity of guidelines for the activity by Groundspeak and Group Management

- Data transfer to GPS units, whether it is Pocket Query or other such tools

 

Those to me are the Big 5

 

The Blue Quasar

[OpinioNate]

Challenges facing Waymarking

- Awareness or Exposure or Promotion of the activity*

- Quality of the Categories or Individual Listings within, whether interesting or appealing

- Ease of navigation of the Waymarking website*

- Uniformity of guidelines for the activity by Groundspeak and Group Management

- Data transfer to GPS units, whether it is Pocket Query or other such tools*

 

 

*Will be addressed in the next release (coming along nicely)

 

The other two points will hopefully improve as the community grows and settles into a natural rhythm.

[J.A.R.S.]

I've wanted to add more categores that I think are worthy, but because of the 5 category limit, I am saving my last 2 for something extraordinary. Maybe relax that limitation and you might get some more good categories submissions.

 

Go ahead and create your last two. We decided that the limit will be increased to 10 categories in the next release since it appears our most prolific contributors are topped out.

 

Yes!

This is a great decision. I've already got an idea for my 4th category and I've only started seriously Waymarking this summer. I was sure to hit my limit within the next couple of months and it was going to make me crazy to not participate by adding new categories for some of the cool places that I want to showcase.

 

Very much appreciated.

 

J.A.R.S.

[+frivlas]

Go ahead and create your last two. We decided that the limit will be increased to 10 categories in the next release since it appears our most prolific contributors are topped out.

 

Yippeee! I'm maxed out due to some I inherited, but came up with some new ones I wanted to play around with. So...when's that new release? :-D

[+frivlas]

 

The number of participants have increased somewhat in my area, thanks to their fear that frivlas or WalruZ will steal the locations that they want.

 

Hey!!!! No, wait....I resemble that remark! If it gets people Waymarking, it just means I have more to visit.

Edited September 20, 2006 by frivlas

[+ChapterhouseInc]

 

The number of participants have increased somewhat in my area, thanks to their fear that frivlas or WalruZ will steal the locations that they want.

 

Hey!!!! No, wait....I resemble that remark! If it gets people Waymarking, it just means I have more to visit.

 

i would like not to have to travel an hour or more to visit a mark (and to have more time to locate and submit more--will it be a game to find a waymark to submit for yourself 'in my core area'). i have a little 'competition' in my area, but it is on the finges of my expansion.

[+QuesterMark]

I'm sorry guys!!

 

I've gotten almost all the Texas Historical Markers that are near my work. I have a few left near the house. When it becomes an "expedition" then I can't do it after work...

 

It's going to get even slower when Daylight Savings Time ends...

 

But I'll still try...I know of a few more non-NGS Benchmarks to get, and there are quite a few Payphones around. And then I'll sit and scour the Waymark directories to see what else is handy.

 

Who knows? Maybe I'll even think of a category.

[+BruceS]

I'm sorry guys!!

 

I've gotten almost all the Texas Historical Markers that are near my work. I have a few left near the house. When it becomes an "expedition" then I can't do it after work...

 

It's going to get even slower when Daylight Savings Time ends...

 

But I'll still try...I know of a few more non-NGS Benchmarks to get, and there are quite a few Payphones around. And then I'll sit and scour the Waymark directories to see what else is handy.

 

Who knows? Maybe I'll even think of a category.

 

Take a look at the U.S. National Register of Historic Places there are 81 of those in your county and 109 in the county to your east

[+Team Farkle 7]

days are getting shorter, prepping for winter, doesn't leave much time for play.

I've a couple places to hit myself if I can find the time. It's nice to be the one to log a waymark, kind of like setting your country's flag on the moon or a new continent, but if somebdy beats you to it, then you can still log the visit. I myself can't wait for the next time I head back east and visit family. Cache Test seems to have nailed just about everyplace I hoped to waymark, but I'll still enjoy showing my wife and child the places I grew up. Oh you'll pay Cache Test, you'll pay! Yeah, idle threat, whatever. I'm just truly glad somebody's marking the places, because I get to "visit" them online. A New Englander gets homesick. So Thanks really.

Oh, another thing I noticed in the categories is one for Diners, and I was wondering why they haven't got it approved. It sounds like a good choice to me (but i don't call the shots). Of couse should it become an actual category Cache Test will probably run right out and mark the Paradise Diner. Oops me and my big mouth.

One more thing. Tell us more about 2.0

Thanks Nate

[+mikemtn]

It gets to be a little like work. Some catagories, in my opinion, require more detail than necessary. I can find the stuff, get the coords, and take the pictures and then it starts to feel like going to work at a regular job getting them recorded. Maybe I'll get fired. I can't quit, I need the job.

 

Mike

[+mikemtn]

It gets to be a little like work. Some catagories, in my opinion, require more detail than necessary. I can find the stuff, get the coords, and take the pictures and then it starts to feel like going to work at a regular job getting them recorded. Maybe I'll get fired. I can't quit, I need the job.

 

Mike

 

An example, I have enough problem coming up with a short description and a long description. I just tried to record one that also wanted a (just plain old I guess) description (in a tiny little box impossible for me to do anything except copy and paste into it). (Well, copy and paste is about all I do anyway.) I really don't care but are they just trying to be different or something? It just looks to me like the harder it is to record a Waymark the less there's going to be of them. And I don't see it making higher quality Waymarks. (Maybe I should have put this in my Waymarking Blog and called it a rant).

 

Mike

[+tiki-4]

Some of the 'cats' that i volunteered for see lots of activity. We have a 3/4 way race to see who reviews submission across several different ones. Others are dormant, and one is dead on the vine. Still getting visits on several, but without a PQ function or the ability to look up other members, it is harder to navigate the WM site and get enough data to really play the sport.