Saturday, August 23, 2008

Benchmarking?

I never have understood the draw of benchmarking. Other than people into surveying and cartography, I don't understand why so many people are enthralled with these little disks. The historic survey stones make more sense to me, but why the modern ones? I mean, who cares? Why would someone go visit this tiny circle of bronze/brass/whatever the hell it's made of.

Personally I breathed a sigh of relief back when the "European Benchmarks" category was created because I thought that maybe continental BM categories might stop the grid from ending up with a cat for every country - as bad as the State Historic Marker categories. But it didn't stop new specific BM categories from being formed. Recently there have been two new benchmarking categories created. In spite of the European BM category, new French and Czech BM categories have been created. Surely this is a sign that the voting process isn't working to do what it was put in place to do? Are there really that many BM fanatics out there that these new country specific BM categories can pass? I don't think so.



At the top of the post you see a photo of a benchmark. So would you visit that? What about the photo above? It was taken up above the area where the benchmark photo above was taken. Now that view of Deception Pass, Pass Island, and the San Juan Islands is waymarkable. The CCC built arch bridge that I stood on to take the photo is waymarkable. But the 5 benchmarks that are clustered on a rock below? Yeah, I waymarked them to get the icon, but I don't think I've waymarked a benchmark since, and I surely wouldn't visit one unless it had an interesting history and scenic location to make the visit worth its while.

7 comments:

Mr. 0 said...

I guess that's part of why I don't understand benchmarking. I have logged a few, and posted one on the Waymarking site. However around here, they aren't really that historic (some are, but many are not), nor are the majority in interesting areas. I also don't understand all of the little nuances of benchmarking. There are some different terms, descriptions, and types of marks that I don't really get. That's my fault though for not taking more time to read up, and understand benchmarks.

Anonymous said...

What I find interesting is that it's one of the few things in Geocaching that is NOT about the numbers. Benchmarks are not included in the geocaching totals. Waymarking, however, is another story. In Waymarking it benchmarks are another niche that hasn't captured my interet....yet.

To me, it is challenging to find something that was placed years before based upon sometimes vague and ambiguous location instructions. You have to use research, reasoning, instict and sometimes luck to decipher some descriptions. My favorite finds in historical markers category are the ones that I really had to stretch my mind to figure out where they really are. Like the one that I ended up finding four streets away from it's listing by driving around with an old photo in my hand. It was a very satisfying find. I can imagine benchmarks being a similar challenge to find, but I prefer to do most of my searching from the comfort of my car (looking for larger targets).

Anonymous said...

I'm not interested in benchmarks, either. I'll eventually get one "for the grid," but that will probably be it.

What *really* concerns me are the categories that have been approved recently. Not only are there some that are weak, IMO, but redundant. We already have a category for benchmarks. Why did we need Czech benchmarks?

Anonymous said...

I actually signed up for an account on geocaching.com almost 4 years ago BECAUSE of benchmarks. Those seemed more interesting than looking for a piece of Tupperware in the woods. I guess I was drawn to it for the reasons Smile mentioned. It seemed like a challenge to find some of these ambiguously described metal circles, especially ones that had scaled coordinates instead of actual coords. Of course after striking out on several near my house, I lost some interest. But over the years I have made a few recovery reports to the NGS. I'll still look into it occasionally, and if I happen to find one I'll always waymark it.

Anonymous said...

Waymarking is now a worldwide game and the appearance of regional categories is not shocking for me.
People in each country are happy (proud ?) to show their particularities. Why should european waymarkers only use a generic category (European Benchmarks) on the one hand and seeing specific categories on the other hand?

I'm french and I'm an officer in the french benchmark category. In this category, what we are looking for are benchmarks connected with interesting places (not the mundane in the woods or in cities).
This behaviour is not written in french benchmarks cat description, but it was quite obvious at the beginning for french waymarkers (who are very few). I was very happy to see that state of mind in a french forum (about geocaching).
Moreover we want to see a picture of the benchmark itself and one of its surroundings (landscape, building...). So the visual aspect is allright.

IMO the problem is not categories themselves but... the grid.
If you don't like a category, just ignore it.
But I agree with waymarkers thinking that unreachable (because abroad, overseas) categories and associated waymarks could be frustrating. Hard to find them (and having an new icon) and to make bingos in these conditions :(
Please consider that it is the same problem for us in Europe with north american business chains, state historical markers, ...
So I think that the grid should be reconsidered, why not with the creation of reserved lines for general subjects (families): universal categories not connected to a part of the world (art, architecture, nature), benchmarks and measurements, commercial waymarks, games...

Chris

Hikenutty said...

You know, Chris777 comment made me think, it might be fun to have departmental grids as well as the huge all encompassing one. You know, a History and Culture grid, a Sports and Rec grid, a Nature grid... That would be very cool.

sbcamper said...

A cluster of benchmarks is great!
These were here before the bridge and will be there if the bridge is replaced. Hikers used to depend on a mark, usually at the highest point.