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So Saturday Was The First Ever Members Only Event.

fly46

By fly46
in General geocaching topics

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fly46

+fly46

Posted
Posted

.....to crash a member's only event. :(

 

It was kinda cool. The bizarre thing was how many different people came for this event that don't ever come to events. One person there was actually at their first event ever.

 

It was a ton of fun, at least. (And I wasn't the only non-member there, thank you, I was just the first non member to show up.)

 

And the cool thing is that there's a way to log a member's only cache without having to be a member or have someone un-member only the page for you to log it.

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sept1c_tank

+sept1c_tank

Posted
Posted

It definitely smacks of elitism, but the website does utilize members only caches. Although I can understand the concept with physical caches, it seems pretty silly to limit attendees to an event, but who knows, maybe there's a good reason.

 

Sounds like several non members attended and that everyone had a good time. Still seems pretty silly to me. <_<:blink:

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fly46

+fly46

Posted
  • Author
Posted
I actually have a problem with this. Why would the community of cachers exclude people that for one reason or another can't be paid members? Aren't these people a part of the community of cachers?

 

Basically it was down right rude. <_<

 

El Diablo

Actually, that's not why he did it.

It was done just to see what would happen and because someone had to be first so why not him/Cacheville?

 

(He also gave the cords/address of the event to anyone who wanted to go and couldn't see the page)

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fly46

+fly46

Posted
  • Author
Posted
I'm curious to know why you think it 'damaged the community'...

you don't think excluding cachers from an event is damaging?

 

El Diablo

I didn't say that one way or another. I just wanted your opinion. You said it was damaging, I wanted you to back up your statement with more detail. Think of it as high school english class. This is your thesis, back it up with something.

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El Diablo

+El Diablo

Posted
Posted
I'm curious to know why you think it 'damaged the community'...

you don't think excluding cachers from an event is damaging?

 

El Diablo

I didn't say that one way or another. I just wanted your opinion. You said it was damaging, I wanted you to back up your statement with more detail. Think of it as high school english class. This is your thesis, back it up with something.

First off, I'm not in high school and this isn't a thesis. It's damaging because there was an event held for members only. It excluded very viable cachers from the event. Even if coods were posted that they could read, do you think it made them feel welcomed?

 

I'm a fan of being a paid member, and have been since inception. However I feel it is wrong to hold an event for just those people. I'm not even a politically correct person.

 

Now you tell me why you think it was right?

 

El Diablo

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fly46

+fly46

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I think in this instance, yes it was okay.

But let me tell you why.

 

First of all, anyone in the area knew who the hider/event leader was and if they know him at all, they know he wasn't doing this to be 'eliteist' or 'rude' like has been suggested in this thread. He was doing it just to see what would happen.

 

He made it very well known to quite a few cachers that he would give them the cords and that he wasn't trying to exclude anyone, he just wanted to see what would happen.

 

Anyone who he emailed (or who found other means to see the cache page) got the following statement: This is a very different kind of event, it's a members only event, nothing is meant by it good or bad just different, and wanted to see what happens, somebody had to try it first so why not nashville.

 

At the event, he explained a way to log a members only cache as a non member that is perfectly legal the way the gc site is set up now.

 

As a non-member who attended the event, I have to say that it was rather interesting to see the type of people who showed up. Of course 95% of the people from the area that regularly attend the events are members anyway, but there were a large number of them that weren't there for whatever reason. At the event were people from all over (Knoxville, Chattanooga, out of state) who showed up for this event - one came specifically for the event, one said it was her first ever event.

 

Not one person complained one way or the other about the event being members only. There was no 'pay up or shut up' banner hanging anywhere. It was just a laid back event with dinner and drinking and some people going caching after they were done/before they got there.

 

If the event were done as an elitest move or everyone had to be checked off of an approved members only list to get into the event, that would have been different.

However, the fact is that it was members only for the purpose of the site and nothing else.

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El Diablo

+El Diablo

Posted
Posted
I doubt that this event caused much (if any) damage in the geocaching community. It's just silly; that's my opinion. <_<:blink:

Since the majority of the locals don't read or post in the forums, you have no way of knowing. I'm just stating how I would feel if I saw this posted in my local events.

 

However my friend I do respect your opinion.

 

El Diablo

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El Diablo

+El Diablo

Posted
Posted
You can do the song and dance...but it was what it was. Now that's my opinion, you can take it or leave it. Had this event been held in my area I wouldn't have attended. Once again my opinion.

 

El Diablo

That seems elitist to me. Not attending, that is...

 

That's just my opinion.

 

sd

your right...it is. I have standards.

 

El Diablo

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sept1c_tank

+sept1c_tank

Posted
Posted
...I'm just stating how I would feel if I saw this posted in my local events.

 

 

I'm not sure if a non-member would even be exposed to the listing. That does raise a valid question. Can a non-member see it?

 

But even at that, it's not any worse than finding out about a party that you weren't invited to. Not usually a pleasant discovery, but hey, if someone doesn't want me at their party, it's their loss.

 

But in a public game such as geocaching, I still think it's silly. <_<:blink:

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IV_Warrior

+IV_Warrior

Posted
Posted
I'm not sure if a non-member would even be exposed to the listing.  That does raise a valid question.  Can a non-member see it?

Well, they wouldn't be able to see the listing itself, but the cache would (should) show up on a "nearest cache" search page. So they'd see an event posted nearby and when they clicked the link to check it out, they'd get directed to the "you need to pay" page.......

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El Diablo

+El Diablo

Posted
Posted (edited)
...I'm just stating how I would feel if I saw this posted in my local events.

 

 

I'm not sure if a non-member would even be exposed to the listing. That does raise a valid question. Can a non-member see it?

 

Even if they couldn't see it, don't you think that sooner or later they would find out about it?

 

This is quickly turning into me being the bad guy for voicing concerns about this event. So be it! I'm going to yell until someone shuts me up.

 

He stated that he was the first and someone had to do it. How many more are to follow? Are we going to divide paid cachers from non paid cachers? Maybe start our own country club?

 

Like I said, I'm a fan of supporting the site. However I do realize that not all can pay the membership. I just layed off a cacher, I doubt she'll continue her membership. There are good cachers out there that support caching in many different ways without actually paying the site. I don't want to see these people seperated from the community. Actually I'm going to do everything I can to make sure their not.

 

El Diablo

Edited by El Diablo
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fly46

+fly46

Posted
  • Author
Posted
He was the FIRST to do a members only event. Now are we going to have a plethora of others following suit?

You know, I doubt it.

This was only done to see what would happen, and I didn't hear anything about anyone thinking they should do another one... Just something about why he did it, etc...

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Tahosa and Sons

Tahosa and Sons

Posted
Posted
I'll never make my caches Members Only...think it should be open to everybody. Especially event caches which can be a good way to introduce new people to geocaching.

You've said it all!!!

 

An event cache should be open to all.

 

If paying members want to keep their caches amongst themselves let them. My caches are open to all cachers.

This EVENT was full of newbies, charter members, premium member, geocachers.

 

And we had a blast, and I was fortunate enough to meet the Sax, who personally came over to me while I was busy flipping the burgers and introduced himself. And I offered a tour of the back country if he ever can get up here.

 

That is what caching is about. We are a community of people that enjoy the same sport. Cache on together.

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Mastifflover

+Mastifflover

Posted
Posted
Like I said, I'm a fan of supporting the site. However I do realize that not all can pay the membership. I just layed off a cacher, I doubt she'll continue her membership.

 

First off it was his event, right or wrong he hosted it, his choice whatever the reason. I respect that to become a paid member or not is a personal choice. Some have stated very valid reasons why they choose not to pay. But come on, saying that you aren't going to become a premium member because it's too expensive has got to be one of the lamest excuses around. 30$ a year or 3$ a month!! I hope that the people that use the too poor to pay excuse are riding their bycycles to go find caches with the price of 1 gallon of gas almost as much as the fee for a whole month of being a premium member. :rolleyes:

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Doc-Dean

+Doc-Dean

Posted
Posted
... saying that you aren't going to become a premium member because it's too expensive has got to be one of the lamest excuses around. 30$ a year or 3$ a month!!

Actually its $2.5 a month if you pay $30 for the annual fee.

 

I am sure that some people pay more than that for a pack of cigarettes a day. And then that makes 30 packs a month... wonder how much that comes out to be?? :rolleyes:

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Pto

Pto

Posted
Posted (edited)
I am sure that some people pay more than that for a pack of cigarettes a day. And then that makes 30 packs a month... wonder how much that comes out to be??

 

I smoke, becuase I choose to. I do not pay membership dues, becuase I choose Not to- Now, where is the confusion in this?

 

Pay them or dont, but can we Please stop arguing about the "value" of $30, or the "cost" of $3/mo?

Edited by Pto
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JoGPS

+JoGPS

Posted
Posted

Just like the cache page said:

 

“”This a very different kind of event, it’s a members only event, nothing is meant by it good or bad just different, and wanted to see what happens, somebody had to try it first so why not in Nashville””

 

In another thread some time ago MOCKBA suggested that the next event I did it should be a Members Only Event and to see what happened, and though why not, and this is the results.

 

More people showed up for this event than any other in the Nashville area except GW2 and have received no complaints from the locals about it, not one. Folks came that had never been to an event in the area, and they had never attended a local club event or GW2 the draw was it was “Different” nobody knew what was going to happen

 

Read the logs from those attending and draw you on conclusion about how it was received. I personally did not show non members how to log the cache page but some can prepared, (it was like a game “ can we crash the event and log it to) it was just plain FUN

 

Will I do another one, probably not, I expected to be sitting there eating and talking to myself about what a “BAD” idea this was, but that’s not what happened ……… JOE

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nfa

+nfa

Posted
Posted (edited)
It was done just to see what would happen ...

What did he expect to happen?

Somebody would stand up for the rights of those who cannot afford or just don't want to spend $30 per year for this site, and shout at the heavens, hoping for a fight... :rolleyes::rolleyes::huh:

 

nfa

Edited by NFA
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globalgirl

+globalgirl

Posted
Posted
...it's a geocaching event, not apartheid...

Speaking as one who recently returned from RSA (and witnessed their but 3rd democratic election ever), the analogy caught my eye. Though surely an extreme comparison (and I believe that was the point, yes NFA?), for the record...

 

I agree, all the blather about MO's and now MO events (good grief, even "just to see what happens") is pure silliness and adds nothing to the either the image nor the future of geocaching.

 

Personally I think TPTB utterly stumbled when they came up with the notion. No doubt a way (albeit arguably lame/misguided) to garner a few more rubles (does anybody have any stats on # of increased subs due to MO's - my guess, only a handful), but just seems like such an unimaginative (and counter-productive) marketing technique.

 

I mean, rather than encouraging a seperate faction among geocachers based on ability to pay and/or the arguably slippery factor of "dedication" (i.e. I'd not bet that presently those who go after the paltry few MO caches are necessarily somehow more "dedicated" than any others, as the premium membership perk page would have us believe), far better to offer some POSITIVE perks in exchange for folks' rubles like... oh I dunno, like maybe some of the several "coming soon" features or better yet...

 

Quite honestly, though I'm sure Jeremy et al are trying their level best in a no doubt unprecedented climate of corporate growth (and clearly this can't be a BAD thing for a for-profit company, yes?), still - Groundspeak surely isn't the only site that's had to wrestle with adjusting to the techno consequences of increased demand.

 

All I'm saying is... it just seems to me that in any business, the way to win more (ruble dropping) customers - is to FIRST offer solid, quality value (like a site that's reliable), rather than simply tossing out ill-thought-out marketing concepts like MO's. Indeed, the premium perk page even admits that the MO caches "...may not be any better than public caches...", so the question is, what's positive/ruble-drop enticing about that?

 

<and to respond to this just in whilst I pecked this tome...>:

...you aren't going to become a premium member because it's too expensive has got to be one of the lamest ...

The truth is, while a mere $3/mo surely wouldn't break my personal piggy bank, I honestly can't bring myself to toss even that into the kitty - until I can be halfway assured that I'll be able to access the site more often than not...

 

<Note to self: goodness did all that just come out of these fingertips???>

 

Errr... o.k. back to NFA's original (brilliant) suggestion: "Lighten up...[globalgirl]" :rolleyes:

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carleenp

+carleenp

Posted
Posted (edited)

Boy... the site goes down for a few hours and people get testy! Generally it works, caches get logged and listed etc., and things are being worked on. :rolleyes:

 

Anyway, I am not a huge fan of members only caches, but I know that some people like them and some see utility in them for areas experiencing cache theft etc. Of course the biggest advantage of premium membership is the pocket queries. Those are definitely worth $3 per month and I would easily be willing to pay more for them.

 

As for the member's only event, I don't feel particularly comfortable with the idea of them. At the same time, they seem to be allowed. If I was in Nashville, I would have gone to Joe's event because I personally know and like Joe. But if such an event showed up in my area and I did not know the host, I think my feeling of general uncomfort or dislike of the idea would keep me from attending.

 

Edited to add a smilie so that I won't appear testy myself. :rolleyes:

Edited by carleenp
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Monkeybrad

+Monkeybrad

Posted
Posted (edited)

For the record I attended the member's only event in question. I did not want to, but I did. I had been working on our farm preparing for a halloween event, I had twisted my ankle so my leg hurt and I had a splitting headache, so I did not want to go. However, since a friend of mine was holding a geocaching event, and it was the first of it's type, and i figured that it would cause all kinds of grief on the forums if anyone noticed, and i was curious to see what kind of a turnoutit would have, I hopped in the car and drove the 45 miles to go to the event.

 

I was shocked, we were twenty minutes late and the place was packed with geocacher's. Of course, we had the usual contingent of Nashville cachers (they are nearly all members, so it was a non-issue) we also had groups from Knoxville and Chattanooga (both cities over 100 miles away). The out-of-towners were surprising, but what was even more surprising was the number of new faces that showed up. I do not think that I have ever been to a local event where i knew so few people. To clarify, I am the Vice-President of the Middle Tennessee Geocachers Club and I am very active in the area. I rarely miss an event or meeting and I make myself very available to all cachers in the area. I reiterate I was amazed at the number of new faces that showed up and I was thrilled to put faces with the names i have seen in the log books. The event was an unqualified success and no harm has come to our geocaching community, in fact, it has grown.

 

MOC's are not evil, they are just another type of cache, as a matter of fact I do not even notice them although we have quite a few in our area. I am a paid member and for the record I joined in able to hunt a MOC that sounded particulalry good to me. I was rewarded with what is still one of my top ten cache hunts.

 

Since the cost is nominal, I assume that if someone is not a member it is by choice. That is fine, I respect your right to choose, I honestly do not even care why you have chosen not to join. However, if you choose to not do something, I find it in very poor taste for you to stand on the outside and criticize those who do. That in itself smacks of the elitism that members are accused of. I respect you right to follow the path you choose, why do you not respect my right to do the same?

 

Edit: One last thing, if you choose to not throw your three bucks into the pot, in my opinion you have no right to complain about the service. Since you are choosing to not be a part of the solution, your choice is to be a part of the problem. As far as service goes, you get what you pay for, has Groundspeak cheated you?

Edited by Monkeybrad
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sis

+sis

Posted
Posted

i figured the good turn out was because it was a saturday night and we could eat. i've been to a gazillion events in the nashville area; but never on a saturday night with food. if i weren't a member, i'd venture to say someone would have urged me to come 'cause nashville cachers are very friendly.

 

i figure anyone can play this game anyway they see fit as long as it's within the guidelines. i don't always agree with all the choices made; but it's their game.

 

note to diablo...

 

i've been watching your stick since you put it out. it'll probably never make it to nashville now. it's a cool idea. tho.

 

sis

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