Alaska's version of GeocachingMaine

Hope you all take a visit to the GeocacheAlaska website to see what they do and how they do it, all for a Premium Membership (voluntary) fee of $20.00 per year. Check out their sub-categories like the one for Park Manager contacts. While the Alaska site may be a bit more then any could envision, we could do it here in Maine with motivation and effort. I can guarantee that a site like that would capture a majority of Maine's geocachers, not just the handful that take the time to visit our site. www.GeocacheAlaska.org will get you there. Id' like to know what all of you think, especially my fellow board members and Rick.:)

Very lovely site...they dont have a newsletter however...they need one! LOL

I volunteer to go there and show them how to write one......if they want to bring me all expenses paid LOL

they are selling four nines gold geocoins, how cool is that :)
the site design is a total crap though, even if they are still living in 1995, it's still crap. I wonder where $1500 per year, they collect for membership, goes. Not to a site maintenance I guess.

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Originally Posted by cano

they are selling four nines gold geocoins, how cool is that :)
the site design is a total crap though, even if they are still living in 1995, it's still crap. I wonder where $1500 per year, they collect for membership, goes. Not to a site maintenance I guess.

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I still use FrontPage on my site. It is a *bit* behind the times - Ok, it's a LOT behind the times. But as Dan stated they do have some nice features content-wise for us to consider, as do several other caching organizations.

It certainly is interesting. I have to agree with most of the comments so far....the site software and construction is far outdated but their content is good and importantly....I'll say again, importantly, they have a mission statement. While the cosmetics appear lacking, looks like the organization has their act together. And some pretty cool coins. Seeing those coins reminds me of my appreciation for a Geocaching Maine coin that was given to me.
Site construction-wise, GCM.org is ahead of the curve. Just my opinion, look forward to others.

Enjoying the comments so far. Hoping to hear from my fellow board members and our webmaster, Rick, soon!

Just went to the Alaska site again. Guess I'm not as computer savvy as some that have commented here. I was looking at the content and not the delivery vehicle. Is our site so technologically advanced that we should not look at what other states are doing? I liked a lot about what Alaska if offering its members and the Alaska geocaching community.

This has been a good reminder for me to renew my membership at this Alaska site. I originally joined to recieve advance notice of their geocoins (which are always stunning) and I have since come to appreciate the pictures that are there and the way they share info about events that happen....I don't know, it just seems super friendly and inviting.

It's always a good idea to look at others who are doing what you are doing and "borrow" some of their ideas. Maybe we can use some of the things that makes their site a good one. Thanks, Dan, for directing some of us here in Maine to this site. Pardon the pun, but, it's "cool" to compare the two upper corners of the U.S. From our two corners, everything else runs downhill. :-)) Any thoughts from other board members?

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Originally Posted by EMSDanel

This has been a good reminder for me to renew my membership at this Alaska site. I originally joined to recieve advance notice of their geocoins (which are always stunning) and I have since come to appreciate the pictures that are there and the way they share info about events that happen....I don't know, it just seems super friendly and inviting.

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Their by-laws state that premium membership is only for Alaskan residents, how did you manage to get one?

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Originally Posted by cano

Their by-laws state that premium membership is only for Alaskan residents, how did you manage to get one?

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I noticed that requirement as well. I don't like the idea and am not sure what the benefit would be. They also limit voting to premium members as well, an interesting consideration...

Speaking of the money end of things, how many members here have donated in the past year and how many and who has given at the two new higher categories? My thought is consistent with the old maxim "You get what you pay for" and it surely appears the Alaska site is well organized. And for what it's worth, they jumped through the IRS hoops to acquire 501(C)3 status which means any payment to their site is tax deductible, not a huge issue but certainly not a bad thing for folks who give to support a sport like geocaching. So their site is technically inferior, do I have that right Cano, and they have to donate 20 tax qualified dollars to vote. Anybody see anything they liked?

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Originally Posted by brdad

I noticed that requirement as well. I don't like the idea and am not sure what the benefit would be. They also limit voting to premium members as well, an interesting consideration...

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While I can appreciate another state's geocaching website, and Alaska has done a fine job. Why would we want to copy their website, or try to run this one like Alaska's?

Mainer's have always been independent......

I wasn't suggesting we "copy it", just look at what they offer and see if there's something we could learn about who others are doing it. I don't think we'd be giving up our independence in doing so. I bet the higher ups at Home Depot look at what Lowe's is doing and vice versa. It's how we "learn" and improve.

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Originally Posted by dubord207

I bet the higher ups at Home Depot look at what Lowe's is doing and vice versa. It's how we "learn" and improve.

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I've worked at both companies. Might not wanna use them as examples. They've both advanced in the wrong direction more than once. lol