PhD Geocaching Web Survey Results

[+madcats]

Many thanks to all of you who filled in my geocaching web survey. The average length of time taken to complete the survey was just over 17 minutes. I have extracted the raw results and listed them below. I also have a great deal of text data to analyse which is brilliant, but which will take time.

 

I will be in touch with those of you who have offered to be case studies towards the end of August, so keep on geocaching and speak to you then.

 

Geocaching Web Survey Summary

 

The web survey received 661 responses over a period of three weeks.

 

70% male, 30% female

 

Age Range:

 

2% 20 or under

13% 21 – 30

33% 31- 40

31% 41 – 50

17% 51 – 60

4% over 61

 

Number of years geocaching

 

<1 year 20%

1 – 2 years 27%

2 – 3 years 20%

3 – 4 years 16%

>5 years 8%

 

Type of GPS device used

 

A dedicated GPS device 93%

GPS PDA 5%

GPS mobile phone 0.5%

Other 1.5%

 

94% take one or more other mobile devices out with them.

 

77% take a camera

78% take a mobile phone

11% take an MP3 player

 

Other things considered useful include a PDA to have the cache pages available for “paperless caching” and for mapping, compass, whistle, spare batteries, torch, voice recorder, radio, binoculars, laptop, another GPS unit, walki-talkies

 

Learning through Geocaching

 

73% of participants had found a cache that inspired them to follow up in some way.

89% of participants felt that they or a member of their caching group had learned something as a result of searching for a cache.

38% felt that geocaching activities had triggered new interests

71% of geocachers who had placed a geocache hoped that people seeking and finding the cache would learn something.

57% of participants had searched for earthcaches.

74% of those who had searched for an earthcache felt that they had learned soemthing as a result.

6% had created an earthcache. Of these, 64% did not feel that they had learned anything as a result of creating their earthcaches, however 61% hopeed that people looking for their earthcache would learn something as a result.

 

How did participants most often geocache? (select all that apply)

 

Alone 58%

With partner or spouse 44%

With your family 38%

With a group of friends 21%

With another geocaching group 9%

 

Membership info

 

47% are members of geocaching.com

1% non-member (I'll check this data carefully)

52% are premium members of geocaching.com

31% are also members of other geocaching groups such as terracaching

 

69% of geocaching ids refer to individuals, 31% to a group

 

Use of Groundspeak forums

 

Read messages and post frequently 22%

Read messages and post occasionally 58%

Read messages but don't post 16%

Don't use the forums particularly 4%

 

The Geocaching Community

 

72% of respondents had attended an organised geocaching event

95% of geocachers had made contact with other members of the geocaching community

77% had met other members face to face

89% had been in touch with other members by email

46% had spoke to other members by phone

11% had used some other method of communication

 

Blogging and Photoblogging

 

17% of geocachers keep a blog, of these, approximately a quarter have at least one blog devoted to geocaching and over 90% discuss geocaching in their blogs.

 

97% of geocachers take photos while geocaching

 

7% photoblog while geocaching.

[+Lotho]

Cool, its interesting to see this info and nice to know i helped!

[+faststepper]

Nice to see where we fit into this "family".

[+Sensei TSKC]

Number of years geocaching

 

<1 year 20%

1 – 2 years 27%

2 – 3 years 20%

3 – 4 years 16%

>5 years 8%

and the remaining 9% have been caching, how long?

[+atmguy775]

I'm running with most of the crowd.

 

 

Other things considered useful include a PDA to have the cache pages available for “paperless caching” and for mapping, compass, whistle, spare batteries, torch, voice recorder, radio, binoculars, laptop, another GPS unit, walki-talkies

 

 

By the way torch in Europe means flashlight not a real torch!

[Uberquandary]

Schnockers, I'm in the minority on most points. I feel alone.

[nonaeroterraqueous]

Number of years geocaching

 

<1 year 20%

1 – 2 years 27%

2 – 3 years 20%

3 – 4 years 16%

>5 years 8%

and the remaining 9% have been caching, how long?

 

Maybe they don't go geocaching. Maybe they just hang out in the forums. It should reflect back on the other data in an interesting fashion, though.

[Clan Riffster]

Cats, would it be possible for Groundspeak to review their server logs to determine how many individual accounts actually clicked on your initial survey link? That way you could tell what percentage of folks who read the initial post make up the 661 respondents.

[+brumbjorn]

Schnockers, I'm in the minority on most points. I feel alone.

 

**joins you in the minority corner and passes the popcorn**

[+TrailGators]

Interesting. I didn't know that only 50% are premium members. I figured it would be higher than that. Of course there are a lot of newer geocachers so it takes a little while until they learn how much easier a PQ can make their life.

[+Renegade Knight]

Interesting. I didn't know that only 50% are premium members. I figured it would be higher than that. Of course there are a lot of newer geocachers so it takes a little while until they learn how much easier a PQ can make their life.

I'd assume it's a lot lower overall. The survey would have been responded to more by those of us active in the forums and geocaching. Those folks tend to be premium members at a higher rate than the rank and file.

 

But I'm making that up and can't back it up with hard numbers.

[+TrailGators]

Interesting. I didn't know that only 50% are premium members. I figured it would be higher than that. Of course there are a lot of newer geocachers so it takes a little while until they learn how much easier a PQ can make their life.

I'd assume it's a lot lower overall. The survey would have been responded to more by those of us active in the forums and geocaching. Those folks tend to be premium members at a higher rate than the rank and file.

 

But I'm making that up and can't back it up with hard numbers.

I bet you are right. No wonder they needed to puts adds on the site....

[+StarBrand]

In that the primary "advertising" for the survey was the forums - I think the forum use numbers are skewed way high. Most cachers I know have either never visited the forums or do so only when they have an issue.

[+admo1972]

Number of years geocaching

 

<1 year 20%

1 – 2 years 27%

2 – 3 years 20%

3 – 4 years 16%

>5 years 8%

and the remaining 9% have been caching, how long?

 

I would guess 4-5 years. That is the gap there. It is actually a problem I encounter a lot. age ranges often leave something out, or is ambiguous. If I have been caching, say, 2 years, where do I fall? I've got two options. If I have been caching 4 and a half years, I have no place to record it.

 

My son, who was 2 and a half this last halloween, was to be in a costume contest. They announced all kids under two to go. So we stayed back. They they announced 3 and up to go. See, not clear what the intention is, and this survey fell into the same problem.

[+JeremyR]

77% take a camera

<snip>

97% of geocachers take photos while geocaching

Perhaps I'm missing something methodology-wise but how do twenty percent of cachers take photos without a camera?

[+Team GeoBlast]

Interesting. I didn't know that only 50% are premium members. I figured it would be higher than that. Of course there are a lot of newer geocachers so it takes a little while until they learn how much easier a PQ can make their life.

I'd assume it's a lot lower overall. The survey would have been responded to more by those of us active in the forums and geocaching. Those folks tend to be premium members at a higher rate than the rank and file.

 

But I'm making that up and can't back it up with hard numbers.

I bet you are right. No wonder they needed to puts adds on the site....

 

The curious capitalist pig inside me often wonders if the revenue from the trackables exceeds the membership revenue.

[+Miragee]

77% take a camera

<snip>

97% of geocachers take photos while geocaching

:D Perhaps I'm missing something methodology-wise but how do twenty percent of cachers take photos without a camera?

A cell phone. A PDA like the Palm Zire 72.

 

[+michigansnorkelers]

77% take a camera

<snip>

97% of geocachers take photos while geocaching

:blink: Perhaps I'm missing something methodology-wise but how do twenty percent of cachers take photos without a camera?

A cell phone. A PDA like the Palm Zire 72.

 

 

Yup. That's how I do it. And, that also reflects my answers on this survey.

[+TrailGators]

Interesting. I didn't know that only 50% are premium members. I figured it would be higher than that. Of course there are a lot of newer geocachers so it takes a little while until they learn how much easier a PQ can make their life.

I'd assume it's a lot lower overall. The survey would have been responded to more by those of us active in the forums and geocaching. Those folks tend to be premium members at a higher rate than the rank and file.

 

But I'm making that up and can't back it up with hard numbers.

I bet you are right. No wonder they needed to puts adds on the site....

 

The curious capitalist pig inside me often wonders if the revenue from the trackables exceeds the membership revenue.

 

It might be. I bet that part of the business is pretty profitable.

[+Renegade Knight]

... It might be. I bet that part of the business is pretty profitable.

 

My bet would be on "yes and no" in that for their buck fifty they get years and years of service requests.

 

"How do I adopt, can you email so and so who has my coin, can you change my icon?, I bougt this but they won't adopt it to me can I just take it..."

[+TrailGators]

... It might be. I bet that part of the business is pretty profitable.

 

My bet would be on "yes and no" in that for their buck fifty they get years and years of service requests.

 

"How do I adopt, can you email so and so who has my coin, can you change my icon?, I bougt this but they won't adopt it to me can I just take it..."

Good point. That probably knocks fifty off the buck fifty.

[+brodiebunch]

I thought the fact that 5% had not met others from the geocaching community was interesting.

[+madcats]

Number of years geocaching

 

<1 year 20%

1 – 2 years 27%

2 – 3 years 20%

3 – 4 years 16%

>5 years 8%

and the remaining 9% have been caching, how long?

 

Oops.

 

Put together the results for the forum in a bit of a hurry as I was about to go off on hols and mistyped this bit. Went back and checked when I saw this post and the actual figures are:

 

<1 year 20%

1 – 2 years 27%

2 – 3 years 20%

3 – 4 years 16%

4 - 5 years 8%

>5 years 9%

[+PJPeters]

... It might be. I bet that part of the business is pretty profitable.

 

My bet would be on "yes and no" in that for their buck fifty they get years and years of service requests.

 

"How do I adopt, can you email so and so who has my coin, can you change my icon?, I bougt this but they won't adopt it to me can I just take it..."

Yeah, but I'll bet most of that stuff is handled by the volunteer staff.

 

Also, I think a lot of this info, while not suspect, is a bit skewed, because of the target audience. You can't exactly advertise this to everybody that logs onto GC.com. As only the people that regularly visit the forums got involved, the forum questions may not be too useful for the study. Interesting, yes, but useful? Not so sure.

Thanks for letting us know about the results!

[+Kabuthunk]

WOOH! I helped! I dunno... but I'm one of those types of guys that find random statistics interesting. Thanks for making the topic and letting me see where I fit into the grand scheme of things

[+madcats]

... It might be. I bet that part of the business is pretty profitable.

 

My bet would be on "yes and no" in that for their buck fifty they get years and years of service requests.

 

"How do I adopt, can you email so and so who has my coin, can you change my icon?, I bougt this but they won't adopt it to me can I just take it..."

Yeah, but I'll bet most of that stuff is handled by the volunteer staff.

 

Also, I think a lot of this info, while not suspect, is a bit skewed, because of the target audience. You can't exactly advertise this to everybody that logs onto GC.com. As only the people that regularly visit the forums got involved, the forum questions may not be too useful for the study. Interesting, yes, but useful? Not so sure.

Thanks for letting us know about the results!

Glad you enjoyed them

 

I agree that the info is skewed because it came from keen geocachers. However what I wanted was information from people who were enthusiastic geocachers. I don't plan to generalize from this data. What I'm hoping to do is uncover the ways in which enthusiasts use GPS mobile devices to engage with social and physical contexts, and what the role of community is in this endeavour. I can then combine this info with the mobile informal learning framework I created based on a previous study of PDA and Smartphone users, filling in the gaps, so to speak.

[+Shakedown.dave]

77% take a camera

<snip>

97% of geocachers take photos while geocaching

:laughing: Perhaps I'm missing something methodology-wise but how do twenty percent of cachers take photos without a camera?

I use the camera that is on my phone, but do not actually bring a camera.

 

edited because two people already pointed this out

Edited July 23, 2007 by Shakedown.dave