Groundspeak Portal

There's a category in Peer Review now called Scrapbook Stores.

Like painted mailboxes, it's another great idea but just isn't executed very well.

This was the comment that I left with my Abstain vote:

You have to add more information on what you're willing to accept. You'll get every Michael's Arts & Crafts if you don't. If you want Independent Scrap Book Stores, then you need to specify this. You don't have to change the title, but you can specify it in your description. I strongly recommend excluding "big box" stores that sell all kinds of other things in addition to scrap booking items. Please also remember that this is Waymarking so you'll need requirements about how to collect the coordinates in addition to photograph requirements. The Name of the store should be in the waymark title, so it doesn't need to be a variable. Think about "hours of operation", "address", "scrapbooking classes offered", "website" type of variables. If you get any rude comments about this being a commercial category, don't let it get to you. You can tweek it to make it great, which is why I'm abstaining. If you want to talk to me more about it, message me. - Redneck Parrotheads

Fortunately, this group seems to already have an experienced waymarker on the team. How did it get past group vote as is?

Technically the way the category is written would include places such as Target since they sell small selections of these supplies.  I voted nay with the comment that I would vote yes if better defined for the type of store and re-submitted.

miatabug:

Technically the way the category is written would include places such as Target since they sell small selections of these supplies.  I voted nay with the comment that I would vote yes if better defined for the type of store and re-submitted.

While I do agree with you, I hadn't considered that when I reviewed it. To me Target is not a Scrapbooking Store but is a store that carries some scrapbooking items.

It could be that the officers are fully aware of what they are looking for and had not considered how those less invested might think in more generalized terms. Whether tightened up before or after passing Peer Review, it would be good to be more specific.

BQ

My guess is that the category was created so that scrapbookers could find their supplies when they were travelling.

By limiting big name stores or small scrapbooking areas in big non-scrapbooking stores, are you telling scrapbookers they shouldn't shop at Target when they travel? My thought toward 'inventory' type categories is that their purpose is to attain a full inventory of all items in that category. By limiting to independant or the best, you are defeating the purpose of an inventory.

I said nay and put in pretty much the same as above. I am sure they intend better than to have Targets, wal-marts and Michaels (although I think Michael's is actually a tweener here), but they did not word it as such so I voted it down. I do hope they correct it because I have been traveling and found really cool scrapbooking stores that I think would be great for this category.

To be fair, the quilting store doesnt mention anything about big  national chains, and I doubt they'd accept a Michael's. I think the group assumed knew they wouldnt accept Michael's etc.

To be fair, something that's a huge sticking point in category writing is limiting the subjective and vague criteria in favour of clearly outlined and decided criteria. The objective is for waymarkers to understand from the beginning what is and is not to be waymarked for the category. And I've certainly had my growing pains when it comes to making it absolutely, unmistakeably clear what gets waymarked.

I don't think we can deny giving prudent recommendations for improvement on a category for new waymarkers based on vague stuff with assumptions being passed previously. A phrase that's often used in controversial category discussions is "There's a precedent, but it's a bad precedent." and I'd like to involk that statement here because I think it's relevant. An admirable feature of Waymarking is its growth as a game and how the players continually polish and step-up how its played.

There's no need to go backwards to "Eh... they'll know we don't want JoAnn Fabrics."

saopaulo1:

To be fair, the quilting store doesnt mention anything about big  national chains, and I doubt they'd accept a Michael's. I think the group assumed knew they wouldnt accept Michael's etc.

Michaels also doesn't sell quilting supplies.

yramc600:

saopaulo1:

To be fair, the quilting store doesnt mention anything about big  national chains, and I doubt they'd accept a Michael's. I think the group assumed knew they wouldnt accept Michael's etc.

Michaels also doesn't sell quilting supplies.

My Michael's does...

shadowraven:

yramc600:

saopaulo1:

To be fair, the quilting store doesnt mention anything about big  national chains, and I doubt they'd accept a Michael's. I think the group assumed knew they wouldnt accept Michael's etc.

Michaels also doesn't sell quilting supplies.

My Michael's does...

That makes for a good reason to include stores like Michael's in the categories. To know that they sold quilting supplies or scrapbooking supplies, and how extrensive their offerings were, would be important if I was looking for a place to go to stock up. Even more so, if there were store to store differences.

I think we can have commercial categories without sounding like AskDex.

Things that improve society, the environment and preserve history are things that we can all agree are Interesting, even if we aren't personally thrilled by whatever it is.

Independent stores have a quality that Big National stores do not have. Independent stores are run by individuals who put in their own time and money and soul into the business. They're there because they believe in it. They have no yacht or private plane. They can't ask the government for billion-dollar bail outs if they get into the red. This is a point of interest.

The category shouldn't answer the question, "Where can I find scrapbooking supplies?" It should answer, "What are the unique and interesting scrapbooking supply stores?" Someone in my area hid a cache next to the independent scrapbooking store. I wouldn't have known it was there otherwise. We have a big ol' Michaels that has that an aisle of stuff and a JoAnn Fabrics that's got an aisle of stuff.

I would be most curious to hear stories of people that aren't a part of waymarking that actually used waymarks. I would wager that 9 out of 10 people that 'use' waymarks, don't even have a groundspeak logon.

The hits on the commercal pages tell me that they they are hit more than the artistic or historic pages. I am guessing that they come up on Google searches, and people use them for reference. If the inventory categories are being used as reference, they should strive to be complete.

As far as favoring an independant store -vs- a big box store. Thats a much deeper subject than waymarking. I don't think it is the place of waymarking as a whole to show favor either way. On one side, there are families being supported by the family business, but on the other side there are people that depend on the big businesses doing well to fund their retirement IRAs and 401k's. Happily, we live in a country where both things can happen at the same time, and each individual has the right to choose where they shop.

This is true, however, please keep in mind that Waymarking does not have a responsibility to maintain a complete and unbiased index of locations in its categories. The capacity of Waymarking's inclusion reaches only to the voting results of Peer Review.

I know several who visit Waymarking online to check up on my waymarks. They don't have Groundspeak accounts. I know a few who have created Groundspeak accounts (one of which did so just to log visits). And I'm a baby when it comes to my number of Waymarks posted. With more waymarks comes more exposure and involvement from people who are not GS-players. My waymarks do appear in the Google search list, though, and not only am I aware of it, I bank on it.

I've included a non-archiving requirement to a few of my categories for the courtesy of researchers and other curious parties, in case something unforeseeable happens to the waymark subject. Waymarking.com does not require this, nor does it discourage this. This was my choice.

I did not allow national chains in the Pet Stores category because it provided a full index for the shopping convenience of web-searchers. I allowed them because many of them provide community outreach and charity cooperation. If this wasn't the case, I would have agreed with the umpteen millions who told me to keep it to Independents. I still politely encourage posters to seek out the independent pet stores in their area when I accept those national chain waymarks.

I noticed the category was on the grid (row 43 I think) Was it a mistake?

How odd is that? No waymarks in the cat and none of the officers have logged on in nearly a year

We have had a couple of categories which have mysteriously appeared by mistake.  Usually they disappear once Groundspeak looks into them.

yea, for the past few days i been trying to figure out what happened to the grid--i had all my columns at 30, and one went back down to 29. i think there were 2-3 that fit this description.

though, this would be a good category if it would be edited/updated/corrected.....might even get the girlfriend to waymark....

globetrotters.us:

That makes for a good reason to include stores like Michael's in the categories. To know that they sold quilting supplies or scrapbooking supplies, and how extrensive their offerings were, would be important if I was looking for a place to go to stock up. Even more so, if there were store to store differences.

globetrotters.us:

I would be most curious to hear stories of people that aren't a part of waymarking that actually used waymarks. I would wager that 9 out of 10 people that 'use' waymarks, don't even have a groundspeak logon.

The hits on the commercal pages tell me that they they are hit more than the artistic or historic pages. I am guessing that they come up on Google searches, and people use them for reference. If the inventory categories are being used as reference, they should strive to be complete.

I know people get different things out of their waymarking experience but when did the site become a business directory?

For people outside the waymarking community who want to find stores in their area, I'd suggest using the yellowpages!

fathrtime:

I know people get different things out of their waymarking experience but when did the site become a business directory?

For people outside the waymarking community who want to find stores in their area, I'd suggest using the yellowpages!

Well, it is what it is.

I can't say that I like every aspect of the tapesestry it [waymarking.com] has grown into, but I try to look for the best in any situation.

I don't think there is anyone here who actually likes every category. I can say for the categories themselves, there are none I dis-like, though some I dis-like the way they are managed.

fathrtime:

I know people get different things out of their waymarking experience but when did the site become a business directory?

Probably since day one.  Right or wrong the first category with a waymark was a McDonalds.

fathrtime:

globetrotters.us:

That makes for a good reason to include stores like Michael's in the categories. To know that they sold quilting supplies or scrapbooking supplies, and how extrensive their offerings were, would be important if I was looking for a place to go to stock up. Even more so, if there were store to store differences.

globetrotters.us:

I would be most curious to hear stories of people that aren't a part of waymarking that actually used waymarks. I would wager that 9 out of 10 people that 'use' waymarks, don't even have a groundspeak logon.

The hits on the commercal pages tell me that they they are hit more than the artistic or historic pages. I am guessing that they come up on Google searches, and people use them for reference. If the inventory categories are being used as reference, they should strive to be complete.

I know people get different things out of their waymarking experience but when did the site become a business directory?

For people outside the waymarking community who want to find stores in their area, I'd suggest using the yellowpages!

The nice thing is that in Waymarking if you are not interested in the Business/Commerce area you can simply "ignore" everything in that department with a click of the mouse.

BQ

Don't get me wrong.. I don't mind at all having commercial waymarks listed. I can absolutely imagine deciding to visit every McDonalds in my state (way too much work...) with my GPS and log them for a challenge... Thats waymarking!

My response was more to do with the comments posted regarding people in the general population (outside the waymarking community) using the site to find their local "walgreens" (or scrapbooking store in this case) when away on holidays! Thats a job for the mighty YP!

 

 

 

noone noticed my post in the release notes, so i will post here?

this category is in the bingo grid. it appears in searches,

however,
none of the officers have logged in since 4/2009--thats 10 months ago.

i dont want to write up a mark if the category is just going to be shut down....

my other post is here....

http://portal.groundspeak.com/forums/permalink/28545/28594/ShowThread.aspx#28594

Is anyone going to do anything with this category? It appeared from out of nowhere.

There are no waymarks in the category.

The officers haven't even logged in in a long long time.

It is one a  few categories I have sent Groundspeak for action.  (probably category archiving)