Donnacha and I had a quick chat about this, creating a timeline to show where the site came from.
Consider this post work in progress and don't be shy to suggest your own dates to add.
You'll find the Geocaching.com history here
May 2nd, 2000 - End of Selective Avaliablity announced by Clinton Administration. Previously, and purposely civilian GPS was less accurate (100m radius) than military GPS. It basically meant that when SA was removed, civilian GPS users began to enjoy the accuracy we have today.
May 3rd, 2000- First Geocache/ Stash planted in USA by Dave Ulmer, near Portland, Oregon.
May 30th, 2000 - Term "Geocaching" coined by Matt Stum on the "GPS Stash Hunt" mailing list.
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June 3rd, 2000 - Chris O'Byrne plants first Irish (and European) cache on Bray Head
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September 2nd, 2000 - Geocaching.com founded by Jeremy Irish (wa-hey!) and Mike Teague.
'late' 2000 - Groundspeak.com (Geocaching.com parent company) founded.
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April 2nd, 2002- First Irish Event cache in Louth, The Long Woman's Grave
April 6th, 2003- Ireland's 100th cache placed Lob Wedge To The Sea
Aug 9th, 2003 - Geocaching_Ireland e-group founded by klaus23 and craigsbar
May 31st, 2004 - 1st Irish Cache revived by Donnacha
May 2004 - GeocachingIreland.com goes live
before June 2004 - Merann become the first Irish cachers to reach 100 finds.
July 17th, 2004 - First Annual Irish Summer Event, Wicklow
September 2004 Outsider Magazine join Donnacha and Bootle in search of a cache on the Fancy Mountain. Read the article here
November 7th, 2004 - GeocachingIreland.com members appear Europe-wide on a special filmed for ARTE Television. Media Section.
January 22nd, 2005- First New Year's Resolution Event
January 28th, 2005 - GeocachingIreland.com forums launched, replacing the Geocaching_Ireland e-group which had/has 46 members
June 25th, 2005 - 2nd Annual Irish Cache Event, Antrim.
September 10th, 2005 - First Irish-British Event, Dublin
September 12th, 2005 - GeocachingIreland.com members help out with the BA Science Festival Event
end 2005 - GeocachingIreland averages around 2000 visits per month, and over 50000 hits in December alone.
February 20th, 2006 - Kili Or Bust becomes the first Irish cacher to reach 500 finds, at The Bradda Lode on the Isle of Man.
March 14th, 2006 - 500th Irish Cache placed Ns L200 Place, Kilkenny.
March 26th, 2006 - Kili Or Bust, Hezekiah, The Windsockers and Donnacha complete what has entered folklore as "The Mad Trip", a 24-hr caching journey through all 32 counties in Ireland, completed at 22hrs 57mins.
September 6th - 10th, 2006 - 2nd Irish-British Event, Anglesey, N.Wales
November 7th, 2006 - GeocachingIreland.com members appear in an Irish Times article. Media Section
January 2007 Site statistics show that there were over 2 million visits to the forums in 2006
January 6th, 2007 - New Years Resolution Event 2007 Donabate, N.Co. Dublin
February 21st, 2007 - GeocachingIreland.com goes nationwide with it's biggest media exposure to date, on RTE's Nationwide programme. Find it in our media section
February 22nd, 2007 - Sean and Steve reach 1000 finds at A Grand Cache
March 3rd, 2007 - GeocachingIreland.com forums break records with 16 users signing on simultaneously. Google.com says "We're worried".
March 4th, 2007 - GeocachingIreland.com forums now have 75 members.
March 10th 2007 - After debating since Dec 2005, some trojan work got done up in Donegal and the First Irish Geocoin is ready to rock. Get them while they're hot right here. A big thanks to Dino from all of us for this. Coins are due to ship in April.
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The future:
June 2nd, 2007 3rd Annual Summer Event, Donegal.
edited slightly by Bootle, for the sake of peace and quiet...
[edited for accuracy, as below - Klaus]
March 13th 2017
When I established the forums in 2005 it was to offer a more richer web experience and greater functionality than the platform where we started this social adventure in 2003, Yahoo Groups. The forums were once a busy hive of activity and provided locals and visitors with a wealth of information just like the Geocaching Ireland Discussion Group on Facebook today.
It was a time where we didn't have the many social media platforms we have today, and it was a different time in terms of mobility and technology. There was no instant access to information, no Google Maps and a very limited base map on your GPSr. Mobile connectivity for me was a 9600bps Infrared connection from a Nokia to a laptop and in later times to a PDA using WAP.
As we moved into the social media era so did our forums users. Geocaching Ireland moved there too, and we have a thriving community on the Geocaching Ireland Discussion Group on Facebook. As a result, forum activity isn't what it used to be and I have taken the decision to disable new registrations to the forums and to make the forums read only so any information there can still be accessed.
The discussion hasn't ended, it has just moved. Join us on the Facebook Geocaching Ireland Discussion Group .
Donnacha
When I established the forums in 2005 it was to offer a more richer web experience and greater functionality than the platform where we started this social adventure in 2003, Yahoo Groups. The forums were once a busy hive of activity and provided locals and visitors with a wealth of information just like the Geocaching Ireland Discussion Group on Facebook today.
It was a time where we didn't have the many social media platforms we have today, and it was a different time in terms of mobility and technology. There was no instant access to information, no Google Maps and a very limited base map on your GPSr. Mobile connectivity for me was a 9600bps Infrared connection from a Nokia to a laptop and in later times to a PDA using WAP.
As we moved into the social media era so did our forums users. Geocaching Ireland moved there too, and we have a thriving community on the Geocaching Ireland Discussion Group on Facebook. As a result, forum activity isn't what it used to be and I have taken the decision to disable new registrations to the forums and to make the forums read only so any information there can still be accessed.
The discussion hasn't ended, it has just moved. Join us on the Facebook Geocaching Ireland Discussion Group .
Donnacha
GeocachingIreland.com Timeline
Moderator: GCI Admins
GeocachingIreland.com Timeline
Last edited by klaus23 on Sat Mar 17, 2007 5:47 pm, edited 10 times in total.
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The Windsockers
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Kili or bust
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Kili or bust
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donnacha
- Site Admin
- Posts: 1781
- Joined: Thu Jan 20, 2005 2:08 pm
- Title: King Of The Rain
- Location: Wicklow
- Contact:
Listen everyone, because I'm only going to say this once. I don't want this thread going off topic on the split that happened some time ago. I didn't actually see what was posted, but I'm sure Klaus was only trying to give us an insight into the history and foundation of the site which we all use today. So, if you feel there's anything else that should be included, please post your idea here.
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Kili or bust
Another stat that I am laying claim to. Open to correction by the stat hounds but I believe my "Castle Rock" in Dublin city centre is currently the most visited cache in Ireland. Can't say that of course without referring to the one and only Sir Steve for his assistance in creating the useful disguise!!
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Seacon
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dino
- Moderator
- Posts: 5889
- Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2005 8:10 pm
- Location: Killygordon, Co. Donegal
- Contact:
Anyone else note that Albert is levitating in that photograph?Bootle wrote:happy days indeed! We all learned a new greeting that weekend!
Must have been the Ulster Fry he had for breakfast
Some gal would giggle and I'd get red
And some guy'd laugh and I'd bust his head,
I tell ya, life ain't easy for a boy named "Sue."
And some guy'd laugh and I'd bust his head,
I tell ya, life ain't easy for a boy named "Sue."
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Kili or bust
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MadraRua
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