Category: Technology

It has shiny buttons.

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Geokarma

While on a business trip to CA, I introduced several people to Geocaching. At one point I headed out to Geocache with some free time we had. I had only prepared for finding microcaches. Microcaches are generally small containers that hide in the landscape and contain only a small slip of paper to sign. In this case, however, I happened across an actual cache box. Cache boxes give geocachers the added bonus of trading an item. The item you put in the box should be of equal or greater value of the trinket you take out. As a bonus, it should represent something about your character and/or augment the theme of the geocache. I pulled out a trinket then looked over the possessions in my arsenal to trade. Other than my ID, credit card and pen I had a Scooby-Doo band-aid. “Cool enough” I thought (trying to convince myself that this was an even trade… which is wasn’t).

Coworkers teased, and I kept saying “but it was a cool bandaid” (again trying to rationalize the bad trade).

A week later, while I was home working, my wife and kids went geocaching in Angelfire, NM and came across what promised to be a big cache. When they opened the box it was filled with business cards and bandages! They were all so disappointed. I then told my kids about what I did in CA to which my eldest said (without any prompting) “at least you left a cool bandaid. These weren’t like that. They were boring.”

Nevertheless, I vowed never to leave something like a bandaid in a Geocache again. And certainly wouldn’t leave a business card. (What type of person does that?! If I find your business card in a cache, I’ll call you to find out!!!)

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Geocaching 101

Adventurer

Geocaching is amazing fun! Combine book-smarts, an eye for detail, a trek off someplace you wouldn’t normally go, a treasure box and tagging … all with a GPS and that’s Geocaching. For those getting started, here are some pointers. First, you need to sign up at Geocaching.com then you need to look at the caches near your area by clicking on “Hide and Seek a Cache” then plugging in an address in the “Seek A Cache” section where it says “by Address”.

I suggest your maiden voyage is with a fellow Geocacher. If not, remember the following:


  1. Wear clothes appropriate for walking in the brush, mud, sand, etc.

  2. GPS can only get you so close. Sometimes it’s spot on, but most times it’s within 6 to 30 feet.

  3. Look in spots where *you* would hide small bottles or containers. (for example: hanging on treelimbs, under piles of rocks, etc)

  4. Don’t dig through garbage. When I started, I would find tons of trash. Remember that trash is temporary and usually more recent than a cache. Caches are hidden for permanence.

  5. Bring a pen and some trinkets to trade.

  6. Keep it safe. Don’t go for the cliff. It’s not there.

  7. Get seasoned on a few regular sized caches before your first nano, if possible.

  8. read descriptions, hints and look at photos BEFORE searching a cache. I’ve gone gung-ho to a GPS location a couple of times before reading and finding out it was a puzzle cache at some other undisclosed location.

  9. Flashlights are helpful even in the daylight

  10. Have fun.


-Paurian

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Security Concerns Regarding Facebook

The last week of April might as well be called expose the Bait-And-Switch week for Facebook. In a meeting with Anna Post, the great-granddaughter of etiquette queen Emily Post, she mentioned some do’s and don’ts of Facebook.

I suggest you just don’t. Don’t do it. They change their security settings every year, sometimes more than that, and each time they do so, they reset your security settings to benefit their business. People fail to see Facebook as a business because it’s social network based. In their blindness, they give away their personal information to rogue apps and to Facebook itself. Google couldn’t hope for a better model to acquire personal information on every living person.

That’s not to say that Facebook doesn’t have a place. When I have something to promote, more often a non-profit organization, Facebook becomes a central piece to advertise it. However, it’s something that I have to periodically maintain for no other reason than to fix back my security settings that Facebook changes at whim.

However, it turns out we can’t just do without Facebook. When businesses look up our information before or after an interview, they peer into the Facebook world. A sterile slate is met with skepticism, so it’s good to have a little activity. That’s where it would be wise to listen to Anna. Common sense things that extend personal courtesy to others through this social network medium. Don’t publicize your political or religious views (that essentially makes this entire website taboo) and don’t get into confrontations.

As far as I know, people aren’t alerted when you unfriend them or deny their friend request. Nevertheless, they often times find out by seeing who’s missing from your list of friends or if they’re suddenly denied access to see it. Although Matthew Stringer makes a good point about silent unfriending having a negative impact on your information feed (file under the keep your friends close and your enemies closer mentality), Anna has a stronger point that people look at who you friend and make real-life judgments based on it. I would even argue that information overload keeps you from knowing what your real acquaintances and social interests are up to.

So take an ounce of good with the pound of bad, but be careful. There are ways to clean up the security enough to not look like a recluse but still keep your private information private.

To read more about the recent security changes, check out the following links:
http://www.davidderrico.com/what-is-facebook-doing-with-your-info/
http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/04/facebook-timeline