+rjo Posted March 19, 2004 Share Posted March 19, 2004 Hey all, I consult for a book retailer and I couldn't help but notice when I looked up Geocaching on our system the other day (expecting to find nothing) that there is THREE new books coming out in the next few months for caching. There is even a complete idiots guide to geocaching coming out, a widely respected series (despite the name ) a true sign of acceptance Just thought i'd point it out, very interesting Quote Link to comment
+Scout Master Posted March 19, 2004 Share Posted March 19, 2004 Complete Idiot's Guide to Geocaching Quote Link to comment
Bryan Posted March 19, 2004 Share Posted March 19, 2004 (edited) Actually, the cover shown above is just a place holder. This is the real cover for The Complete Idiot's Guide to Geocaching: Happy Geocaching! Edited March 19, 2004 by Rothstafari Quote Link to comment
+Monkey Toes Posted March 19, 2004 Share Posted March 19, 2004 Is a book really necessary? Would any experienced cacher need this book? For the newb, like myself, any information that anyone would need is right here. Get a GPS, go to the website for coordinates, find cache. The author must have read the complete idiots guide to making a buck. Quote Link to comment
+Mastifflover Posted March 19, 2004 Share Posted March 19, 2004 Looks like Hydee will be an instant celebrity!! Quote Link to comment
+yumitori Posted March 19, 2004 Share Posted March 19, 2004 Is a book really necessary? Would any experienced cacher need this book? For the newb, like myself, any information that anyone would need is right here. Get a GPS, go to the website for coordinates, find cache. The author must have read the complete idiots guide to making a buck. Hopefully 'experienced cachers' aren't complete idiots. But then, there's been some caches I've found that were hidden by folks with lots of finds under their belts that make me wonder... Quote Link to comment
+Criminal Posted March 19, 2004 Share Posted March 19, 2004 I wondered how they could have written "expert tips" without ever contacting me, and then I remembered the name of the book.... Quote Link to comment
+sept1c_tank Posted March 19, 2004 Share Posted March 19, 2004 Looks like Hydee will be an instant celebrity In my book, Hydee's always been a celebrity! Quote Link to comment
+ADKcachers Posted March 19, 2004 Share Posted March 19, 2004 The idiot girl on the cover is cute. Quote Link to comment
+gbod Posted March 19, 2004 Share Posted March 19, 2004 I think you'd be an idiot to buy the book. What about Geocaching can't you find for free online? Quote Link to comment
+carleenp Posted March 19, 2004 Share Posted March 19, 2004 I think you'd be an idiot to buy the book. What about Geocaching can't you find for free online? That is true of many of the subjects that series of books puts out. But for some people buying the book is simpler and quicker than searching online. Hopefully it will be helpful to some people. If it makes a few people hide caches better or properly handle travel bugs etc. then I am happy! Considering that I write for a living, it makes me think that I should have written a geocaching book before a bunch of them came out. As far a non-fiction goes, it would have been relatively quick and easy to write. Quote Link to comment
+Marky Posted March 19, 2004 Share Posted March 19, 2004 I'm so bad at caching I probably won't be able to even find the book in plain site... --Marky Quote Link to comment
+JMBella Posted March 19, 2004 Share Posted March 19, 2004 I'll probably buythis book just for the novelty of it. Plus that guy interviewed my for a magazine article. He's a cacher himself so the article and book should be some very positive press. Quote Link to comment
+wray_clan Posted March 19, 2004 Share Posted March 19, 2004 Although I don't think that the books will offer much to seasoned cachers, I think it's pretty neat that they're making them. In my opinion, it'd be easier to find caching through a book at the bookstore rather than on the Internet, which would be kind of hard to do, unless you had a GPS and you were looking for something to do with it. Quote Link to comment
+Capaldo Posted March 20, 2004 Share Posted March 20, 2004 Sorry, but is this a joke or a sign of the end-times!? Maybe I'm just too old-school, but where's the sense of discovery? Geocaching just isn't that complicated; your GPSr's quickstart guide covers the technical you need, then just go find a box in a park. The best part of being a newbie is learning all those 'expert' tips and tricks by trial and error. Some of the best fun I've had caching was when I was too inexperienced to know better. Or I guess you can just buy the books and jump straight to the jaded stage. JMHO. Quote Link to comment
+rjo Posted March 20, 2004 Author Share Posted March 20, 2004 I've put in for advanced copies of all the books.. I'll let you guys know what I can when I get em Quote Link to comment
+RichardMoore Posted March 20, 2004 Share Posted March 20, 2004 Do I need this book? No. Will I buy this book? Yes. Especially if I find it at Half-price Books. Why? I could say that there might be something in it that I don't know. Or that it would be easier than looking for the information on-line. But then I would just be kidding myself. The truth is that I'm a bibliophile! At this point my library contains over 1400 books. And I use my hobbies as an excuse to buy more books. As much as I enjoy using my computer to surf the net for information, there is nothing quite like the feel of a book in your hands. A computer is a tool. A book is a pleasure. RichardMoore Quote Link to comment
+carleenp Posted March 20, 2004 Share Posted March 20, 2004 The truth is that I'm a bibliophile! At this point my library contains over 1400 books. And I use my hobbies as an excuse to buy more books. As much as I enjoy using my computer to surf the net for information, there is nothing quite like the feel of a book in your hands. A computer is a tool. A book is a pleasure. Exactly why I might buy it. Plus it has Hydee on the cover which is cool. Quote Link to comment
+JohnnyVegas Posted March 20, 2004 Share Posted March 20, 2004 Lets face it, the book is targeted to the Non cacher, someone who has heard about geocaching. IF the books bring more people into the pastime of geocaching that is fine with me. Not every uses the internet as there first place to do research on a subject, I know that it is not my first choice. I my buy a couple for gifts for people I know that might be interested, I wonder how long before one turns up in a cache Quote Link to comment
+GrizzlyJohn Posted March 20, 2004 Share Posted March 20, 2004 Is a book really necessary? Would any experienced cacher need this book? For the newb, like myself, any information that anyone would need is right here. Get a GPS, go to the website for coordinates, find cache. The author must have read the complete idiots guide to making a buck. Am I reading the book cover correctly? I looks to me that the authors are "The Editors and Staff of Geocaching.com and Jack W. Peters". And they use the gc.com logo on the book. Then the quote at the top from Jeremy about how great the book is seems a little like him saying how great his own book is. If this is all the case then can we just see this for what it is. Another way for gc.com to hold themselves out as the authority and Offical Global GPS Cache Hunt Site. Oops sorry no they are just a listing service. When you next wonder why we have problems placing caches in parks and like places think about things like this. When people look into allowing caches they see it as a commerical enterprise. Not as some hobby or sport like tossing a frisbee or playing softball. And part of their thought process might be not wanting to support a commerical venture and opening up the gates to what that might mean they will have to allow from other business ventures. Quote Link to comment
+JohnnyVegas Posted March 20, 2004 Share Posted March 20, 2004 Is a book really necessary? Would any experienced cacher need this book? For the newb, like myself, any information that anyone would need is right here. Get a GPS, go to the website for coordinates, find cache. The author must have read the complete idiots guide to making a buck. Am I reading the book cover correctly? I looks to me that the authors are "The Editors and Staff of Geocaching.com and Jack W. Peters". And they use the gc.com logo on the book. Then the quote at the top from Jeremy about how great the book is seems a little like him saying how great his own book is. If this is all the case then can we just see this for what it is. Another way for gc.com to hold themselves out as the authority and Offical Global GPS Cache Hunt Site. Oops sorry no they are just a listing service. When you next wonder why we have problems placing caches in parks and like places think about things like this. When people look into allowing caches they see it as a commerical enterprise. Not as some hobby or sport like tossing a frisbee or playing softball. And part of their thought process might be not wanting to support a commerical venture and opening up the gates to what that might mean they will have to allow from other business ventures. Just because there is a book about geocaching you say people are less likely to allow caches because geocaching will be percieved as to commercial. Then you go on to say " Not as some hobby or sport like tossing a frisbee or playing softball" Softall is about as commercial as you can get, Softball is a Multi Million Dollar business. And Frisbee is also very commercial, have you heard of Disc golf, more and more parks are installing disc golf courses. Go to a large book store an look at all the books on the shelves about Softball you might even find some about disc golf. Quote Link to comment
+Monkey Toes Posted March 20, 2004 Share Posted March 20, 2004 And Frisbee is also very commercial, have you heard of Disc golf, more and more parks are installing disc golf courses. Go to a large book store an look at all the books on the shelves about Softball you might even find some about disc golf. I have heard of disc golf and am an avid player. Every disc golf course I have been too is free. And no, you won't find any books on the subject either. The only Frisbee book I have seen is about the history of the frisbee. Quote Link to comment
+GrizzlyJohn Posted March 20, 2004 Share Posted March 20, 2004 Just because there is a book about geocaching you say people are less likely to allow caches because geocaching will be percieved as to commercial. Then you go on to say " Not as some hobby or sport like tossing a frisbee or playing softball"Softall is about as commercial as you can get, Softball is a Multi Million Dollar business. And Frisbee is also very commercial, have you heard of Disc golf, more and more parks are installing disc golf courses. Go to a large book store an look at all the books on the shelves about Softball you might even find some about disc golf. I am sorry if my point was not clear. I did not mean to say that because there is a book on the subject that it means the activity is commercial. And your point about how some sports are very commerical is a valid one. My point is that a for profit business is holding themselves up as the official leader of the sport, sells items to use in that sport which adds some kind of official stamp to the activity and now would seem has written a book on how the sport is to be played. I have not seen the book so it may not be fair to comment on its content. But when it suits their purpose they say they are just a listing service. But I don't think I have to associate with a commerical business to go out and play other sports. Other than buying the equipment necessary to play, like a bat, ball and glove. Which I have many companies to choose from. I think many people that are running parks, etc. would see things a little differently if when people wanted to go play softball they had to go check in with some kind of for profit national softball association to tell them which park to go play in, how the bases are aligned and what the rules are for the game. As things stand today I can go out and make up how I want to play the game as I want. I can still say I am playing softball but I don't have to refer park officals back to a commerical business to show them that I am doing a valid sport that should be allowed. Yes there are lots of money involved with many parts of some if not most sports but I can also particpate in them without anyone making a dime from me other than the cost of equipment, for geocaching that would be a GPSr. I think that is not too far of a jump from how geocaching is played today. A for profit business runs the sport/hobby/activity. Yes there are other sites but many of those are also run for profit. And one has to associate with one of those sites to play. And those commerical enterprises gain by that association. I don't even think I have to go down the road about the control that gc.com has over the sport/hobby/activity. And yes there often events in parks that are held by for profit companies. But I would think there are a few hoops one must jump through to have one. And I don't think a park is going to let one of those go one every minute the park is open until the company no longer wants to do it. Well I guess unless some kind of money changes hands. But even then I would have to think because we are generally talking about something run by the government there is a long list of things that must happen to make sure all businesses have the chance to get in on it. I don't know any of this for sure but I don't think I am too too far off base. Quote Link to comment
+The Leprechauns Posted March 20, 2004 Share Posted March 20, 2004 GrizzlyJohn, I'm curious.... in all your discussions with real live land managers about geocache placements in their parks, how many times has this "commercialism" objection arisen? For me, the answer is zero. I've spoken about geocaching and cache permission with the maintenance foreman at a local park, a member of a township board of supervisors, a police officer, six state park managers, a state forest district supervisor, a half dozen county park managers, a naturalist for a regional parks system, a city parks manager, the president of a rails to trails group, officers of two major private land conservancy groups, and the head bureaucrat in charge of geocaching for our state parks and forests here in Pennsylvania. Not a single one of them has mentioned or asked about the fact that Geocaching.com is privately owned. Their main concern is knowing where the caches are located, and that the locations are appropriate. Have you not found that to be the case? Quote Link to comment
+GrizzlyJohn Posted March 20, 2004 Share Posted March 20, 2004 GrizzlyJohn, I'm curious.... in all your discussions with real live land managers about geocache placements in their parks, how many times has this "commercialism" objection arisen?... My answer is the same as yours -- zero. And I am glad it may not be an issue. But just because it has not been yet does not mean it can't be ever. And I really don't see it as being something that is way out there. Quote Link to comment
+Morock & Miss C Posted March 20, 2004 Share Posted March 20, 2004 (edited) It could be the begining of the end of geocaching as we know it. Rampant commercialism may follow and wide general public acceptance or disapproval. This is the American way. This next comment deserves it's own thread. Maybe it has one. In the April 2004 Nat. Geographic on page 90-91 (this months issue) is a less than positive comment on geocaching. How about some feed back on a new thread? Edited March 20, 2004 by Morock Quote Link to comment
+wildearth2001 Posted March 20, 2004 Share Posted March 20, 2004 Looks like Hydee will be an instant celebrity!! why do you say that? Quote Link to comment
CoyoteRed Posted March 20, 2004 Share Posted March 20, 2004 Well, I had to explain to a landmanager that caches in his park might not be allowed because his park might be perceived as commercial. Come to find out the park is owned by a state owned company so it all worked out in the end. We've already had threads about placing caches in parks that are for profit, yet gc.com is for profit themselves. On a side note, I wonder if any other site is mentioned in that book? Quote Link to comment
+Team Tigger International Posted March 21, 2004 Share Posted March 21, 2004 Here comes that nightmare I've got about standing a line with 20 other people waiting to 'find' the cache. But I guess this book's not for me anyways, I'm still missing a few pieces<g> Wulf Quote Link to comment
+Mastifflover Posted March 21, 2004 Share Posted March 21, 2004 Looks like Hydee will be an instant celebrity!! why do you say that? Because now she is a cover girl!!! Wait that is Hydee on the cover isn't it????? Quote Link to comment
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