Re: geo microformat - possible extension for waypoint lists

The message <572e9hF2b8v12U1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
from dino <di-no//REMOVETHIS//@utvinternet.ie> contains these words:

You apparantly have your mind made up that it's a waste of time.

Your description of it has certainly convinced me of that.

I didn't see the point trying to convince you of something you've
already made your mind up on. Seemed like a waste of my time and yours both

I like a good argument :-) so let us return to where we came in. The
relevant passage is repeated below:

**********************************************************************************
Roger wrote:

I am not into geo caching but I would have thought that navigating to
the approximate area of the cache was a map reading exercise for which
lat/long would be little use.

It's a GPS based game so maps aren't really used and as it's an
international game Lat/Long using the WGS84 was chosen as the standard.

************************************************************************************

In the light of your latest information below your statement above is
seriously misleading.


I notice you haven't answered any of the questions posed in my last
message. Don't you have a mapping gps?

I use a variety of mapping options including an Etrex Legend with SMC
Contour maps and Garmin mapping. Intend to upgrade this during the
summer as there are much better Garmin maps available for Ireland but
aren't compatible with my GPSr

You would be hard pushed to navigate off road with that setup without
real mapping.

I also use Memory Map on a PDA with a Bluetooth GPSr which uses the
1:50000 OSI maps which are the most detailed for Ireland.

All this in addition to paper maps as a back-up when I'm in the hills.

So even for you "maps aren't really used" is shorthand for "I prefer
digital mapping". I would have thought that the majority of geo cacher
would not run to a mapping gps, let alone digital mapping on a PDA so if
"maps aren't really used" in geo caching were actually true they would
indeed be bumbling around effectively blindfolded just as I thought.

However, geocaching isn't always about hills and if you discount urban
environments completely then you are missing out considerably. I have
seen wonderful places in Ireland and abroad that I probably never would
have been to if not for geocaching.

I don't like urban environments and don't think I lose out by going
elsewhere. There isn't enough to time to do all one would like anyway
and most of us don't have the money to rush round the world like your
example below however much we might have liked to go further afield.

If you really want to be convinced then read this post written by one of
Ireland's most prolific cachers and incidentally a very keen walker:

http://www.mccartan.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=13333#13333

Starts with a round of golf (a good walk ruined :-)) and ends with:

"Yes, a shockin? waste of time, this caching business!"

Couldn't agree more. I get to places I want to be using summits as an
excuse, not weird collections in what used to be known as letterboxes
before the advent of GPSs. And yes, letterboxing I could understand even
though I have never been attracted to it.

--
Roger Chapman
Nearest Marilyn still to be visited - Great Orme.
89 miles as the crow flies,
considerably more as the walker drives.
.

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  • Re: geo microformat - possible extension for waypoint lists
    ... I didn't see the point trying to convince you of something you've already made your mind up on. ... I use a variety of mapping options including an Etrex Legend with SMC Contour maps and Garmin mapping. ... Intend to upgrade this during the summer as there are much better Garmin maps available for Ireland but aren't compatible with my GPSr ...
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