Sharder's Stalking Guide (a.k.a. Geo Tracking 2.0)

[Pagerunner]

I don't believe I made it onto the map last time I tried. But now I'm in a new place, so it doesn't matter. Beaumont, Texas.

[Young Bard]

On 8/19/2017 at 3:50 AM, Pagerunner said:

I don't believe I made it onto the map last time I tried. But now I'm in a new place, so it doesn't matter. Beaumont, Texas.

Someone must have added you to the map before I got there.

I don't know how much you were affected by the recent floods, by the way, but I hope you're well... Beaumont doesn't look far from Houston at all...

@Pagerunner

Edited August 31, 2017 by The Young Bard
Added a tag so they'll hopefully see this.

[Nathrangking]

The idea of cataloging is an interesting one. 

 

Edited August 31, 2017 by Nathrangking

[Sami]

oh, well if this thread is still going

 AU, Canberra - That's not entirely correct, but close enough 

[Leiasqz]

Asker, Norway

[+Extesian]

1 hour ago, Sami said:

oh, well if this thread is still going

 AU, Canberra - That's not entirely correct, but close enough 

Ha so am I! First other Sharder I've met that lives in Canberra. Even if it isn't technically right. 

[Aciilnt Stormblessed]

I don't know if this I still going on but if it is please could you add me to Morecambe, England. 

Thank you.

[ccstat]

I want to confirm that yes, the map is being updated with each new post! (Someone, probably @The Young Bard, entered the most recent handful before I got to them.)

____

So, a question to the community: The original Master List and associated map were compiled from locations shared in threads like this, as well as from the Introduce Yourself or Events threads when users mentioned their locations. Since converting to this Geotracking 2.0 thread, the cataloging of new members has stopped, and we've only been adding people when they post here. I can't decide whether I think adding locations learned in other threads is a good idea or a bad idea. I am sort of leaning towards not collecting that info elsewhere, but would like to hear other opinions.

• Issue 1: Privacy. It seems safest to only include people who explicitly wish to be added, but I can also see the point that if they have willingly shared their location in the forums, they are comfortable with that information being available to our community. The locations are limited to country or (nearby) city, so I don't feel that there is any inherent danger in cataloging these with user names.
• Issue 2: Effort. It is much simpler to use a dedicated thread than to read a bunch of other threads and user profiles for location information.
• Issue 3: Usefulness: While it is fun to look at the map as a whole and see pins all over the world, the utility of this map comes (in my opinion) from the ability to make connections with those who live near you (or in places you've lived before). For example, when Brandon came to Boston I used the map to contact other Sharders in the area and coordinate a meetup. When members self-select to be on the list, the ones you find on the map are more likely to be active Sharders who will see and respond to a message. On the other hand, including everyone lets you cast a wider net and maybe meet more friends. Take the past few weeks for instance: we have had a lot of new members join for the Aether of Night manuscript, who I imagine will visit the site again only rarely. Some of those will have posted their country of origin--does adding them to the map increase or decrease it's usefulness? 

[Mestiv]

My personal opinion, not as 17th Shard staff member, is ignore anything outside this thread. If someone is to be included on the map, it should be after explicit permission. 

[Oversleep]

59 minutes ago, Mestiv said:

My personal opinion, not as 17th Shard staff member, is ignore anything outside this thread. If someone is to be included on the map, it should be after explicit permission. 

Yes. It's one thing mentioning where you're from and a whole another thing your location data being catalogued. If somebody has not posted here, it means they have not expressed a wish to be included on the map.

[Darkness Ascendant]

@ccstat that was me  

[Young Bard]

On 9/1/2017 at 1:52 AM, ccstat said:

I want to confirm that yes, the map is being updated with each new post! (Someone, probably @The Young Bard, entered the most recent handful before I got to them.)

____

So, a question to the community: The original Master List and associated map were compiled from locations shared in threads like this, as well as from the Introduce Yourself or Events threads when users mentioned their locations. Since converting to this Geotracking 2.0 thread, the cataloging of new members has stopped, and we've only been adding people when they post here. I can't decide whether I think adding locations learned in other threads is a good idea or a bad idea. I am sort of leaning towards not collecting that info elsewhere, but would like to hear other opinions.

• Issue 1: Privacy. It seems safest to only include people who explicitly wish to be added, but I can also see the point that if they have willingly shared their location in the forums, they are comfortable with that information being available to our community. The locations are limited to country or (nearby) city, so I don't feel that there is any inherent danger in cataloging these with user names.
• Issue 2: Effort. It is much simpler to use a dedicated thread than to read a bunch of other threads and user profiles for location information.
• Issue 3: Usefulness: While it is fun to look at the map as a whole and see pins all over the world, the utility of this map comes (in my opinion) from the ability to make connections with those who live near you (or in places you've lived before). For example, when Brandon came to Boston I used the map to contact other Sharders in the area and coordinate a meetup. When members self-select to be on the list, the ones you find on the map are more likely to be active Sharders who will see and respond to a message. On the other hand, including everyone lets you cast a wider net and maybe meet more friends. Take the past few weeks for instance: we have had a lot of new members join for the Aether of Night manuscript, who I imagine will visit the site again only rarely. Some of those will have posted their country of origin--does adding them to the map increase or decrease it's usefulness? 

Yeah, I added the latest batch of names.

Privacy: I agree with Mestiv - I'm leaning towards not including it unless its posted here specifically, simply because people might be uncomfortable about being on the map. Near when I started the map, I believe there was one Sharder (my memory is telling me it was Kestrel, but I can't say for certain), that came in here to confirm that, despite having posted her location elsewhere, they'd prefer it not go on the map. That is probably an isolated case, but I think it would probably be more worrisome to a number of people to discover that their location has been added to a list they didn't know existed.  If we informed people through PM's when we were adding them to the list, then that might be OK, but that also makes additional work for us, so... I'm not sure if it's worth the extra effort.

Effort: I'm almost certainly not going to be scanning other pages for information to add to the map, for my part. If we decide to implement this system, and I happen to notice their post anyway, then I might add it, but otherwise... probably not.

When I created the OP, I did list a minimum post count / account age in order to be on the map for almost the exact reason you mentioned in the usefulness point - I was trying to avoid Sharders that were more likely to go inactive - i.e. ones who had only recently joined, from cluttering up the map. It wasn't very high, IIRC, but I feel it dealt with this issue well, and I recommend we stick to this rule. (if a couple have slipped through while I was away, though, that's OK - I'm sure it doesn't matter too much.)

TL;DR: I'm against it, but if other people are for it, I'll be willing to go along with it. My main concern is with the privacy category.

[Rebecca]

I live in Rexburg, Idaho!

[CaptainRyan]

Renton, WA

[Lemonelon]

I'm Greenwich in London UK

[mattig89ch]

I'm from Port Jefferson, NY, USA.

[The Voiceless One]

Racine, Wisconsin

[Podman]

California

Bay Area

[+Hoiditthroughthegrapevine]

Hi I Live in Hippy Town USA, AKA Track Town USA, AKA Eugene Orgeon.

I have a special request, could my geo location marker be placed in the center of the big Reservoir west of Eugene?

Nu Ralik knows, it would be great if sharders thought I was a purelaker.

[NamelessThirteenth]

Canterbury-bankstown, Sydney, Australia

[NamelessThirteenth]

Hey I know what we can use this for...

 

 

[NamelessThirteenth]

Nah JK, it would be pretty cool if you could meet up with sharders nearby or something

[ccstat]

You are officially a Purelaker, @hoiditthroughthegrapevine. I hope to find the water warm and shallow if I ever come visit.

@NamelessThirteenth, your post made me laugh. I have used this map to arrange meetups before, at an event Brandon attended. Hopefully it will be useful for you as well. FYI, in case nobody has mentioned it yet, the forum encourages us to edit our posts rather than double posting.

Edited January 6, 2018 by ccstat

[+Hoiditthroughthegrapevine]

46 minutes ago, ccstat said:

You are officially a Purelaker, @hoiditthroughthegrapevine. I hope to find the water warm and shallow if I ever come visit

Thanks @ccstat!

The water is indeed shallow and warm (in the summer) and there's also a 30+ acre off leash dog park there, so if you do visit bring your dog. I just got a Taiyaki waffle maker for Christmas (Fish shaped waffles that you put red bean paste filling in) so I could even set you up with some magic fish when you're here.

[Darkness Ascendant]

On 04/01/2018 at 3:55 PM, NamelessThirteenth said:

Canterbury-bankstown, Sydney, Australia

Bruh you like live half an hour away from me.