After hearing of the latest rift of missing boxes I thought something
should be said. I had a message drafted and I decided not to send
it out because it was sort of whiny. Then I chatted with Nisa and
she helped me to put this into perspective. I think what we have
here is a risk of lost letterboxes due to the openess of our site.
It is not unlike the loss faced when being open with people in
relationships and having those people take advantage of the fact
that you have been open. So then you come up with clever ways to mask
what is going on beneath the surface (the pain of loss, of being
taken advantage of for being open) and in order to protect yourself
you come up with ever cleverer means (become more cryptic) for relating
to people, and you then relate to certain people you view as being "on
the inside" -- you become exclusive. This is the current mode of
thinking in some circles of letterboxers -- that you have to become
(or remain) exclusive in order to protect what you have. I'm sure
this has driven some of the adverse reactions to suggestions which
have been made to promote or advertise the hobby. The thinking goes
like this: If you promote the hobby more people will know about it,
and if more people know about it more letterboxes may be ruined.
Actually, I don't think this is as prevalent as it was before the
Smithsonian article and before Letterbox USA. I'm only bringing it
up for the sake of perspective. Remember that the people who were
most fearful of this were the ones who then ruined some of Adrian's
letterboxes in order to "make him think twice". No, exlusivity is
NOT the solution. There apparently are vandals within our ranks,
even among our friends in Dartmoor, so there is no reason to point
an accusing finger "out there" to the public domain (the internet).
People will make trouble whether you use the internet or not and
whether you advertise in the Smithsonian or not.
BUT/, we can hope against them, and we can plot new strategies.
I was chatting with Nisa the other night trying to figure out what
I might do about the vandalism and she was about to say something
like (I thought), "If you put out more boxes they will just take
those too." She actually did not say that. It was just what I was
thinking at the time. What she did say was, "I hope they don't take
any more." Well, those words are very enlightening. We CAN hope.
Hope is always better than despair. And along with hoping we can
plot one or two strategies.
I think Mitch and Thom have the spirit -- to just replace their
boxes. Mitch even suggested putting them right back where they
were in the hope that the little turd will tire of it, or maybe
just to show defiance. (Or are you sure its not because you want
to hide in the bushes Mitch, and lay for the little bugger?)
Here is a measure I thought of that may help (I may have said
this once or twice before):
You may want to put some of your boxes in conspicuous locations:
Letterbooks indoors, or just very open, well lit places.
Some of the things thiefs and vandals deplore are openness, light,
presence of people, etc. -- anything that may prevent them from
being able to hide while they do their dirty deeds. I'm
actually thinking of putting a letterbox in my yard under my
security light. Its so conspicuous, I think only a true letterboxer
would go there. Of course they do need to be well hidden, even
if they are out in the open. Deborah and Randy surmised that
their's were lost due to not being well hidden. But a box can be
well hidden and be conspicuous at the same time.
I'm just thinking out loud here.... if you can think of anything else
please share... We're certainly not licked, but I think we have
found a battle-point. Don't you think we would do well to use a
couple of strategies to help tip the scales back if such strategies
are available and if they do not take a lot of effort?
If there is anything else you can think of, do tell...
Dan'l
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The Risk of Openness
6 messages in this thread |
Started on 1999-02-27
[L-USA] The Risk of Openness
From: Daniel Servatius (elf@pclink.com) |
Date: 1999-02-27 23:55:02 UTC-06:00
[L-USA] Re: The Risk of Openness
From: Tom Cooch (tcooch@mail.sover.net) |
Date: 1999-02-28 07:33:11 UTC
Mitch,
I think you are right in your resolve to continue on as before with
no real change in your methods or approaches. The pleasure you get
from choosing the sites that really appeal to you and writing the
clues that seem most appropriate for that box should not be
diminished one bit by worries about potential vandals. If some boxes
are lost, we just accept that and continue on.
Tom
Tom Cooch
tcooch@sover.net
aka The Orient Express
Braintree, VT
"The game is afoot!"
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I think you are right in your resolve to continue on as before with
no real change in your methods or approaches. The pleasure you get
from choosing the sites that really appeal to you and writing the
clues that seem most appropriate for that box should not be
diminished one bit by worries about potential vandals. If some boxes
are lost, we just accept that and continue on.
Tom
Tom Cooch
tcooch@sover.net
aka The Orient Express
Braintree, VT
"The game is afoot!"
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[L-USA] Re: The Risk of Openness
From: (Letterboxr@aol.com) |
Date: 1999-02-28 03:37:53 UTC-05:00
Ok, I lost a letterbox... big deal. Nothing is forever.
But I'm not gonna sweat about whether my next box will come up missing, as
well. Nor am I gonna lay in hiding for the little creep to come around again.
And I'm not going to whine about it and give up on my favorite pastime. Life
comes and goes. Love comes and goes. Letterboxes come and go. These are the
bittersweet realities that make life interesting.
I know some of you have lost 'virgin' letterboxes that had never been found.
Your experience is is a greater shame than mine. My letterbox had been found
six times. That's six times that a letterboxer had the joy of making an entry
into my guest book and the opportunity to collect my hand-carved 'limited
edition' stamp. Add to that the joy I had making it and hiding it, as well as
in going back and reading what others had left behind. That little box was
well worth the few dollars it took to place it and the little bit of time it
took to construct. I will happily go out and do it again... if nothing else,
just as an experiment to see how long it stays there this time.
The other day I was riding on the new light-rail train that connects the west
side to downtown Portland. I noticed that some punks had already scratched
graffiti onto the windows of the new train. I was considering just how
thoughtless and inconsiderate it is for our fellow citizens deface a train
that we, the people of the city, paid for.
But, what do we do about it? If we catch them, of course, we punish them.
But the chances of an authority stumbling along at the precise moment that
these punks are doing their thing is about as likely as the chance that I will
stumble onto the punk who defaces letterboxes in the park in my neighborhood.
Meanwhile, we tolerate the few society rejects as best we can, and
periodically attempt to repair the damage they do. That's all we can do.
It's a part of life.
It is no different in the world of letterboxing. We can't just give up the
ship... or the train... or the letterbox... just because some thoughless jerk
messes it up.
The letterbox will return, and the clues will remain the same. Some of my
clues are simple, some more cryptic. This is a decision based on making the
hobby fun for everyone. If my clues are tough, it's cause I want you to have
the fun of thinking a bit in order to find it, not because I'm trying to
thwart the vandals. I will NOT let n'er-do-wells stifle my creativity.
Not only will I repace my box, but I will continue to put out many more.
Maybe if the little creep hunts down enough of my boxes, he'll realize how
much fun he's having and decide to start leaving them alone so others can
enjoy them.
Once, when I was a teenager, I stole a book from the local library. I didn't
really feel all that bad about doing it, either. I didn't do it just to be
destructive... I actually read the book. It was a good book, too. I enjoyed
the book so much, in fact, that I started feeling bad that others would not be
able to read it, because I had taken it. I wasn't going to read it again, so
why did I need it? I really didn't really know why I'd taken it in the first
place. I could have checked it out for free. I took the book back to the
library and left it there. I felt much better. I found another good book AND
CHECKED IT OUT!!! Today, instead of stealing books, I donate money to the
library so they can buy new ones.
elf@pclink.com writes:
> Mitch even suggested putting them right back where they
> were in the hope that the little turd will tire of it, or maybe
> just to show defiance.
Of the various reasons that Thom and Dan and I have listed for doing this, I
think the one that best fits how I'm feeling is defiance. I'm bound and
determined to show the little bastard that no matter how big a turd he wants
to be, I will overcome his idiocy. I will not let him spoil the fun that I'm
providing for others by keeping the letterbox there. No sir, not this
Madman!!!
Yours truly, in mild-mannered insanity,
Der Mad Stamper
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But I'm not gonna sweat about whether my next box will come up missing, as
well. Nor am I gonna lay in hiding for the little creep to come around again.
And I'm not going to whine about it and give up on my favorite pastime. Life
comes and goes. Love comes and goes. Letterboxes come and go. These are the
bittersweet realities that make life interesting.
I know some of you have lost 'virgin' letterboxes that had never been found.
Your experience is is a greater shame than mine. My letterbox had been found
six times. That's six times that a letterboxer had the joy of making an entry
into my guest book and the opportunity to collect my hand-carved 'limited
edition' stamp. Add to that the joy I had making it and hiding it, as well as
in going back and reading what others had left behind. That little box was
well worth the few dollars it took to place it and the little bit of time it
took to construct. I will happily go out and do it again... if nothing else,
just as an experiment to see how long it stays there this time.
The other day I was riding on the new light-rail train that connects the west
side to downtown Portland. I noticed that some punks had already scratched
graffiti onto the windows of the new train. I was considering just how
thoughtless and inconsiderate it is for our fellow citizens deface a train
that we, the people of the city, paid for.
But, what do we do about it? If we catch them, of course, we punish them.
But the chances of an authority stumbling along at the precise moment that
these punks are doing their thing is about as likely as the chance that I will
stumble onto the punk who defaces letterboxes in the park in my neighborhood.
Meanwhile, we tolerate the few society rejects as best we can, and
periodically attempt to repair the damage they do. That's all we can do.
It's a part of life.
It is no different in the world of letterboxing. We can't just give up the
ship... or the train... or the letterbox... just because some thoughless jerk
messes it up.
The letterbox will return, and the clues will remain the same. Some of my
clues are simple, some more cryptic. This is a decision based on making the
hobby fun for everyone. If my clues are tough, it's cause I want you to have
the fun of thinking a bit in order to find it, not because I'm trying to
thwart the vandals. I will NOT let n'er-do-wells stifle my creativity.
Not only will I repace my box, but I will continue to put out many more.
Maybe if the little creep hunts down enough of my boxes, he'll realize how
much fun he's having and decide to start leaving them alone so others can
enjoy them.
Once, when I was a teenager, I stole a book from the local library. I didn't
really feel all that bad about doing it, either. I didn't do it just to be
destructive... I actually read the book. It was a good book, too. I enjoyed
the book so much, in fact, that I started feeling bad that others would not be
able to read it, because I had taken it. I wasn't going to read it again, so
why did I need it? I really didn't really know why I'd taken it in the first
place. I could have checked it out for free. I took the book back to the
library and left it there. I felt much better. I found another good book AND
CHECKED IT OUT!!! Today, instead of stealing books, I donate money to the
library so they can buy new ones.
elf@pclink.com writes:
> Mitch even suggested putting them right back where they
> were in the hope that the little turd will tire of it, or maybe
> just to show defiance.
Of the various reasons that Thom and Dan and I have listed for doing this, I
think the one that best fits how I'm feeling is defiance. I'm bound and
determined to show the little bastard that no matter how big a turd he wants
to be, I will overcome his idiocy. I will not let him spoil the fun that I'm
providing for others by keeping the letterbox there. No sir, not this
Madman!!!
Yours truly, in mild-mannered insanity,
Der Mad Stamper
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[L-USA] Re: The Risk of Openness
From: Randy Hall (randy@mapsurfer.com) |
Date: 1999-02-28 08:15:49 UTC-04:00
Don't discount the possibility of wildlife causing vandalism. This
seems especially possible in cases where the box is found in the general
area, disturbed. Wild animals have excellent senses of smell, and deer
have been caught red-handed stealing orienteering controls. I can easily
imagine rodents and canines rooting around in the brush where a letterbox
is hidden, depending on how it is hidden, especially if it is just on
the ground covered with bark or something.
While the response may be the same as to human vandals, there seems to be
some more preventitive measures that can be taken, such as don't reuse a
container that once contained food (its impossible to wash the smell out),
bury it under rocks, etc.
Just a thought,
Randy
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seems especially possible in cases where the box is found in the general
area, disturbed. Wild animals have excellent senses of smell, and deer
have been caught red-handed stealing orienteering controls. I can easily
imagine rodents and canines rooting around in the brush where a letterbox
is hidden, depending on how it is hidden, especially if it is just on
the ground covered with bark or something.
While the response may be the same as to human vandals, there seems to be
some more preventitive measures that can be taken, such as don't reuse a
container that once contained food (its impossible to wash the smell out),
bury it under rocks, etc.
Just a thought,
Randy
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[L-USA] Re: The Risk of Openness
From: Thom Cheney (tcgrafx@imagina.com) |
Date: 1999-02-28 09:38:51 UTC-08:00
Letterboxr@aol.com wrote:
>
> Ok, I lost a letterbox... big deal. Nothing is forever.
> But I'm not gonna sweat about whether my next box will come up missing, as
> well.
When we stop placing our boxes then they have won.
--
Thom Cheney
tcgrafx... among other things
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>
> Ok, I lost a letterbox... big deal. Nothing is forever.
> But I'm not gonna sweat about whether my next box will come up missing, as
> well.
When we stop placing our boxes then they have won.
--
Thom Cheney
tcgrafx... among other things
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[L-USA] Re: The Risk of Openness
From: Thom Cheney (tcgrafx@imagina.com) |
Date: 1999-02-28 09:45:12 UTC-08:00
Randy Hall wrote:
>
> Don't discount the possibility of wildlife causing vandalism. This
> seems especially possible in cases where the box is found in the general
> area, disturbed.
I found some minimal damage to another box while I was out checking the
4 that are nearest to home & I suspect it was caused by an animal. 2 of
my boxes (well, one for now) have "leashes" with a wood toggle handle &
it is missing on the box that remains. I think some critter gnawed on
it, possibly for the salt from hands... I took some time to carve it by
hand.
The other two are just plain GONE! Can't wait to get the new stamp in
place for Rock Creek #1.... commemorating a winter time visitor to our
pond.
Mitch, seeing as how I have an imprint of the limited edition coon's
cache... you aren't planning to do the same image all over are you?
--
Thom Cheney
tcgrafx... among other things
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>
> Don't discount the possibility of wildlife causing vandalism. This
> seems especially possible in cases where the box is found in the general
> area, disturbed.
I found some minimal damage to another box while I was out checking the
4 that are nearest to home & I suspect it was caused by an animal. 2 of
my boxes (well, one for now) have "leashes" with a wood toggle handle &
it is missing on the box that remains. I think some critter gnawed on
it, possibly for the salt from hands... I took some time to carve it by
hand.
The other two are just plain GONE! Can't wait to get the new stamp in
place for Rock Creek #1.... commemorating a winter time visitor to our
pond.
Mitch, seeing as how I have an imprint of the limited edition coon's
cache... you aren't planning to do the same image all over are you?
--
Thom Cheney
tcgrafx... among other things
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