CapeDoc
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Posts posted by CapeDoc
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On the loo.
(Magazine)
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Immediately after posting this thread I went to find a new cache. As I arrived I thought "I've been here before". The new cache had been placed by a Newbie +/- 200m from an existing cache. In my opinion it added nothing to the existing cache. (No new "angle" on the general location).
Is such a cache what we want? Is this not why we should draw up local, South African Guidelines for cache placement? To assist all to hide quality caches.
I stress 'guidelines' not 'rules'
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I am from SA but have only cached in the uk and I'm not sure if this happens there but sometimes caches can be placed in not nice areas
with lots of rubbish about here. The worst part is when you go to a place like that and the cache is a horrid little container that is all mank and wet inside with stuff crawling all over it in the bag its been in.To be honest I've found very few like that but thats one of the things that anoys me
I have just posted a new topic for discussion regarding the placement of caches (or caching ethos) then read this thread. It will be interesting to see the thoughts of others in this regard.
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Having read a little of the international (thereby, mostly American) forums it appears that with time the "quality" of newly placed caches may deteriorate. There seems to be a problem of LPMs (lamp post micros) being placed just about anywhere, micos at fast food drive-throughs, caches that only have personal meaning to the cache owner and caches at arbitrary lay-by's (attached to the guard rails) to name a few. Many cachers seem to find these offensive. (To stick my neck out, so do I).
Fortunately I have experienced a wonderful caching ethos in SA with really well thought out caches in great places, or placed for good reasons.
Should we, or can we, protect this ethos as the sport grows? Do we try to learn from more "advanced" geocaching nations mistakes, or do we evolve in a similar way?
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From where I am sitting you 2 are disagreeing to agree. You really fundamentally APPEAR (please don't shoot me down for my subjective observation) to have the same approach to geocaching and have similar opinions to those who want to play different....variations....of the game.
And, I think I share your collective views...!
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I will always be annoyed by what I find in caches. I look at the demographic of the people who can afford a GPS. Can all you afford to put in a cache is something between junk and 1R or 2R? I don't take the "but I have found 1000 caches" as an excuse. You can always trade nothing!
Whatever happened to trading up?
(I am sure this must have been discussed to death prior to me reading the forums)
You can always spot a Newbie because they trade such interesting items. Sad that.
If I remember, geocaching guidelines give a figure of a few dollars worth?
I suppose that also really annoys me:
Fill a cache with nice goodies and it gets muggled!
I also get slightly annoyed when I fill a cache with nice goodies and the first few people to find don't trade! (I suppose they are the nice ones who trade nothing because they don't want to trade down!)
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I appreciate comments that this is a false division, and as suspected most of us cache a little for both reasons. I acknowledge too that doing it for the stats is what some "love" about geocaching and that my terminology wasn't brilliant.
What I didn't expect is that no one has really said that:
Logging their own caches as finds, double logging finds, logging finds without actually finding the container, logging finds that your group did without you, etc did not annoy those to whom statistics are important.
Lastly no one has mentioned any nicknames for the cachers that have a less even weighting towards either of these (somewhat artificial) camps. No "geo-tickers" or "geo-jollies" (I know I am being facetious!)
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Thanks for the list! Happily I have only found a few. Will prioritise the others. Many cachers are recommending Da Vinci and Harry Potter. Will try them soon.
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I really think you have to be a cache owner to appreciate why you should write interesting logs. Within that, I now recognise that the more interesting my cache is, the better the logs tend to be. Fortunatly I live in a part of the world where there is a good geocaching ethos, not too many caches, not too many cachers so one tends to get more interesting logs. Those who write short logs do seem to be those "for the stats". I detest logs that make no effort to appreciate my caches, but do recognise that some of my caches are less interesting than others.
As I a cache owner I now never write a log which gives no comment on the value of the cache (good or bad).
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I still am having no joy. Any other suggestions?
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A fairly hot debate is brewing in the South African forums (much of it in Afrikaans, a local South African language) which seems to have polarised cachers into 2 camps. Those who cache to improve their stats (and thereby care a great deal about how others log their caches and generate their stats) and those who cache simply because its fun finding caches and new places (and thereby do not care what others do regarding logs).
In the bird watching world there are "Twichers" (for the stats) and "Birders" (for the love).
If you are "for the stats" what behavior annoys you? Do others "cheat"?
If you are "for the love" do you care what others do?
Are there any geocaching nicknames for those "for the stats" and "those for the love"?
I suspect there are are large group who have a foot in both camps.
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I have hidden a mico up a mountain. Fortumatly it went missing before it was found! Although it is a high muggle area I have now seriously learnt my lesson and it will be replaced with a small cache!
(Having a good moan may do unexpected good...)
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OK - I will respond.
I have a couple of things on my agenda.
1. Cache owners who do not maintain caches despite being made aware of maintenance issues.
2. Cachers who sit on TB's for months on end and don't reply to e-mail requests.
3. I agree with you CapeDoc - Logs that consist of TFTC SL - at least write SOMETHING about the cache.
Get it off your chest - here is the opportunity!
I have sent an email to a cacher with one of my bugs, no reply!
I feel your pain!
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Having read a different thread, and from chatting to other cachers, it appears we all have little things that annoy us about geocaching. What annoys you? What are your bugbears?
Here is a chance to vent. Lets keep it clean, no finger pointing, nothing hurtfull.
To get the ball rolling...
As a cache owner I get annoyed by logs which show no appreciation for the cache at all. After all, I hid the cache to share something. I would love to hear what you think (even negative thoughts). Telling me it was an easy find really means nothing to me.
So what annoys you?
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I too am a little nervous to comment. I personally enjoy caching for the fun of finding, the enjoyment of newly found places and the ability to learn (and teach) about the places geocaching takes me to. I am not in it to compete and so subsequently don't care what other cachers do, as long as it doesn't "damage" geocaching as a whole.
Further, I find the geocaching community to be generally be educated and dignified. I find animosity in this community surprising and saddening. Lets not loose focus on what geocaching means to us.
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I like it when people write in what they trade. I get pleasure out of seeing that others want the items I have left. If I find a usefull little item I leave a little note saying that I appreciated it. All of that is done online. I do make notes in the log (if there is enough space in the log book).
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What about the other issue?
Havn't you got good ideas for caches?
For example: Hangklip There is no cache atop this iconic entrance to False Bay! I know the chances of me putting one there are slim. Are you in the position to do it? Want to be first to hide?
What others have you got to offer?
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CapeDoc ... or just identify the disabled/archived caches and/or caches not being maintained any more ... list them and arrange an adoption by a nearby active cacher and keep them going!!
Yes, put them on a page, in the forums somewhere sothat others can take over...or rehide.
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Have you ever thought "thats a great place for a cache" but know you will never get round to hiding one there? Or don't put one there because you couldn't maintain it? What about good caches that have been disabled due to owners being unable to maintain or losing intrest in geocaching?
How about a South African "First to Hide" concept? Give those people with great ideas for caches, but not the ability to place or maintian, a place to share their ideas and let others hide them.
The hider could then get a small accolade of "First to hide". That may not apeal to all, but then what of just the list of "good idea" caches?
I have one or two ideas for hides that I probably won't get round to.
There are some disabled caches that I would like to see re-hidden.
What are you thoughts?
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Trawling elsewhere in the forums I found this link
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The dreaded hard reset will probably fix it, but make sure everything is backed up first!
That's drastic!
Is it just my phone? Then I will go that route. Is anyone else having problems?
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Do you own a Garmin Nuvi? Not sure how to get caches onto the Nuvi? I bumped into this link elsewhere in the forums and thought fellow South Africans may appreciate it. To enter the tutorial click Here
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Thank you so much for this macro and brilliant tutorial! Will save me a mint as I was doing all my paperless caching using my Tytn II and programme that uses Google maps. This has been placing a lot of pressure on my data plan.
Having all the data in the Nuvi is fantastic!
I do use other POIs (speeding traps) and didn't see them after loading the caches...will wait to see if I get proximity warnings.
Thanks for saving money! Now all I use my phone for is to log the finds...when will Nuvi's get sims and HSDPA? I have seen a nuvi phone coming.
By the waythere is a version of garmin software for windows mobile phones...would this macro work?
Thanks again!
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If I want to comment on a photo, I just post a note on the listing. This gives the cache owner the chance of deleting it.
with lots of rubbish about here. The worst part is when you go to a place like that and the cache is a horrid little container that is all mank and wet inside with stuff crawling all over it in the bag its been in.
Quality rather than Quantity
in South Africa
Posted · Edited by CapeDoc
I agree with not wanting to stifle Newbies in placing caches. I just thought that we could have a pinned set of "ideas" on the forums so that we dint end up with a plethora of caches that are placed without thought. I feel people should be able to place a cache where ever the like (within the geocaching, proper guidelines) and if they don't want to take heed to the "ideas" that too would be OK.
From the other forums and from experience these ideas/guidelines/tips could be:
- read this first (as it says you should).
- place caches that add interest to others in the area
- place regulars if possible (but consider this)
- place caches in ares you would like to visit
- be creative
- don't be shy to teach us all something
- place caches that you can maintain
- placing caches in plastic bags may not be a good idea ( I am learning this for some of mine)
- roadside micros may not be a great idea (Americans call these "Micro spew")
- Are you sure you want to place a cache next to a fast food place?
- place cache that will stay naturally dry (if you can)
- additional waypoints like "Parking" are useful as they can be sent to a GPS (I didn't know that when I started placing caches)
- Ignore these tips if you want to (don't expect great logs....that's something that I have learnt from my "weaker" caches)
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I am sure you have others....I would love to read your suggestions so that I can place "better" caches. Quality caches. Naturally we will all have our own opinion on "quality". I would love criticism of my list above...I am open to learning.
If then someone places a cache that you want to criticize you could add a link to the list of (lets call them) "tips".
Happy too if this is a bad idea!