Benchmarking to be removed...

[+The Snowdog]

Kind of surprised no one has mentioned this over here. Over on the "Geocaching HQ Communications" thread there's an announcement that benchmarks will be removed from the site, with a fairly spirited discussion. Among the reasons are that the code pages are ancient and can't be maintained, and that there aren't enough users to justify keeping them. I can think of another spinoff of geocaching that meets that criteria...

[+Max and 99]

4 minutes ago, The Snowdog said:

Kind of surprised no one has mentioned this over here. Over on the "Geocaching HQ Communications" thread there's an announcement that benchmarks will be removed from the site, with a fairly spirited discussion. Among the reasons are that the code pages are ancient and can't be maintained, and that there aren't enough users to justify keeping them. I can think of another spinoff of geocaching that meets that criteria...

Since the news release mentioned that all benchmarks are in the United States I thought it was relevant to the category proposal here: 

 

https://forums.geocaching.com/GC/index.php?/topic/381869-benchmarks-from-the-rest-of-the-world/

Edited October 20, 2022 by Max and 99

[+Ernmark]

I just found out about this today - really disheartening! Especially if they pull the plug sooner rather than later - will have to grab some of my favorite logs and photos while I still can!

[+bluesnote]

HQ has done a lot of things that has been disappointing. But this actually makes me quite angry.

[+funkymunkyzone]

Seems to me like there was an opportunity to perhaps create a new cache type here (that admittedly would be very waymark-esque), which would be virtuals based specifically on benchmarks, but anywhere in the world not just the US.  Yes, I know the argument would be just go and do Waymarking, but I think benchmarks are a little different to all the other Waymarking categories in that many of them are a real adventure to recover, not just look there's a bridge for the bridge category, or there's another burger king for the burger king category.  Oh well, dreams are 30USD less than a geocaching premium subscription.

[jonathanatpsu]

I am also disappointed by this news.  I think it's very unfortunate that all those photos and logs are going to be lost. 

 

In my area, very few of the benchmarks on the Geocaching site have been Waymarked.  When I've found benchmarks, I typically logged them on Geocaching, unless they were not in the database, in which case I would post them on Waymarking.  Now, I'll be trying to revisit a lot benchmarks to post as Waymarks. Perhaps others will do the same and we'll see an increase in activity on the Waymarking site.  

 

In regard to funkymunkyzone's comment, I've had many "real adventures" associated with Waymarking.  It's all in how you choose to play the game.  With over a thousand categories, there's something for everyone. You can focus on one, a few, or all of them. Each participant can make it as adventurous as they choose. That's what I love about it. 

[+Benchmark Blasterz]

We are absolutely crushed. Benchmarking for us has always been more fun than geocaching, and we faithfully report our BM finds to the NGS. When I was in contact with Deb Brown at the NGS, she told me she looked at the Geocaching website as she updated the NGS mark database.  

 

The logs on the GC website are extremely useful. We frequently use a benchmark we find in an area to locate nearby geocaches. Not sure what we will do, frankly. Will keep Waymarking and benchmark hunting, but caching has really dropped way off for us. 

Edited October 22, 2022 by Benchmark Blasterz

[+ScroogieII]

On 10/21/2022 at 10:18 PM, funkymunkyzone said:

Seems to me like there was an opportunity to perhaps create a new cache type here (that admittedly would be very waymark-esque), which would be virtuals based specifically on benchmarks, but anywhere in the world not just the US.  Yes, I know the argument would be just go and do Waymarking, but I think benchmarks are a little different to all the other Waymarking categories in that many of them are a real adventure to recover, not just look there's a bridge for the bridge category, or there's another burger king for the burger king category.  Oh well, dreams are 30USD less than a geocaching premium subscription.

 

Yes, I agree with the "Adventure" aspect of chasing Benchmarks, which, I guess, is why I continue to chase them. There's also the aspect of entering the territory of others, even non Waymarkers and non Geocachers, and being able to point out to the denizens interesting aspects of their environment of which they were unaware, though they'd lived there their entire lives.

 

In truth, I prefer the USD$30 over the dreams, as the former I can actually conjure into realities, whereas the latter will always remain so.

Keith

Edited October 25, 2022 by ScroogieII

[+ScroogieII]

On 10/22/2022 at 11:29 AM, Benchmark Blasterz said:

The logs on the GC website are extremely useful. We frequently use a benchmark we find in an area to locate nearby geocaches. Not sure what we will do, frankly. Will keep Waymarking and benchmark hunting, but caching has really dropped way off for us. 

 

As for this part - "Not sure what we will do". I simply don't "Get" your dilemma, Perky.

I have done a pisspot full of US benchmarks and never once, at least that I can remember, have I referred to the Geocaching benchmarks listings. That's what the NGS site is for. It has all the info one could possibly need, and more.

 

On 10/22/2022 at 4:26 AM, jonathanatpsu said:

I think it's very unfortunate that all those photos and logs are going to be lost. 

Never give up hope. Mebbe they'll just be archived. (Possibly you could suggest that to TPTB?!?!?!) Hard drive space is so cheap now that archiving a terabyte or three of benchmarks would cost precious little.

Keith

[+PISA-caching]

Being from Europe, I admit that I didn't care much about the US benchmarks so far. I just found out one day, that I have a photo of https://www.Waymarking.com/waymarks/wmMD8A from 2001 and posted a visit for it. Due to this discussion I learned, that I can also post a visit at Geocaching > Benchmark Hunting > Benchmark Details, which I just did. Nevertheless I think it is a shame that they will remove the benchmarks. From my job I know, that the usage of a webpage doesn't say much about it's importance. A single page like f.e. the Imprint might not be viewed on a regular basis, but nevertheless it is very important (at least where I live). And yes, they might have a problem, if they needed to update the ancient code to something new, but instead removing all the work that you benchmarkers have done over the last years/decades, is IMHO (TOO) cheap! :-(

Edited October 27, 2022 by PISA-caching

[+PISA-caching]

On 10/22/2022 at 7:18 AM, funkymunkyzone said:

...I think benchmarks are a little different to all the other Waymarking categories in that many of them are a real adventure to recover, not just look there's a bridge for the bridge category, or there's another burger king for the burger king category.

 

I know what you mean, but there are many other categories, that can be "a real adventure", like

• Urban Legends and Superstitions (one way walk past it without knowing about it)
• Ghosts and Hauntings
• Vintage Ad Locations
• Super Fund Sites
• Hidden Mickeys
• Childhood Homes (if they don't have an info sign about their significance)
• Presidential Birthplaces (if they don't have an info sign about their significance)
• Drawing Waymarks
• Photo Goals
• Ansel Adams Photo Hunt
• Photos Then and Now

and the list goes on and on. IMHO the benchmarks fit perfectly to the other categories, and like the locationless geocaches led to Waymarking I hope that the benchmarks will lead to something new and best would be, if all the gathered information about them wouldn't be lost on the way.

[+Ernmark]

 

For those of you who are still fans of benchmarks & don't know about some of the other resources available to search databases - here are a few links to check out:

 

Benchmark Map Viewer - By Scaredy Cat Films - maintained by fellow GC member Monkeykat

 

National Geodetic Survey Data Explorer (noaa.gov) - this is the viewer from the National Geodetic Survey

 

Station Selection - NOAA Tides & Currents - also from the NGS - a great source of info on tidal benchmarks.

 

I'm thinking that those of us benchmarkers leftover from the purge on the Geocaching side can keep a thread or 2 going on over here!

 

Edit -  also for Android users, there's a cool BM app - BenchMap - Apps on Google Play

Edited January 5, 2023 by Ernmark

[+ScroogieII]

On 1/4/2023 at 6:53 PM, Ernmark said:

 

For those of you who are still fans of benchmarks & don't know about some of the other resources available to search databases - here are a few links to check out:

 

Benchmark Map Viewer - By Scaredy Cat Films - maintained by fellow GC member Monkeykat

 

National Geodetic Survey Data Explorer (noaa.gov) - this is the viewer from the National Geodetic Survey

 

Station Selection - NOAA Tides & Currents - also from the NGS - a great source of info on tidal benchmarks.

 

I'm thinking that those of us benchmarkers leftover from the purge on the Geocaching side can keep a thread or 2 going on over here!

 

Edit -  also for Android users, there's a cool BM app - BenchMap - Apps on Google Play

 

Since this page will likely be buried one day, I would suggest that you also add these links to the Useful Links For Waymarking thread, as it has been pinned to the top.

 

"I'm thinking that those of us benchmarkers leftover from the purge on the Geocaching side can keep a thread or 2 going on over here!" - Yeah! I'm all for that!!!

Keith

Edited January 8, 2023 by ScroogieII

[+Ernmark]

..was going to do that, but forgot - done!