The Shire

I just received this email from Nina at Worldcaching.com... ________________________ Thanks David ! We just found out. Appreciate your note … we will see if we can use our backup and restore the site. Sincerely Nina worldcaching.com

If you go to the website, look at the "new products" list on the right hand side of the page. The only entry is something foul. Also, all of the products on the page are gone. My personal information was messed with as well. My birthday ended up in the year 2039!

I sent nina an email this morning too. I haven't heard back from her yet either.

That's what I mean about it being hacked... it was a great site with lots of products. And with CoinsandPins down too... makes me wonder what's going on.

You may want to go to paypal and cancel that order for the time being. You can always place it again when this blows over.

The www.CoinsandPins.com site has been down for a while too. You just get an apology page saying "sorry for the inconvenience." Is there a anti-geocaching hacker out there vandalizing geocaching websites?

Does anyone know what is going on with the www.worldcaching.com website? I just went to check out some of their new products and was a little surprised at what I found. It looks like they got hacked or hijacked or something. I hope the hackers did not get access to credit card numbers!

I agree... I think that this guy will plea this down to nothing and maybe have to pay a fine. He'd be in more trouble if he tried to fight it 'cause that would actually require a hearing where evidence could be heard. It is an interesting exercise but I'm not gonna get my hopes up for anything more than public embarassment and ridicule.

The owner of the "deer cam" must know the timeframe in which the pictures were taken. We already know the day he was caught with the "Wishing Tree" cache. Add to this the timeframe in which the cache found in his glove box went missing and you may be able to show 3 different timeframes in which he was muggling caches. This would certainly show an ongoing pattern of behavior.

Does anyone know what the date was that he was caught on the "deer cam" muggling a cache? If it was last week it wouldn't prove much but if the "deer cam" pics were captured years ago it would show how long he's been stealing caches.

I think that every geocacher who has lost a cache container, and every cacher who has lost a TB or Geocoin in one of the local muggled caches should write a letter stating what was taken from them over the years. Maybe these letters could be read at the hearing.

I'd like to know what others think about this point of view... I think these are the key phrases in your post: According to trapping laws, I like to feel the same way about my geocaches what they are to me is Trapping laws probably go back centuries, and are specific to trapping. How you or I or any of us feel is irrelevant. For that matter, how the judge feels (hopefully) is irrelevant. What the law says is what it will come down to. But I agree with your feelings, for what that is worth. Agreed, regarding trapping. 300-400 years ago these Trappers rights and protections were probably taken seriously enough to consider stealing anothers traps as a hanging offense. As to Geocaching this is likely precedent setting. The judge may be considering that. The weight of a spreadsheet showing a pattern of behavior going back years, as well as testimony from local cachers seeking relief and protection, backed up by whatever was found in the car, may be used to establish the pattern as not an isolated incident. Maybe serious, maybe not, but I do think the court should be approached about the strength of argument by the agrieved cache placers. I understand that the original and current trapping laws were created to protect the "livelihood" of the trappers, and that geocaches do not effect the "livelihoods" of the owners, but don't the same principles apply? If your property rights are protected from poachers in the sport of trapping, then why are your property rights NOT protected from poachers in the sport of geocaching?

I'd like to know what others think about this point of view...

I used to trap when I was a kid. I would trap for Racoons, Muskrats, and the occasional Fox. I know that this activity might offend some people but in this case I think the analogy is appropriate. I owned the traps that I set in the woods. They were labeled, had my name on them and they belonged to me even though they have been placed in the woods. According to trapping laws, not only did the traps belong to me but also anything IN my trap belonged to me. These laws were created to keep poachers from stealing both the traps AND the animals caught in these traps. Similar laws extend to the trapping of Lobsters. There are strict penalties associated with stealing or poaching of lobsters from other peoples lobster traps. I like to feel the same way about my geocaches. They are labeled, have my name on them and they belong to me even though I placed them in the woods. Not only do the geocaches belong to me but the contents of the geocaches belong to me as well. The law should not only protect the geocache, but the contents of the geocache as well. Call them muggles or maggots, what they are to me is nothing more than poachers.... Geo-Poachers! my 2 cents...

This guy was released on $100.00 cash bail and is under threat of a home search. Does any local cacher know what day the trash is collected in Boonville, NY? You just might be able to find a treasure trove of cache containers and other pilfered geo-stuff.

I am interested. I was looking for a GPS'er for my 13 year old daughter. My e-mail address is... juliehelms@earthlink.net Please contact me and let me know what you are asking for it. Thanks, David