What are the only letters NOT used in Cache IDs

[+crimona]

I know there are a few letters not used in the GC ID names. Which ones are they?

[+palmetto]

"I" "L" "O" "S" "U" I think that's all of them

[+Tequila]

Why are they not used?

[+geognerd]

They can be mistaken for other characters. For example, an I could look like a 1 (one). Likewise, a 0 (zero) could be an O.

[+Prime Suspect]

They can be mistaken for other characters. For example, an I could look like a 1 (one). Likewise, a 0 (zero) could be an O.

Not entirely. A "U" doesn't look like anything else. But removing these 5 letters prevents some unfortunate combinations from occurring.

[+Tequila]

They can be mistaken for other characters. For example, an I could look like a 1 (one). Likewise, a 0 (zero) could be an O.

Not entirely. A "U" doesn't look like anything else. But removing these 5 letters prevents some unfortunate combinations from occurring.

 

Thanks for the explanation.

 

Is that something Groundspeak figured out or is it a well known fact?

[+cachecrashers4]

Does anyone else find this funny? A game in which we find things, the letters not used in cache IDs are : I LOS(T) U

[+Chrysalides]

A fascinating bit of trivia!

 

Just for the heck of it, I wrote a simple sieve program to go through the 2000 or so caches in my GSAK database and indeed ILOSU are not in any of the cache IDs.

 

Then I fed the letters into the Internet Anagram Server and out popped "OIL US".

 

I can't wait for Vinny to shed some light on this...

Edited March 18, 2009 by Chrysalides

[Jake - Team A.I.]

I for one wouldn't want to end up with the cache that has GC"LOUSI" as it's waypoint name. Unless I planned on making it something pitiful...

[CoyoteRed]

A lot of it has to do with how folks hand write the characters.

 

Additional confusions:

• Lower case "L" could be a 1 (one).
  
• An "S" could be a 5 (five).
  
• A "U" could be a "V."
  

So, if you're writing down waypoints and confuse a character along the way you certainly could easily log the wrong cache. Then the owner deletes your log, you object, there's a fight, you both get kicked off the site, cats and dog living together...

 

Anyway, this site does do some translations, i.e. the front page will translate an "oh" into a "zero." It won't translate a "U" into a "V," though. (Probably for the reason PS mentioned instead of the U/V confusion like I did.)

[+keehotee]

They can be mistaken for other characters. For example, an I could look like a 1 (one). Likewise, a 0 (zero) could be an O.

 

Shame they didn't think to do the same thing with coin and TB numbers......

[+StaticTank]

They can be mistaken for other characters. For example, an I could look like a 1 (one). Likewise, a 0 (zero) could be an O.

 

Shame they didn't think to do the same thing with coin and TB numbers......

 

This was my first thought as well!

[+deercreekth]

Is that something Groundspeak figured out or is it a well known fact?

 

Most are well known fact. In the automotive industry, there are a few carmakers that require their suppliers to not use I or O in traceability serial numbers to not confuse them with 1 and 0. I know of one that doesn't allow U. I've made the mistake of seeing an S as a 5 before in some fonts.

Edited March 18, 2009 by deercreekth

[+crimona]

I know there are a few letters not used in the GC ID names. Which ones are they?

 

Thank you all for your input. It makes sense. But, in response to the car makers and VINs, some manufacturers (unfortunately) still use easily confused characters. BTW, you can also anagram the missing letters from GCid in a common man's name...

Cheers

[+Prime Suspect]

And then, there's the reason why you won't find the word "flick" in comic books...

 

 

(Hint - comic text is written in upper case, and ink bleeds)

[Jake - Team A.I.]

And then, there's the reason why you won't find the word "flick" in comic books...

 

 

(Hint - comic text is written in upper case, and ink bleeds)

 

I used to work at a movie theater years ago... one day I passed one of the projectors and on the side of it they kept a log of issues in a plastic sleeve. The projectionist and written in that there was a "flickering" problem, but that's not the way I read the word when I first saw it.

[+JacobBarlow]

"I" "L" "O" "S" "U" I think that's all of them

 

I'm surprised B/8 is not one.

[+Castle Mischief]

They can be mistaken for other characters. For example, an I could look like a 1 (one). Likewise, a 0 (zero) could be an O.

 

Shame they didn't think to do the same thing with coin and TB numbers......

 

Actually, I think this has been implemented on the newer coins and TBs.

[Nylimb]

"I" "L" "O" "S" "U" I think that's all of them

 

Let's check: GC16XYD. Yup, no I, L, O, S, or U in there...

[+fizzymagic]

Here is a list of all the words that can appear in cache waypoints:

 

ABBA ABBE ABBY ABED ABET ACHE ACME ACNE ACRE ACTA ADAM ADEN
AFAR AGAR AGED AGEE AGER AJAR AJAX AMEN ANDY ANEW ANNA ANNE
ANTE APED APEX ARAB ARCH AREA ARMY ARPA AVER AWAY AWED AWRY
AXED AXER BABE BABY BACH BACK BADE BAJA BAKE BAND BANE BANG
BANK BARB BARD BARE BARK BARN BARR BART BATH BEAD BEAK BEAM
BEAN BEAR BEAT BECK BEEF BEEN BEEP BEER BEET BEND BENT BENZ
BERN BERT BETA BEVY BRAE BRAG BRAN BRAT BRAY BRED BREW BRYN
BYRD BYTE CADY CAFE CAGE CAKE CAME CAMP CANE CANT CAPE CARD
CARE CARP CARR CART CAVE CEDE CENT CERN CHAD CHAP CHAR CHAT
CHEF CHEN CHEW CRAB CRAG CRAM CRAY CREE CREW CZAR DADA DADE
DAME dadgum DAMP DANA DANE DARE DARK DARN DART DATA DATE DAVE
DAVY DAWN DAZE DEAD DEAF DEAN DEAR DEBT DECK DEED DEEM DEEP
DEER DEFY DENT DENY DEWY DRAB DRAG DRAM DRAW DREW DYAD DYED
DYER DYKE DYNE EACH EARN EARP EBEN EDDY EDEN EDGE EDNA EGAN
EKED EMMA ENVY ERNE ETCH EVEN EVER EWEN EXAM EXEC EYED EYER
EZRA FACE FACT FADE FAKE FAME FANG FARE FARM FATE FAWN FAZE
FEAR FEAT FEED FEET FEND FERN FRAN FRAY FRED FREE FRET FREY
FRYE GAME GANG GAPE GARB GARY GATE GAVE GAWK GAZE GEAR GENE
GENT GERM GNAT GNAW GRAB GRAD GRAM GRAY GREG GREW GREY GWEN
GWYN HAAG HACK HAHN HAND HANG HARD HARE HARK HARM HARP HART
HATE HAVE HAWK HAZE HAZY HEAD HEAP HEAR HEAT HEBE HECK HEED
HEMP HERA HERB HERD HERE HERR HYDE HYMN JACK JADE JAKE JANE
JAVA JAZZ JEAN JEEP JEER JEFF JERK KAHN KANE KANT KARP KATE
KATZ KEEN KEEP KEMP KENT KEPT KERN KERR KNEE KNEW MACE MACH
MADE MAKE MAMA MANE MANN MANY MARC MARE MARK MART MARX MARY
MATE MATH MATT MAWR MAYA MAZE MEAD MEAN MEAT MEEK MEET MEND
MERE META METE MYRA MYTH NAGY NAME NARY NATE NAVY NEAR NEAT
NECK NEED NEFF NEVA NEWT NEXT PACE PACK PACT PAGE PANE PANG
PANT PAPA PARC PARE PARK PARR PART PATE PATH PAVE PAWN PEAK
PEAR PEAT PECK PEEK PEEP PEER PEND PENH PENN PENT PERK PETE
PRAY PREP PREY PYRE RACE RACK RAFT RAGE RAKE RAMP RAND RANG
RANK RANT RAPE RAPT RARE RATE RAVE RAZE READ REAM REAP REAR
REED REEF REMY RENA REND RENE RENT RHEA RYAN TACK TACT TAFT
TAKE TAME TANG TANK TAPE TARA TART TATE TEAM TEAR TEEM TEEN
TEND TENT TERM TEXT THAN THAT THAW THEA THEM THEN THEY TRAP
TRAY TREE TREK TYPE VANE VARY VEDA VEER VEGA VENN VENT VERA
VERB VERN VERY WADE WAFT WAGE WAKE WAND WANE WANG WANT WARD
WARE WARM WARN WARP WART WARY WAVE WAXY WEAK WEAN WEAR WEBB
WEED WEEK WEEP WEHR WENT WEPT WERE WHAT WHEN WRAP WREN WYNN
YANK YARD YARN YAWN YEAR

 

Note that the forum software changed one.

 

Here are a few fun ones:

 

Check out a few:

GCHAWK

GCDEAD

GCBABE

GCJEEP

GC1JEEP

GCPEAK

 

GC1PEAK is coming soon. I think it would be an awesome one to get! Shall we have a contest?

Edited March 25, 2009 by fizzymagic

[+Tequila]

There are a few words in that list that shouldn't/won't make it through. I doubt the word "RAPE" will be allowed. Hopefully not.

[+kraushad]

Having not published any of my own caches yet, i was wondering.... are the assignments for a GC# just random, or do any of the characters signify anything....

 

And Vinny, just because I grew up on Gambrill mountain from age 5-21 (lived about 2000' passed 4 forks (Gambrill and Highland School/Hamburg) I am hoping that I can be excluded from the no-doubt brilliant, yet completely fabricated response you are currently getting ready to bluff me with!

Edited March 25, 2009 by kraushad

[+Prime Suspect]

Here is a list of all the words that can appear in cache waypoints:

 

ABBA ABBE ABBY ABED ABET ACHE ACME ACNE ACRE ACTA ADAM ADEN
AFAR AGAR AGED AGEE AGER AJAR AJAX AMEN ANDY ANEW ANNA ANNE
ANTE APED APEX ARAB ARCH AREA ARMY ARPA AVER AWAY AWED AWRY
AXED AXER BABE BABY BACH BACK BADE BAJA BAKE BAND BANE BANG
BANK BARB BARD BARE BARK BARN BARR BART BATH BEAD BEAK BEAM
BEAN BEAR BEAT BECK BEEF BEEN BEEP BEER BEET BEND BENT BENZ
BERN BERT BETA BEVY BRAE BRAG BRAN BRAT BRAY BRED BREW BRYN
BYRD BYTE CADY CAFE CAGE CAKE CAME CAMP CANE CANT CAPE CARD
CARE CARP CARR CART CAVE CEDE CENT CERN CHAD CHAP CHAR CHAT
CHEF CHEN CHEW CRAB CRAG CRAM CRAY CREE CREW CZAR DADA DADE
DAME dadgum DAMP DANA DANE DARE DARK DARN DART DATA DATE DAVE
DAVY DAWN DAZE DEAD DEAF DEAN DEAR DEBT DECK DEED DEEM DEEP
DEER DEFY DENT DENY DEWY DRAB DRAG DRAM DRAW DREW DYAD DYED
DYER DYKE DYNE EACH EARN EARP EBEN EDDY EDEN EDGE EDNA EGAN
EKED EMMA ENVY ERNE ETCH EVEN EVER EWEN EXAM EXEC EYED EYER
EZRA FACE FACT FADE FAKE FAME FANG FARE FARM FATE FAWN FAZE
FEAR FEAT FEED FEET FEND FERN FRAN FRAY FRED FREE FRET FREY
FRYE GAME GANG GAPE GARB GARY GATE GAVE GAWK GAZE GEAR GENE
GENT GERM GNAT GNAW GRAB GRAD GRAM GRAY GREG GREW GREY GWEN
GWYN HAAG HACK HAHN HAND HANG HARD HARE HARK HARM HARP HART
HATE HAVE HAWK HAZE HAZY HEAD HEAP HEAR HEAT HEBE HECK HEED
HEMP HERA HERB HERD HERE HERR HYDE HYMN JACK JADE JAKE JANE
JAVA JAZZ JEAN JEEP JEER JEFF JERK KAHN KANE KANT KARP KATE
KATZ KEEN KEEP KEMP KENT KEPT KERN KERR KNEE KNEW MACE MACH
MADE MAKE MAMA MANE MANN MANY MARC MARE MARK MART MARX MARY
MATE MATH MATT MAWR MAYA MAZE MEAD MEAN MEAT MEEK MEET MEND
MERE META METE MYRA MYTH NAGY NAME NARY NATE NAVY NEAR NEAT
NECK NEED NEFF NEVA NEWT NEXT PACE PACK PACT PAGE PANE PANG
PANT PAPA PARC PARE PARK PARR PART PATE PATH PAVE PAWN PEAK
PEAR PEAT PECK PEEK PEEP PEER PEND PENH PENN PENT PERK PETE
PRAY PREP PREY PYRE RACE RACK RAFT RAGE RAKE RAMP RAND RANG
RANK RANT RAPE RAPT RARE RATE RAVE RAZE READ REAM REAP REAR
REED REEF REMY RENA REND RENE RENT RHEA RYAN TACK TACT TAFT
TAKE TAME TANG TANK TAPE TARA TART TATE TEAM TEAR TEEM TEEN
TEND TENT TERM TEXT THAN THAT THAW THEA THEM THEN THEY TRAP
TRAY TREE TREK TYPE VANE VARY VEDA VEER VEGA VENN VENT VERA
VERB VERN VERY WADE WAFT WAGE WAKE WAND WANE WANG WANT WARD
WARE WARM WARN WARP WART WARY WAVE WAXY WEAK WEAN WEAR WEBB
WEED WEEK WEEP WEHR WENT WEPT WERE WHAT WHEN WRAP WREN WYNN
YANK YARD YARN YAWN YEAR

Actually, a lot of those are not possible, if you're just talking about GCxxxx where xxxx is the word. For example, there is no CGAJAX, because all the waypoints with 6 characters or less that start with GC1... throught GCF... only use the characters 0-9 and A-F. So no GCAJAX, no GCFARM, no GCDAVY, etc., etc., etc.

[+fizzymagic]

Actually, a lot of those are not possible, if you're just talking about GCxxxx where xxxx is the word. For example, there is no CGAJAX, because all the waypoints with 6 characters or less that start with GC1... throught GCF... only use the characters 0-9 and A-F. So no GCAJAX, no GCFARM, no GCDAVY, etc., etc., etc.

As you no doubt know, I am well aware of that. That's why I said all the words can appear in waypoints.

 

GCAJAX did not appear, but GC1AJAX did, for example.

[+Singletree Expedition]

DAME dadgum DAMP DANA DANE DARE DARK DARN DART DATA DATE DAVE

 

Note that the forum software changed one.

Now, that's funny.

 

Having not published any of my own caches yet, i was wondering.... are the assignments for a GC# just random, or do any of the characters signify anything....

It's automatically assigned (incrementally). It's base-31. Here's more information from Markwell discussing a brief history.