Sol seaker
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Posts posted by Sol seaker
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I came across a cache that did not have business permission last week.
I explained the game and told her it is good for her business because it puts them on the map, but i would be happy to have it removed if it is a bother. Things are too tight in these economic times for people to not want to draw business. She said it was fine to leave it there.
I was in a hurry the other day and wanted to hit two caches before an appointment. At BOTH ground zero's sat a different woman. I just asked each of them if they had heard of the game and they were sitting at ground zero. The first had never heard of it but was quite intrigued. The second said her mother does it all over the US (both of these women were probably in their 30's).
BOTH OF THEM helped me look for the cache. (neither were found)
I don't worry much about it really. I live near Seattle and people in seattle tend to not care if people are doing weird things. That's part of the reason I moved here.
My geopartner worries about it alot. I'm not afraid to tell people what i'm up to, or just act like I'm examining something (the view, the tree, the fence) and let them think I'm weird for doing it. If they look like they're going to ask questions I'll ask them how they are and ask them questions first. (enjoying the day? Great weather! Nice place for a walk, hey do you know where .... is?) then they forget or don't ask.
My favorite was yesterday when we were looking for someone on a road. A truck sped up to us pulling up, blockign part of the road and rolled down the window. There was nothing around but trees, and no one but us. My geo-buddy said, you talk to him. I thought he would ask directions. He said, "ARE YOU GEOCACHERS??" " Do you want a clue?" LOLOL
There are a lot more around than we realize.
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Is there a way to check results after a while?
For those who got in early and want to know the results now (until we know how to check them)
age/ number of voters/ percentage as of today, April 24th at 9:45 am
12 - 20 9 voters 4%
21-30 34 17%
31-40 53 26%
41- 50 58 28%
51-60 30 15%
61-70 13 6%
71-80 1 0%
81-90 5 2%
I find it interesting we've got more at 61-70 than we do 12-20, but then again, that may represent how many read the forums, rather than how many play the game...
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Is there a way to check results after a while?
For those who got in early and want to know the results now (until we know how to check them)
age/ number of voters/ percentage as of today, April 24th at 9:45 am
12 - 20 9 voters 4%
21-30 34 17%
31-40 53 26%
41- 50 58 28%
51-60 30 15%
61-70 13 6%
71-80 1 0%
81-90 5 2%
I find it interesting we've got more at 61-70 than we do 12-20, but then again, that may represent how many read the forums, rather than how many play the game...
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Here in the pacific northwest we deal with a lot of WET.
pill bottles, film cans, altoid containers (although used a lot in protected places), etc. just don't hold up.
Ammo cans and lock and lock boxes are the best here by far. Although I've seen an ammo can with a bad seal I found in the snow. I literally dumped the water out of it. About half a cup or more. That's been the only bad one. Like all containers, they need to be maintained.
ALL containers need maintenance.
Groundspeak sent out a newsletter for everyone to check on their caches now that winter is letting up yet at least 90% of the caches I find are wet. I think people must not read the newsletter or think it doesn't mean them or something.
Sterilite boxes are awful.
I've seen some hard plastic screw-cap containers, such as cashew containers that have held up really well.
They have to be put through the dishwasher and then set out for a while to make sure all smells are out. The one's I've found have been very dry, and closed well. Not everyone knows how to close a bison correctly or an ammo can, but it seems everyone seems capable of screwing on a lid.
I've got some waterproof paper I like, but pencils don't write well on it, and pens freeze in the winter. We all know to bring a pen anyway, with all the micros these days.
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Here in the pacific northwest we deal with a lot of WET.
pill bottles, film cans, altoid containers (although used a lot in protected places), etc. just don't hold up.
Ammo cans and lock and lock boxes are the best here by far. Although I've seen an ammo can with a bad seal I found in the snow. I literally dumped the water out of it. About half a cup or more. That's been the only bad one. Like all containers, they need to be maintained.
ALL containers need maintenance.
Groundspeak sent out a newsletter for everyone to check on their caches now that winter is letting up yet at least 90% of the caches I find are wet. I think people must not read the newsletter or think it doesn't mean them or something.
Sterilite boxes are awful.
I've seen some hard plastic screw-cap containers, such as cashew containers that have held up really well.
They have to be put through the dishwasher and then set out for a while to make sure all smells are out. The one's I've found have been very dry, and closed well. Not everyone knows how to close a bison correctly or an ammo can, but it seems everyone seems capable of screwing on a lid.
I've got some waterproof paper I like, but pencils don't write well on it, and pens freeze in the winter. We all know to bring a pen anyway, with all the micros these days.
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If that cache was archived, and I have no reason to doubt you, I don't think it was for safety reasons. GS is not in the safety business.
The cache was only archived after a cacher took up the isse with the reviewer. The cacher told the reviewer it was dangerous and they archived it after that.
If they had another reason I don't know about it, but evidently this cache owner has had 8 caches archived for similar reasons.
http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...08-34e5527c3ed4
The cache owner is quite irrate (and was even before the cache was disabled). the reviewer lists the cache is archived until the owner can say who gave him permission to hide a cache in this location. Not that I know what good that will do if he comes up with a name. Buddies may be helping buddies.
So back to micro bashing. More fun indeed.
Found one this last week that I could not have reached myself. It was about 6 ft up on a phone pole. It was right next to a huge wooded area next to a creek that has tons of space for large caches, yet the cache owner chose instead to put a bullet sized micro on the phone pole next to the street. Why????
Oh, we're supposed to stay on topic aren't we? which topic?
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I never thought aobut caching as a first or second date. thats a new thought in this whole thing. I was thinking for people who cache with their husband/wife or girlsfriends/boyfriends.
Any other thoughts on this?
I think this is a great idea.
A date series would be great. I might use your idea myself. (I live very far from you)
I've been caching with my other half for months now. Caching has actually helped keep us together because when we fight we have a safe ground for something to discuss to get us talking again. Our first words after a fight generally are: "hey there's a new cache in the area" or "got a good laugh off of this on the forums" etc.
Would be great to have somewhere in particular to actually go to when we are making up.
Just as long as it's not a really hard micro that would make someone mad!!!
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While true, this is impossible.
Could be. Personally, I'm not a fan of cache containers that have an increased potential for getting people to do dumb things. (Heck, I do enough dumb things all on my own!) This includes sprinkler heads, electrical boxes, etc. I wouldn't support a moratorium on them simply because I prefer education to legislation. I think that teaching folks why a particular container may be a bad idea would go a lot farther toward preventing future damage than trying to ban them. Once a person is educated regarding issues they may not have considered at the time of placement, they will often apply that knowledge to the benefit of everyone.
No problem with any of those containers. Just put 'em in odd places. A sprinkler head two miles from the nearest water supply in a desert would make my day. An outlet on the side of a tree in the woods sounds like fun.
The problem with just putting the container in appropriate places, is that the cache seekers do not KNOW that the cache they are looking for is not a sprinkler head. If the container is listed as ??? then we know all best are off and it could be anything, a rock, a log, a sprinkler head, an electrical box, etc.
If no one ever put caches in sprinkler heads, then we wouldn't be searching sprinkler heads.
One of the caches I mentioned where there was a disasembled sprinkler was called something like, "spouting off" and ground zero was near a sprinkler head that was the only sprinkler in the area. made sense it was a sprinkler, yet it was not. It was a pine-cone. We just don't know not to look for sprinkler heads when they are not sprinkler heads, that's the problem.
They are a fantastic creative idea. I hate to see the idea put to rest, but anything that can be destructive can be determental to the survival of our game. I hate to lose these creative caches, but I'd hate even more for geocaching to be illegal in public parks.
OK, NOW can we go back to micro bashing? I do think we've run way into the micro bashing hour!!!
SS
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What defines an "FTF Hound" ?
I picked up #5 today and I'm worried I may be getting obsessed
When it has gone out of control is when you value FTF's over other people,
ie you lose your sense of good sportsmanship in the game.
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You can appoint yourself unofficial anything you want. I highly doubt GS is going to make it official. "If any part of your teem should be captured we will disavow any knowledge of your existence."
Thank you for that support!
I have to say, your avatar is one of my favorites, and I do appreciate how often your replies make me laugh!!!
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Well, as it turns out it WAS listed on this site, but maybe it wouldn't pass the sniff test anymore.
Unfortunately stuff gets listed on this site all the time that shouldn't.
The only way for us to remedy this is for us all to keep a look out for such things and report them to the reviewers when we think a mistake has been made.
a few have been archived recently: one was in the middle of the intersection on an island the guy was defending to the death. I mentioned to him that my GPS is often 85 feet off and there needs to be an 85 foot radius of safety around a cache to be safe. He deleted my message. Someone else got it archived.
I don't know what training the reviewers go through, and I wonder if they let though stuff for their "buddies" sometimes.
on another thought, I just called the police in the town where I live and told them I would be a liason for geocachers. They're going to get back to me on it. I'll put together a class for them if they want. I'm good at that sort of thing. It would be fun. I guess someone has to pick up a ball and run with it here.
SS
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Anywho I think that a few cachers from every area should get together and talk to their local and state police along with fire departments to let the know what geocaching is. Maybe even help them when a container is discovered.
I think we as a cache community need to work with our towns to make caches be known that is what they are so unnecessary measures do not need to be taken.
I really this is a great idea that I brought up before somewhere on the forums.
I'd be willing to be a local representative to the police around here. I think it would be very good for the survival of our game.
We have local representatives to some of the local large park systems here, so why not the police? I think it would be great for them to have someone to call if they think something is or isn't a cache. And a local would be ideal because you'd want someone who had found it who could positively identify it for them.
What do you think moderators? How would we get something like this started? How could someone be an "official" rep to the police?
SS
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It was purely by accident that we noticed that a local cacher with pretty big stat numbers has logged several of the areas finds online but not signed the physical logs inside some of the caches.
We happened to be caching along a couple of days behind him and noticed it. At first we thought maybe he'd forgotten a pen, but we also found caches with pens inside that were not signed by the cacher. Since this cacher has logged several of the caches we own, we checked a few and have found that some of those logs have also not been signed. We were kind of taken aback.
What would you do in this situation? Would you contact the cacher and ask what the deal was? Delete his logs and say nothing? Leave them and not worry about it? I don't want to start trouble, but on the other hand, is it fair to log caches you haven't actually found? It's not something I normally police, but in this case it was something we couldn't help but notice. I'm baffled. What do you all think?
I've heard of people changing their log-in names and re-logging their caches. I know a friend who did it and didn't go back and re-sign with the new name. I suggested he do that, but he contacted Groundspeak and they told him to just re-log the finds and don't worry about it.
I'd suggest you contact that cacher and make sure it's not something like this.
Then for a really good time, you can check out the thread on the forums about cachers in Germany logging virtual finds in 3 states and two different countries all in one day. You never know what's going on until you ask.
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I found a cache that is inside an intersection. http://www.geocaching.com/map/default.aspx...;zm=19&mt=k Is this an acceptable placement? While everything is dangerous to a point, wandering into traffic with your nose in the GPS seems pointless.
Also what about caches that have been confirmed missing for more then a year?
Are there other examples?
I just found one that was just approved and in a very dangerous place. I e-mailed the person who had approved it and decided to let them decide. This one in particular might be Ok if they gave a clue and a better description of where it is. I did also leave a note for the cache owner.
I've contacted the person publishing the cache when it goes missing (and has been verified missing) for over a month. one was really making people mad. The owner would not reply even though many of us sent "needs maintence" requests. I found someone who had found it (e-mailed people who had logs for it) and found someone had gone back to show it to a friend and found it was gone. I had suspected as such, but got it confirmed and then talked to the publisher about it. Now it's temporarily unavailable to give the owner a chance to get a new cache set up, but now at least people aren't wasting their time looking for it. That owner hasn't logged on since 10/08 so they probably have abandoned it at this point. It will get archived after a month if the owner doesn't reply.
One cache recently got flooded when a sewer overflowed. The whole area is rank. The cache should be moved. I put that one in for archiving to get their attention fast. Most I just say "needs maintenance" if they need moving (like the one where the river took it) but that one was a health issue.
Usually I start with an e-mail to the cache owner if it is a bad issue. If they don't reply after a while, or after a couple e-mail and I see they haven't logged on for months, then I will go to the person who published that cache (or who is reviewing the caches in the area now if it is an old cache).
You can find the reviewer in an area by looking at the new caches in the area and see who reviews them now.
I wish people would consider the fact that GPS units are often off 23-80 feet when they are placing their caches. It's not just a matter of whether their cache is in a safe area, it's whether the search area is safe.
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THis topic is currently being discussed in two other threads in this forum.
It seems to be a topic that gets us all hot under the collar one way or the other.
The highlights from those two threads (one which I banned myself from) I think are:
1. There is a good reason why Groundspeak chooses not to recognise FTF's (because they cause so much controversy and angst).
2. someone suggested FTFP (after published) as a title for those who find it after published.
3. another said that the main problem with FTF's is that they are causing so much upheaval, unrest and upset people in the forums.
I'd really hate to see another thread go the way of these others, so it might be best to look up the other threads before starting all over again here with such a "delicate" subject.
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Wow, these aren't hard to find are they?
Lots of extraterrestrials in this game. I had no idea.
http://www.geocaching.com/seek/nearest.asp...7e&ul=Rokop
This guy was in Belgium, Utah and Hong Kong the same day. Two days before that it was Texas, New York, michigan and Lousiana. But those are some of his slow days.
Wonder if I can catch a ride on that ship??
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Yeah, this is just another example of extra-terrestrials joining in our game. This guy was in Pennsylvania, nevada and france yesterday. there's no other explanation. He's got to be in his space ship.
Anyone can play.
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I don't necessarily think of this as degrading the game. It's not a competition after all, right? I guess in a way I'm guilty of this myself. My rat Guinness has a geocaching account because he goes a lot of places with me, including caching, unless the weather's bad. We thought it would be cute for Guinness to "find" caches and to have his picture taken at each cache he goes to with us. Even though he only has 19 finds, I guess this could be construed as "fake" finds.
We just thought it was fun, but maybe we should stop. (Also, when ripping me to pieces please be gentle... )-Rozie
Go for it!! I don't see any problem with your rat having a geo-account!!
That's really easy- definately not hurting anyone (not even your rat) and you are having a good time of it. What the heck?
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I've not seen a lot of false logs, but what has become both common and irriating is people sharing the coordinates to the final stages of multi-caches and the solution to puzzle caches. I think this practice also degrades the game.
i wouldn't think it would degrade the game if they shared the puzzle solutions with me.
I can't figure out puzzle caches for anything!!!
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Keep 'em guessing and list the size as "Unspecified".
I've always seen "unspecified" used for wierd containers, such as fake rocks or hollowed out logs, etc. If you list it as unspecified then they'll be looking at all the reflectors on the nearby signs. The point in the size is so they (we) know what to look for and where. If you say it' a micro then this does not accomplish that. If you say it's a large, then people will know what to look for.
How to tell what to put is to answer the question of WHY do we put the cache size on the form to begin with?
It doesn't matter if someone is disapointed they can't put their bug in if they can't find it anyway because they're looking for a magnet on the bottom of the picnic table rather than looking under the tree.
I think the size is to know what we're looking for first. Second, to know whether to fill our pockets with tradeables.
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It may be a local problem for you. I've found numerous of these kinds of caches and have never found one "trashed". They can be "checked" for caches pretty easily by merely gripping the riser portion (use opposing fingernails) and pulling up. If you detect the spring, then it's a real sprinkler. And they can be reassembled. What is needed is to educate cachers not to "disassemble" anything or trash any public propery.
and perhaps educate them on putting them back together if it does happen.
Perhaps you can enlighten us and I can return to those caches to repair someone's damage.
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Am I even posting to the right thread here?
Yeah, I banned myself from the pages where this was discussed and ran into it again here.
I burned my soapbox so now have to just stand on my toes to get my point across, so now I can't go to those pages.
No wonder Groundspeak doesn't deal with these. Now I see why. Those guys have a lot figured out for sure!
Let's go back to debating ammo cans VS tupperware.
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This week I went out caching and came across the second sprinkler in one week that had been "geo-trashed" by someone thinking it was a geo-cache. I can see this problem only growing as more people become aware that some people are using fake sprinklers as a geo cache. They actually are real sprinklers with their insides removed. I've seen them in use. They are very ingenious. But it seems they are leading to the destruction of public property inadventantly at this point. Once apart, they are very hard to get back together (I tried, I can't do it).
What about the idea of a voluntary moritorium on sprinkler head caches. I hate to suggest it because they are so inventive and creative, but we need to think about the game not getting a bad name, especially in public parks where it could easily be banned.
any other feedback?
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I think your ire is being caused by unreasonable expectations.
In the OP's example, hiding and hunting caches aren't the only games being played.
There's also the FTF Game going on, which is a completely different critter all together.
Because not all of us opt to participate in the FTF Game, we might occasionally run afoul of those who do.
You should be gentle in your critiques, because these folks aren't playing the same game you are.
They are having fun their way. You are also free to have fun your way. Right & wrong don't really come into play here.
Forgive me, but this the most bizarre assertion yet. right and wrong dont come into play here? so I guess this game is all anarchy?
So I could say I hide a cache and publish coordinates and have people go find it after never hiding anything at all? Just to watch people go nuts?
I could publish coordinates in the side of a cliff just to watch people try to get it (but tell Groundspeak it is well away from the cliff)?
FTF is part of geocaching. what is it that you are finding? hey, a geocache.
A big part of this geocaching game is that a lot of strangers are joining together here and doing something together. We may not see each other or meet, but everything we do here in this game reflects on the game.
It is a game of people holding to their word and not just taking a collection of all the ammo boxes listed online. Not hiding things in unsafe places, no matter what they tell Groundspeak. Not just clearing out all of the stuff out of every cache they come across. Keeping a low profile so strangers don't take the caches and ruin our game, not geo-trashing the environment in finding caches so parks don't start to disallow caches to be hidden there. etc, etc, etc.
People who come in and think there is no right and wrong here will ruin the game. It is amazing something like this has survived in this culture of greed and meanness as is. This game relies on others to keep a minimum honesty to the community in order for it to survive. I reiterate: IN ORDER FOR THIS GAME TO SURVIVE. Do you think this game could not be outlawed? It would not be hard. One friend I told about it is dead set against it because of the false bomb alerts that have been caused by it. Get enough of the public against us and you could get arrested trying to find a cache. Don't think it couldn't happen. And then don't think there is no right and wrong in this game.
Now back to the relatively minor issue of first to find rights.
If there IS a competition for first to find, we all know its not fair to fair competition to give some competitors a one day lead. This is grade school math. Something we all learned back then. Now it is your choice how you wish to play the game, you can log finds all day that you didn't find and I really don't care, but don't pretend that you are playing fair to other players, and don't pretend that you are fairly getting a first to find. If you want to do it, do it, just know you're not fooling anyone around here.
I like what someone else said:
QUOTE(DarkZen and Beautiful @ Apr 15 2009, 02:50 PM)
I'll happily 'agree to disagree' with you, but the definition is far from "clear". The only reason to give a friend pre-knowledge of a cache is precisely so he can circumvent 'fair play' and log a FTF. What other reason is there? This practice would probably not exist if no one cared about FTFs. In the spirit of fairness, I have no problem logging a FTF if someone previously signed it while placing it with the owner or beta-tested it (though I haven't done it myself).
Now if you want to play that way, that is your business. I'm not going to lose any sleep over it. It really doesn't matter. It hurts the integrity of the game a bit, but the game will survive it so it's not a big deal. (It mostly reflects on the few doing it anyway). But I hope in your post suggesting there is no right and wrong in geocaching you will not do anything that really matters that will really spoil the game for everyone.
Off my soapbox. Man I have to burn that thing really.
What about a voluntary moritorium on sprinkler caches
in General geocaching topics
Posted
Actually, I looked on ebay to see what containers are out there. People do crazy things in my area and I wanted to be able to find some of them.
I found sprinkler heads for sale as caches, so began looking for them. I seriously would not have considered looking for them if I had not seen them sold as containers.
Yes the genie is out of the bottle for some of us, but many have still never heard of them.