Electronic Geocaching Type

January 20, 2015

Hello! First, I hope this is in the correct section. But I was thinking and I thought it would be great to have a new electronic geocaching type. How it could work is someone puts a QR code somewhere, and then it is treated like a normal cache, but to post that you have found it, you either have to scan the code with your phone, or have a picture of it be verified on the geocaching website. The minimum distance could be 100 feet so that in cities or small towns there could be lots of these for geocachers that want a few caches in the city. Just an idea, and I think it would be pretty popular!

7.7k · January 20, 2015

Hello! First, I hope this is in the correct section. But I was thinking and I thought it would be great to have a new electronic geocaching type. How it could work is someone puts a QR code somewhere, and then it is treated like a normal cache, but to post that you have found it, you either have to scan the code with your phone, or have a picture of it be verified on the geocaching website. The minimum distance could be 100 feet so that in cities or small towns there could be lots of these for geocachers that want a few caches in the city. Just an idea, and I think it would be pretty popular!

I'd tell you what that QR code scanning game is called, but then this thread will either get locked by a mod, or my post will be edited to remove the reference to a competitor

Groundspeak was looking into "QR Challenges" some time ago, but it never did launch before the whole "challenge" thing was shelved (note : not the same as the current "geocaching challenge" which is a traditional cache hide with some geocaching requirements that you need to fulfill and document).

2.7k · January 20, 2015

There is another game that, from reports I have heard since , is basically what you have described. (and as a competing game, probably shouldn't be discussed here.)

Edited January 20, 2015 by K13

15.3k · January 20, 2015

Hello! First, I hope this is in the correct section. But I was thinking and I thought it would be great to have a new electronic geocaching type. How it could work is someone puts a QR code somewhere, and then it is treated like a normal cache, but to post that you have found it, you either have to scan the code with your phone, or have a picture of it be verified on the geocaching website.

In a sense, this is just a QR code spin on the old idea of a keyword cache. (To log a keyword cache, you had to know the keyword written on/in the cache.) Keywords didn't really prove that anyone found the keyword caches though, since people passed around lists of keywords the way they pass around lists of tracking codes for TBs and geocoins, and the way they would pass around lists of QR codes.

And no, I don't think it's a good idea to increase saturation by placing geocaches (or QR code geocaches, or whatever) closer than the current saturation guideline allows.

3.8k · January 20, 2015

Hello! First, I hope this is in the correct section. But I was thinking and I thought it would be great to have a new electronic geocaching type. How it could work is someone puts a QR code somewhere, and then it is treated like a normal cache, but to post that you have found it, you either have to scan the code with your phone, or have a picture of it be verified on the geocaching website. The minimum distance could be 100 feet so that in cities or small towns there could be lots of these for geocachers that want a few caches in the city. Just an idea, and I think it would be pretty popular!

I'd tell you what that QR code scanning game is called, but then this thread will either get locked by a mod, or my post will be edited to remove the reference to a competitor

Groundspeak was looking into "QR Challenges" some time ago, but it never did launch before the whole "challenge" thing was shelved (note : not the same as the current "geocaching challenge" which is a traditional cache hide with some geocaching requirements that you need to fulfill and document).

I think it's lame that mention of the "other game" can get you deleted, locked or banned. But I also think that other game is totally lame. If geocaching.com ever gets to the point of offering "that" option here, it might be time for me to move on. The notion of finds every 100 feet is completely ridiculous.

January 20, 2015

I think they should add it to geocaching because I really don't want to go to some other game just for QR Code caching. It would be nice to have it all in one thing.

2.4k · January 20, 2015

IF it could be shuffled off to a side site like Waymarking is, and if the find counts don't integrate like the Waymarking statistics don't integrate, then sure - I'd be OK with GS setting up a QR Code Caching platform that uses the same login and password. I could ignore it. :laughing:

13.7k · January 20, 2015

IF it could be shuffled off to a side site like Waymarking is, and if the find counts don't integrate like the Waymarking statistics don't integrate, then sure - I'd be OK with GS setting up a QR Code Caching platform that uses the same login and password. I could ignore it.

+1

7.7k · January 20, 2015

I think it's lame that mention of the "other game" can get you deleted, locked or banned. But I also think that other game is totally lame. If geocaching.com ever gets to the point of offering "that" option here, it might be time for me to move on. The notion of finds every 100 feet is completely ridiculous.

I agree regarding the gag orders here, but it is their website so I'll respect their rules.

I believe the closest you can have QR codes in that other game is 50 ft. There didn't use to be one, so people started things like having an album filled with QR codes. I thought that was a pretty interesting twist, actually - someone places an album, and subsequent finders all add one QR code of their own. But things quickly got out of control.

I think QR code scanning (or NFC tag scanning) has a few advantages in urban settings. I don't think the bomb squad ever "rendered safe" a QR code. At this point I'd say it is highly unlikely that GS will implement it - it's probably patented, and even if not, implementing it would alienate a lot of geocachers, even if a bunch more play both games.

7.5k · January 20, 2015

Hello! First, I hope this is in the correct section. But I was thinking and I thought it would be great to have a new electronic geocaching type. How it could work is someone puts a QR code somewhere, and then it is treated like a normal cache, but to post that you have found it, you either have to scan the code with your phone, or have a picture of it be verified on the geocaching website. The minimum distance could be 100 feet so that in cities or small towns there could be lots of these for geocachers that want a few caches in the city. Just an idea, and I think it would be pretty popular!

I'd tell you what that QR code scanning game is called, but then this thread will either get locked by a mod, or my post will be edited to remove the reference to a competitor

Groundspeak was looking into "QR Challenges" some time ago, but it never did launch before the whole "challenge" thing was shelved (note : not the same as the current "geocaching challenge" which is a traditional cache hide with some geocaching requirements that you need to fulfill and document).

I think it's lame that mention of the "other game" can get you deleted, locked or banned. But I also think that other game is totally lame. If geocaching.com ever gets to the point of offering "that" option here, it might be time for me to move on. The notion of finds every 100 feet is completely ridiculous.

I'm keen on finding something more tangible than a sticker with a code. The QR game got boring quickly for me because it's all about the numbers. Geocaching has become mostly about the numbers, but there's enough of a subset of folks who care about the complete caching experience (and not just about providing a smiley) that I've remained interested in geocaching. A QR addition of the game would further push the game towards a numbers sport.

Other problems with the QR code:

You can forget online logs, even if the feature is provided. QR codes are about the convenience of logging quickly. Slowing down to include a log is too cumbersome.
The game becomes an app game - people without QR readers can't log the find.

An aside: I do think that the virtual QR code game would be good for Waymarking. No QR code involved but you have to be within a certain amount of feet from ground zero in order to log your visit. The downside, it would make Waymarking an app game.

3.8k · January 20, 2015

I think they should add it to geocaching because I really don't want to go to some other game just for QR Code caching. It would be nice to have it all in one thing.

But it's not geocaching. Sure you can use your cell phone for both, and you have to be in the right location for both, but the same could be said for taking pictures. So I guess that makes photography like geocaching? If anything the game is more like photography than geocaching. I think I should get a smiley for every different photograph I take. That would add several thousand, and then I would have more smileys than anyone else around me.

January 21, 2015

Local geocaching groups around me not only have dedicated forums for the QR code game but they have dual, combined events. I've never played it and can't say that I'm dying to or anything(don't have a smart phone) but I'm seeing a lot of crossover between geocaching and the game that must not be mentioned (*Spooky Ghost Noises*). It seems like something that Groundspeak might want to relax about and openly address in some way rather than sticking their heads in the ground.

13.7k · January 21, 2015

Local geocaching groups around me not only have dedicated forums for the QR code game but they have dual, combined events. I've never played it and can't say that I'm dying to or anything(don't have a smart phone) but I'm seeing a lot of crossover between geocaching and the game that must not be mentioned (*Spooky Ghost Noises*). It seems like something that Groundspeak might want to relax about and openly address in some way rather than sticking their heads in the ground.

I don't believe they're "sticking their heads in the ground" at all.

I think the move (if you looked at the home page - after logging out... ) to this being a phone game shows they intend to stay on top, not hide.

Maybe at one time they hoped that like many of these app things, they'd eventually just go away.

As low tech as I am, I remember at least four phone location games that pretty-much all but disappeared when another game comes along.

Fickle.

Maybe that other game's just taking a bit lon oooh a squirrel!

7.3k · January 21, 2015

Hello! First, I hope this is in the correct section. But I was thinking and I thought it would be great to have a new electronic geocaching type. How it could work is someone puts a QR code somewhere, and then it is treated like a normal cache, but to post that you have found it, you either have to scan the code with your phone, or have a picture of it be verified on the geocaching website. The minimum distance could be 100 feet so that in cities or small towns there could be lots of these for geocachers that want a few caches in the city. Just an idea, and I think it would be pretty popular!

I hope that Groundspeak sticks to their principles and something like this is continued to be banned from caches published here.

I find the cache, I sign the log book, and I can log online if I want to. No codes, no photos needed. If the cache owner wants to verify my find, he/she can go out and look at the log book.

This is such a simple game at heart. Why do people want to muck about with it?

Heck, even a gps is considered antique nowadays. :rolleyes:

If you want to play the qr code game, check out munzees.

And don't hold your breath waiting for the saturation guidelines to be changed any time soon.

5.7k · January 21, 2015

Hello! First, I hope this is in the correct section. But I was thinking and I thought it would be great to have a new electronic geocaching type. How it could work is someone puts a QR code somewhere, and then it is treated like a normal cache, but to post that you have found it, you either have to scan the code with your phone, or have a picture of it be verified on the geocaching website. The minimum distance could be 100 feet so that in cities or small towns there could be lots of these for geocachers that want a few caches in the city. Just an idea, and I think it would be pretty popular!

I hope that Groundspeak sticks to their principles and something like this is continued to be banned from caches published here.

I find the cache, I sign the log book, and I can log online if I want to. No codes, no photos needed. If the cache owner wants to verify my find, he/she can go out and look at the log book.

This is such a simple game at heart. Why do people want to muck about with it?

Heck, even a gps is considered antique nowadays.

If you want to play the qr code game, check out munzees.

And don't hold your breath waiting for the saturation guidelines to be changed any time soon.

This sounds like the alternative geocaching site with their QR codes and verified finds. I thought the QR code was a good idea, as long as signing the log was still a requirement.

I did like the idea of Chirps and QR codes, but did not like the idea that I needed a high end GPS to play along.

7.4k · January 21, 2015

There's no restriction on mentioning Munzee in the forums. It's only crossing the line into promotion of a competitor that leads to lockdown.

8k · January 21, 2015

There's no restriction on mentioning Munzee in the forums. It's only crossing the line into promotion of a competitor that leads to lockdown.

So if someone were to post "Groundspeak should provide an option to use QR codes in a cache", would it be promoting a competitor to say "You might like the Munzee game?" It's a bit hard to talk about it without drifting into a gray area. Besides it's more fun to say "The Game Who Must Not Be Named".

14k · January 21, 2015

There's no restriction on mentioning Munzee in the forums. It's only crossing the line into promotion of a competitor that leads to lockdown.

So if someone were to post "Groundspeak should provide an option to use QR codes in a cache", would it be promoting a competitor to say "You might like the Munzee game?" It's a bit hard to talk about it without drifting into a gray area. Besides it's more fun to say "The Game Who Must Not Be Named".

If Groundspeak is actually thinking of providing a game which involves scanning QR codes, "The Game Who Must Not Be Named" (TGWMNBN) has a feature that I hope that GS doesn't consider and I'm talking about virtual munzees which don't use QR codes at all. Basically, you can acquire "points" just by hitting the capture button within 300 feet of the deployed virtual munzee (you also get points for deploying a virtual munzee). I was in Buffalo awhile back and did a QR code munzee for the first time. Later in the day I checked if there were others nearby. There were about 50 of them in a small traffic circle about a half a block away. I didn't bother walking the half a block to get the "points".

Edited January 21, 2015 by NYPaddleCacher

7.4k · January 21, 2015

You haven't seen anything - check the area around Geocaching HQ in Seattle!

14k · January 21, 2015

You haven't seen anything - check the area around Geocaching HQ in Seattle!

I didn't even think about trying the M game when I was there. The density of game pieces in Buffalo is so high I can imagine that one could just travel around the city and randomly hit the capture button every minute or so and they would "find" a lot of them.

There was another location based game (I won't mention the name) that involved taking a photo of something and posting the coordinates. The "finder" would try to duplicate the photo. It didn't really take off but I thought it was kinda interesting, especially when the creator of the game piece took the photo from some unusual angle. The other thing that made it interesting was that one could go to the site and randomly see a pair of original and "duplicate" photos and vote on whether the finder accurately captured the original.

7.8k · January 21, 2015

You haven't seen anything - check the area around Geocaching HQ in Seattle!

Whoa! " :blink: " is right!

I expect this is primarily from cachers visiting GSHQ and deploying some while in the area, but it has the look of one game attacking another. "Oh yeah? Well we're going to place our game pieces all around YOUR headquarters. OUR GAME IS THE AWESEOMEST!!1!11!!!" :laughing:

7.7k · January 21, 2015

You haven't seen anything - check the area around Geocaching HQ in Seattle!

I thought that was quite funny when I visited HQ 2 years ago. Even then, I didn't have time to capture them all.

They did have one "feature" that Groundspeak could adopt for virtuals though - sell them! That would allow new virtuals without having them all over the map. Or better yet, release a fixed amount of new virtuals every month, and hold it as a uniform price auction. All interested parties bid, and all winners pay the lowest winning bid price.

But I'm sure that would lead to outrage in the forums, claims of elitism, a whole slew of geocides, and proclamations of "This Is The End Of Geocaching As We Know It".

January 21, 2015

Come talk to me when "Munzee" gets in the Scrabble dictionary

10.2k · January 22, 2015

You haven't seen anything - check the area around Geocaching HQ in Seattle!

Whoa! "" is right!

I expect this is primarily from cachers visiting GSHQ and deploying some while in the area, but it has the look of one game attacking another. "Oh yeah? Well we're going to place our game pieces all around YOUR headquarters. OUR GAME IS THE AWESEOMEST!!1!11!!!"

More like lots of people play both games, and they deploy thousands at Mega events. Look if you will, at Boonsboro, Maryland. Not much, right? Pan to the left about a mile. And Geowoodstock isn't even happening for 4 months yet.

3.6k · January 22, 2015

You haven't seen anything - check the area around Geocaching HQ in Seattle!

:laughing:

Or any place where Geowoodstock will be hosted! :laughing:

3.6k · January 22, 2015

You haven't seen anything - check the area around Geocaching HQ in Seattle!

Whoa! "" is right!

I expect this is primarily from cachers visiting GSHQ and deploying some while in the area, but it has the look of one game attacking another. "Oh yeah? Well we're going to place our game pieces all around YOUR headquarters. OUR GAME IS THE AWESEOMEST!!1!11!!!"

More like lots of people play both games, and they deploy thousands at Mega events. Look if you will, at Boonsboro, Maryland. Not much, right? Pan to the left about a mile. And Geowoodstock isn't even happening for 4 months yet.

I am guilty of having one of mine there!

Electronic Geocaching Type

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