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New app - Driving away new cachers


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On ‎7‎/‎2‎/‎2017 at 1:29 PM, dubidubno said:

Could another solution be to make the first caches you find free, for example the first 25, and then require paid membership to keep using the app?

So some new kid, not bothering to at least watch a video (much less read anything...) about the hobby, can gather those higher-rated caches up, ammo cans,  trackables and all, then split when he has to pay to do the same. 

I can't see that working, thanks.  :)

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Interesting... 

I have participated casually and in cycles in this endeavor since 2002, have cached in places like, well, the Taj Mahal, behind Bono's house, and other places with stories. I was a premium member for years way before smartphones, and had paid for the other app... it's been a while, and today I was in a new location that looked cacheworthy, and I fired up the app. 

Just like most good things, it's not surprising that Groundspeak has strayed from the original heart, vision, and mission and is essentially merely now a profit vehicle. I get it. Can't do it for free... It appears to be working. In July '17 alone the itunes app store revenue is upwards of $400,000. 

I'm not sure If I will renew my premium levels ever again, but I applaud the company for successfully monetizing the endeavor so many people enjoy.

That's what it's about, right? 

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On 8/15/2017 at 2:01 PM, noncentric said:

It may come as a surprise, but there are plenty of cachers buying Premium Membership and not using any app at all.  There are benefits to Premium Membership that extend beyond the app, see HERE.

Also, premium membership came before the mobile app.  So buying PM really has nothing to do with the app - it's the app devs that decided to limit functions for non-PM members.  App users may only ever see Premium Membership in the context of mobile app features, which could offer some confusion. Buying PM is for your geocaching account as a whole; and while it does provide some benefits for in-app use, mobile app functionality isn't the primary benefit of a premium membership.

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22 minutes ago, Strands said:

Interesting... 

I have participated casually and in cycles in this endeavor since 2002, have cached in places like, well, the Taj Mahal, behind Bono's house, and other places with stories. I was a premium member for years way before smartphones, and had paid for the other app... it's been a while, and today I was in a new location that looked cacheworthy, and I fired up the app. 

Just like most good things, it's not surprising that Groundspeak has strayed from the original heart, vision, and mission and is essentially merely now a profit vehicle. I get it. Can't do it for free... It appears to be working. In July '17 alone the itunes app store revenue is upwards of $400,000. 

I'm not sure If I will renew my premium levels ever again, but I applaud the company for successfully monetizing the endeavor so many people enjoy.

That's what it's about, right? 

Welcome back to the forums!  I also started in 2002, the first year in which premium memberships were offered.  At that time, Geocaching HQ promised that the basic game will always remain free.  From the perspective of an old timer, they've kept that promise:  today someone can still join as a basic member, buy a handheld GPS receiver, download basic waypoints as LOC files, and go find and log geocaches all day long.  There were no smartphone apps back then, so as an old timer I view all the later developments as "icing on the cake."

From reading forum threads like this one, I've come to learn that people who joined geocaching during the period when a single $10 investment provided access to most geocaches in the retired "Geocaching Classic" app do not see it the same way.  Measured from their start date, they view the changes in the official app model as a step backwards.  Measured from 2002 functionality, there's been nothing but improvements, with no change in the price of a premium membership.  I cannot think of any other product I use that hasn't had a price increase since 2002.

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I think Lep above me summed it up well, and I offer my thanks for pointing out that the timing of join, especially with regards to the now retired $10 app, is critical with regard to how people see site changes. 

This month, I met a couple  walking along the river hunting a cache. They were using a print out of the cache page, and an old yellow etrex.  Members since 2002, what has changed for them in terms of Geocaching.com site is improvements, mostly mapping stuff. I've met them before on that same trail, we had a conversation about consolidating listings to single page to save ink ;-). This would have been early 2003.

To Strands, you can do the same caching you were doing in 2002, and have better free on site tools to do it as well. You can even do it using a smartphone instead of a gps, by handloading coords, just like 2002.  Remember the mapping on site? no?  well that's because if wanted  a geocaching map, you went to Buxleys ;-)

 

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On 8/16/2017 at 2:49 PM, Strands said:

Just like most good things, it's not surprising that Groundspeak has strayed from the original heart, vision, and mission and is essentially merely now a profit vehicle. I get it. Can't do it for free... It appears to be working. In July '17 alone the itunes app store revenue is upwards of $400,000.

Basic Members can still access all non-PMO caches via the website - same as years ago, before smartphones existed.  Regarding the revenue numbers you mentioned - is that a fact, or just assumed number?  It would be interesting to know where you got that figure.

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I have been geocaching since 2005. I don't go often but enjoyed it when I could. Always used my gps. When the ap came out for my phone I purchased the upgrade. Recently they renewed the app sending the money I spent on the original app down the drain. That is fine , I would pay for a new app even with a renewing fee every year. A couple bucks seems more than fair. The problem is that they want over $7/month or close to $40 per year. That is simply ridiculous to ask for a game that is driven by the players. Players who pay to create the caches and travel bugs etc! Ground Speak needs to rethink this effort to become SUPER RICH overnight.

I think people should stop playing for a year to see that they like that reaction to their greed. Maybe there will be a game they is more user friendly and actually has a way for player to make money rather than to spend money.

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14 minutes ago, cliffp71 said:

The problem is that they want over $7/month or close to $40 per year.

 

Just two ideas...

1. You can still play with your handheld GPS for free, without any limitation other than PMO (if you are a Basic Member).

2. You now have a free app, allowing a good amount of caches. Only if you want to see all the caches in your app, you need to buy PM... (less than $40usd/year).

Edited by RuideAlmeida
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29 minutes ago, cliffp71 said:

I have been geocaching since 2005. I don't go often but enjoyed it when I could. Always used my gps. When the ap came out for my phone I purchased the upgrade. Recently they renewed the app sending the money I spent on the original app down the drain. That is fine , I would pay for a new app even with a renewing fee every year. A couple bucks seems more than fair. The problem is that they want over $7/month or close to $40 per year.

Deleted my helpful information, since your rude thread appeared in "Getting Started"  of all places.

This thread fit ...

Edited by cerberus1
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