TIME Magazine Geocaching Article

[Guest Cheech]

While reading the latest TIME Magazine

June 25, 2001 Issue I found an article under TREND ALERT on Geocaching here are some snippets I found interesting:

 

TREND: A globe-trotting treasure hunt in which players search for hidden prizes using handheld navigation gadgets.

HOW IT STARTED: The military opened up its global positioning system to civilians, and Christmas came early for nerds everywhere. (Hey Watch Who You Call Nerds Just Because We Have Technologically Advanced Skills Doesn't Automatically Make Us A Nerd)

JUDGMENT CALL: Anything that exposes geeks to sunlight can't be bad.

(Same thing about the nerds)

 

"Last year early adopters in the Portland, Ore., area began hiding little stashes of CDs, action figures, Band Aids and other goodies in exotic locations-on a mountaintop, underwater, hanging off a cliff face-and posting the coordinates on the Internet as a challenge to their fellow nerds."

 

This article does give alot of good information to people that don't know anything about the sport but most geocachers know all of this. This I think is good publicity but defining it as a nerd sport isn't all that good. But some are proud to be nerds and all.

[Guest jeremy]

I'd say it *was* a nerd sport initially, but it really doesn't take much technical skill in order to use a GPS device.

 

If boaters and hikers who use technology are nerds, than I suppose being a nerd is a good thing.

 

And a suntanned nerd would be a formidable foe.

 

Jeremy

[Guest Hawk-eye]

Hey ... if Time magazine makes fun of it ... that's proof positive that it's good thing ... at least in my book ... Hate that one sided bound #@%!$ magazine ... and I use the term magazine loosely ... but I'm not bitter!

[Guest Hawk-eye]

Hey ... if Time magazine makes fun of it ... that's proof positive that it's good thing ... at least in my book ... Hate that one sided bound #@%!$ magazine ... and I use the term magazine loosely ... but I'm not bitter!

[Guest placeman]

check out the article here:

 

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101010625-130959,00.html

 

(url may wrap)

[Guest chrome]

I would suggest that we all submit an email to Time (I did) explaining our fascination with the sport. Making sure we indicate that we are not just nerds but hikers, bikers, packpackers, campers, travelers, families having fun together "hunting for treasure", etc. Then again, I'm a nerd that was just looking for justification for spousal support in the purchase of a GPS.

[Guest chrome]

I would suggest that we all submit an email to Time (I did) explaining our fascination with the sport. Making sure we indicate that we are not just nerds but hikers, bikers, packpackers, campers, travelers, families having fun together "hunting for treasure", etc. Then again, I'm a nerd that was just looking for justification for spousal support in the purchase of a GPS.

[+genegene]

did any one find any of that Planet of the Apes swag. I only wear a pocket protector to protect my shirt

Edited June 26, 2007 by genegene

[+sbell111]

Is this ancient thread day?

[+triptrick]

Is this ancient thread day?

 

Thanks for that, I thought I was going loopy....

[+genegene]

Noooo, Its bring back the dead post day

Edited June 26, 2007 by genegene

[+triptrick]

Noooo, Its bring back the dead post day

 

Oh, so sorry then, I must have missed the communication in this regard.

[vtmtnman]

Is this ancient thread day?

Ditto...

 

Although I must say I've had to use restraint in reviving some old threads after digging through them.

[+Markwell]

did any one find any of that Planet of the Apes swag. I only wear a pocket protector to protect my shirt

Yes.

 

http://markwell.us/projectape.htm

[+Criminal]

Last year early adopters in the Portland, Ore., area began hiding little stashes of CDs, action figures, Band Aids and other goodies in exotic locations-on a mountaintop, underwater, hanging off a cliff face -and posting the coordinates on the Internet as a challenge to their fellow nerds."

My how things have changed.

[Mushtang]

Last year early adopters in the Portland, Ore., area began hiding little stashes of CDs, action figures, Band Aids and other goodies in exotic locations-on a mountaintop, underwater, hanging off a cliff face -and posting the coordinates on the Internet as a challenge to their fellow nerds."

My how things have changed.

Caches no longer exist on mountain tops, underwater, hanging off cliff faces, etc?

[+Criminal]

Last year early adopters in the Portland, Ore., area began hiding little stashes of CDs, action figures, Band Aids and other goodies in exotic locations-on a mountaintop, underwater, hanging off a cliff face -and posting the coordinates on the Internet as a challenge to their fellow nerds."

My how things have changed.

Caches no longer exist on mountain tops, underwater, hanging off cliff faces, etc?

Of course there are. However, those types have increasingly become the red-headed stepchild. If you built a random cache generator that could choose 10 caches from the entire list, 8 or 9 of those would be a micro hidden on a guardrail, park bench, lamp pole etc.

 

The process used to be:

I have a location I want to bring people to --> I have a desire to hide a cache --> I have a suitable container --> memorable new geocache

 

Now it’s:

I have a desire to hide a cache --> I have a container --> I have a location --> new geocache

 

I’m not anti-micro, I just wish hiders would put a little more thought into their hides. I don’t think, especially through the eyes of a new player or reporter, that the paradigm shift is beneficial to the game.

[+Team GeoBlast]

Last year early adopters in the Portland, Ore., area began hiding little stashes of CDs, action figures, Band Aids and other goodies in exotic locations-on a mountaintop, underwater, hanging off a cliff face -and posting the coordinates on the Internet as a challenge to their fellow nerds."

My how things have changed.

Caches no longer exist on mountain tops, underwater, hanging off cliff faces, etc?

Of course there are. However, those types have increasingly become the red-headed stepchild. If you built a random cache generator that could choose 10 caches from the entire list, 8 or 9 of those would be a micro hidden on a guardrail, park bench, lamp pole etc.

 

The process used to be:

I have a location I want to bring people to --> I have a desire to hide a cache --> I have a suitable container --> memorable new geocache

 

Now it’s:

I have a desire to hide a cache --> I have a container --> I have a location --> new geocache

 

I’m not anti-micro, I just wish hiders would put a little more thought into their hides. I don’t think, especially through the eyes of a new player or reporter, that the paradigm shift is beneficial to the game.

 

It is interesting how seven years later the description of the game only describes a small percentage of the caches out there. I've never actually seen an article written about people playing for numbers and caches placed soley for that purpose. To be honest, that would sound a whole lot more nerdy to me than the 2001 description.

[Mushtang]

Last year early adopters in the Portland, Ore., area began hiding little stashes of CDs, action figures, Band Aids and other goodies in exotic locations-on a mountaintop, underwater, hanging off a cliff face -and posting the coordinates on the Internet as a challenge to their fellow nerds."

My how things have changed.

Caches no longer exist on mountain tops, underwater, hanging off cliff faces, etc?

Of course there are. However, those types have increasingly become the red-headed stepchild. If you built a random cache generator that could choose 10 caches from the entire list, 8 or 9 of those would be a micro hidden on a guardrail, park bench, lamp pole etc.

 

The process used to be:

I have a location I want to bring people to --> I have a desire to hide a cache --> I have a suitable container --> memorable new geocache

 

Now it’s:

I have a desire to hide a cache --> I have a container --> I have a location --> new geocache

 

I’m not anti-micro, I just wish hiders would put a little more thought into their hides. I don’t think, especially through the eyes of a new player or reporter, that the paradigm shift is beneficial to the game.

Well, if the kinds of hides that you do like still exist, why be upset about the additional choices that are available? Terrain and difficuty ratings should make it easy enough to find these "memorable" caches.

 

You can save the others for when you don't have as much time but still want to find a cache, for when you're injured and can't do the harder ones, or forever skip them and be happy knowing a lot of other people are enjoying finding them.

[Mushtang]

It is interesting how seven years later the description of the game only describes a small percentage of the caches out there.

Yes, I noticed that too. Isn't it great!? One of the things I like most about this game is how it changes over time, and the new and interesting stuff that's being created.

 

I admit that not every change is something that all players are going to enjoy, but then again it doesn't need to be. Right?

 

I've never actually seen an article written about people playing for numbers and caches placed soley for that purpose. To be honest, that would sound a whole lot more nerdy to me than the 2001 description.

The original description doesn't mention travel bugs at all, and the article linked couldn't have said much about them either. But today TBs are huge!

 

Early in the game I barely saw one TB a month in a cache, now it's rare to find a regular sized cache without one. It was also hard to get all the TB icons when I first started, but there were only about 6. Now it's dang near impossible to get them all since there are hundreds (I'm guessing).

 

How nerdy would a description of TBs sound?

 

I know someone that no longer collects TB specifically because of the profileration of them, and the numerous icons. It's no longer a challenge to him. But I also happen to know he still loves the game and loves finding geocaches.

 

I hope this game never stops changing.

[+Criminal]

Last year early adopters in the Portland, Ore., area began hiding little stashes of CDs, action figures, Band Aids and other goodies in exotic locations-on a mountaintop, underwater, hanging off a cliff face -and posting the coordinates on the Internet as a challenge to their fellow nerds."

My how things have changed.

Caches no longer exist on mountain tops, underwater, hanging off cliff faces, etc?

Of course there are. However, those types have increasingly become the red-headed stepchild. If you built a random cache generator that could choose 10 caches from the entire list, 8 or 9 of those would be a micro hidden on a guardrail, park bench, lamp pole etc.

 

The process used to be:

I have a location I want to bring people to --> I have a desire to hide a cache --> I have a suitable container --> memorable new geocache

 

Now it’s:

I have a desire to hide a cache --> I have a container --> I have a location --> new geocache

 

I’m not anti-micro, I just wish hiders would put a little more thought into their hides. I don’t think, especially through the eyes of a new player or reporter, that the paradigm shift is beneficial to the game.

Well, if the kinds of hides that you do like still exist, why be upset about the additional choices that are available? Terrain and difficuty ratings should make it easy enough to find these "memorable" caches.

 

You can save the others for when you don't have as much time but still want to find a cache, for when you're injured and can't do the harder ones, or forever skip them and be happy knowing a lot of other people are enjoying finding them.

Oh, I’m not at all upset; I would describe it more as disappointed. When I started playing, geocaching was like a huge database of all the ‘cool’ spots around town. You discovered things, like history, places, or views, that you never knew existed- and some included all three. Those days are long gone.

 

If a reporter were to come into the forums and request that someone show them the ropes for an article, would the current crop of light pole and ‘just because’ throw-downs create a favorable impression of the game?

 

Yes, great and memorable caches still exist, they are just not the ‘standard’ anymore.

[+Team GeoBlast]

Last year early adopters in the Portland, Ore., area began hiding little stashes of CDs, action figures, Band Aids and other goodies in exotic locations-on a mountaintop, underwater, hanging off a cliff face -and posting the coordinates on the Internet as a challenge to their fellow nerds."

My how things have changed.

Caches no longer exist on mountain tops, underwater, hanging off cliff faces, etc?

Of course there are. However, those types have increasingly become the red-headed stepchild. If you built a random cache generator that could choose 10 caches from the entire list, 8 or 9 of those would be a micro hidden on a guardrail, park bench, lamp pole etc.

 

The process used to be:

I have a location I want to bring people to --> I have a desire to hide a cache --> I have a suitable container --> memorable new geocache

 

Now it’s:

I have a desire to hide a cache --> I have a container --> I have a location --> new geocache

 

I’m not anti-micro, I just wish hiders would put a little more thought into their hides. I don’t think, especially through the eyes of a new player or reporter, that the paradigm shift is beneficial to the game.

Well, if the kinds of hides that you do like still exist, why be upset about the additional choices that are available? Terrain and difficuty ratings should make it easy enough to find these "memorable" caches.

 

You can save the others for when you don't have as much time but still want to find a cache, for when you're injured and can't do the harder ones, or forever skip them and be happy knowing a lot of other people are enjoying finding them.

 

Yes, great and memorable caches still exist, they are just not the ‘standard’ anymore.

 

I wonder what percentage of the actual posts in this forum contain this some form of this last statement. I see it enough to surmise that this is probably one of the main concerns (if not the main one) of people that have played for any period of time. As Geocaching evolves, I think the challenge is to find better ways of filtering caches. I really don't know what the answer is but as the percentage of caches that do not fit this description continues to dwindle, I think the need only increases.

[+sbell111]

Last year early adopters in the Portland, Ore., area began hiding little stashes of CDs, action figures, Band Aids and other goodies in exotic locations-on a mountaintop, underwater, hanging off a cliff face -and posting the coordinates on the Internet as a challenge to their fellow nerds."

My how things have changed.

Caches no longer exist on mountain tops, underwater, hanging off cliff faces, etc?

Of course there are. However, those types have increasingly become the red-headed stepchild. If you built a random cache generator that could choose 10 caches from the entire list, 8 or 9 of those would be a micro hidden on a guardrail, park bench, lamp pole etc.

 

The process used to be:

I have a location I want to bring people to --> I have a desire to hide a cache --> I have a suitable container --> memorable new geocache

 

Now it’s:

I have a desire to hide a cache --> I have a container --> I have a location --> new geocache

 

I’m not anti-micro, I just wish hiders would put a little more thought into their hides. I don’t think, especially through the eyes of a new player or reporter, that the paradigm shift is beneficial to the game.

I'm not sure that the shift you refer to actually even exists. That being said, I suspect that there are a very limited number of mountain tops and cliff faces.

[+sbell111]

Yes, great and memorable caches still exist, they are just not the ‘standard’ anymore.

I wonder what percentage of the actual posts in this forum contain this some form of this last statement. I see it enough to surmise that this is probably one of the main concerns (if not the main one) of people that have played for any period of time. As Geocaching evolves, I think the challenge is to find better ways of filtering caches. I really don't know what the answer is but as the percentage of caches that do not fit this description continues to dwindle, I think the need only increases.

I suspect that this is because we tend to remember the past incorrectly, not because things have drastically changed.

 

I remember when I first started playing the game. Every cache container was full of gold and placed at the end of a rainbow.

[+Team GeoBlast]

Last year early adopters in the Portland, Ore., area began hiding little stashes of CDs, action figures, Band Aids and other goodies in exotic locations-on a mountaintop, underwater, hanging off a cliff face -and posting the coordinates on the Internet as a challenge to their fellow nerds."

My how things have changed.

Caches no longer exist on mountain tops, underwater, hanging off cliff faces, etc?

Of course there are. However, those types have increasingly become the red-headed stepchild. If you built a random cache generator that could choose 10 caches from the entire list, 8 or 9 of those would be a micro hidden on a guardrail, park bench, lamp pole etc.

 

The process used to be:

I have a location I want to bring people to --> I have a desire to hide a cache --> I have a suitable container --> memorable new geocache

 

Now it’s:

I have a desire to hide a cache --> I have a container --> I have a location --> new geocache

 

I’m not anti-micro, I just wish hiders would put a little more thought into their hides. I don’t think, especially through the eyes of a new player or reporter, that the paradigm shift is beneficial to the game.

I'm not sure that the shift you refer to actually even exists. That being said, I suspect that there are a very limited number of mountain tops and cliff faces.

 

The last statement here is pretty much right on. While there is decreasing number of accessible mountain tops that do not have caches placed on them, there's an increasing quantity of 528 ft square blocks in urban areas to hide a cache to boost your cache finds. So if the shift is not prominent enough now to recognize, it will be more pronounced in the future.

Edited June 26, 2007 by Team GeoBlast

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

I'd say it *was* a nerd sport initially, but it really doesn't take much technical skill in order to use a GPS device.<BR><BR>If boaters and hikers who use technology are nerds, than I suppose being a nerd is a good thing.<BR><BR>And a suntanned nerd would be a formidable foe.<BR><BR>Jeremy

Thought I was losing my mind seeing Jeremy as "Unregistered"!

[+sbell111]

Last year early adopters in the Portland, Ore., area began hiding little stashes of CDs, action figures, Band Aids and other goodies in exotic locations-on a mountaintop, underwater, hanging off a cliff face -and posting the coordinates on the Internet as a challenge to their fellow nerds."

My how things have changed.

Caches no longer exist on mountain tops, underwater, hanging off cliff faces, etc?

Of course there are. However, those types have increasingly become the red-headed stepchild. If you built a random cache generator that could choose 10 caches from the entire list, 8 or 9 of those would be a micro hidden on a guardrail, park bench, lamp pole etc.

 

The process used to be:

I have a location I want to bring people to --> I have a desire to hide a cache --> I have a suitable container --> memorable new geocache

 

Now it’s:

I have a desire to hide a cache --> I have a container --> I have a location --> new geocache

 

I’m not anti-micro, I just wish hiders would put a little more thought into their hides. I don’t think, especially through the eyes of a new player or reporter, that the paradigm shift is beneficial to the game.

I'm not sure that the shift you refer to actually even exists. That being said, I suspect that there are a very limited number of mountain tops and cliff faces.

 

The last statement here is pretty much right on. While there is decreasing number of accessible mountain tops that do not have caches placed on them, there's an increasing quantity of 528 ft square blocks in urban areas to hide a cache to boost your cache finds. So if the shift is not prominent enough now to recognize, it will be more pronounced in the future.

That is likely true. However, I suspect that what we will find is an increaing amount of 'uninspired' hides that some cachers won't go after, but will still please plenty of cachers. Luckily, this will continue to be balanced by a sufficient number of 'outstanding' caches that these discriminating cachers can go find.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

My Daddy taught me that one has to earn the right to complain - that if I wasn't happy with a situation I should try to fix it before I complained about it.

 

I wonder how many complaining about the lack of 'great' caches could show us any that they've hidden?

[+Moose Mob]

Let's get this back on topic.

 

Thanks

[+sbell111]

Let's get this back on topic.

 

Thanks

Ummm, OK.

 

It was pretty cool that Geocaching was mentioned in Time six years ago.

[+Criminal]

My Daddy taught me that one has to earn the right to complain - that if I wasn't happy with a situation I should try to fix it before I complained about it.

 

I wonder how many complaining about the lack of 'great' caches could show us any that they've hidden?

If you insist:

French Peak

Echo Lake

Marmot Pass

Ellinor

Col Bob

Humpnoochee

Big Hump

And, so you don't get the idea that they're all hike-caches:

ACE

[+sbell111]

I'd say it *was* a nerd sport initially, but it really doesn't take much technical skill in order to use a GPS device.

 

If boaters and hikers who use technology are nerds, than I suppose being a nerd is a good thing.

 

And a suntanned nerd would be a formidable foe.

Six years ago, I laughed when I read Jeremy's post.

[+Markwell]

Now it’s:

I have a desire to hide a cache --> I have a container --> I have a location --> new geocache

 

I'll take you one step further.

 

Now it’s:

I have a desire to hide a cache --> I'll rumage through my junk drawer for something to put a scrap of paper in --> I'll drive 10 minutes and find a parking lot that doesn't have a cache --> new geocache

 

 

[+simpjkee]

I agree with Criminal. I am just a baby to this sport, but I started because they took me to cool locations I never knew about, some of which are in urban areas. Sometimes though in my quest to find all the caches in my area, I end up driving straight up to a storm drain with a cache magneted to it or a neighborhood mailbox with a cache magneted to the underside of it and I wornder, "whats the point of that?". I would understand that its fun for kids , but those micros dont even hold trade items. It seems they are placed solely in order to pad cache counts. Either way I still find them.

 

As far as the Time article, I think its funny that the article appears to think that the internet is the base of geocaching and the outdoors is the means to finding them. I think it is the other way around. The outdoors is the basis of geocaching. The internet is only the means to giving the coordinates to a lot of people.

 

I also can't help but to wonder why with all these articles the last 6 years being printed about this sport that I first heard about it 2 months ago (and that was by word of mouth). I even call myself a daily reader.

[Clan Riffster]

I wonder how many complaining about the lack of 'great' caches could show us any that they've hidden?

I would venture to guess, all of them.

[+sbell111]

Now it’s:

I have a desire to hide a cache --> I have a container --> I have a location --> new geocache

 

I'll take you one step further.

 

Now it’s:

I have a desire to hide a cache --> I'll rumage through my junk drawer for something to put a scrap of paper in --> I'll drive 10 minutes and find a parking lot that doesn't have a cache --> new geocache

 

 

Not that your comment is on-topic, but you've almost perfectly defined the original geocache.