Groundspeak "listing-service exclusivity on Mega-Events"

Geocaching Australia governance issues
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caughtatwork
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Re: Groundspeak "listing-service exclusivity on Mega-Events"

Post by caughtatwork » 02 May 12 8:06 pm

caughtatwork wrote:This leaves the daily emailer in question. Any cache in the daily emailer provides a link back to the GCA website. I would construe that as a "sponsored link". i.e. GCA is using the GC Mega-Event information to drive traffic to the GCA website.
A sponsored link (in my opinion) is sponsorship and falls foul of the rules which endangers the Mega-Event listing.

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Richary
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Re: Groundspeak "listing-service exclusivity on Mega-Events"

Post by Richary » 02 May 12 11:04 pm

To open another can of worms then, why does the daily emailer link to a GCA listing for GC caches? There is nothing in the GCA listing that isn't available on the GC page, and if you want more than logs you have to click through to the GC site in any case.

If we have the list of new/changed etc caches in the daily email, but for the GC caches it only had a link to the GC cache page and not GCA as well - then it can't be argued GCA is driving traffic here rather than there.

And while I realise there is the argument as to why should GCA support their site - the answer is because the average user like myself finds it useful. And that's what I think GCA is about - providing what the users like.

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caughtatwork
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Re: Groundspeak "listing-service exclusivity on Mega-Events"

Post by caughtatwork » 02 May 12 11:11 pm

Upcoming Events:
=========================================================
To be held on 04-May-12: This is freaking DANGEROUS! by the guy from the loony bin (Williamstown) 20.75km South East
GCA: http://geocaching.com.au/cache/gc2n3pp
Other: http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_de ... wp=gc2n3pp
Google Map: http://geocaching.com.au/cache/gc2n3pp.gmap
Of course there is stuff at the GCA site that is not available at the "home" listing site. Lots of cool stuff at GCA that the "home" site does not have.
So...
It links to GCA because we made the email and there are some cool stats and charts and plots and stuff at the GCA site for the cache.
It links to "other" (be it GC, OX, OC, etc) because that's the home listing site.
It links to the GCA Google Map because it rocks.

You see, we do this as a service to people who want more than the "home" listing site. Now we're being told to naff off. So we're tempted to do just that, but we don't want to disadvantage the Australian caching community. If that sort of link can be viewed as a sponsored link, then the Mega-Events are in danger.

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SamCarter
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Re: Groundspeak "listing-service exclusivity on Mega-Events"

Post by SamCarter » 02 May 12 11:55 pm

Ah, I'd misread the latest caughtatwork proposal (it mentioned the Mega Events while discussing not listing GC caches, and I'd interpreted this as "not listing GC Mega events only" when in fact I now see it meant "not listing GC caches at all" - my confusion).

I would be sad about this, but I see the concern.

All I can do is make some stupidly convoluted remark about a certain institution dexterously amputating its proboscis to inflict revenge upon its countenance.

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