aussie bugs - request for comments [closed]

ideology · Post by **ideology** » 07 October 04 10:57 am

when we ran the geoshop, travel bugs were very popular but sadly quite expensive. at one state we were ordering in $300 worth of bugs at a time.

are people still intereted in travel bugs or has the interest waned? if there is still interest, we could create a free aussie-bug service.

it could work like this:

creating an aussie bug:
- think up a name for your aussie bug, eg "buggle"
- create a new aussie bug on geocaching australia. it checks to make sure the name is unique. if not, think of another name!
- take your physical bug and write the name and instructions on it
- put the bug in a cache
- go to your bug page and log the fact that it's in a particular cache

finding and logging the aussie bug would be the same as the secondary site, but on this site instead

pros
- cheaper!
- option for more innovative tags

cons
- confusion with travel bugs. perhaps a different name? walkabout?

your thoughts?

Mix · Post by **Mix** » 07 October 04 11:36 am

Sounds good but it ought to have a different name, maybe:
 
Oz Trackers,
Backpackers,
Tourists,
Travellers,
Geo- Ticks,
Oz Bugs,
 
I would use it, but it needs a different name

Team Piggy · Post by **Team Piggy** » 07 October 04 11:49 am

Not sure about others, but I am way over the whole bug thing.

Seems every cache you go to nowadays has 1 or 5 bugs in it.

Aussie ones seem to be a good idea though.

Guess thats more bandwidth for the tracking to think about, I can see that ultimately becoming the biggest problem. (who's gonna pay ??)

teamkittens · Post by **teamkittens** » 07 October 04 12:22 pm

Team Piggy wrote: Seems every cache you go to nowadays has 1 or 5 bugs in it.

Is it like that over in Adelaide? Because around Melbourne I see one bug in at most every 10th cache or so..

Cached · Post by **Cached** » 07 October 04 12:28 pm

I thoroughly enjoy them. I too don't like the hefty price tag attached, but I don't mind paying a dollar or two for them either.

Paying something for them means that not every swap becomes a traveller - don't make it too easy to release them! If you have to order something, you are not releasing them willy-nilly.

I like the fact that the TB tags are instantly identifiable. There's no doubt - they are bugs.

I'd like to have something similar for ours here - even an imprinted fibreglass disk. The disk itself doesn't have to be individualised - just a consistent marker.

What about "Swaggies" from the Australian traveller of old? Each one would be a "Swaggie"?

Team Red Roo · Post by **Team Red Roo** » 07 October 04 1:02 pm

It all sounds good but what is the plan if the bug is taken overseas?

Webguy · Post by **Webguy** » 07 October 04 1:05 pm

Does it have to be a bug/blowie? Why not an Aussie Geo Coin?

Mix · Post by **Mix** » 07 October 04 4:42 pm

All Cached Up wrote:
What about "Swaggies" from the Australian traveller of old? Each one would be a "Swaggie"?

that gets my vote!

alpha993 · Post by **alpha993** » 07 October 04 6:56 pm

i quite like the idea of "swaggies".

Agree that they should be distinctive shape/composition/marking.

JM2cW - YMMV

Team Piggy · Post by **Team Piggy** » 07 October 04 7:48 pm

Swaggies is a great name !
We could have it shaped like aust and stamped out of a bit of alloy..

Though the old rubber dog turd or plastic spew still crack me up !

Post by **caughtatwork** » 07 October 04 9:39 pm

I think in over 200 caches found, I've seen maybe half a dozen bugs.

I've relocated about 3 of those, so I can't really say whether they are good or bad.

As someone mentioned, make it too easy / cheap and they will proliferate like blow flies. Make them too expensive and they will die like blowies after a good dose of Mortein.

The only reason I haven't bought a bug, is due to the price. If there were Australian only bugs (swaggies), then I'd do a couple, but wouldn't go over the top.

I like the idea, but this keeps moving us away from GC.com.
I'm not sure we're all on the same page about that.

Also, what about people that don't even know gc.com.au exists. There must be cachers who've never been here before.

<tongue in cheek>
Is this a way to drive more traffic and use to gc.com.au?
</tic>

Mr Darcy · Post by **Mr Darcy** » 07 October 04 11:36 pm

There is precedent for non .com "TB"s
Check out http://www.monkeycache.com/
for an example .com reference this one on their links page, so are clearly OK about it.

alex · Post by **alex** » 07 October 04 11:43 pm

I don't mind the price but I've only bought three and released two. If they were free then I think they would be so prolific they would lose any semblance of specialness.

If we were to have our own Aust travellers then could we attach a log to the physical item so one could see where it it had been without logging to any site. That way I can find a traveller, read its story, and send it on its way all in the same day.

Ebenezer · Post by **Ebenezer** » 08 October 04 9:55 am

ideology wrote:cons
- confusion with travel bugs. perhaps a different name? walkabout?

The problem with confusing them with travel bugs from the secondary site is a pretty big problem IMHO. I remember encountering geo-coins that gc.com doesn't track. Where do you log these things? I think they are confusing for the finder, especially as they don't integrate with cache logging on gc.com.

Personally, I don't think the cost of the grounspeak bugs is such a big issue. If I had the choice of an "official" (full priced) bug, and an Aussie one that was a few dollars cheaper, I'd still buy the Groundspeak one.

riblit · Post by **riblit** » 08 October 04 10:08 am

This seems to have headed off the track. i! originally mooted creating ones own bug, giving it a name and letting it loose - nothing about having a set of 'dog tags' attached to it - more like the hitchhikers one sometimes sees 

With a method of tracking random objects Bronze could track his 'Benji challenge vests'

Geocaching Australia

aussie bugs - request for comments [closed]

aussie bugs - request for comments [closed]

Re: aussie bugs - request for comments