sceptre

We are all accusing this poor guy of cheating, but why don't someone contact him and get his side of the story. He is obviously playing the game his way, and I honestly don't think it is any of our business what he logs as a find...instead we should be out there finding caches instead of criticizing others on their personal game. Just because the pictures may have been faked in some way, does not mean that he didn't actually visit the place and hence to him it counts as a find. Lets get over it, mind our own business, and all go out and find a cache right now...that is what I plan to do now.

I agree, if there was a standard for the terrain rating that says that a 1 Terrain must be wheelchair accessible, then it should definately be followed. The way I see it now, it is just a quasy "guideline", and nothing seems to be set in stone (atleast from what I was reading on the web site) as to a 1 rating MUST be wheelchair accessible (or handicap accessible). And being wheelchair accessible, the cache would have to be at a position where I could reach it from sitting in my wheelchair, and not on the ground. Then again if I was confined to a wheelchair, odds are I would not pick geocaching as a hobby (ok I am sure some do). I would instead put my faith in God in the hopes that one day I could walk again, despite what the doctors say. As a solution, which I believe has been suggested before, is to have a check box that says that the cache is wheelchair accessible, or if a user does pick a 1 for the terrain, have a message pop up or something indicating that a 1 is intended to be for wheelchair access, and if not the system woudl change it to a 1.5. But as it is now, it's up to the individual cache placer to define what they feel a 1 is in their eyes.

The multi sounds like a good plan during the Cito event...count me in.

I looked at the Clayjar ratings, and I am fine with that, but that doesn't seem to be any kind of rating system/rule that is set in stone. From what I see it is all about what the hider's opinion on the rating should be. IE, my 1 terrain would be an easy, short walk on a packed narrow path (and may not be a place a wheel chair or someone handicapped could get to), but it is still a 1 to me and most others. I have absolutely no problems changing a rating to a 1.5 or 2 difficulty if there is some official set in stone rule...but the way I always see it and from what I am told, these are just recommendations, so it is up to me and any other individual to rate their own caches. The web site when placing a cache says the following: Overall Terrain Rating (1 is easiest, 5 is hardest. Try this system to rate your cache.) The above scenario is "easiest" for me and most...and it doesn't say "you must use this system"...just says "Try". I am sure if we pick a cache at random, we would all rate the difficulty and terrain differently. If I was in a wheel chair I would definately email the owner first before attempting their cache.

No. Problem is that caches sit inactive for a long period of time (3 months, 6 months, etc...way too long), despite what many logs say that they will be replaced soon. 3 or 6 months is definately not temporarily. I think even the admins can attest and I have heard it before that the intention is for it not to remain inactive for that long.

That's why I think it should be a manual process on the Admins part to use their judgement on wheather or not a cache in this case should be archived. And that is why we have cache logs for the owner to explain the situation and give an indication of when they plan to activate it again. The problem as I see it is that many people say they will replace their cache soon, but 6 months go by and they still haven't.

I think that any cache that has been "temporily unavailable" for X amount of time...something reasonable like 1 month (maybe 2 in the extreme) should be archived automatically (well manually by an admin perhaps). Since as this option says, it is only supposed to be temporary and so many caches your see have been temporily unavailable for over 6 months. How long does it take to replace/maintain a cache? and so many times in the cache pages you see notes from the owners saying that they will replace it shortly, but that hardly happens. Now I know someone will give the excuse that perhaps for whatever reason they aren't able to...well, you would find a way if it was really that important to you. So if it is that important, you can also get GC.com to unarchive your cache once oyu got off your lazy but (sorry...lol) and fixed it. And I don't think it is entirely my responsibility to click on the "This cache should be archived" option. I have had friends who have gotten flack from the admins for doing this, stating that they should contact the owner first...duh, what do you think they did?! So in summary: Temporary = 1 month max! Archived = you can always request your cache being unarchived once maintenance is performed, if it will take that long. Well I think this would be the better way to improve the listings!

Sorry to hear about your disappointment and I am sure that you are not alone. Perhaps to make some suggestions, try to make the cache more difficult, such as maybe atleast a km hike to the site and perhaps make it into a multi. I do find that caches that take more effort to find usualyl have better trade items in them. Whereas some of the easier ones are done by families with kids and well from experience I find the kids usually take the good stuff and don't necessarily leave something of equal value in exchange. Afterwall, would you disappoint a child by saying that they can not take something that they really want, even if what they are not trading is of the same value? Also I have noticed while doing maintenance visits on my own caches that sometimes people that have already visited a cache, they come back to take things if they find out something of interest is in it. Or perhaps it might have even been a non-cacher that discovered your cache. Some things to consider: 1) It is not about the prize or what is in the cache, although I am sure some people only are in it for the cache contents, but they usually do not stick with the hobby for very long. The loyal cachers like myself are mostly in it for the adventure in finding the cache and could care less as to what is inside of it. It is not the contents that make a good cache, but the adventure and experience that you have in getting to it. 2)Many cachers do not read the printouts, and even I am guilty of not reading it at times, especially as I get more experience. 3)What maybe not be a fair trade to one person, might be more than fair to another. 4)Educate cachers more. ...I hope all this doesn't put too much of a damper on the hobby for you and I hope you continue enjoying it.