Long-Format Tracking Codes for 2021?

[+kunarion]

No spoilers, please!  This is a general question about possible recent changes to Tracking Codes.

 

Can we have a serious conversation about Geocaching.com Tracking Codes?  Until this past couple of months, we could tell new Geocachers that they can recognize a Geocoin or Travel Bug Tracking Code, by its SIX DIGIT code, a combination of SIX letters and numbers, but count'em...  SIX.  That's a clue that you've seen the Tracking Code, even if it's not on an official tag or coin.

 

AND if you want to order a bunch of TBs or Geocoins, or a set of Tracking Codes to place on custom-made Trackable Items, you always get whatever you get... more SIX-digit Tracking Codes of assorted letters and numbers.  Except for a 2-letter prefix, No vanity codes are allowed.  You can't get the tracking code “ElleryQueen”, for example.

 

There's a Trackable Item in the news lately.  You find a “code” and enter it on the web site, and you can log it.  IT ISN'T A SIX-DIGIT TRACKING CODE.  

With that in mind, riddle me this:
Is this new vanity code something commonly available, that I've missed?  
Is it something that The Company intends to do more of?  
Can just anyone order a bunch of long-format vanity codes for their own coins now?

 

 

Edited March 26, 2021 by kunarion

[+GeoCharmer81]

I do believe the one you are mentioning is a one-time extra special code due to what it is/was.

And, unless there is another special circumstance like that, I think the general coining community/coin makers will have the usual 6 alpha-numeric codes.

[+kunarion]

28 minutes ago, GeoCharmer81 said:

I do believe the one you are mentioning is a one-time extra special code due to what it is/was.

And, unless there is another special circumstance like that, I think the general coining community/coin makers will have the usual 6 alpha-numeric codes.

 

Was there any official mention that this is a one-off special new kind of code?  I saw "a photo" a few weeks ago, saw no Tracking Code, and eventually just typed a string of letters.  Turns out, yeah, that was the Tracking Code.  But it ISN'T a "Tracking Code", it's an extra special code.  In fact, I was wondering how long it may take to discern which codes and letters and patterns were "The Code", some of which were in code! 

 

Edited March 26, 2021 by kunarion

[+GeoCharmer81]

12 minutes ago, kunarion said:

 

Was there any official mention that this is a one-off special new kind of code?  I saw "a photo" a few weeks ago, saw no Tracking Code, and eventually just typed a string of letters.  Turns out, yeah, that was the Tracking Code.  But it ISN'T a "Tracking Code", it's an extra special code.  In fact, I was wondering how long it may take to discern which codes and letters and patterns were "The Code", some of which were in code! 

 

I didn't see anything official. Although, I highly doubt there will be any codes with more than the 6 alpha-numeric characters.

As for the one you are talking about, there are lots of people who understand the connection, but some don't.

[+kunarion]

2 minutes ago, GeoCharmer81 said:

I didn't see anything official. Although, I highly doubt there will be any codes with more than the 6 alpha-numeric characters.

As for the one you are talking about, there are lots of people who understand the connection, but some don't.

 

I sort of understand that it's "a fun mystery to figure out".  But this will create a whole new layer of confusion about Trackable Items.  Good thing there's not a lot of confusion already.  

[Darwin473]

Someone who paid attention in maths class can probably answer this, but if GC sticks with the 6 digit limit, how many TB code's are possible?

 

Just like cache codes have had more digits added, I would expect that at some stage the number of available characters would go up. Though I would figure that instead of going from 6 digits to 7, it would make more sense to jump straight to 8 or 9,  to allow another long gap before more digits need to be added.

 

And I wonder how random is random? If I wanted to make a bunch my own custom TB's with the vanity prefix UL, how many exisiting TB's are there out there already with UL as the first two digits? (Not an actual question, just wondering about the available digit combinations)

[+Pesh]

Don’t forget the old ones only had 5 digits! ?

[+cerberus1]

20 hours ago, kunarion said:

Can just anyone order a bunch of long-format vanity codes for their own coins now?

Not sure if you're serious about this, but I simply figured it's their company, and if they want a one-off and it's workable, so what.  

I feel the hype was presented too early, spoilers were even showing up in the forums, and so I lost interest quickly ...

We think it's similar to any other company that has kinda lost touch with their actual base.

 - You know,  the one's who don't do auto-renew, but kept their premium membership, even when required to stay in the house for a year ...

We already have a cache type created that allows multiple finds on it, when others were canned for the same thing.

Folks nearby are already saying that "they were gonna make a multi, but...", so I can see me staying home even more.   

But it's their company...  And who knows, maybe a majority of responders probably asked for it too.  

[+kunarion]

1 hour ago, cerberus1 said:

Not sure if you're serious about this, but I simply figured it's their company, and if they want a one-off and it's workable, so what.  

I feel the hype was presented too early, spoilers were even showing up in the forums, and so I lost interest quickly ...

We think it's similar to any other company that has kinda lost touch with their actual base.

 - You know,  the one's who don't do auto-renew, but kept their premium membership, even when required to stay in the house for a year ...

We already have a cache type created that allows multiple finds on it, when others were canned for the same thing.

Folks nearby are already saying that "they were gonna make a multi, but...", so I can see me staying home even more.   

But it's their company...  And who knows, maybe a majority of responders probably asked for it too.  

 

Yeah, I was noticing yet another example of "Rules For Thee And Not For Me" which always creates new problems way beyond just why we also can't do that.  I would concede that a NASA camera calibration place will have strict requirements, where, for example, a standard 6-digit Tracking Code is not sufficient.  Or even 5-digit "like the old ones".

 

But a new Vanity Code option for all would be a bad idea anyway.  People would then arrive in the Forums asking how people ever figured out the vanity coin codes for this way cool "The Marx Brothers" Geocoin set that they got custom made.  With the surprised Coin Owner asking the usual, "Wait!  You're saying that actual Geocachers will log a discover on a Geocoin they never held in their hand?!"  

 

 

Edited March 27, 2021 by kunarion

[wwflover13]

I noticed recently that these two trackables have unique vanity codes:
https://coord.info/TB59T40

https://coord.info/TB59T41

Idk if I can post the trackable codes, but check the photos. They basically spell out "Moose Mob" and "Road Runner". Maybe it was allowed because he's a reviewer/moderator, or maybe beause these are the special "tattoo" travel bugs (temporary tattoos in this case). Can anyone request a specific trackable code?

[+kunarion]

40 minutes ago, wwflover13 said:

I noticed recently that these two trackables have unique vanity codes:
https://coord.info/TB59T40

https://coord.info/TB59T41

Idk if I can post the trackable codes, but check the photos. They basically spell out "Moose Mob" and "Road Runner". Maybe it was allowed because he's a reviewer/moderator, or maybe beause these are the special "tattoo" travel bugs (temporary tattoos in this case). Can anyone request a specific trackable code?

 

That's interesting!  How did you find those?  They're custom 6-digit alpha-numeric Tracking Codes.  Not really what I mean by long-format, but they certainly were granted by special request.  Maybe they were culled from a master list of codes, and were the existing available codes that looked just about right to the requesting cachers.  Or maybe they were a surprise gift from above, so to speak. 

 

I've done the poorman's (poordragon?) version of this.  I go to a Mega Event where there are a lot of Trackable Tags for sale on racks, and look at the Tracking Codes, to see if there's a pretty neat tag I could buy.  Often, I'm just looking for readable codes that don't, for example, have BOTH a "0" and an "O" or either one (to avoid log confusion).  But once in a while I see a code that's a little bit cool!  Something that might be appropriate to an attachment if I find just the right thing.  In my hypothetical "The Marx Brothers Coin Set", if there are existing available tracking codes something like "1GRCH0", "MBHRPO", and so forth, those could be picked for the custom coins... with the added benefit of being standard 6-digit codes for ease of identification as Tracking Codes.

 

So, now there are THREE existing special cases of vanity codes, and one for sure that was created specially.  Two that have been around long enough to answer previous Forum queries in the affirmative.  YES there are vanity Tracking codes out there by special request.  The answer "No" was false all this time (different from the question of average cachers being able to get one, sure, but relevant to the question.  The answer should have been "YES, but not for the plain folk").  How many more vanity codes are there?

 

 

Edited April 1, 2021 by kunarion

[Moun10Bike]

There's not really much mystery here - since the trackables database was created, it has supported tracking codes up to 20 characters in length (although very few trackables currently exceed 6 characters). As you might expect, Groundspeak has some ability to create custom codes in one-off situations, as was done with the Perseverance trackable. We would love to be able to offer custom codes to those interested, but we currently don't have the infrastructure to support that.

[+kunarion]

45 minutes ago, Moun10Bike said:

There's not really much mystery here - since the trackables database was created, it has supported tracking codes up to 20 characters in length (although very few trackables currently exceed 6 characters). As you might expect, Groundspeak has some ability to create custom codes in one-off situations, as was done with the Perseverance trackable. We would love to be able to offer custom codes to those interested, but we currently don't have the infrastructure to support that.

 

Evidently I missed the length announcement for the Perseverance one, and that it would also be a custom worded "Code".  Cachers have been asking about Vanity Codes at least since I joined, and all I ever saw in reply was that there is no such thing, we get what we get, random Codes only.  Turns out such things existed just fine all along.  

 

I'm not saying it's not cool to have long codes with exactly the desired text.  But I'd swear it popped up out of nowhere.

[Darwin473]

7 hours ago, Moun10Bike said:

...it has supported tracking codes up to 20 characters in length ... Groundspeak has some ability to create custom codes in one-off situations ... but we currently don't have the infrastructure to support that.

 

How much would the bribe have to be (I mean, fee  ) to order a set of custom GeoCoins commemorating internet security, which use all 20 characters?