I've just realised who invented geocaching

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noikmeister
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I've just realised who invented geocaching

Post by noikmeister » 18 November 09 7:26 pm

You might think it was Dave Ulmer in May, 2000. But I reckon it was Andy Dufresne in 1967 (or maybe Stephen King in 1982).
Andy Dufresne wrote:There's a big hayfield up near Buxton...One in particular. It's got a long rock wall, a big oak tree at the north end. It's like something out of a Robert Frost poem. It's where I asked my wife to marry me. We went there for a picnic and made love under that oak and I asked and she said yes. Promise me, Red. If you ever get out, find that spot. In the base of that wall, you'll find a rock that has no earthly business in a Maine hayfield. A piece of black, volcanic glass. There's something buried under it I want you to have.
There was:
a container (I'd rate it a small)
a stash note
Andy Dufresne wrote: Dear Red, If you're reading this, you've gotten out. And if you've come this far, maybe you're willing to come a little further. You remember the name of the town, don't you? I could use a good man to help me get my project on wheels. I'll keep an eye out for you and the chessboard ready. Remember, Red. Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things and no good thing ever dies. I will be hoping that this letter finds you, and finds you well. Your friend, Andy.
a geographic description of the location
and even a prize for the FTF (the cash)
and it was even buried under rocks!!


:lol:
Last edited by noikmeister on 18 November 09 8:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Cheesy pigs
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Re: I've just realised who invented geocaching

Post by Cheesy pigs » 18 November 09 8:07 pm

I totally agree. I hadn't thought of that before. And red found it with an analogue compass, not even a gpsr

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blossom*
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Re: I've just realised who invented geocaching

Post by blossom* » 18 November 09 8:15 pm

I've wondered ever since I started why it's a GPSr to some people and a GPS to others. Does the "r" stand for something? Or is it just the way different people spell it?

And if you spell it GPSr, do you actually say it that way too? Or is it just written that way :?:

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caughtatwork
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Re: I've just realised who invented geocaching

Post by caughtatwork » 18 November 09 8:26 pm

GPS = Global Positioning Satellite
GPSr = Global Positioning Satellite receiver
i.e. In your hand you do not have a GPS you have a GPSr.
Only really for the anally retentive.

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noikmeister
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Re: I've just realised who invented geocaching

Post by noikmeister » 18 November 09 8:38 pm

caughtatwork wrote:GPS = Global Positioning Satellite
Speaking of being anally retentive its actually Global Positioning System. :D

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Everlasting
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Re: I've just realised who invented geocaching

Post by Everlasting » 18 November 09 8:41 pm

Wow very interesting - thanks for found out about it....

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blossom*
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Re: I've just realised who invented geocaching

Post by blossom* » 18 November 09 8:52 pm

mmm

I reckon GPS = Global Positioning System but if you put the r on then GPSr = Global Positioning Satellite receiver. Because you would receive a satellite signal.

Makes sense to me anyway :D

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nomad_penguin
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Re: I've just realised who invented geocaching

Post by nomad_penguin » 18 November 09 9:10 pm

caughtatwork wrote: i.e. In your hand you do not have a GPS you have a GPSr.
Only really for the anally retentive.
Yep, that would be me :oops:

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Yurt
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Re: I've just realised who invented geocaching

Post by Yurt » 19 November 09 9:06 am

I had a strange thought in the middle of the night (yes I don't know why either) that perhaps it started even earlier.
There were some guys who placed the cache and clearly indicated the location. It was subsquently found by the seekers. A couple of the rules were disobeyed. The cache owner put food items in the cache and the cache finders failed to log their find properly. This occurred almost 150 years ago. Who was it you ask?




Burke and Wills at the 'Dig' tree.

The fact that they failed to 'log' their find by marking the tree proved fatal.
More info in case this story is not well known to you.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burke_and_Wills_expedition

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Postman Pat
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Re: I've just realised who invented geocaching

Post by Postman Pat » 19 November 09 10:42 am

I Don't suppose Pirates Count as the hid treasure for someone else to find. :mrgreen: \:D/

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calumphing_four
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Re: I've just realised who invented geocaching

Post by calumphing_four » 19 November 09 11:15 am

Yurt wrote:I had a strange thought in the middle of the night (yes I don't know why either) that perhaps it started even earlier.
There were some guys who placed the cache and clearly indicated the location. It was subsquently found by the seekers. A couple of the rules were disobeyed. The cache owner put food items in the cache and the cache finders failed to log their find properly.
Disobeyed a third rule too by vandalising a tree :-k :wink:

(and to follow in similar footsteps, try this cache in Adelaide Link To Cache
Cheers 8)

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calumphing_four
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Re: I've just realised who invented geocaching

Post by calumphing_four » 19 November 09 11:26 am

caughtatwork wrote:GPSr = Global Positioning Satellite receiver
i.e. In your hand you do not have a GPS you have a GPSr.
Only really for the anally retentive.
... and to be even more anally retentive, shouldn't it be
GPSr = Global Positioning Satellites receiver.
Wouldn't be much use if it only picked up the signal from one satellite :)
BTW Since the hand unit has an antenna, a bunch of wires, a power source, a signal processing component, display, user input device and waterproof/shockproof casing doesn't that make it a system again :-k
Perhaps it should be called a GPSrS (or just plain 'ol GPS) :?
Cheers 8)

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noikmeister
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Re: I've just realised who invented geocaching

Post by noikmeister » 19 November 09 11:33 am

calumphing_four wrote:
caughtatwork wrote:GPSr = Global Positioning Satellite receiver
i.e. In your hand you do not have a GPS you have a GPSr.
Only really for the anally retentive.
I actually interpret the particular capitalisation of GPSr to be:
Global Positioning System receiver. Lower case "r" to distinguish the capital GPS as an entity. A single system. Like the capital I for the Internet not just an internet.

Especially if you are in the US using the WAAS to help get a more accurate fix your receiver is receiving from ground stations as well as satellites.

\:D/

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GeoScrubers
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Re: I've just realised who invented geocaching

Post by GeoScrubers » 19 November 09 8:46 pm

Weren't the 3 wise men the first geocachers :mrgreen:

Image

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Alansee
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Re: I've just realised who invented geocaching

Post by Alansee » 20 November 09 9:42 am

Cheesy pigs wrote:I totally agree. I hadn't thought of that before. And red found it with an analogue compass, not even a gpsr
I'm still trying to figure out what an analogue compass is! :shock:

Mine's magnetic. :D

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