Getaway Mag Geocaching Article

[+Team Ginger]

Thank you Fish Eagle for the lengthy, well written post here before unarchiving the listing. I must say I have learnt quite a lot from following this thread and being involved, yet standing on the side watching...

I have had to re-evaluate my opinion about some of the issues mentioned here.. I am now also more aware of Groundspeak's perspective on a few matters.

 

It is great that all this had a positive outcome.

 

Thank you CF & FE for dealing with this in such a great manner. You guys are great for this sport and your dedication is appreciated!

Edited April 5, 2008 by Team Ginger

[+vespax]

Glad it has a happy ending and the event will go on. I hope the best for it.

 

I apologize if I stirred the pot too much in this thread... Sometimes we need some healthy debate in this forum!

 

Enjoy the event everyone.

[+eragonSaphira]

That done and said, I am pleased to be able to share the good news - the event has been granted special permission from Groundspeak, and I have just unarchived the listing.

 

Woop Woop!! I'm glad all could be worked out. Thanks to everyone, especially CrystalFairy and Fish Eagle, who have campaigned the issue with Groundspeak.

 

See you all at the event.

[+DamhuisClan]

I am also glad about the outcome, and hope you all have fun at the event.

 

We wont make it as R300.00 is a bit steep. And there is more then just two of us. Hope to see some photos though!

[+QFC]

NOT to stir the pot, but.....

 

I find these event is conflict with one of the Geocaching Listing Requirements/Guidelines. They state "in addition, an event cache should not be set up for the sole purpose of drawing together cachers for an organized hunt of another cache or caches. Such group hunts are best organized using the forums or an email distribution list."

 

Finding the caches is not the sole purpose of the event, but if you look at it, it comes rather close. "if you come to the event you will also be able to log the 20 caches...."

 

Now I hosted what I think was the the first event of the this kind in SA where caches braved the deep dark South of JHB and found waypoints containing information and existing caches that were in range. This idea was loaned from a UK cacher (harrogate hunters) who holds an annual event of this kind. They lay out a course where people have to perform tasks, find information and basically conduct a scavenger hunt after this they return and have a pint and food at the local pub.

 

Since my event CF has take these SA events to the next level and has attracted new members to geocaching doing so. I have attended one of the events and enjoyed it (bar the breaking the speed-limit saga that followed), and all that I speak to always seem to enjoy the events. (so what is the problem?)

 

The slight twist on the guidelines is that the event causes the placement of 10 - 40 caches are scattered around an arbitrary route for no particular reason, bar the event. The attendees of the event then find these caches on the day. Surely waypoints would do just fine? If containers are placed they can be removed after the event? On a maintenance note surely placing this many caches is slightly reckless and careless.

 

I apologies for reviving an old topic and being slightly off thread, but I thought it had place here.

[+erik88l-r]

QFC wrote:

I find these event is conflict with one of the Geocaching Listing Requirements/Guidelines. They state "in addition, an event cache should not be set up for the sole purpose of drawing together cachers for an organized hunt of another cache or caches. Such group hunts are best organized using the forums or an email distribution list."

 

Well, if the event is solely to get people together to do a group hunt of existing caches you're quite right.

 

However, in the case of many challenge events new caches are put out for the event and the hunt is not a group hunt, but a competition wherein geocachers or geocacher teams hunt individually. For non-challenge events, caches may also be put out just as a training exercise or a fun activity at the event.

 

If the new caches are to remain after the event they have to meet all the geocaching.com guidelines for the event. If they're temporary caches just placed for the even they would not be listed on geocaching.com and would not have to meet the guidelines for distance between caches, etc. I suppose caches placed for an event could also be a combination of the two: some permanent, some temporary. What we don't want are caches listed in good faith on geocaching.com but archived after an event has ended, such that only attendees can get a "smilie". Can't say that I've seen that happen though, which is good.

 

Hope that explanation helps.

 

~erik~

[+Wazat]

Just to add. I see that point. I would like to see more events like that. Have a closed area in which to do the cache hunt. Not a public road hunt but rather in a nature park of sorts where some caches are placed purely as a one day hunt with prizes but to be removed afterwards. As long as guidelines similar to those at Geocaching.com are followed. Sort of a stepping stone to Geocaching in a whole. Where newcomers can be introduced to Geocaching through established cachers. Non-profit a must. OK a cover charge to include event hosting such as park fees, prize monies or items and such could be charged, but I would rather see this at a minimum and sponsors to be invited to cover some of the costs involved. But most importantly I would like to see it attended by a lot of new GPS owners or new cachers with under 10 finds to their name to be attending as well as a few seasoned veterans with one or two of the veterans giving lectures on Geocaching and how to play the game (The right way). Not so much an Event Cache but rather as a Caching Workshop. No smilies awarded for finds but one for lecturing or hosting such a workshop. I don't know, maybe Erik or Andy can look into this....

 

Oh and just to add. By sponsors I would suggest people like Garmin... For the GPS side. Maybe outdoor and camping companies, tourism and such. After all this is about getting out and seeing the country. :D

Edited April 6, 2008 by Wazat

[+eragonSaphira]

The slight twist on the guidelines is that the event causes the placement of 10 - 40 caches are scattered around an arbitrary route for no particular reason, bar the event.

 

I agree with the point of arbitrary caches, but I think event organisers, I know we did (and I believe that CrystalFairy subscribes to this practice as well), try hard to plant worthwile, lasting caches for events and only publish those afterwards. There is but one cache for the NOLY event that pops to mind, which I think can be considered as arbitrary, and still to our surprise, people seem to really enjoy finding this cache...

 

Wazat, we are currently throwing ideas around for our next event (in 2009). The event will take place in a (3km x 3km) - (5km x 5km) area, so no driving will be needed. I think it will however be closer to the "Event" type cache than the workshop but who knows what the future holds.

 

Anyone reading this perhaps have a farm in Gauteng??

[+QFC]

Anyone reading this perhaps have a farm in Gauteng??

 

Chat to TeamTGF and HarryHound, they have ties into the Orienteering side of things and attend events in 4km * 4km areas quite often. (or they did)

[+the pooks]

You think there was quite a fuss in this thread. You must see the fuss going on in the UK forums on whether commercial content is OK or not. Two reviewers have resigned in the process.

 

I must say I prefer the stricter application of the rules about keeping commercilisation to a minimum.

 

Here follows a summary of the situation and a humourous interpretation.

 

In a nutshell, two of our esteemed reviewers have had to throw the towel in due to differences of opinions with Groundspeak. This is due to a number of reasons none of which I am qualified to explain fuly but the thing that hit the nail on the head was Groundspeak coming into the forums and closing some threads after being asked not to do so my our moderators.

 

Ever since then it has been a daily mud slinging match which unfortunatley I can't see either side benefiting from. At the moment we are down to one reviewer (of caches and the forum - deci) and he is snowed under at present whilst he and the powers that be try to find replacements for the two that left.

 

Tempers are heated and things look grim - in the short term at least.

 

Edited - spelling

 

Once upon a time in The Green and Pleasant Land there were three vicars. These vicars were sometimes jolly vicars and sometimes they were grumpy vicars. But their flock loved them very very much. Each of the vicars had a very large parish. Vicar number one was a bit of a fire brand and was known as the Pyro Rev. Vicar number two was never getting it quite right and was known as the Dodgy Rev and vicar number three had the habit of telling his flock all sorts of frightening stories about GeoHell and was known as the Stinging Rev. By their flock the vicars were affectionately known as the Three Revs.

 

Pyro Rev was in charge of the Parish of Micros. For many years this had been a small branch of the Church of GeoGod but it had in recent times become surprisingly popular largely because the Book of Micros was an easy and short read and no effort was really required. In charge of the Parish of Puzzles and Multis was the Stinging Rev. He had volunteered for this parish largely because he got to be told by the Bishops all the answers in the Book of Revelations to Puzzles and Multis, which saved him a lot of time when visiting his parish. The poor old Dodgy Rev was in charge of the parish called Everything Else. This was a very big parish and it was causing him a lot of premature baldness.

 

The Three Revs were a laid back bunch, and every time the GeoPope spoke or a Geocardinal sent a GeoEdict the Three Revs would get together and have a big revvy grump. GeoRome was a long way away over the big black ocean in a dark and dangerous land called the United Mistakes, and the Three Revs generally decided that as long as they told the Geocardinals that they were very very clever and were the fount of all GeoKnowledge, they would leave alone their three parishes in The Green and Pleasant Land.

 

By and large this was true. Travelling cost money. The GeoCardinals were very very rich because they never left their GeoCathedral except to go to confession in a place called WallSmart which was full of cheap trinkets they could buy. As a result they never paid that much attention to see if a GeoEdict had happened but felt very proud of themselves because the job of GeoCardinals was only to send out GeoEdicts, and they got closer to GeoHeaven the more edicts they sent out.

 

And it came to pass that one day the GeoPope was reading the Great Guidelines of the GeoChurch and he noticed that he had written there a long time ago that moneychangers were not allowed in the GeoChurch. My goodness, said the GeoPope - "I'd forgotten that". My Goodness echoed the GeoCardinals, "You'd forgotten that". The Geopope looked menacingly into the eyes of the GeoCardinals and asked them to lay their souls bare: "Are there any moneychangers in any branches of the GeoChurch". Not I, said the first cardinal, not I, said the second cardinal, not I said the third cardinal but I know of Three Revs who are.

 

"WHAT??!!" screamed the GeoPope - "you Knew and did not reveal your knowledge to your Lord and Master". The three cardinals begged and begged forgiveness because they didnt want to be thrown out of the GeoCathedral. "The Revs shall be cast out", said the GeoPope.

 

Unfortunately for the GeoPope one of the cardinals got on the dog and bone and spoke to the Stinging Rev and warned him that GeoBrimstone was to be cast at him from the home of the GeoChurch in the land of the United Mistakes. So the Stinging Rev got on the dog and bone to the Dodgy Rev and warned him also that GeoBrimstone was to be cast at him from the home of the GeoChurch in the land of the United Mistakes. Unfortunately they both thought the other was going to warn the Pyro Rev.

 

So Stinging Rev and Dodgy Rev went into hiding and Pyro Rev was left all alone. He got very very upset but already the brimestone was landing all around him. The GeoPope couldnt understand what all the fuss was about as it had been writ a very long time ago in the Great Guidelines - and everybody believed the Great Guidelines, didnt they? The GeoCardinals got quite upset because there were not so many vicars they could send GeoEdicts to and they risked becoming less important. As for the GeoFlock, well In the Green and Pleasant Land, the sun had come out and they all decided to go and practice their religion by doing good works visiting their geoBoxes which they had left all around the Green and Pleasant Land.

[+Carbon Hunter]

Well All's well that ends well.

 

Great job guys - after all the issues leading up to the event, I think the entire team and all participants did brilliantly. A great day - and it certainly didn't have a commercial feel to it at all.

 

Thanks to all involved - including all the fellow cachers we met. Really enjoyed meeting so mnay of you guys - and sorry I didn't speak to a few more of you. Perhaps some other time?

[+timmo1977]

We attended the event as a team called wiff gritt with a cacher from the uk, gaugeman and it was fantastic. you just have to read the logs on geocaching.com to see that everyone had a great day. Thanks to crystal fairy, team ginger and show me the cache for all their hard work!!! also without sponsors events like these would not be able to take place, some of us are competitive others not, we need to grow the sport in SA and the only way to do that is to get people to be aware of geocaching, formula one would be nowhere without sponsorship and premotions!! I met at least 10 new cachers on the day who were so kean, so insted of moaning about big sponsors getting involved maybe you could introduce the sport to 10 new people this weekend???? Timmo