Lime Candy
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Posts posted by Lime Candy
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I don’t understand the operation of the “open to all” ruling in the slightest. Surely when a campsite stay is involved, the campsite’s own rules have to be obeyed. No day visitors is a completely reasonable rule, it could be argued that it’s a sign of a safe and secure site.
Are Groundspeak saying that any restriction by the campsite automatically means that it’s not “open to all”? What if the site doesn’t allow dogs, or big RV’s, or only has a limited number of pitches?
Or are Groundspeak saying that during a camping event, anyone should be able to wander around the site at will?
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I love playing Wherigos, and particularly enjoyed Delta68's Reindeer Round-Up series of 9, which ran flawlessly on my Oregon 550 (and other Oregons in the group that day).
The only problem I've had was a Wherigo not restoring itself properly while part-way round a circuit, despite having been saved. In reality, most Wherigos are not done in isolation, because their route takes you past other caches that you want to search for on the way.
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I've not noticed this, but that's probably because I haven't looked for it happening. As mentioned earlier, the D/T ratings are so tremendously subjective though. Correction after feedback from cachers is probably no bad thing, if it means the ratings are then more realistic.
I bang on about this all the time to my long-suffering caching mates - one CO's D5/T5 is another's D3/T3, one CO thinks difficulty should always be the same as terrain, I even saw an event listed with a rare D/T combination, nice easy shortcut to get that gap coloured in! But then I remind myself that it's only a game
And it's not about the numbers (or the completion of grids) -
Countryside all the way, although I have also done some very enjoyable urban caching in London, Birmingham, Liverpool and Budapest, particularly older multis/virtuals where the CO has put some thought into devising a good hide and a walk around an interesting location finding out information.
Bottom of my list is suburban caching though, where the cache is e.g. a film pot on the back of a road sign in a residential area, placed there simply because the name of the road fits a particular theme or something. Anywhere with twitching net curtains = no thanks.
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These do exist - but they aren't very popular. One 9-stage multi near me Another Gap Filled only had 10 finders in almost 2 years. It was replaced by a series of traditional caches over almost the exact same route last August, and that series has already had 30+ finders.
Personally I prefer multis based on actual signs/landmarks/whatever, because those items are often points of interest in the area, and aren't very likely to go missing.
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One tree in seven isn't really such bad odds. I'm not a fan of true needle-in-a-haystack, such as a nano in a pinecone hanging in a pine tree. But hung in any other sort of tree, it's a cunning and clever hide.
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I agree with res2100's points. Challenges could be vastly improved if those changes were made.
I think so far they've crashed and burned. Last week I attended the event GC30GPK, there were 92 'attended' logs. A challenge CX606 had also been set up at the same location - and I think the great majority of the attendees actually did the action required by the challenge (which was great fun!) - but it's only had 10 'completed' logs. I haven't logged it, I'm avoiding challenges until (if ever) the aforementioned improvements are made.
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I've found that anything that can rust/leak, will rust/leak in the damp UK climate. Plastic screwtop containers are well-suited as UK caches. Watertight and rustproof. Those 1kg fruit pots are good, and the 'fridge' baked bean tubs, and for smaller caches, things like face cream pots, vitamin tablet pots etc are fine.
If you've money to spend, try screwtop tupperware beakers and cliplock tupperware boxes. Biggest and best of all - ammoboxes.
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A Challenge should involve finding a location using GPSr, and doing something there which can be verified by the challenge owner - take a photo, answer a question, etc. The challenge owner should be able to delete bogus logs. D/T ratings are a good idea too.
Ideally, I think a Challenge ought to go through a similar review process to an Earthcache. Yes, I know there is nobody volunteering to do this.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but introducing the Challenge concept with 'kiss a frog', making the challenges ownerless and thus completely open to abuse, with the completion numbers added to total geocache finds was a crazy idea. Three crazy ideas in fact. And I also think that ten minutes' discussion with a few seasoned geocachers would have identified all those issues. Pity that didn't happen in advance.
Edit: I also agree that using the word 'challenge' is confusing. Although I can't think of a particularly good alternative, 'new virtual' maybe?
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Just had an email stating:
"We are working on splitting out cache finds and challenge completion counts. Both will be displayed on the logs unless you have not found a Challenge. In that case the statistics for Challenges won't be shown. This should be done by the end of the week (August 26) (30517)"
Jeremy
Admin, Geocaching
Can't wait for August 26! I just hope that 30517 isn't the year?
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Just noticed the icons have appeared!
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I would assume that completions would be shown separately in stats. They aren't finds.
I would assume so too, I sincerely hope so anyway. And I totally agree, they aren't finds, and so shouldn't be included in the grand total of geocaches found.
When I look at my Geocaching Stats on my profile page, the three challenges I have completed are NOT reflected in the stats. It says I have 5361 caches on the stats page, and it says I have 5364 when I go to my Geocaching summary page.
So, no need to worry about the stats page being off at this time.
Issue resolved. We are at peace again.
I don't see the big deal some are making.
Great news!
And as for a big deal, I can only speak for myself in that if challenges had counted in the stats, it would've spoiled my enjoyment of viewing those stats. Since that won't be happening, I'll shut up whinging.
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I would assume that completions would be shown separately in stats. They aren't finds.
I would assume so too, I sincerely hope so anyway. And I totally agree, they aren't finds, and so shouldn't be included in the grand total of geocaches found.
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There seems to be an elitist view that 'caring' about other cachers' numbers is something to be scoffed at. I don't know of any cachers who 'care' about numbers, but plenty are very interested in them - me included. I consider the gathering of numbers, colouring in of D/T grids, bagging new counties/countries etc. to be akin to building a collection. I'm not competing against anyone, but it's my own personal goal to work at those stats.
I love looking at other cachers' stats. But it would annoy me if those stats were adulterated with data from challenges in their current form. However, if the challenge guidelines were tightened up, requiring the cacher to visit the location and take a photo/answer a question/whatever, and the challenge owners were allowed to police their challenges and delete bogus logs, I see a place for them within geocaching.
You can visit a cacher's profile page and have the full breakdown of exactly how they scored higher than you found their caches, by multi, traditional, virtual, challenges, etc. It's just not as obvious on the cache log pages that's all.
Yes, and I already do that, but won't completed challenges affect the stats in the same way as geocaches? E.g. suppose I notice a cacher has cached in Australia and send them a message about it, but it turns out they haven't, they just completed a challenge whose home co-ords were in Australia? Obviously wouldn't be a problem if challenges could be properly policed and bogus logs deleted.
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I can see the potential of challenges, but there must be some rules. At the very least the challenge owner should be able to delete bogus logs. Even better, Groundspeak should also include a section in the challenge placement guidelines about how to prevent (or prevent as much as possible) bogus logs, e.g. by asking a question of the location that can't be googled.
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There seems to be an elitist view that 'caring' about other cachers' numbers is something to be scoffed at. I don't know of any cachers who 'care' about numbers, but plenty are very interested in them - me included. I consider the gathering of numbers, colouring in of D/T grids, bagging new counties/countries etc. to be akin to building a collection. I'm not competing against anyone, but it's my own personal goal to work at those stats.
I love looking at other cachers' stats. But it would annoy me if those stats were adulterated with data from challenges in their current form. However, if the challenge guidelines were tightened up, requiring the cacher to visit the location and take a photo/answer a question/whatever, and the challenge owners were allowed to police their challenges and delete bogus logs, I see a place for them within geocaching.
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Anyone know whether you have to have any clothes on for the "snog a frog" one? My shower curtain has frogs on it . . .
I'm gonna say for the sake of anyone that logs after you... yes, you have to be clothed ;-)
Or you could strategically position a couple of shower-heads to preserve your modesty.
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I'm happy enough for the frog-kissers to have their own game, but really don't like the challenge count being included in 'total finds'. It's as ridiculous as including trackable finds in there. More ridiculous in fact, seeing as you usually have to leave your sofa to bag a trackable.
Kissing a frog has nothing to do with geocaching. Keep challenges separate.
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Posted elsewhere but worth repeating here:
Supremely ironic that Groundspeak banned ALR’s because some of them were getting out-of-hand and even downright dangerous. Yet most of the new Challenges are just locationless ALR’s that can’t be controlled or policed at all.
Can TPTB justify how taking a photo of a toilet/cat/frog kiss belongs in an "outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices" ?
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Ordered my set at the weekend and the first two arrived on Tuesday
I activated them to see the icons - and at the moment they've both got the generic geocoin icon (golden coin thingy). Is this going to change to a special NW Mega icon, and if so, will it be the same icon for all the coins or will each one be different?
The icons were submitted a while ago, and should be online soon, and will be different for each of the coins.
Excellent news! I look forward to seeing them.
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Ordered my set at the weekend and the first two arrived on Tuesday
I activated them to see the icons - and at the moment they've both got the generic geocoin icon (golden coin thingy). Is this going to change to a special NW Mega icon, and if so, will it be the same icon for all the coins or will each one be different?
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Hello and welcome!
Yes, it's totally addictive but ENORMOUS FUN!!!
I don't think you're addicted yet though - because you're still patiently waiting for the GPS delivery. You could check on google earth for an easy cache that you could find without the GPS.... and that would be the first sign of addiction kicking in
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I've been pleased with the discoveries of my car TB in the last 18 months. I've only had 1 discovery that wasn't from an event though.
The other thing that people do with their car TB's is to use the 'visited' action on it when logging their cache finds (either all of them or just the particularly memorable ones) - so the TB builds up a history of where it's been.
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Tehuti I'm glad you've persevered with placing your caches. Having a cache submission rejected doesn't mean you're a rubbish cacher. I've totally messed up on some of my caches and had them rejected for lots of reasons. I found the reviewers very helpful, and after following their guidance, managed to get everything right and the caches were published.
Martlakes, your list of questions is very useful, thanks.
And it's not about the numbers (or the completion of grids) 
Favourite or Funniest Cache Names
in United Kingdom and Ireland
Posted
One that made me smile was called "J MCENROE" - and yes, my first reaction on seeing the cache was "You cannot be serious!"