Tampa Bay News 9 report ? Why?

[Gizmo's Keepers]

I don't understand why someone talked to Bay News 9 about geocaching. I saw this report this morning when I woke up. I was very disappointed. The reporter went with a current geocacher during broad daylight with their cameras to find some caches and explained what geocaching was. This may be my own opinion, but I think that the news covering it kind of ruins the anonymity of the game. I just feel that muggles might ruin the fun by not respecting where caches are hidden.

[+Team CeDo]

http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2009/1/...9;treasure'

 

 

Not sure how I feel about it but here is a link to the story.

[+nittany dave]

I don't understand why someone talked to Bay News 9 about geocaching. I saw this report this morning when I woke up. I was very disappointed. The reporter went with a current geocacher during broad daylight with their cameras to find some caches and explained what geocaching was. This may be my own opinion, but I think that the news covering it kind of ruins the anonymity of the game. I just feel that muggles might ruin the fun by not respecting where caches are hidden.

Those of us who have been around a little longer have seen geocaching grow from a true underground activity to what it is today. I think the anonymity of the game is already long gone.

 

I read the brief story in the link. Didn't bother to watch the video. It seemed like a nice article and I see nothing wrong with it.

[+Team CeDo]

Personally I LOVE Geocaching and I guess I take "the more the better" outlook. The more people involved with Geocaching the more CITO, hides, geocoins, etc. Geocaching generaly brings on good things for the communuty. So having said that the article probably has done Geocaching some good, and BRING ON THE NEWBEES!!!!!!

[+JerseyGirl & Bruno]

I find it particularly ironic that the newbie who chose to flame me is called Gizmo's Keepers...I have a dog named Gizmo who's also a geocacher and he sees nothing wrong with the story

Edited January 12, 2009 by JerseyGirl & Bruno

[+Team CeDo]

Hmm.....I wonder how many finds Gizmo the dog has?

[+JerseyGirl & Bruno]

LG has just about as many finds as I do

 

FYI, this log showed up this evening on a cache on my watchlist. Here's the print article that they mentioned.

 

I believe that promoting geocaching to the general public in a positive manner can only help our sport.

Edited January 12, 2009 by JerseyGirl & Bruno

[+Nsearch]

 

I believe that promoting geocaching to the general public in a positive manner can only help our sport.

 

I have to agree with that point of view.

[Gizmo's Keepers]

I find it particularly ironic that the newbie who chose to flame me is called Gizmo's Keepers...I have a dog named Gizmo who's also a geocacher and he sees nothing wrong with the story

 

Sorry I wasn't trying to burn anyone I should have looked over what I wrote to make sure it didn't offend anyone. I just felt the sport is still underground for my demographic. I don't know anyone my age who are familiar with it and I kind of liked that We woke up Sunday morning and the first thing we saw on the news was the report and we both gasped "Noooooooooo!" LOL.

 

***P.S. I like that you named your dog Gizmo!

~Our sugar glider came with the name when we adopted him from a previous owner

[+KRnlKilR]

I would have to look at this as a double-edged sword. On one hand, an article about Geocaching on the news exposes the public to the sport. An informed public is less likely to call the police or bomb-squad just because they see some person slipping into the hedges near the post office with a funny looking device in their hand. They may understand that the person is a geocacher searching for the box of goodies.

 

On the other hand, such a mindset of the public may acutually expose Geocachers to more negative thoughts. Look at that grown man or woman tromping down the flowers or tearing up that nice tree, or damaging the statues in the park for what? A plastic box with novelty items? Along with those people will be some who may acutally witness criminal activities and not report them because they think the criminal is just a geocacher doing his thing.

 

I started geocaching about the time it was becoming more mainstream. The age of anonymity was coming to a close as the bloom of caches being placed exploded. This was a great time to get into the sport as there were literally thousands of caches to be found with new ones being posted. Gone were the days of having to wait two weeks for a cache to be placed within 10 miles of the house. But, also gone were all of the pristine places to place a new cache. I haven't been able to get a cache published in months because I haven't found a spot lately that someone else hasn't already thought was a good place for a cache. (That's fine with me... as long as the beauty of the area gets shared, I'm good with that.)

 

So, I'm glad to see a positive news article about our great sport, just as long as the public sees it in a positive light.

[kirbyy]

Heh, I saw it as I was looking up geocaches near me.

 

Needless to say I was dumbfounded... :'(

[+Renegade Knight]

I find it particularly ironic that the newbie who chose to flame me is called Gizmo's Keepers...I have a dog named Gizmo who's also a geocacher and he sees nothing wrong with the story

 

I find it ironic that someone who is willing to work with the press and their amazing abilty to spin a story and get the facts wrong has a hard time telling when someone merley disagrees with an action as opposed to a 12year old potty mouth sitting behind a keyboard doing some real hoe down flaming.

 

Personally I think a story can run both directions on caching. You almost have to interview the press to see which way they are going to spin it before you work with them. Good press is the goal when we cachers step up and do a story. Bad press happens just fine without our help.

 

Now I'll check out the link to the story.