Talk:Red spider achievement

Comments

Proposed achievement relating to spiders only: Do not oppose, but I really can't see that there's much point to it. You don't have to do anything; you just score a ribbon if you happen to see a spider at some point en route. But I'm willing to be convinced otherwise.

Proposed achievement relating to the whole animal kingdom: Oppose. It would just be too easy to get -- I think every single one of my expeditions has involved going past sheep or horses in a field, or someone out dog-walking, or just seeing some birds in a tree. -- Benjw 16:14, 11 August 2010 (UTC)

Oppose. All of the above, and that not everything xkcd is inherently interesting. -- relet 16:27, 11 August 2010 (UTC)

Benjw, would it help any if it had to be a wild creature, not raised/herded/domesticated by humans and you must have a photo of it? I think that might make it more difficult. Not that difficulty should be the measure of an achievement. I can get the frozen achievement just by doing a normal geohash during a whole 4-5 months of a year where I live. relet, I chose to use a oft used image from xkcd to name the achivement, but if you think that the achievement should be called something different, you should say this needs work, and suggesting the change in addition to opposing on Benjw's points. Splitdipless 12:24, 12 August 2010 (UTC)

Sorry. No, I think the picture fits the achievement. I was just thinking that just because red spiders are a recurring theme in xkcd does not mean we need a red spider achievement. I got the impression that the definition is a bit forced... I mean, I do not recall an expedition where I did not run into "a member of the animal kingdom". Especially if you take spiders and ants into account. -- relet 08:39, 19 August 2010 (UTC)

Indeed. And birds. It's difficult to imagine an expedition where I could not get a photo of some birds. As for excluding 'domesticated' creatures, that does indeed make it harder, but I still don't really see the point of the achievement. You have to ask "what does this achievement add to people's hashing adventures?" and the answer seems to be that it might get people to look more closely at the insects around them. Or, most people would just take a photo of a bird or a beetle and leave it at that. I just don't see that it adds much to the experience. It doesn't grab me by the arm and make me want to go out on an expedition just to win it. -- Benjw 12:50, 19 August 2010 (UTC)