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rosebud55112

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Everything posted by rosebud55112

  1. Those same McDonald's were listed as Waymarks long before Pokemon GO. Most McDonalds have geocaches on their property, as I have found several and own a few myself. We can play here for free, and the other non-profit geocache listing services don't get used much. I don't see a problem with the official geocaching site selling their services, but I do wish they would invest more back into their company for the paying members here. So why isn't geocaching organised by a non profit organisation? Because geocaching is a business. Really? Is the bolded part true? What part of the country is that? I'd say that its probably likely over half of Wal-Marts have caches, and at one time I understand a good chunk of Cracker Barrels had caches, but over 50% of McDonald's?
  2. On your app, the one that gave you the .1306 and the .2344 above: Take the decimal portions of the minutes and multiply each by 60. That will give you the seconds under the familiar DD MM SS method. So .1306 * 60 = 7.836 (close enough to the 7.8351 you show); and .2344 * 60 = 14.064 (compare to 14.0625) To reverse the process, divide by sixty. As stated above, neither description is necessarily more accurate than the other, but precision levels are slightly different.
  3. Good for them. I hope they have fun. My personal definition of being in a state means physically touching the ground outside. Switching planes in an airport wouldn't count, unless we disembark/embark from outside. That hasn't happened yet, so no issue for me. That gives me 47 states, with Utah and the Carolinas to go. If I had to use the "eaten a nice, sit-down meal" definition above, I think Delaware and Alabama are the only two states that would go back to unvisited status. In both of those cases, my visit involved taking the interstate highway across the state, but making a stop at a rest area or convenience store/gas station within the state. Although now that my sister has moved to a Mobile suburb, I expect that I'll soon be able to move Alabama into the solidly legitimate side. My 15yo son is going to get to go to Salt Lake City next month with his speedskating team, and do some workouts on the Olympic ice there. Unfortunately, I am unable to take time off from work now to be a chaperone. I've told him I'm jealous of his chance to try the Olympic oval, and that he'll be hitting one of my last three states. Most of my state visits happened before I started geocaching, I've only got 15 states here. I visited NYC after searching for my first cache, but before my first official find, so now I miss not having that 16th state.
  4. The new guidelines look reasonable, still giving some room for new Challenges and eliminating some of the biggest problem causers (and some that made me go "meh"). This looks like a nice compromise. Thanks, Groundspeak!
  5. In general, a missing TB or coin would not require a NA or even a NM log. If you find a cache where a traveler is listed, you certainly can mention in your log that the expected traveler is missing. You may want to inform the CO or TBO that it is missing, so one of them could log it as not being in the cache. Realize, however, that it might have been picked up by a recent finder who hasn't yet had a chance to log the pickup, or any of a dozen other issues. So it not being there does not mean it is necessarily gone, or that there is a problem with the cache. If you suspect that the cache has been compromised by muggles, or a mean-spirited cacher who are taking any travelers left in that cache, then you definitely should mention that in your log, and that would be, in my opinion, a reason to send a NM log. Others will disagree with me.
  6. So if the local on-the-spot reviewer can't find the cache, and therefore can't determine whether it follows everything the CO says, would it never be published?
  7. K13- That's a good, simple solution. I hadn't thought of doing it that way. Of course, I haven’t had a lot of opportunities to think of doing that either.
  8. It's possible that you are only seeing the original log, since that's the one you will get the notification about. Oftentimes a FTFer will create a quick log in the field saying something like "FTF at 9:24" just to let others know that the FTF has been claimed, but then later write up a full log describing the search, etc. You won't get a notification that the log has been edited, so in your mind the log is still the short one, whereas in reality it may be the type of log you want. Give them a couple of days before you feel too disappointed in them. Although the original log would be better if it said "FTF at 9:24. More details to come" to indicate this situation.
  9. MassiveFinder1 Found it 10/08/2014 Found with MassiveFinder2 today. TFTCs MassiveFinder2 Charter Member Found it 09/19/2014 Visiting from Denver. Enjoyed the hunt. Left a 2ml in the tree as a temporary replacement until the cache owner can check on this one. SL. Thanks! CacheOwner Premium Member Temporarily Disable Listing 09/17/2014 needs a new hide HonestCacher1 Premium Member Needs Maintenance 09/17/2014 Looks like this one is gone. HonestCacher2 Premium Member Needs Maintenance 09/13/2014 I am the last person to request this for an otherwise DNF, but this one needs replaced, moved, or archived. The National Guard went for the scorched earth tactic on this one. NOTHING here, future parking lot. HonestCacher3 Premium Member Didn't find it 08/31/2014 It's not there. HonestCacher4 Member Didn't find it 08/09/2014 We weren't able to make the find on this one today. HonestCacher5 Premium Member Didn't find it 08/08/2014 Looks like the bulldozers ate it. HonestCacher6 Premium Member Didn't find it 08/08/2014 This one is definitely gone. All the construction taking place has destroyed the area. Hopefully it will be replaced in the near future. Thanks CacheOwner for the effort of hiding this one even though it is probably gone. HonestCacher7 Member Needs Maintenance 08/03/2014 Ummm.... The area where the cache should be is getting excavated at the moment. There's bulldozers here right now as I type. HonestCacher8 Premium Member Didn't find it 07/28/2014 So the nine logs before the two MassiveCachers found it (supposedly together, although logged nearly three weeks apart) were: 5 DNFs 3 Needs Maintenance 1 Temporary Disable But through the magic of throwdowns, the MassiveCachers were able to up their counts. So take that, National Guard! You can't stop the MassiveCachers!
  10. It seems to be an increasing trend for people to log caches/ events that they haven't attended or found. I really don't understand the satisfaction in that,to me it is just a hollow online entry. It would appear that the integrity of the sport is being eroded by these actions and maybe cache owners and event organizers need to scrutinize logs more closely I thought that one of the fundamental principles of geocaching was that it took you to places you wouldn't normally go and gave you new experiences sadly for some these beliefs are not upheld I blame the emphasis on statistics/grid-filling/power-caching/souvenirs/challenge caches, especially challenge caches. Why would it be due to Challenge Caches? Are you saying that people are claiming finds/attends when they didn't find/attend just so they can claim a challenge cache? If they are willing to cheat, why would you expect them to try to qualify for the challenge? It seems like it would be simpler just to cheat by claiming the challenge cache. As on4bam said, it's an ethics thing. It's not a challenge cache thing.
  11. Is the icon you are seeing for a unknown or multi? If more than one cache uses that spot for posted coords, you would need to find the "top" one to see the smilie.
  12. I think that part of the issue is that when people see the UNKNOWN category icon, they have a greater tendency to read the cache page (that is, if they don’t decide to ignore the cache completely). If they see a MULTI-CACHE category icon, they have a greater tendency to just show up at the starting coordinates and start looking for a container with the next set of cords. Even though only a fraction of all Multis are set up like this, some people have that as their assumed default type. Personally, I think people should be looking at the cache page more often for all types of caches, and if they are carrying around bad default assumptions, too bad for them. If they don’t realize they need to do this in the dark, or have a flashlight, or know that they should count the number of benches, or whatever, then they will learn—eventually. Making it an Unknown sort of hits them in the head with it for this cache, but they may never learn that it’s a good idea for all caches. That is, of course, assuming the cache page actually gives the info required, either through description or attributes.
  13. No, because there is no proximity problem when the stages all belong to the same multi. Right, that makes sense. Somehow I had it in my head that even in a single multi the 528 rule applied to physical stages.
  14. Around here, Night caches tend to be considered a variation and fall under the "?" catch-all group. I’m no Night-cache expert, but it seems to me that the final location of the cache is usually designated by a set of three or more firetacks right near the physical cache location. If firetacks are considered physical placed additional waypoints, and the 528-foot rule is enforced, wouldn’t that make the final set of tacks too close to the cache with the logbook? Then aren’t all such night caches essentially dead?
  15. The real problem is that GS is being too stingy with giving us the FPs. Why should we be limited to 10% of our finds. If they would just award a FP with every find, then nobody would need to remove points from archived caches.
  16. No, sorry, it can be called cheating, and I call it cheating. I can also call finding a puzzle cache without solving the puzzle cheating. That doesn't mean I care if anyone does it. It doesn't mean I think GS shouldn't allow it. It just means I might razz my friends about it if they do it. And some might razz me about it if I do it. Absolutely! And if a lackey or two takes some ribbing for TCM, well, they chose to do it.
  17. Keep the favorite points on the archived caches. They were favorites and deserved it. If you are favoriting (?) over 1 cache in ten, you either are lucky to live in an area with great caches, or have set your bar at a significantly different level than I have. Look at caches you liked. Who else favorited those caches? What other caches did they like? That may give you info on which ones you may want to search for. Why would you want to remove your ability to do that?
  18. I always try to respond to people working on my puzzles. It doesn't always happen right away, but I do think it is important for the solver to contact the CO rather than a previous solver. When someone contacts me about a puzzle, I want to know what they have already tried, what approaches they have taken, and what they are having issues with. I'd also like to know what type of help they want: "Yeah, that looks good", "Have you tried this?", or "Here's a sledgehammer to your brain-the coords are:". I do that not because I am a control freak, but because it helps me a a puzzle owner for this puzzle and potential future ones. As a puzzle creator, working backward from the solution to the puzzle, it is obvious to me what the steps are to solving it. That leads to a blind spot sometimes, in that I may accidentally set up something that has a blind alley, or a separate approach with potential other valid coordinates. If I want a red herring in my puzzle, that's one thing; but if I never see the possibility because I'm blinded to it, that's something different. When a solver skips coming to me and explaining what they've done, but contacts another solver who happened to take the correct pathway, I never get the chance to correct the error and may wind up making a similar error in a future puzzle. Solvers have a communal obligation to at least try to work with the COs so everyone can be sure the puzzle really is only what the CO intended it to be. Some COs will not respond to request for help or other contacts. Some people are jerks. The solver still has the obligation to contact the CO first, and previous solvers should be recommending this as well. So give me a little time to respond, and I will try to get back to you. Please do that before asking others. That's not saying that I have any issue for people working in groups to solve a puzzle together. I think that's a great social activity (and do that a lot for solving NPL puzzles). But if you are stuck, you may have uncovered a flaw in the puzzle the CO needs to know about, and that won't happen if you don't make the contact.
  19. I love a well-done Challenge cache. The fact is, a well done challenge cache motivates me much more than another souvenir or simple smiley does. I’m not exactly sure why, but that’s the case. That being said, I think this moratorium may be a good idea and can (can) lead to better challenge caches in the future. I am the CO for 8 Challenge caches; six are currently active, two have been archived. My most recent two were published last week—I guess I had good timing in finally getting off my butt and placing them. A good challenge cache in my mind should cause someone coming across its cache page to think “Hmm, that sounds interesting—I’d like to find caches that meet these qualifications”. Often when I find a challenge cache page, I instead either think “Huh, I bet I’ve already stumbled into qualifying for that simply by having a couple thousand finds” (Challenges based on cache names often fall into this category) or “How the heck am I going to figure out if I qualify for that?” (I recently saw a challenge that required only seven caches-but they had to start with seven specific letters of the alphabet, and be seven different cache types and be in seven different counties, and be found on seven different days of the week—that’s not caching, that’s bookkeeping to me) I don’t care too much for challenges based on the cache’s name, unless there’s some interesting twist to it. Even then, these can be made meaningless as challenges by other hiders. Minnesota has a challenge cache to find caches including each name of an element on the Periodic table. When this cache was published, it was a true CHALLENGE—finding such would not be easy. Finding a cache with MENDELEVIUM in it would not be easy. But then, people started putting out caches with element names in them strictly to be used for meeting this challenge, even stating on the cache page “This will help you qualify for Challenge GCXXX”. Then another true CHALLENGE was published: find 100 caches beginning “Welcome to”. I think when this was published I had a half dozen such caches in my 2500-some at the time. Now, they are everywhere. Then the real attention-whoring began, and people would name their caches something like “Welcome to Dysprosium Nebraska Benjamin Harrison Leopard Conservatory Boba Fett”. I just shake my head in wonder. This is a result of Challenge caches, but to me says more about the cache owners than the challenge cache. ( of course, if Boba Fett actually came to visit the Benjamin Harrison Leopard Conservatory in Dysprosium, Nebraska, and this cache was placed in honor of that visit, I’ll take back my tut-tutting in this case.) I will often bypass a cache like this even though I know that it would get me a little closer to meeting my challenge. If the cache page doesn’t give some reason for the name that indicates a purpose other than challenge fodder, I’ll skip it. (Usually. I’m not always consistent.) My first published cache was name-based. I learned a lot from that (and have archived and removed it). A good challenge cache shouldn’t necessarily be able to be stumbled into just as a side result of having a lot of caches under your belt. You should be trying for that challenge, or something like it to meet it. I get more excited when I see a challenge cache I don’t already qualify for than one I didn’t plan and work for. My hope is that during this moratorium period Groundspeak is able to determine fixes to some of the issues that Challenges have (appeals, “WOW” factor, oversaturation) without killing off the idea forever. That won’t be easy, as I’m sure there’s another cacher out there whose thoughts on the matter are diametrically opposed to mine, and GS needs to make both of us happy.
  20. Antics like this really make my heart ache. Does that make me an antic-acher?
  21. Here's a local, blatant challenge-helper: 0, Orange, Winter, Jello, Snail, Xena It has: -The number 0 -A colour -A season -A food -An animal -An "X" word There are several local Challenge caches where this cache could be used to fill in a tougher gap in the requirements. They really missed out on an opportunity by not rating it a 1/4.5, though. I call these "Attention Whore" caches
  22. The bad thing about solving mystery caches is that there isn’t “A” way to solve them. The good thing about mystery caches is that there isn’t “A” way to solve them. In general, remember that you are looking for coordinates, which will in your area be 15 digits long (or ten, or six—we’ll discuss those later). Suppose you are looking at a mystery cache that gives a list of 15 items. In that case, each item probably somehow represents a digit from 0-9, such that the fifteen digits ‘spell’ out your coordinates. Where you are, you could assume the first two digits are 4 and 7, and the eighth, ninth and tenth are 1,2, and 2. Use that to see if it gives you a clue into the intended solving method. Does the first item begin with D and the second with G? See if the first letters position in the alphabet gives you good coordinates. Or maybe the first item represents the fourth item in a well-ordered list (Madison, Wisconsin) and the second is the seventh in that list (The Jackson 5). Do the rest represent Presidents somehow? Maybe there are only ten items given. In that case, the N47 and W122 are likely to be assumed. That takes away some of those toeholds, but you may still be able to get a grip based on the first and sixth items. If there are only six items, they may represent only the decimal portions, giving even less detail. Note that sometimes a 1 may be represented by the 11th, 21st, or 31st item in a list. So in the alphabetic example above, the 47 could be represented by DG or NG or XG or DP, or……. That’s just a brief overview on one method of cracking one type of puzzle. Puzzles are limited only by the setter’s imagination and skill. Some people design puzzles poorly, and either don’t proof their submission or puzzle, making them unsolvable. Some design very clever, intricately woven puzzles making them a thing of beauty with a solution pathway that unfolds magnificently before you. Learn who is in each category. Sometimes the puzzle is more about figuring out what the puzzle is, than in solving the puzzle once you’ve figured out what it is. Pay attention to Difficulty ratings. Most people (not all) take the difficulty of solving the puzzle into account when setting their difficulty rating, so a lower D rating often means an easier puzzle (as well as an easier find). If you have questions on a puzzle, contact the cache owner. As a cache owner, I love getting questions from potential solvers because that helps me see where potential problems may lie. As the CO, I know the intended method of solution, and sometimes that can blind me to issues like ambiguities or typos that can reduce the solving enjoyment I hope I’ve created. Let the CO know whether you want a nudge or a sledgehammer on the solve. Some may not respond, or be hostile to you asking, but I think most COs are pleased to help out. That also lets you understand the CO a little more, and may give you a hint on solving other puzzles by that CO. Lastly, learn that you don’t need to solve every puzzle or find every cache. If you are not enjoying tackling a puzzle, let it go. Ignore it, either through the ignore feature or just not letting it bother you sitting there on the map. That goes for all types of cache, not just puzzles. I know that a lot of this is similar to niraD’s advice linked to above, down to the 122. Follow that link, and then the links that niraD has for a better intro. Good luck!
  23. GS should set up a routine where if you log a cache found more than once, then that cache is automatically added to your watch list, and you are unable to unwatch it. Then you have to sift through those 4000+ emails that flood your mailbox in the next three days to find the mail that's really important to you.
  24. If removing the 'Newest in State' feature was a planned issue, based on the results of feedback from users and messages sent to Groundspeak, then why wasn't Geocaching HQ (http://www.geocaching.com/profile/?id=41118)made aware of it so it could be included in the original post? This sure sounds like an attempt to justify a release mistake after its been noticed.
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