Groundspeak Budget (release)?

[+cerberus1]

I haven't been playing this hobby as long as some, certainly not "almost at the beginning" as you, but not once have I ever heard/read where Groundspeak said this hobby is one that everyone can enjoy exactly the same.

 

You do realize that premium members have been around "almost at the beginning" right? They're called Charter members today.

- So your recollection that the hobby was free and open to all hasn't been so for some time.

 

Basic members are still allowed the same benefits they had since the beginning.

 

Things have modernized a bit since '02 and fortunately Groundspeak has kept up.

PQs, and notifications have improved the hobby considerably and you get what you pay for with the same premium payment as back-in-the-day.

Monthly phone bills that allow others to geocache without a GPSr cost more than the yearly premium membership.

Gone are the days of leaving with a stack of paper (we have paperless now) to cache and GPSrs are way more accurate than those many had "almost at the beginning". I started with a Legend. For it's time it was high-tech.

- Times change and you either get with the program or be left out.

 

You still haven't explained a reason to know, which is none of anyones business by the way.

You start a thread with a two sentence post and fail to respond for a year-and-a-half. You then bump the thread to pretty-much talk about yourself and to say you, "Can't guarantee I'll see/reply to any posts after this (as said...exploring a return, it isn't set)". Why bother?

If you don't, I'm sure you'll be missed.

[Mr.Yuck]

OK...haven't read all the responses, but some good ones and some silly ones.

 

First...it is always my right to ask. It is the right of Groundspeak to say no.

 

Reason for asking in this in the first place: When I started caching almost at the beginning of the came (March 2002) Geocaching was just starting to crawl. There was only a dozen or or less caches in my county, probably two or three dozen in all of Maryland. They were big and heavy on asking for "volunteers" and said the game would always be free. The folks running it said this and that about how we should help build the organization. There were quite a few folks that contributed, free of charge, to the game. Some way more than others.

 

So as the ten year anniversary approached...I had finally realized...all that effort that many put in, and the words geocaching spoke early on was all a misguided scam to have people build a brand they never had any intention of giving back to. Sure it is a game, but considering that many (mostly those I've spoken to rather than myself) feel jaded by the fact Geocaching let people to believe it was all a penny pinching operation when we clearly see now that it was to make money...lots, and lots of money.

 

 

Welcome back Weather Warrior. Well, these are Groundspeak's forums, so you'll mostly be hearing from fiercely loyal customers, and get a lot of "none of your business", or "they're making money, good for them" responses. But I can see where a paying customer, especially an old-timer who was around when it was more of a grass roots organization, would be curious. Nothing wrong with that.

 

If you look at http://www.Groundspeak.com/jobs.aspx occasionly like I do (maybe every couple months), you'll see the company is basically "always hiring", although they're usually highly specialized jobs. I count 69 Lackey Avatars there (i.e. 69 Employees), and I'd think they keep that pretty current. They are most certainly making money, do not appear to have been affected one bit by "the great recession" of 2007-2008, and continue to grow. Good for them, as everyone is saying.

 

I got in pretty early, but not as early as you. I do not believe they started out intending to make money, or grow to 70 Employees in 12 years. I'll bet the founders are as amazed as you and I. The Volunteers, which they continue to make use of? I think that happened by accident. As the years went by, and the company continued to grow by leaps and bounds, I too thought it looked pretty bad for an obviously profitable company to have volunteers working for them for free. I've done a total 180 on that one in the last couple years though. The Geolocation gaming company Foursquare, created in only 2009, but with over 20,000,000 members (Groundspeak has only 7,000,000) makes extensive use of a system of world-wide volunteers out in the field to keep their listings clean, accurate, and consistent. As a matter of fact, you have to apply, take a test, and lots of people get turned away!

Edited February 7, 2013 by Mr.Yuck

[+ras_oscar]

I was rasied to believe that the finances of others are none of my business, and its rude to ask. I pay what I consider to be a fair price for an entertainment service. If the service is no longer a good value to me i would not pay to renew.

[+Packanack]

In order for them to make a real killing they would have to bring back virtuals.

But seriously, it is their business and we wish them success.I do agree with the comments that point out that Groundspeak is a business as some equate it with a geocaching parent organization similar to a club, that it is not.

 

I suspect that over at the foundering other commercial listing site, owned by a prominent maker of gps equipment someone thought that there was more in it than the actual.

Why else would they have jumped into it.

[+Colonial Cats]

The Groundspeak folks provide a service and if we deem that this service is worthy of the dollars, we will spend them. They need to at least break even in order to continue to provide their services. If they are doing things right, they will also make a profit. I know its not fashionable to make profits now'r days, but profits provide the incentive for businesses to succeed. How the money breaks down is nobody's business. We choose to pay for services and Groundspeak provides them. As long as those services are worth as least the $30/year, then Groundspeak will continue to be successful. If these services are not worth the costs, then Groundspeak provides its excellent free basic membership.

[+DragonsWest]

I know Signal has a great affinity for and is the exclusive customer for Jelly Belly brand Fly-flavored Jelly Beans. Probably goes through a few sawbucks worth of those every month.

[+gpsblake]

I have no problem with Groundspeak turning a profit, and honestly, I have no problem if Jeremy Irish and his investors has become a millionaire several times over. I hope it is financially successful. This is a business, not a non-profit. Heck, if they were in this purely for money, they probably would rake in a few 100 million dollars by taking the company public or by selling the company to someone like Garmin. They could also do things like sell out your email address or bombard you with banner ads, just to make a buck but they don't.

 

They haven't raised the price of premium membership ever but yet have added so many features over the years. For all the bandwidth, computer resources, and other things, $30 a year is a good deal. And like others have said, it's still free just like it was when it started if one wishes not to pay the premium membership.

[+T.D.M.22]

OK...haven't read all the responses, but some good ones and some silly ones.

 

You've only had a year and a half. Don't worry about it.

[+cpine]

One things for sure the money is not going to the challenges anymore!

[+TheWeatherWarrior]

OK...haven't read all the responses, but some good ones and some silly ones.

 

You've only had a year and a half. Don't worry about it.

Hahahah. Yeah, well, only returned AFTER 1 and a quarter years. Only restarted my interest for about a week now.