Geocaching on Slashdot

June 4, 2003

thejuggler writes "Some cities and counties are banning or considering banning geocaching in their parks. "It's good, clean, wholesome fun - just do it someplace else," said Brian Adams, chief of resource protection for the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, which has banned geocaching. The geocaching.com website claims there are over 600 caches within 100 miles of the twincities."

June 4, 2003

That is a very interesting article. Thank you for sharing. It seems as the sport grows (and grows, and grows), we are seeing more of this.

Make a sanity check.

38.2k · June 4, 2003

What's more interesting are the ignorant comments in the discussion thread. This was one of my faves:

I really think most cities should band (I think he meant BAN) geocaching within their city limits all together, just to protect themselves against terrorist acts.

While the dweebish geocachers might think it's all good clean fun, a way to show off their disposable income with a high tech gewgaw and exchange some swag for other swag, terrorists are finding web pages full of GPS coordinates in the midst of populated cities.

Do we really want to see a poor man's cruise missile strike Central Park, loaded with Anthrax or Sarin? How many Americans are going to have to die because some insane Muslim hooked up a GPS to to the autopilot of a Beechcraft and loaded it with Iraqi made chemical and biologican Weapons of Mass Destruction?

Now, you know and I know that anything that gets those flabby, pasty white geeks away from their computers for a few hours is a good thing, but they should find an outdoor hobby that doesn't compromise the security of America".

"Au pays des aveugles, les borgnes sont rois"

June 4, 2003

ooooh nooooooo!! We've been slashdotted. No wonder the site is crawling.

---

trippy1976 - Cache Approval Account

MiGO Steering Group

6.4k · June 4, 2003

Well, I wonder if geocaching is big enough yet to "slashdot" slashdot.org?

Tae-Kwon-Leap is not a path to a door, but a road leading forever towards the horizon.

June 4, 2003

Here's another comment posted in the Slashdot discussion area:

The article is heavily drama. I am a geocacher that knows two of the people mentioned in the article. When they say "Three park officials walk up. Will they kick him out? Not today," they're referring to Washington County Park Officials that not only allow geocaching, but promote it as well. Drama, Drama, Drama...

Nola Cutts, mentioned in the article, said this:

"LOL -- You know what? I talked for the better part of an hour with this reporter about my philosophy of "leave no trace" and my "trash out" activities and the progress MnGCA [Minnesota Geocaching Association] was making with having people pick up garbage on the trails and how I thought geocaching was environmentally friendly in that regard..... You have all heard this from me before

Toward the end of the interview we were JOKING about how my husband hates to geocache and how I hate to fly fish. So what quote does he use, my speech about recycling or fly fishing? AAAAKKKKK!"

They chose to make an almost faticious battle between the parks and the unknown techno-nature-hippies instead of talking about how interesting Geocaching is, and not only that, but most Geocachers that I know of in the Twin Cities, and I know that most with the Minnesota Geocaching Association also help clean up city, county and state parks during caching trips. I'm dissapointed the article was even made, and even more so that it's on Slashdot!!!

The reporter failed to mention that the MN DNR is working on a plan for Geocaching in State Parks as well.

June 4, 2003

And there it goes. I think.

Unable to get through from here at least. Congrats on your first slahdotting gc.com!

Maybe tomorrow we'll be celebrating your first webby!! Could be a big week in internet milestones for the site

---

trippy1976 - Cache Approval Account

MiGO Steering Group

1.1k · June 4, 2003

I reboot the machine so we'd have a clean boot for slashdot, but its still crawling. I'll continue to work on getting the new code finished so we can keep up with the traffic.

On average (without slashdot) we sit around 1,200 simultaneous web clicks at any given time. Haven't checked the firewall but it must me off the charts now.

As for the article, this is nothing new. It's all growing pains.

Jeremy Irish

Groundspeak - The Language of Location

6.4k · June 4, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by -trippy1976-:
And there it goes. I think.

Unable to get through from here at least. Congrats on your first slahdotting gc.com!

Maybe tomorrow we'll be celebrating your first webby!! Could be a big week in internet milestones for the site

---

trippy1976 - _Cache Approval Account_

MiGO Steering Group

http://www.mi-geocaching.org/

This isnt the 1st. the 1st slashdotting was how I found geocaching back in 2000.

Tae-Kwon-Leap is not a path to a door, but a road leading forever towards the horizon.

38.2k · June 4, 2003

I think we've been on slashdot before. I recall a few new geocachers mentioning they found out about the sport from that website.

"Au pays des aveugles, les borgnes sont rois"

5.7k · June 4, 2003

Hopefully there will be some new geocachers joining us from this slashdotting as well. Back in 2000, it would have been a bit different than a new person coming it for a look now. The cache count from my ZIP is over 2000 in a 100 mile radius. I think people coming to the site now will be surprised at the number of caches near them and be (possibly) more likely to give it a try.

--Marky

"All of us get lost in the darkness, dreamers learn to steer with a backlit GPSr"

38.2k · June 4, 2003

From reading the threads, it looks like we have just added a number of new participants and also a few potential cache theives, or vandals.

"Au pays des aveugles, les borgnes sont rois"

24.7k · June 4, 2003

Oh this is good stuff. The truth is if I really wanted to blow up a city I sure as hell wouldn't run around with a GPS and PDA in my hands. It would be easy enough to get the job done far more discretely than ever a geocacher is.

Coordinates for everthing are easy to get in the comfort of your own home with enough precision for a truck bomb to take out a city block to tag the building, dam, or other terrorist type target.

Still I do think people should call in everything that looks funny because that's what we are supposed to be doing.

=====================

Wherever you go there you are.

June 4, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by BrianSnat:
From reading the threads, it looks like we have just added a number of new participants and also a few potential cache theives, or vandals.

_"Au pays des aveugles, les borgnes sont rois"_

I think that is going to happen anytime geocaching is mentioned in any medium. Some curious, some malicious--that's just people. It happens with any activity.

The nature of the game leaves caches undefended, usually in remote locations. All we can do is hope that the curious become cachers and help replace the plundered caches....

Dave_W6DPS

My two cents worth, refunds available on request. (US funds only)

June 4, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by BrianSnat:
What's more interesting are the ignorant comments in the discussion thread. This was one of my faves:

_ I really think most cities should band_ (I think he meant BAN)_ geocaching within their city limits all together, just to protect themselves against terrorist acts.

While the dweebish geocachers might think it's all good clean fun, a way to show off their disposable income with a high tech gewgaw and exchange some swag for other swag, terrorists are finding web pages full of GPS coordinates in the midst of populated cities.

Coordinates of well populated areas were available long before Geocaching came on the scene. Terrorists don't need geocachers to find targets for their weapons. All they need is the National Geodetic Survey. With over 700,000 benchmarks to choose from, the NGS would be a much better resource.

For instance, this past weekend, I located two benchmarks on the grounds of the State Capitol building in Columbus, Ohio. the descriptions for the marks specifiaclly state that they are located on that building. One is literally on the Northeast corner of the building, the other is on the Southwest corner of the building. You do the math.

June 4, 2003

Hi! I came to this site via Slashdot and thought I'd weigh in on this thread. In particular a comment by BrianSnat caught my eye, when he said:

What's more interesting are the ignorant comments in the discussion thread. This was one of my faves:

The post that he referred to was moderated as "Funny". It is typical Slashdot humor. Maybe not what you'd expect to see in this forum, but then, its not this forum. Slashdot tends to be very pro-technology, pro-privacy, anti-silly gov't policies. It was not a serious post.

Anyway, this sport looks fun...think my girlfriend and I will be trying it out in the next week or so.

June 4, 2003

Originally posted by BrianSnat:

While the dweebish geocachers might think it's all good clean fun, a way to show off their disposable income with a high tech gewgaw and exchange some swag for other swag, terrorists are finding web pages full of GPS coordinates in the midst of populated cities.

Dweebish? Us? Does this guy realize he's writing in an online forum?

/Benjamin

June 4, 2003

Yeh, What Jeremy Said.

Get Over It.

June 4, 2003

What's a gewgaw and where can I buy one?

I'm always looking for new gadgets....

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

There is no such thing as "fun for the whole family." -Jerry Seinfeld

[This message was edited by HartClimbs on June 04, 2003 at 10:46 AM.]

6.4k · June 4, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by salmonboy:
Hi! I came to this site via Slashdot and thought I'd weigh in on this thread. In particular a comment by BrianSnat caught my eye, when he said:

_What's more interesting are the ignorant comments in the discussion thread. This was one of my faves:_

The post that he referred to was moderated as "Funny". It is typical Slashdot humor. Maybe not what you'd expect to see in this forum, but then, its not this forum. Slashdot tends to be very pro-technology, pro-privacy, anti-silly gov't policies. It was not a serious post.

Anyway, this sport looks fun...think my girlfriend and I will be trying it out in the next week or so.

Welcome! I first found this site via /. almost 3yrs ago, took another year before I got involved in it, and they've been trying to get me to leave ever since.

Looking forward to seeing many new slashdotters here, most of whom I think are smart enought to see for themselves what we are all about

Tae-Kwon-Leap is not a path to a door, but a road leading forever towards the horizon.

[/list

June 4, 2003

Ok, I'm a dork.......what is slashdot?

Make a sanity check.

June 4, 2003

The previous poster asked what is Slashdot.

Slashdot.org is a sort of news for nerds Website which runs stories every day. The stories are either posted by users or by the admins. The stories generally focus on tech news, open source software news (i.e. Linux), copyright issues, and anti-privacy/anti-freedom politics.

Users then discuss stories in forums, and other users moderate the forums at ramdom.

If your Website is linked to via a Slashdot headline, you can expect your server to take a *heavy* hit and possibly burst into flames from all of the traffic.

Slashdot is very cool Website; I think I discoverd Geocaching through a Slashdot article a long time ago.

Loomis

8.4k · June 4, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Loomis and Bughead:
The previous poster asked what is Slashdot.

Slashdot.org is a sort of news for nerds Website which runs stories every day. The stories are either posted by users or by the admins. The stories generally focus on tech news, open source software news (i.e. Linux), copyright issues, and anti-privacy/anti-freedom politics.

Users then discuss stories in forums, and other users moderate the forums at ramdom.

If your Website is linked to via a Slashdot headline, you can expect your server to take a *heavy* hit and possibly burst into flames from all of the traffic.

Slashdot is very cool Website; I think I discoverd Geocaching through a Slashdot article a long time ago.

Loomis

I didn't know what slashdot was either. Does that mean that I'm not a total nerd yet? As much as I've been hitting my 2 favorite forums lately, I suspect that I'm well on my way though.

Sngans

The greatest labor saving invention of today is tomorrow....

June 4, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by salmonboy:
The post that he referred to was moderated as "Funny". It is typical Slashdot humor. Maybe not what you'd expect to see in this forum, but then, its not this forum. Slashdot tends to be very pro-technology, pro-privacy, anti-silly gov't policies. It was not a serious post.

Hehe... the other standard jokes tend to be really, *really* worn... I think the pattern goes something like:

Create a joke.
Post it in every thread.
???
Profit!

(Disclaimer: I've *never* posted one of those and /., but I have moderated a few Off-Topic.

[[[ ClayJar Networks ]]]

Home of Watcher downloads, Official Geocaching Chat, and the Geocache Rating System

2.6k · June 4, 2003

quote:
with Iraqi made chemical and biologican Weapons of Mass Destruction?

LOL, they mean someone has already actually found those?

- I just got lost in thought. It was unfamiliar territory. -

June 4, 2003

I am about as much "anti-rules" anyone can get and as you can tell pumpkin and I are new to the sport...but one thing in the article may be noteworthy, the suggestion to move caches periodically...we've noticed that when we get close to a cache...at least the ones so far...it is pretty easy to see the way...if you pay attention to the "paths" created...

Never say Never...Never say Always!

38.2k · June 4, 2003

quote:
I am about as much "anti-rules" anyone can get and as you can tell pumpkin and I are new to the sport...but one thing in the article may be noteworthy, the suggestion to move caches periodically...we've noticed that when we get close to a cache...at least the ones so far...it is pretty easy to see the way...if you pay attention to the "paths" created... Eek

Proper placement of a cache should eliminate, or reduce these paths. If the cache is close to a trail, geocachers tend to turn off at about the same spot, which can cause a herd path to develop. If a cache is placed a few hundred yards off the trail, it's unlikely (in most cases) that any two geocachers will take the

exact same path, which spreads out impact and allows the area time to recover.

Also, many of the herd paths that go to caches aren't necessarily caused by the geocache. Hiders tend to take the path of least resistance when they go off trail to place their cache and they often use an existing herd path, or game trail. They place the cache at the end, or somewhere near this, and presto, people blame the trail on the cache.

Finally, what is the real impact of any herd path that does develop? Where I live, you can find game trails made by deer travelling from place to place. The impact is about the same as any herd path that may be created by a geocacher, but they aren't talking about banning deer...well maybe some surburban homeowners who are losing thousands of dollars worth of landscaping to the deer are...but other that's a whole 'nother story.

"Au pays des aveugles, les borgnes sont rois"

June 4, 2003

Thank goodness the winter is over and the snow (what little we got here in the West) with it. Winter Geocaching often leaves "geotrails" in the snow but those of us who wanted to improve the sport tried to leave as many false trails as possible. I suppose a snow trail doesn't really damage the environment though.

4.1k · June 4, 2003

I think the "Twin Cities" Should go further in protecting their parks!! The should make the "Greenies" happy and turn all their parks into wilderness areas that require a permit to enter. They need to save those parks for their grandchildren!!

The REAL question is would they really let their grandchildren use the parks or make them save the parks for THEIR grandchildren?

8.4k · June 4, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by BrianSnat:
Proper placement of a cache should eliminate, or reduce these paths. If the cache is close to a trail, geocachers tend to turn off at about the same spot, which can cause a herd path to develop. If a cache is placed a few hundred yards off the trail, it's unlikely (in most cases) that any two geocachers will take the

exact same path, which spreads out impact and allows the area time to recover.

Also, many of the herd paths that go to caches aren't necessarily caused by the geocache. Hiders tend to take the path of least resistance when they go off trail to place their cache and they often use an existing herd path, or game trail. They place the cache at the end, or somewhere near this, and presto, people blame the trail on the cache.

Finally, what is the real impact of any herd path that does develop? Where I live, you can find game trails made by deer travelling from place to place. The impact is about the same as any herd path that may be created by a geocacher, but they aren't talking about banning deer...well maybe some surburban homeowners who are losing thousands of dollars worth of landscaping to the deer are...but other that's a whole 'nother story.

Man! That is sooooo true. I brush whacked just under a mile to Sawdust92's Old Time Memories and all I did was follow the bunny trails 90% of the way. If you follow the road it's nearly 5 miles round trip.

Sngans

The greatest labor saving invention of today is tomorrow....

June 5, 2003

I think what I'm most disturbed by in this article is the attitude of the park managers that say "do it somewhere else". I've often wondered who's park they think it is: "theirs" or the public's? I hope that attitude doesn't become prevalent. As long as we are good citizens when geocaching then I can only think it will be proved a benefit, not hinderance.

Maybe an 'education' campaign of some kind should be launched for these misunderstanding folks. The largest group, the US Park Service has already disallowed it apparently judging by the rules of geocaching. Is there any effort to bring them around to letting caches get placed in national park service lands?

Geosaur :: Geocaching Lizard

June 5, 2003

As my wife and my find count shows, we are huge fans of Geocaching. But I feel that the idea of the parks as "our" parks gets confused with the idea of the parks as "ours to do with as we want".

The parks are held in stewardship for the public. Stewardship means that the land is hend with PARTICULAR USES in mind. Now, I wish that you could cache in National Parks - perhaps with a no more than 1 cache per square mile rule, or even stricter, to keep it minimal. I think that when we allow hunters to go off trail, we should allow cachers to go off trail.. etc...

But the argument that "it belongs to us" makes no more sense than saying "the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. belongs to us - I am going to camp out there and pitch a tent for a few days"

No. You can't do that. The point we should be making isn't that the public lands should allow us to do whatever we want. The point we should be making is that Geocaching should fall into the category of allowed and reasonable USE of those lands.

-J

June 5, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by TeamJiffy:
No. You can't do that. The point we should be making isn't that the public lands should allow us to do whatever we want. The point we should be making is that Geocaching should fall into the category of allowed and reasonable USE of those lands.

-J

Sorry, I should have been a bit more specific. I believe we are arguing the same thing and are on the same side. I'm not for us just doing 'whatever we want'. However, it is the public's land, _not_ the park manager's land. That's the mentality I fight against, and certainly took away from at least one quote from the original story. You would think that getting responsible geocachers, just like any other hikers, out to your particular park would be a good thing.

I would be in favor of having some kind of log book or notification scheme for cache owners to let the park workers know where they are, or having specific areas "for caching" and others not allowed for that purpose. Banning it outright seems wrong to me, especially when we are basically just enhancing the hiking process a little.

Geosaur :: Geocaching Lizard

Geocaching on Slashdot

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