Grimstone
-
Posts
47 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Posts posted by Grimstone
-
-
Of course, planting a cache on your own property brings up other issues (i.e. liability) that have been debated on the forums ad naseum
Ah, yes, good point.
So how about we put a virtual cache at our local dump. In order to log it, you have to toss at least 5 pounds of cache-trash into the heaps of garbage and take a pic to prove it.
-
But... what about a total stranger 'round here, visiting from another place, or a noobie just getting started? How would they know which profiles to look at? How would they know which folks had cache druthers similar to theirs?
They wouldn't. It is another way to view the data, not the only way to view it. Data is data and can be viewed many ways. Through aggregate scoring (This cache has been rated top 10% of caches by x users) or by listing (Here is x user's favorite caches).
At second glance, it looks like I may be able to implement this as part of the idea of lists instead of creating a whole new system. I'll just create two list types - ignore list and top 10% list - and apply rules to them. This doesn't mean much to some but it does mean that I may be able to get to do this sooner.
So would you simply click on "Add to Favorites" the same way you click on "watch this cache"?
This sounds like way too much trouble. I gotta have information ready and handy, or else I wont go through the trouble.
I really dont even know what the heck you are talking about with this 10% n stuff jargon.
How hard would it be to just put a rating system for caches on every cache page?!
(yea ok, maybe a lot of trouble for the webmasters, etc, but hey...)
-
maybe it would be better to only show highly positive ratings so no feelings are hurt.
If people dont know how to place a good cache they should be let know. Nicely, of course. And an ambiguous rating system might be just the key.
There needs to be ratings of all caches, because what if there was a cache that had been visited 40 times in a year and it had no rating? Thats the same way of saying, "your cache is garbage and you might as well huck it in your local trash dump."
And just so newbs (like me) dont throw out 1's and 10's for every cache they see, you could make it so only exp'd. cachers get to rate other caches. Like only cachers who have found over 50 or 20,000 or whatever.
-
I guess when you searched you missed the thread about this already.
yegah. thats a newb for you!
nvmd....
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
-
I was thinking about so many people getting upset over lame caches and thought there might be a solution.
Not a 100% effective, foolproof method solution, but something that might help.
How about we devise some sort of rating system for each cache posted? Only people who have found the cache can rate it. And it would be some sort of rating that would give an idea of how well-put-together and planned the cache was. And if its being maintained, etc....
I know, the comments posted should give an idea of that, but I dont always want to read 20 postings to get a general idea of something that might not even be addressed by any of the cachers, anyway.
The ratings would directly reflect on the cache owner's profile page.
And say, in order to prevent newbs (like myself) from throwing out 1's or 10's (whatever the rating system is) only cachers who have found over 50 or 100 or whatever caches can post ratings of caches they have found.
Either way, it seems there needs to be some sort specific, direct method of rating caches.
What does everyone think?
-
I have an idea, (bear with me here),
I could put a 55-gallon metal drum on MY property and post it as a cache:
A "Trash-Cache." People will come by and toss their cache-trash in instead of putting it in a REAL cache and then once a month (or week) I will light it on fire and post pics online of all the crap going up in flames. (I know, I know, I might have to weed out the plastic things and golfballs).... but wouldn't that be cool? Heh.
AND, cacher get to post a find!!!
the catch-phrase; "Trade down, trade even, or don't trade at all!"
-
Very cool.
Gives me some ideas.
-
I use mylar dust jacket covers on my personal library.
That's all I have to say about that.
-
OK, being fairly new to the game, what are some suggestions for swap items ?
We all love Mctoys.
Heh. That was a joke everybody.
-
OK, being fairly new to the game, what are some suggestions for swap items ?
We all love Mctoys.
-
First, and what is seems like most people follow..... i
You're talking about the forums. Here we all "trade up or trade even". But somebody is out there taking Mini Mag Lites and leaving expired Sanka coupons and apparently they don't visit the forums.
Yes, or they get to the cache and realize they forgot to bring stuff for trade *but they really want that gadjet there* so they rationalize that the trade is OK.
May the Lord smite me if I ever do so....
-
a sig exchange theme cache because that's what I enjoy trading. How do you stock that??
I have a couple of caches that require more time or effort. I have a loop series of 6 caches called the Africa Loop (a 4 mile loop hike) where I placed 40 custom buttons in the final cache. I found that people took a button and left a signature item of their own.
I only leave my signature coin in a cache that I really enjoyed. So I guess people have different views on sig items.
Setting up a travel bug, sig item, WG$ exchange is also a possibility. Try to pick an easy spot (though well concealed) where travellers can stop off and trade.
So where could a guy buy these sig coins?? Ive looked around, but I guess Im missing the link. Or is this something homemade?
-
Fade in ...
"Dad, can I have this?" he says as he picks up the little white ball with dimples in it.
"OK, I have plenty, you can have this one."
He has a lot of fun playing with his new bouncy ball. Bouncing it on the driveway is neat, sometimes it even goes higher than he is. Wonder what it would be like if all those little dents were not there. So he finds some mud in the back yard and covers the ball, filling in all the little bumps, and then patiently waits for it to dry.....Still the same, it still bounces really high, but some of the dent filler is coming out. He has a lot of fun bouncing it and chasing it down the driveway. Makes a neat sound. Feels funny in his pocket, too. Moves around against his leg as he's walking.
Cache hunt ....
Junior is having fun on this trip; he gets to hold the GPS. It's here close, he knows it.
There it is! (Dad saw it earlier but didn't say anything) So he opens it up in anticipation. Lots of kewl stuff inside. While Dad takes the log and goes to reading, Junior goes shopping. He sees a really kewl car, still in the package. It's a collector's edition, whatever that means. He doesn't see that, just the shiney car. "Hey, Dad, can I have this?"
"You have to trade for it, not just take it."
He thinks about it, and all he has to trade is his bouncy ball, with the mud filled dents. He pulls the ball out of his pocket. Hmmm ..... ball in one hand, car in the other. I have a lot of fun with this ball, he thinks, but this car is neat. A little balancing trick with the hands, deciding which to keep, he decided to let some other kid have fun with his bouncy ball for a while. He's gonna go driving.
One man's junk is another kid's fun .....
Look for a bouncy ball in a cache near you .... mud filled dents optional.
*sigh*
I guess in addition to a gpsr, I will have to somehow acquire a 5 to 8 year old in order to fully enjoy geocaching!
-
Is the "quadifiler" antannae in the sportrak map any different than those mentioned above? WHat exactly is it?
-
This is really sad.
In your opinion, does it help if you make your caches very hard to find?
It seems that if a cache is very difficult, the only ones to get it will be dedicated and contienscious cachers.
Were you born a prick or did you practice to get so good at it?
^
|
|
|
|
Eh?
-
The cache page says it included a "Ross Perot book." Kind of ironic that the first cache had political paraphanalia in it.
-
How timely and appropriate this thread. Yesterday I went on a "cache check", where I drove from one cache to the next to check them out and make sure that they are still there and still alright. Three of the four are ammo cans that have been stocked with decent schwag within the last six months. By "decent schwag", I mean stuff that would appeal to a 5-12 year old (bubbles, card games, magnetic chess and checkers games, etc.) as well as some useful stuff that might appeal to adults (multi-tool, ZIP ties, computer and Palm gizmos). All are in rural areas with few caches within a 20 mile radius other than my own.
The three ammo cans had all degraded seriously over the six months. Not a single thing in them other than TBs, the log book and biblical tracts. I sat by the side of the lake at one of the places and asked myself why I did this. I can afford the toys and such. I don't give a rats butt about the schwag, but kids do. My son now hates geocaching because every time we get to a box, it's full of crap. He's 7 and he hasn't grasped the concept of "the joy is in the journey".
I have two caches at a nearby state park that I checked about two months ago. Both of them had to be restocked as well. What really killed me about one of them, was that it was the "community cache" from our geocaching event campout in May 2003. That box was stuffed to the gills with really good stuff. Everything in it was good. A bunch of people logged the cache in the weeks after the event, but those were the people at the event. After that, it was a trickle of people. I was stunned when I checked the box that fall. It was nearly empty. The log book was signed by tons of people who never bothered to log it online.
As of last week, I had eight geocaches. Four ammo boxes, two decons, one virtual, and a TB hotel. All four of the ammo boxes suffered continual degradation. The TB hotel suffers the same problem with people taking more TBs than they leave and not logging the cache online. I have a cache that is very cool. It's been raided a few times and I keep putting it back because it's a neat place to visit. Does anyone visit it? Not really. Why? I have a pretty good idea, but I'll keep my generalizations to myself. If you look at the cache, look at the topo map version and you will understand. I will keep it out of sentimentality if nothing else--it was my first cache in Oklahoma and came long before the Great Renumbering.
What I am planning to do is pull all four of my ammo boxes and one of the decons. I will replace them with one Members Only ammo box that I will keep stocked with good stuff for the kiddos. I've resisted the temptation to place a MOC up to this point, but I'm beginning to see the value in it.
I'm sorry that it's come to this, but I've nearly lost my desire for geocaching. Where we used to plan a day of activity around a geocache hunt, now we never bother. I might grab one or two while I'm traveling, but I don't bother trying to get my family involved. I need to make my son want to cache again. Perhaps I will have him help me stock the new MOC and he can take his pick from the goodies. Maybe I'll plant a few caches just for him to find so that he will get excited about it again. Maybe we'll just bag it and go bowling instead.
This is really sad.
In your opinion, does it help if you make your caches very hard to find?
It seems that if a cache is very difficult, the only ones to get it will be dedicated and contienscious cachers.
-
A view.
I don't believe I'm agreeing with solohiker, but I am.
Probably, the 2nd, 3rd and 4th best things, too.
Mopar...chill!
Same here. Heck ive only found 9 caches so far, but my favorite ones are the ones the offer views.
-
A link to all the other threads with this exact same topic I've already replied in.
You just can't help yourself, can you?
Nope!
Know why?
I know in my case my answers were some extremely special things. Many other people posting interesting, unusual, or valuable things. The first time this topic came up, many people contibuted their stories.
Face it, how many times do you find "the best thing ever" in cache?
Chances are for most people, the best thing they ever found in cache is probably the same best thing they talked about last month, and 3 months ago, and 5 months ago, and all the other times it comes up. Most people who already posted to 1,2 or 3 of the other threads probably aren't going to respond yet again to this one.
.If the original poster is really interested in what's the best thing people have found in a cache, the best way to find out is use the
Search button.For the record, my most recent response is 2 months ago in this thread.
I think the world just may explode because of this slightly repetitive thread.
-
Im not selling this, but I saw this on ebay and it looks like an awesome deal.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...ssPageName=WDVW
-
wise words, Totem.
I am not all that "serious" about caching-- you can tell that by my stats!
But I have a good time when I go. I still consider myself a newbie, I've only been doing this for a year and a half or so. I thought and still think geocaching is a great idea, but I have never understood the concern and anguish over the quality of the cache contents. Most of the time I don't even look at them, sign the log and go on. I enjoy the search and where it takes me, and the finding! I guess many others have different priorities... c'est la vie~! It seems to me that if we are to make caches available to everyone than there really is no way of getting aorund this. We cant control the behavior of others.
What I plan on doing, (i am a newbie) is to place my caches in very very difficult locations so that the only people who could or want to get it are going to be dedicated geocachers, i.e. no kids.
I just dont see any other detterent to this problem.
-
While caching in Oregon, I noticed several logs refering to non-cachers as "aliens". So, where do you cache and how to you refer to people who aren't as cool as us?
How about normal? Altho, I think that in Oregon it's spelled Norml.
heh. hey now. Oregon is cool. i was born there, and look at me.
-
Help me out here. I am going to plant a cache soon, and I cant see any reason not to put a little swiss army knife or something like that in it.
Is it really so kids wont get hurt?
Mostly because it's against the guidelines for cache contents listed in geocaching.com's Cache Listing Requirements / Guidelines page: "Explosives, fireworks, ammo, knives (including pocket knives and multi-tools), drugs, alcohol or other illicit material shouldn't be placed in a cache. "
It's not just "to protect the children", I think. It's partly to make land managers / government bureaucrats less likely to ban or restrict geocaching, since they're being assured that people aren't placing boxes of weapons on public property.
Oh yea, that makes sense I guess... so that they could say there wern't any "weapons" on the premesis. For some reason i overlooked that when I was reading the guidelines.
But dang, if I found a swiss army knife of something I'd be pretty exited (If I had something worth trading, of course).
-
It's now a universal term. Except for the unbelievers who insist on inventing a new word for muggle.
But I have a good time when I go. I still consider myself a newbie, I've only been doing this for a year and a half or so. I thought and still think geocaching is a great idea, but I have never understood the concern and anguish over the quality of the cache contents. Most of the time I don't even look at them, sign the log and go on. I enjoy the search and where it takes me, and the finding! I guess many others have different priorities... c'est la vie~! 
I Wonder What Was So Bad About The Name
in General geocaching topics
Posted · Edited by Grimstone
Wow.
6 pages about nothing.
Kind of funny a cache in Texas is the cause of a heated debate. In fact, anything about Texas is pretty funny. Heck, when I was drivin through on my cross-country trip a few years ago I was laughin my a** off the whole dang time. And I have no idea why.
Maybe it was the "dont mess with Texas" signs all over the place. I was like "no actually, I would not like to 'mess' with any state for that matter, im just drivin through - in fact, the faster I can get out of this god-forsaken land the better."
Ahh... the good ol days.
(hey all in good fun, right? I could make fun of any state)