Talk:Hashiversary achievement

This is a proposal made on 20 May 2009. Please leave comments and suggestions below, indicating your thoughts on the proposal, including:

• Support - you think this proposal should be added with zero or minor changes
• Do not oppose - you think it's boring/meh/not for you, but it wouldn't harm to have it created
• Oppose - you have a specific reason as to why this ribbon should not exist (state this reasoning in your comment)
• Needs work - you think the achievement should be created after more significant changes have been made

See Proposed achievements for more information on this process.

I support this achievement! Although I like the name Geohashiversary better. Thepiguy 16:39, 22 May 2009 (UTC) http://wiki.xkcd.com/wgh/index.php?title=Talk:Hashiversary_achievement&action=edit I also support it, just for the record. Geohashiversary is a bit long, IMO, but I do not oppose the name. I am definitely going hashiversaring on my hashiversary, and I assume others might want to do that too. -- relet 21:03, 22 May 2009 (UTC)

I love it. I want to see more a provision for February 29th, and clairify if it should be the anniversary of the first successful geohash or the first attempt, no matter how lame. NW -Robyn 21:12, 22 May 2009 (UTC)

I don't like the way you've treated 29 February. I can see somebody saying to themselves "I like the idea of this geohashing thing. Now, when shall I go on my first expedition. Hey, 29 Feb is coming up -- that will make it really special!". And also, it is difficult to get this ribbon if you are not able to go hashing on every day of the week. I think that you should be able to celebrate your hashiversary either on the same date of your first expedition, or on a date which is the same day of the week as your first expedition, and is the instance of that day which is nearest the exact date anniversary. (So hashing on Friday 29 Feb 2008 would allow you to celebrate on Friday 27 Feb 2009, Friday 26 Feb 2010, and would presumably give you a choice of Fridays in 2011; either 25 Feb or 4 March). At the moment I do not oppose the achievement, but I also think it needs work and then I will support it when this is done. -- Benjw 08:57, 25 May 2009 (UTC)

I honestly don't think we have to consider those who choose Feb 29 deliberately. If you think that Feb 29 is something special, take your time to reconsider *why* it is special. I would have been worried if there were a Feb 29, 2009 and people had hashed on that day before. But we can still create a (gratuitous) ribbon for the Hashiversary (observed) if it ever happened. -- relet 09:18, 25 May 2009 (UTC)

Ok, the 29 February problem is a red herring; ignore it. But people not being able to go hashing on weekdays might well still be a problem. I do still think that you should be able to celebrate your hashiversary on the same day of the week as your first hash, not just on the exact date. I know dates are important for hashing itself, but to make the same distinction for anniversaries of hashing is overly exclusive, I think. In principle I support this achievement, but with the date restriction as it is now, I merely do not oppose it. -- Benjw 09:47, 25 May 2009 (UTC)

And how exactly does the "same day of week" solve the "can't go each day" problem in case the first expedition was on a weekday (or whatever day your regular obligations do not allow you to go one year later)? My first expedition had been on a tuesday. --Ekorren 09:55, 25 May 2009 (UTC)

My chance for this achievement is in two days (Wednesday). There's a very good chance I won't be able to make it due to work, but I may get lucky. Regardless, I think that it should have to be the same day to get the achievement. If you're going to implement some other method such as the same day of the week, then make it Hashiversary (alternate) or something like that, but at least leave the Hashiversary itself as the same day. It's meant to be like a birthday or anniversary from how I understand it, and those are a calendar date. Also, in case it's not clear, I support this achievement! -Srs0 10:11, 25 May 2009 (UTC)

I support it if it's for the same day of the year, maybe with a honorable mention for those who go on the same day of the week. We shouldn't make achievement requirements more complicated just to make the achievement easier. --ilpadre 10:46, 25 May 2009 (UTC)

Maybe a honorable mention could be for going within of one week after the correct day, just like people often celebrate their birthday not on the exact date but a few days later, and almost never before. Whatever a honorable mention would be for, or whether there will be one at all, I think the true achievement should only be valid on the true day, and in this variant I support it. If you can't go then, or the coordinates are just crap, it's bad luck. You have another chance a year later. There are so many achievements you'll never get a chance, no matter how long you wait, anyway. --Ekorren 10:55, 25 May 2009 (UTC)

Considerable Effort

I agree with the "there are some achievements that never get a chance" argument and that it should have to be on the exact date. My February 29th comment was mainly intended as a way of saying "address the non-obvious cases", which that discussion has brought out. I think the description could make it more crystal clear that neither the original nor the anniversary attempt has to succeed, and you'll need to define "go geohashing" in this case. If I look up the coordinates and look longingly in that direction, I probably don't get the ribbon, but what if I walk 8 km towards coordinates that are 50 km away, and then come home to bed? (Something that is likely to be my only way to geohash on my hashiversary next week). What if I go to an alternate instead? I'm sure it doesn't have to be in the same graticule. Basially answer every question that could come up so there aren't arguments later. -Robyn 14:26, 26 May 2009 (UTC)

When defining the hashcard achievement, I used the wording: You can earn this achievement without reaching the coordinates, but not without seriously trying to get as near as possible, complete with an example of an expedition which was doomed to not reach the coordinates from the beginning. This could well also work here, and for a number or other achievements. I hesitate to call visiting alternate coordinates a geohashing expedition in general, and would strongly prefer that they don't count. Of course the graticule should be of no concern. --Ekorren 14:39, 26 May 2009 (UTC)

In other words, because I've left this unsaid, this is a good, workable, interesting and desirable achievement that merely needs to be fleshed out so that anyone who follows the rules deserves the achievement, and anyone whom the rules excludes really didn't deserve the achievement. And I added a missing k to my earlier comment. -Robyn 16:22, 26 May 2009 (UTC)

Regarding the wording, Since this is a celebratory achievement, both the expedition that you count as your first, and the expedition that you celebrate with should prove a considerable effort to reach the geohash, but you can claim the ribbon if either or both expeditions fail. My first expedition was a miserable pathetic attempt during which I rode about 30 km in the pouring rain, and gave up and took a bus home before even reaching the graticule where my target lay. I didn't take any pictures, turn on the GPS, or preserve any other sort of proof. Does that lack of both proof and considerable effort bar me from ever collecting this achievement, or do I try for it instead on the anniversary of my first expedition with proof? I would estimate that many geohashers have poor or no proof of their first expedition. I'll bet it's frustrating to see that so many questions can be asked about such a simple achievement. -Robyn 23:21, 26 May 2009 (UTC)

I think "considerable effort" may be a phrase whose meaning has been slightly altered in translation. Perhaps "serious effort" or "genuine effort" might be better. Riding 30km in the rain is, IMO, a serious effort, even if it wasn't a successful one. -- Benjw 04:45, 27 May 2009 (UTC)

Thanks, benjw. That makes me feel better about only getting halfway there. What about the lack of proof? Many people won't have proof if their first expedition was a failure, or even if it succeeded. -Robyn 05:09, 27 May 2009 (UTC)

Retroversary

I think somehow we should also honor those who revisit any of their hashpoints exactly one year after the original expedition. I know it's something different, but do you like the thought? And if so, could we implement it in this achievement? --ilpadre 16:26, 26 May 2009 (UTC)

Actually, I don't really like it. Visiting the actual day's coordinates should always be preferred to some retro point, no matter what kind of point that is. Also, it discourages to take a longer or more difficult trip, as for most geohashers, the first expedition was at a rather convenient point nearby; and is impossible to do for those who did their first expedition in another area than they stay a year later, be it for hashing on vacation or having moved. --Ekorren 16:33, 26 May 2009 (UTC)

Visiting the actual day's coordinates should always be preferred. Hear hear! But I'd be okay with it if you visited them on the way to/back from the current coordinates. -Robyn 16:41, 26 May 2009 (UTC)

Yeah, I would like it if it that wouldn't cause a whole lot of new destinations to visit. I also think that the official coordinates are the way to go, and that everything that distracts from these should not be overly encouraged. Don't create too many retros.

That said, I really love the Revisited page, and think that you definitely should revisit your or other peoples' locations when you come near them. We might some time create a world map of successful expeditions to browse, which you can compare with your current expedition planning. -- relet 06:17, 27 May 2009 (UTC)