GSAK possibly being removed from Geo.Com !!!!!!!!!!

Team Piggy · Post by **Team Piggy** » 22 February 05 5:04 pm

Another tasty thread going on over on the primary/secondary site (name it as whichever you like!).

It appears through the posts that a certain someone isnt happy Clyde's GSAK is a subscription item now.
From what I know Clyde decided to quit his full time work and concentrate solely on creating GSAK and evolving it.
Naturally the mans gotta eat, so he charges a modest fee for it.

I was surprised that this has now got up someone's nose and they are looking to remove it from the US site.
Clyde can at least rest easy it is still on the AU site

I think it is the best Cache organising program I have ever used, it seems almost limitless.
I especailly like the fact you can discuss new options or "wish list items" and he will usually implememnt them in the next release

http://forums.groundspeak.com/GC/index. ... opic=91465

Cached · Post by **Cached** » 22 February 05 5:26 pm

[reading other forum before comment]

xf king · Post by **xf king** » 22 February 05 5:34 pm

Although im not a user of GSAK, I fully support clyde and his hard work, and with him now working full time on the project he has a right to be charging for people to use it.

I do hope that GC.com do keep it on their website. As I have tried it a couple of times and it seems like a good program. Only I rather mapsource to sort my caches out. People do have the option to pay, if they dont want to pay, dont use the program... but dont delete it as a good option for programs that manage caches.

Matty..

Cached · Post by **Cached** » 22 February 05 5:44 pm

Basically the nuts and bolts of it is that apparently the

http://www.geocaching.com/waypoints/default.aspx Software page only lists free applications.

Doesn't say that on that page at all - I would have assumed it was a mixture of both, and probably the best ones. I would have been wrong.

Jeremy wants to remove GSAK from the list becuase it's not entirely free. Apparently cachemate already isn't listed for that reason.

There are a lot of people warning Jeremy not to 'bite the hand that feeds' but he doesn't seem to be particularly worried.

Have made some hopefully constructive suggestions myself.

Hopefully commonsense will prevail.

Cached

**this post is not meant to be Jeremy bashing - pls don't take it that way**

Slider & Smurf · Post by **Slider & Smurf** » 22 February 05 5:45 pm

Good grief ... talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face. It would be so much easier to just create a 'commercial' section, and then add both Cachemate and GSAK and whatever other commercial geocaching programs are out there - they're all supporting the site, and driving more premium membership signups. Sheesh!! The 'KISS' principle springs to mind ...

riblit · Post by **riblit** » 22 February 05 6:20 pm

Cached wrote:Basically the nuts and bolts of it is that apparently the

http://www.geocaching.com/waypoints/default.aspx Software page only lists free applications.

Doesn't say that on that page at all - I would have assumed it was a mixture of both, and probably the best ones. I would have been wrong.

Jeremy wants to remove GSAK from the list becuase it's not entirely free. Apparently cachemate already isn't listed for that reason.

There are a lot of people warning Jeremy not to 'bite the hand that feeds' but he doesn't seem to be particularly worried.

Have made some hopefully constructive suggestions myself.

Hopefully commonsense will prevail.

Cached

**this post is not meant to be Jeremy bashing - pls don't take it that way**

Hmmm, have a closer look at the list on that page, one is listed as shareware. Normally not defined as free.

leek · Post by **leek** » 22 February 05 6:27 pm

Buttons lip...

vk7hch · Post by **vk7hch** » 22 February 05 6:39 pm

(Places tongue firmly in cheek)<br>

At least you can post a reply in THAT thread and get it staight on the site, unmoderated!!!!

<br>
(Removes tongue from cheek)

EcoTeam · Post by **EcoTeam** » 22 February 05 6:47 pm

The way I see it, either:
a) Premium membership is a very small part of gc.com's income and hence it doesn't matter a rats.
b) Jeremy is a fool and doesn't understand his business
or c) Jeremy has a bee in his bonet about something, in which case refer to b) anyway.

Geeze, it's a real no-brainer - keep the link. Zero downside, potential massive upside.

EcoDave

ideology · Post by **ideology** » 22 February 05 7:17 pm

what about:

d) he thinks he can get a fee to advertise gsak thus getting premium memberships + advertising revenue

EcoTeam · Post by **EcoTeam** » 22 February 05 8:07 pm

ideology wrote:what about:

d) he thinks he can get a fee to advertise gsak thus getting premium memberships + advertising revenue

Or maybe
e) GC.com are about to announce their own GPX utility program!

EcoDave

P.S. You heard the completely made up and unsubstantiated rumour here first!

Team Piggy · Post by **Team Piggy** » 22 February 05 9:48 pm

ideology wrote:what about:

d) he thinks he can get a fee to advertise gsak thus getting premium memberships + advertising revenue

I hear rumours from abroad, that there can be a link, BUT... every time it is clicked it could cost GSAK $0.25 US !

Thats a scary amount, some fool goes clicking on it every time they access the page, it would send GSAK bust very quick

I guess there could be aslight demise heading this way....

If this happens, I think GSAK has NO choice but to go full paying only, and I know he doesnt want to do that. But when "someones" forcing your hand..

Maybe just maybe though a group of topless Scandinavian backpackers will buy Clyde out and redirect the URL to the "Great Set on Anna Kournikova's" website....

(These are all scenarios kids, including the one with the topless scandinavian backpackers)

Post by **caughtatwork** » 22 February 05 10:03 pm

Maybe one thing we could do to assist in the dissemination of free links to GSAK would be to have a link on your personal Geocaching page if you use GSAK.

No cost to ClydeE.
GSAK continues to be developed as more people sign up.

I already have two text links from my Equipment page to gsak.net so I hope this helps.

swampgecko · Post by **swampgecko** » 22 February 05 10:05 pm

caughtatwork wrote:Maybe one thing we could do to assist in the dissemination of free links to GSAK would be to have a link on your personal Geocaching page if you use GSAK.

No cost to ClydeE.
GSAK continues to be developed as more people sign up.

Just a thought which I'm going to follow through on my own site.

A good idea C@W, I have already have the link on the front page of my site, but the more people who do it only helps us all, and more importantly it helps Clyde.

EcoTeam · Post by **EcoTeam** » 22 February 05 10:08 pm

Team Piggy wrote:
ideology wrote:what about:

d) he thinks he can get a fee to advertise gsak thus getting premium memberships + advertising revenue
I hear rumours from abroad, that there can be a link, BUT... every time it is clicked it could cost GSAK $0.25 US !

Thats a scary amount, some fool goes clicking on it every time they access the page, it would send GSAK bust very quick

I guess there could be aslight demise heading this way....

If this happens, I think GSAK has NO choice but to go full paying only, and I know he doesnt want to do that. But when "someones" forcing your hand..

There are plenty of options. There are a million and one ways to drive traffic to your site that don't cost a cent. No need to involve GC.com, although that would help greatly of course. If Jeremy has any bains he'd plug GSAK for free for all it's worth, even make GSAK the "officially endorsed" GPX tool, so they both get increased revenue.

I was surprised that Clyde would quit to work on this full time, sounds crazy to me, but good luck to him.
Personally I don't use 1/10th the features of GSAK - Import GPX, Export to HTML and Ozi, download to GPS, that's it. I'd still be happy using V1.x. The rate at which Clyde is adding features is mind numbing, does anyone actually need them all?, or will he be forever chasing his tail adding this and that trivial feature for every Tom, Dick and Harry?
There is a lot to be said for keeping it simple and a hobby. Obviously the donation/nag thing worked and the money has come pouring in for him to consider going full-time. But this is a one-off revenue, unless he changes his payment model...

EcoDave