arisoft

Not checked statistics but I have this feeling by now. I do not find this "alarming" but maybe worrying. May be there is good reasons like saturation and lack of good new places.

I fear that this happens to many. You could avoid finding micros but it is psychologically difficult just to ignore them as people tends to clear their neighbourhood first. Have you ever tried "slow caching"? Select only one (regular size) cache far from roads and go to find it. It is totally different experience than finding the nearest micro.

The difference is that Intercache must be mystery cache type. I have made a field puzzle mystery which needs on-line connection to load javascript app to browser on site.

Is there a guideline which says that event owner should participate at all?

I thought they thought it is a particularly interesting way to get a fresh look at geocaching. If this is true, why they need an extra motivator? For example I like to collect triplets and I have collected 571 triplets by now. Perhaps they succeed in finding another fresh and equally interesting goal if the motivator is important to them.

Personally I have feeling that something has changed but my view is limited. Anyway, if the number of new caches is decreasing as the title says, does that mean that there is less but better new caches now?

You are getting closer. Now you have to compare rates of favorites given to caches published before and after that day to get the answer based on facts statistics.

It would be physically impossible to make more old caches. You think that the goal was not to get better caches when favorite system was introduced? For my theory it is not important, why favorite system was introduced. The question is, did the fall of quality caches start after introducing the favorite system? If there is no turning point in cache quality at the same time, then we could answer no, but otherwise, it is worth investigating more.

Is there any reason why they can not get this fresh look at geocaching right away? I mean that HQ doesn't prevent geocaching based on any grid.

Can you say whether they are of good quality for that reason or not? Maybe we could compare geocaches made before and after favorite system was introduced to tell if is there any change to better.

I think that the favorite system was meant to increase number of quality caches. Do you suspect that this goal wasn't achieved?

True, but did the fall of quality caches start after introducing the favorite system? Yes or no?

Today I have a conversation with another geocacher about this issue. One interesting theory came in my mind. Did the fall of quality caches start after introducing the favorite system?

I wouldn't attend any 30 min event anyway. If 5 min events were allowed you would see many of them. Minimum effort is the key.

Interesting idea but hard to get accepted. My first though was, to whom this is intented? And secondly a single "like" would be better suited to the whole.

I understand this. I also know that it is normal to get controversial statements from HQ as it always depends on people behind the statement. I got it from reviewer who published a new elevation challenge and was consulted with HQ about the matter. I was surprised to see DeLorme mentioned in the same statement as a justification to elevation. There are many. This is one example which I know pretty well . https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC7CCZK_das-ist-doch-die-hohe-challenge I think that somebody in the headquarters agrees, but apparently not all.

There appears to be at least some issues: https://project-gc.com/forum/read?8,9280

One important factor is the geochecker. Nobody is resposible to update constantly changing authoritative regions. Groundspeak has own country map which does not correspond to real countries but the information is available from cache descriptions and available to geocheckers.

This is very logical explanation, but it does not explain why contour lines are accepted as allowed criteria and why DeLorme was mentioned when this matter was questioned. I understand that there may be different explanations and opinions even inside HQ and everything can change without warning.

No, it is not my statement, it comes from HQ.

Basically elevation challenges are against these challenge guidelines: - Challenge cache criteria must come from information broadly available on Geocaching.com - Challenge cache criteria must be verifiable through information on Geocaching.com. The statement I quoted, is used as exception to allow challenges based on elevation.

If you open any topographic map you can see that elevation indeed is a geographical area.

I know, it is not by the guidelines at all, but as you can see, elevation challenges are accepted as told in the statement I quoted.

I can only advice to ask from your local reviewer. It is possible that USGS quadrangles are allowed same way as DeLorme seems to be allowed. Guidelines are just guidelines and some exceptions are allowed as elevation, which seems to be against many challenge guidelines.

Meybe there is no such problem at all because I have opposite information that DeLorme is allowed.