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Beyond Platinum EarthCache Masters......


geoaware

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Can you give some examples of these low quality ECs, dont have to name them, just mention the type.

 

And the rush to get published before someone else can beat you to it has changed the quality of new EarthCaches; other people have noticed it. I've also started hearing from geocachers who aren't rabid fans that EarthCaches are getting pretty lame as far as their "learning activity" goes--"Go here, take a picture, estimate the size of X and email me" or "Go here, take a picture, tell me the answer to my question that you can find on the sign and email me" Admittedly, not every EarthCache has features that are easily turned into an interactive activity, but some of the people who list so many EarthCaches don't seem to be making any attempt at all to have an entertaining or truly educational activity even when it would be simple.

 

I'd rather own 10 really high quality EarthCaches than 100 blasé ones that just barely meet the requirements.

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Can you give some examples of these low quality ECs, dont have to name them, just mention the type.

 

I can say that I have seen (but not actually done) quite a few "River Intersection" earthcaches. :laughing:

 

They detail the amount of land area that each river drains. Not exactly fascinating, but then again, as I said, i have never actually done one, so..

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IMO, the next level of earthcaches needs to be related to public service. So far the levels are based upon seeing and creating. Racking up the numbers of visited and created.

 

Public service is an aspect that gives back to society and geocaching. Earthcaching public service: geological cito,

teaching/hosting an earthcache event with emphasis on geology, creating processes, etc. Hey doesn't mean you have to be the expert, but coordinated the content

 

What other public service earthcache ideas can be generated?

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IMO, the next level of earthcaches needs to be related to public service. So far the levels are based upon seeing and creating. Racking up the numbers of visited and created.

 

Public service is an aspect that gives back to society and geocaching. Earthcaching public service: geological cito,

teaching/hosting an earthcache event with emphasis on geology, creating processes, etc. Hey doesn't mean you have to be the expert, but coordinated the content

 

What other public service earthcache ideas can be generated?

Your idea is excellent but how would public service be measured? Personally, I believe that measurements (numbers) are ruining geocaching and reducing traditional caches to their lowest common denominator. On the other hand, there has to be some sort of measurement of additional requirements beyond Platinum. :yikes:

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The whole idea of EarthCaches is to get people aware of the geological features around them. From what I see, the idea of the different levels is to promote and reward those who seek and create EarthCaches. It is a process based on quantitative measurement. The more EarthCaches found and created, the higher the level. It rewards the end result, not the process of getting there. Some may choose to forgo the easier EarthCache, in both finding and creating, for the more challenging. While two cachers may have the same number finds and hides, the path to get there was different and possibly tougher for one cacher than another.

 

Some have posted here, if I understand correctly, that the process of rewarding the end result (amount found and created) has led to an abundance of lower quality EarthCaches. It is true there are some EarthCaches which are much easier to find or create. A positive to this is what we in our neck of the woods call "beginner" EarthCaches. It gets people involved; "gets their feet wet". What many in this thread seem to want to promote is a higher quality. There is nothing wrong with that and I encourage a good EarthCache. But, there needs to be a balance of geological promotion and having geoaware and cache owners grade doctoral papers on glacial drift.

 

There are those who want to raise the standard of EarthCaches and the current system does not acknowledge a higher quality EarthCache vs. a lower quality. It is here that the "level system" would need to change from quantitative to qualitative. The very nature of qualitative is subjective. It is more time consuming to judge and may be out of the scope of what EarthCaches were intended to be. I don't know the philosophy behind the EarthCaching system and do not want to assume any more than I already have.

 

Unless something comes from the the Mighty EarthCache Master (I write that with the utmost respect), the level acknowledgments will continue to be be quantitatively based. That leaves us who use the system with nothing more than what we already have. But what we have can be quite powerful and that is to lead by example. We can choose not gripe and moan about EarthCaches we do not like, but rather offer up our knowledge by creating the high quality EarthCaches for others to seek. We can also teach others. There are many cachers that want to earn a higher level and they do seek those with experience. We need to take advantage of those situations and offer guidance when asked. This is a slow process, but the world is a big place and there is room for more EarthCaches.

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The whole idea of EarthCaches is to get people aware of the geological features around them. From what I see, the idea of the different levels is to promote and reward those who seek and create EarthCaches. It is a process based on quantitative measurement. The more EarthCaches found and created, the higher the level. It rewards the end result, not the process of getting there. Some may choose to forgo the easier EarthCache, in both finding and creating, for the more challenging. While two cachers may have the same number finds and hides, the path to get there was different and possibly tougher for one cacher than another.

 

Some have posted here, if I understand correctly, that the process of rewarding the end result (amount found and created) has led to an abundance of lower quality EarthCaches. It is true there are some EarthCaches which are much easier to find or create. A positive to this is what we in our neck of the woods call "beginner" EarthCaches. It gets people involved; "gets their feet wet". What many in this thread seem to want to promote is a higher quality. There is nothing wrong with that and I encourage a good EarthCache. But, there needs to be a balance of geological promotion and having geoaware and cache owners grade doctoral papers on glacial drift.

 

There are those who want to raise the standard of EarthCaches and the current system does not acknowledge a higher quality EarthCache vs. a lower quality. It is here that the "level system" would need to change from quantitative to qualitative. The very nature of qualitative is subjective. It is more time consuming to judge and may be out of the scope of what EarthCaches were intended to be. I don't know the philosophy behind the EarthCaching system and do not want to assume any more than I already have.

 

Unless something comes from the the Mighty EarthCache Master (I write that with the utmost respect), the level acknowledgments will continue to be be quantitatively based. That leaves us who use the system with nothing more than what we already have. But what we have can be quite powerful and that is to lead by example. We can choose not gripe and moan about EarthCaches we do not like, but rather offer up our knowledge by creating the high quality EarthCaches for others to seek. We can also teach others. There are many cachers that want to earn a higher level and they do seek those with experience. We need to take advantage of those situations and offer guidance when asked. This is a slow process, but the world is a big place and there is room for more EarthCaches.

The best post on this thread, including my own. Very well said! :yikes:

P.S. I had my Earthcaching Ph.D taken back by my University. I forgot to pay the fees and for some other matters far too personal to go into here!

Edited by Konnarock Kid & Marge
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Nothing has been decided...and we take all suggestions very seriously.

 

However the current EC Masters process is a time consuming one, and making it more complex will add more burden on us when we are trying to make sure that we can manage the influx of new EC as well as meet the EC Masters demands.

 

That said, maybe an idea would be to have a panel of volunteers who would like to peer review EC in some system and then award the very best with some kind of recognition on the earthcache.org website?

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Nothing has been decided...and we take all suggestions very seriously.

 

However the current EC Masters process is a time consuming one, and making it more complex will add more burden on us when we are trying to make sure that we can manage the influx of new EC as well as meet the EC Masters demands.

 

That said, maybe an idea would be to have a panel of volunteers who would like to peer review EC in some system and then award the very best with some kind of recognition on the earthcache.org website?

 

I would volunteer for that please

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Nothing has been decided...and we take all suggestions very seriously.

 

However the current EC Masters process is a time consuming one, and making it more complex will add more burden on us when we are trying to make sure that we can manage the influx of new EC as well as meet the EC Masters demands.

 

That said, maybe an idea would be to have a panel of volunteers who would like to peer review EC in some system and then award the very best with some kind of recognition on the earthcache.org website?

I certainly would be willing to help. :P

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Nothing has been decided...and we take all suggestions very seriously.

 

However the current EC Masters process is a time consuming one, and making it more complex will add more burden on us when we are trying to make sure that we can manage the influx of new EC as well as meet the EC Masters demands.

 

That said, maybe an idea would be to have a panel of volunteers who would like to peer review EC in some system and then award the very best with some kind of recognition on the earthcache.org website?

 

That would be cool. Sign me up for the panel. I'd love to check out so more earthcaches! :)

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Nothing has been decided...and we take all suggestions very seriously.

 

However the current EC Masters process is a time consuming one, and making it more complex will add more burden on us when we are trying to make sure that we can manage the influx of new EC as well as meet the EC Masters demands.

 

That said, maybe an idea would be to have a panel of volunteers who would like to peer review EC in some system and then award the very best with some kind of recognition on the earthcache.org website?

 

Willing and able should you require help.

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Nothing has been decided...and we take all suggestions very seriously.

 

However the current EC Masters process is a time consuming one, and making it more complex will add more burden on us when we are trying to make sure that we can manage the influx of new EC as well as meet the EC Masters demands.

 

That said, maybe an idea would be to have a panel of volunteers who would like to peer review EC in some system and then award the very best with some kind of recognition on the earthcache.org website?

 

Willing and able should you require help.

From the quality of your caches, I would second the nomination. Beside that, I wouldn't hold against you the fact that you are a geologist. Just kidding! :laughing:

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I would make the next level EUROPIUM level and to make it really something “difficult” to strive for I would adopt the following formula

Europium: 50 10 50 - 50 EC founds in at least 10 countries/states and the development of 50 EC’s.

 

But then do we really need prizes for doing what we love?

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I would make the next level EUROPIUM level and to make it really something “difficult” to strive for I would adopt the following formula

Europium: 50 10 50 - 50 EC founds in at least 10 countries/states and the development of 50 EC’s.

 

But then do we really need prizes for doing what we love?

That's not fair. I am an old geezer and probably will not live that long! Can you EC in Europe by proxy? One country comes to mind as the first to visit. I can't speak the language but I know a geologist who is good at translation. Guess who? :laughing:

I also don't think it is not fair that when I was in Saudi Arabia and Belgium, there was no such thing as geocaching. I would go back to Belgium in a minute but I am not sure about Saudi Arabia. When I was there in the 80's Americans were welcome. I haven't looked but are there any ECs in Saudi Arabia?

I guess it leaves me with the mystery European country with a resident geologist who knows the language! B)

Edited by Konnarock Kid & Marge
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I would make the next level EUROPIUM level and to make it really something “difficult” to strive for I would adopt the following formula

Europium: 50 10 50 - 50 EC founds in at least 10 countries/states and the development of 50 EC’s.

 

But then do we really need prizes for doing what we love?

That's not fair. I am an old geezer and probably will not live that long! Can you EC in Europe by proxy? One country comes to mind as the first to visit. I can't speak the language but I know a geologist who is good at translation. Guess who? :laughing:

I also don't think it is not fair that when I was in Saudi Arabia and Belgium, there was no such thing as geocaching. I would go back to Belgium in a minute but I am not sure about Saudi Arabia. When I was there in the 80's Americans were welcome. I haven't looked but are there any ECs in Saudi Arabia?

I guess it leaves me with the mystery European country with a resident geologist who knows the language! B)

 

You've just given me a wicked idea. Let me develop it some more <_<

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Nothing has been decided...and we take all suggestions very seriously.

 

However the current EC Masters process is a time consuming one, and making it more complex will add more burden on us when we are trying to make sure that we can manage the influx of new EC as well as meet the EC Masters demands.

 

That said, maybe an idea would be to have a panel of volunteers who would like to peer review EC in some system and then award the very best with some kind of recognition on the earthcache.org website?

 

Changing the present program is full of hazzards. New cachers with a goal to attain will all of a sudden feel that perhaps the goal posts have been moved. Except for some notable geologists in the program for the rest of us attaining Platinum has taken considerable time and effort. Don't pull the rug out from under them.

 

It would seem that getting all Platinum awardees involved with a questionaire may be an appropriate approach.

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Nothing has been decided...and we take all suggestions very seriously.

 

However the current EC Masters process is a time consuming one, and making it more complex will add more burden on us when we are trying to make sure that we can manage the influx of new EC as well as meet the EC Masters demands.

 

That said, maybe an idea would be to have a panel of volunteers who would like to peer review EC in some system and then award the very best with some kind of recognition on the earthcache.org website?

 

Changing the present program is full of hazzards. New cachers with a goal to attain will all of a sudden feel that perhaps the goal posts have been moved. Except for some notable geologists in the program for the rest of us attaining Platinum has taken considerable time and effort. Don't pull the rug out from under them.

 

It would seem that getting all Platinum awardees involved with a questionaire may be an appropriate approach.

 

I see where you're going K.Ddid and my intention is not to pull the rug out from under anybody but Geoaware did raise the question and this is just a opinion. I am quite content to leave things as they are and that is why I end my reply with "do we really need prizes for doing what we love?".

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