Log your own waymarks?

[+FolsomNatural]

Is it OK to log the waymarks that you yourself have generated?

[+fi67]

It is OK. After all you've been there to take the pictures and collect the coordinates, I hope. ;-)

 

It is up to you, some do it, some don't, and some only log visits when they come back to this place later.

 

In the early days there was no option to filter one's posting from a search result, only visits. So many waymarkers visited their own waymarks for this reason. Today I personally do not see the point in owner visits, it only spoils the statistics I think. But it is perfectly acceptable.

[+Max and 99]

The local waymarkers have been discussing this quite a bit this past week.

 

The way I understand it, from reading the forums, is that generally speaking the Waymarking community is OK with visits to your own waymarks, but that many waymarkers don't do it.

 

However, we've noticed two situations where logging a visit to your own waymark is a necessity:

 

1. When running a scavenger hunt which does not include your own waymarks, you can still be assigned Wildcards, which means you have to create a waymark to fill the spot. The hunt will not complete unless you visit those waymarks you created for the hunt wildcards.

 

2. We have many Waymark Challenge Caches here. The most recent includes a category that a certain waymarker is pretty much the only person who has submitted waymarks to. So, in order for her to complete the challenge, she needs to visit her own waymarks. (note: I'm simplifying things for the sake of a discussion). I personally don't like seeing waymarkers visit their own waymarks just because it's easier than going out to find someone else's, but that's just my personal opinion and has no bearing on the challenge caches.

[+bpratt]

Hey why not after all you did visit it to get all the information. I have not logged one of my own yet but you never know I just might some day.

[GT.US]

I don't log my own, but no ethical reason for it. Just plain laziness. If there were a benefit to it, for exmaple a challenge cache that needed waymark visit, I would be logging my own in a heartbeat.

[+silverquill]

Is it OK to log the waymarks that you yourself have generated?

 

Entirely up to you.

 

There used to be some who claimed you could not log a visit to your own waymark until AFTER it had been approved and published, but I don't think anyone much cares now,

 

I just don't see the point!

 

Personally, I want my stats separate, and want my visits to reflect visits to other waymarks. If I combine them, the numbers mean nothing. And, you can't compare your visits with others because some log their own, and some don't.

 

I used to think that one valid reason to log a visit to one's own waymark was to add a more personal note or experience that would not be so appropriate in the waymark itself, which generally should be more objective. But, there is the option just to write a note, if one wants to do that. I don't think that shows up in the visit stats, though I'm not absolutely sure.

 

So, my only question is, "Why would you want to?"

[+Bear and Ragged]

It's allowed.

I'm a cacher, so don't 'Visit' my own Waymarks, in the same way you don't find your own caches that you've hidden.

 

However, as a Scavenger hunt may need me to 'Visit' one of my own Waymarks, I'd consider it in that situation!

[Checkmark]

When Jeremy was asked about this back near the beginning of Waymarking he stated that people should be encouraged to log visits on their own waymarks. Waymarks are different from geocaches. Geocaching is an active search towards discovery of the item intentionally hidden from the general public. Waymarks are generally items that the general public has open access to in a passive way.

 

People that make waymarks are free to log a visit if they so choose just like the host of a geocaching event can log that they attended their own event. Most people would agree that logging a find on one's own geocache seems silly and repeatedly logging a find on a certain geocache would also be padding the numbers but other online games give people achievements for being the top attendee at one location. Repeated visits are the name of the game and people compete to to be the in the top slot. Another popular online game has people just say that they were there. Waymarking was one of the first of these games and they all fit that same format of going to a point of reference and stating you were there.

[La de Boheme]

If I have re-visited a waymark AND I have new photos and/or info to add, I will log a visit. Sometimes, I might just stick with a comment. Regardless, I always follow the waymark's visit requirements, even if it is my own.

 

JMO but I hate when I am checking out WMs (not my own) to visit and I check the Visit Logs for more info and experiences and get a 'Logging visit'.

 

But like already stated, to each his own.

[+TheBeanTeam]

In the early days of Waymarking the search and sort features were not fully developed. The only way you could keep track of your waymarks was by visiting them. I visited all of mine in the early days for this reason. Later it just became to cumbersome to post a waymark then post a visit so I stopped doing visits after the tools were improved.

 

I will post a visit now if I visit at a later time and have new information that I update the waymark with.

[+Team Sieni]

Sure, why not? If that's what you want to do.

 

I've logged visits to one or two of my own - normally when I've made a new follow up visit and want to record the fact.

 

Incidentally I may also log multiple visits to other WMs if that's appropriate. For example in the Building Buildings category I've visited WMBT5M_The_Shard_London_Bridge_London_UK several times adding pics of the building as it is gradually completed. Which reminds me it's due for another picture soon, it's nearly finished.

[+Ianatlarge]

Not for me. I don't think it is appropriate, and I would rather spend the time posting a new waymark.

[+thegorilla23]

I visit every mark that I make. I was there, I visited it. It takes a few seconds to write a visit so its not a waste of time to do it.

[+Max and 99]

I visit every mark that I make. I was there, I visited it. It takes a few seconds to write a visit so its not a waste of time to do it.

 

Just for curiosity's sake: would you visit your own waymark if it was one you grabbed from the uncategorized link?

[+thegorilla23]

Just for curiosity's sake: would you visit your own waymark if it was one you grabbed from the uncategorized link?

 

If I ever used the uncategorized section, then yes I would. However, I honestly have never even clicked through to that link or even know what it is used for!

[+Max and 99]

Just for curiosity's sake: would you visit your own waymark if it was one you grabbed from the uncategorized link?

 

If I ever used the uncategorized section, then yes I would. However, I honestly have never even clicked through to that link or even know what it is used for!

 

The uncategorized waymark feature works sort of like this: someone, for a variety of reasons, posts a waymark WITHOUT a category to the UNcategorized waymark section. Someone else (typically) who thinks they can do the write-up and find a proper category for the waymark, then enters that category, and submits the waymark for review. The waymark then becomes owned by the person who submitted it as a category.

 

So for example, I find something neat while on vacation, but I can't figure out what category to put it in. I add the coords and photos to a new waymark page, and submit it to Uncategorized Waymarks. You see the listing, figure out that it would probably be accepted in (for ex.) Signs of History, do the write-up, submit it under the Signs of History Category, and the waymark is approved.

 

The waymark belongs to YOU, and is listed on your stats. But...... you probably never actually visited the item/place waymarked.

 

I was asking a hypothetical question, of course, just out of curiosity.

[+silverquill]

 

Just for curiosity's sake: would you visit your own waymark if it was one you grabbed from the uncategorized link?

 

NO - UNLESS I had actually, physically visited the site. I regret ever having done any of these. Now I my states say I have waymarks in Africa, a continent I have yet to visit! That just messes up my stats, my map, etc.

 

You know, this whole thing has nothing to do about what is "appropriate" or not. Everyone is free to play the game in their own way, and the numbers mean only what you want them to mean. I really don't get the competitive side to Waymarking - or to geocaching for that matter. I track my stats for my own interest and purposes that probably mean nothing to anyone but me.

 

I guess I understand Jeremy's original concept, and that does still appear in some of the files, but it doesn't make sense to me personally. Creating and visiting waymarks are two separate parts of the game as far as I'm concerned, and I'd like to keep them that way - for me.

[+Max and 99]

 

You know, this whole thing has nothing to do about what is "appropriate" or not. Everyone is free to play the game in their own way, and the numbers mean only what you want them to mean. I really don't get the competitive side to Waymarking - or to geocaching for that matter. I track my stats for my own interest and purposes that probably mean nothing to anyone but me.

 

 

This is exactly why I hide my stats from my profile: they mean more to others than to me.

 

I most certainly agree that everyone can (and does) play the Waymarking game as they'd like, in many different aspects of the activity.

[+thegorilla23]

 

The uncategorized waymark feature works sort of like this: someone, for a variety of reasons, posts a waymark WITHOUT a category to the UNcategorized waymark section. Someone else (typically) who thinks they can do the write-up and find a proper category for the waymark, then enters that category, and submits the waymark for review. The waymark then becomes owned by the person who submitted it as a category.

 

So for example, I find something neat while on vacation, but I can't figure out what category to put it in. I add the coords and photos to a new waymark page, and submit it to Uncategorized Waymarks. You see the listing, figure out that it would probably be accepted in (for ex.) Signs of History, do the write-up, submit it under the Signs of History Category, and the waymark is approved.

 

The waymark belongs to YOU, and is listed on your stats. But...... you probably never actually visited the item/place waymarked.

 

I was asking a hypothetical question, of course, just out of curiosity.

 

Well, if I hadn't ever been there, then no, I wouldn't claim a visit to it. I may, however look into them to post some, but not to visit. :-)

[+ChapterhouseInc]

I would like to see a few new stats on post and visit stats and map tabs.

 

most visits to my posts by visitor (how many of my waymarks has marinebiologist visited)

most visits to others posts by me (how many of marinebiologist waymarks have i visited)

most visits to featured waymarks by me

 

on the general list area:

most visited waymarks

most viewed waymarks

recently viewed marks (me and everyone)

recent logs (by everyone). why can't we have this listed on the home page, under the featured waymark.

[+Volcanoguy]

As others have mentioned in the early days of Waymarking a lot of features were not well developed. The only way you could keep track of your waymarks was by visiting them. Later, I continued to visit my waymarks so that I could determine the number of visits to other users waymarks by simply taking the difference between my waymarks and visits numbers.

[+mTn_biKer65]

To each his own but personally I don't log visits on my own waymarks. This way it gives me 2 category matrix to work at as opposed to just the one combined. The website allows me to combine the stats if I so choose.

[+Canadianzombie]

I never used to log my own waymarks, but somebody (a very experienced somebody) asked me why I wasn't. So I did and do, I don 't find it equivalent to logging your own cache in anyway, which I wouldn't do. In any event number padding in Waymarking is kind of senseless as for the most part, most people don't care. I told somebody that I found 674 separate grid categories in Waymarking and they couldn't care less, but when I told them I had 5162 cache finds it meant something to them. In any event, the whole subject is really a mute one, just enjoy Waymarking and keep putting them out as it adds to the fun for others, I've actually got a few people hooked on it and they love it now.

Cheers

CZ