simpjkee

Last night I found one glued to a rock.

I believe that on any given puzzle cache only half of the smileys are from people who actually completed the puzzle. Seems the cache the OP is referring too is on par to me.

I live in an area with a lot of caches so I can find a lot when I go out caching. I have a nice GPS that has caches, descriptions, logs, and hints and that helps a lot. I cache a lot. Before work. After work. On the weekends. I've done this consistently for a couple years and the finds begin to add up.

I've had caches go missing, but only one that I know of that was stolen by a fellow geocacher. I've also had cache containers broken repeatedly by fellow cachers. I didn't mind it too much to be honest. I like to maintain my caches just as much as I like to find other caches. I went out and replaced it the next day and that was that. A job well done and I got to post an owner maintanence log.

Honestly, when I place a cache I expect that it will disappear. I have backups and am surprised that I havent needed them as much as I thought I would. You could remind yourself that this is just a game. You could happily go replace the cache (as you do) and cheerfully look forward to the next find log. You could also recite the Serenity Prayer.

I've never put a FTF prize in any of my caches. Commonly though I hear people putting in lottery tickets, money, coupons for free stuff, or unactivated geocoins....but the unactivated geocoins are usually in the bigger caches in the woods not so much the run of the mill urban micro.

Definitely log that DNF Spanky! It'll help the owner know if there is an issue and it will let other cachers know that there may be an issue. Welcome to the game!

I suppose my username is short compared to some, but I make it a point to sign my full name in cache logs (even nano's). Thats just how I roll....

If I find a cache that is currently active on the geocaching website, I log it as found. I can think of very few exception. In one instance, I logged an archived cache because I was caching with paper and it had been archived between the time I printed the cache page and actually found the cache. I have stumbled upon a puzzle cache (that was listed incorrectly), whose final location was within 50 feet of a traditional cache. I can not ever remember a time when I found a cache by mistake before I started caching. I also can't recall ever seeing someone geocaching before I started geocaching. I have wondered though if I ever played the role of muggle for some cacher before I knew about the game.

Between April 2011 and December 2012, I only found about 15-20 caches. I don't look at it as giving up so much as just not finding any. I still maintained the caches I owned and went to a couple events. The reasons I decided to step back from the game for awhile were a product of my own attitudes and perceptions. I was frustrated when people didn't play geocaching like I thought they should. I was getting angry at caches being placed that I didn't approve of and fellow cachers doing things I didn't approve of. Like when people placed 5 star difficulty caches in my area and the only way to find them was to be told or shown where they were (under the guise that it was a 'hint') by PAF's. Or when I first heard about some of these power trail techniques like leapfrogging and cache shuffling and stuff. During my 'break' I practiced changing my perceptions of life and expectations of other people. My new perspective on things transfers well in to how I play geocaching today. For example, I no longer take issue with people placing 5 star caches because I now use my Ignore List (something I never used before) and am then blissfully ignorant of the caches existence. I also play my own game instead of playing it as if it's a competition with other cachers. For example, if someone wants to do the power trail and practice leapfrogging...that's their business and how they play geocaching. I just play my game and know that that is not how I play geocaching.

I've found many sprinkler head caches. One in particular had a hint that said something like "one of these is a fake", which IMO only encouraged people to start messing with all the sprinklerheads in the area until they got the right one. I've also found one that was in a cachers front yard. I remember thinking that the dude would be mad if I screwed up his sprinkler system so I went up to the front door. The guy was home and then told me which sprinklerhead it was.

goodenoughferme found A Wherigo Cache Didn't find the container but logging this as found for now. Emailed the cache owner but no response. We followed all of the steps in the cartridge and got to the final I consider this a win.

Pretty far. Actually I prefer to walk to caches. That's a big part of the reason I cache. Right now my record hike is 16.4 miles. I know of a cache that requires an 18 mile hike. I plan to find in the next two months. I would totally go for a cache thats a 1.1 mile walk no doubt.

If your event page and/or reviewer note was as ambiguous as above, then I'm not surprised it was turned down (can't tell if your intent was to cache or not). Yes, I still say it isn't about stats. Like I said before, there are much easier ways to get 12 finds in much less time. Sure, but not 12 Event finds. People want the large number next to that icon in their profile without having to endure the hassle of actually attending 12 real events. Actually attending 12 real events takes more effort, patience, time, and consistency. In the convaluted perception of #'s equaling ego or respect or whatever, 12 events finds is equal to like 1,500 traditional cache finds. Hence the reason to want to cut corners and do them all in one day because many among us want out numbers and want them NOW!!!!

So let me get this straight. 63 people drove around town from place to place and said "Hello" to each other 12 times and got 12 smileys for that? That, to me, is not what events are about. This is just silliness. I'm appalled that Groundspeak allowed it. Honestly, I'm hoping that this doesn't set a precedent. But, as for traditional (small "t") geocaches, something like a power trail might be placed "because you can". At least with this event series, there was a fun theme to it, and would likely not be approved as such again as there will not be another double-digit MM/DD/YY occasion for us to see for a long time. Oh check this out everyone. It's 02/04/13.... 2 + 4 + 13 = 19!!!! This calls for a celebration! Lets have 19 events in a row!

It's nice that you're totally cool with with, but as often as this topic comes up, some cache owners would prefer that finder write something meaningful. Since you and others don't care either way, doesn't it make sense to try to convince finders to write something meaningful for those cache owners that *do* care? It's encouraged. I definitely try to write a couple sentences about the hunt or theme or whatever. I'm wordy like that. Others don't and that's ok. As often as this topic comes up, doesn't it make sense that cache owners have some unrealistic and high expectations? I don't think that last sentence came out the way you wanted. In past threads I haven't seen cache owners with unrealistic and high expectations, unless you count a reading a complete sentence unrealistic. The way I see if, if cache owners are no satisfied with the quality of logs they receive they have two choices, not as someone else put it "you *have* to take the good with the bad". The other choice is to stop placing caches for a bunch of ungrateful finders. Its unfortunate, but logs with complete sentances are on the decline from what I've seen. Expecting complete sentences is becoming an unrealistic expectation, if it isn't already. If thats your expectation, you're sure to be disappointed.

It's nice that you're totally cool with with, but as often as this topic comes up, some cache owners would prefer that finder write something meaningful. Since you and others don't care either way, doesn't it make sense to try to convince finders to write something meaningful for those cache owners that *do* care? It's encouraged. I definitely try to write a couple sentences about the hunt or theme or whatever. I'm wordy like that. Others don't and that's ok. As often as this topic comes up, doesn't it make sense that cache owners have some unrealistic and high expectations?

I used to have expectations about what I wanted to see in my logs, but now I believe that the content of the logs should be up to the people who write them. If a finder wants to express themself with "wf;hafhlas" or "tftc" or "" or "sorry thanks", I'm totally cool with it.

I didn't see the first log, but in reference to the second: I think the 'sorry' is in reference to this on the cache page: I would guess the 'thanks' is a nice way of saying that they appreciate you putting a cache out for them to find. As far as I can tell, this finder not only appreciates your cache, but also read your description and offered his condolences. Seems like a nice person.

I got a Garmin Oregon 450t

I've been all of those at different times. When I first started I just thought it was something fun to do every so often. About 6 months in I cached for the numbers cuz I wanted some kind of respect or prestige from my peers in the geo community. I then slowed down and cached at a fairly even pace in my area. Two years ago I was pretty much purely a hiking cacher. And the last 2 years I've been a nonexisistent cacher. I will getting back in the swing of things after I get a GPS for X-mas tomorrow and I'm not sure what kind of cacher I will be now. I don't think I'll be in to the power trails or geo art. I look most forward to caching along the hiking trails. Those have always been my favorite caches. I've always prided myself on being a good cache owner (even in the past 2 years). I am also a huge fan of events. Events have always been very important to me.

I once messed with one of these because I didn't know what it was and thought it was the geocache I was after....it wasn't. I wouldn't use one of these as a cache container as camoflauge, but I might if I did something to make it fun or unique. I appreciate the OP providing updates in the thread and I hope to see some more.

I want my Off Topic posts to count toward my post count. I want 'credit' for the time I spent posting. Without 'credit' its like I wasted my time.

They were up front about the real reasons. Challenges didn't catch on the way they had hoped and their resource were better allocated elsewhere. They should have asked me, I could have told them challenges would fail the moment they took the smiley away. Actually I think I did say that somewhere at the time. As far as removing all traces of the from the site, I can't say for certain, but my guess is that they learned from vituals. I'm sure they wish in retrospect that they had removed all traces of virtuals when they were stopped so they didn't have to listen to the regular "bring back virtuals" demands. When virtuals were discontinued they weren't incredibly popular. Their demise was met with some complaining in the forum, but that died quickly. There was no extended firestorm precisely because they weren't super popular. But over the years virtuals have achieved an almost iconic stature. They probably didn't want that to happen with challenges and have to deal with a constant clamor to bring them back 6 or 7 years down the road. If the reason for the mass deletion is that they didn't catch on like they hoped...How is Waymarking still 'in business'?

They don't have to be Fecebook to do that. Terms Of Use section 6 -- License to Use Submissions contains this: What do they mean by that? It sounds vague.