Do I really want to do this?

[+peacefrog77]

As a newbie, I'm not sure I understand the purpose of Waymarking. I have really enjoyed the virtuals. I've tried a few waymarks, but don't think I like them.

 

They give a picture of the thing to find, they give most of the info about the place, they give the info on the plaque at the site, they give the location. So, what is the fun? Don't really need to go to the site if everything is on the website.

 

Maybe it is the mystery of the virtual. You don't necessarily know what you are looking for. There is the cute little map with the cute little happy faces for a reward on the virtuals. that doesn't exist for the waymarks, unless I've missed it.

[+Max and 99]

As a newbie, I'm not sure I understand the purpose of Waymarking. I have really enjoyed the virtuals. I've tried a few waymarks, but don't think I like them.

 

They give a picture of the thing to find, they give most of the info about the place, they give the info on the plaque at the site, they give the location. So, what is the fun? Don't really need to go to the site if everything is on the website.

 

Maybe it is the mystery of the virtual. You don't necessarily know what you are looking for. There is the cute little map with the cute little happy faces for a reward on the virtuals. that doesn't exist for the waymarks, unless I've missed it.

 

I can read everything available about the Empire State Building, but it's not the same as actually going there.

[+BruceS]

Having probably been to more virtual caches than most people I would say most have not really been much of a surprise.

 

If I follow your logic then I guess the following would be true:

 

If I read a movie review then there is no need to go to the movie?

 

If I read the back cover and introduction there is no need to read the book?

 

If I have seen photos of animals there is no need to go to a zoo?

 

I could give other examples but as in these examples one should view waymarks as just an introduction of the location which is not the same as going to the location itself.

[+3l diesel]

I tend to think that Waymarking can be considered as an eclectic collection of oddities, curios and antiques based on their location as derived from the marvellous system of orbiting global positioning satellites. Maybe a newcomer will see an item waymarked, like a MacDonald's restaurant and say "pfftt, why would anyone bother" (I believe that this was a pointed criticism of the early days of Waymarking). (It can also be pointed out there are some validitys in locating a macca's, especially if you are hungry...) But other waymarks might stand out. I booked a holiday once with a very specific objective of visiting a waymark. I wasn't disappointed either!

 

Certain waymarks will not appeal, but perhaps, some will. And in the process, a quite remarkable database has been built.

 

Some waymarks have been added that in all likelihood will not receive great visitation, but there are other reasons for effort to be expended. Take the various War Memorials. I think that whilst most will detest the execution of War, it is a reality of history and will without any doubt continue to the end days. To waymark a War Memorial is often to catalogue a memory of those who have served, and those who have fallen and does show a mark of respect far above any "points" for having visited.

 

But at the end of the day, we all have different tastes. What you find interesting and absorbing might be something I couldn't be bothered with, and of course vice versa. Just because there may be different tastes and interests doesn't deny the validity of those particular interests.

 

Geocaching (and virtuals) would suffer the same way. Just why is it that there is satisfaction in finding a container and logbook that someone had hidden in a recess of a bus shelter? I haven't got a "rational" answer to that one, but I have still gone out after them!

[+Chasing Blue Sky]

Maybe it is the mystery of the virtual. You don't necessarily know what you are looking for. There is the cute little map with the cute little happy faces for a reward on the virtuals. that doesn't exist for the waymarks, unless I've missed it.

 

What's that old saying? "To each his own"

 

It wasn't too long after I was introduced to geocaching in 2008, that I started hearing, here and there, this other thing called Waymarking. There is a certain geocacher/waymarker in my area that likes to seek out benchmarks, place a geocache near it, and then post that this location is a three-fer - geocache, benchmark, and waymark. Admittedly, at first, I was content to taking the two-fer - geocache and benchmark. I had briefly looked into Waymarking - too briefly as it turns out - and determined that it would end up distracting me from my geocaching. I was so focused on finding geocaches that I just couldn't be bothered to worry about whether there was a Post Office in the area or any number of fast food restaurants, for that matter. I really didn't look into it enough to get the full flavor of it. The funny thing is, that virtual caches and earth caches have been some of my favorite caches to seek out - along with challenge caches. Our area has some very creative cachers and as a result, has a plethora of appealing challenge caches. No, I'm not talking about the recently retired geocaching challenges, but the unknown category cache type challenges. A couple of different geocachers/waymarkers in the area decided to extend the bounds of challenge caches and include requirements related to Waymarking. That's what got me hooked on Waymarking - in an effort to complete a group of challenge caches, I went from being a geocacher to a geocacher/waymarker to a waymarker/geocacher. Whodathunk?

 

Of course, there are aspects of geocaching that are better than Waymarking, as you've pointed out, but there are also aspects of Waymarking that are better than geocaching. I guess it all depends on what you want to get out of your activity - what you define as "fun". I'm sure I could bore you with a list of pros and cons comparing geocaching with Waymarking, as well as, some ways that they are quite similar, but I won't.

 

When I travel, I still like to seek out a few geocaches where ever I go, but now I definitely take many more pictures than I find caches. And while it's cool to visit a waymark that has already been established, it is even more cool to find and take pictures of something that hasn't yet been waymarked. Then you get to do the research necessary to create the waymark yourself. Dangerously close to learning on purpose. Unfortunately, I've found that I have waaaaaaaay more pictures than I have time to create new waymarks. In fact, when I first started out Waymarking, I'd take one picture, thinking "surely someone has already waymarked this". Umm, well, not always. And I'd wished that I'd taken more pictures of it so that "I" could waymark it. It's one of those things you learn as you go - take more pictures! Kind of like remembering to look on the ground when you're sure that the cache is supposed to be up in the tree! I can't tell you how many caches I've found that way.

 

Maybe give it a try for a little while. Maybe you've already made up your mind. But, just like the fact that not everyone loves bowling, or bird watching, or dancing, or the opera, or, or, or, not everyone is going to love Waymarking. You won't know until you give it an honest try. But, like I said, "to each his own".

[+silverquill]

Maybe it is the mystery of the virtual. You don't necessarily know what you are looking for. There is the cute little map with the cute little happy faces for a reward on the virtuals. that doesn't exist for the waymarks, unless I've missed it.

 

There are a lot of reasons to participate in Waymarking, but they are not necessarily the same as reasons for geocaching. It really is an entirely different game, and like geocaching, some people will like it and some won't, and everyone will like it, or not, for different reasons. So, only you can decide.

 

Many of us find the greatest fun in creating new waymarks. We have our favorite categories. So, we seek out lighthouses, covered bridges, trail heads, mountain summits, and dozens of categories of historic and artistic interest. Sure, some categories are mundane like fast food restaurants and other retail and commercial categories. But, some people love these, too, just like some people love magnets on guard rails.

 

In the process of creating waymarks, we discover new places and learn a lot when we research them in order to write a good description. Descriptions can be a few simple sentences or a full photo essay. But we always learn something!

 

Visiting waymarks is somewhat the same process. Sure, there are photos and a lot of information already in the waymark. So, one can choose which ones sound interesting. You might not walk across the street to see the local K-Mart waymark, but might drive to the next county to visit a waterfall that you found on Waymarking.com. When logging the visit, you can add more photos, additional information, or just talk about your experience that day.

 

Waymarking.com does not have smileys, but we do have a whole statistics section that tracks activity. This includes a cool grid with a unique icon for each or our 1,000+ categories. Collecting the icons and watching the grid fill up can be a lot of fun. (It tracks both waymarks created and those visited.)

 

So, this may or may not be your cup of tea, but enjoy some good examples before deciding. If you are visiting a geocache, just click on Nearest Waymarks to see what's close by.

[+iconions]

Why Waymark?

 

I cut mt teeth starting in '05 with geocaching with these things called reverse caches. The longest log I ever wrote on geocaching.com was 700 words in the Civil War Generals category. I learned Kansas history (my state) as well as information about a general I never knew. This reverse geocache is what really fueled my passion for geocaching. The reverse caches were eliminated and Waymarking came in. I'm now able to locate all of the Kansas Generals (Moonlight, Martin, Blunt, as well as Dietzler - the general described above) without the restriction of one per person like there was with the reverse cache. I've been able to learn all sorts of history, art and architecture through my Waymarking. There are great Courthouses out here in the Midwest as well as some excellent old cemeteries to explore. Yes, I'm not much into the commercial waymarks, but to each his own. Bottom line, I'm just as likely to be out Waymarking as I am geocaching.

[+BlueDeuce]

Having probably been to more virtual caches than most people I would say most have not really been much of a surprise.

 

If I follow your logic then I guess the following would be true:

 

If I read a movie review then there is no need to go to the movie?

 

If I read the back cover and introduction there is no need to read the book?

 

If I have seen photos of animals there is no need to go to a zoo?

 

I could give other examples but as in these examples one should view waymarks as just an introduction of the location which is not the same as going to the location itself.

 

Virtual caches were and are far more accepted by the geocaching community than the replacement Waymarks.

[+Chasing Blue Sky]

Having probably been to more virtual caches than most people I would say most have not really been much of a surprise.

 

If I follow your logic then I guess the following would be true:

 

If I read a movie review then there is no need to go to the movie?

 

If I read the back cover and introduction there is no need to read the book?

 

If I have seen photos of animals there is no need to go to a zoo?

 

I could give other examples but as in these examples one should view waymarks as just an introduction of the location which is not the same as going to the location itself.

 

Virtual caches were and are far more accepted by the geocaching community than the replacement Waymarks.

 

In part, probably because Waymarking stats don't show up on our geocaching.com profiles, the same way that virtual caches do.

[+Golden Ace]

Having probably been to more virtual caches than most people I would say most have not really been much of a surprise.

 

If I follow your logic then I guess the following would be true:

 

If I read a movie review then there is no need to go to the movie?

 

If I read the back cover and introduction there is no need to read the book?

 

If I have seen photos of animals there is no need to go to a zoo?

 

I could give other examples but as in these examples one should view waymarks as just an introduction of the location which is not the same as going to the location itself.

 

Virtual caches were and are far more accepted by the geocaching community than the replacement Waymarks.

 

In part, probably because Waymarking stats don't show up on our geocaching.com profiles, the same way that virtual caches do.

 

Most geocachers don't realize you can add your Waymarking stats bar to your geocaching profile page, in the same way you can add your geocaching stats bar to your Waymarking profile page.

Edited January 11, 2013 by Golden Ace

[+Pboiler]

I think the real reason everyone is frustrated with way marking versus the old virtuals is not the concept but because the structure of the way marking site isn't like geocaching in that:

 

1. Multiple entries for the same spot are listed.

2. People don't enter comments and favorite them or leave comments in most cases.

3. It isn't integrated with caches so if you are caching you may not be aware of a cool way marking spot nearby

 

I think if it was integrated with geocaching and if each individual was allowed to select if they wanted to view them or not that everyone would be happy. As long as they remain separate and not as well maintained in the Groundspeak data base I think way marking will not be accepted, posts will continue to be limited for each cache and those of us that loved virtuals will miss out.

[+Max and 99]

I think the real reason everyone is frustrated with way marking versus the old virtuals is not the concept but because the structure of the way marking site isn't like geocaching in that:

 

1. Multiple entries for the same spot are listed.

2. People don't enter comments and favorite them or leave comments in most cases.

3. It isn't integrated with caches so if you are caching you may not be aware of a cool way marking spot nearby

 

I think if it was integrated with geocaching (Isn't it already integrated?) and if each individual was allowed to select if they wanted to view them or not (We already can choose) that everyone would be happy. As long as they remain separate and not as well maintained in the Groundspeak data base I think way marking will not be accepted (Isn't it already accepted?) , posts will continue to be limited for each cache and those of us that loved virtuals will miss out.

 

Waymarking may not be as integrated with geocaching as some would like. I get that. But they are already intertwined, and I often use the geocaching page to see which waymarks are nearby, and vice-versa.

[+Benchmark Blasterz]

I think the real reason everyone is frustrated with way marking versus the old virtuals is not the concept but because the structure of the way marking site isn't like geocaching in that:

 

1. Multiple entries for the same spot are listed.

2. People don't enter comments and favorite them or leave comments in most cases.

 

I think the point about multiple entries for each WM could be valid -- if your goal is to rack up visit numbers. For example, I spent 2 days in a very historically important, highly-concentrated, and multiply-monumented place. If I had a week to repetitively log each waymark there in each category, after 4000+ visits and photo uploads of monuments (and only being partially done) I'd wind up hating WM too. So I only log visits to waymarks in categories I need to fill my grid in a little bit more: maybe in 1 or 2 categories only. I lived and learned on that.

 

I also have waymarked one place in numerous categories. If a single historic building could be WMd as a natl register property, & a flatiron building, & a dated building, & a US benchmark, & a masonic lodge, & there is a humorous combination business inside, & it has a lion statue outside -- I will WM it in each category so that someone who is trying to fill in their grid will hopefully visit and find my WM useful as they play their game. Maybe that will help keep them interested in WM. Other times I will take a multiple and only WM it in the least-utilized category, leaving other categories for future WMer to do the heavy lifting on. Depends on what time I have and what my schedule is like.

 

Remember: just because one thing has 5 WMs on it does not mean you have to record 5 visits - unless you want to!! Or just because one thing can be WMd in 7 categories, you don't have to do them ALL!

 

I also try and see if different WMers posted the waymarked thing in different categories. If so, I will try and log a visit on each WMer's waymark. I like getting visits on my WMs too

 

I try and leave a better comment that "visited" or "posting my visit." Those remind me of TNLNSL TFTC logs -- of which I have posted my fair share (on a 250-cache bison-tube on a fence post power trail, for example.)

 

I don't gripe about visit logs to my waymark. Everyone plays the game differently. I am glad someone read my WM and it was useful to them in some way.

 

As long as WMing adds to our benchmarking and caching adventures we will keep doing it. In fact, I have many WMs from this weekend to log, and many others to create! Bait Shop, Boat Ramps, CCC, State Parks, TX Historic Markers, Bells, Outdoor Public Sculptures, Humorous Combination Businesses, Murals, US Benchmarks, Painted Utility Boxes, Non-Specific Veteran's Memorials, Specific Veteran's Memorials, Wagon Wheels, Independent Bakeries, Hiking Path Footbridges, Hiking Trails, Water Dams, Hydroelectric Dams, and Piers, are the categories I will be submitting WMs for. That's enough to keep me busy for 2-3 weeks!!!

[+Ianatlarge]

Agree with all of what has been said in reply. Let me add, that Waymarking, that is to say, creating waymarks, gives one an excellent incentive to go out and explore, either when at home, or while travelling. It is all to easy to be 'lazy', to put the feet up and watch the world walk by. Waymarks walk the world!

 

Waymarking is also mental exercise, which we all of us need, particularly those of us who are older folk.

 

And, if you start to ask "why", then why anything? In a century we will all be dust, forgotten for the most part. In a billion years (or so) the Sun will engulf the Earth. Should we then despair and reject the world? No! Go forth and waymark.

[+iconions]

Why waymark?

I was out and about a couple of weeks ago in Lawrence, Kansas, Waymarking some of the historical buildings. One of the buildings on the National Regaister that I waymarked was a kind of a nondescript, small, limestone building called the George Bell House. I had taken my pictures before doing the actual research on the house. Come to find out, George Bell was actually one of the victims of Quantrill's Raid into Lawrence in August 1863 and this little, nondescript house had been burned durinig the Raid. I have been studying this Raid for many years, and finding a surviving structure really brought home history.

Why waymark? take two...

Same trip up on "Mt. Oread", the main campus of the University of Kansas. Again, Waymarking dated buildings, the college flag, National Register Buildings, Smithsonian statues... I get to a part of the campus near the Chancellor's residence where a little marker was set into the ground - Site of Barracks and Trenches - 1863. Again, further research at home revealed that there was an incomplete Union fort up created up AFTER Quantrill's Raid. Again, I would have never have found that with geocaching.

I still cache and I love it. I also love my Waymarking for the chance to learn more about history, architecture (I've learned alot, but still have a LONG ways to go with this), art and just plain human nature with my Waymarking. Yes, there are a bunch of Waymarking categories I don't mess with, but there are also geocaches I wouldn't go and do.

[+MountainWoods]

Of course, everyone's mental make up is different from the next persons. In my case, I do not like to search, but I do like to find. That is why I will not spend more than 30 minutes looking for a geocache before adding it to my Ignore List. You can call that lazy, but I don't want to make something I enjoy into a source of frustration.

 

One of my primary interests when both Waymarking and geocaching is to go where I haven't been before, or see something that I had not seen before. (That's why I don't mind DNFing and Ignoring a geocache - because at least it brought me there.)

 

Like other folks who have replied, I had actually been into geocaching for several months (I think 10 for me) before I really checked out Waymarking. Then I found that I like it as much or more. It does the same things that I mentioned before, but without the frustration of DNFs, getting scratched and bitten, or falling off rock ledges trying to find geocaches. I still enjoy geocaching for the thrill of being there and the satisfaction of the find (again, I don't care about the search, myself).

 

BTW, I think the point that was missed earlier was when PBoiler said "if each individual was allowed to select if they wanted to view them or not" - perhaps this is the same complaint that I have: that you can only Ignore a Waymarking category, not an individual waymark. So if you're using a search or map to try to visit all of the waymarks in an area (again, to get to know the area!), you cannot get the individual listings that you don't want to visit off of your search; but yet you do not want to eliminate other listings in that same category.

[+QuesterMark]

Groundspeak should read through this and capture some blurbs from the various players about Waymarking and use this text to promote the site.

[+J Grouchy]

I'd be more likely to try if the waymarks showed up on the geocaching apps. Heck...the CacheSense app shows Munzees for some odd reason...why not Waymarks?

[+MountainWoods]

Yep. Lots of us have said that about our WM stats needing to be on the GC profile. But as a next-best thing there is always this: Adding Your Waymark Stats to your Geocaching Profile (or any web page you control).

 

Also there is vice versa.

[+iconions]

Why I waymark - part three...

Today, I was in Springfield, Missouri, in the Hazelwood Cemetery, taking pictures of Woodmen markers. I had finished with my 4th marker when I noticed a couple was looking at the very first Woodmen marker I had photographed - a typical stump type Woodman marker from the early 1900's. I was able to explain the significance of the tree stump, of the Woodmen of the World, and that not all tree stump markers were Woodmen markers to this couple. They seemed very impressed. I would not have had this encounter without Waymarking, and being an officer in the Woodmen category has REALLY assisted me increase my knowledge of these headstones.

[+ILuvAZ]

As a former computer programmer, I am a little frustrated that I have to log multiple times the same waymark to get credit for the different categories. The program is poorly designed. They need to import the waymark db into a relational database - a one to many relationship. A drop down or checkboxes where the waymark creator can select multiple categories and create ONE waymark. One log, one photo upload would make me write more creative logs and not copy/paste.

 

My second concern is what is geocaching.coms plan for this data? Are we working for geocaching for free to create a big database that they will be able to sell/publish on the internet for non-geocachers to get information on local McDonald's, etc?

 

Lastly, It is difficult to 1) easily look at the grid and know what categories I am missing 2) when I visit a particular area, be able to easily download a query of nearly waymarks (like I can caches) and know which of these are categories that I haven't found a waymark in.

 

I am kind of new to Waymarking so I could be wrong on my observations.

[+BruceS]

As a former computer programmer, I am a little frustrated that I have to log multiple times the same waymark to get credit for the different categories. The program is poorly designed. They need to import the waymark db into a relational database - a one to many relationship. A drop down or checkboxes where the waymark creator can select multiple categories and create ONE waymark. One log, one photo upload would make me write more creative logs and not copy/paste.

I think you will find that Waymarking is in a relational database and the key for waymarks is the waymark number. And categories also have a key and waymarks inherit properties of categories. To have a relational one to many as you describe would require a complex key on location however this would not accomplish what you desire, not all waymarks listed at one location are for the same thing and not all waymarks for the same thing are at the exact same location. For example take a church with a historical marker in front and stained glass windows all three may be listed at same location but are for entirely different things. The other example would be the same church listed in the National Register, Wikipedia, and a church categories, but listed by different waymarkers at different times, most likely their coordinates would not match exactly. As far as auto creating waymarks, categories have different requirements and different variables thus multi-creation is not really viable. Now many of us wish there was a better way to upload photo that would include upload once and use multiple times but that has little to do with database and more to do with UI design.

 

My second concern is what is geocaching.coms plan for this data? Are we working for geocaching for free to create a big database that they will be able to sell/publish on the internet for non-geocachers to get information on local McDonald's, etc?

Most waymarkers would welcome Groundspeak to find some way to generate an income from the Waymarking data thus make the site more self supporting thus allow them to devote more resources to the site. Not sure why you think this sites data should be restricted to geocachers use, most of us actually like when non-geocachers discover our waymarks in searches and ask to use our photos.

 

Lastly, It is difficult to 1) easily look at the grid and know what categories I am missing 2) when I visit a particular area, be able to easily download a query of nearly waymarks (like I can caches) and know which of these are categories that I haven't found a waymark in.

 

Many would like to be able to download waymarks in queries like pocket queries and has been long asked for but see second point above, lack of income thus lack of resources. As far as the grid, not sure what modification would make it better for your use. It does have mouse over to give name of category. I think you will find some offline list would serve you better. You can copy and paste the text of the grid into Excel and then color it in, now that new category creation has slowed down it would not be difficult to maintain.

[GT.US]

To make cross-listed waymarks, some people use a second account to make a uncategorized waymark, and the from their own account categorize it into all the waymarks you want.