Mario McTavish

Simple, just fill your D/T grid completely 3 or 4 times like I have then you don't worry about it so much... Seriously though, if you're finding these rare D/T caches for a specific challenge (Well-rounded etc) then what I recommend is mentioning the D/T in your log. At least then if it changes you can say to the CO of the challenge 'look, it was this when I did it' or something. It's not foolproof but it does help, it also helps you to locate which has changed.

Not really a problem... except for all of us that live close to the W000/E000 boundary... Like me It'll be useful once fixed, especially when integrated into a pocket query.

The fix posted above may only be temporary then. Looks like an additional folder has been added to the directory (I guess, I'm not a coder by any stretch of the imagination). So I'll apply the fix (thanks Oddmund) but keep an eye on it in case it fails again

There will always be armchair logging, or people logging finds on caches that they've not found (the one they missed whilst doing a series, for example). There's little I can do about it on caches I don't own, other than alert the CO and leave it up to them, but I do check my own caches and am quite willing to challenge/delete logs where there's been no evidence of a find. And I'm happy to continue doing so, no matter how many false 'finds' or 'archive requests' are submitted. However I have been accused of falsifying entire log books merely to remove one persons name. Seems to be a bit of an extreme to go to to delete a log entry... Not to mention a rather colossal waste of my time. With regards to the distance travelled in a day, I've gone from the south coast of England to Aberdeen/Inverurie (by car) easily in a day, flying would be much quicker. There would be nothing to prevent me finding a cache in the morning as I leave home (to ensure I keep up my continuous caching streak) but then finding more once in Scotland, or further afield. I also have friends of mine that cache as a team. They used to live in the Bagshot area (since emigrated to Dubai), the wife worked with me and the husband used to escort deported people back to foreign countries. Quite often she'd take the dog for a walk and pick up caches in Bagshot whilst he was wandering around Egypt/Kenya/etc (even Venezuela once) doing caches as something to kill the time. I never saw that as a problem, although once they did get a rather irate mail from another cacher saying they shouldn't be claiming the FTF they picked up in Bagshot as they were also finding caches in Egypt on the same day, and it wasn't the right thing to do. They explained why and then ignored all further protesting emails. As I would have done.

Sounds like actions taken on the ET Series. I guess if you're after 1400+ caches in a day you need to cut out as much 'dead' time as possible. Taking 10 pre-signed caches with you and replacing the first 10 with yours, whilst the original 10 are signed by a 3rd/4th person in the vehicle (#1 driving, #2 doing the running) would save a fair few seconds per cache. May not sound like much, but it soon adds up. I guess if it was my series of hundreds and hundreds of identical micros it wouldn't bother me. It would only bother me if my small/regular caches were being replaced with micros.

I'm only 8 short of completing my grid a second time, but a while ago I was only 7 short.. one changed. Fortunately the grid is still complete. This has been a problem for those people wanting to fill their grid for various challenge caches or personal reasons. They've done a cache with a specific D/T only to find later that it's been changed. Often the CO doesn't post a note identifying the change and this can lead to some angst. If you're doing it for a challenge cache then mention the D/T in your log. It's not foolproof but at least there's a bit of evidence as to what the D/T was when you did it. The stats generated by the site will alter, but if you use GSAK and findstats to generate statistics you can manually 'lock' a specific cache and enter the D/T when you did the cache. Locking it prevents it being overwritten by your 'my finds' PQ and keeps the D/T to what it was when you found it.

I'm sorry, I normally like the majority of the changes to the site but I really don't like these ones. The missing date? There are certain challenge caches out there (not the new style challenges) which require caches to be found on specific dates. It's now impossible to check, and I find the whole 'about a month ago' FAR too vague for my liking. And the Avatars on each log? I know some people print the cache page off, it'll take up a lot more ink/paper now and will also increase the amount needed to be downloaded to display the pages on a smartphone/pc/laptop.

With regards to the original topic, it has come to light that one of the cachers insist they've found all the caches they'd logged as found. When confronted with the evidence that they hadn't done so (ie, the original log books from a series with their signature missing) they insist that they have found them and the ONLY reason the log books contain no entry is that either the CO, or someone else, has physically removed their log from the page. Either with tippex, which would be blindingly obvious in the log book or (more incredibly) by falsifying an entire log book, right down to everyone elses signatures, stamps, stickers and so forth just with their name missing (not withstanding the fact they'd have to find a log book which matched the original). No doubt such a claim would be used should they be challenged again. They have since deleted their find logs (why? if they insist they'd found them) but persist in their comments that log books have been falsified. Perhaps whoever is capable of such forgery would like to turn their hand to artwork or money. They'd make a killing

Oh you know you're in trouble when someone starts using bullet points... Shall I reply in a similar format? I'll assume you're actually capable of either remembering what you wrote (like me) or can at least scroll up/down to check as necessary, and thus save wholescale copying of posts. 1) I never said you did (although see my little comment at the end) 2) You've never written any logs, according to your profile. I find it odd that someone would start geocaching and not log their first few caches at least before deciding that they didn't want to do so anymore, but there you go. 3) Obviously you need to log onto the site to get coordinates/cache locations etc. I didn't think you just intuitively knew where they were. I worked that one out all on my own... 4) We'll have to agree to differ on this point 5) Thank you, I like to give something back. 6) "write the letters tftc and only that in a damp and musty smelling notebook" - hardly glowing about the logbooks 7) "they only care that more cachers buy more bugs" - no need to say any more on that point, either. 8) As has been said, if people want to log caches as found when they've not actually done so, that's up to them. When they do it to then qualify/find caches that others have put genuine effort into then I feel that's cheating 9) I never said you did, nor did I say anyone else did. I merely stated I won't condone it by allowing finds on my caches when there's no evidence of a find being made. 10) Yes... I agree with the 'there must be stupid people around' comment. As for your final point, it may be that we have similar caching values (no real desire to find poorly sited caches, poorly maintained caches and so on) but we have rather different views on caching. It would appear that you like to take from the caching world, but not give. No logs indicating whether a cache is in a good spot, should be visited, isn't worth bothering with, no indications to cache owners that maintenance is required, no placed caches, nothing. This is, of course, assuming the account is your only one and not a sock puppet account. I get lots of enjoyment from lots of the caches I do and am happy to say so in logs. The cache owner may not read them, nor care, but other people might. Anyway all this is now completely off-topic, as mildly diverting as it may be, and I have better things to do. Just a last point though, you advised TK@79 - "So there is my practical advice, get over your shallow need for everyones numbers to be correct and certified and try the fun experience of finding new and interesting places through the game of geocaching and forget the urge to get all the numbers right and the need to show others how many caches you`ve visited and logged in the right and proper manner. So to sum it all up just go out and enjoy YOUR geocaching, you may even find it`s a fun game and end up less tense." Aren't you telling someone how they should be caching? Surely it's up to him if he wants to log all his caches in the right and proper manner.

Eclectic_Penguin (not Eclectic Penguin, I understand the difference and didn't think you would create a sock puppet account by merely adding an underscore and thinking 'ah HA! This will fox them ) I understand perfectly what you wrote. I wasn't trying to force anyone elses way of caching onto you either. If you choose to walk the paths, find the cache, not sign the log and not log your finding online that is entirely your right and privilege. I think it's a collosal waste of time, but that's just my opinion. Do you actually find the boxes? If you're not going to sign the log nor log them online, then why bother? Why not just walk on past. Or maybe you do Again, that's your right and I wouldn't try and change that. Of course if you don't find the boxes, sign the logs, log online then you're not really geocaching either... you're just walking. You say that this is how you do it now but according to your profile you've not logged any caches. So that's how you started caching unless you went back and deleted all your find logs (in protest about something?), or you created a new account and decided to not log anything. I read all the logs on my caches and I appreciate the effort some people put into them. I try and make the same effort in my logs too. I try and write individual logs for all the caches I do although sometimes there's little to say when you go from one side of a field to another to collect a micro under a stile at either end. I understand why lots of people will log a series as 'See log at #1', especially if they're prolific cachers with lots of caches to log. And I don't feel I've twisted anything out of context, you complain about whiners and criers but that seems to be all you do too. The log books are rubbish, the logs aren't read, Groundspeak are just money grabbers, people write rubbish logs etc. Like Marty said, you choose to not log your finds nor sign log books. That's fine, by all means continue. But the original post was about people logging finds on caches they've not done, or falsifying find dates to qualify for challenge caches they wouldn't otherwise qualify for. If they want to, then fine, they're only really cheating themselves. However should they log a false find on one of my caches then I'll delete the log, as is my right as a cache owner. It's cheating and I don't see why I should condone it. And why do people always attack someone elses intelligence when they believe themselves to be right. 'My comments are obviously far too high brow for you to understand so I'll tell you so, and quote Mark Twain'. I was surprised not to see Einstein - 'Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe'. Surely that was a gimme!

And there was me thinking that the whole point of caching was to go to new places, write a log thanking the cache setter for placing the cache (if thanks is deserved) and sharing my experiences with others. How wrong I was Oh and logging onto the site to go through 'the rigmarole of typing a log that just consists of tftc as many seem to do' would be your choice if you only typed that log. There's nothing preventing you from writing a more detailed experience. Interesting you mention whiners and criers when you appear to be doing just that, would that be called ironic? Happy caching

If it's not signed then it doesn't count as an FTF unless they have other proof (like holding a blank log book, just holding the cache only proves they've found it, not that they were first). Contact the cache owner about it.

I was told by a fellow cacher down near me (Chilihouse) that someone had logged an entire series of his as found with a log that read something like 'Thanks for the lovely walk, we didn't retrieve nor sign any of the logs as we were in a rush to get back for the F1'. And they thought that was ok! Next time I'm taking a flight to the west coast of the US I'm going to log every cache under my flightpath as found... Seriously though, I'm sure there are lots of people that log various caches as found when they haven't (that rogue one on a series you just can't locate) and none of that bothers me. They're only cheating themselves as is said and it doesn't harm anyone else. What bothers me is whole-scale cheating and logging of entire series or groups of caches as found when they've obviously not been found, or logging caches on dates other than when they've found them to fulfill the requirements of challenge caches and the like. It makes a mockery of those people who DO make the effort to go out on Christmas Day, snow days, find the required caches etc. The unsigned log book thing makes me chuckle too, I've seen that a few times and I'm sure sometimes its genuine. I have a feeling that when people who cheat to such a degree are confronted they would have some nonsensical explanation as to why that cache had no signature (no pen, pen broke, pen wouldn't work, signed with a UV pen as that's all I had, someone has obviously gone and removed my signature etc...). If people want to cheat themselves, fine. Go ahead, do it, just don't bleat when people lose respect for you. However when they want to cheat other people out of challenges, records, etc then I think they should expect to incur peoples anger.

The area would be Portsmouth and its environs. I don't understand why they were taken to a cache, though, nor the 'we don't remember where the caches are hidden' comment. They're members, they can obviously find and log caches. If they were happy to give up the coins/trackables then why not just hand them over and allow someone else to drop them off into one/various caches. I remember it being said that they thought you were merely trying to acquire the coins for yourselves. You obviously knew where the cache was so even if they physically dropped them into the cache there would be nothing to prevent you going back and getting them for yourself (should they think that was your plan), so I don't see why they didn't just hand the coins directly to you to be released back into caches. And in the original post about the Pirates it was said that they didn't understand how the game was played and thought they could keep the coins. I find that hard to believe as they didn't log the coins when they found them and deliberately waited until the coins/trackables were logged as missing before logging them as being in their possession. That implies they were WELL aware of what they were doing and how coins/trackables should be handled. This whole story has more holes in it than a swiss cheese, and I find the affair highly suspect. However the coins are now back into circulation again, having personally placed 6 of them in caches to the west of Portsmouth, so hopefully we've heard the end of this.

You need to use a program like GSAK or EasyGPS to convert the pocket query into a format the GPS will recognise. If you want more specific guidance just send me a PM