my $.02...
-If someone is actually sad enough to cheat at such an easy game, they have bigger problems than this.
-Most (not all, most) cachers couldn't care less if you have 100 or 1000 or 10,000 cache finds. Personally, I certainly dont log into my account just to check a leaderboard or anything. From an online-spectator standpoint, geocaching is even more dull than televised golf
-Most (not all, most) cachers cache for their own satisfaction.
Personally, my idea of "degrading geocaching" would be the overabundance of simple streetcorner and lampost micros. No challenge whatsoever, and most seem to be placed to simply boost numbers during winter
Everyone plays different, I enjoy the game on my own terms.