| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
Scout
Joined: 16 Sep 2003
Posts: 235
|
 Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2004 9:45 am Post subject: Re: Travelertags |
 |
|
| CoyoteRed wrote: | | It also seems as though the site is a pay-for-play. |
Probably, although they don't say so on the Web site that I can tell.
But, so what? gc.com is pay-to-play but it doesn't stop lots of people from plunking down money for that company's brand of hitchhiker. Their sin is not that they charge, but that they monopolize the data. There's nothing in the opencaching model that prevents an opencaching Web site from charging for services. If someone else thinks they can do it better for free, they will be free to synch the data to their own site and try. Sites will compete on features (and cost), not by monopolizing the community's data. I'll hold off passing judgment on travelertags.com in this regard until they publish more information about their business model.
_________________
Scout http://GPSgames.org
 |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
CoyoteRed
Joined: 18 Sep 2003
Posts: 220
|
| Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2004 10:10 am Post subject: |
|
|
Tis true about charging.
I really only mention it because I couldn't play around with it as I don't have a subscription.
CR
_________________
"...been know to miss the finer points." |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
nici-
Joined: 25 Sep 2003
Posts: 199
Location: Hürth near Cologne, Germany
|
| Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2004 9:58 am Post subject: |
|
|
| CoyoteRed wrote: | | Nici, you don't want people to know where the travel bugs are? Only where they've been? |
For me it is enough, when the 'Where it currently is' is in the TB-Log. I wouldn't need the info on the 'host-Cache'-page - though that would be more convenient. That's all I wanted to say.
Again I would like to point you to the 'geolutin'-Service: Its free, it's multilanguage, it works without purchasing tags, it already exists...
http://geolutins.kikankoi.com/index.php
greetings
nici-
_________________
Geocaching.de |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Scout
Joined: 16 Sep 2003
Posts: 235
|
| Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2004 6:40 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| CoyoteRed wrote: | | Tis true about charging. |
It looks like http://www.travelertags.com reserves the right to charge and maybe will charge for large orders, but it also looks like small orders placed now are free. The site is open for business and has attracted its first travelers.
By the way, the site also supports the registration of moving caches, which, when you think of it, are nothing more than hitchhikers that aren't restricted to being placed in other caches. One database supports both hitchhikers and caches. Good design.
And, while we're talking about moving caches, check out my own http://poker.gpsgames.org . This is a GPS game that combines moving caches with a poker game, with the advantage going to the players who excel at being first-to-find. Games have been set up in Texas, California, New York and Portugal. Setting up a game in your local area is as easy as hiding a cache.
_________________
Scout http://GPSgames.org
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
SpongeRob
Joined: 17 Sep 2003
Posts: 9
|
| Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2004 4:05 pm Post subject: Pay For Play |
|
|
Actually I havent decided if it's play for pay. Obviously there are bandwith costs. The idea is that regional orgs may contribute donations to help support. Currently you can get 5 tags free - no strings. I'm planning actually to probably expand that number to 10 or so. Idea there is that normal user 10 should be enough, more than that and I'd appreciate a donation. 
Bandwith aint free but it's cheap. I intend on keeping it as low cost (if not free) as possible. Like everyone else I am a cacher and I *HATE* pay to play.
My hopes is that any "Tag Sales" i have or (as you'll notice on keenpeople) t-shirt sales to pay the small amount the webhost requires.
Thanks! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Northern-Lights
Joined: 01 Jan 2004
Posts: 3
Location: Near Port Huron, Michigan
|
| Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2004 10:56 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I like chasing travel bugs I haven't seen yet....it adds something else to our caching....so, I'd like to see some kind of support given.
_________________
If God is your Co-Pilot, change seats!!
 |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
SpongeRob
Joined: 17 Sep 2003
Posts: 9
|
| Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2004 5:25 pm Post subject: It's still evolving |
|
|
Remember travelertags.com is still evolving. My idea here is that it's a listing service for bugs/tags/etc. Some people really like huting them (like my friend Geofool). The idea of being able to hunt travelers based on coordinates and such appealed to me.
Additionally, the stats will be integrated into keenpeople.com so users can now get traveler stats as well. It's not there yet but remember this. Travelertags.com has been online for only 2 weeks. Theres THAT much functionailty in a site that's been online for 2 weeks. Most of the coding I did in one weekend.
SEND ME YOUR INPUT. I'm really open to ideas and suggestions. Those that have supplied input have seen their requests reality in just a few hours or days. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Scout
Joined: 16 Sep 2003
Posts: 235
|
| Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2004 5:47 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I guess the big question, given that we are discussing this on an opencaching Web forum, is just how open do you intend to make your TravelerTags database?
I think it's great that you are providing this service. If you raise money to pay your costs, or even to make a profit, that's OK. But if you establish monopoly control over the database, that's not so OK, in my opinion. The data is contributed by the community of geocachers and I would like to see the data remain accessible to the community. And to anyone who thinks they can provide value-added services to the community.
_________________
Scout http://GPSgames.org
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
SpongeRob
Joined: 17 Sep 2003
Posts: 9
|
| Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2004 9:41 am Post subject: How Open? |
|
|
Well considering I've made keenpeople.com rather open for others to post/retreive stats from it (9key is currently receiving XML for texas geocachers) I'd like to follow suit with travelertags. Given the potential bandwith costs though I'm not sure I can offer it as "free" as I have keenpeople.com but that all depends on users/donations etc. Right now it's all free. The coming months will tell me a lot.
Everyone likes the idea of free tags (so do I). The key here is that in order to keep this free "somone" has to pay. My hope is that regional organizations such as AGA, Texas Geocachers, etc. Will create their own "tags" of which travelertags.com can get some of the proceeds. That would then enable us to open up more "Free" tags to everyone.
If that's the the case then I'd like to allow regional orgs (or even global ones) the ability to post/retreive data from the databases for their users. Why have www.travelertags.com listed on your "hitchhiker" when you can place your regional website on there instead. I don't have anyone banging down the door for this yet but when/if they do I'll be glad to work something out.
I think I've made it clear to everyone. I'm here to help the community more than I am to make a buck. If it happens it happens, if it doesnt then we all had fun in the process.  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Renegade Knight
Joined: 15 Sep 2003
Posts: 151
|
| Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2004 11:19 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Nothing in this hobby is free. Somebody is sponsoring everything. Right now hmarq is footing the bill for Opencaching. I'm footing the bill for the terracachers site. A lot of us are footing the bill for GC.com so it can remain free for the vast majority.
Anything that succeeds can't remain free in the long run. Not unless we become rich by some other means. Which if we donate all our free time to these projects won't hapen. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Scout
Joined: 16 Sep 2003
Posts: 235
|
| Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2004 9:45 am Post subject: |
|
|
Web sites can charge money and the community data can be open at the same time. It's not an either-or situation.
The data should be open to all. What each Webmaster does with it will differentiate the Web sites. Some Web sites will be worth paying for. Others won't. The decision will be made on the value-added services that each enterprising Webmaster is able to supply the community, not on having a monopoly on the community's data.
_________________
Scout http://GPSgames.org
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
CoyoteRed
Joined: 18 Sep 2003
Posts: 220
|
| Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2004 10:04 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Scout wrote: | | The data should be open to all. What each Webmaster does with it will differentiate the Web sites. Some Web sites will be worth paying for. Others won't. The decision will be made on the value-added services that each enterprising Webmaster is able to supply the community, not on having a monopoly on the community's data. |
That is exactly what Irish is afraid of.
CR
_________________
"...been know to miss the finer points." |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Arun Mahalingam
Joined: 22 Oct 2003
Posts: 8
|
| Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2004 1:56 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| CoyoteRed wrote: |
That is exactly what Irish is afraid of.
CR |
Sorry but I am out of my depth here. Some inside well-known reference summoning a stereotype train of thoughts? Some mind-track being followed for many hundred of times by opencachers?
Or some sneer about the Irish?
Or have we here a Mentat? A Clairvoyant Mindreader knowing the fears and joys of Persons of Importance? (If there is a Mr. Irish of some importance of course) |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Scout
Joined: 16 Sep 2003
Posts: 235
|
| Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2004 2:43 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Arun Mahalingam wrote: | | Sorry but I am out of my depth here. |
The reference is to Jeremy Irish, CEO of Groundspeak, Inc. Groundspeak maintains an effective monopoly on geocaching data (hides, logs) contributed by the community of geocachers. This monopoly is a barrier to entry for other geocachers who have an interest in providing services to the community.
_________________
Scout http://GPSgames.org
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search 
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile 
Log in to check your private messages 
Log in 
