It may be a good idea since there seems to be a new spotted thread popping up every 10 minutes. This way if anybody cares what you happened to spot on the road they can just check in the forum instead of looking all around. Just an idea to throw out there.
Nope, waste of space. If they're not overdone in the relavent forums then I don't mind. It helps people find other local PHers which is what this community should be about.