ABC News

[Guest Terraranger]

Devil's advocate (pun intended):

 

It has to be pretty difficult to summarize geocaching for a nationwide, general audience in a few minutes. I generally dislike the television news (NPR is so much better), but have to give them credit here.

 

Also, it has been interesting to read previous posts about the differences among us. I like that it's a diverse group, but we should all remember that we at least all love the thrill of the (treasure) hunt.

[Guest glcanon]

n't use it! Just kidding, ridiculous, huh.

[Guest jeremy]

quote:

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Originally posted by glcanon:

I can only say "lighten up" to those who feel so ridiculously proprietary about this sport and its related language.

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Umm... What are you talking about? Geocaching is public domain. No need to troll here.

[Guest joshgray]

quote:

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Originally posted by jeremy:

I sure wish I could copy directly from TiVo to disk though.

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Not to get too off topic or anything, but a pretty big tivo hacking community has sprung up since they figured out how to interface a network card to it. if you got some free time and tools check it out..

 

http://www.9thtee.com/tivonet.htm

http://www.tivofaq.com/hack/faq.html

http://www.avsforum.com/ubbcgitivo/Ultimate.cgi?action=intro

http://tivo.lightn.org/

 

 

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JoshGray

eTrex Basic http://joshgray.myip.org

[Guest chrome]

quote:

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Originally posted by ttaylor181:

I just went to the ABCNew.com site to look for the report. I didn't find the report, but I did see the article about the Connecticut man who was charged by ACME Car Rental for speeding. The article states that the company was able to track the car's location and speed via GPS. This is totally wrong!!! The company was only able to track the vehicle's movements because it was equipped with OnStar, NOT GPS.

 

Several of my friends have seen this error in other places, and now thing that they can be tracked if using a GPS unit.

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GPS is intrinsic to OnStar. It uses GPS to calculate the speed and record position. It is then reported via OnStar. So they can see how fast you are going (sort of - We've all see times when all of a sudden out GPS says we are going 800mph for a second or so due to calc/input glitches). So OnStar does use GPS. I'm sure you know that but your comment - "The company was only able to track the vehicle's movements because it was equipped with OnStar, NOT GPS." read differently.

 

[This message has been edited by chrome (edited 07 July 2001).]

[Guest arffer]

abcnews so far has NOT posted a streaming video of Friday's broadcast on geocaching, but they do have an AUDIO streaming feed so you can hear it.

 

However, act fast... they always have a link to the previous broadcast's audio, but once the next broadcast airs, the previous one is gone for good.

 

Its at:

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/wnt/Popoff/wnt_archive_audio_pblank.html

[Guest piersevent]

My wife wants to know what model/brand of GPS those in the ABC news report were using. Quinn had one and the little girl had a different one, I think. Just some newbies asking!

[Guest Quinnow]

ah-hah!!! Advertising at it's best!

 

The one that I was using was the Garmin GPSMap76 with an External Antenna made by Garmin as well. It's a very nice unit with a large screen and WAAS. I find it to carry some very large sat birds when you hook up the Garmin Antenna to it. Now the one my Daughter (Morgan) was using is the Garmin IIIPlus, this is also a very nice GPS due to a great antenna system added to it, You can also add an external system if you feel the one on it does not do the job (which it always seems to do) Pssst!...To be honest with you I wanted to use the IIIPlus but Morgan was having none of that and scooped it on me as we got out of the car. Morgan is famous for telling me she thinks the cache is in the other direction when she knows darn well where it is, this way I end up looking like a fool searching somewhere else so she can be the one to find it. I guess she thought I'd have taken those bubbles on her! I am still looking around for a place to get the taped segmant placed onto CD, Once I have i'll contact Jeremy and see if he wants to add it to the site, of course this will also be after ABC gives me permission.

 

Oh...ummm, Morgan has been walking around everywhere we go with a pad of paper and a pen waiting for people to ask her for her autograph, so if any of you want one please feel free to e-mail her at qstone@rochester.rr.com there is no cost and one per customer (she told me to mention that)

 

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Quinn Stone

Rochester, NY.14616

www.Navicache.com

 

[This message has been edited by Quinnow (edited 08 July 2001).]

 

[This message has been edited by Quinnow (edited 08 July 2001).]

[Guest Quinnow]

ah-hah!!! Advertising at it's best!

 

The one that I was using was the Garmin GPSMap76 with an External Antenna made by Garmin as well. It's a very nice unit with a large screen and WAAS. I find it to carry some very large sat birds when you hook up the Garmin Antenna to it. Now the one my Daughter (Morgan) was using is the Garmin IIIPlus, this is also a very nice GPS due to a great antenna system added to it, You can also add an external system if you feel the one on it does not do the job (which it always seems to do) Pssst!...To be honest with you I wanted to use the IIIPlus but Morgan was having none of that and scooped it on me as we got out of the car. Morgan is famous for telling me she thinks the cache is in the other direction when she knows darn well where it is, this way I end up looking like a fool searching somewhere else so she can be the one to find it. I guess she thought I'd have taken those bubbles on her! I am still looking around for a place to get the taped segmant placed onto CD, Once I have i'll contact Jeremy and see if he wants to add it to the site, of course this will also be after ABC gives me permission.

 

Oh...ummm, Morgan has been walking around everywhere we go with a pad of paper and a pen waiting for people to ask her for her autograph, so if any of you want one please feel free to e-mail her at qstone@rochester.rr.com there is no cost and one per customer (she told me to mention that)

 

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Quinn Stone

Rochester, NY.14616

www.Navicache.com

 

[This message has been edited by Quinnow (edited 08 July 2001).]

 

[This message has been edited by Quinnow (edited 08 July 2001).]

[Guest ttaylor181]

In response to Chrome, I do realize that GPS is intrinsic to the OnStar system, however, GPS alone cannot account for the ability to track an object. Perhaps I could have stated that more clearly. Regardless, I have friends who had been contemplating purchasing GPS units and getting involved in Geocaching now reconsidering because they think someone can track them

[Guest jeremy]

e="Verdana, Arial">quote:

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Originally posted by ttaylor181:

Regardless, I have friends who had been contemplating purchasing GPS units and getting involved in Geocaching now reconsidering because they think someone can track them

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Standard GPS units (like Garmin and Magellan) do not track you. It basically uses a sophisticated type of triangulation to determine your position, based on the speed that the GPS satellite broadcast reaches your unit. All your GPS unit is, is a receiver - It receives these signals and it then does some internal math to determine where you are.

 

The only way to track someone would be to set up an internal pager, cell phone, etc along with a GPS unit so it could broadcast your position. There are products on the market (like OnStar) but recreational receivers do not have this functionality.

 

Jeremy

[Guest mfratto]

ttaylor181: They can track you anyway.

 

[This message has been edited by mfratto (edited 08 July 2001).]

[Guest chipper]

So was anyone able to record the interview and get it posted? I found the link to audio but was curious about the video. I wish I would have know when it was on. It's a piece of cake to turn it into an AVI or MPG or MOV or even Real video to upload. That's assuming it's on video tape.

[Guest chrome]

quote:

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Originally posted by ttaylor181:

In response to Chrome, I do realize that GPS is intrinsic to the OnStar system, however, GPS alone cannot account for the ability to track an object. Perhaps I could have stated that more clearly. Regardless, I have friends who had been contemplating purchasing GPS units and getting involved in Geocaching now reconsidering because they think someone can track them

---

 

I knew what you meant after reading it a second time and that's why I submitted a comment. By the way, EVERYONE should be more concerned about being tracked by cell phone than a non transmitting GPS. Phones not only have a way of calculating your location, but they also have a way of tranmitting that information. I know of a company that is actually going to install a GPS antenna in phones (Due to a non-disclosure agreement, I cannot say who that is). Of course this information is SUPPOSED to be for good things such as location based information. i.e. weather information without you having to enter where you are at the time, or while driving down the freeway, it tells you how much gas is at the 3 stations at the upcoming interchange. BUT, I know of products in the works that will transmit your "childs" location. Tracking an entire evening and even let you know the speeds the car has traveled. Of course this sounds reasonable when you are trying to keep check on your teenager, but the technology works just as well for ANY person who is carrying the cell phone. And will the phone companies safeguard who has access to your location information? Would your wife's private detective have access to your information when you have gone to the "bowling alley"? And what about Big Brother? I don't happen to worry about this stuff. Obviously some people do, including a few of your friends, and I can understand that. It's to bad that people let their ignorance rule them. (not said in a negative way)

[Guest Quinnow]

well getting to the point of cell phones with gps in them you are a tad late, Garmin has one already and heres a link where you can see it http://amos.catalogcity.com/cc.class/cc?main=catalog&pcd=442931&ccsyn=1 Like Jeremy and others have mentioned, I think the government has better things to do than track a family looking for a box filled with Pez. If I were to sit and worry about who was looking over my shoulder or based if I do or don't play Geocaching on whether I was being looked at my uniformed members of the US Military or FBI, I would rather just go inside lock my doors and never come back out again. Sheesh, some of you need to relax and enjoy life a bit! though that spontanious combustion thingy really bothers me because we all know it's a beam coming from the military sats aimed at cell phone users.

 

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Quinn Stone

Rochester, NY.14616

www.Navicache.com

[Guest Quinnow]

well getting to the point of cell phones with gps in them you are a tad late, Garmin has one already and heres a link where you can see it http://amos.catalogcity.com/cc.class/cc?main=catalog&pcd=442931&ccsyn=1 Like Jeremy and others have mentioned, I think the government has better things to do than track a family looking for a box filled with Pez. If I were to sit and worry about who was looking over my shoulder or based if I do or don't play Geocaching on whether I was being looked at my uniformed members of the US Military or FBI, I would rather just go inside lock my doors and never come back out again. Sheesh, some of you need to relax and enjoy life a bit! though that spontanious combustion thingy really bothers me because we all know it's a beam coming from the military sats aimed at cell phone users.

 

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Quinn Stone

Rochester, NY.14616

www.Navicache.com

[Guest ttaylor181]

quote:

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Originally posted by chrome:

Obviously some people do, including a few of your friends, and I can understand that. It's to bad that people let their ignorance rule them. (not said in a negative way)

---

 

Chrome, I think most of the folks that were planning to get into Geocaching are intelligent enough to figure out that a non-transmitting unit couldn't be used to track them. Those that didn't figure it out are usually the same ones that constantly forward e-mails to me about virus warnings and kidneys beings stolen while on vacation.

 

As for being tracked, obviously those people that purchased vehicles with OnStar thought it was a good thing, and didn't necessarily think it was a conspiracy. The whole matter would become moot with the addition of an on/off switch. You use it (whether OnStar or the cell technology to which you refer) when you want, with the realization that tracking is enable while in use.

 

My point was that ABC news was giving inaccuracies. I haven't seen the article that started this thread, but I hope they did a better job of presenting the joys of Geocaching.

[Guest moulton]

Hey, My 15 minutes of fame WOOHOO... I placed the cache that Quinn and him family found. The bubbles were my wife's idea.

 

BTW I use this web site, Quinn's and Buxley's

 

Keep up the good work guys!

 

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[Guest cache_only]

quote:

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Originally posted by c.mathis:

I can't understand why you are so antagonistic. Give Jeremy a break.

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Though Jeremy and I have never met, I like him. I admire his hard work. My antagonism is really no more than a good, old-fashioned jab in the ribs. It's about 50% dogging his rear end and about 50% tongue-in-cheek friendly antagonism.

 

quote:

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I guess the only thing that tops your being right all the time is your modesty.

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Think of me what you will. You're certainly not on my Christmas card list either, pal. I won't lose any sleep tonight knowing you don't think too highly of me. And, by the way, I'm not "right all the time." I'm opinionated, sure, but I'm not the man with all the answers. I don't pretend to be.

[Guest c.mathis]

quote:

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Originally posted by cache_only:

Though Jeremy and I have never met, I like him. I admire his hard work. My antagonism is really no more than a good, old-fashioned jab in the ribs. It's about 50% dogging his rear end and about 50% tongue-in-cheek friendly antagonism.

---

 

Perhaps a few smiles in your post would have told me you weren't serious. Sorry for the accusation.

 

quote:

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Originally posted by cache_only:

And, by the way, I'm not "right all the time." I'm opinionated, sure, but I'm not the man with all the answers.

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Right again!

[Guest c.mathis]

quote:

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Originally posted by cache_only:

Though Jeremy and I have never met, I like him. I admire his hard work. My antagonism is really no more than a good, old-fashioned jab in the ribs. It's about 50% dogging his rear end and about 50% tongue-in-cheek friendly antagonism.

---

 

Perhaps a few smiles in your post would have told me you weren't serious. Sorry for the accusation.

 

quote:

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Originally posted by cache_only:

And, by the way, I'm not "right all the time." I'm opinionated, sure, but I'm not the man with all the answers.

---

 

Right again!

[Guest cache_only]

quote:

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Originally posted by jeremy:

Here's good paraphrasing.. This was a sidebar in National Geographic Adventures magazine for July/August '01. I don't speak this well. It was compiled after a 30-40 minute chat on the phone...{snipped for brevity}

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I agree. They did a pretty good job. It is clear they didn't hang you out to dry. I think they could have omitted the one about the nun and the lazy people, but hey, overall it was pretty good.

 

I'm with you. Oral spontaneous/impromptu interviews are very difficult. Writers have the luxury of weighing their words, altering them, cutting and pasting segments here and there. The article that makes it to print has undergone many revisions by the writer and an editor's final proofread. The person being interviewed is really at the mercy of the edit. That's why the best "interview" is to tell the writer to submit his/her questions on paper. Answer them at your leisure, weighing and altering along the way, and simply return the answers to the writer when you're done.

 

Through the years 60 Minutes has acquired such a notoriety for hacking people up in the edit room that people are now getting savvy and requesting these "paper interviews."

 

[This message has been edited by cache_only (edited 09 July 2001).]

[Guest Quinnow]

"Mr. Stone,

 

The Permissions Department has reviewed your request to use ABC News footage

on your website. Unfortunately, we can not grant this request.

 

We appreciate your assistance with our news story, but we can not deviate

from our policy of not authorizing use of ABC News footage on outside

websites. ABC News has a strict policy about internet use of our footage,

and maintains relationships with internet providers based on this policy.

 

Please keep in mind that your assistance with the story did help us to put

together an informative and thorough news report.

 

If you would like us to send you a couple of complimentary copies of the

news story on VHS, we would be happy to do so.

 

Again, I am sorry that I could not assist you further.

 

Tony Brackett

Associate Director

Rights, Clearances and Permission Practices

ABC News"

 

The above was an e-mail I got from ABC. I just wanted you all to be aware that the reason the story has not been added to the websites is not due to lack of Interest by me nor Jeremy, It is due to the fact I am still trying to get ABC to allow it to be placed on the sites. You can feel free to post feedback here, or you can also send some to ABC. Who knows, maybe with a tad bit of luck they may sway. It might even end up being placed on the ABC website to calm matters. We'll just have to wait and see.

 

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Quinn Stone

Rochester, NY.14616

www.Navicache.com

[Guest Markwell]

Actually, Quinn, I'd suggest that you (as the person the story is about) could suggest posting it to the ABC website as a compromise to their need to keep the story "secure" yet have it be seen by the people who did not see it. Just a thought that it might carry more weight coming from you...

[Guest Quinnow]

I agree with that, and have already done it several times. but can't seem to get in touch with or pointed to the right person to handle it. Back when it was first placed on air I was told (but maybe misunderstood) that the story as well as the websites would both be listed on ABCNews.com but it never came into play. So my main reason for placing it here is that if enough people express an Interest in seeing the story, they might feel it a good idea to add it to their site for a bit.

 

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Quinn Stone

Rochester, NY.14616

www.Navicache.com

[Guest Quinnow]

LOL!...here are the coordinates for the ABC cache, Latitude: N43° 11.668' Longitude: W077° 44.315' Most famous coordinates to date? maybe!

 

Morgan still has those bubbles too!

I have dropped off the tape of the news segmand and have also gotten e-mailed permission to use it on the site. I am waiting for a fax that is signed though before I add it. i will also send a cd copy to Jeremy in case he wants to place it here.

 

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Quinn Stone

Rochester, NY.14616

www.Navicache.com