[Az-Geocaching] Geocaching.com administrator questions whether my museum caches are really "geocaches"

Thu, 26 Sep 2002 14:52:19 -0700

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Howdy Ken,

My two cents of advice says, "Go ahead and place your museum caches freely."
However, I think you should think of a way to name these cahces so that it
doesn't give away the fact that they're located within a museum. For
instance, let's say you're leading someone to the US Presidents Museum,
because you want them to tell you how many fingers Teddy Roosevelt's statue
has on its right hand. You can list the coordinates to the museum with the
GPS coordinates, and then direct them inside by telling them which way to
turn to get to the statue. Instead of naming the cache "US Presidents Museum
Cache," I'd suggest naming it something like "Teddy's Fingers Cache."

Is that too bizarre?

-FroBro Q-Tip

-----Original Message-----
From: az-geocaching-admin@listserv.azgeocaching.com
[mailto:az-geocaching-admin@listserv.azgeocaching.com]On Behalf Of
ken@highpointer.com
Sent: Thursday, September 26, 2002 1:02 PM
To: az-geocaching@listserv.snaptek.com
Subject: [Az-Geocaching] Geocaching.com administrator questions whether my
museum caches are really "geocaches"

Hello Geocachers,

While traveling out of the state in the past two weeks, I stopped and
visited two small historical museums, one in southeastern Utah and the other
in northwestern Oklahoma.  I made virtual geocaches from these museums,
similar in style to the six that I have currenlty active in eastern Maricopa
County.

Geocaching administrator erik88l-r approved these two new virtual geocaches,
but upon doing so he sent me this note, which I have pasted below:

User erik88l-r has contacted you with the following message:

Hi,

I posted your caches, but have to ask before others attack you for it in the
forums - are all these museums really "geocaches"?  Don't get me wrong, I
love museums, but is a GPS required to find them?  I just don't want to see
you going overboard on something that might result in a backlash.  Sometimes
too much of a good thing results in that reaction. ;)  My suggestion would
be to hide a physical cache near such places in the future - that way people
will visit the area without questions about whether something should or
should not be a virtual cache.

All the best,
erik - geocaching.com admin

I replied to Erik that these museum geocaches are very popular among
geocachers in Arizona.  It is g! ! reat to introduce people to places where
they can learn about local history and bring the entire family for little or
no cost, and they are particularly great to visit on hot summer days because
they are air-conditioned.

It is true that you don't need a GPS to find these museums, but I argue that
one can find many virtual caches without a GPS, because they are typically
large items like statues or historical markers that are out in plain view in
public places.  Also, what is wrong with having some virtual geocaches where
a GPS is not mandatory - not everyone has a GPS, so this opens up our
activity to people who can't afford to own a GPS.

Also, I disagree with his suggestion to place a physical geocache near these
museums.  Most of these museums are located in highly visible areas where
there is no good place to put a physical geocache.

What do Arizona geocachers think about the comments of Erik and myself?
Should I continue to create virtual geocaches at museums?  Remember, these
are not the easiest caches to complete fully - typically I have six or seven
questions that requires one to visit every part of the museum, and as many
of you are aware, some of the answers are not easy to find.

Ken (a.k.a. Highpointer)

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<DIV><SPAN class=3D988004721-26092002><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff =
size=3D2>Howdy=20
Ken,</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D988004721-26092002><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff =

size=3D2>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>My two=20
cents&nbsp;of advice says, "Go ahead and place your museum caches =
freely."=20
However, I think you&nbsp;should think of a way to name these cahces so =
that it=20
doesn't give away the fact that they're located within a museum. For =
instance,=20
let's say you're leading someone to the US Presidents Museum, because =
you want=20
them to tell you how many fingers Teddy Roosevelt's statue has on its =
right=20
hand. You can list the coordinates to the museum with the GPS =
coordinates, and=20
then direct them inside by telling them which way to turn to get to the =
statue.=20
Instead of naming the cache "US Presidents Museum Cache," I'd suggest =
naming it=20
something like "Teddy's Fingers Cache."</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff =

size=3D2></FONT></SPAN>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D988004721-26092002><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff =
size=3D2>Is=20
that too bizarre?</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D988004721-26092002><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff =

size=3D2></FONT></SPAN>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D988004721-26092002><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff =

size=3D2>-FroBro Q-Tip</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D988004721-26092002><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff =

size=3D2>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV class=3DOutlookMessageHeader dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft>-----Original Message----- From:=20
az-geocaching-admin@listserv.azgeocaching.com=20
[mailto:az-geocaching-admin@listserv.azgeocaching.com]On Behalf Of=20
ken@highpointer.com Sent: Thursday, September 26, 2002 =
1:02=20
PM To: az-geocaching@listserv.snaptek.com Subject:=20
[Az-Geocaching] Geocaching.com administrator questions whether my museum =
caches=20
are really "geocaches" </DIV>
Hello =
Geocachers,
While traveling out of =
the state in=20
the past two weeks, I stopped and visited two small historical museums, =
one in=20
<A=20
href=3D"http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?ID=3D37740">sou=
theastern=20
Utah</A> and the other in <A=20
href=3D"http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?ID=3D37738">nor=
thwestern=20
Oklahoma</A>.&nbsp; I made virtual geocaches from these museums, similar =
in=20
style to the six that I have currenlty active in eastern Maricopa=20
County.
Geocaching administrator <A=20
href=3D"http://www.geocaching.com/profile/default.asp?A=3D4285">erik88l-r=
</A>=20
approved these two new virtual geocaches, but =
upon doing=20
so he sent me this note, which I have pasted below:
User erik88l-r has =
contacted you with=20
the following message: Hi, <FONT=20
color=3D#0000ff> I posted your caches, but =
have to ask=20
before others attack you for it in the forums - are all these museums =
really=20
"geocaches"?&nbsp; Don't get me wrong, I love museums, but is a GPS =
required to=20
find them?&nbsp; I just don't want to see you going overboard on =
something that=20
might result in a backlash.&nbsp; Sometimes too much of a good thing =
results in=20
that reaction. ;)&nbsp; My suggestion would be to hide a physical cache =
near=20
such places in the future - that way people will visit the area without=20
questions about whether something should or should not be a virtual=20
cache. All the best, erik - geocaching.com=20
admin I=20
replied to Erik that these museum geocaches are very popular among =
geocachers in=20
Arizona.&nbsp; It is g! ! reat to introduce people to places where they =
can=20
learn about local history and bring the entire family for little or no =
cost, and=20
they are particularly great to visit on hot summer days because they are =

air-conditioned.</FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=3D#0000ff><FONT color=3D#000000>It is true that you don't =
need a GPS=20
to find these museums, but I argue that one can find many virtual caches =
without=20
a GPS, because they are typically large items like statues or historical =
markers=20
that are out in plain view in public places.&nbsp; Also, what is wrong =
with=20
having some virtual geocaches where a GPS is not mandatory - not =
everyone has a=20
GPS, so this opens up our activity to people who can't afford to own a=20
GPS.</FONT></FONT></P>
<P>Also, I disagree with his suggestion to place&nbsp;a physical =
geocache near=20
these museums.&nbsp; Most of these museums are located in highly visible =
areas=20
where there is no good place to put a physical geocache.</P>
<P>What do Arizona geocachers think about the comments of Erik and =
myself?&nbsp;=20
Should I continue to create virtual geocaches at museums?&nbsp; =
Remember, these=20
are not the easiest caches to complete fully - typically I have six or =
seven=20
questions that requires one to visit every part of the museum, and as =
many of=20
you are aware, some of the answers are not easy to find.</P>
<P><EM><STRONG>Ken</STRONG></EM> (a.k.a.=20
<EM><STRONG>Highpointer</STRONG></EM>)</P>
<P><FONT color=3D#0000ff><FONT=20
color=3D#000000>&nbsp;</P></FONT></FONT></BODY></HTML>

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