She’s Alive!

BREAKING NEWS: Reports of Marjorie Quack’s demise have been greatly exaggerated — mostly by Marjorie herself.

In a shocking twist that absolutely no one should be surprised by, Marjorie has returned, slightly singed, mildly offended, and loudly proclaiming that she “meant to do that.”

According to eyewitnesses, she dramatically burst through a pile of trail maps shouting, “YOU CAN’T GET RID OF ME THAT EASILY!” before demanding snacks and asking who approved the memorial kazoo solo.

She would like the community to know:

• she is alive
• she is well
• she is considering suing the synchronized swimming judges
• and she expects a full apology from anyone who cried, laughed, or bet money on her cause of death

Happy April Fools Day from Marjorie Quack — the chicken, the legend, the menace, the survivor.

In honor of her return, we've commissioned another song celebrating her unexpected return!

 
 

Job Listing: Atlas Quest Mascot (Position Now Open) 🦆

 

Official Announcement of Marjorie Quack’s Passing

For Immediate Release to the Atlas Quest Community

It is with heavy hearts and slightly confused expressions that we announce the passing of our beloved mascot, Marjorie “Marge” Quack. After more than two decades of honking, meddling, and generally disrupting the natural order of things, Marjorie has embarked on her final journey — presumably to a place with unlimited corn and no posted trail rules.

Marjorie’s final moments were as gloriously chaotic as her life. While attempting to demonstrate “proper zipline form” to a group of new letterboxers, she was unexpectedly caught in a freak dust devil, carried across multiple counties, and deposited directly into a synchronized swimming competition. Though she earned a perfect score for artistic impression, she was ultimately disqualified for “being a chicken,” which witnesses say she took very personally.

We ask the community to take a moment of silence — or a moment of loud, indignant honking — in her honor. You may also sign her tributes page and share your own memories of her.

Further details about her memorial service will be shared shortly.

New feature! Linking AQ and LbNA accounts!

Before you get too excited.... this is just the first step in a longer process. I know a bunch of you are excited about the idea of being able to record finds on a box that is listed on both AQ and LbNA at the same time, and that's not what's happening here.

So now that I've thrown a bucket of water on that idea, what have I done? =)

This hearkens back to the fundraiser for LbNA when I wrote: 

So I have something of a goal to raise $2,000, and once that goal is hit, I would start working on a way to link the two websites a bit more closely. Allow recording a find on one website to record the same find automatically on the other website, for instance, so the last found date on both websites is current and up-to-date. Whether the goal is hit this year, or if it takes five years of fundraising to hit it, once I hit it, I can justify the time and effort required to implement such a feature.

No, I did not hit that $2,000 goal--but it did raise about $1,500 which is quite a bit better than I really expected. So... a partial victory! And while I wrote that I would "start" working on such a feature when the goal was hit, I figured the goal was close enough that at least I could start working on it--which is what I did. =)

I knew that recording finds on both websites at the same time would be a multi-step process to implement. First, AQ and LbNA needed a way to "talk" to each other. A way for AQ to whisper into LbNA's ears about what needs to be done, and vice-versa. They can't really cooperate with each other if there's no way for them to talk to each other, after all!

So I created a messaging system of sorts that let's AQ and LbNA talk to each other and share requested information between them.

But.... as much as I could test it on my development machine, the real test would be seeing it work on the live website.

But to do that, it needed to whisper something, and that was step 2: Creating a way to actually let people point their AQ account to their LbNA account (and vice-versa), so AQ knows you have a corresponding LbNA account (and vice-versa).

So I set it up so the two accounts could be linked, which can be done from the Account Info page on AQ or the Member Services page on LbNA. You only have to create the link from one site--it'll automatically be set up to work correctly in both directions. So it doesn't matter whether you link your AQ account to your LbNA account or your LbNA account to your AQ account. It's all the same in the end.

I actually find it strangely satisfying to log into both websites, creating the link on one of the websites, then refresh the page on the other site and see it automatically change! =) Then you can also break the link, and refresh the other page to watch it break there too. It's a strangely fun thing to watch. *shrug* =)

But I decided to take it one step further.... because it seemed weird to have a feature that would link the two accounts but then not have them actually DO anything! Completely and utterly pointless, right?

So that was the third step: I updated both websites so you if update your trailname, password, real name, or email address, you can select an option that would allow you to update the information on the other site as well. You don't need to use the same values on both websites, but most people do and this makes it a little bit easier.

Strictly speaking, this may not always be successful. For instance, if you try to change your trailname on AQ to something that is available on AQ but is already in use by someone on LbNA, it'll let you update the name on AQ, but you'll get an error message warning you that the trailname is already in use on LbNA and therefore it cannot be changed there. At least not changed to your preferred trailname. Whether you decide to tweak it to get something that's available on both websites is up to you.

Anyhow, linking accounts isn't especially useful right now--just for a few house-keeping tasks regarding your account details--but it's there and hopefully the linked accounts will become increasingly more useful over time. =)

This is a good place for me to stop for now. I want to do some more behind-the-scenes work on LbNA to make maintaining the code that handles finds a bit easier which is likely to take quite a bit of work before I even get into the actual feature people really want of recording finds on both websites at the same time. But it's a good first, second and third step that I've already implemented on the way to the longer-term goal! =)

Enjoy!

Which way is north in Corrales, NM?
Photo by Wronghat

Listing Your Stamps!!!

I have to admit, I don't understand the pathological need some people have to list every stamp they carve on Atlas Quest. The large warnings saying to list boxes and not stamps seems to be taken as a mild suggestion. Even rampaging through boxes deleting stamps listed as boxes doesn't seem to discourage people.

So, I finally caved in and now allow people to list every single individual stamp within a box. But--keep in mind, I will continue to delete stamps that are listed as boxes. There are stamps, and there are boxes, but they are not interchangeable. 

Each box is required to have at least one stamp in it. (Otherwise, it's not really a letterbox, it is? And therefore shouldn't be listed at all.) But each box can have one or more stamps listed within it.

The nice thing about this setup is that is it now possible to have multiple carvers for a single box--each stamp can have one carver assigned to it, and they don't need to be the same carver for each stamp.

All boxes already listed on AQ have, by default, had one, anonymous stamp listed as being part of the box with whoever was listed as the carver previously. If you want to edit your boxes that have more than one stamp, you can do that and add the extra stamps--this is entirely optional, though. The number of stamps you list in a box doesn't affect any counts except the number of stamps in that box.

You can assign a name for each stamp in a box, but this completely optional as well. By default, none of the stamps have any name at all. If a box has more than one stamp and they aren't given names, they'll simply be listed as "stamp #1", "stamp #2", etc. If a box has one stamp without a name, it'll just list the carver and not display a "name" for the stamp at all.

Hope this finally helps put to rest the listing of "fake boxes" that are really just stamps--but be warned--admins will continue to delete "boxes" that they come across if you mislabel your stamps as a full-fledged box.

For those of you who don't really care about listing stamps--you don't have to. Even if you hide a box with lots of stamps in them, don't feel compelled that every single stamp needs to be listed. If you just leave the default stamp settings in place (one stamp, with no name, that you are the carver of), you won't really see any change in your listings and that's fine. This is purely an optional step for those with a pathological need to list every one of the stamps that they have in a box. =)

Thanks, and I hope y'all enjoy the update!

 

AQ Marketplace Has Closed!

Due to overwhelming demand, we've had to temporarily close our AQ Marketplace. 

Just kidding, of course! However, the announcement from yesterday about all the new products is totally, 100% fake. None of those items are for sale, and most of them don't even exist. It's all part of AQ's annual April Fools Day prank. Hope you enjoyed it!

The idea of stuffing the AQ Marketplace started while I was flying through Philadelphia. There was a display of collections, and one collection in particular grabbed my eye. Actually, not so much one collection, but rather a specific item in one collection: a portrait of JFK from a magazine with the words "suitable for framing" written across the top. I thought that was hilarious, and how funny would it be if I sold portraits of myself that were "suitable for framing." =)

Suitable for framing? Oh, really?
That sounds like the start of a great idea....

Which led to the idea of stuffing the AQ Marketplace with all sorts of ridiculous and stupid items. I just needed to sit down and think of some ideas. And presto, a bunch of new stuff for the AQ Marketplace.

The one thing I did have to create was a bunch of "Wassa faces" for the "Wassa flocking." I knew there were already a bunch of Wassa faces out there in the wild--I've seen them (and even have one of my own!)--but I needed a whole flock of them to create, well, a flock. So I scrolled through Facebook photos of Wassa looking for one that had a high-enough resolution that I could print it out on a full-size sheet of paper and create a flock. 

And.... I'm willing to share it. =)

Hope you enjoyed it!

If that doesn't give you nightmares, nothing will!

AQ Marketplace Extravaganza!

For years people have asked me to add more bling to the AQ Marketplace, and we've finally delivered! From a portrait of Green Tortuga and an inspirational wall poster of Wassa, to muggle-protection devices for your letterboxes and more, the AQ Marketplace has everything a hard-core letterboxer could ever need!

AQ ceremonial candles can help you find letterboxes and protect against mosquitoes at the same time!

 

This realistic poo has a hidden compartment underneath that no muggle would ever find!

We'll even be selling a few health products, such as these salt-free sugar packets that are extremely low in sodium!

 

And much, much more! Check out all the new products and put in your order today!

Last Call for Eclipse Glasses!

It's that time of year again.... a total solar eclipse will be passing through North America in a couple of weeks and if you want to watch the build-up (and post-totality), you'll need a safe way to view the eclipse. The entire contiguous United States will at least see a partial eclipse, which also requires a safe way to view the eclipse. So if you haven't acquired your eclipse glasses, now's the time to do it!

To make sure everyone gets their orders in time for the eclipse, I'll be taking the eclipse glasses out of the AQ Marketplace in about a week so this is your last chance!

Just a reminder, if you are in the path of totality, it is perfectly safe and acceptable to watch the eclipse without eclipse glasses, but only during totality. In fact, you'll be missing out on the visual splendor of a lifetime if you do not. But before and after totality, you cannot safely look at the sun without eye protection. 

The Sun and Moon Tango!

It's that time of year again.... eclipse time! On April 8th, a solar eclipse will cross through North America, cutting through Mexico and entering the United States in Texas, sweeping through the country out toward Maine and even a tiny little bit in Canada.

And it's not just any solar eclipse, but this is the much more rare and far more spectacular total solar eclipse! It is, perhaps, the most most amazing and heavenly natural phenomenon you'll ever see! If you don't believe me, ask someone who witnessed the last one in the United States back in 2017. (I have a hunch that a large number of people who saw the 2017 eclipse might make a special point of checking out this year's eclipse!)

During totality, on that narrow line where the moon completely covers the surface of the moon, it is safe to view the eclipse with absolutely no eye protected at all. Depending on your exact location, the amount of time you can watch without eye protection is about 4 1/2 minutes or less. The closer to Mexico you are, the longer totality will last. But the couple of hours leading up to totality and the couple of hours after totality, when it is only a partial eclipse, you'll need eye protection, and these eclipse glasses can get the job done.

And we've got officially-sanctioned eclipse glasses for sale in the AQ Marketplace!

It's well worth making a special trip to see this eclipse if you've never stood in the path of totality before. It's really one of those experiences that everyone should experience at least once your life, and the next total solar eclipse will not happen in the United States for another TWENTY YEARS! Even then it barely grazes the country near North Dakota. (Although one year after that, on August 12, 2045, we'll get a good total solar eclipse that will span from coast-to-coast. Disney, I'm sure, is already planning major festivities in Orlando for the event!) But regardless, it'll be a long wait to see another total solar eclipse in our proverbial backyards, so now's the time to experience it!

If you saw the annular eclipse last October and thought, "It was interesting, but not that cool," totality is a totally different experience! It's night and day different! An annular eclipse is still quite interesting and fun to watch (I did!), but don't think for a second that you got 99% of the experience of totality. You got maybe 5% of the experience! Maybe less. Heck, there were people around us during the annular eclipse who didn't even seem to realize that an eclipse was going on but I can assure you--nobody overlooks a total solar eclipse! 

Although you can only see totality from a very narrow strip of area cutting through America, a partial eclipse will still be visible from the entire contiguous United States, so the eclipse glasses can still be useful for pretty much everyone. It won't be the eye-popping amazing experience of totality, but if you'd like to watch some of the eclipse anyhow.... you'll need eye protection, and we've got it. =)

Assuming I don't sell out of the eclipse glasses before then, I'll stop selling them on AQ about a week before the eclipse so (hopefully) all orders have a chance to make it to their destinations before the main event. So they'll only be available in the AQ marketplace for just over a month.... but I'd urge you to order as early as possible. If your order doesn't arrive as quickly as expected, I can still send out a replacement order in time for the eclipse. If you order only a week before the event and the order gets lost in the mail.... it might be too late to get a new order in time!

Be ready for that moment when the sun and moon dance the tango! Order your eclipse glasses today!

Okay, I'll have to admit, I had AI generate an image of the sun and moon dancing the salsa to get this image.... but the first image was the AI's take on dancing the tango! AI is fun.... =)

GPS End Points

Wishing you had a GPS right about now, eh?
Photo submitted by Dawnkey.

If you log into Atlas Quest and check out one of your boxes, you might notice this new attribute that AQ will record called the "GPS End Point". There is one for every traditional box on AQ. Or rather, it's available for every traditional box on AQ.

Don't worry, I'm not turning into this hobby into a geocache hybrid! You still have to follow whatever clues the owner of the box provides.

But it did occur to me that it might be handy to record the precise GPS coordinates of where your letterboxes are located. 

• If the landmarks in your clues become impossible to follow (for instance, a forest fire swept through the area or a trail was re-routed), there would still be a way to find and check up on the box.
• If someone looks for your box but doesn't find it, they could send you the precise GPS coordinates of where they looked and you can check if they were actually looking in the right place.
• If the worst should happen and you pass away, it would allow anyone who adopted your box to check up on it even if the clues were difficult or impossible to follow.
• You might forget precisely where you planted the box and have trouble finding it later because the landmarks have changed.
  

Basically, it's kind of a "backup" for your clues, and might make it easier to figure out if someone was actually looking in the correct place for your box if there was otherwise some uncertainty in the matter.

The only people who can see these coordinates are the owner and planters of the letterbox--not the people who are looking for it. Even the carvers of the stamps for the box can't see the coordinates--just those with "admin powers" over the box.

And adding coordinates is completely optional in any case. Obviously, there's no way AQ can go back and retroactively add coordinates to the hundreds of thousands of boxes that have been listed over the years and most of you likely have never kept track of this information either. (I know I haven't, although there are a couple of boxes I have planted where that information would definitely be useful right now!)

So if you notice information on your boxes about the "GPS end point", it'll be empty by default. You can edit the box and add it if you want--and know the coordinates of the actual location of the letterbox.

The coordinate is attached to individual boxes in a series since, obviously, different boxes will have different coordinates--even those in the same series. (At least that's how boxes should be listed, although I do know that people list boxes incorrectly all the time for a variety of reasons. I'll fix those when I come across them, but if you have two stamps with the same GPS coordinates, they should be counted as one box in a series!)

Anyhow, I hope some of you find this helpful! =)

Happy trails!

Crisis averted! Dawnkey and 4EyesMcGee find their treasure!
Photo submitted by Dawnkey