Forums - Let's Amp it Up

[lcAdmin]

Right now the structure of this forum is rather limited. I would like to see discussions occur for more than just the website design/content.

I'm hoping one of you will step up and put together a list of forums that we can add.

Currently we have:

• General
  • Announcements
• Website Discussions
  • General
  • Leader Boards
  • Wish List

[Team Opjim]

So what exactly were you hoping for?
Perhaps a forum to discuss the cachers we don't like and request to be excluded?
Seriously, I think that everyone is waiting to see what comes out, at which point you may regret your request for more input.

[Corfman Clan]

So what exactly were you hoping for?
Perhaps a forum to discuss the cachers we don't like and request to be excluded?
Seriously, I think that everyone is waiting to see what comes out, at which point you may regret your request for more input.

Perhaps discussions on, for example:

• Equipment
• Lonely caches
• Adventures
• Technology
• Geocaching
• Access
• Events
• Swag
• Back patting

[skeeper]

LCP and GSAK macros.

[Corfman Clan]

I'm hoping one of you will step up and put together a list of forums that we can add.

Anybody

[billo]

Definitely a forum about using GSAK and Macros.

[Pioneer Poodle]

Corfman and Red -

I would like to see a really good, comprehensive, section on how to use LCP and how LCP works. The purpose is to provide the user with good basic instruction on what LCP is and how LCP works. How are its products produced? How are each of the point totals computed? When are updates done? How can I request an off-schedule update? How can I request a change, or a new feature? And any other topic you can think of regarding the real usage of LCP. The list will grow as time goes by.

This isn't really a FAQ. And it certainly isn't a HELP file. It is more like a library of short but comprehensive user's manuals or tutorials, covering each aspect of LCP. The admin can add modules / tutorials / books in the library at his discretion, and can accept contributions from knowledgable members, but again at his discretion and after his review. The library is closed to general posting, and so it is not strictly a forum. What you, the admin, want to be able to do for example, is post a book about "What constitutes a Lonely Cache?", but avoid the responses that say "On your explanation of Lonely Caches, I wish you would use a blue background instead of pink." And then someone else posts "I think blue sucks - what about paisley?"

You know what I mean. In a true library, the content is equally useful to everyone. If it is diluted with "blue not pink" discussions, the value is diminished, eventually to the point where no one goes there for good basic instruction and knowledge. There are places on the LCP forum for the "blue vs pink" question - but it isn't in the libary.

Corfman, I run a discussion board about a particular brand of camping trailer. The board consists of about two dozen conventional forums, where members ask questions and respond to them. But there is also a separate "forum" which I call the "Technical Library". This forum contains tutorials on each aspect of the camper, and is closed to general posting. It is open to everyone to read - but responses must be posted in one of the conventional forums. If you would like a link and an access to check out what I mean, send me a PM.

Bill

[rocketsciguy]

Corfman and Red -

I would like to see a really good, comprehensive, section on how to use LCP and how LCP works. The purpose is to provide the user with good basic instruction on what LCP is and how LCP works. How are its products produced? How are each of the point totals computed? When are updates done? How can I request an off-schedule update? How can I request a change, or a new feature? And any other topic you can think of regarding the real usage of LCP. The list will grow as time goes by.

This isn't really a FAQ. And it certainly isn't a HELP file. It is more like a library of short but comprehensive user's manuals or tutorials, covering each aspect of LCP. The admin can add modules / tutorials / books in the library at his discretion, and can accept contributions from knowledgable members, but again at his discretion and after his review....

I'd suggest something like this could be present here in the form of a knowledge base wiki, perhaps with restrictions about who and what can be updated. I'd personally rather have CC and RF busy with coding the website than writing documentation. If a conversation needs to take place about the content of a specific wiki page, then it can take place behind the scenes on that page's discussion page rather than as a reply to original post/article. Articles can hyperlink to each other easily. Maybe changes to the article content need to be approved by a moderator or administrator before put out on the current version of the wiki.

Sorry Corfman, but I don't have any good suggestions as to the original topic of the post. I think DGP had a decent structure of forums, but it appear they were rarely used. Some unorganized random thoughts maybe somebody can incorporate into a forum structure. I'd like to see regional-community conversations, sitewide to statewide to countywide as necessary to support a "local" community of backcountry cachers. Topics that can be discussed may include conversations about specific caches or adventures, planning and organizing discussions (I wanna go here, what's the best time of year, and anyone wanna come with?... I'm taking my boat out to GCxxxx.... Who's up for hiking to such and such and repelling down to this cache?... etc.), kudos and recognitions (backpatting), "I Suck At Geocaching" (ISAG) stories, What-Would-You-Do-for-a-FTF stories, und so weiter. Maybe even discussions about puzzles, but that might break the puzzle cachers' unwritten credo that collaboration is okay but sharing is not. Some of this might be redundant because of existing state/regional geocaching associations, but this would obviously be geared towards "lonely caches".

I might be a rare breed nowadays because I like to write and read geocaching stories like they used to be written circa pre-2007. in general most caches were "lonely" due to the obscurity of the sport. More hiking, fewer micros, nice stories. The longer the story the better the cache adventure, and, as Paul Harvey taught us, there's always "the rest of the story," and perhaps that could have a place here. Or maybe I just need to go to events and hear the rest of the story from cachers themselves.

Back on topic, there should probably also be places to discuss GPS technology, gear and equipment (know about a sale?), LCP site features, bugs, requests. Just a few thoughts.

[Corfman Clan]

I would like to see a really good, comprehensive, section on how to use LCP and how LCP works. The purpose is to provide the user with good basic instruction on what LCP is and how LCP works. How are its products produced? How are each of the point totals computed? When are updates done? How can I request an off-schedule update? How can I request a change, or a new feature? And any other topic you can think of regarding the real usage of LCP. The list will grow as time goes by...

I understand this request and the need for some documentation on what LCP is and now it works. However, I'm not sure if the proper place for that is in the forum or on the website proper. I think, most likely, the latter. Ideally, the forums would be an integral part of the website, but that won't be happening any time soon, if ever, since the underlying forum technology is not the same as what we're using for the website (php verses ASP.NET).

What I am hoping for here, is that someone will put together a list of forums that we should add.

[AllWright]

A few other forum topic suggestions:
Bug reports / website tech support
Interfacing with other geocaching software:
- GSAK & GSAK macros
- Google Earth
- Other mapping /cataloging tools, etc.
Mobile apps for geocaching & LCP & related
Region Discussion forums:
- General (by region)
- Future region boundary development
Other geocaching games