Promoting GCA caches

toholio · Post by **toholio** » 16 February 06 11:27 am

I was going to post this in the Victorian Pimp your GCA caches thread but it doesn't quite belong there. 

I'm trying to get a few more caches into the area around Sale, Victoria and have just placed my second cache and have listed it on gc.com. My first cache is in the same area and is listed on GCA. 

It occurred to me that one way to encourage more people to place and look for GCA caches would be to list every second cache in the area on gc.com and stick a note into the cache container letting people know that there are other caches they might be missing out on. 

So, what do people think? Is this a silly idea?

Post by **caughtatwork** » 16 February 06 12:55 pm

I think it's a great idea. So great that in the past I have used these cards in MY OWN caches to promote other GCA caches in the area.

http://www.caughtatwork.net/geocaching/gcacards/

I don't think polluting someone ELSES cache with these cards is a good idea, but if it's your cache, I say go for it.

Liska · Post by **Liska** » 16 February 06 3:01 pm

OOOhhhh sale! i live in yarram

yay for more caches closeby

zactyl · Post by **zactyl** » 16 February 06 4:40 pm

Anyone wanting to encourage and promote GCA caches deserves a big pat on the back! Go you!

I see your point with alternating caches on GC/GCA, but I think jumping with both feet and commiting yourself to placing all your future caches on GCA and looking at other methods of promotion and education would be a better way to encourage more people to place and look for GCA caches. NOT alternating would double the number of GCA caches in the area, and the GCA caches could be mentioned when logging nearby GC caches. And you'll have Liska finding them!

Papa Bear_Left · Post by **Papa Bear_Left** » 16 February 06 6:42 pm

Of course, this is predicated on the idea that it's a Good Idea to have caches listed on this site as opposed to geocaching.com

Just making sure that the background assumption gets stated.

rhinogeo · Post by **rhinogeo** » 16 February 06 9:05 pm

zactyl wrote: NOT alternating would double the number of GCA caches in the area, and the GCA caches could be mentioned when logging nearby GC caches. And you'll have Liska finding them!

But probably not many others

Bear_Left wrote:Of course, this is predicated on the idea that it's a Good Idea to have caches listed on this site as opposed to geocaching.com

Exactly

I'd list them as GCA caches ONLY if they were of a type not listable on GC.com. YMMV

Post by **caughtatwork** » 16 February 06 9:14 pm

You just have to promote them in the right way.
I released a GCA only cache in Queensland on Monday (business trip).
It was found the next day and it's probably going to be found twice today.
Of course, it is a moving cache of which there aren't all that many, so it's only possible to list it on GCA.

Still, I pimped my cache in the Queensland forums and it seems that the people around the cache are all hanging out for it to hit their suburb. Hopefully as people talk about caching and stuff at events, they mention GCA and that might also increase the response rate to GCA caches.

We need GCA Business Cards that we can hand out at events for the people who don't know about GCA.

I subscribe (mostly) to the Rhinogeo thought process with some exceptions for personal reasons. It's almost like releasing a MO cache on GC. A select few will be able to find and log it. Makes it kind of special.

Of course the more people we can get using the GPX Mail Utility the more the chance it will be found. This utility sends you a GCA GPX file on the day of your choice. So if you use GSAK, it's almost painless to get a GCA GPX file into your other caches on a regular basis.
http://forum.geocaching.com.au/viewtopic.php?t=4429

Geo Busters · Post by **Geo Busters** » 16 February 06 9:17 pm

I think it is a great idea.

The GB team was actually heading out this evening to attempt your GC.com cache (great to have some more near Sale!) and it was only because I happened to check the forums first and notice this thread that I was aware of the CGA cache. The location is listed as Munro which is not a location around here that I am familiar with and so assumed that the cache in question was elsewhere. A note with your GC.com cache would have alerted us to the other one's presence regardless.

For the record, two finds including FTF on Sparse Park and our first CGA find.

riblit · Post by **riblit** » 16 February 06 10:16 pm

rhinogeo wrote: I'd list them as GCA caches ONLY if they were of a type not listable on GC.com. YMMV

There needs to be some common sense applied to that line of thought. 
If the cache is of a type no longer accepted on gc.com ie. moveable, locationless, virtual, some events I would agree, however if it is not listable because its 1000km from home and you have no intention of maintaining it or its 30 ft from an existing cache then it should not be listed. 
This site, ( or any listing site) should not become a dumping ground for rubbish.

swampgecko · Post by **swampgecko** » 16 February 06 10:33 pm

rhinogeo wrote:
zactyl wrote: NOT alternating would double the number of GCA caches in the area, and the GCA caches could be mentioned when logging nearby GC caches. And you'll have Liska finding them!
But probably not many others
Bear_Left wrote:Of course, this is predicated on the idea that it's a Good Idea to have caches listed on this site as opposed to geocaching.com
Exactly I'd list them as GCA caches ONLY if they were of a type not listable on GC.com. YMMV

Each to their own and I respect the fact that it is your desicion where you list a cache, but I think the original intent of the GCA cache listing area was to provide an alternative site to list caches, not a just a spot to list those caches that GC disallow or have major issues with. The biggest drawback to listing any cache with GCA is the lack of awareness in the general geocaching public that there are other caches out there, than just the GC listed ones. So how to we overcome this issue, well the "Pimp your gca cache threads" seem to help, thou I rather that other people do the promoting of my caches by doing them and talking about them or recommending them. Business cards.. that will work, but unless you are handing them out as you meet cachers, you will need to beleaving them behind in caches as you do them. Which brings me to the next problem with them, If you are leaving cards(that directly promote a GCA cache and not the GCA site in genral) in caches other than your own gc listed caches, you may run foul of the cache owner. Some of the purists out there do not want anything to do with GCA at all.

I guess what I am trying to say is that if you want to promote your GCA cache via your own GC listed cache, then that is up to you, but if you want to do it via someone else's GC list cache, youmight want to check with that cache owner first. I have my caches on GCA, that is my choice, but that doesn't mean I would want them used to promote GC if the situation was reversed.

I totally agree with Riblit's comments too, we do need to be "smart" about the caches listed on GCA.

and lastly... what is "YMMV" ? Please?

Post by **caughtatwork** » 16 February 06 10:36 pm

Your Mileage May Vary.

swampgecko · Post by **swampgecko** » 16 February 06 10:38 pm

caughtatwork wrote:Your Mileage May Vary.

Thanks..