EC owners: Would you accept this photo?

Posted: Sat Aug 08, 2009 9:36 am

As you most likely know already, I have the Garmin Oregon 550 GPS. It has a built in camera which (optionally) stamps coords on the images. I used it for several EarthCaches in SD last week and so far the owners have not deleted my finds.

As you know many ECs ask for a photo of the GPS. As the GPS is the camera I cannot include it in the picture. So if your req was that the GPS be in the pic would you allow the following image instead?
http://img.geocaching.com/cache/log/e249054b-7e7c-4dfd-86dd-12771884b58c.jpg

Would you allow this image if your req was that the person and GPS be in the pic (getting yourself in the pic with the GPS camera is surprisingly hard):
http://img.geocaching.com/cache/log/247f6343-2aed-49f4-b464-7077744ac6c1.jpg

Both images are screen shots of waypoint pictures taken by the camera. To get these shots there is a few extra steps involved..otherwise the normal captures are just the pictures without the text data.

Posted: Sat Aug 08, 2009 11:05 am

Lb7
I think it is going to take education of EarthCache owners .. I had not seen what the photos taken until your post here. I would accept it.

Posted: Sat Aug 08, 2009 11:47 am

AuntieNae wrote:

Lb7
I think it is going to take education of EarthCache owners ..

That is half the reason I posted the question...to show, inform and get EC owners to think about the new technology and how it will affect us as EC owners.

Posted: Sat Aug 08, 2009 7:14 pm

I would accept it, but then I accept just about anything on mine, as I dont feel like being the EC police.

z

WGA Member Joined: 2004-05-19 Posts: 730

I don't own any Earthcaches, but I would be very hesitant. With all the programs and software and tech savvy people out there, pictures can easily be manipulated. And if one person gets around the "rules" using this new tech, other people will want and expect the same (Even if they don't have a GPS camera).

From the Eathcaches I've done, a pix with the cacher and/or the GPSr have been standard. To me that simply means, make sure you have a camera that can do that. As someone who does Earthcaches, I wouldn't even think of uploading a picture that doesn't meet the guidelines.

WGA Member Joined: 2007-11-26 Posts: 3258

I would absolutely accept it (and not just because we have a 550 also). The photo clearly includes the GPS--it's the screen itself.

True, someone could do photo manipulation, but they could do that regardless of what GPS they use. That takes effort, which is something that Lazy Loggers don't put forth in the first place, plus a modicum of intelligence which they also don't seem to have, so I don't see it being much of a risk.

Posted: Sun Aug 09, 2009 9:49 pm

How about just taking along an old GPS receiver to use as a prop when one needs to be shown in a photo? Doesn't even have to be a working one.

Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 3:26 am

sandlanders wrote:

How about just taking along an old GPS receiver to use as a prop when one needs to be shown in a photo? Doesn't even have to be a working one.

I could do that...I have two old units, but dragging extra stuff on trail....not for me.

WGA Member Joined: 2007-11-26 Posts: 3258

sandlanders wrote:

How about just taking along an old GPS receiver to use as a prop when one needs to be shown in a photo? Doesn't even have to be a working one.

Seems like unnecessary baggage especially if it's not working. If you're concerned about it, ask the owner before you go, since you're probably doing research on ECs anyway before you go out.

Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 5:59 am

More food for thought....Geoaware is not at all happy about the photo reqs made by some EC owners (demanding that the cachers face be in the pic for example) and this req may see some refinements in the future...so being leinient on this aspect may be desirable. I have already reworded several of my listings and would encurage others to do the same where possible...it makes it easier on everyone involved.

Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 7:21 am

Gary,

I have read those same comments by geoaware. While I do like to see photos, just because I enjoy seeing them, and I do ask that people include them, unless I have reason to suspect it's an armchair find.....like, it's the only cache done in Wisconsin or anywhere near it and the person lives in Germany.....I'll just email for confirmation and leave it at that. I have to agree that taking the photo isn't really an educational task as required by geoware.

Dick wants to be more strict about the requirement, but I think that's just his "naughty kid teacher" training kicking in there.

Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 9:12 am

LB7 are you willing to share your wording? As in, I would gladly update our EC's so we are the same across the state?

Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 9:15 am

AuntieNae wrote:

LB7 are you willing to share your wording? As in, I would gladly update our EC's so we are the same across the state?

I have worded it differently at differently caches....I will come up with a uniform wording. But....still there are times where stricter reqs are needed...it's a case by case situation. I'll post something here later tonite.

Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 2:13 pm

I would certainly accept it, but then I don't have any caches that use the standard "take a pic of you and your GPS with blah blah blah" ALR as I, perhaps unlike many of you, find it rather boring. I try to make my earthcaches tough enough with uniquely site specific information and ALR's that you can't get them on-line and the only way to log the cache is to make the find.

I do agree with Zuma though. There's plenty of fishy logging going on out there and I try not to get to worked up over suspicious logs or delete them unless it is truly obvious or blatant like logging from a foreign country. At the same time, there have been a couple short-cutters in the neighborhood who had logs deleted, and I think have learned their lesson.

Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 4:19 pm

seldom|seen wrote:

I would certainly accept it, but then I don't have any caches that use the standard "take a pic of you and your GPS with blah blah blah" ALR as I, perhaps unlike many of you, find it rather boring. I try to make my earthcaches tough enough with uniquely site specific information and ALR's that you can't get them on-line and the only way to log the cache is to make the find.

You are not kidding I need to set aside an afternoon to answer one of yours which is on my todo (eventually) list.