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Users with the most benchmark logs


chapterbook

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Before the benchmark purge, I am looking for users with the most benchmark logs, particularly with numbers in the thousands. Not found logs, but logs in general. So far I know of:

 

shorbird = 11,553

AZcachemeister = 4,658

VagabondsWV = 4,601

kayakbird = 4,278

seventhings = 4,277

seadog129 = 4,106

Me & Bucky = 4,062

wister6813 = 3,998

Ernmark = 3,424

PFF = 2,522

Skyboy01 = 2,426

ArtMan = 2,354

mloser = 2,251

CallawayMT = 1,960

2/3 Marine = 1,913

edexter = 1,832

Supercheeseburger = 1,812

NorthWes = 1,685

topflitejr1 = 1,562

magtfplanner = 1,484

2oldfarts (the rockhounders) = 1,465

sillywillie = 1,456

Team Geo-Clarks = 1,317

southpawaz = 1,308

Ragfoot = 1,282

foxtrot_xray = 1,271

bvrballs = 1,261

Harry Dolphin = 1,243

TerraViators = 1,200 finds, unknown total

AZTech = 1,078

GeoBama123 = 1,071

Papa-Bear-NYC = 1,036

 

Please let me know if you know of anybody else with substantial benchmark logs like the ones above. 

 

 

 

Edited by chapterbook
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I am wondering why you would like to know this? I mean there are many who have enjoyed finding benchmarks as well as geocaches. Klemmer comes to mind and Me and Bucky who is one of those who has logged thousands of caches as well as many benchmarks. But, anyone who has found and enjoyed the finding and logging benchmarks will be sad to not to be able to log anymore of them. 

 

If you can bring them all some semblance of hope or an alternative, we would all like to know.

 

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely Shirley, half of 2oldfarts (the rockhounders)

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Since I learned about the benchmark purge on December 4th (all but hidden in a Geocaching email), I have been working on saving as much of these priceless logs and pictures as I can before they're all wiped from the face of the earth. There have been many challenges to this, and while I will be nowhere close to my goal, I've saved the data from tens of thousands of benchmarks so far. Unfortunately, this is not for a benchmarking alternative, it is just a means of preserving twenty years worth of data. 

 

While I have hardly searched for benchmarks intentionally, I am deeply saddened by the decision to just wipe as much data as there is from Geocaching.com. I could understand migrating or grandfathering the features, but quite frankly I find it atrocious to completely erase 234,292 (and counting) recovered logs. It's not fair to anybody, especially considering the timeframe they've given. 

 

The most efficient way to preserve these logs and pictures is to source users with the most logs, in the thousands and or hundreds. I've come across many users with tons of benchmark logs, and I have major respect for the effort everyone's put into this over the past two decades. 

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I have never posted on these forums on the past (despite finding benchmarks for years), but felt that this topic was important enough to speak up.

 

I can remember a few more users not listed above that have significant, detailed logs (1000+):

 

CallawayMT

AZcachemeister

southpawaz

2/3 Marine

 

I can also recall some users that have fewer logs (in the hundreds), but collected clear, methodical (and useful) data:

 

bvrballs

heelerpack - Includes detailed logs of stations in very remote parts of Wyoming that are seldom visited.

 

I also fall into this latter category with only around 250-300 logs (all of stations on the island of Oahu, HI), but with detailed descriptions and photos.

 

-Blue Canoe

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So far, my "benchmarks" folder containing all benchmark pages as PDFs and all their individual images saved comes to 148GB spread over 525,079 files. 

 

Bill, your folder comes out to ~0.97GB over 4,464 files. 

 

Other examples include: 

AZcachemeister = 6.80GB - 30,452 files

kayakbird = 4.34GB - 18,379 files

seventhings = 8.01GB - 31,377 files

 

 

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As far as the entire database goes, the only number I can somewhat estimate for is the 234,334 recovered logs figure. If I were to somehow save every single recovered log using the method I'm using now, it would be at least around 800GB but more realistically around a terabyte, since non-recovered logs are included.  

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So, does that mean that they are totally on your computer/s now and you can view them without it taking you back to GC to view them. The file that I have on my computer only takes me back to GC to view the files, which will not be there after they delete Benchmarking from their site?... Just wondering. My other half that would have known such things, died in January 2019, so now I know nothing about what will happen now.

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I am sorry to hear about your loss. You are correct that all the PDFs and individual images are saved locally to my computer, so they can be viewed at anytime, anywhere, virtually forever. Once things settle down for me in a couple months or so, I can send any amount of files anybody would like for any reason. They aren't too pretty organizationally, as typically one folder contains 100 PDFs, then all unsorted images associated with those 100 are in with them. It isn't all bad though, since the filenames are based on an image's title when applicable. This would make for doable PID sorting if you have the time and cross reference the PDFs. 

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First off, let me say I have enjoyed looking for geodetic control points over the last 18 years. I've been to many locations that I otherwise would have never visited unless it was to look for a benchmark. I will also note I've never looked for a geocache. That activity never interested me in the slightest. Besides the hobby aspect, I managed to learn a bit about surveying along the way that I was able to apply during my professional career.    

 

So a few numbers...

Groundspeak says I have 3999 logs; 2237 found, 803 not found, 700 destroyed, and 259 notes. But that isn't the full picture since those totals don't include the reference and azimuth marks, and any marks in the NSRS that are not included in Groundspeak's snap shot. These were found in 22 states, and one Canadian province. All of the founds and not founds, and maybe 100 of the destroyed, were also submitted to the NGS for inclusion in the NSRS database.    

 

From the beginning I've always submitted logs to the NGS. So the Groundspeak logs don't reflect all my activity. In 2012 I started using the NGS DSWorld program for submissions. In 2014, on the suggestion of DSWorld's developer, I've also submitted logs and photos for the nonpublished reference and azimuth marks. DSWorld made photo submission easy (and maintains a log of all submissions), so there have been about 1500 photos submitted over the last 10 years. HH2 positions can also be submitted through DSWorld, and there have been around 1300 sets of HH2 coordinates submitted, either individually or as a group. DSWorld was also used to submit county corrections, and stamping information.    

 

All in all I'm somewhere around 4500 unique points that I have looked for since my first mark (JX1157) in June 2004. I plan to continue looking for marks, and submitting to the NGS, after this portion of Groundspeak is removed. Thanks to everyone for their stories, advice, expertise and occasional chuckle. It will be missed!   

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Hi everyone, thanks once again both for your contributions to benchmarking and for the comments you've posted. I don't know the time benchmarking will be terminated, but by tonight I will have backed up all the data from everyone in the list above and those who commented. As it sits right now, before I resume archiving, my main benchmark directory folder is at 273GB worth of PDFs and images. They are spread over almost a million files, 941,878 to be exact. For redundancy purposes, the mass majority of what I've saved locally has also been saved to the Wayback Machine. Not everything saves due to errors, but tens of thousands of complete benchmark pages are publicly available there and those will remain so long as the Wayback Machine is there. I am sorry for the loss of benchmarking via GC, but for those who continue, I wish you all the best of luck moving forward. 

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Thanks for your work chapterbook - I went through my logs and grabbed the top dozen of so of my favorite logs, but I'm sure I missed many many more. I also tried to grab some of the forum topics in case they go away as there was so much interesting & historical information regarding marks from all over the country!

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Chapterbook - I'd be interested as well when you're ready. Again, thanks for saving as much of our benchmarking history as you did!  As others have said here & on the GC 'bad news thread' - there was a lot of useful, edifying, & entertaining information! ...and some fantastic pictures!

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On 12/21/2022 at 2:08 AM, chapterbook said:

Before the benchmark purge, I am looking for users with the most benchmark logs, particularly with numbers in the thousands. Not found logs, but logs in general. So far I know of:

 

shorbird = 11,553

AZcachemeister = 4,658

VagabondsWV = 4,601

kayakbird = 4,278

seventhings = 4,277

seadog129 = 4,106

Me & Bucky = 4,062

wister6813 = 3,998

Ernmark = 3,424

PFF = 2,522

Skyboy01 = 2,426

ArtMan = 2,354

mloser = 2,251

CallawayMT = 1,960

2/3 Marine = 1,913

edexter = 1,832

Supercheeseburger = 1,812

NorthWes = 1,685

topflitejr1 = 1,562

magtfplanner = 1,484

2oldfarts (the rockhounders) = 1,465

sillywillie = 1,456

Team Geo-Clarks = 1,317

southpawaz = 1,308

Ragfoot = 1,282

foxtrot_xray = 1,271

bvrballs = 1,261

Harry Dolphin = 1,243

TerraViators = 1,200 finds, unknown total

AZTech = 1,078

GeoBama123 = 1,071

Papa-Bear-NYC = 1,036

 

Please let me know if you know of anybody else with substantial benchmark logs like the ones above. 

 

 

 

 If anyone on the list above considers themselves super tech/computer savvy - please send me a quick msg - I may have some interesting info for you!

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