Groundspeak Portal

My new category, Spirit of 76 just passed peer review and I am very excited. I even submitted the first waymark which was reviewed in lightning speed by Randy (Condor1). One mistake I made in creating it was not to consult the Waymarking community first to flush out my ideas. So, I will do this backwards and ask now.

Randy is graciously fixing the variables in response to the feedback we received during the review process. I would like to get some more feedback from the rest of the community so the category can be more meaningful if possible.

I did want to address the global aspect. I kind of chuckle at this because, as we know, there are many categories which are regional. Anyway, did you know the United States bicentennial was celebrated in many other countries around the globe? Perhaps I should have mentioned that in the original category submission. I have seen examples in France, England, African countries (I think LIberia?), Portugal, Spain (if I remember correctly), Puerto Rico and Canada most definitely and other countries whose name at this late hour escape me.

Also, someone had a wonderful suggestion to include all countries who celebrated a centennial. Is it too late to do this? Is this something for a new category? I would love to hear from anyone who has some constructive criticism. Thanks.

In the past, some people have chosen to summarize and post the peer review responses. I think seeing both ends (the posting of peeer review, and the results) of the process is helpful to people thinking of putting up a new category.

If we understand the kinds of things that concern category voters, it will help us to address them in advance.

It would also be nice to see a small timeline, to give an idea to category posters what to expect so they don't stress when it's been x number of days after the end of the peer review.

math teacher:

Also, someone had a wonderful suggestion to include all countries who celebrated a centennial. Is it too late to do this? Is this something for a new category? I would love to hear from anyone who has some constructive criticism. Thanks.

While I was in Oklahoma this year, I noticed a lot of Centenial Celebration location. Oklahoma's 100 years was in 2007, and they did a lot to celebrate that event. Also since the State land run was in 1889 and a few afterwards, many towns had Centennial Parks spread throughout their communities. What about a category Anniversary Markers?

I think that is a really good idea. Centennial markers or bicentennial markers or whatever marker is out there celebrating a town, city, state or country's independence anniversary. I have seen many of these markers but until now, there has been nowhere to put them. I would love to be the category leader on this one. Anyone else either interested in joining a category if I create it or perhaps does someone have some ideas or thoughts about the creation of this category.

gt.us:

In the past, some people have chosen to summarize and post the peer review responses. I think seeing both ends (the posting of peeer review, and the results) of the process is helpful to people thinking of putting up a new category.

If we understand the kinds of things that concern category voters, it will help us to address them in advance.

It would also be nice to see a small timeline, to give an idea to category posters what to expect so they don't stress when it's been x number of days after the end of the peer review.

I agree. I actually just deleted a variable which is really dumb. When I created the variable it seemed to make sense at the time. Now I can see it was dopey so it is gone. One of the other officers also fixed the GPSr requirement for visitation. That is now gone. So, we are listening to the Forums and adjusting the category to meet the general consensus accordingly. Waymarkers, I think, are much more diplomatic than we might believe, and these Forums (which I recently discovered) are such a great tool to get feedback from the community to help in that flexibility.

math teacher:

I think that is a really good idea. Centennial markers or bicentennial markers or whatever marker is out there celebrating a town, city, state or country's independence anniversary. I have seen many of these markers but until now, there has been nowhere to put them. I would love to be the category leader on this one. Anyone else either interested in joining a category if I create it or perhaps does someone have some ideas or thoughts about the creation of this category.

I would throw my hat in the ring...

Instead of saying just independence, you would need to say founding.

Would this be limited to just 100 year anniversaries, or what about 50 years, 75 or 150, (sesquicentennial) what would the cut-off be? I am almost in favor of significant 50 year increments...

An example is a park that I saw was founded at the 50 year anniversary, then had a monument errected at 75 years, and another at 90. Would the park qualify as an anniversary park?

What sort of monument would qualify... look at the following waymark for one of 100 of the Oklahoma Centenial Clocks. I now from visitng Oklahoma for several months over last year, Oklahoma really made a big deal about their centennial, and there are markers and monument all over the place. Some were just sprucing up the state, some were to really commemorate the centennial.

I love the idea and think it could be worked into something great!

I played around with the idea, here is a draft of an idea:

Description: Centennial markers or bicentennial markers or whatever marker is out there celebrating a town, city, state or country's independence anniversary. Markers can be found throughout the world and can be marked here.

Waymarkers should be sure to include any history of the area, celebration or information available, especially annual celebrations. Also include pictures of:
• The overall area in an appealing artistic fashion
• Close-ups of specific markers found in the area
• Close-ups of any interesting features of the waymark

Expanded Description: The United States of America was founded on July 4, 1776. The years following has seen annual celebrations of this anniversary. In the Centennial Year of 1976, many celebratory parks, monuments and other points of interest commemorating the anniversary.

Towns, City, States, Territories and Countries all over the world celebrate significant anniversaries such as their Centennial, Bicentennial and other years of significance celebrated by the respective community.

Instructions for Posting an Anniversary Waymark:
At the end of the name of the waymark, you MUST include the City and State.
Example: Centennial Park - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
To post a new waymark please include:
• Coordinates
• Long Description: Write atleast a paragraph including any history of area or annual celebrations of the location. Entice people to visit the waymark. Include the text of any markers on the subject.
• Common address or location (ex. on courthouse, in front of city hall, etc.)
• Artistic picture of area
• Close up picture(s) of any markers with text
• Subject celebrated by the waymark (Town, City, County, State, Territory, Country)
• Date of Founding
• Date of Commemoration

Instructions for Visiting a Waymark in this Category: Artistic Photograph of Location from a different view. If possible include a shot of yourself in the subject.

Category Settings:
• Waymarks can be added to this category
• New waymarks of this category are reviewed by the category group prior to being published
• Category is visible in the directory
Variables:


Just a start...

Not to bad. Very much along the lines of what I was thinking. I started a draft last night. I will work on it this weekend. Anyone else want to weigh in with some ideas?

math teacher:

Not to bad. Very much along the lines of what I was thinking. I started a draft last night. I will work on it this weekend. Anyone else want to weigh in with some ideas?

So is this separate from Spirit  of 76? Or are you going to petition Groundspeak to change the name of the category?

I want a separate category. The Spirit of 76, in of itself, I feel is an excellent scavenger hunt for a very unique and special singular object, that which celebrates the bicentennial. What do you think? Agree? Disagree? I want to get the ball rolling on this one.

If you wanted to lead the one, I could lead the other... then they could end up going about the same time... would allow that true "Spirit of 76" waymarks wouldn't be placed in the Centennial/Anniversary category... What do you think?

Either way, I would like to be involved with both... In the end you started it, I can live with which ever way you want to go.

Spirit of 76 is currently a category that just passed Peer Review. Math Teacher started this discussion as as a result of comments in that peer review I believe.

Your idea of Centennial Memorials as a whole may have merit but may run into problems if other users think that they can fit in other categories.

Your draft is a good start. I need to look it over a bit better before I pass any judgment though. I glanced over it but haven't given it proper consideration yet.

Your next step would be to form a group and solicit a few members. Then work toward creating the category.

gparkes:

... then they could end up going about the same time...

 

"Spirit of 76" is already going

Oops...

So I submitted to the category.

Mostly straight forward but from a users viewpoint the required field for an address should be changed or eliminated.

I think eliminated because I think there are a lot of locations that just don't have an address that will fit this category. My submission is in a state park without an address. (Hmm. I'll add that link wihen it comes back to me).

Anyhow if you decide to change it and keep it a short text box works much better. People can just copy and paste an address in. With the address variable it becomes a line by line pain in the neck.
A text box would also allow for general locations if there were no physical address.

For example.
Address or Location of Marker:

Located in Hilgard Junction State Park next to Interstate 84 at its intersection with Highway 244

If you look at my submission since the address variable is currently required I had to make stuff work and supply a zip code for the next city over.

Anyhow just a thought. Looks to be a good category. Thanks for bringing it here for discussion.

TheBeanTeam:

Spirit of 76 is currently a category that just passed Peer Review. Math Teacher started this discussion as as a result of comments in that peer review I believe.

Your idea of Centennial Memorials as a whole may have merit but may run into problems if other users think that they can fit in other categories.

Your draft is a good start. I need to look it over a bit better before I pass any judgment though. I glanced over it but haven't given it proper consideration yet.

Your next step would be to form a group and solicit a few members. Then work toward creating the category.

Okay Bean Team, you are elected to be on this committee. What adjustments do we need to make to make this a decent and acceptable category?

Please expand on this comment you made: "if other users think that they can fit in other categories."
Eric

TheBeanTeam:

So I submitted to the category.

Mostly straight forward but from a users viewpoint the required field for an address should be changed or eliminated.

I think eliminated because I think there are a lot of locations that just don't have an address that will fit this category. My submission is in a state park without an address. (Hmm. I'll add that link wihen it comes back to me).

Anyhow if you decide to change it and keep it a short text box works much better. People can just copy and paste an address in. With the address variable it becomes a line by line pain in the neck.
A text box would also allow for general locations if there were no physical address.

For example.
Address or Location of Marker:

Located in Hilgard Junction State Park next to Interstate 84 at its intersection with Highway 244

If you look at my submission since the address variable is currently required I had to make stuff work and supply a zip code for the next city over.

Anyhow just a thought. Looks to be a good category. Thanks for bringing it here for discussion.

Great idea. I am changing it now. Thanks for the constructive response to the category.........Okay, it is changed. Go check it out and see if this is what you were talking about.

math teacher:

Please expand on this comment you made: "if other users think that they can fit in other categories." Eric

Well I just meant that sometimes in peer review a category doesn't fare well if it is thought that items can be placed in current categories that are already up and running. If it isn't clear enough that this is for sites that are different from the Spirit of 76 category sites it will suffer in the peer vote.

math teacher:

Great idea. I am changing it now. Thanks for the constructive response to the category.........Okay, it is changed. Go check it out and see if this is what you were talking about.

You're welcome. Yes the this will be much more user friendly and more usable for those types of locations that do not have an "official address".

I updated my new mark in the category. With the variable change the other submissions prior to mine probably lost their address information as mine did. So if it is a big deal to you it will need to be added back in for each of them.