Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Fearing a Visit

Do you ever waymark something that you hope no one will visit? A waymark that shames you? Only the gridders know what I am talking about. No one else out there would stoop so low. Recently, I haven't done many of these, but being a gridder I try to waymark at least one of each lame McGutbomb type category that ends up on the grid.

I still have no idea why anyone would want to waymark these. I guess if you had this deep love for a specific hamburger joint, maybe I get it, but I just can't understand WHY someone would have a deep abiding love for a fast food place or a grocery store.

One of my most embarrassing waymarking moments was when a waymarker posted a note to my waymark for the Wendy's "restaurant" in our town. Their log was one word - "Why?" I totally agreed with them and E-mailed explaining myself with the shame of an addict - trying to make excuses for this habit of mine that led to photographing fast food locations. Oh the shame! The humiliation!

Thankfully that was one of the only visits I remember receiving for my commercial waymarks (non-indie commercial, that is.) I may have visits to my Sonic Burger waymark, but that isn't as shameful to me for some reason.

So, remember, only YOU can stop commercial waymarking! Vote no when you see that next category that comes up and makes you scratch your head. And before you create a category stop and ask yourself, "am I creating this because I'm dying to see waymarks of these places or am I creating it just because I want to start a category?" If you want to start a category so badly, check the forums. Often good ideas are thrown out that never end up going anywhere. Contact the person who had the idea and see if they mind if you run with it. If it's someone like me, they'll probably be relieved that someone else will be doing the work to get it started.

11 comments:

Mr. 0 said...

Huh, interesting that they didn't find it "worthy" enough to write anything more than "Why?" but they took the time to visit, and post said visit. I guess it's the equivalent of "TNLN?" Maybe it was more of a statement toward the category as a whole, rather than your specific Waymark. Visiting is easier than posting in order to get icons, so it is possible they were just filling out a spot on the grid...and doing it without the hassle of taking pictures, and writing up the info.

That aside, I too am not proud of a few Waymarks, namely the food chains, Wal-Mart, etc. But like you, I wanted to fill out those spots on the grid. Ya gotta do what ya gotta do, I guess. :)

Bruce said...

I remember someone grabbing my one KFC waymark and "highlighting" it in the gc forums about it being the equivalent of a lpc and that it was somehow representative of waymarking. I just had to reply to that thread... why did they have select my sole KFC waymark out of at the time over 4,000. http://forums.groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=180082&hl=

There are just too many waymarkers who will not vote No.

Hikenutty said...

OMG! How embarrassing. Thank god I was only outed to one person. :)

Did you see that those two tiny little chain restaurants passed? That one that only has locations in Chicago?

That just pissed me off. It shows them as being "in probation" which I think means they don't have enough officers, but why would Groundspeak let those pass. It's one thing to have a regional category that has some educational/cultural/historical value, but a regional fast food waymark? That's just ridiculous.

Mr. 0 said...

What?! I didn't see that the chain place in Chicago passed. Ugh. I imagine people just didn't take the time the learn anything about the chain, and didn't realize there are only 7 locations available.

I've already forgotten what the other one was that was similarly limited and came through at the same time. I'm really surprised either one of them made it.

Bruce said...

I have emailed Nate on them. I think a mistake was made. I did point out that there were only 7 locations all in Chicago. I see that both categories are on probation which indicates they don't have enough officers. I wonder if they got the notice they were denied and there was a software glitch that made them visible. (lets hope so and that it is corrected)

Hikenutty said...

I have to wonder if this was the case of a franchise owner wanting to get their chain's name out there more.

Did this disappear?

Anonymous said...

As of today those misplaced categories are still there.

I have a personal aversion to gambling but I posted a casino.

I cringed when I saw that I had a visit to it but noticed that the visitor made sure to mention that he was only in the area on business and the visit was only to the waymark and not the casino itself. I guess the addiction can go both ways. There are a few categories that I have simply avoided placing a waymark in and in one case I had one completed and ready to submit and then just archived it because I decided I didn't want to support that cause in any way. My wife says I am a stick in the mud sometimes.

I remember that forum thread and the KFC incident. Bruce handled it well and gave some excellent examples of what waymarking is really about. I think the outcome was that it showed the OP was uninformed and put a positive spin on the negativity of the post.

I am not ashamed of my other commercial submissions but will not go out of my way to list a bunch of them. I think in one fast food category I have two listed and that is because I listed one out of town first and then decided to list the one that I do frequent often. I think that some of these cats do have a place for beginning waymarkers because they are locations that can be waymarked easily to help them learn the site and give them a few icons to start. Trying to look on the good side of that type of cat. here.

TheBeanTeam

Bruce said...

The two recent small chains were removed. There was a technical glitch where they were declined but for some reason were showing. The glitch is being looked into.

Hikenutty said...

Thank goodness! I thought that if those could make it past a vote that the end was near as far as my participation was concerned.

Those kind of categories just water down the great ones that can be found there.

Janell

Unknown said...

McGutbomb? I love it. I usually refer to them all as Dunkin' McVoids, but now I'm thinking maybe we should lump them in as Walmarks. Oh, now I must hang my head for I just put Howard Johnson's up for peer review...

Hikenutty said...

HoJo's, Doug? You didn't! I mean, their old neon is great, but...

:)