How do you use Waymarking.com?

[OpinioNate 8]

This is a question for the frequent visitors among you:

 

1. You open your browser and point the internets at www.Waymarking.com

2. ?

3. ?

etc.

 

The first think I do is visit the home page and check what new waymarks have been added. Then I click the "Show More Recent Waymarks" link at the bottom and read a bit more. Any waymarks that catch my eye are opened in a new tab for further viewing - I pay particular attention to the images. Usually a waymark will be in a category that intrigues me and I'll see what else is in that category, and so on...

 

After I get bored with browsing around I check the "My Categories" page for any new waymarks submitted to my categories and handle my "business" stuff.

 

I explained this routine to Sean and he had a totally different method and order of doing things. That got us thinking about all the different ways people might use the site.

 

So, how do you use Waymarking.com?

[+nfa 0]

1. click over to the Waymarking site
   
2. look at the 5 most recently entered waymarks
   
3. check the "Help us review new categories" link
   
4. Check out the " Newest" link
   
5. check out my favorites and look at new waymarks added or logged
   

I like looking at the images in all of the waymarks that I look at...I'm looking forward to being able to download waymarks for loading into my GPS...

 

Jamie - NFA

[+ChapterhouseInc 0]

1>i check my email. i delete all the 'new waymark notices', except for one.

2>i open all 'your waymark is approved' mails, use the link to go to that page and log my visit. note: i usually then click 'home' (on wm.com) and minimize the page.

3> i open 'declined' emails, so that the link will take me to the page for editing/archiving.

4>i return to the new mark notice, link to it, click 'my page', click 'my categories', and then look for those that i actively 'manage' with '!'s next to them and approve any marks i feel qualified to.

4.5>i check the forums for new posts

5> now back to my home page where i look at the peer review que.

6>'home'->what new categories are 'live'

7>if i have marks to submit i do this now

 

periodically i do the following tasks:

>look at each page of 'my waymarks' to see if any (1)have 'been in a que' for a period of time, sending out notes asking for some attention to it (2) any have been declined [and i know why, or if it is unknown try to edit and resubmit]. i like to see the oldest and newest date of marks on my first and last pages, for S&Gs.

>go through my favorites and remove those i have submitted marks to

>go through the 'newest categories' and vote (up/down) or add to my favorites so i know i want to submit one in that category [remineres that i need to 'make a trip there']

>check out the 'largest' waymarks page

>check out the most popular categories

 

-----------------------

>if there was a 'map my zipcode' (as a gc.com map), this would be added to the activity list

>if there was a file download, i would also download any that i needed to seek out--this would be made easier with a 'hide those i have found' function

Edited September 28, 2006 by ChapterhouseInc

[+BruceS 3]

How I use Waymarking.com depends on when and why I am visiting the site.

 

Standard visit:

1. Click Waymarking button on top of browser (hasn't quite become my home page yet)

2. Glance up to see if any new categories are up for peer review. (Review them or defer them if I want to think about it for a while.

3. Glance over to see if any new categories are now active. (Submit new waymarks to these categories if I antipated them and had pictures and coordinates on hand)

4. Look down and see the most recent five (and usually notice they haven't updated and wonder how often that list refreshes)

5. Click the show more recent waymarks and look down the list. Lately have been paying attention to who the submitters are and have noticed a lot of new names. (Notice that no one besides me is submitting in my area so none to visit)

6. Notice how far down the list my last submission is which usually triggers my next type of visit.

7. Go to my categories and check to see if any are awaiting approval.

8. Go to forums.

 

Submission visit:

1. Browse to site

2. Click favorite categories link

3. Click NRHP category (most of my submissions are there)

4. Open another tab, open up NRHP site for appropriate State and County

5. Open another tab and go to google so I can search for info to flesh out my submissions

6. Open another tab for Waymarking (This page is used to submit in other categories besides NRHP)

7. Start submitting.

 

Visits when on conference calls (ones I am not actively involved, phone on speaker and muted):

1. Browse to site

2. Click on random category or one that has caught my eye.

3. Look at waymarks that catch my eye.

4. Pay enough attention to call to involve myself if needed

5. Look at more waymarks.

6. Call ends

7. Get back to work

 

Periodically:

1. Browse to site

2. Go to my page

3. Click my waymarks

4. Do search on each page for *'s

5. Check to see if I forgot to submit waymark (would be great if the unsubmitted had a different symbol than those waiting to be approved and also if those waiting to be approved and unsubmitted were grouped separately from the others going through 60+ pages searching for *'s is less than fun)

6. Go to main page

7. Click advanced search --> country/state --> United State & Alabama

8. Search each page for BruceS

9. Fix waymarks I left in Alabama by mistake

Edited September 28, 2006 by BruceS

[+Proud Soccer Mom 0]

I'm as end-user as end-user gets with Waymarking. I enjoy Waymarking when I can do it, have no categories to manage, and just like exploring the site. This is my typical routine:

 

1. go to www.Waymarking.com.

2. submit any new waymarks for approval if applicable.

3. search for waymarks within my area (there's very little so it's easy to identify new ones just from this).

4. browse leisurely through waymarks for interesting categories that I might want to contribute to.

5. check up on friends' waymarks (in different states).

6. visit a blogger waymark if interested.

7. visit forum.

 

If one of my waymarks has been visited, I will typically look at the visit on the waymark page in addition to reading the email notification, then look at some of the waymarks that waymarker has visited. I will do that as step 2 before moving on to submission (if applicable) and the others.

 

That's just mine. I'm not sure what Mr. HH does.

 

- (Mrs) HauntHunters

 

(edited because my spelling sucks)

Edited September 29, 2006 by HauntHunters

[+chstress53 0]

This is how I use Waymarking.com. It typically depends on when and why I am visiting the site, similar to BruceS

 

But the very first thing I do in regards to Waymarking is:

1. Check my email for Waymarking .

2. Delete all the 'new waymark notices.

3. Answer any waymarkers that have emailed me.

4. Check to see if any are votes needed.

 

Standard visit to the Waymarking site is next: ( Usually link to it from the final email.)

1. Glance up to see if any new categories are up for peer review. (Review them or defer them if I want to think about it for a while.

2. Glance over to see if any new categories are now active. (Submit new waymarks to these categories if I antipated them and had pictures and coordinates on hand, if not on hand add to persoanl list to create.)

3. Look down and see the most recent

4. Click the show more recent waymarks and look down the list.

5. Click on the largest to see how it stacks up.

6. Click on the favorites to see where my Categories stand.

5. Go to my categories and check to see if any are awaiting approvals, or votes. If there are those needing approvals read through them and either approve or disapprove

8. Go to forums.

[+robert 0]

Really varies by the day and time of day and oooooh shiny!

1. Monitor email for new submissions to approve
   
2. Look at new entries to my favorite categories
   
3. Review groups looking for members and join if it looks fun (then add a link to that group in my profile)
   
4. Look at new categories for something interesting
   
5. Review new categories (peer review)
   
6. Read forums for interesting discussions and category proposals.
   

I generally don't review the largest categories or look at the newest submissions past the first five on the page. If there's a new waymark in a category that looks cool I'll check it out. I also look at the directory listing for categories that look cool that maybe I hadn't seen before.

 

The list above is in no particular order, but those are the things I do on the site on a [mostly, some I don't do daily] daily basis

 

Edited September 29, 2006 by robert

[+The Blue Quasar 18]

Here is what I do... daily or more often

1. Open "Microsoft Outlook" and delete all new mail about new Waymarks.
   
2. Open "Mozilla Fireox" and click on the "Waymarking" tab that goes directly to "My Page"
   
3. Click on "My Categories" and look for any blue exclamation marks, review new entries as needed.
   
4. Click on "Directory" and see if there are any "Peer Review" items to look at.
   

I don't look at the newest listed, the biggest or even my own categories.

 

Every once in a while,

 

I look for new waymarks from the four Origins I have saved.

I look over my categories to ensure the naming conventions are followed.

 

Sometimes (rarely),

 

I look at "Newest" to see if there are new ones that I might participate in.

I look to see where my categories rank in the "Largest" list.

 

The Blue Quasar

[+Black Dog Trackers 0]

1. I look for interesting posts on the 3 Waymarking forums. (I know; they aren't yet on Waymarking.com)

2. I click on a bookmark called "My Categories" to see which categories have new waymark submissions, and act on them.

3. I look to see if there are any new categories in peer review.

[+WalruZ 0]

hmm...

 

sometimes I just look at the directory to see what categories have been approved lately. (starbucks!! sheesh!!)

 

I click through email links to get to category management, although it would be easy enough to get there from my page.

 

I look at my page just because I like it.

 

usually i go to my page and look for an existing category that I have a new instance of. I click on the category heading and proceed to post the instance. If it's something i have no instance of, i'll track it down in the directory. This is probably 80% of my use. I find that marking new waymarks is the most time consuming part of the hobby, through no fault of the site - it just takes time to properly describe some of the things I waymark. i will say that if you were looking for areas to 'add value', something that enables casual users to make really good waymark pages would be a win - I have been asked, for example, "how do you get all those pictures on your pages?" (I copy in scaled links from the gallery.) The default image option is a nice but very basic start along that path. For Example...

 

sometimes what I do is select a geocache in an area I frequent and then I select "nearest waymarks". I scroll through these looking for ones that aren't checked (visited) and open their pages. In a command window i have a perl script running. On each page I copy out the title, switch to the command window, paste it in at a prompt, switch back, copy out the coords, switch back, paste them in at a prompt. The perl script reformates the coords and spits the whole session (multiple pages) out as a vcard file. I import that vcard file into my palm desktop contacts. Those items now show up on my MapOpolis map on my palm, along with geocaches (which cachemate will export into the address book for mapopolis). Bottom line is I can see waymarks on my map and stop to visit them as I geocache, or just drive around, assuming I have any time for such things. I am one of the only people in my area who systematically visits waymarks. I've visited about 400 and have a fairly large list in the palm of places yet to stop. Naturally, as I cache and visit I see other items to waymark (see 80% case above), and yes I do visit what I waymark.

 

I wish I lived in seattle. I would camp out on your effing doorstep until you gave me work to do just to get rid of me...

Edited October 5, 2006 by WalruZ

[+KG1960 0]

Upon opening the home page, I'll glance at the new waymark listing and look at the new category list. I'll then probalby search for all waymarks using my own zip code to see if anything new is nearby, or I'll use the zip code for someplace that I might be going to. If I have an idea for creating a new waymark, I'll check its zip code to make sure no one else has already way marked it. I'll take a look at the forums, too (obviously, here I am!).

[+QuesterMark 2]

Sometime during the day, I check the new waymarks listed just to see what's there. Usually once from work, during a break, and once from home before I go to bed.

 

Occasionally I check for newest categories or peer review.

 

If I have waymarks to -list- then I go straight to that process. If it's in a category I've done before, I go to my profile page, then Waymarks Owned and use that list as a shortcut to the category, otherwise I have to search.

 

When I am -listing- a new waymark, I've finally learned to save without submitting so that I can then upload whatever photos and do a quality control check and THEN edit-->submit.

 

After I'm done with the listing process, I get into email to check that I got the right number of confirmations.

 

The next day, I use email to take me to the right places ( using the approval emails' shortcuts) so that I can log my visits, if necessary.

 

I PLAN to start going thru the categories more thoroughly to see if there are any more categories I want to contribute to.

---

Oh, when planning my geocaching trips, I DO hit the nearby waymarks button to see if there's anything interesting nearby. That's only happened once so far (unfortunately) but it was a great brewpub!