tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40149078851808289092023-11-16T08:08:39.145+01:00rhr_nl's Geocaching Blogrhr_nlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942781963830047696noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014907885180828909.post-14056984336288551592017-12-30T15:20:00.001+01:002017-12-30T15:20:08.146+01:00Labyrinth inside a pole geocacheVery nice cache, very close to home... Enjoy watching!<br />
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rhr_nlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942781963830047696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014907885180828909.post-89558433267197250602016-01-24T12:25:00.000+01:002016-01-24T14:40:46.770+01:00The claw crane geocacheThis is probably one of the best geocaches I have found so far...<br />
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Yes, next time I will film sideways with my mobile phone...rhr_nlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942781963830047696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014907885180828909.post-39842831046248264612015-12-30T12:27:00.000+01:002016-01-24T12:19:44.778+01:00How to get a big canister geocache out of 3 meter long hollow tree?How do you get a big canister out a 3 meter long hollow tree? It took me a while, but I made it! This is how:<br />
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<br />rhr_nlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942781963830047696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014907885180828909.post-78131905471677835972015-12-29T12:15:00.000+01:002015-12-29T13:38:35.880+01:00Cave Caching just across the border from Maastricht<div style="text-align: center;">
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The Caestert caches series is one of my favorites geocaching locations. Recently I noticed there is still one I haven't found yet so it was time for another Caestert cave adventure! The search resulted in a DNF but that's a good reason to go back one more time!<br />
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Here's an overview of all Caestert caches for a perfect day of cave caching:<br />
- <a href="http://coord.info/GC1TPD8">Cave cache Kanne</a><br />
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On the way, with some detours, you will find:<br />
- <a href="http://coord.info/GCD161">Saint Pierre</a><br />
- <a href="https://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?wp=GC1JGXA&title=f-e-e-het-sterkste-fort-ter-wereld-ww2">Het sterkste fort ter wereld</a> (Don't forget to walk over (yes, over!) the fort and reward yourself with a great view across the river Meuse and the locks)<br />
- <a href="http://coord.info/GC1T10Q">Full fathom five</a><br />
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- <a href="http://coord.info/GCJ209">Lost Castle of Caestert</a></div>
- <a href="http://coord.info/GCHRA4">Lost valley of Caestert</a><br />
- <a href="https://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?wp=GC2E802">De grafkelder van kasteel Caestert</a><br />
- <a href="http://coord.info/GCJ216">Cut Here!</a><br />
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I'm still planning (for over multiple years now) to shoot a walkthrough of this tour... It might happen sometimes... rhr_nlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942781963830047696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014907885180828909.post-13524690156032608532014-11-22T12:14:00.000+01:002014-11-22T12:14:27.674+01:00First DutchRecently I've found the <a href="http://coord.info/GC1C6">first Dutch Geocache</a>. Not sure this is really the first cache in The Netherlands, as <a href="http://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC198_amsterdam-urban-1">this one</a> is competing for the same title. Anyway, the cache is like a dinosaur geocache should be. Nice place and a big box burried in sand. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbRrFM0N9fBGxN4-2CtrUA3IkUjQXntLGXjPHk3waysWuXvEoUsW55T8tcwZf3ZYlEzZlWJnOpEKSnFX3pK5en_TIXsOfMyiK1X-zbO8SIlmo0-MvZiZ64Ig6JtHZrklcPUCltPEhDrDU/s1600/Foto+22-11-14+12+05+04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbRrFM0N9fBGxN4-2CtrUA3IkUjQXntLGXjPHk3waysWuXvEoUsW55T8tcwZf3ZYlEzZlWJnOpEKSnFX3pK5en_TIXsOfMyiK1X-zbO8SIlmo0-MvZiZ64Ig6JtHZrklcPUCltPEhDrDU/s400/Foto+22-11-14+12+05+04.jpg" /></a></div>rhr_nlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942781963830047696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014907885180828909.post-62294304648437156692014-07-19T14:13:00.000+02:002014-07-19T14:14:00.084+02:00Finding is one thing...... and getting it back into place is another. This unused tunnel with dirt on the ground and the colorful graffity on the wall gives a really nice movie setting. Enjoy watching.<br />
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Two weeks ago I did this amazing cache at a lost German shooting range from World War 2, and of course used the GoPro to film the adventure. Have fun watching!<br />
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<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/M1IUPeDswA8?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>rhr_nlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942781963830047696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014907885180828909.post-83944685363333375372012-01-18T20:26:00.001+01:002012-01-18T20:26:16.354+01:00Action type challenges already retiredSometimes I wonder what the life at Groundspeak HQ is like. Sometimes it looks like they do meetings like this all day long:<br />
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J: "What shall we do today, guys?<br />
E: "Let's invent geocaches without a box!"<br />
J: "That sounds like the worst idea ever Elias. Do you have a good idea Bryan?"<br />
B: "Let's invent geocaches without a box!"<br />
J: "Great idea Bryan! How should we call them?"<br />
E: "Challenges!"<br />
J: "I don't like challenges, what do you think Bryan?"<br />
B: "Challenges"<br />
J: "Yeah that sounds great!"<br />
E: "Didn't I just say that?"<br />
J: "No you said something stupid, like always. Anyway, we have different geocache types. Should we als create different challenge types?"<br />
B: "Photo type challenges."<br />
E: "Action type challenges."<br />
J: "Ok great ideas, let's create photo and action type challenges."<br />
E: "Did you just really listen to me, Jeremy?"<br />
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Then the next day, another boring meeting: <br />
J: "<a href="http://georhrnl.blogspot.com/2012/01/why-garmin-started-opencaching.html">Let's focus on people with a smart phone.</a>"<br />
B: "Ok, but what about Garmin?"<br />
J: "Who cares about Garmin?"<br />
B: "Yeah right, no one really cares about Garmin."<br />
E: "The people at Garmin care about Garmin."<br />
B: "I heard a disturbing noise, did Elias just say something Jeremy?"<br />
J: "No, I heard nothing."<br />
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Days go by with boring meetings and half a year has gone by.<br />
J: "What shall we do today, guys?"<br />
B: "Let's retire action type challenges."<br />
J: "Great idea Bryan! I always thought they were crap anyway"<br />
E: "But you loved them half a year ago!"<br />
J: "Did you say something Elias? No? Anyway. Who cares."<br />
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This way it could happen that the <a href="http://forums.groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=288931&view=findpost&p=4948204">action type challenge is retired</a> only half a year after it has been created. It looks like there is simply no strategy or concept in the things Groundspeak is doing. I understand there are some problems with action type challenges but I think they can be resolved. <br />
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Anyway, this all means I am now the proud <a href="http://www.geocaching.com/challenges/CXA96_Jampotglazen">creator of one of the few action type challenges in The Netherlands</a>!rhr_nlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942781963830047696noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014907885180828909.post-54661530122187948552012-01-16T19:56:00.000+01:002012-01-16T19:56:15.782+01:00Why Garmin started OpencachingSome weeks ago I read <a href="http://www.notaboutthenumbers.com/2011/12/05/opencaching-com-one-year-on/">sTeamTraens opinion piece</a> about <a href="http://www.opencaching.com">Opencaching</a>. There's only one thing I agree with him. The best Geocaching website and the best GPSr manufacturer should work together. sTeamTraen blames Garmin for the bad relation between the two companies but I think it's not only Garmin that can be blamed. <br />
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Groundspeak is finding ways to make more people Geocaching already for years. More visitors on the geocaching.com website means more revenue from banners, premium membership and the shop. The largest hurdle for people starting Geocaching is the purchase of a relativly expensive GPSr unit for a hobby you are not sure you like. For the last 10 years, Groundspeak focussed on the outdoor enthousiasts and gadget freaks because these people already had a GPSr or were more easily persuaded to purchase one as it already relates to their current interests. This approach has a perfect fit with Garmins objective: Selling GPSr units. <br />
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In the last 2 years, Groundspeak realised the expensive GPSr purchase hurdle could be removed entirely as everybody is carrying a GPSr in their smartphones. In order to achieve their objective of 'make more people geocaching', they switched target from 'people willing to buy a GPSr', to the smartphone people, see also my blogpost about the <a href="http://georhrnl.blogspot.com/2011/05/from-stand-alone-gpsr-to-mobile-new.html">new geocaching.com homepage</a>. This is 100% opposite of Garmins objective of selling GPSr units. I think Garmin saw this change of direction coming and they decided not to wait untill they were slowly abandonded. They decided to go in hard with their own geocaching website, opencaching.<br />
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With opencaching, Garmin focussed on the people already having problems with some Geocaching.com habits, like the review system and some other things. They created a Geocaching website without a review system and some other fundamental changes compared to Geocaching.com. At times, the group of people having problems with some geocaching.com habits looks big as they make a lot of noise on the forums and other media. I think Garmin overestimated the size of this group a little bit and allthough these people were having problems with geocaching.com, they were not easily making the change to Opencaching. I think Garmin targeted for a lot larger market share on the Geocaching market but underestimated the emotional connection Groundspeak has with their (allthough sometimes unhappy) customers, which makes them untouchable for any competitor. <br />
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I'm interested to see how long Garmin will struggle on with Opencaching as they are not offering a significant better alternative compared to what's already available. As I said, I agree with sTeamTraen that the best Geocaching website and the best GPSr manufacturer should work together. I think this is still possible as they work together on their own targets. This is possible. For example if Groundspeak finds new Geocachers in the smartphone users, they can pass them on to the GPSr manufacturers by educating them that the Geocaching experience is much better with a GPSr unit, which is true. This way the Geocaching market is split in two, where Groundspeak targets on the newbies with smartphone apps and where the GPSr manufacturers focus on the advanced Geocachers who use both a GPSr unit and the smartphone app.<br />
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A competitive market can increase value for customers. Opencaching has proved again that there is no additional value to offer in the current Geocaching market. In my opinion, working together on increasing the number of people geocaching and improving the geocaching experience will be more effective for Garmin, Groundspeak and the Geocaching community.rhr_nlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942781963830047696noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014907885180828909.post-4272032303285254582011-12-31T00:00:00.000+01:002012-01-03T10:18:44.036+01:00My geocaching year 2011It is already the last week of the year and that is always a good oppertunity to take a look back at the past year. I am looking back at a fairly good geocaching year, here are some of my amazing experiences:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Aw8Cqsnw9EBsLMSsuAdByFqmaEfiHfJmLEXbYgb0aAXmQsmyKsLQEpQE-Ur-MKnnSJ0O-c5N7aOE6eNTGeCV_78b4y0boKZgPsMFsh5_bO4FpdG52fJhhVfbPrFTqDLGwSqbwn9vEKE/s1600/dorfgastein.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Aw8Cqsnw9EBsLMSsuAdByFqmaEfiHfJmLEXbYgb0aAXmQsmyKsLQEpQE-Ur-MKnnSJ0O-c5N7aOE6eNTGeCV_78b4y0boKZgPsMFsh5_bO4FpdG52fJhhVfbPrFTqDLGwSqbwn9vEKE/s320/dorfgastein.jpg" /></a></div>My first find in 2011 was a special one. It was my first found by ski and my first found in Austria: <a href="http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LUID=c0d7bda8-4b7e-41eb-a940-6312a04bd0f4">Dorfgasteiner Skiventure</a>. <br />
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Later that January I joined some geocachers living nearby for my second ever nightcaching adventure and it was a big one! 20 kilometers in freezing cold but the marvelous waypoints were worth it. Unfortunately we found the cache the day after in daylight. I am talking about a <a href="http://georhrnl.blogspot.com/2011/02/how-frontyard-cache-kicked-of-9-hour.html">Waardeloos!</a> adventure, maybe the best cache in The Netherlands.<br />
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In March I went a few days geocaching in the 3 borders area, resulting in my first find in Germany and I awarded some favorite points. Read this <a href="http://georhrnl.blogspot.com/2011/03/7-tips-for-geocaching-around-3-borders.html">blogpost</a> to find out where to go when you are in the area. <br />
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Also in March I attended the <a href="http://georhrnl.blogspot.com/2011/03/event-review-ace-2011.html">Achterhoeks Cache Event (ACE)</a>, my second event and a nice experience meeting some other geocachers and finding 3 caches!<br />
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In May I improved my most finds in a day stat, by finding 5 caches in one day. However, none of them are really worth mentioning and I learned again that one good multi is better than 5 traditionals.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPW6hxiUcUqLU3FswsWabDX-tNPcGIPQYIFxqk3689CYiiCXfcBiYeeb0I7hfapsQmQ1nodVKQyID3JefIeAdudFNg6edi2gC8l4Mge9EAivd-rInEQXvPpC4inP5RWWbptbWP96nZVaI/s1600/slovakia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPW6hxiUcUqLU3FswsWabDX-tNPcGIPQYIFxqk3689CYiiCXfcBiYeeb0I7hfapsQmQ1nodVKQyID3JefIeAdudFNg6edi2gC8l4Mge9EAivd-rInEQXvPpC4inP5RWWbptbWP96nZVaI/s320/slovakia.jpg" /></a></div>In June it was time for some holiday geocaching, resulting in my first finds in <a href="http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LUID=701231b6-83d1-4931-b514-f3b515a0a6a9">Slovakia</a> and <a href="http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LUID=14488612-fd2e-45fb-8d45-8130f10afe2f">Hungary</a>! <br />
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In August I failed terribly on <a href="http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LUID=3dad93b5-44c9-49c8-9890-b4ccb462764f">FTF hunting</a>, but a few days later I had an <a href="http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LUID=1de91878-704f-48d6-aef4-9e580b8e98f9">STF</a> on another cache!<br />
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At the end of the year I had an amazing day in November, when I spend a day cave caching just across the border in Belgium. See <a href="http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LUID=9da22598-94ee-4da4-9217-056cd12271b4">this log</a> and <a href="http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LUID=3fcc7271-473e-4e74-8a9c-ff6aa4173490">this log</a>, both extraordinary good caches.<br />
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At last, the police was called when a muggler saw me logging a cache and thought the ammobox and the hole in the ground were suspicious. Read about it <a href="http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LUID=5b8f9ca4-e50a-4fb5-a7d5-cc25fb9055a7">here</a> and <a href="http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LUID=4eaaa4d3-56ee-48d8-8aba-bcf60b34af54">here</a>. <br />
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In total I have found 60 geocaches in 2011, 2 less compared to 2010 but it´s not about the numbers as some other people say. Looking forward to some new adventures in 2012!rhr_nlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942781963830047696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014907885180828909.post-9439157058779644062011-12-28T12:43:00.000+01:002011-12-28T12:43:59.806+01:00Where is the snow?Last year I had a great time geocaching in the snow during the christmas holidays! I was long looking forward to it for this year again but the weather is a lot different now with +10 degrees and a lot of grey. Not the weather that inspires me for a good day of geocaching. I haven't found a single cache this holiday. Instead, I just keep looking at last years pics:<br />
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At <a href="http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LUID=fbe4e976-2b1e-4aa8-a355-57510f78bf88&IID=91d3ddaa-c644-44df-b0c1-fcfc78220d19">Molenkade</a>:<br />
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At <a href="http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LUID=f5b7bd63-b9f4-4ea6-b14d-5b4b5093c5da&IID=50894cf7-4ce7-47d2-ac1f-cd5c66edc60e">Bingo</a>:<br />
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<br />rhr_nlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942781963830047696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014907885180828909.post-10142342533750168382011-11-24T21:34:00.001+01:002011-11-24T21:34:11.918+01:00To favorite or not to favorite<div><p>With my 300 caches found, I have 31 favorite points to give. So far I have awarded 24 caches with a favorite point. 7 points are still in my pocket, still waiting to be given away. Do I keep them in my pocket for the unlikely event that there will be 7 favoritable caches in my next 10 founds? No, I keep them because all other caches do not match 1 of the following criteria:</p>
<p>1. Well worked out theme;<br>
2. Brilliant in its simplicity;<br>
3. Nice waypoint and/or cache (and all other waypoints at least average).</p>
<p>If a cache fits within 1 of these 3 criteria, it gets one of my favorite points. Maybe most remarkable is that 'extremely beautiful nature' is not in my list. I think beautiful nature can only be a prerequisite for an avarage cache. To make it a favoritable cache everything must be devoted to the beauty of nature, thus the theme of the cache. Another option is to strip it down completely, a cache brilliant in its simplicity in extremely beautiful nature, is always worth a favorite point. Most of the time, less is more.   </p>
<p>What are your favorites criteria? Or do you just give all your favorites to the best caches you have found? Are they really worth it? Or are they just a little less worse than the others?</p>
<p>Hopefully I can award some exceptional geocaches a favorite point this weekend! Looking forward to it!</p>
</div>rhr_nlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942781963830047696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014907885180828909.post-67138270781723486822011-11-17T21:52:00.004+01:002011-11-17T22:01:54.466+01:00Bring back the feedback section!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcHZ5JuXtmk-l1P70_bPYMBUzx35emOSlpGBaf9_ywQXyiNO9cRyhU22kpSuKqnW_sSi3seF-x5mVezFkp_ycI7QyIDMV5CbJVYK9yu07Ol1dJ_FE9nembhpbhaGbp5tWqtuoLdKSa9YI/s1600/uservoice.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 225px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcHZ5JuXtmk-l1P70_bPYMBUzx35emOSlpGBaf9_ywQXyiNO9cRyhU22kpSuKqnW_sSi3seF-x5mVezFkp_ycI7QyIDMV5CbJVYK9yu07Ol1dJ_FE9nembhpbhaGbp5tWqtuoLdKSa9YI/s320/uservoice.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676072503679777794" /></a><br />Last release, Groundspeak discontinued the feedback section of the geocaching.com website and moved it back into the forums. On the feedback section they <a href="http://www.geocaching.com/feedback/">stated</a> they did not have the resources to implement the massive amount of feedback. However, the real reason can be found <a href="http://forums.groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=285002&view=findpost&p=4887783">here</a>. They were unable to shut up some people in the feedback section, ‘restricting posting ability’ as they call it. <br /><br />Also ‘<a href="http://www.notaboutthenumbers.com/2011/11/16/groundspeak-puts-a-sock-in-uservoice/">It’s not about the numbers</a>’ geocaching blog figured out that the feedback section was an ongoing PR nightmare and a reputation risk. But it is not the feedback section which is causing this nightmare, it is Groundspeaks PR policy itself. <br /> <br />Managing your reputation starts with a good PR policy. And restricting posting ability is definitely not part of a good PR policy. These days, managing your reputation is all about good interaction with your community. The feedback section was an excellent platform for community interaction. But how can you interact with your community if you restricted their posting ability? With the many other platforms (twitter, blogs, forums) available these days, restricting posting ability has a contradictory result and is suicide for your reputation. See also ‘It’s not about the numbers’ previous blogpost <a href="http://www.notaboutthenumbers.com/2011/11/13/geocache-spoilers-banned-no-more/">about the Geocaching Spoilers YouTube channel</a>. <br /><br />A good PR policy is all about respect for both positive and negative feedback, on your own and other communication channels. Groundspeaks PR policy is the ticking time bomb for their reputation, closing the feedback section doesn't dismantle it.rhr_nlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942781963830047696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014907885180828909.post-90163493044951248332011-11-11T20:00:00.001+01:002011-11-11T20:00:07.742+01:00Cache page quality, also a reviewers task?Last August, the Dutch reviewer Kruimeldief has <a href="http://georhrnl.blogspot.com/2011/08/after-over-14000-caches-dutch-reviewer.html">waved goodbye</a>. Since then the Belgium reviewers are helping out the other Dutch reviewer GeoGuy. What immediately was noticed, was that the quality of a cache page dropped significantly. With quality I mean things like attribute icons, useful hints and the overall information on the cache page. <br /><br />Apparently, Kruimeldief was asking cache owners to take a second look at their cache page before publishing them. As opposite, the Belgium reviewers were only looking at the Groundspeak guidelines. Of course, this was immediately noticed by the community.<br /><br />I think all reviewers should concern about cache page quality and, if needed, ask cache owners to improve their cache page before publishing the cache. Geocaching is so much more fun if you read a cache page with good information, the right attributes and a useful hint. Geocaching.com is the only Geocaching website with a reviewing process, so if it is already there, why not use it to improve the quality of a submitted cache page?<br /><br />At first the Belgium reviewers responded that it is only their job to review a cache against Groundspeak guidelines. Now they understand that cache page quality makes Geocaching.com stand out from the other Geocaching websites and they are asking cache owners to take a second look! <br /><br />What is your cache page like? Do you have the right attributes on the page? Is your hint 'Not needed'? Do you have more then 1 line of text on your page? It is time to change it now!rhr_nlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942781963830047696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014907885180828909.post-56179783624400783822011-11-10T18:11:00.002+01:002011-11-10T18:26:35.146+01:00Trouble in the Dutch communityTwo months ago the owner of the largest geocaching website of The Netherlands, <a href="http://www.geocaching.nl">geocaching.nl</a>, has sacked half of his volunteer staff because of a lack of confidence. Half of the other half of the staff has been loyal to the sacked volunteers and have left the geocaching.nl team. How could this happen? A short overview.<br /><br />Geocaching.nl was founded in 2001. Since I started geocaching in 2004, the forum is the most important part of the site but the atmosphere was not very good at that time. Until last year a lot of discussion was going on about deletion of posts by moderators and banning user from the forum. In the years I have read the forum since 2004, I learned that moderators in stead of having a good discussion about geocaching and listen to the users, were deleting posts which would not fit in their opinion of geocaching. Because of this way of moderation, multiple geocachers in the Netherlands tried to start their own geocaching website, with <a href="http://www.globalcaching.eu">globalcaching.eu </a>as one of the most successful. <br /><br />This made the Dutch geocaching community very diversified. In an act to stop this diversification, and to make geocaching.nl the only center of the Dutch Geocaching community, some geocachers decided to join the team to help geocaching.nl out. In 2010 the team was almost doubled and ready to strengthen the sites position in the centre of the Dutch geocaching community. Until, suddenly out of nowhere, the forums were taken offline. <br /><br />The team had decided to do this to get more support from the owner of the site. After a good discussion, the team continued their work. Until two months ago, again the team felt a lack of support from the owner. They wrote a letter and instead of a good discussion, half of them got fired. <br /><br />The news of the sacked team members spread very fast in the Dutch Geocaching community and as a result many users decided to leave the site. Some joined other existing forums such as globalcaching and the <a href="http://forums.groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showforum=122">Dutch Groundspeak forums</a>, some stopped posting on forums at all. Also a new forum was created, <a href="http://www.geocachingforum.nl">geocachingforum.nl</a>, but there is not a lot going on at this forum. <br /><br />Posts on the geocaching.nl forum have dropped, although it is still one of the most active forums in The Netherlands. Now, 2 months later, the main spirit is coming back again but most new topics are simple question and answers, mostly about functionality that already has stopped working and can’t be fixed because the knowledge was sacked or has left the team. The ‘Netherlands’ section on the geocaching.com forums as a lot more active now and the new place for people refusing to post on geocaching.nl. <br /><br />What will the future of the geocaching community look like in The Netherlands? Will geocaching.nl remain the main center of the community, will some other website step up or will the community fall apart into smaller local communities? Or will there only be single geocaching teams without any community to support the Geocaching activity? I just hope a strong leader will step up who is able to create a platform where all geocachers can get together after everything that happened in the past 10 years and share the fun that comes with geocaching.rhr_nlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942781963830047696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014907885180828909.post-79406228880915430002011-09-17T12:50:00.002+02:002011-09-17T12:50:00.192+02:00Opencaching: Are verified finds really verified finds?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8t_rq04ZQey2d9b6AJS5xRDH04YKibatA8vKN8Rb90rr9IGZnCF0lI1JmIfjBBM1dm4gefYjFMOZFTPhtl_JxOt0PSmmP3tF30E9g3VuuGIo-ji6hJuYiUPdaC8p1UGPBDC5omupdgSw/s1600/untitled.bmp"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 115px; height: 97px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8t_rq04ZQey2d9b6AJS5xRDH04YKibatA8vKN8Rb90rr9IGZnCF0lI1JmIfjBBM1dm4gefYjFMOZFTPhtl_JxOt0PSmmP3tF30E9g3VuuGIo-ji6hJuYiUPdaC8p1UGPBDC5omupdgSw/s320/untitled.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5652940731398758642" /></a>Recently Opencaching has added the <a href="http://garmin.blogs.com/softwareupdates/2011/08/advanced-geocache-logging-with-opencachingcom.html">verified finds functionality</a>. If you ever had the need, this functionality allows you to prove in your internet log that you have found the cache. Sounds exciting, but is it really what it sounds like?<br /><br />There are several ways to prove you have found the cache including a code phrase, QR code or chirp. The used verification method is chosen by the cache owner and the verification is done in your GPSr. This can only be done in proximity of the cache as the software of your GPSr checks your actual coordinates when you verify the find. When you upload the verified log to the internet, a nice ‘verified log’ icon will be added to your log.<br /><br />Accoding to the Garmin Trailtech blog: ‘there has never been a way to prove to the world that your logged number of finds actually coincides with your real world geocaching experiences’. <br /><br />Well, when I find a geocache, I always sign the logbook. So, if you take a look in all the logbooks of all the caches I have found so far, you will end up with same number of logs as on the internet. To me, the proof that I have found the cache, is in the logbook. I know a logbook can get lost but I have no desire to proof I have found the cache in any other way. <br /><br />But if I had this desire, how watertight is the ‘verified log’ functionality on Opencaching? A chirp signal can be picked up several meters from the cache. This means that a picked up chirp signal only proves you have been close to the cache. Same for code phrases, they can easily be shared on the internet and the verification with the actual coordinates only proves you have been at the right location. As we all know, finding the cache is a whole other story sometimes. The only real verification is the QR code. If I ever find an Opencaching cache, the only real proof will be in the logbook. No ‘I have been close to the cache’ stamp for me.rhr_nlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942781963830047696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014907885180828909.post-82709425739432241572011-09-16T19:00:00.001+02:002011-09-16T19:00:03.213+02:00Munzee Gold Rush<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLEhArS6kQ5c3fm24tcJiNLDNphWv5o3B5ig76a67ZEDEtU-vvFoVr3shGInF8oG4LoEVy2LLOBb5_9dliNl0N5lzIPZMl2Wcg86sOuRRbj06QRrZGSj3TjsB52ACdv5X4P5UiSTFQm6k/s1600/gold.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 32px; height: 32px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLEhArS6kQ5c3fm24tcJiNLDNphWv5o3B5ig76a67ZEDEtU-vvFoVr3shGInF8oG4LoEVy2LLOBb5_9dliNl0N5lzIPZMl2Wcg86sOuRRbj06QRrZGSj3TjsB52ACdv5X4P5UiSTFQm6k/s200/gold.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5652923505869373490" /></a>In my <a href="http://georhrnl.blogspot.com/2011/07/munzee-new-way-of-geocaching.html">first post about Munzee </a>I already said it is a promising alternative to Geocaching. Now the Munzee guys have confirmed this opinion with a new exciting element to the Munzee game, starting this weekend: <a href="http://www.munzee.com/forums/index.php?topic=1375.0">Gold Rush</a>.<br /><br />If you like point hunting and a competitive element, Munzee is for you. Now there is chance to make a head start, when some random Munzees will virtually turn into gold this Saturday. This means they will be worth 50 points for the first capture after the Munzee has converted to gold status.<br /><br />This is an exciting new part of the game. The way of capturing Munzees with an immediate log on the internet is unique and now the Munzee team is using this unique feature to add more dimensions into the game, making it even more fun experience and special game. I am already picturing the unexpected meetings of Munzee players around a golden Munzee. <br /><br />If the Munzee team moves forward as fast like this, in no time the game will be totally different compared to the game it is an offspring of: Geocaching. And that’s exactly how you build a success: Be different!rhr_nlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942781963830047696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014907885180828909.post-7064135419253327432011-08-30T19:00:00.000+02:002011-08-30T19:00:02.910+02:00After over 14.000 caches, Dutch reviewer Kruimeldief says goodbye!And there it suddenly was: The announcement of <a href="http://www.geocaching.com/profile/?guid=e6f032a9-291b-4a23-963b-ff4adbe60a31">Kruimeldief</a> and his partner <a href="http://www.geocaching.com/profile/?guid=9a896b9d-bbd8-4f69-870b-2f2333c6235c">KralenFee</a> that they have quit their reviewer post. On his, in the Geocaching world unique, communication channel: <a href="www.twitter.com/kruimeldief">Twitter</a>.
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs2KOAqF7aSD-lglwwBSRxZltku0gn6rOIYaiG_Biaep3Usm9D58WTNe6l1BqUXiNFM9qRfO_jxB8_3Ve8qtN3MbVIzLkOxW1PcQRfCyTBCO8UOudPscmhtXL3n2ajjX6JBUaVTcbhoqU/s1600/kruimel.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 70px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs2KOAqF7aSD-lglwwBSRxZltku0gn6rOIYaiG_Biaep3Usm9D58WTNe6l1BqUXiNFM9qRfO_jxB8_3Ve8qtN3MbVIzLkOxW1PcQRfCyTBCO8UOudPscmhtXL3n2ajjX6JBUaVTcbhoqU/s400/kruimel.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5646652711038463378" /></a><blockquote>“Thanks all. See you out in the field someday. Kruimeldief and Kralenfee are twexit as reviewers and accounts.”</blockquote>
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<br />Kruimeldief leaving his post was already a rumour in the Netherlands when <a href="http://www.geocaching.com/profile/?guid=6f56ff2f-15f0-4d2e-bb41-ccf60b370f99">GeoGuy</a> was added as reviewer earlier this year but it will still be strange to see other names in the ‘publish log’ of new geocaches. In the Netherlands we will certainly miss his thorough but fair reviewing and his lengthy explanations of the reviewing process, including the frustration that submitted caches always have to be rejected for the same reason.
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<br />Kruimeldief has also pulled the Dutch Geocaching community to Twitter, by tweeting each geocache he had published. Simply follow <a href="www.twitter.com/kruimeldief">@Kruimeldief</a> on Twitter and you were always informed about new Geocaches. As far as I know he was the first (and besides GeoGuy the only?) reviewer doing this, which made him very popular in the Dutch geocaching community, unless his thorough reviewing. Kruimeldief embraced Twitter as his main communication channel but he was never limited by the 140 characters. One question to Kruimel and you got at least 3 tweets back. He has passed on the tweeting habit to <a href="www.twitter.com/geoguynl">Geoguy</a> which makes the Dutch reviewers very accessible for questions and answers.
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<br />For now, the Belgian and French reviewers <a href="http://www.geocaching.com/profile/?guid=91a7c2d9-1e8e-4a58-b158-543d3bf96aef">Greensprouts</a> and <a href="http://www.geocaching.com/profile/?guid=c8ad39fd-708e-4140-9f67-d1e5475cdcc6">riviouveur</a> will assist GeoGuy in reviewing for the Netherlands, until Kruimel’s successor has been found. I think it would have been nice if the search for his successor would already have been completed, so the Dutch tradition of tweeting new caches could be continued as Greensprouts and riviouveur don’t do this. Nevertheless I am looking forward to the first rumours about who the new Dutch reviewer will be. I hope the election period will be just as interesting and exciting as it was before GeoGuy was announced.
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<br />Kruimeldief and Kralenfee, thank you for giving me the largest to do list ever, TFTC!
<br />rhr_nlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942781963830047696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014907885180828909.post-6876971600010769512011-08-23T19:00:00.009+02:002011-08-23T19:00:04.499+02:00Why most challenges are no challenge yetMany geocachers voted to bring virtuals back but now even more geocachers appear to be against the replacement for virtuals, the challenges. The release of challenges was at least bumpy. Many people who don’t like the challenges are talking them down on Twitter, Facebook, forums and even on the challenge pages by voting them down, writing comments and posting ‘I dislike challenges’ pictures. So far, in all these comments, I have not found a single reason to dislike challenges.
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<br />Some users dislike challenges because they simply dislike change. With every change, there is always this group that doesn’t like it, simply because it is change. They need time to get used to changes; they will accept the change if time goes by. Another group dislikes challenges because challenges are not geocaches. They are right. That is why they are counted separately from geocaches and trackables in your profile. You also do not see them in the ‘hide and seek a geocache’ functionality. Simply because they are not geocaches. Challenges are something completely different compared to geocaches and they should not be mistaken.
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<br />Some people dislike challenges because they don't see a point in the first challenges which have been created. I must agree with them. I like the challenges concept, but I do not like most challenges I have seen yet. Why? Because there is no challenge in them! Yes, there is no challenge in them. I will explain. This is the definition of a real challenge according to <a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/challenge">wiktionary</a>:
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<br /><blockquote>"1. An instigation or antagonization intended to convince a person to perform an action they otherwise would not.
<br />2. A difficult task, especially one that the person making the attempt finds more enjoyable because of that difficulty."</blockquote>
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<br />Most challenges confirm to the second part of the first definition. They ask me to perform an action I otherwise would not have done. But they don’t convince me. Why should I perform that action? There must be a reason, I need to be convinced! <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTBUGSQg08A">Please tell me why, tell me why, tell me why! </a>
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<br />To proof that challenges can be fun when they are a real challenge, convincing and/or difficult, I created my own challenge which confirms to both definitions of challenge. To explain my challenge, I first have to explain something about my hometown Tiel.
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<br />Tiel is in the center of the Betuwe, a part of the Netherlands with a lot of fruit orchards. In Tiel there was company named ‘de Betuwe’ which made delicious marmalade. This marmalade was so delicious that other companies which made marmalade advertised their marmalade as ‘from the Betuwe’, which is allowed because it refers to the region where the fruit is from they use for their marmalade. For customers this made it difficult to find the real ‘Betuwe’ marmalade in the shop. So the company ‘de Betuwe’ created a cartoon figure, named him ‘Flipje from Tiel’ and put him on the label of their marmalade. This worked excellent because customers now could easily find the real Betuwe marmalade by the picture of Flipje. Since then many marketing items were created based on the Flipje character, even a series of comic books.
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<br />Because of the decreasing sales of marmalade, the marmalade factory in Tiel was closed in 1993. Since his birth Flipje has been the mascot of the city of Tiel, also when the factory closed. Earlier this year, Flipje returned on marmalade pots of the company who took over the assets from ‘de Betuwe’.
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6uXs4bpbYI-XgCqBDeE0NnfWowIDAEXfFiUbaRRwIZvVOLTP3LE39l9G3qjMa_YK04PSAS5aAruQtl4hvkpFAwPzCuP-tl1Dm5rqpGxhl0-tBsklBgiubo_q0-PEHpOtX14mbi2CpG1o/s1600/flipjeroos.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6uXs4bpbYI-XgCqBDeE0NnfWowIDAEXfFiUbaRRwIZvVOLTP3LE39l9G3qjMa_YK04PSAS5aAruQtl4hvkpFAwPzCuP-tl1Dm5rqpGxhl0-tBsklBgiubo_q0-PEHpOtX14mbi2CpG1o/s400/flipjeroos.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5643966679750052306" /></a><a href="http://coord.info/cxa96">The challenge I created</a>, is to write a love letter to Flipje, signed with ‘Signal the Frog’, put it with a red rose in a marmalade pot (preferably of the right brand) and place the pot at the location mentioned on the challenge page, near the statue of Flipje, without being seen.
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<br />This challenge is difficult because the Flipje statue is on a busy square in the center of Tiel. The goal of this challenge is to create a mystery around the secret lover of Flipje, who over and over again writes a love letter and places it in a marmalade pot with a red rose near the Flipje statue. If you want to help build this mystery, complete the challenge!
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<br />For geocachers, the challenge promotes the city of Tiel. But it also promotes Geocaching for curious people who find a marmalade pot and track down the referral to 'Signal the Frog'.
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<br />This a translation of the first love letter I placed on the Flipje statue:
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<br />Dear Flip,
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<br />I have missed you for years,
<br />But I have never forgotten you.
<br />You have always been the one and only for me,
<br />I have never tasted from another pot.
<br />Now you are back, better than ever,
<br />As if you have never left me.
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<br />From now, forever I will warship you.
<br />People will talk about us,
<br />But my love for you is unconditional.
<br />Also when, with all these other people around you,
<br />this will always be a challenge…
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<br />Love,
<br />Signal the Frog
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixQwZWCFIlEZL3aO6OYCc73vtgLFy_Ce8XKj3AIREQxolK_dInvAoZhdpnfWpvoSb_cQl33dBFkojhqTWNy2zVx3qAD72NwLkOCag6bFzv4SE9V3QJoVPcwFiyuOBaiQ1xc4CI7ccuh3k/s1600/1eb8a795-ca69-4f6e-812c-895147322edb.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixQwZWCFIlEZL3aO6OYCc73vtgLFy_Ce8XKj3AIREQxolK_dInvAoZhdpnfWpvoSb_cQl33dBFkojhqTWNy2zVx3qAD72NwLkOCag6bFzv4SE9V3QJoVPcwFiyuOBaiQ1xc4CI7ccuh3k/s400/1eb8a795-ca69-4f6e-812c-895147322edb.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5643966402831139554" /></a>
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<br />rhr_nlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942781963830047696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014907885180828909.post-34487924892419548082011-08-18T21:36:00.003+02:002011-08-18T22:26:05.128+02:00First look at challenges!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF6xh26VeW8PBPs6__NPH5XUIY9BupkWp_qpkTYc-qyiRzEkayTbSrw5iEm9id_YRev_ThAyWIec-iOxsNpPw4mlwHi078KxUmojLWbvEwBVaBA5igduI-Soglpv7afLDU4r-RkejNkO4/s1600/ChallengesIcon_50.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 50px; height: 50px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF6xh26VeW8PBPs6__NPH5XUIY9BupkWp_qpkTYc-qyiRzEkayTbSrw5iEm9id_YRev_ThAyWIec-iOxsNpPw4mlwHi078KxUmojLWbvEwBVaBA5igduI-Soglpv7afLDU4r-RkejNkO4/s200/ChallengesIcon_50.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642294883803115362" /></a>
<br />The challenges have just been released on geocaching.com. Here are my first things about the new way of geocaching!
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<br />It was already announced earlier this week, but the action challenge type will be part of the game. This appears to be something like I described in my <a href="http://georhrnl.blogspot.com/2011/08/now-for-real-new-virtual-challenges.html">previous post</a>, a go there and do something challenge. For me that is the only challenge type I need. This type can simply cover everything, like I explained last week.
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<br />The other remarkable thing is that you do not need any prove that you have completed the action challenge type. You can just say 'been there done that' and that's it. I think creating the prove by taking pictures or video taping your adventure, is the best part of the game both for yourself as for other geocachers who watch your evidence material online. A missed oppertunity!
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<br />The rating system. It appears that Groundspeak has reinvented the wheel by adding a new rating system to the challenges, something very unlike the favorites rating system. For the challenges you can already praise something before you have done the challenge but you can also vote things down. I am affraid that all the people who don't like challenges are going to vote every challenge down. Another thought is how long will it take before Groundspeak applies this rating system to Geocaches as well? I think it would be better compared to favorites...
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<br />Also noticed that the creator of a challenge is not important anymore. The only place where you will find your name as creator is at the bottom of the log list. That's a long way down. Come on Groundspeak, if I create something great, people have to know it was me!
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<br />The first new challenges. Users don't seem to know what to do with challenges. Groundspeak has placed themselves above all users by being the only one able to create 'Worldwide Challenges' which are in fact locationless. Users can only create location based challenges but without a review procedure, they simply forget this single rule of the game and start asking for actions you can do everywhere in the world <a href="http://www.geocaching.com/challenges/view.aspx?cx=CX3E">like hugging your dog</a>. I think users are right. Challenges could be locationless, but please, think of something better then hugging your dog.
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<br />Logs. The logs on challenges appear to be very short. This has been a subject for discussion for months already but on challenges it appears to be extreme. Folks, where is your story about completing the challenge?
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<br />Replies and comments. This is the feature that most surprised me. For challenges you can write a reply on the challenge itself and on the logs of users. For geocaches this is not yet possible but I hope they add it there soon. This makes the game a lot more interactive and social, something I have been <a href="http://georhrnl.blogspot.com/2010/11/geocachingcom-social-media.html">waiting for for months</a>.
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<br />Although some things could be better in the design and some other small things that can be fixed afterwards, I think the challenge will be great, like I said last week. I am very much looking forward to what my first completed challenge will be! I won't do simply everything you silly people ask ;-)rhr_nlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942781963830047696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014907885180828909.post-30259740707263583212011-08-10T19:00:00.000+02:002011-08-10T19:00:09.736+02:00Now for real; The new virtual: Challenges!Whoops, it turns out that <a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/notaboutthenumbers/sJdQ/~3/aWdWZzNTKlM/">Cumbyrocks</a> and <a href="http://georhrnl.blogspot.com/2011/08/new-virtual.html">myself</a> were wrong about the new virtuals, although we both still think it is a great idea…. But this really is what Groundspeak refers to as the new virtuals: <a href="http://www.geocaching.com/my/challenges.aspx">Challenges</a>!
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<br />Here is a small description of what challenges will be by <a href="http://forums.groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=269023&view=findpost&p=4783350">CDJ Abuser on the Groundspeak forums</a>:
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<br /><blockquote>"At <a href="http://www.coord.info/GC2GA1J">GC2GA1J</a>, Jeremy explained that the ‘new’ virtuals would be implemented as ‘challenges’. Not challenge caches (or caching challenges) obviously, but he explained that he and his team saw virtuals as a ‘go somewhere and do something’ kinda thing, and that’s what the new ‘challenges’ will be. The first released type will be a photo challenge: go somewhere and take a picture. He also explained that there will be no review system, but rather some kind of rating system, with good challenges rising to the top and bad ones falling to the bottom and (maybe?) eventually disappearing, and that the whole system was seen as an experiment on their part.”</blockquote>
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<br />From this piece of information I am not very thrilled about the challenges. This first challenge type, the go somewhere and take a picture, is very similar to the old virtual cache where you had to take a picture or answer a question to prove you have been at the location. I have never liked this kind of caches as there was no logging opportunity to share your initial feeling with the cache owners and other cachers. And the first reaction is always the best. I was also missing the creativity from the cache owner. Taking a picture is just too easy. With a little bit of creativity and a good hint, you can hide a cache everywhere, also in the most crowded places.
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<br />Now the new challenges. I like the word challenges. I think each Geocache is a challenge. A go there and write your name the logbook challenge. From what Jeremy explained to CDJ Abuser, I understand that Groundspeak is going to release challenge types. In my opinion, Groundspeak should give this to the users and only provide a platform to create and share your type of challenge with the Geocaching community.
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<br />What the challenge will be is up to the creativity of the challenge owner. It can vary from ‘take a picture’ to ‘scan the QR code’ or ‘do the Macarena dance with at least 10 strangers and post a video of it in the log’ challenge. As long as you can prove you have completed the challenge, maybe with some simple additional functionality on the Geocaching website, for example secret logging codes criteria, it is a challenge. If you see where the community has taken the Geocache since it was first placed in the year 2000, I think the creativity from challenge creators goes far beyond what Groundspeak can think of as challenge types and therefore Groundspeak should only be the platform provider.
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<br />If Groundspeak is prepared to give the creativity to the community, they could become the community leader and online meeting point for things like flash mobs, planking and other weird and less weird stuff people love to do as a challenge... Wouldn't that be great? rhr_nlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942781963830047696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014907885180828909.post-1533847827616790342011-08-08T21:30:00.000+02:002011-08-08T21:30:03.657+02:00The new virtual?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDhuXfi8YktxOmROIkE5JA-kPk5vQh6IBQsl-uyZbsXihBL7lo-ZgV8RupzgogXP_AwVZuyHShh_T1xjSzTNmhQpxbmXC0-KPB_FGny9cX9fc9WiJCvS-TmcSXo5q2Q3s7Uj6yeBjldjY/s1600/virtual.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 215px; height: 234px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDhuXfi8YktxOmROIkE5JA-kPk5vQh6IBQsl-uyZbsXihBL7lo-ZgV8RupzgogXP_AwVZuyHShh_T1xjSzTNmhQpxbmXC0-KPB_FGny9cX9fc9WiJCvS-TmcSXo5q2Q3s7Uj6yeBjldjY/s400/virtual.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638488197699810450" /></a>
<br />Hold your horses on that Munzee thing I was blogging about <a href="http://georhrnl.blogspot.com/2011/07/munzee-new-way-of-geocaching.html">last week</a>. Why would you need that QR code? It is the GPS functionality of your smartphone that can be checked to confirm you are on the right location to do a log attempt on the internet! No QR code hiding, no searching, just visiting the coordinates is good enough! Wouldn’t that be great? It looks like this will become reality as it is exactly what Groundspeak is going to do with the new virtual!
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<br />At first I thought the new virtual would be some kind of Wherigo-like application that gives you a code if you get close to specific coordinates. You would need this code to log the virtual cache on the internet. However, in a <a href="http://www.globalcaching.eu">Globalcaching</a> chat session, <a href="http://www.groundspeak.com/about.aspx#OurTeam">Bryan Roth </a>denied the link between Wherigo and the new virtual. When I described Groundspeaks move from the standalone GPSr to the smartphone in <a href="http://georhrnl.blogspot.com/2011/05/from-stand-alone-gpsr-to-mobile-new.html">my post on the new Geocaching website layout</a>, it looks like I got even closer to the new virtual. I only did not do the math, replacing Wherigo with smartphone.
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<br />Last week Cumbyrocks on his blog <a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/notaboutthenumbers/sJdQ/~3/aWdWZzNTKlM/">‘It’s not about the numbers’</a> did do the math and described a theory which is comparable to my theory about the new virtual, but based it on the smartphone. The result is what I described in the introduction of this article. I think Cumbyrocks got very close to what Groundspeak talks about as the new virtual. Here is a<a href="http://forums.groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=269023&st=50&p=4784174&#entry4784174"> quote from Jeremy</a> from the Groundspeak forums to support these thoughts:
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<br /><blockquote><span style="font-style:italic;"> "In the UserVoice updates I never said that virtuals were coming back in their previous form, but instead something would be available that should capture the interest in virtuals without the baggage (such as the subjective review process).
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<br />To me, this is the most exciting project that we’ve worked on in years, but it will take some time to iterate through the idea and I know we’ll get some things wrong, but the framework is solid. We’ll be investing a substantial amount of effort with this project moving forward.
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<br />Some points:
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<br />It will be on Geocaching.com, not a new web site. It will be a separate section in the beta, but I expect it to be integrated into a joined search at some point.
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<br />Currently they will not go towards your find count, but it might at some point. It won’t at the beginning though.
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<br />It will be a visible statistic, so you will see them on the profile, on the logs, etc.
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<br />We’ll be hopefully launching with mobile applications to compliment the activity. I expect that the majority of participants will be using smartphones, but we will have components (Pocket Queries, GPX file downloads, etc) for traditional GPS devices.</span>”</blockquote>
<br />The issue with to old virtual was that you needed the photo or the answer on a question to prove that you have been at the location. There was no box and no log to sign, the basics of Geocaching. Now, the internet connection and app functionality of the smartphone provides the opportunity to create a virtual box and write a digital log right from the spot!
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<br />I totally agree with Jeremy that this is one of the most exciting new projects. It gives a totally new approach to Geocaching, without going far from the basics. Without the approval process, this new virtual would be easier to create and appeal to more users to create such a cache. It also gives Geocaching a new advantage compared to rivals such as Opencaching and Munzee. Without the QR code, a virtual cache is easier to create and easier to find compared to a Munzee. And easy is the keyword nowadays. Compared to Opencaching, Geocaching will create something that appeals to a lot of Geocachers and something that Opencaching can never create, unless Garmin builds an internet connection into their GPSr devices.
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<br />Another thought is, that it was not Garmin who started the war with the Opencaching website but it was Groundspeak who are on the smartphone track for quiet some time already and put Garmin with their GPSr devices on the side of the road. To continue selling GPSr devices to Geocachers, the only option for Garmin was to start their own community, Opencaching. This also explains the messy Opencaching website, because they had to launch it quickly before Groundspeak openly embraces the smartphone as the main Geocaching attribute. But if you want more people Geocaching, like Groundspeak, I think the smartphone is the right track. Soon everybody has one and the only thing Groundspeak has to do is spread the message. Also, the smartphone opens doors for exciting new approaches to the game, like this new virtual.
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<br />Do you have your own theory about the new virtual or another remark to this post? Share them by writing a comment!
<br />rhr_nlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942781963830047696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014907885180828909.post-25960655962938019062011-07-27T10:20:00.006+02:002011-07-27T10:35:03.516+02:00Munzee, a new way of geocaching?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifsEqX-hjGsRoap1zpN6wUGAGjVyOz2AfvouNYnA0YxUJgMgmugWGvwVCmBTvzBN5Q7SFUsOt0525Yo1DeO9Jq8b6QUxlwKRsc0kCWf4mD-rsigHKfda8jqs7DgKAijYYmPrFDVaYAb9Q/s1600/official-game-piece.png"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 171px; height: 282px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifsEqX-hjGsRoap1zpN6wUGAGjVyOz2AfvouNYnA0YxUJgMgmugWGvwVCmBTvzBN5Q7SFUsOt0525Yo1DeO9Jq8b6QUxlwKRsc0kCWf4mD-rsigHKfda8jqs7DgKAijYYmPrFDVaYAb9Q/s400/official-game-piece.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633945714843999554" /></a><br />A <a href="http://www.munzee.com">Munzee</a> is a QR code style barcode. This barcode is hidden at a specific location. This can be in a box, like a geocache, but it can also be sticked on a light pole. Marking your found is as simply as scanning the barcode with your smartphone. The special Munzee app will do the rest of the work if you have a working internet connection on your smartphone when scanning the code. The app also helps you find Munzees, so you have the actual database always with you.<br /><br />Creating a Munzee is also very easy. You can generate and print a barcode from the Munzee website. Laminate or put the printed piece in a waterproof container and your Munzee is ready to be deployed in the field.<br /><br />On the Munzee website is a very complicating rating system with levels and points, which I do not understand at all. What I do understand is that you get points for finding and hiding Munzees and founds on your hidden Munzees.<br /><br />Advantages versus geocaching:<br />- A Munzee is easier to hide;<br />- Logging, the part some geocachers hate to do, goes automatically;<br />- Cheaper to create.<br />- Accurate scores, because the field log and online log is made at the same time, there is no hassle about the FTF. <br /><br />Disadvantages versus geocaching:<br />- As far as I can find, there are no possibilities for multi or mystery Munzees yet;<br />- Smartphones are not as accurate as a GPSr, which makes a Munzee harder to find;<br />- No written logs to share your adventures, the part some geocachers and cache owners love;<br />- No creative push, a Munzee is so easy to hide, you do not need the creativity which makes each geocache unique.<br /><br />There have been a lot of Geocaching clones the last 10 years who have failed to live up to their promise. I think Munzee could be an exception to this, because it is not an exact clone of geocaching.com and it fulfils a specific need among geocachers which geocaching.com only partly serves: Point Hunting. If you want to go out and score as many points as possible, get on top of the rating system and do not care about thanking the owner for the hide in a log and do not care about the creativity of a hide, Munzee is for you.rhr_nlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942781963830047696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014907885180828909.post-78737819072937316602011-06-30T15:18:00.005+02:002011-06-30T16:03:29.047+02:00Holiday GeocachingDo you go geocaching on your holiday? Or do you go on holiday and find some geocaches? What's the difference? Let me explain...<br /><br />You can create a pocket query with all caches in your holiday region. When arrived, you can visit all the places described in the tour guide book and take a look at your GPSr every now and then to check if there is a cache on the left or right side of the road. If you spent your holiday like this, then you go on holiday and find some caches.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNhKBlATkyognUsCx5qyoNV2PE6c0V7e4diauhCMf_fmrXZo5xTKpnYi3-s-hsiEwScqUP5MEyktDurwm-EAAZOzkK4TdXuUJ5kiyGue9Dae7tk4Z_tmyj7WjR45pyt0zE2Qb7e64XuTI/s1600/SL273271.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNhKBlATkyognUsCx5qyoNV2PE6c0V7e4diauhCMf_fmrXZo5xTKpnYi3-s-hsiEwScqUP5MEyktDurwm-EAAZOzkK4TdXuUJ5kiyGue9Dae7tk4Z_tmyj7WjR45pyt0zE2Qb7e64XuTI/s200/SL273271.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624011518348927986" /></a>I have just returned form my multi city trip holiday to Munich, Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest. We went geocaching on our holiday. This is how we did it:<br /><br />1. Put the tour guide book in your backpack and leave it there (you only need it to find a good restaurant).<br />2. Go to the <a href="http://www.geocaching.com/seek/default.aspx">geocaching.com</a> website and click 'Hide and Seek a cache'.<br />3. Enter the address where you are going on holiday and a radius, eg. Budapest, 1 mile and click go. <br />4. Click on the blue favorites ribbon to get the cache with the most favorites points on top. <br />5. Now you <a href="http://www.geocaching.com/seek/nearest.aspx?lat=47.4984056&lng=19.040757799999938&dist=1&sortdir=desc&sort=fav">see</a> that '<a href="http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cachehttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif_details.aspx?guid=b31bced2-dc40-4da2-a521-13c6c8bac8f1">Gellert Hill</a>' is the place to go in Budapest. Also download at least the other first 9 caches to you GPSr. This is the to do list for your holiday. That is what I call geocaching on holiday.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAwpdWkhikYrfldxIijq7uA-Bt25-IWT5Tfm41afbDQkkdSmsgXNzS9A586szogjUaI11DkwxVqPpFvl7MkIoC_y5zLelq_6-8CpCXa4_AYWz7iR8N05HOoy8ESvkbuK5nutUOodX5mfA/s1600/SL273212.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAwpdWkhikYrfldxIijq7uA-Bt25-IWT5Tfm41afbDQkkdSmsgXNzS9A586szogjUaI11DkwxVqPpFvl7MkIoC_y5zLelq_6-8CpCXa4_AYWz7iR8N05HOoy8ESvkbuK5nutUOodX5mfA/s200/SL273212.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624011936207978530" /></a>If you do the same for <a href="http://www.geocaching.com/seek/nearest.aspx?lat=48.2081743&lng=16.37381890000006&dist=1&sortdir=desc&sort=fav">Vienna</a> you will see that the 'Old Wiener Spaziergang' city tours by <a href="http://www.geocaching.com/seek/nearest.aspx?tx=a5f6d0ad-d2f2-4011-8c14-940a9ebf3c74&u=Lachwurzn&sortdir=desc&sort=fav">Lachwurzn</a> are quite popular. Why do we geocachers need a tour guide book? Have an even better holiday this summer!rhr_nlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942781963830047696noreply@blogger.com0