New GPS Game

[+markpeace]

Hi all,

 

I'm in the middle of writing a new GPS-game based on foraging, and thought it might appeal to geocaching-types. You basically email a Geotagged photo of the thing you've found, with the type of find as the subject, to the website - the community then vote on whether the find is accurate, and you receive points based on various criteria (first to find, first in location, etc).

 

Its all very rough and ready at the moment, but the whole thing is community-driven, and I need a micro-community to get it started, so if anyone fancies playing, the website is ...

 

http://www.foragable.com

 

(faq available at http://www.foragable.com/foragable/faq/)

 

I'm aiming to launch it properly next spring, and I'll need to monkey around with it in the meantime, but I'm going to try and ensure that items people post aren't lost.

 

All the best,

Mark.

[+uktim]

Hi all,

 

I'm in the middle of writing a new GPS-game based on foraging, and thought it might appeal to geocaching-types. You basically email a Geotagged photo of the thing you've found, with the type of find as the subject, to the website - the community then vote on whether the find is accurate, and you receive points based on various criteria (first to find, first in location, etc).

 

Its all very rough and ready at the moment, but the whole thing is community-driven, and I need a micro-community to get it started, so if anyone fancies playing, the website is ...

 

http://www.foragable.com

 

(faq available at http://www.foragable.com/foragable/faq/)

 

I'm aiming to launch it properly next spring, and I'll need to monkey around with it in the meantime, but I'm going to try and ensure that items people post aren't lost.

 

All the best,

Mark.

 

Have you considered the impact that this will have on the plants that get listed and the areas that they grow in.

 

This seems like an apallingly ill-conceived idea to me

[+currykev]

I need a micro-community to get it started

 

[+Bambography]

Have you considered the impact that this will have on the plants that get listed and the areas that they grow in.

This seems like an apallingly ill-conceived idea to me

More ill-conceived than hiding an ammo can 3 metres off a track making cachers trample their own way through the previously healthy undergrowth to find it??

 

It sounds interesting to me. However, to confirm 'accuracy' of an entry is going to require an awful lot of players and since you can easily edit EXIF and self-geotag any photos confirming coords will be a big problem.

Otherwise an interesting idea but needs to be very carefully planned to get enough players to make it work.

[+*mouse*]

Hmmmm......

 

Had a quick look and to be honest I'm not sure I see this catching on. It's not really for me (unless I'm missing something). I'm personally not that interested if someone finds a bramble bush in Lancashire........

 

But not to do it down, this could maybe have further potential if you could somehow control the finds so that they're more specific or interesting. Maybe if people could only upload pictures of rarer items that are not normally seen?

Or maybe include a challenge element - like who can find the most of something paticular items in a week....

[+BCNorwich]

Please don't, it has the potential for great harm. I can't see any good for the environment.

 

Regards

Bernard

[+tsiolkovsky]

Sounds like Geo-Twitching only with plants instead of birds.

 

As long as it doesn't impact on the environment too much can't see the harm, and if it makes people not only become more aware and appreciate their environment more, then it is a good thing.

 

It would be even better thing if they also promoted a CITO ethos...

[+uktim]

Have you considered the impact that this will have on the plants that get listed and the areas that they grow in.

This seems like an apallingly ill-conceived idea to me

More ill-conceived than hiding an ammo can 3 metres off a track making cachers trample their own way through the previously healthy undergrowth to find it??

 

It sounds interesting to me. However, to confirm 'accuracy' of an entry is going to require an awful lot of players and since you can easily edit EXIF and self-geotag any photos confirming coords will be a big problem.

Otherwise an interesting idea but needs to be very carefully planned to get enough players to make it work.

 

If someone enters a good location for seeds or berries and a load of other people descend on the area and pick the lot it will have a significant impact on the local bird population. Foraging is fine if people are getting off their backsides and find stuff for themselves but publicising good locations on the internet is likely to cause all sorts of issues.

[+markpeace]

Hi all,

 

Thanks for the replies. I understand the concerns about over-foraging and sustainability, my intention is that the 'seeking' will be more important than the 'finding' - i.e. that people are engaged in finding things themselves and posting them in order to get confirmation from the community and earn XP points based on new types of find in new areas.

 

I'm not going to allow exact downloads of coordinates for finds - both for fear of over-foraging, and because half the fun is in the hunt - but instead have a facility to generate 'foray guides'; in which people enter a location and radius, and receive likely finds based on seasonality and other people's finds in that area.

 

I think the T+Cs are also going to be important, in terms of shaping ethical foraging habits.

 

Other suggestions very welcome!

Mark.

[+uktim]

Hi all,

 

Thanks for the replies. I understand the concerns about over-foraging and sustainability, my intention is that the 'seeking' will be more important than the 'finding' - i.e. that people are engaged in finding things themselves and posting them in order to get confirmation from the community and earn XP points based on new types of find in new areas.

 

I'm not going to allow exact downloads of coordinates for finds - both for fear of over-foraging, and because half the fun is in the hunt - but instead have a facility to generate 'foray guides'; in which people enter a location and radius, and receive likely finds based on seasonality and other people's finds in that area.

 

I think the T+Cs are also going to be important, in terms of shaping ethical foraging habits.

 

Other suggestions very welcome!

Mark.

 

I find it hard to see how you will police this. Ask yourself if this is necessary and why you are doing it? Maybe change the name of the site and include all plants whether edible or not? Whatever your intention it is likely to get misused. Foraging isn't about the internet or some form of meaningless points system to bolster peoples self esteem, it's about quietly getting out, appreciating the countryside and finding things for yourself and enjoying the fruits of your efforts. Why cheapen it with a tacky website?

[1arrow24]

Hi all,

 

I'm in the middle of writing a new GPS-game based on foraging, and thought it might appeal to geocaching-types. You basically email a Geotagged photo of the thing you've found, with the type of find as the subject, to the website - the community then vote on whether the find is accurate, and you receive points based on various criteria (first to find, first in location, etc).

 

Its all very rough and ready at the moment, but the whole thing is community-driven, and I need a micro-community to get it started, so if anyone fancies playing, the website is ...

 

http://www.foragable.com

 

(faq available at http://www.foragable.com/foragable/faq/)

 

I'm aiming to launch it properly next spring, and I'll need to monkey around with it in the meantime, but I'm going to try and ensure that items people post aren't lost.

 

All the best,

Mark.

 

Sounds good, its like this website unless i'm mistaken? http://www.neighborhoodfruit.com/

I too am wooried about overforaging but that's a matter of trust- geocaching itself is also based on trust- how do you know if the visitors to the cache aren't going to move it, break it etc? We Don't! You have to give people information and give them the trust that they will not wreck everything!

[+The Other Stu]

Based on the fact that less and less people seem to eat Blackberries, I don't think it can do any harm.

 

We went Blackberry picking last night and rather than having to look hard because they were taken, we had more trouble with the fact that noone picks them any more and most had gone hard and died.

 

As a child, we spent our Sundays in September blackberry picking. Does noone do it with their kids any more?

 

I'm just waiting for the first frost before we go after some Sloes.

[1arrow24]

Based on the fact that less and less people seem to eat Blackberries, I don't think it can do any harm.

 

We went Blackberry picking last night and rather than having to look hard because they were taken, we had more trouble with the fact that noone picks them any more and most had gone hard and died.

 

As a child, we spent our Sundays in September blackberry picking. Does noone do it with their kids any more?

 

I'm just waiting for the first frost before we go after some Sloes.

Yeah! i know of no-one else who forages, it creates respect for the natual world- going out there and finding your food instead of finding it in plastic packages!

P.S. You wait for the first frost? oh, i ate one recently from a tree and it was soooo bitter, my mouth literally turned inside out!