Groundspeak Portal

ok, a category has variable for you to fill out. that means you dont have to include it in the description. you fill out the variable. right?

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Instructions for Posting a Non-Specific Veteran Memorials Waymark:
Each submission must have an overall photo of the monument in question. This photo should be an "art shot" with no GPSr in the photo. Please also include photos of any engravings or words on the monument if they're not readable in the overall photo.

UPDATE: If there is text on the marker, it MUST be written out in the text field added for it. This is a REQUIRED field.
A description of the area is now also required, including any historical links between the monument / memorial and the local area.

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Uh-oh!  Your waymark, 'X' has been denied by the
category owner.  The following reason/comments for the denial was given: 

The approver has written the following message to you:

Please include some description of the memorial itself in the Long Description. 
Repeating the text from the "Monument Text" field is unacceptable.
Thank you.

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so then, if i fill out the description of memorial variable, why do i get denied and told include it in the long description? seems like this category has all the info they need in variables, and IF i wanted to i could add a fluffy description. why then am i forced to include this variable in the description? i followed their directions to post a mark and they still arent happy....

A description of the area is now also required, including any historical links between the monument / memorial and the local area.

Seems pretty clear to me

i think you missed the point that they are requiring you to repeat the variable in the long description....why is it a variable if you have to put it in the description? seems like a waste of space.....

i spoke with anther marker who said that they put everything in the LD and all the variables say 'see description'.....whats the point of that? if theres a variable for it, put it there and not anywhere else.

I don't understand the confusion. The description is pretty clear. Since there's a population of waymark posters who thrive on copypasta, having duplicate information in both the essay form (long description field) and direct answer form (variable field) should be no problem. It's just another Ctrl-V.

In my opinion, veteran memorials are a wonderful opportunity to really include some history and incorporate the marker text in a way that's impossible to do with the mere variable. Not everyone is going to be interested in actually providing information and drawing interest to a veterans memorial, though. It's a shame because these memorials are for some truly outstanding people and often there's a lot of symbolism involved in the location, the imagery of the monument, and the text that's chosen. But sometimes it's just cool to see the post number go up by one on the little graphic. We all play for different reasons.

is it just me, or if someone was all bout the number and nothing else...wouldnt their payphone count be through the roof? yes, they are disappearing from the landscape, but there are still many to be posted....you coule easily find several hundred around a medium sized city.....

I honestly don't think there is ONE person posting waymarks that is primarily motivated by a count.

I'd love to see that day when there was a waymark for every veterans monument that was made. Some are neglected in the backs of cemeteries, the flagpoles no longer maintained. I have a handful that I can't find any information on, and I probibly will never make a waymark for them just because I don't want to be accused of only posting the waymark for a number. Maybe I will waymark them. It's just hard to motivate myself to spend the time when I know it won't be appreciated, but the butt of an accusation.

chapterhouseinc:

is it just me, or if someone was all bout the number and nothing else...wouldnt their payphone count be through the roof? yes, they are disappearing from the landscape, but there are still many to be posted....you coule easily find several hundred around a medium sized city.....

Well, no, because they'd have to find payphones that can receive calls... and that's hard. Fast food is where it's at... but I think that's another can o' worms. ;)

Redneck Parrotheads:

...Fast food is where it's at... but I think that's another can o' worms. ;)

My thoughts exactly. Most fast-food franchises serve food that tastes like earthworms. The new "Dirt-burger" at McDonalds is a perfect example.

JJG10101:

Redneck Parrotheads:

...Fast food is where it's at... but I think that's another can o' worms. ;)

My thoughts exactly. Most fast-food franchises serve food that tastes like earthworms. The new "Dirt-burger" at McDonalds is a perfect example.

Gross! Hahahaha!

I have mixed feelings about variables -vs- long description.

The main problem is that previously if you went back and worked on your posting after the initial entry, you would loose the long description instructions. This seems to have been fixed.

The solution to that was to make variable boxes so that people wouldn't miss requirements. It just draws attention to the requirement, so it doesn't get missed. Nobody like denying a waymark.

The one requirement that is across the board on most of the war memorials cats is "Describe the local area of the monument" or somthing similar to that. I find that most posters miss that one. I would like that to be a text box to draw specific attention to it.

But why is the same information required in multiple places. Fill this form out in triplicate whe black ink, blue ink on the middle copy.

/threadjack

globetrotters.us:

I have a handful that I can't find any information on, and I probibly will never make a waymark for them just because I don't want to be accused of only posting the waymark for a number. Maybe I will waymark them. It's just hard to motivate myself to spend the time when I know it won't be appreciated, but the butt of an accusation.

Post them. I'm a numbers guy and don't post great discriptions. I feel they need to be waymarked however so people can better find them. I feel a bad waymark is better than no waymark. I mean, how many Veteran Memorials are in Rowan County, N.C.? If they were all waymarked you would know. You may not know everything about them, but you'd have a good starting point.

If you don't like my description, visit it and post a great visit log or send me information (or a link) on it and ask me to add it to the description. Sometimes I just can't find good info and I won't make up stuff just for filling. And if you really don't like a waymark I posted, visit it and tell me you would like to post a "new and improved" one. I'll archive mine and visit your's when it's up. 

This doesn't just go for Veteran Memorials (which I feel strongly about getting posted). I've been chastized in many categories. :p

/threadjackoff

Fatcat

globetrotters.us:

I have mixed feelings about variables -vs- long description.

Yes, so do I.

I think Chapterhouse is right about the redundancy thing, though.

In an expanded description there isn't a good picture of what is going to be asked for in the variables, and there is usually no indication as to which variables are required fields, unless a note is added manually.

Sometimes, I've spent the time to write a good long description and then find variables that ask for the same information.  (So, I've sometimes entered "see the long description, instead of another copy and paste).  Now, I've been guilty of this in some of my early categories that have redundant variables, so I understand the problem.  Early on, though, there was talk of being able to search on variable fields, but several years later, that feature still has to be implemented. If searching on variables were possible, then it makes a bit more sense to have more variables, I suppose.

My current philosophy is that variable fields should be limited in number, and few required.   While I'd agree that variables are convenient ways of entering certain types of information, I feel that the long description should be the place for most things.  And, it's okay to outline in the posting requiremts  the types of information expected.   And, I think I differ with some people on what should be in the quick description and the long description.  Often, a well-written quick description is sufficient.  One can put a lot in there.

There are lots of categories for historical markers, monuments, and memorials of various sorts.  I agree that in most cases its okay to require the text, but the long description seems to me to be a more logical place that a separate variable field.  I will often paste in an image of the marker, whatever it is, and then enter the text below it, esp. if it is not real legible in the photo.  One could argue, I suppose, that a clear image of the marker text should suffice, but having it entered as text makes it searchable, among other things, and available to those that may need to use text readers.

Beside the redundancy issue (I've sometimes entered the same information three of even four times) my other peeve is required variables that either don't apply in all cases or for which there is not always readily available information.  Hours of operation comes to mind.

Well, this is a hot issue that will probably always be with us - differing expectations between the category manager(s) and the waymarker.  We all have different ideas of what makes a good waymark and what should be required.  But, I'll say this, that categories that make people jump through too many hoops will ultimately suffer as people will tend to avoid them.  Somewhere there has to be a reasonable balance.

silverquill:

Beside the redundancy issue (I've sometimes entered the same information three of even four times) my other peeve is required variables that either don't apply in all cases or for which there is not always readily available information.  Hours of operation comes to mind.

One that bugs me is "admission fee". Generally it allows one entry. what if the fee is different for children or seniors or people with red hair?

Fatcat

fatcat161:

silverquill:

Beside the redundancy issue (I've sometimes entered the same information three of even four times) my other peeve is required variables that either don't apply in all cases or for which there is not always readily available information.  Hours of operation comes to mind.

One that bugs me is "admission fee". Generally it allows one entry. what if the fee is different for children or seniors or people with red hair?

Fatcat

Please let me know which places have special admission for redheads!

Redneck Parrotheads:

fatcat161:

silverquill:

Beside the redundancy issue (I've sometimes entered the same information three of even four times) my other peeve is required variables that either don't apply in all cases or for which there is not always readily available information.  Hours of operation comes to mind.

One that bugs me is "admission fee". Generally it allows one entry. what if the fee is different for children or seniors or people with red hair?

Fatcat

Please let me know which places have special admission for redheads!

My house... {insert evil/naughty graphic here}

BQ

the blue quasar:

Redneck Parrotheads:

fatcat161:

silverquill:

Beside the redundancy issue (I've sometimes entered the same information three of even four times) my other peeve is required variables that either don't apply in all cases or for which there is not always readily available information.  Hours of operation comes to mind.

One that bugs me is "admission fee". Generally it allows one entry. what if the fee is different for children or seniors or people with red hair?

Fatcat

Please let me know which places have special admission for redheads!

My house... {insert evil/naughty graphic here} BQ

Oh, I'm sure you're equally generous to the blondes and brunettes... or any hair colour.

(I lost track of what part of the thread I'm answering)

Anyway, I actually  to have web reference links in several spots, one right before the copy-pasta, and one at the end where it is in a variable.

When somwething interesting catches my eye, I want to click through right then, and not look for where the reference link is.