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Earthcache Day very :-(


gabigirlhs

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I read the posts regarding todays International Earthcache Day....after we visited and logged our earthcache for the day. Although we were all very thankful to get out and (earth)cache it was VERY dissapointing to not get a Groundspeak souvenir....How can that be????

 

yes indeed it would be a big plus for those like you and me who got out especially to record a earthcache! :/ I read in another thread that maybe next year...

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There is no Souvenir available this year, but we are working on having one available for next year.

If you log an EarthCache on EarthCache Day, or attend one of the events listed above, feel free to use this art in your geocaching profile (but please don't use it in other ways, like stickers, etc.) - https://sphotos-b.xx...553530430_n.jpg

Best wishes, and have a great weekend!

--GeoawareHQ

 

According to: http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=288276&view=findpost&p=5136126

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I agree and was very disappointed as well. After the hype from Groundspeak, you would expect a souvenir for logging an EarthCache on this day, but maybe Leap Day and World Wide Flash Mob are more of what Groundspeak thinks is worthy of a souvenir and what they think should be more important to geocachers and to geocaching as a whole. Go figure!

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I drove 250+ miles yesterday to get a 2nd GPS Adventures Maze yesterday (and see a cool museum and get a webcam), so was kind of glad there was no talk of an earth cache souvenir today. If there was one mentioned, I probably would have figured out one to get, even if none are close by. Luckily it would have not have been 250+ miles.

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Hello EarthCachers,

 

1. Thank you all for your interest in International EarthCache Day!

2. Artwork was provided here in the forum and on the EarthCache Facebook page that anyone may add to their profile if they participated in International EarthCache Day. (NOTE: The art may only be used for that purpose, and the EarthCache logo may not be used for any purposes [or other art] unless permission has been granted by GSA.)

3. Due to the focus on the Mega, GSA did not have the ability to start the EC Day Souvenir process early enough to make it happen in time for 10/14/12. I apologize for that.

4. Plans are already underway to develop a Souvenir for 2013. (Due to suggestions we've received over the past couple of weeks.)

5. There will be no retroactive Souvenir for 2012.

5. Believe me, "TPTB" are listening (see points 2 and 4).

6. Hopefully there was more to visiting an EarthCache yesterday than getting a Souvenir! :) Thanks to all who got outside and learned about our planet! And a BIG thanks to everyone who hosted an event on Sunday, we hope you enjoyed the "goodies".

 

Best wishes,

GeoawareHQ

(Matt)

Edited by geoawareHQ
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4. Plans are already underway to develop a Souvenir for 2013. (Due to suggestions we've received over the past couple of weeks.)

5. There will be no retroactive Souvenir for 2012.

 

Doesn't seem like it would be that difficult to do a retro souvenir, especially since the actual graphic is already made.

How hard could it be to make a bunch of happy people even happier? :unsure:

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4. Plans are already underway to develop a Souvenir for 2013. (Due to suggestions we've received over the past couple of weeks.)

5. There will be no retroactive Souvenir for 2012.

 

Doesn't seem like it would be that difficult to do a retro souvenir, especially since the actual graphic is already made.

How hard could it be to make a bunch of happy people even happier? :unsure:

 

Agree 100% Franklin4 -- check the Earthcache day facebook page, and see how many hundreds of people are angry and complaining about the lack of the souvenir. This negative buzz is not good for geocaching and especially not for earthcaching. It can be fixed by turning the pre-existing graphic into a souvenir.

 

So now we are assured that TPTB have learned. We are told that they will do something next year. That's not going to do anything for the folks who have been turned off of earthcaching and geocaching. Reading all the negative flak on FB doesn't make any newbie burn with the desire to start caching. It doesn't drive sales of Groundspeak merchandise or expand the hobby.

 

C'mon Groundspeak! Stop the bleeding NOW by creating and awarding a retroactive souvenir. Take a negative and make it a double positive -- by (1) showing that TPTB respond in other ways than just saying "no" or "wait til next year" and (2)Turn those frowns upside down by recognizing those who made a special effort to EC with the souvenir they expected!

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4. Plans are already underway to develop a Souvenir for 2013. (Due to suggestions we've received over the past couple of weeks.)

5. There will be no retroactive Souvenir for 2012.

 

Doesn't seem like it would be that difficult to do a retro souvenir, especially since the actual graphic is already made.

How hard could it be to make a bunch of happy people even happier? :unsure:

Hmmm that's a tough call. Make already happy people happier, or make an indifferent Swineflew upset because the pig would have grabbed one if a souvenir had been offered. I'd leave it alone. :anibad:

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Well, I was too busy to grab an EC Sunday (I've already logged 149, and I'm a Platinum EC Master)--I specifically gave it a pass because I knew there was no souvenir, and I didn't have an EC I could do with the amount of time I had. If there's a retroactive souvenir I can't get, I'll be just as mad as folks who are mad now because they logged an EC. You can't please everyone. The info was available in the forums--in the International Earth Day thread, I think--it was clearly stated that there was to be no souvenir.

Edited by Dame Deco
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If they COULD do a retroactive souvenir, maybe they could still give all a chance by stating that you need to log an EC this week--I think Earth Day also has an Earth Week attached--then everyone would still have a few more days to do it if they decided to give out a souvenir after all.

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Dame Deco,

 

Not everyone is a Platinum EC Master (which is very admirable) or has read the International Earth Day thread. The latest issue of Latitude 47 said in part: "Simply discover and log an EarthCache, or attend an EarthCaching event, this Sunday to take part in the worldwide movement" and that statement was posted along with the "logo" for the event (and as you know, souvenirs have regularly been created from the event logo.) Right or wrong, many folks like me assumed the implied receipt of a souvenir.

 

Anyway, my point is that probably like most of the other responding geocachers, I am not a super-geocacher (more of a weekend warrior), don't have a lot of FTFs, don't read all the boards, haven't been a long-time geocacher, etc. and the souvenirs I receive are some small measure of achievement such as the souvenirs for the 13 states where I have found a cache. At my age, I will never have thousands of finds or make finds in distant lands. Yes, I participated in a World Wide Flash Mob as well as found a cache on Leap Day this year in part because of the souvenirs and I think you would agree that these types of events are far less important to geocaching than an EC event. Groundspeak awards these souvenirs in part to encourage participation and they certainly were encouraging participation in this event. I know you may say that a souvenir should not be my reason for participating in an event and I agree, but again, right or wrong, I think most are disappointed and discouraged because in our collective opinions, the souvenir seemed to be implied in Latitude 47, Facebook and other places and it leaves a black eye on Groundspeak for the ambiguity regarding a souvenir unless they make good on this and award it retrospectively. I would imagine there are thousands out there who are disappointed as well but will never post their comments to the boards. Therefore, I hope we can respectfully agree to disagree.

 

With kind regards,

pcl_el_hefe

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I actually do agree with you that GS implied that there was a souvenir--they did a poor job of marketing on this one. I just hope that if they decide to give out one retroactively, those of us who didn't make it a point to log one because we knew there wasn't one will have a chance to earn one. I've been thinking of doing one on Thursday after work, anyway.

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Wait, you get souveniers when you log caches now? </snark>

 

I don't understand all of the anxiety about not getting souveniers for geocaches/events/etc. The only thing I can guess is that nobody does the trade up/trade even thing anymore, and so many caches are made too small for swag or with no trade items in them to start with. I guess the badge on your profile page is the replacement for what used to be a fun, community supported process.

 

The idea that you should "get something in return" for a find on a date or whatever the case is could be why cache contents are lacking. The idea for Earthcaches is to learn something new, and I think the whole point of the day was to encourage people to get out and do just that: Learn. I hope those that ran out to get an EC for a non-existant souvenier actually took some time to learn something the cache owner spent a lot of time working on to teach something about our planet. JM2C

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I do agree with your (in your words) snarky comment, but it was Groundspeak, GSAK and others who have promoted souvenirs, FTFs, challenges, awards, etc. and have made geocaching the somewhat competitive activity that it is.

 

I learned a lot about the EC that I found (GC1D6KE) and I also CITO'ed GZ and removed a garbage bag full of trash (see photos with log). I carry a box of trash bags in the back of the cachemobile and regularly CITO a cache site. Also, I rarely take any SWAG but leave one of my personalized poker chips or something else if there is room in the cache. In addition, I carry spare mini ziploc bags and log strips and replace these on caches as needed, so I believe I am following the spirit of geocaching. I hope you don't think we are shallow people because we expected a souvenir that was very much implied.

 

Why was a souvenir given for finding a cache on Leap Day or attending a World Wide Flash Mob event? It was Groundspeak promoting event and rewarding the cachers who met the requirements and I noticed that you received the souvenirs for these two events. Isn't EC Day just as deserving of a souvenir?

This point of this discussion thread is that the rewarding of a souvenir for EC Day was rather heavily implied and not fulfilled. Regards.

Edited by pcl_el_hefe
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I am disappointed that there is no souvenir but In London we had a very successful event. I arranged for a new earthcache to be released in London to mark International Earth cache day so I think people who attended to event were happy.

 

It is good to hear there will be a souvenir next year. Does any one know when Inernational Earthcache Day will be next year so that I can start planning the event and obtain any necessary permissions.

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I am disappointed that there is no souvenir but In London we had a very successful event. I arranged for a new earthcache to be released in London to mark International Earth cache day so I think people who attended to event were happy.

 

It is good to hear there will be a souvenir next year. Does any one know when Inernational Earthcache Day will be next year so that I can start planning the event and obtain any necessary permissions.

 

Shoot for 10/13/13

Earth Science Week 2013 October 13-19

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