Becky's dashboard

Becky marked one of Brian Bailey's replies in Gowalla as useful. Brian Bailey replied to the problem "Please move or delete 154856".

A comment on the idea "Friend-Only Spots" in Gowalla:

I'm going to dissent, especially as a reason for private spots (which I oppose anyway). This is, ultimately, a game. Yes, that rare item I've had my eye on might get snapped up by someone else now that the Item Finder is out, but you know what? It's a game. I don't have any special rights to that item just because I saw it first, and if someone else gets out there and scoops it up before I do, more power to them. As it is now, items stay in circulation till they're vaulted, and since there's no advantage to vaulting multiples, items can really move around and stay "out there." But private spots for the express purpose of hiding items would essentially take those items out of play, which just doesn't seem cool to me. It's essentially the PackRat "stashing" problem all over again. – Becky, on December 04, 2009 15:53

Becky reported a problem in Gowalla on December 03, 2009 19:50:

Please move or delete 154856

I think the creator's GPS must've been wonky, as it's planted in the middle of a residential neighborhood a few hundred km northwest of the actual location (too far for me to move). Would appreciate a dev either moving or deleting. Google Map to real spot linked below.

Carmelita's on GMaps

A comment on the problem "Please Merge 103670 and 108730" in Gowalla:

You're welcome! :) – Becky, on December 03, 2009 19:02

Becky replied on December 03, 2009 19:01 to the problem "Winter Street Studios Location not correct" in Gowalla:

I tried incrementally moving it just a bit at a time, and was able to get it closer, but not altogether there. If the devs don't see this and fix it, my suggestion would be to add another spot in the right location the next time you're there; then one of us STE's can merge the two spots.

Be sure to stand outside with a clear, unobstructed view of the sky when creating spot... this helps get an accurate GPS fix. Also, take a moment to glance at the "This is where your spot will be created" map... it's not foolproof, but can help catch GPS errors some of the time.

Cheers!

Becky started following the problem "Can't Edit A Spot" in Gowalla.

Becky replied on December 03, 2009 18:44 to the problem "Please Merge 103670 and 108730" in Gowalla:

Fixed! :)

A comment on the question "New category suggestions" in Gowalla:

Someone upthread mentioned "local cuisine" (or something like that... maybe "regional specialty" — I think that's a better fit, just because it could get cluttered very quickly if we start actually listing all the regional cuisines. Also, an international traveler might better find what they're looking for (if they know they want to sample the local fare but don't know what it's called). – Becky, on December 03, 2009 18:40

Becky replied on December 03, 2009 18:36 to the question "New category suggestions" in Gowalla:

We need a general "Recreation Complex" (or "Recreation Center/Centre") under Parks, Nature, & Rec.

In my area (and presumably in most) we have recreation complexes maintained by local government. There's one down the street from me with swimming/diving, tennis courts, basketball, baseball diamond, workout rooms, playground, small park, etc. It's silly to put these as individual spots, but even less appropriate to do "Rec Center" under "College and Education."

Left it as Parks/Other for now, but would like to see Recreation Complex!

A comment on the question "New category suggestions" in Gowalla:

+1 I added one a couple days ago, and put it as Shopping & Services / Other. If it's worded correctly, the same category that holds post offices could hold other mail-related shops (the UPS store, etc). Maybe "Mail & Packaging"? – Becky, on December 03, 2009 18:31

Becky started following the problem "Don't like the new web site format!" in Gowalla.

Becky replied on December 03, 2009 18:26 to the idea "List the tweeting Street Team Elite members on @Gowalla/street-team-elite" in Gowalla:

I'm STE as of a couple days ago... @gobecky (Tampa Bay, FL, USA)

Becky marked one of Brian Bailey's replies in Gowalla as useful. Brian Bailey replied to the question "Can street markets be "spots"?".

Becky started following the question "Ever create a spot and not check in?" in Gowalla.

Becky marked one of Todd's replies in Gowalla as useful. Todd replied to the question "Do you have unlisted items that you can collect?".

Becky asked a question in Gowalla on November 28, 2009 12:26:

Can street markets be "spots"?

One of my favorite spots in my hometown (St. Petersburg, FL) is the Saturday Morning Market, which is (as its name would imply) a local farmers', mucisians', and craftsmans' market held Saturday mornings during the cooler parts of the year. It's a huge draw and something the city is very proud of — it's the largest market in Florida — so it seems a natural for a Gowalla Spot, except that it's not a spot in the strictest sense. It's a street market, so in terms of location it's really just an intersection downtown that gets shut to automobile traffic a few hours every Saturday. It's not even at a park or something — in which case I'd create a spot for the park and just comment/tweet the event.

Is there a "rule" (or community consensus) regarding such hybrid event-spots? It's considered a "place" by residents — ("let's meet up at the market on Saturday!") — but for the purposes of other people checking in, it only "exists" 1 day a week, 8 months a year. But whilst it's not a pure geographic location, it certainly is in the spirit of Gowalla... it's a fabulous part of the local scene, & I love the idea of some of our Northern visitors finding it via Gowalla!

So, fellow Gowalla'ers: to spot or not to spot?

http://www.saturdaymorningmarket.com/

Becky started following the idea "How close am I to my 100 Founded Spots? No easy way to tell?" in Gowalla.

A comment on the question "New category suggestions" in Gowalla:

+1 – Becky, on November 25, 2009 15:44

Becky replied on November 25, 2009 15:44 to the question "New category suggestions" in Gowalla:

This is less of a new category suggestion, and more of a recategorization (I think). Around here we have city-operated recreation centers (with pools, basketball, tennis, workout rooms, small parks with playgrounds, etc). The closest category is "Rec Center" (which is what they're called), but it's under College/Education. Perhaps it could be moved to the Parks, etc category, or a new "Recreation Center" category could be created there?

Becky replied on November 18, 2009 12:56 to the idea "Trip Requests" in Gowalla:

How about a Florida Keys trip?

There are many spots at restaurants, etc, down there already, but I was imagining a trip that would have check-ins on every key you pass through on US 1 (which is the interstate that runs the length of the Keys), plus a few additional spots -- the 7 Mile Bridge, maybe a couple of the state parks, and the "Southernmost Point" landmark.

Ben and I have been toying with the idea of doing a trip to the Keys in February, but maybe a local could set up the spots even sooner?