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Alternative to Geocaching.com

HitsMan and Chris

By HitsMan and Chris
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HitsMan and Chris

+HitsMan and Chris

Posted
Posted

After trolling through messageboards for sometime, I've seen a recurring theme: Geocaching.com is not serving everyone in the Geocaching community. Requests for stats, PDA-friendly web pages, and other features go unfulfilled. Do I expect every request to be? No. Can Geocaching.com be all things to all people? Probably not.

 

This has gotten me thinking. Should Geocaching.com be the only significant option for geocachers to enjoy the hobby? While the GC.com team has done a tremendous job fulfilling most of the needs of the GC community, would it serve the community better to have multiple options? After all, Groundspeak has turned this into a business, and competition is good for business customers.

 

An alternative to Geocaching.com could cater to the needs of specific segments of the community that Groundspeak doesn't want to serve. I've heard people say they are willing to pay more for certain features, yet no option is available for those users to pay for those features.

 

I realize that there are critical mass issues with having another directory of caches, but is this really a natural monopoly?

 

This topic is by no means a slam on the Geocaching.com developers. They do a great job. However, do you think there is a need for an alternative service focused on filling the voids that the Groundspeak folks do not fill? If so, what might the focus of that service be?

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southdeltan

+southdeltan

Posted
Posted

(I wonder how long before this becomes a flamefest or is locked down, hehe)

 

There are alternatives.

They pale in comparison.

 

Is competition good? Yes, in most cases. Is it necessary in this situation? Maybe, Maybe not. I can't say I agree with all decisions here - but it is by far the best. I'm fairly certain that the gc.com admin aim to keep the customers (paying and non-paying) happy. The best way to let them know what you want is to email them, not necessarily start a thread on the forums.

 

If enough people contact them with a concern, they will likely address it. I wonder how many people who complain email them. Of course there are LOTS of geocachers that lack the desire to interact or the ability (the knowledge of the internet, ie: who to email, what the address is, etc - lots of users are not 'net savvy')

 

southdeltan

 

"Man can counterfeit everything except silence". - William Faulkner

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timberlane74 & pumpkin

+timberlane74 & pumpkin

Posted
Posted

From a "pure business" point of view, typically a company would license third party vendors to create "add-ons" which work with the original software...don't they? Another revenue stream for Groundspeak could be that very licensing fee...couldn't it? It seems to me that "access to the data engine" is what is really needed for further development of other features by"third parties." Remember, there isn't a website...software program etc....that is "all things to all people...ALL the time..." These guys and gals atGroundspeak have done a great job so far...they have shown I believe progress in responding to the "evolving" needs of members...but what's important to a few MAY not be that important to the masses...so the decisions have to be made to prioritize resources...jeez give them a break...as far as competition is concerned...generally it is good...so who here is going to make the investment and take the risk? The business model is too new to see if there is real profit potential...

 

Never say Never...Never say Always!

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Hawk-eye

+Hawk-eye

Posted
Posted

Honestly ... no. I don't personally see a need for alternate sites. Falls under my "non-complication of hobbies rule 101". It has growing pains but works pretty well IMHO ... and it's the original ... what could a copy do for me the original can't? Nothing practical that I can think of. It's not like cell phone service where pricing is an issue as well as service.

 

----------------------------------------------------------------

Co-founder of the "NC/VA GEO-HOG ASSOCIATION"

... when you absolutely have to find it first!

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WildGooseChase

+WildGooseChase

Posted
Posted

quote:
Originally posted by Hawk-eye:

Honestly ... no. I don't personally see a need for alternate sites. Falls under my "non-complication of hobbies rule 101". It has growing pains but works pretty well IMHO ... and it's the original ... what could a copy do for me the original can't? Nothing practical that I can think of. It's not like cell phone service where pricing is an issue as well as service.

 

----------------------------------------------------------------

Co-founder of the _"NC/VA GEO-HOG ASSOCIATION"_

... when you absolutely have to find it first!

 

It would be like competing cell phone service where you cannot call anyone with the other service without signing up with both first. Keep the resources centrally located.

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Hawk-eye

+Hawk-eye

Posted
Posted

quote:
Originally posted by WildGooseChase:

It would be like competing cell phone service where you cannot call anyone with the other service without signing up with both first. Keep the resources centrally located.

 

Well actually no I don't see it that way ... back to rule 101 ... simplification. I wouldn't have a desire to cross over to the other system. The system we have supplies all my needs. So that would be more apples to oranges from my point of view. Two different products ... I only want the one.

 

----------------------------------------------------------------

Co-founder of the "NC/VA GEO-HOG ASSOCIATION"

... when you absolutely have to find it first!

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Lil Devil

+Lil Devil

Posted
Posted

quote:
Originally posted by HitsMan and Chris:

After trolling through messageboards for sometime, I've seen a recurring theme: Geocaching.com is not serving everyone in the Geocaching community. Requests for stats, PDA-friendly web pages, and other features go unfulfilled.

My GPX Spinner is a third-party utility that provides you with customizable PDA-friendly web pages, based on your Pocket Query. This utility has the approval of, if not the blessing of, Groundspeak.

 

There was a third-party stats page, but it went away due to lack of funding and time. I'm sure if someone else stepped in to fill that hole, it would be well received.

 

Developing and running a site like Geocaching.com is a huge amount of work. That's why the features are often slow in coming. However, if you see a hole to be filled, by all means, fill it.

 

Lil Devil lildevil.gif

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The Alethiometrists

The Alethiometrists

Posted
Posted

The 'virtue of the free market' is one of those shibboleths that can lead to all sorts of mischief. If Groundspeak were acting in an exploitive manner, that would be one thing, but it's not, so I prefer the virtue of having all caches (at least, all but one of those I've done and am interested in) under one roof. I think this is one of those 'natural monopolies,' like Major League Baseball, only GC is run a lot better than the MLB. icon_biggrin.gif

 

-------------

"Thos' Degrees of Longitude and Latitude in Name, yet in Earthly reality are they Channels mark'd for the transport of some unseen Influence, one carefully assembl'd chain…"

– Thomas Pynchon, Mason & Dixon

 

[This message was edited by The Alethiometrists on August 22, 2003 at 09:40 AM.]

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robert

+robert

Posted
Posted

quote:
Originally posted by Hawk-eye:

Honestly ... no. I don't personally see a need for alternate sites. Falls under my "non-complication of hobbies rule 101". It has growing pains but works pretty well IMHO ... and it's the original ... what could a copy do for me the original can't? Nothing practical that I can think of. It's not like cell phone service where pricing is an issue as well as service.

 

Good points. I kind of like having everything all in one place. "The other site" lists one "cache" in my zipcode. Why would you want to go to multiple sites to find caches in your area?

 

~robert

Notice: Driver carries less than $20 cache.

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Marky

+Marky

Posted
Posted

quote:
Originally posted by ScrawnyJay82:

I think that your compleatly right!!! The Geocaching community needs more options and differnt ideas to help this new sport grow and change.... Im all for multi sites that provide different functions. icon_smile.gif

The key word here being different, not duplicate. icon_wink.gif

 

--Marky

"All of us get lost in the darkness, dreamers learn to steer with a backlit GPSr"

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Bud

+Bud

Posted
Posted

quote:
Originally posted by Marky:

The key word here being different, not duplicate. icon_wink.gif

 

--Marky

 

...and if by being different, you mean supplying usable maps again, I'll go anywhere where they might be.

 

/remembers back in the day

 

Budophylus

San Antonio, TX

5-star cache team member (because we can make the easiest 1/1 into a 5-* difficulty cache)

What started all of this? Well, I said to my friend: "I'm bored. Can't we find a new sport?" Now, hundreds of caches later...

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mrplug

+mrplug

Posted
Posted

My .02

 

Competition is often desirable in markets to help decrease price, improve quality, and stimulate product and service innovation. Since Geocaching is a FREE hobby and not a paid service, I'm not sure this question applies in this case.

 

It seems clear that the price for the service offered by the site cannot be driven any lower since it is free. Also, the quality is excellent compared to alternative sites in the "market" as well as other Web sites devoted to various hobbies. And as far as innovation is concerned, Jeremy and staff have appeared, in my opinion, to bend over backward in many cases to add new features and repair problems requested by all of us in the geocaching community.

 

I therefore strongly disagree with there being a need for additonal service providers in this "market". The demand for service in the supposed "void" not filled by Groundspeak is most likely not strong enough to warrant the entrance of new "players".

 

Has anyone seen my giant "laser"?

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GEO*Trailblazer 1

+GEO*Trailblazer 1

Posted
Posted

I do not think there is an alternative myself.

These things were created out of Geocaching,stats page,etc...

I like it just the way it is and greatly appreciate all updates.

But I am just Newbie still.

 

I'll leave the Engineering to the Engineers!

 

WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS *GEOTRYAGAIN*

 

TAKE PRIDE IN AMERICA

 

http://www.doi.gov/news/front_current.html

 

**1803-2003** "LOUSIANA PURCHASE"

http://www.lapurchase.org

 

"LEWIS AND CLARK EXPADITION"

http://lewisclark.geog.missouri.edu/

Initial Points Page

http://www.True-Meridiansubscribe@yahoogroups.com

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Renegade Knight

+Renegade Knight

Posted
Posted

There are other cache sites out there and have been since I started.

 

They don't add anything critical that geocaching.com doesn't have. It would take a new direction of growth that this site doesn't embrace to breathe life into them.

 

By and large most of the gripes and suggestions for features about this site are minor. Not having the feature or implementing the requst doesn't interfere in your ability to do the basis. The basics being to go out and find caches. This site actually excells at the basics.

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