Canadian Geocoins

[+High IQ]

What a pain. I found a geocoin yesterday and when I went to their website to log it I couldn't. UNTIL I GAVE THEM AN E-MAIL ADDRESS.

 

I guess that's so they can try and sell me some of them??

Edited November 22, 2004 by High IQ

[McKenzie Clan]

I have never recieved any kind of unsolicited e-mail related to www.geocoins.ca. after logging coins there.

 

Scott

[+Chillibusher]

I too have logged coins at the site and never received any info or email from them. It should be just fine.

[+canadazuuk]

Actually, the e-mail address is only used in case you need to change your log at a later time, make a mistake etc... I have never received any e-mail from geocoins except for coins that I did buy. Only the original circulator of the coin gets e-mails upon movement.

[craggers]

What a pain. I found a geocoin yesterday and when I went to their website to log it I couldn't. UNTIL I GAVE THEM AN E-MAIL ADDRESS.

 

I guess that's so they can try and sell me some of them??

Maybe you displeased the geocaching gods at some time in the past?

[CharlieZulu]

How else would they notify you when your coin has been moved along??

[+Couparangus]

Interesting to note, I've created my own geocaching email address and despite using it to sign up to all sorts of Geocache, geodetic, GPS, on-line offers and public lists I get no spam or viral mail. Lucky maybe?

 

C-A

[CharlieZulu]

Het C-A:

 

You know, that poem doesn't even rhyme.... is it supposed to?? reminds me of:

 

Roses are red

Violets are blue

Most poems rhyme

But this one doesn't.

 

[hobo dude]

I don't know about logging coins, but I have purchased coins and I have never received mail from them. That should say something. Even after purchasing they don't send the unwanted stuff.

[bthornhill]

That might explain why these coins go missing so easily

 

I have released three into the wild, and I haven't heard from them in over a year. If people are turned off by the email requirement, they probably just get lost.

 

But in support of Geocoins, I have never received an unsolicited email. I just wish they could be integrated like travel bugs, or jeep bugs or any number of other devices which seem to be supported by gc.com

[Dennisfauchez]

I received a Geocoin with a gift at a GNASHERS party, I'm just going to keep it (It's not an active one...) and I'll not bother with sending it out, seems easier that way, they seem difficult to track and easy to lose...

 

I think I'll make it a little stand a shine it up, the backside of the coin doesn't look halfbad

[+High IQ]

Well, from everyone's experience it seems that I have misjudged them. It looks like the e-mail address is only to help in logging the movements of the coins. I stand corrected.

 

Still, I AM reluctant to hand out my e-mail address to anyone until I know who I am dealing with.

[+Camo-crazed]

Maybe you displeased the geocaching gods at some time in the past?

He insulted jeremy?!!

[+Rock Hoppers]

Note: this post is off-topic re: geocoins, but relevant to the spam avoidance issue raised in the original post.

 

I can't speak to the geocoins issue (I'm a Geocaching newbie, and not yet sure what geocoins are all about) BUT, I am very sensitive to the issue of having to provide an email address to unknowns, only to find I've been tagged as a spam target. I've found a fabulous, FREE service that helps immensely in this regard: Spam Gourmet

 

Essentially, they're a mail forwarding service, but their twist is that you can register at a web site with a never-before-used email address (following certain syntax rules) and the email address will automatically get created on the fly. Email gets forwarded to your real email address, but only as many as you allow, based on a part of the on-the-fly email address (max. 20). Once you receive the max number of messages you've specified, the email address essentially ceases to exist, and all future emails get gobbled up. If you find you've registered with a site that isn't abusing the privelege, perhaps the geocoins folks for example, you can log them as a good guy, and they can continue to use the email address.

 

Confusing? The spamgourmet.com website should clarify, but briefly, let's say I regsiter with spamgourmet using the id "fred". Then, I go to geocoins.com and they want my email address. I'm not sure about them yet, so I say my email address is:

areGeocoinsCool.10.fred@spamgourmet.com.

 

This will allow 10 emails to that address to be forwarded to my real email address. If, after the first couple emails, I'm happy with the way the geocoins people are using my email address, I add their email address to my list of good guys, and from then on, emails from then don't reduce my remaining email count. (Also, if they do abuse the privilege and share my fake email address with others, I can tell who did it, based on the fake email address I chose!)

 

I've been using this service for over a year, and they have eaten over 30,000 pieces of spam on my behalf!!!

[+Delta_flyer21]

But in support of Geocoins, I have never received an unsolicited email. I just wish they could be integrated like travel bugs, or jeep bugs or any number of other devices which seem to be supported by gc.com

 

Could we petition GC.com for a legitamatly integrated system for geocoins like TB's and jeep bugs etc? I would be much more inclined to send one out in the world if that were the case.

[+Circle of Confusion]

I think GC.com supports the TB's and Jeep Bugs, because of monitary reasons above anything else. Someones got to pay for the services GC.com render.