Help please, Letterboxing map?

Hi,
I have just launched a new site about Dartmoor. Users can upload what they want. I don't know enough about letterboxing and need someone to help with this page I have added a map where people can add points I'm not sure if people would want this? users can add clues or just boxes and also remove boxes is that a good idea? I Would appreciate what you think also if you wanted anything like a directory I am more than happy to edit the site. I here stories of people paying £50 for letterboxing software which sounds crazy.
View the letterboxing group

It important to point out the site is not for profit and this is not an ad. Please tell me about any bugs, (and upload your photos).

Thanks

Given the amount of suspected malicious damage being done to boxes already... its not a great idea marking their locations on an on line map.

I was thinking along the lines of it ruining the challenge, I could make the markers cover an area of say .5k?

p.s I have fixed a bug stopping users registering.

Well, what a good idea to mark all the letterboxes on an online map and type out all the clues for all to see. You wouldn't happen to be a relative of the Letterbox Thief would you Letterboxing is totally different to Geocaching. Boxes are put out and clues given to other letterboxers in the safe knowledge that these are passed by hand to genuine letterboxers who will keep the box and its contents safe and the site to themselves. This then enables others who have the clues to be sure the box will be there when they go for it. That is why you had to obtain 100 letterboxers before you could be a member of the 100 club. If you bothered to go out and search and find 100 boxes that meant you were dedicated to the hobby. You received your membership number and then the catalogue and badge. All boxers who put out letterboxes in the catalogue, do so knowing they will be shared amongst genuine boxers and not someone who fancies a day out, finds a box, can't be bothered anymore, so doesn't put the box away properly or just takes it upon themselves to take it home You cannot put clues to boxes on your site without the box owners consent. If of course the owner of a box wishes to do so, then that's O.K.

Thats the reason for my post I will take the map down but keep the group I'm not sure if there are any other suggestions? I will stick to mapping other area's of intrest and listing events (feel free to help). There is a forum but this does the job

I don't know if anyone would be interested in posting an article to get people started and tell people about letterboxing as people come to the site looking for something to do, I see lots of posts that must get lost and people asking every 5 minuets where to start.

Phew!!! I am glad you are not going to put box clues on your site so perhaps I could suggest one of two things. You could either put a link on your website to this one, pointing out that all relevant info on starting out, kiddies boxes, short walks, long walks etcc is on this forum, or you could dig out the info yourself from off here and colate it in one thread as a starter on your site. Have another look at the start of the Letterboxing thread at the post 'Beginning Letterboxing'. I am sure you could copy this off and post on your site without too much hastle. In that post there is information on everything you need to know about starting off. There is so much info on here to help anyone starting out.

Hi, we definately recommend that you do not indicate on the internet a map where letterboxes can be found. Genuine letterboxers begin the hobby usually by going out with a friend or purchasing a Charity Walk to get them started with their first 100. Then they are able to purchase a Catalogue of clues.
There is a Code of Conduct which was drawn up with the National Park and should be strictly adhered to.
We have enough trouble with non-letterboxers destroying boxes when found by chance.
Stephanie

Letterboxing is a quirky hobby - yes it is full of cliques some easier to get into than others.
As for an online site well perhaps it could work but it certainly would not be free and would have to be tightly controlled and in this day and age that really is not possible. And then you have to get the permission from all those who site the boxes to publish the clues in an online database.

As this has stepped on the geocaching toes as well and on a personal point of view: geocache boxes should not be allowed on the moor

"geocache boxes should not be allowed on the moor"

what a strange point of view .... could you elaborate on that please?

I have plotted most of the catalogue boxes and quite a few WOMS on an Autocad map,

I know it is an obvious thing but when you zoom out to a 'satelites eye view' or view extents as we say in the trade, you can actually see the National park outline just from the plotted boxes and No your not having a copy

the only problem is that there are no terrain marking on it and I aint drawing them in

Tamerton Chocolates wrote:"geocache boxes should not be allowed on the moor"

what a strange point of view .... could you elaborate on that please?

Dartmoor letterboxing is the forerunner to geocaching and I admit there are one or two letterboxes around the world - but it really isn't a hobby that has taken off - but on Dartmoor it has it's own life - with the Geocaching becoming more and more dominant around the world where I believe you exchange trinkets - what is to stop a geocacher innocently taking the stamp and putting something else in its place in total ignorance of the letterboxing hobby.
I have found (and left) geocaching boxes on the moor and at the end of a poor boxing day - frustrating to say the least

i have found some american letterbox sticker they use.

it has on it, this is a offical letterbox not a geo cache please leave all the contence in the box when you have finished stamping, which was alright, but if people want to spoil the hunt then they will just do what they want.