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New York Admin spammer?

Posted: Thu Mar 02, 2017 9:23 am
by Bon Echo
Can the admin please take a look at this user
New York Admin
Registered Since: 03/02/2017
http://opencaching.us/viewprofile.php?userid=15935

Besides the fact that the user name is similar / same (?) as a geocaching.com reviewer (I think), and I have no belief whatsoever that it is the same person. New account. They posted two logs last night, a find on one of my caches:
Hi reviewer here
you had an amazing spot for a cache
And a DNF on one of the new airport terminal virtuals:
Your cache seems to be in a airport near the gate which is past security and your not allowed to record or take pictures near a gate some people have an overreactive immagination. Concluding please move your cache out of the airport or at least before security
Thanks.

BTW nice to see 3 of the last 4 real cache logs are from newish players. It's been pretty quiet around here lately, and altogether dead in the forums. I assume you are all hard at work on the new website / cache types? I signed up for accounts on a few other OC nodes - UK, Poland and Romania. Will be interesting to see what new features / improvements will come to OCNA as a result of the website upgrades.

Thanks

Re: New York Admin spammer?

Posted: Thu Mar 02, 2017 10:02 am
by TermiteHunter
Interesting
I can find no restrictions on photography with airports specificly Reagan National with the exception that commercial photography requires a permit.
Photography is permited in public areas including TSA checkpoints. While the gates do have restricted access it is still public.
It is possible that any photography near or in an airport could prompt some questions by those that become overly concerned.

The user name is an exact match for the GCreviewer. Searching the user name took me directly to New York Admin's profile.
I don't much like that this user posted a DNF log with what appears to be an air of authority regarding the cache placement.

Re: New York Admin spammer?

Posted: Thu Mar 02, 2017 10:34 am
by Mr.Yuck
Cute. Troll? Email address suggests a guy with a pretty unique first and last name from the UK, with a few hits on Google. I didn't waste time looking for an ip address on the logs, which is rather time consuming. Logs removed, we'll hold off on bannation.

Re: New York Admin spammer?

Posted: Thu Mar 02, 2017 10:38 am
by Mr.Yuck
This resulted in the Reagan Airport cache owner in thinking it was real, and archiving their cache (I have unarchived). Now there's bannation. :-)

Re: New York Admin spammer?

Posted: Fri Mar 03, 2017 12:51 pm
by NYPaddleCacher
I am the owner of that Reagan National virtual cache. I had created a couple of other similar caches (one at JFK and one at the airport in Cancun) with the intent on creating a virtual caches for traveling geocachers (I travel a pretty fair amount). I also have the coordinates and photos ready for several others (even one at Havana airport in Cuba).

When I first saw that message from New York Admin I was suspicious because it came from "watch@opencaching.us", that a DNF log was used to post a message, and the poor grammar/spelling. I didn't investigate the account but was more curious about whether there was, in fact, an issue with taking photos inside the terminal at airports.

My first search results had a few relevant hits but the first thing I noticed was that there wasn't really anything recent. As it turned out though, American Airlines does have a recent (in the past two years) policy which prohibits taking photos/video of AA employees, equipment or operations without permission. I think United had a policy as well that would allow photos as long as they were of a personal nature.

Anyone that has gone through immigrations/customs ought to know that the use of cell phones cameras isn't allowed in the immigrations/customs area, but outside of that, even the TSA allows some photography at the security checkpoint. Here is what the TSA website has about taking pictures/video:

"TSA does not prohibit photographing, videotaping or filming at security checkpoints, as long as the screening process is not interfered with or sensitive information is not revealed.

Interference with screening includes but is not limited to holding a recording device up to the face of a TSA officer so that the officer is unable to see or move, refusing to assume the proper stance during screening, blocking the movement of others through the checkpoint or refusing to submit a recording device for screening.

Additionally, you may not film or take pictures of equipment monitors that are shielded from public view."

All that said, the reason that I archived the Reagan National cache was that it was at a gate in a terminal that is pretty much exclusively used by American Airlines. Although I was standing not more than 10' from the gate agents and watched someone else later taking a family photo in front of the departure screen without a question, I didn't want to put anyone in an uncomfortable position should they encounter a gate agent with a mall cop complex having a bad day.

BTW, I understand that having a cache inside the security checkpoint means those that are not traveling can't easily get to them but I specifically created them for traveling geocachers, especially those that may only have a short layover while enroute to some other location.

Re: New York Admin spammer?

Posted: Fri Mar 03, 2017 2:06 pm
by TermiteHunter
There is a similar traveler based airport gate cache here in Charlotte. Without looking it up right now, my recollection was that the cacher was asked to locate a permanently placed number near the gates as a password thereby avoiding the need to photograph.

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