Thank you, kind sirs.

I'm bored so I thought I'd post this...

I was out looking for box placements this weekend and stumbled across this.

I couldn't figure it out. Any takers? The second letter looks like an 'R' but if so, what's the first letter!?

Ok, I figured. I would get a premium membership. Except I have barely letterboxed in the last few years. I’ll probably just print out the clues. If my letterboxing picks up more than 1-2 times a year, I’ll consider it.

Ok, this might be for me. Thanks.

I was a premium member for several years, but I have not been very active in about 5 years, so I let it lapse. There didn’t used to be pop-ups, either. So I didn’t know if that was new or something I did wrong. If I actually get back to letterboxing, and not just events, I’ll sign back up.

throwie throw up

check out this video on drawing this style of graffiti

condo

I feel your pain, the ads are really bad like so bad you can hardly navigate the site there are so many pop-ups. I personally have a premium membership so had no idea. But I’ve recently recruited 2 new letterboxers and while out boxing and helping them on their phones, have gotten a peek at how AQ works without a premium membership and it’s frustrating and almost unusable. Sigh. I know, I know they need to purchase the premium and support the website. But that’s not gonna happen. The reality is they are happy to just slack box with me and will only use the website if I’m helping them.

It never ceases to amaze me how much and how fast technology is changing. When I started letterboxing (2001) I did all my searchs for clues on the website accessed from my personal computer at home or work. I would print out clues and head out to search for boxes, then come back home to log the find or attempt on the PC. If I was travelling on vacation or business it might be days or weeks before I logged results.

Now, almost everyone accesses the world wide web on a cell phone with a 3-6 inch screen. I'm 67 yo and my eye sight for fine detail is not what it used to be. If the clues include photos needed to determine the right place to look for a box I usually just skip that box.

Having to deal with pop-up ads must be truly annoying and if I could not afford or justify a premium membership I would probably drop out of letterboxing.

And then Clue Tracker comes along. I can still do all the research and then download clues for access where cell signals might be intermittent or non-existent. I can also log my results right away, out in the field (with cell signal) while details are still fresh in my mind.

Yes, great advice. Internet advertising is annoying and personally invasive. I generally use 3 browser tools to block as much of that crap as possible. And I make no apologies for the lost revenue.

However, if you have a website with content I desire and find useful, you bet I will pay the price to sign up! Unless you drive me away with aggressive ads before I can make the choice.

I believe it says "RAKE".

When I lived in California I was on a volunteer graffiti team. We were escorted by police cars front and back, paint donated by Home Depot, and we caravaned into neighborhoods painting over graffiti. But first a special officer had already photographed and interpreted what it said. With several cars it was pretty much a hit and run operation as we were not in good places. We were told this graffiti was a whole language that gang to gang understood. Simple words are not simple words. I know nothing about it, I only painted. And I took my dog, Rover, with me because she was a real junk yard dog.

I personally don’t think it’s a great idea to make the site so unpalatable for users who are new and trying to decide if they want to try letterboxing. They might not have a printer to print clues, or have to go to the library to do it, would turn off some people.

It might be RANT in their lettering.

Most of what you wrote sounded like Greek to me, but I’ll try to take the time to decipher it later. Thanks for the detailed response!

I am old school when it comes to clues and I print them out. Some of the trails I go to there is no internet access so printed clues won't let me down.

How about a free 30 to 60 day Premium test drive for new boxers. Or an introductory price for the first year for any boxer. Afterward, they can make an informed benefits vs costs decision.

A warning: who really takes the TV remote and puts in away in the closet.

Thanks, Condo - interesting video. Throwie, huh.

Good on you, that's noble work.

👍

Not sure if it'll make a difference for you or not, but that search engine I mentioned earlier has what they call a "fair pricing policy" which means they basically extend your membership for each month that you don't use the service. Basically, you won't get charged for what you don't use.

I thought that was a brilliant idea, though, so I've added a "fair pricing policy" to AQ today. If a premium member doesn't log in for a full calendar month, they basically get their premium membership extended by an extra month automatically for free. So if you only use the website every few months, you could stretch a premium membership out for several years. =)

This applies to all premium members, starting this month. Although anyone reading this message this month is clearly logged into their account and therefore won't get the extra month.

But in a nutshell, for those who drop out for a few months or even a few years.... you'll still have your premium membership when you come back.

I also logged into my Google AdSense account to look at the settings. It's kind of scary how many options they have now, not all of which I fully understand. But I did find a setting to reduce the "vignette ads" from showing every 1 minute to now show every 5 minutes, so maybe that will help make the ads a little less annoying. They'll still happen, though!

-- Ryan

That's an awesome feature! Thanks so much! I don't think I've ever gone more than a day or two without logging in since the day I started letterboxing, but what a generous gesture for those whose life events sometimes get in the way of our fun pastime.

So let me see if I have this right...if I have a Lifetime membership, and I go, say, 10 years without logging into AQ... do I live 10 years longer?

Yes! And, if you cross the international date line...

I get a date!

I don't care what anybody has to say, you really are a nice person

Hard to see, but REDS, as in Cincinnati Reds?

Wow! I’m impressed. I really appreciate this idea!!!! Thanks!

I think there are 6 letters.

Based on your link to Throwie, I'd say it looks more like 4 letters.

My sarcastic response is that I decoded it to say:
"I have tiny man syndrome and need to vandalize to feel larger"

My guess for the letters... sideways P, R, single line so I? Then 2 curves. PRICE ?

With that red behind it I'm thinking maybe one street gang painted over another gang's letters and left enough red to make it clear what they did?