User talk:Robyn

Please make a new category at the bottom to add your comments if they don't relate to an existing section. I'd really appreciate a useful edit summary, too, so I can tell from the notification e-mail whether I need to look at it right away or not. Feel free to move an archived section back here if you want to talk about it more.

Older comments may be found in

Otherwise the page gets too long for some browsers and I can't find anything.

Meetup template

Because I haven't memorized it and can never find it when I want it.

{{subst:Expedition |lat = latitude of graticule |lon = longitude of graticule |date = date of expedition, in YYYY-MM-DD format }}

Australia

Hi Robyn, CJ and I were wondering, when you come to Australia (Whoo Hoo!), Could you please bring your airplane with you? Thanks, -- Kate 13:23, 9 March 2009 (UTC)

I'd need to a) convince my boss he didn't need it that week and b) fill all the baggage holds with fuel to get it that far. How about I bring my licence and hire one there? -Robyn 17:26, 9 March 2009 (UTC)

Yay! We'll planepool (as in carpool?) and go on an Airtrip (as in roadtrip?) ! -- Kate 21:34, 9 March 2009 (UTC)

Yeah! Drop by your local flying school and find out what the rules are for a rental by someone who holds a Transport Canada and FAA licence. -Robyn 21:36, 9 March 2009 (UTC)

Hi Robyn, guess what? While at a dance performance I was chatting to another performer, who is the secretary for an organisation that rents planes in Canberra (yeah, I know, yay for random coincidences)! So... what kind of license do you have again? Her preliminary advice was you can probably get a temporary flying permit thing. --joannac 04:14, 6 April 2009 (UTC)

I have a Transport Canada Airline Transport Licence, and an FAA Private licence. The trick seems to be that you have to do a flying checkout with a school (no problem) but then Australia takes weeks to process the temp permit. -Robyn 04:58, 6 April 2009 (UTC)

Europe

It's fantastic that you're coming to Europe! I'll be around 39,2, 40,14, 41,2, 43,5 and 39,-0 from May 16 to 23, so I we'll probably not meet each other. I would have loved to (if I could choose to meet any hasher, it would be you). Good luck and lots of fun and hashpoints to visit. Oh, and thanks for your card! --ilpadre 17:58, 30 April 2009 (UTC)

Aw rats, you're right: that's way far south. I hope I can meet some people, anyway. -Robyn 18:20, 30 April 2009 (UTC)

Speaking of meeting up, do you have any firm plans as to where you'll be? It wouldn't be out of the question for me to make it to a pan-European meetup on Sunday 17th or on my weekday off work on either week (although I don't know which days those will be, yet), especially if you were still in Belgium, which is closer than Germany. That's if you were planning to go hashing while you're here, of course... (and also assuming you'd like to meet up, which isn't a given, I suppose -- perhaps I'm assuming too much!) -- Benjw 18:25, 30 April 2009 (UTC)

I don't have specific plans yet. I'm landing in Brussels. I thought my route would probably take me more east before going south, to avoid the most mountainous area in between, and I was going to let the location of accessible geohashes guide me. I might even go northeast into the Netherlands. I can always take trains if I get behind schedule. And of course I want to meet up. And apparently I can get by in any country in Europe by speaking lolcat: I CAN HAZ WIFI? -Robyn 18:31, 30 April 2009 (UTC)

I'm willing to go to any place reachable with a Baden-Württemberg-Ticket for a meetup. That is: All of 48,8, 48,9 and significant parts of all of the surrounding graticules. Longer trips might be considered if it's possible to share a group ticket. --Ekorren 18:35, 30 April 2009 (UTC)

FREAKING overpriced Dinosaur fees. So I let the airline know that I would be travelling with a bicycle and a dinosaur, and it turned out that while rubber dinosaurs travel free, the fee for the bike was going to be more than the whole fare. So I freaked out and called Aeroplan to find out what I could do about this, and they took pity on me, and refunded everything even though it was a non-refundable fare. So T-Rex and Уcпех and I are not going to Europe right now. Unless we rebook on Air Canada. -Robyn 21:37, 30 April 2009 (UTC)

Why don't you get another ICWB when you get there? --Kate 01:45, 1 May 2009 (UTC)

Because I want to ride a hundred kilometres a day and enjoy it, and it's tricky buying a reliable bicycle in another country in advance. -Robyn 01:50, 1 May 2009 (UTC)

Yay Computer!

Welcome back to the land of the fully functional computer! --aperfectring 17:23, 2 July 2009 (UTC)

"Fully functional" would not be quite accurate. To begin with, the machine runs Vista. So far I can receive mail (but not send it), surf the web (but haven't remembered my geohashing wiki password, nor figured out how to import my very extensive bookmark hierarchy into the new install of Firefox. The Import function offers only to import from IE, and that's the new computer install of IE, consisting mainly of AOL and the hardware manufacturer's site. But at least I have a full-sized keyboard and screen, and I appreciate the welcome. - Robyn

will this help? -- Rhonda 18:37, 2 July 2009 (UTC)

I've found the automatic bookmark backups on the old hard drive, but I haven't figured out how to make the new installation look at them. I'll read your link more thoroughly to see if it mentions how to do that, somewhere. -Robyn.

Yay! Bookmarks! They're back! The information wasn't in that link, but I searched on keywords in that link and discovered a file called places.sqlite, which when copied across resulted in my having all my hierarchies, toolbar bookmarks, everything is back. If I'm really lucky maybe my passwords, too. -Robyn

Hurrah! Your passwords might be stored in a different file in your profile folder, if they're not in the places database. -- Rhonda 19:39, 2 July 2009 (UTC)

Transcluding example

This discussion page has been tagged for deletion. If deleted, only the discussion page will disappear, not the actual page being discussed. If you disagree with its deletion, remove the {{delete}} tag from the page . Otherwise, an administrator should come by and delete it shortly.

The reason given for deletion was: Not important enough for their own page. Use Category:Unimportant geohashers instead.

See the list of pages tagged for deletion.

This is a list of geohashing participants who feel that they lack importance.

I just parsed Special:Shortpages to find an example that does not blow up your talk page upon transcluding and stumbled on this. ;) -- relet 20:32, 2 July 2009 (UTC)

More insane than normal

You walked to Langley?!?! Thepiguy 08:10, 8 July 2009 (UTC)

Sweet! --ilpadre 09:16, 8 July 2009 (UTC)

I was totally impressed by your 42km Walk Geohash even before I calculated what 42km was in those archaic units that we use here! Congratulations on your Walk Geohash ribbon, and the longest Walk Geohash so far. Sara 15:26, 8 July 2009 (UTC)

Yeah, I walked to Langley. It seemed like a good idea at the time. And by the time it started to hurt, I'd come too far to give up. Now for the real challenge: walking to the kitchen the next day. I remember the first time I rode my bike to Langley: I thought that was a long way. -Robyn 15:30, 8 July 2009 (UTC)

That should be our motto. "Geohashing: It seemed like a good idea at the time." I'll make sure to put that on a shirt. :D Thepiguy 09:37, 10 July 2009 (UTC)

Support :D --Meghan 14:44, 10 July 2009 (UTC)

42 kilometers is an important number to those of us who do marathons. You deserve a medal:

Robyn earned the Marathon Woman Achievement

by walking 42.195 kilometers to get to the (49, -122) geohash on 2009-07-07.

--starbird 17:53, 9 September 2009 (UTC)

More insane than normal...er

They stopped you?!? How could they do that! I'm guessing that they didn't really give you a choice in the matter, judging by how you wrote it up. But you were fine! There aren't any laws against that is there? Thepiguy 19:53, 13 July 2009 (UTC)

They were concerned that I was going to be in the way of the freighter. And they didn't understand the goal. And I didn't say Yarrrr! Prepare to be boarded! Maybe I should rewrite the expedition to say that I did, and then remember it that way. -Robyn 20:10, 13 July 2009 (UTC)

Recent expeditions help text

It is much simpler to have the bot just write the text as a whole to Template:Recent expeditions. I will add the text you added into the bot sometime tonight. If you want to add some helpful text to any page, and the bot is overwriting it, please let me know on the bot's talk page. --aperfectring 21:43, 15 July 2009 (UTC)

Thanks. I was thinking that Aperfectbot Help was not the best name for the section there, because someone who wants that information is looking more for "How to add your expedition."

Monday?

It's only 4km out from wreck beach... :-) (Well, and it's due to be rainy. But...) -- Rhonda 02:02, 7 September 2009 (UTC)

OMG, I didn't see that. YES! I am up for a kayak geoflashing expedition in the rain. What time? Wade points out that Elbie already did a Wreck Beach geohash, but we can't let her hold that title alone. And thanks. -Robyn

Well the YVR TAF doesn't show a lot of wind expected tomorrow, so that'll help if it extends a few km out into the strait. Depending on how windy it is I may want to wear a windbreaker instead of going for geoflashing. (Although if I'm going to do that, wreck beach is the place to do it...)

Haven't thought of a time yet. Mid-morning to noonish start at a guess. It's not 9km each way, so we'll be back well before dark, right? :-) Also depends if xore wants to come; I have his new/replacement sevylor in my car still. (The only place in BC that sells them now is in Kamloops, and I happened to be going up there to visit my parents a week after he found this out...) -- Rhonda 03:02, 7 September 2009 (UTC)

PS: welcome back!

Vancouver

Time to achieve level 4 minesweeper for Vancouver: 324 Days.

Time to achieve level 4 minesweeper for Würzburg: 35 Days.

Time to achieve level 4 minesweeper for Berlin: 9 Days.

I love Vancouver (I really do!) but some places are just so much better sometimes! It's not fair! I vote we rename Cortes Island and Brandywine to their original names of Mountains and Bears.

I would support your proposal but then all BC graticules that didn't have a reasonably major city (and most of those that do) would also have to be renamed "Mountains" or "Bears". Or "Mountains and bears", or how about "Rocks and trees"...

Vancouver is graceful enough to give us breaks, days on which no one could be expected to geohash, in order that we rest up, wash our kayaks and prepare for the next day in which the point is possibly achievable. - Robyn.

Good to see you back. Last Friday I was looking at Vancouver's Saturday coordinates, and immediately thought of you! At a glance it looks like another impossible location, but I discovered it was an awesome opportunity. Being a Saturday, you'd have a day to plan or get a head start. Highway 101 to Earls Cove leaves you with 20km in Jervis Inlet to reach Vancouver Bay (I know nothing of ocean-going, so I'm unsure how difficult this part would be). There is a 7km road (yes, a road) that goes from the bay to the unnamed lake. No bushwhacking required! This leaves you with about 200m to Macgyver (or swim?) into the lake. Camping overnight would probably be a requirement. Maybe next time? Juventas 01:45, 10 September 2009 (UTC)

20 km of ocean kayaking is about six hours. Each way. -Robyn

Right. I've heard a few other Vancouver geohashers have sailboats or motorboats. Whether they'd be more suitable I don't know. I wasn't trying to belittle your graticule woes, just thought you'd find it interesting. Juventas 06:08, 10 September 2009 (UTC)

Happy Anniversary :D

It's exactly one year ago that we met in Surrey at midnight dressed as pirates! Thanks for all the great Geohashes! Can't wait to get back to Canada and start Geohashing with you again!

Hey Robyn!

Just wanted to say that I hope you're alright and everything's going well with you! It's weird to not see you on the wiki for approaching a month and a half. I hope you're just busy with work and it's almost done or something like that! I look forward to reading about your future expeditions! -Srs0 17:43, 13 October 2009 (UTC)

Yes, I have some updates to post. I usually leave for work all day before the points come out, so fewer opportunities to geohash. - Robyn

To an outside observer, it would seem that she went to Philadelphia and was never heard from again :-) -- Jevanyn 19:41, 29 October 2009 (UTC)

Yeah, sorry. I've been in tiny communities with few roads, lots of wild animals, and only my feet for transportation. - Robyn.

You should call into flight control to get the coords! --aperfectring 16:41, 4 November 2009 (UTC)

Uh .. yeah ... great idea, Aperfectring. - Robyn.

Yay! She's back! --Zb 15:23, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

Since I have now finally replaced it, does this qualify as the underachieving cousin of ICWB? Also those of us in the IRC channel miss you, and hope you pay us a visit soon. Happy hashing (when you get the chance) --aperfectring 08:54, 20 February 2010 (UTC)

Hey Robyn!! i've just uploaded a report of a Geohash i did. Would you check it out and tell me if im missing something? Thank you so much =) BTW, i think i get the general idea of editing, however i might still need some help soon =S --Cid 06:20, 23 March 2010 (UTC)

Cool! The report looks great so far. I'm impressed. I'm afraid I don't know enough about the way Google Earth gets its altitudes to know which one should count. The unit you have used is unfamiliar to me metres something n m - is that an abbreviation in Spanish? -Robyn.

MSNM == metros sobre el nivel del mar (Spanish: meters above sea level) thanks to Google. Jiml 17:26, 23 March 2010 (UTC)

Gasp! You're alive! I hope you're well. I can't wait to read all the reports for the expeditions you took while in my neck of the woods. I finally grabbed a hash myself on the bike! --Meghan 17:37, 23 March 2010 (UTC)

Oh good! I was so silly for not having determined before the last day WHERE in "Edmonton" you lived. People always say "oh you'll never come to my town," but I go to the unlikeliest places. -Robyn 18:34, 23 March 2010 (UTC)

Just wanted to let you know my name is Brandon. The "B" letter would be filled in if we were to meet. If you're ever in Chicago! Typewriter

Heh, that might be cheating if your username begins with T. But I might cheat. It wouldn't be dcheating if you gave me permission, now, would it? -Robyn 23:41, 5 July 2010 (UTC)

2010-03-28 globalhash

The globalhash is in the Coeur d'Alene, Idaho graticule, only 800 km from Vancouver! There's even an airport in walking distance. Danatar 08:01, 27 March 2010 (UTC)

How do you know I'm not already on my way? -Robyn 18:42, 27 March 2010 (UTC)

Are you? -- Rhonda 18:50, 27 March 2010 (UTC)

Haven't left home. Yet. -Robyn 18:54, 27 March 2010 (UTC)

The phone number I have for you doesn't work anymore. I was going to call you... -- Rhonda 18:55, 27 March 2010 (UTC)

You must have my cell, which is in vacation mode. Look up my home number in the phone book. -Robyn 20:04, 27 March 2010 (UTC)

Phone book?! People still use those?? -- Rhonda 20:17, 27 March 2010 (UTC)

They have a multitude of uses. -Robyn 20:23, 27 March 2010 (UTC)

Edmonton

Looks like it's on the easier side of the fence this time. Juventas 05:11, 1 May 2010 (UTC)

Way ahead of you, dude. Guess who has a flight booked out of YEG tomorrow? -Robyn 05:22, 1 May 2010 (UTC)

Q & A section

Hi Robyn, could you please take a look at the contrail picture in this report? It would be great to know why someone would take a route that looks like a detour on a clear day. Something like a holding pattern at cruise altitude? Secret special military mission? Maybe a pilot geohasher knows the answer? --Zb 08:07, 16 May 2010 (UTC)

Water Geohash Equipment

Quick question: Do you still have your paddles from this water geohash? My equipment seems to have been moved around and I am currently paddleless. I think I know where they got moved to, but as a back up, are your available? I can pay you in Nibs! :D -- [[user:thepiguy]] 06:04, 20 May 2010 (UTC)

I have them, but I trust you recall that they weren't very good paddles, and couldn't be assembled into a single kayak paddle. -Robyn 16:23, 20 May 2010 (UTC)

For the latter there is duct tape.--relet 18:30, 20 May 2010 (UTC)

2009-06-21 54 -1

I know it was aaaages ago, but can you remember why you created this page? -- Benjw 17:03, 8 August 2010 (UTC)

There's no reason at all for me to have created that page. It doesn't even seem to be a reasonable typo for an expedition I did. I certainly have no use for it. -Robyn 23:55, 8 August 2010 (UTC)

Ok, ta muchly. It did seem a little odd! -- Benjw 05:21, 9 August 2010 (UTC)

Germany in October

I just read you'll be in Germany in October, even in my state. I hope we'll get a meetup done during that time - maybe that's even going to be this year's large german meetup? Otterstedt, Eibsee and Berlin are all more than a year ago already. How time flies! Walldorf has a train station named "Wiesloch-Walldorf" a little bit out of town, with good service into all directions. It's about 2 hours with a fast train from here, 2:43 with the cheaper local trains.

What to see: I think it's hard to make definite recommendations. What do you want to see? What's of most interest for you?

Give me a direction, or give me a hashpoint, and I might be able to recommend something to see along the way. Give me a date, and I'll find you a hashpoint well reachable with public transport for surprisingly low money. Virgin graticules are hard to find in Germany, though - if you plan to reach one of those, you'll have to cross the border and visit e.g. France or Austria ;)

--Ekorren 07:15, 26 September 2010 (UTC)

Hooray! I don't have to work during the time you are here, so there WILL be a meetup, even if I have to travel a bit. Depending on what your interests are, in the nearer surroundings you should probably visit Heidelberg and Karlsruhe. Also, Würzburg is very nice, of course ;-) I guess for you the "Auto & Technik Museums" in Sinsheim and Speyer with many many planes will be of special interest. But there is very much to see everywhere, depending on how far you want to go and on the general direction you will travel in the second week. Like ekorren said, tell us where you go and what you like and we can recommend something. I'm looking forward to meeting you! - Danatar 09:49, 26 September 2010 (UTC)

We're not hunting for virgin graticules--we can find lots of those in Canada--but we would like to make a step towards our globetrotter. The idea of recommending a hashpoint along the way is exactly what we were hoping for, plus of course the chance to meet some of you famous German geohashers. We like to look at castles and to walk through twisty streets in old towns that have been there since before our country was even discovered by Europeans. We like museums and tasty food and bicycling (but Wade says not uphill). I'm more interested in pre-unification history, the 18th and early 19th centuries or before.

What I know about Germany comes from three sources: history class: the unification of the German states in 1871, two wars of expansion, post WWII division into occupied zones; the news: reunification, difficulty integrating immigrants from elsewhere in the EU, a spelling reform; and cartoons: lederhosen, beer & tubas. I have never studied German, but I think I could pick a bit up pretty quickly, and I'm brave with respect to going places and doing things in a foreign country. -Robyn 16:30, 26 September 2010 (UTC)

"twisty streets in old towns" - I'm sure you'll like my home town Tübingen, so I'll call that an invitation. We have a well preserved old city centre from the late middle age, including a castle. Nearby are also several historic locations from roman times (including the largest roman toilet north of the Alps) and a good number of other castles and monasteries. However, there are so many places worth seeing that the problem won't be to find some, but to choose some. Of places rather close to Walldorf I would spontaneously recommend to visit world heritage site Maulbronn.

"lederhosen, beer & tubas" - Well, that might be bavarian Oktoberfest tradition but it's not really Germany. Many people claim that Bavaria isn't really a part of Germany anyway. Last time I remember having seen someone wearing Lederhosen outside of an Oktoberfest styled event was about ten years ago, a very old couple in a remote bavarian village. Of course beer is traditional everywhere in Germany.

Visiting another country isn't out of the way in any respect. From Walldorf a daytrip to France is easy and reasonable, e.g. to Wissembourg or Strasbourg. Depending on how far you are willing to go, and how much the ticket may cost, the corners of several other countries are reachable as well. This is central Europe. This is where people do international multihashes.

"I have never studied German" - Not much need to do anyway, since most germans learn English in school. The percentage of people with at least basic english knowledge is large enough to find someone to talk to virtually everywhere ;)

Just give us notice of your plans when they get a little more fixed, and don't hesitate to ask any question, no matter how dumb. I'll also send you my phone number by PM, just in case there's something that needs an immediate reply ;) --Ekorren 18:10, 26 September 2010 (UTC)

I hope you guys have a great time in Germany, by the way. When you announced you were going, I looked into making a trip out there -- the opportunity to meet lots of interesting Canadian and German geohashers all at the same time was ideal, and I've got time off work for exams at the moment, but no exams after Wednesday morning. Sadly (well, for me it is; maybe you are internally rejoicing) free time has a habit of filling itself up, and I have to be at home on Thursday and Saturday morning, which rather stuffs up any ideas of making European trips. I'll have to meet you all some other time. — Benjw _[talk] 21:35, 17 October 2010 (UTC)

2010-10-20 (Wednesday)

"Wednesday I will go to Heidelberg" - I'm looking forward to meeting you. If the hashpoint falls anywhere near Heidelberg, I'll try to go for it (especially since I'm going to buy a Semesterticket today which will allow me to roam freely in the whole VRN area for the next four months). If not, we could still meet in Heidelberg. --ilpadre 05:33, 19 October 2010 (UTC)

Yes! Definitely. Discussion on the hash page. -Robyn 21:22, 19 October 2010 (UTC)

2010-10-21 (thursday)

I'm just back from the dentist, and the aftermath may get ugly - or not. I don't know. So I'm not sure at the moment how I'll feel tomorrow. I haven't checked timetables yet, just guessing general accessibility. --Ekorren 15:41, 20 October 2010 (UTC)

49,7 - is located in the Pfälzer Wald forest, and looks both nice and reasonably reachable, either by bus or bike. For me that hash would also complete a minesweeper for 48,8 (I already have one for 48,9, though). The hash is not within of Baden-Württemberg, but that won't matter since there are other, even cheaper, options to get there. Touristy places worth seeing are in good supply around there, e.g. Bad Bergzabern and Wissembourg (the latter is in France).

49,8 - is fast and easy - it has only one "error": The hash is located on a main road. Walking and biking on that road is most definitely banned and there will be strong and fast traffic. I'm not sure it's a good idea to try that. One could think about taking a taxi from the station through the hash (probably less than 10 EUR), but that would interfere with my goal to always avoid using cars to get to a hash.

49,9 - is on a field, reasonably reachable from the station Eckartshausen-Ilshofen. Touristy places nearby include Schwäbisch Hall.

48,7 - is in a Black Forest valley. Probably nice landscape, probably reasonably accessible by either bike or bus.

48,8 - is quite remote and a long trip for you. Bad bus connections, high in the hills (i.e. much uphill if biking)

48,9 - may be reasonably reachable by bike from the nearest station. However, it's about 4 hrs train ride each direction for you, so the timeline isn't nice.