Waymarking is an activity where people locate and log interesting locations around the world, usually with a GPS receiver and a digital camera. Waymarking differs from geocaching in that there is no physical container to locate at the given coordinates. Waymarking identifies points of interest for GPS users. There are many categories of waymarks, from pay phones through various restaurant chains, covered bridges, churches, places where one can take a factory tour and places of geologic significance, to name only a few. As of April 15, 2010[update], there were over 1000 different categories.
Participation in waymarking leads some to become more knowledgeable of their own areas and to become interested in local history. Others have developed games (such as "What's in a Name?") that require the assistance of other players in remote areas.[1]
Local governments have also adopted waymarking as a method for increasing awareness of local points of interest.[2]
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Waymarking.com was introduced by Groundspeak in 2005 as a counterpart to its geocaching listing service, Geocaching.com. The history of waymarking is tied directly to geocaching: when it first began operation in 2000, Geocaching.com accepted listings for locations at which a physical geocache ("traditional" caches consisting of, at a minimum, an actual physical container and log book) had been placed, as well as for locations of containerless ("virtual") caches. Virtual caches were intended to bring visitors to an interesting or special location which was considered to be unsuitable for a container and log book. In September 2001, Groundspeak began publishing listings for another variation of containerless cache known as "locationless" caches (or "reverse" caches). Locationless caches were essentially challenge themes: the purpose was for seekers to find the location of an object that met the definition detailed in the locationless cache description, and post coordinates for that location under the related locationless cache listing.
Virtual and locationless cache types gained popularity on Geocaching.com, but for several reasons, both cache types became problematic for the web site and its operators. There were performance issues associated with locationless cache listings, and the architecture of the web site did not provide an adequate mechanism for preventing the logging of duplicate locations for a given locationless theme. In addition, the review process for new virtual cache submissions had become a considerable challenge for the volunteer geocache reviewers who were faced with the difficult task of determining which virtual cache submissions were "novel enough" to be listed on the site. A moratorium was eventually placed on new listings for locationless caches and virtual caches while Groundspeak attempted to find a solution for the issues that made these containerless types problematic for the web site.
In August 2005, Groundspeak launched Waymarking.com, and shortly afterward archived all locationless caches on Geocaching.com (existing virtual caches remained grandfathered on the site). Waymarking.com combines elements of both locationless caches and virtual caches. Individual waymark listings (such as a particular museum, a historic marker, or a monument) are similar in nature to the original virtual cache listings on Geocaching.com (in that they are intended to identify interesting or special locations, and visitors who venture to the location can log their visit on the web site), and the various categories into which each individual waymark is added (History Museums, Pennsylvania Historic Markers, World War II Memorials / Monuments) play a similar role to that of the original locationless caches (all waymarks in a particular waymarking category closely follow the theme represented by the category). A number of the original locationless caches became waymarking categories, and a number virtual cache locations now are listed as waymarks.
A waymark serves to document a location (or an object at a location) that fits within a specific well-defined category. Waymarks are created by contributors who visit a location, take pictures of the object at that location (and/or the surrounding area), obtain coordinates for the location using a handheld GPS device, and later submit this information (along with additional descriptive information) to the Waymarking.com web site, specifically targeting the waymark to a particular waymarking category. Each waymarking category has its own group of volunteer reviewers, and submitted waymarks are reviewed by a group member who checks the submission for fit and completeness.
Once a waymark submission has been accepted by a reviewer, it becomes visible to the general public. Published waymarks allow visitors to submit "visit" logs, describing their experience or uploading their own pictures taken at the site.
Each published waymark falls under a single specific waymarking category. Categories (and the "Departments" into which they are grouped) represent the taxonomy of waymarking, providing an organized structure for focused filtering and searching. Each category description includes particular and appropriate requirements for all waymarks submitted to that category. For example, waymarks submitted to the Murals category require a description of the type of media used in the mural; waymarks submitted to the Battlefields category require the date of the battle.
New categories can (and are) added to Waymarking.com on a regular basis. New categories are created when small groups of individuals with interest in a potential category concept develop a proposal for the new category which is then submitted for peer review. Members of the waymarking community vote to accept or decline the proposal, based on a loose set of category guidelines (new categories are expected to be global in nature rather than local, prevalent, interesting, and minimize overlap with existing categories). Categories that are accepted in peer review can then begin accepting waymark submissions.
Waymarking is also used as a term to describe creating a walking, cycling, or other route which is traveled by following a specific symbol ('waymark', sometimes 'way-mark' or 'way mark') along the route. These waymarks sometimes follow the route in one direction, or in other cases allow a route to be followed in both directions. One example is the standardized sign posted along the 49-Mile Scenic Drive in San Francisco, California, which can be started at any point along the route.
Retailers sometimes also use waymarkers to draw motorists to the location of their store or car park. A similar process is also used by local fairs, fates or even firework nights. The signs are typically posters strapped to railings or lampposts but sometimes the standard symbol is used.
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