For more than two decades, Groundspeak have provided a dedicated interface supporting Benchmark hunting activities, allowing users to search, download and log their finds just like they do with geocaches. All logs, photos, notes and comments were preserved for future reference by anyone so inclined, which commonly included the USGS (United States Geological Survey) seeking updated information for their database.
Groundspeak Benchmark Home Page Snippet 2002-08.png
Unlike geocaches that frequently come and go with lifespans commonly measured in months, Benchmarks have been around for more than a hundred years, and most are still available to find to this day.
As of December 30, 2022, Benchmark hunters had posted nearly a quarter million logs documenting more than 165 thousand benchmark finds, representing a culmination of an unquantifiable commitment of personal resources over two decades time.
Groundspeak Benchmark Home Page Snippet 2022-12.png
And on January 4, 2023, Groundspeak removed all Benchmark support from their website, simultaneously destroying more than 20 years of documented history. All logs, photos and notes shared by the very people that helped make Groundspeak what they are today are no more.
Groundspeak Benchmark Home Page Snippet 2023-01.png
While multiple reasons for this decision were provided upon request, many of which were deemed questionable at best, and while many users provided a wide selection of alternative solutions, pleading with Groundspeak the entire time to preserve more than 20 years of crowdsourced data, it was all for not as everyone's requests had fallen on deaf ears.
The powers that be at Groundspeak have determined the commitment and time so many contributed over the past two decades no longer had any value to them, and as such, they have discarded it like unwanted garbage.
Like so many, we were not aware of this unimaginable decision until attempting to find a specific Benchmark in the Groundspeak database, and were left speechless, saddened, and with an empty feeling inside, simply unable comprehend what had happened.
But even without Groundspeaks support, Benchmarks are still waiting to be found all over the world. They can still be loaded to your Garmin GPSr just like geocaches to make the entire process more enjoyable, and they can still be logged on their respective hosting websites.
Please visit
GPSrChive > How To... > Benchmark for detailed information!
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