Promoting OpenCaching US

About the Opencaching Site
Post Reply
User avatar
DudleyGrunt
Site Admin
Posts:2038
Joined:Wed Aug 18, 2010 1:27 pm
Location:Jessup, MD
Contact:
Promoting OpenCaching US

Post by DudleyGrunt » Mon Sep 13, 2010 2:45 pm

If you are reading this, I'm hoping you are enjoying the site. I hope you'll take the next steps and hide / list some caches here and tell your friends about us.

If you belong to any other caching related forums (other than Groundspeak), one thing you can do is to edit your profile to include your OpenCaching US stats banner.
Image
Simply go to your Account info page and at the bottom of the page, you'll see both BB Code and HTML to copy and insert in your signature. Most forums will take the BB Code.

One nice thing about this is that it will retroactively modify every post you've made on that site to include your OCUS banner. Anyone ready any of your posts, will be likely to see it and just might click on it to see what we're all about.
  • Other than that, just tell your friends about us.
  • Call into your favorite geocaching podcast and leave a message letting them know you're excited about this new caching site and would like to have them discuss it on the show.
  • Join and invite your geocaching Facebook friend to our Facebook page.
  • And, of course, just list some caches in your area. Preferably new caches, but if you want to start by crosslisting a couple of your existing caches, that'd be OK, too.
Dave, OCNA Team Member
For the smiles, not the smilies.
Maryland Geocaching Society

Image Image

User avatar
DudleyGrunt
Site Admin
Posts:2038
Joined:Wed Aug 18, 2010 1:27 pm
Location:Jessup, MD
Contact:

Re: Promoting OpenCaching US

Post by DudleyGrunt » Tue Sep 14, 2010 10:49 am

What else are folks doing to promote the site? I really do think that those of us who are using it need to be spreading the word and getting our area cachers 1) aware of the site and 2) hopefully, on board here. Obviously, the simple awareness needs to come first.
Dave, OCNA Team Member
For the smiles, not the smilies.
Maryland Geocaching Society

Image Image

User avatar
glorkar
Posts:422
Joined:Mon Aug 09, 2010 10:34 am
Location:Oshkosh/Berlin, Wisconsin

Re: Promoting OpenCaching US

Post by glorkar » Tue Sep 14, 2010 11:58 am

I brought up discussion in my local forum, but it was met with a whole bunch of opposition. Mostly along the lines of: if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Most of them are happy with GC.com and don't see the need for another listing site such as OCUS. I think unfortunately it is about numbers at this point, and it's a catch 22 as well. A lot of people won't join because there isn't a whole lot of caches. But at the same time, there isn't a lot of caches because not a lot of people are joining. It's going to be an uphill battle for a while.
Opencaching.us Global Moderator
"In a world gone mad, only a lunatic is truly insane"

Image

User avatar
DudleyGrunt
Site Admin
Posts:2038
Joined:Wed Aug 18, 2010 1:27 pm
Location:Jessup, MD
Contact:

Re: Promoting OpenCaching US

Post by DudleyGrunt » Tue Sep 14, 2010 12:27 pm

Yeah, I guess I don't understand the hostility aspect. Like I said somewhere, recently, GC.com wasn't "born" on May 3, 200 when Dave Ulmer hid the first "stash" and the subsequent caches were not initially listed on GC.com.

Guess these folks just don't get the idea of competition and the free market.

Why do we have more than one television network?
Why Coke AND Pepsi?
Why does any city have more than one newspaper?
Why more than one web browser?
Why Microsoft AND Apple?

And, of course, any new company / service needs to go through a growing phase.
Dave, OCNA Team Member
For the smiles, not the smilies.
Maryland Geocaching Society

Image Image

User avatar
glorkar
Posts:422
Joined:Mon Aug 09, 2010 10:34 am
Location:Oshkosh/Berlin, Wisconsin

Re: Promoting OpenCaching US

Post by glorkar » Tue Sep 14, 2010 1:00 pm

Back on topic though, I think I might do a monthly post of current state standings. There are at least 3 active forum users that have participated on OCUS. If I keep bringing it up, more people might look :)
Opencaching.us Global Moderator
"In a world gone mad, only a lunatic is truly insane"

Image

User avatar
RVRoadTrip
Site Admin
Posts:533
Joined:Tue Aug 03, 2010 3:04 pm
Contact:

Re: Promoting OpenCaching US

Post by RVRoadTrip » Tue Sep 14, 2010 2:29 pm

I mention it on Facebook, Twitter and quite a few forums. There will be opposition to it and that's OK. If people are happy at GC.com, by all means they should stay there. We offer quite a few features and benefits that GC.com does not offer and our database is fresh and accurate. I went caching today using c:geo on my Droid X and I "found" 4 caches that no longer exist, have been griped about numerous times in the logs at GC.com, yet the cache is not archived. Found some with wet logs and it was mentioned in the online logs yet the cache log is STILL soaking wet. You get the point... :)

When people realize they can use the site for free, that we list all cache types except "locationless", that they can rate and recommend caches, save favorites, run queries and much more... they will start using this site instead of GC.com. And it is not fair for them to say there aren't many caches when they have not submitted any. :)

Some have mentioned it was like starting over. They keep their found count from GC.com and use that statpic but will also use the OCUS statpic. I would think it would be exciting to be placing new caches on the site with people racing to be FTF on them. Anyway, it will take time and I understand that. Once people see the site is here to stay, they will participate more.

User avatar
jeffbouldin
Posts:46
Joined:Wed Sep 01, 2010 8:11 am

Re: Promoting OpenCaching US

Post by jeffbouldin » Tue Sep 14, 2010 5:18 pm

I've tweeted a few times. Got a couple of local cachers to ask why and I explained it. Going to bring it up on some of the local forums. We'll see how it goes. I also have been telling some that I've talked to face to face.

I told one of my co-workers about it and he seemed interested. He had his premium user account hijacked by someone he knows and Groundspeak did nothing to help. So he is all for having a little competition.

User avatar
nighthawk700
Posts:9
Joined:Sat Aug 21, 2010 10:19 pm

Re: Promoting OpenCaching US

Post by nighthawk700 » Wed Sep 15, 2010 2:43 pm

I have the OC Stats banner on my GC Profile page. I figure it:

1) Promotes OpenCaching
2) If anyone cares about the numbers, they'll see they should add to what GC shows.

However, unlike your link here in the forums, clicking on the image when posting the URL doesn't do anything. (HTML Code vs BBCode) I think they forgot a bit of code that adds linking. I'll have to dig back into my HTML notes to get that fleshed out.

User avatar
DudleyGrunt
Site Admin
Posts:2038
Joined:Wed Aug 18, 2010 1:27 pm
Location:Jessup, MD
Contact:

Re: Promoting OpenCaching US

Post by DudleyGrunt » Wed Sep 15, 2010 2:52 pm

HTML should be...

<a href="http://www.opencaching.us/viewprofile.php?userid=XX" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.opencaching.us/statpics/XX.jpg" alt="Opencaching US - Statistics for username" title="Opencaching US - Statistics for username" /></a>

Where, XX (or XXX) is your user number and username is, well, your username. target="_blank" is optional, but will open your profile in a new window.

Good catch. I'm sure RVRT will see this and fix it.
Dave, OCNA Team Member
For the smiles, not the smilies.
Maryland Geocaching Society

Image Image

User avatar
DudleyGrunt
Site Admin
Posts:2038
Joined:Wed Aug 18, 2010 1:27 pm
Location:Jessup, MD
Contact:

Re: Promoting OpenCaching US

Post by DudleyGrunt » Wed Sep 15, 2010 2:53 pm

...and a question for you. I know that, generally, Groundspeak doesn't push their "no soliciation" policy on trackables or profile pages, but I wonder if they will smack your hand for promoting another caching site.
Dave, OCNA Team Member
For the smiles, not the smilies.
Maryland Geocaching Society

Image Image

Post Reply