Snoogans

Here's mine. I have 12 different dies most of which are geocaching related.

Back in 2011, I requested a safety forum... Yesterday and today are the first times in my memory that Groundspeak has addressed geocaching community safety in the newsletter, on the blog, and on the FB page. Good on you! I hope you continue down this path. I am formally requesting a Safety Forum again. The responses to the blog and the FB page inspired me to make this request. Please consider those responses. They were very enthusiastic.

Bringing back virts? Lol. Nah, Gotta be my ODS project. I was just trying to destroy Geocaching per prophecy, but all anyone wanted to talk about was science.

There's a gazillionaire astronaut, game developer, and all around cool dude, in Austin, who has a pretty big cache. Among the biggest I've ver see and by far the most secure.

All of my new hides are PMO but only because I really like the audit log for a PMO. Your angst has been previously identified. Maybe this will help you cope. See: And in context:

Hey gang, Just getting around to a long awaited edit to identify another branch on the "Geocaching Tree of Angst!" It's bolded down at the bottom. To summarize our "Geocaching Tree of Angst" so far: We have an atmosphere rich with CO2 that is represented by one atom of "Entitlement" ( C ) and two atoms of "Expectation." (O2) We have a rich medium for the growth of angst in our soil, which is represented by a common/general, "unawareness that this hobby is intrinsically linked to other people." The water (H2O) that nourishes the tree is either actual or perceived (H2) negative interaction (O) between geocachers. Our tree is furtilized by misconception, misinterpretation, and misunderstanding (MMM) whether actual or deliberate. The roots of our tree are based in actual participation and experience in geocaching as an activity.... Hiding, finding, & moving trackables. The trunk of our tree emerges over time. It is actually just individual experience that expresses itself in this way, "I know better than YOU what geocaching is supposed/intended to be all about." From there our "Tree of Angst" branches out in many directions. Some branches sprout from the trunk and some branches think they are attacking the trunk from the other side, but are seemingly unaware that they are part of the same tree. The named branches of our tree so far: The Theory of Geocaching Evolution Geocaching would be more fun for me, IF Perceived Staunch Defenders of Everything Perceived Lame (P.S.D.E.P.L.) Geocaching was so much better way back when The Theory That It's the "OTHER GUY" Who Is Just Sucking the Fun Out of Geocaching The Theory of Keeping with The Highly Subjective "Spirit of Geocaching" The theory that with the ease of attaining apps for smartphone and Iphones, and a geocaching.com account "Low quality cachers" are infecting this game. The theory that if Groundspeak cared more, then the subjective personal caching aesthtics would rise to meet the occasion. The dreaded Forum Posting Kobayashi Maru The Theory of the Lake Woebegone Geocaching Effect The Theory that Geocaching History Effects the Price of Tea in China

My Snoogandipity events are exclusively held when I am traveling. I like nothing better than sampling the local caching community when I am out and about. I have 2 Snoogandipity events coming up tomorrow and friday in ChIraq. My next one will be in the Detroit area and the next in Boston. The one after that will probably be in Saudi Arabia or Bahrain or both. Oh and maybe London. As long as there is time to plan....

alamogul Good GOD Lee. Last time I checked your stats you had under 50K.

LOL I'm a safety professional and even I have an enhanced sense of accomplishment when I draw blood whilst finding a cache. Especially when it's erasing a DNF from a previous attempt(s). Is that wrong?

I have a feeling that she wasn't talking about caching. That was probably a subtle hint that you missed.

I think about geocaching a lot too. It's about all I have spare time for these days. Geocaching has not devolved. It has Evolved. It was not handed down in perfect form from on high and then tainted and twisted by demons and devils to become a lesser imperfect form. See my thread on GeoCreationism vs. GeoEvolution. It's a fun read. In my decade plus of caching I have witnessed this site progress from a teeny tiny home based business to one of the top rated places of employment in Seattle. Most caches were medium to regular in size and filled with mostly useless crap when I started. A micro was out of the ordinary and a skirt lifter was a wicked cool NEW idea. People were whining about the decline of subjective cache quality being the death of geocaching when I started and that will never end until Jeremy and crew figure out how to please everyone at once. Geocaching as an activity is doing just fine. The reason you find so few cachers that remain active from my caching era is because of their own inability to evolve with the game if the game itself is why they became inactive. It's just different. It's no better or worse than when I started. There are just vastly greater choices. To get back on topic my thoughts on online logging mirror briansnat's for the most part. PS One doesn't emerge from an event horizon. One goes over it and there is no turning back. Geocaching has not entered mainstream consciousness but we are edging closer.

It was decided almost a decade ago that Snoogans was going to ruin the game. Not lying. I will love it and love it and hug it and stroke it.... Till it don't move no more...

Nothing wrong with giving a little blood for the cause. Some of my best caching memories involve a donation of blood (especially redeeming a DNF) or a near death experience. That said, I'm a Safety Professional and I get that, in my case, my injuries were a result of my own at risk behavior. I could have lost an eye night caching without my safety glasses, in Wisconsin, on a recent business assignment. That would have been hard to explain to my employer. Especially since I maintain the OSHA logs for 6 companies. Stuuuupid on my part. Luckily it was a near miss and I know enough not to make that mistake again. Always wear the proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when caching... Safety glasses in the woods or even poking around bushes. Leather or denim gloves when reaching into the unknown. (I also use mirrors and flashlights to look into blind reaches.) The list goes on an on. Know your search area and terrain and plan accordingly. AND ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS let someone know where you will be. I've analyzed a few geocaching deaths and 99% of them are the cacher's own fault as a result. Preparation, caution, and knowing one's own limits will save you a world of hurt.

What does that mean? Let's just say that many in the DGS believe in caching without borders, quite literally, and have no problem armchair logging caches on the other side of the country or halfway around the world. Or, in this case, on a cache that wasn't there when they logged a find (edit: when they were apparently sitting in North Carolina). Perhaps my math skills are faulty. Does three examples now equal many? I don't know about your math skills, but let me help you with your vocabulary homework. ex·am·ple [ig-zam-puhl, -zahm-], noun: one of a number of things, or a part of something, taken to show the character of the whole: This painting is an example of his early work. As opposed to cat·a·log [kat-l-awg, -og], noun: a list or record, as of items for sale or courses at a university, systematically arranged and often including descriptive material: a stamp catalog. Thank you for that vocabulary lesson. Perhaps I can return the favor? The DGS is comprised of many, many hundreds of members across the globe. Possibly thousands. In light of their vast numbers, categorizing two incidents as "many" is deliberately misleading. Were this a vocabulary class, I would label your activity as prevarication. For your homework, please submit a 500 word essay denoting the difference betwixt a straw man and an as homonym attack. OooooOOOooooooooo :laughing:

What does that mean? Let's just say that many in the DGS believe in caching without borders, quite literally, and have no problem armchair logging caches on the other side of the country or halfway around the world. Or, in this case, on a cache that wasn't there when they logged a find (edit: when they were apparently sitting in North Carolina). DGS = Dirtbag Geocaching Society I don't know about all that. There aren't really any active DGS in my area to say with authority that's the exception or the rule. However, they have some great graphic artists on their side. I have quite liked some of their postings on fb.

It's not just emotion that is invested...there's money involved here, too; most likely adding to the "investment". Please remember these things just don't pop-up out of thin air, people actually have to purchase the TBs and Coins in the first place. I agree that people shouldn't spend themselves into the poor house buying these trackables; I also agree that people finding them in caches should realize the trackables have some monetary value (to the owner), and treat them as such. Time to dust off my ticket stub analogy. Most trackables cost in the $6 to $15 range. Coincidentally movie tickets are in the same range depending on what type of show you pay for. I.E. matinee, 3D, IMAX, etc. What you attach to a trackable might or might not have more monetary value, but who goes to the movies and doesn't buy popcorn, candy, soda, or water if not all of the above? In the end, an outing to see a movie for just one person is going to cost more than most trackables. Can we all agree on that? Now, save that ticket stub, the empty popcorn tub and soda cup and see how far they get you next time you want to see a movie. Ya spent good money on all that stuff right? Face it. When you activate and cast a trackable adrift you have just gone to the show. Everything else that happens is extra value added by another cacher who voluntarily agreed to provide you with continued entertainment. Sometimes the show lasts for many years. Sometimes the show gets cancelled.... It doesn't matter. You got what you paid for which is a tracking number and a trackable web page. You can always relaunch that number. You are gonna get tossed out of the theater if you try to reuse that stub. So, we spend more money to see a movie, yet we don't lament the cost (much) even if the movie sucks worse than Freddie Got Fingered. But we spend less money on average for a trackable and get butt hurt when it goes missing, gets held too long, goes in the wrong direction, sits too long in a remote puzzle cache, etc. The list of opportunities for butt hurt and angst over trackables is pert near infinite. It's a matter of perspective and expectation with a sprinkling of entitlement.

Kolinahr (ko-li-naar), as a word, described both the Vulcan ritual by which all remaining vestigial emotions were demonstrated as purged, and the mental discipline whereby this state was subsequently maintained. In the geocaching context Kolinahr is the purging of negative emotion incorrectly invested in bits of metal, plastic, wood, and other inanimate material that are cast adrift in the geocaching continuum for entertainment purposes and the mental discipline to focus only the more positive experiences with trackables while developing the mental fortitude for ignoring circumstances that might normally cause butt hurt. The idea for this thread came partially in jest, but after some consideration, I believe there is legitimate cause to adopt this fictional term for our own use much like we did with the term "muggle." So, who wants to start? Reflect upon your trackable angst and butt hurt and rid yourself of it here. We're listening.

I'm sorry. Snoogans you know I have nothing but a ton of respect for you but given my level of frustration concerning Travel Bugs your post about a paradigm shift for two weeks does nothing but add to it. The foundation of Travelers is lost in the mix of crap caches and coin logging and gets nothing for the years of effort. I flat out refuse to address any missing Tb because this site will let them sit there six plus years, clearly reported as missing but yet you want us to address the two week "concept". bd Actually, I was just thinking out loud. I do think the asterisk creates unrealistic expectation on the part of the owner and some anxiety on the part of some holders, but I'm more interested in changing the thinking about how trackables need to travel. My most rewarding and best traveled trackables are not meant to ever spend a night in a cache. Passing from cacher to cacher is my preference for how many of my trackables travel. They don't always move fast, but they do live longer than my regular travelers. They also tend to get more pictures and tons of discoveries. That is the main thrust of the paradigm shift I mentioned. On a side note, I think folks need to divest themselves of emotion regarding their trackables and good lord I seriously don't get it when they get emotionally involved in the travels (or lack there of) of a trackable that doesn't belong to them. The odds of you ever seeing it again are slim. You can't possibly know what factors are at work when a trackable goes missing, yet people insist in filling in the blanks usually with no small amount of butt hurt and often causing butt hurt to innocent parties. I don't get it. They are bits of metal, wood, and plastic for the most part. Let go Luke. Stay tuned for my next thread.... The Trackable Kolinahr

Lol You're going to geocacher heck for that.... Where you will findeth not but evil puzzle nanos in the woods and hideth not but leaky film can LPCs.

It's simpler than that. Dispatch: Respond to xyz location. Bomb squad: Yay, we get to blow sumthin' up!

In my experience the majority of caches published these days are in the small to micro range. That's not an indictment for some aesthetic rant, but it does however, hamper the movement of all but the smallest trackables that want to move by cache express. Currently the accepted expectation for movement from our inventories is 2 weeks. I think that expectation is unrealistic. I also think that fear/annoyance of the asterisk that denotes a trackable has been in your inventory 2 weeks+ might actually affect trackables more negatively than positively. There has always been a suspicion in this forum that events are trackable black holes. That has not been my experience. In fact, my most discovered and best traveled trackables are focused on attending events rather than sitting in caches. Just a few thoughts to ponder on the subject. I now return you to your regularly scheduled program...

I'm sure I'll get to log it some day huh Candy?

If I had typed it in I would have gotten a taken by another user message. The ZB account predates mine.

The night before I discovered geocaching I watched all 5 hours of An Evening With Kevin Smith. Jason Mewes made an appearance and during Q&A he answered the question "What does Snoogans mean?" Snoogans = Just Kidding That fit me better than any other internet moniker I had used up to that point. After a moment's consideration for the name Zaphod Beeblebrox, I typed in Snoogans for my geonick. It has gone on to become part of my identity. I even answer to it.

You forgot one option..... Just to participate. That's why I hide caches. I also hide caches that I wouldn't mind finding so that includes lpc and micro caches. I'm lucky though. I have caches that folks with 20k, 30k, and 40k+ finds count amongst their most favorite and/or memorable geocaching experiences. That was not my intended goal. My only goal was to participate. My hope was that folks would like my caches, but I know you can't please everyone. This is where your post jumped the shark for me. Printed words are easy to misunderstand, but it appears that participation ranks pretty low with you. The gift of smiley is just as valid as any other excuse to participate. Not every cache needs to be some profound experience having inspiring scenery with water, restrooms, and adequate parking at the trailhead. Not every cache owner has the resources, skills, talent, or time, to hide behind a bush and blow every finder's skirt up. The "Why did the CO bring me here?," mindset is the lit fuse to an eventual burnout. I've seen it time and again over the past decade that I have been caching. Caches are just choices. Everyone needs to take responsibility for the choices they make.