**Invention and Spread:**
– Geohashing was founded in 2008.
– The algorithm generates random GPS coordinates daily based on financial data and date.
– The geohashing community quickly embraced the concept.
– The official geohashing wiki was established in June 2008.
– Geohashing gained popularity across the internet with over 15,000 expedition reports.
**Geohash:**
– Geohashing divides the earth into grid graticules.
– A random location is set within these graticules.
– Geohashers can attempt to reach the chosen location.
– Inaccessible or private locations should not be trespassed.
– There is a single challenging global hashpoint each day.
**See Also:**
– Geohashing is related to location-based games.
– Benchmarking and Orienteering are similar activities.
– The Degree Confluence Project uses a similar grid system.
– Letterboxing is another outdoor activity.
**References:**
– Solivellas wrote about Geohashing in 2008.
– CNET France covered Geohashing.
– The official geohashing site provides history and statistics.
– The geohashing wiki includes a hall of amazingness.
– Various expeditions and statistics can be found on the geohashing site.
**External Links:**
– Wikimedia Commons has media related to geohashing.
– Explore more scenarios on “What If?” related to geohashing.
Geohashing /ˈdʒiːoʊˌhæʃɪŋ/ is an outdoor recreational activity inspired by the webcomic xkcd, in which participants have to reach a random location (chosen by a computer algorithm), prove their achievement by taking a picture of a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or another mobile device and then tell the story of their trip online. Proof based on non-electronic navigation is also acceptable.
 A geohashing app, converting the day's date and the Dow Jones Industrial Average into a set of coordinates | |
| Highest governing body | geohashing wiki |
|---|---|
| Nicknames | hashing |
| First played | 2008 |
| Registered players | 800 |
| Characteristics | |
| Contact | no (except where two hashers agree to a local variant) |
| Team members | varies, usually solo |
| Mixed-sex | yes |
| Type | outdoor or indoor, aquatic |
| Equipment | satellite navigation device or map with latitude/longitude or other grid markings and compass; other equipment may be useful |
| Glossary | glossary |
| Presence | |
| Country or region | worldwide |
| Olympic | no |
| World Championships | no |
| Paralympic | no |
| World Games | no |
The geohashing community and culture is extremely tongue-in-cheek, supporting any kind of humorous behavior during the practice of geohashing and resulting in a parody of traditional outdoor activities. Navigating to a random point is sometimes done with a goal in mind. Some geohashers document new mapping features they find on the OpenStreetMap project, clean up litter, or create art to commemorate the trip, among other activities.
A variation on geocaching, known as geodashing, features a closely comparable principle, with participants racing between coordinate points.