TL&MinBHIL
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Posts posted by TL&MinBHIL
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My post was not off topic. Some of my caches got muggled by some "weekend" smartphone cachers that trashed the area and left NM and DNF's on my listings that were still in place. Some of my listings had been in place for almost two years and were not PMO listings. After the Intro App came out and I experienced the same thing the OP has, I did make my listings PMO. I can't help that you misunderstood my post, but the geocaching community to me is the people like myself that show up and host events and take part in maintaining geocache listings.
And there are more than one geocacher in my household, and yes they use the Intro App on their smartphone but they are not new to geocaching. We also shop at Groundspeak and I am a very avid geocoin collector, but you have to see me at an event to discover one of them. 
You call them "weekend smartphone cachers," then like so many others here, proceed to badmouth an entire group of cachers who just so happen to play with a smartphone. I would venture to say the people you describe, ones who muggle your caches, trash the area, and leave false NM & DNF logs, are not cachers at all. They're just bad people who set out to do destructive things to innocent people. They've found an easy and free way (the intro app) to do it. So many on this forum lump all smartphone cachers into the same group as the bad ones. You generalize too much. I'm willing to bet the amount of responsible, quality smartphone cachers far outnumber the bad ones. Many people here seem like they won't be happy unless smartphones are eliminated from the game entirely. If you ask me, people like that, those with a holier-than-thou attitude, do just as much to hurt the game as bad cachers. People come to these forums for help and to join a community of people who enjoy a game that not many even know about. Instead they encounter the same people complaining over & over again about smartphone cachers, newcomers and people who imply their way of play should be the only way. In my opinion, the powers that be at Geo HQ should do more to quell silly "uprisings" like this. You're not offering anything constructive by constantly creating threads about how bad you think smartphone and new cachers are. Go ahead, make your caches PMO, please do. Then those CO's will complain that not enough people are logging their caches. But at least the rest of us can go on enjoying a game without a bunch of caching primadonnas making it worse.
It is the responsibility of each player, regardless of the device they use to play, to educate themselves on how to properly play this game. Since smartphones have become so prevalent in society, it has put a Geocaching device in the hands of many, many more people. Such an influx of new users is bound to give birth to people who don't do enough to play properly. But imagine a world where handheld GPS devices were cheap and as prevalent as smartphones...you'd have the same number of new additions to this game and the same problems. Don't blame the device, blame the person. The overwhelming generalization of all smartphone cachers is sickening.
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My family & I are iPhone cachers as well, but I'm sorry, I'm not at all familiar with Geobucket. But, Geocaching does have an official app, two if you count the free intro app. You can download the free "Geocaching Intro" app to become familiar with the game. That app is limited in that it only shows the 3 closest caches to your current location, but it might help you familiarize yourself with how it all works. Then, if you feel like you'll stick with the game, I'd recommend the full version of the Geocaching app. It is $10, which is quite expensive for an app, but if you find you like the game and want to stick with it, it's worth it.
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There aren't any time settings for the app. I do know there are some discrepancies between logging with the iPhone app and online. If I find multiple caches in a day and log some with the iPhone and some online, it'll jumble the order in which I found them. I think there's also something that affects the time in which you log with the phone vs online.
There's a thread in the bug reports section about the 31 days of caching souvenirs not showing up properly when logged with iPhones. Wrong souvenir dates on iPhone 4S.
I thinks it's been a bug with the iPhone app for a long time, but they're never in any hurry when it comes to the app.
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To elaborate on JohnCNA's comment, click on Menu (upper left corner) and choose Settings. Where is says My Finds, set it to Exclude.
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While driving in one direction, let's say south, phone shows me all the cache's that are north. East shows me west. What do I have to do to get it to show me the cache's in the direction I'm traveling.
Also, if you haven't already noticed, there's a button to orient the map. In any map view, whether it's after you click "Find Nearby Geocaches" or "Navigate To Geocache" on a cache page, there are 2 buttons in the upper left corner of the map view. The top (an arrow) centers your screen on either your location, only the Geocaches shown, or everything. The bottom button (either a square or a circle) orients the map. If you see the square, your map is locked with north at the top. If you change it to the circle, your map will orient itself to the direction you're facing.
As for caching with an iPhone, my family & I have been caching for 3 years now and have only ever used iPhones. First with my iPhone 4...now I have the 5, the Mrs. has a 4S, and I let our son use my old 4. The old 4 is no longer activated on a cellular network, so it takes longer for the GPS alone to settle down, but it works. So far I've never had a desire to buy a handheld GPS unit, the iPhone has always gotten the job done. We've cached in urban, rural, wooded, mountains, etc. and it hasn't failed us yet. Sure, sometimes it's not as accurate, but that's never stopped us. I wouldn't want to be placed right on top of the cache every single time, the hunt is what makes it fun.
In regards to posting, if you'd like to quote another user, simply click "Reply" under their post. Then type your comment under theirs (make sure yours starts AFTER the /quote tag). If you'd just like to comment without quoting someone, click the "Add Reply" button at the top or bottom of the thread, or click within the Fast Reply box at the very bottom. Hope that helps. Happy hunting!
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I've noticed a guy that's cached around here who likes to toss out "throw-downs" when he can't find a cache, then counts his own throw-downs as a find. He has nearly 15,000 finds, but it makes me wonder how many of them are ones he threw out himself.
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I like Roman's idea. Well not necessarily the whole judging thing, I'm indifferent on that. I understand that's just his little gimmick, but the concept is pretty cool. Tell people where you're going and ask them to list their interesting & worthwhile caches along the way. It seems like a good way to find some good ones along a route that you might otherwise drive right by.
While I would be pleased if a forum regular would find one of my caches, I don't really need someone to critique them. I'm satisfied with all my hides,(the few I have.) and hope that everyone who finds one likes it.
However, the idea of looking for and finding caches hidden by those I see posting here regularly does sound fun. When I travel, I would go out my way to find one.
So you're kind of like a Geocaching.com forum poster groupie?
Personally I think it's silly to put someone on a Geocaching pedestal simply because they spend a lot of time posting in the forum. But whatever floats your boat.
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So I read my very first post months ago wow I was angry. I have had a lot to think about. People talk in the forum about "Elitism" with long standing verses "Newbies".
Points to remember in dealing with newbies. Lead with the positive. "Hey you started geocaching great, have any questions?". That would be great. " This game people really like the rules followed to keep if fun, I would not mind telling you them and the unspoken rules". I would have loved that. I as a newbie got defensive I felt ganged up on when I started. If I had been approached more this style I would have loved it. I would have met a cacher took notes.
My fault was like I have said in other posts I did not understand not only "Unwritten rules" but why they are there. I saw there was no rule for hiding a cache with just 4 finds so I did. Trouble started.
NOW I agree you should find caches like 50-60 before you hide one. Not a fan on the "100" rule. I understand it now but not then. It is about seeing all they ways they are hidden, cache containers. Find really bad ones. Have the experience of hunting for hours and not finding it. All good for getting your mind in the game. It helps you get the mental understanding.
:blink:http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/public/style_emoticons/default/blink.gif I am to blame I did not read the forums to get to know what cachers hate and what they love. I did not read the do's and don'ts from cachers themselves. Because of my excitement for geocaching I did not investigate the way I should have. I was Eger and so are other Newbies they will make mistake also.
In my last post I said I had thought of quitting because all the trouble I caused from being a Newbie. I felt I had angered to many Geocachers. (the reason I have not attended an event). I love ,love Geocaching but I did not start geocaching to anger strangers that are just trying to enjoy a hobby. I am a nice family man 5 kids the smallest 3 years old geocaches with me always. So If things are better in 6 months I will stay if not I will leave. I am doing my part, I listen to cachers now I follow the rules I don't engage in arguments with in the logs.
I think your statement truly hits the nail on the head. I've said on more than one occasion that Geocaching newcomers take a beating in these forums. It's like that all over the internet...a lot of "old timers" forget they were new once and many take on a "holier than thou" attitude. The Geocaching forums are no exception. In many cases, you have to have a very thick skin to participate here, especially if you're new and/or a smartphone cacher (because those 2 groups take most of the heat for "hurting the game").
One piece of advice I have for any newbie who participates in the forums is to get out and try to meet other cachers in your area, either by attending an event or getting lucky and crossing paths with them in the field. Talk to them, get to know them a little. More than likely you'll find that their attitude is much different than many here in the forums. I've never attended an event, but have spoken to cachers I cross paths with and, to be honest with you, if most of them had been like a lot of the cachers here in the forum, I probably would've stopped playing. Don't get me wrong, there are some very nice people here who won't think twice about helping anyone who asks. But there are more than a fair share of those who think this game should be played THEIR way, regardless of what Geocaching says. DO NOT let those types of cachers affect the way you play!! I can't emphasize that enough. Everyone plays this game differently and as long as you play within the Geocaching guidelines, do what makes it the most fun for you.
Just because a handful of cachers who frequent this forum say it should be done a certain way doesn't mean they're right. They'll tell you not to hide any until you've found so many or they'll tell you to sign your logs a certain way. There's no reason a new cacher with only a few finds (or zero) can't hide a good cache, because they can. All it takes is a little effort to educate themselves and the desire to positively add to this game. Sure it's helpful to see how caches are hidden and to see what types of containers are out there, but anyone can read these forums, read the Geo guidelines, or go on YouTube and watch countless videos of caches to find out how things are done. Yes I'd recommend anyone get a good feel for the game first, but I'd never say "If you haven't hidden any, you can't hide any!" It's not my place to say.
If you anger someone in these forums, please take it with a huge grain of salt because some of them are easily angered. They're not happy unless everyone plays this game the way they think it should. And when it doesn't happen, they feel it necessary to push their weight around. I could care less about your find count, how many you've hidden, how many years you've been playing, whether you're a Premium Member or not, or how many forum posts you have...none of it means squat when someone treats others poorly. I'll take a kind, humble newbie who's eager to learn this game and have fun over a forum "elitist" with thousands of finds any day.
Just do your best to ignore forum users like that. That's something I'm not always good at, but only because I don't think anyone should be treated badly by someone just because that person's been playing longer and thinks they're above others. Maybe it'd help if you took a break from the forums and just enjoy the game. If you truly love the game and are willing to play by the rules, there's no reason a few bad apples should spoil your fun.
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The reason I post the links to the Guidelines and to the Help Center is to encourage people to find out for themselves the answers from Groundspeak.
This is interesting when questions come from members who have already placed caches. One would think that they would already know where to find this information.
No matter the forum focus, I always encourage people to read the official guidelines/rules/regulations, rather than depending on other people's interpretations of those guidelines/rules/regulations.
B.
I see what you're getting at, but in this case, the OP was already aware of the rules but didn't fully understand them. So telling them to read the rules doesn't help; hence, posting their question here. It's what the forum is for, to help with rule interpretation.
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I might humbly suggest that geocaching and trackables may not be the best games for you if it creates this much angst.
This is a discussion forum, is it not? While the OP's chosen topic might be one that's been discussed on many occasions here, I don't think it warrants such a reply. His emotional reaction has nothing to do with whether this game is for him or not. In fact, if it's a hobby he thoroughly enjoys and is becoming passionate about, what's wrong with getting emotional about this type of theft? He's new to the forum and fairly new to caching. It's likely he's not aware that such theft is, unfortunately, common in this game. There are plenty of topics in this forum based on a cacher's frustrations with certain aspects of this game. If you're going to say it's not for this person, then you'd have to say it's not for all of the rest too.
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The Geocaching Intro iPhone app only shows you the 3 Geocaches closest to your location. As you find them, it will continue to list the next closest ones to you. So if you think the first 3 being shown are too difficult for your children, you will have to find them on your own to get 3 more to appear. That's just a limitation of the free Intro app.
Do an iTunes search in the App Store for "Geocaching." There might be another free one that suits your needs while you are becoming acquainted with the game. It's probably not a good idea to spend the $10 on the full version of the Geocaching app unless you decide it's something you're going to stick with.
Also be aware that the iPhone 3G, being an older model, will be much less accurate than newer smartphones when it comes to pinpointing the cache. It's still possible, I'm not trying to discourage you, but you just have to remember to give yourself some wiggle room finding "ground zero." Good luck.
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If you're at all concerned about having the caches logged in the correct order, I strongly recommend not mixing logging methods. That is, log them all from your phone, or log them all online through the website. The two systems use different timestamp systems, so mixing the two can lead to caches being out of order.
Based on your description of varying behaviour throughout the site, I'm wondering if different parts of the site are using different pieces of information to order the logs. I know some places use the alpha-numeric log codes (the GL codes) to order logs, so those logs will always display in the order they were logged, regardless of how they were logged and what timestamp they have. Maybe other parts of the site are using the timestamps instead, leading to the inconsistent behaviour?
Yeah, it did cross my mind that it might be because I logged using my phone AND computer. I've done that before, and I know this problem has happened to me before, but I'm not positive it happened every time I used both logging methods. Could very well be. But the two caches that it flip-flopped were both logged on the computer. Looks like I'd better pick one and stick with it.
It's very odd that the listing on the TB page is correct, but out of order when you click View Map. It's out of order on 2 out of 3 places...you'd think it'd be consistent across the board. Like you said, it seems as if they use different methods of ordering logs.
I care about the order of my logs too.
Which is why I have given up on the idea of logging with my smartphone...I use field notes.
The field note usually consists of the actual time I found the cache and any other details about trades or whatever.
Once I get home, I compose the actual log with the convenience of a full-size keyboard.
My field notes have never been out of order, but if they were I could make the correction when posting the actual log.
I almost always log from my phone in the field, but I got sidetracked. The order isn't too terribly important, but occasionally we like to look at our TB's map to review our trips and it'd be nice if they were accurate. More of a frustration & nuisance than anything. Not sure if this would be considered a bug or if they even care.
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Not that I've heard of, I wouldn't have looked if you hadn't mentioned it in your post. Sorry for prying.
Oh no, you weren't prying at all, it's there for the public to see. I just wasn't aware of that. For some reason I was thinking when I activated it, there was a way to set it as a personal trackable and that it wouldn't be visible to anyone but us, but I was wrong.
But the jumbled logs are still a mystery. Now that I've looked at the TB page, it's strange that it placed Royal Landing after Kodak Moment. That is the correct order, but like I said, I mistakenly logged Royal Landing 3rd instead of 2nd. So it seems, in a couple places at least, that it switched more than once. If I log them in a particular order, I just can't figure out why it doesn't display them in that order. I suppose I could delete all four and log them again, but who knows.
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When I look at the list of logs on my Profile page (log in and click on my username at the top), it lists them as Kodak Moment, I still haven't found what I'm looking for, Piasa Harbor, and Royal Landing. But when I logged them online that night, I logged Royal Landing before Piasa Harbor. Then I noticed it switched them, so I deleted those two and re-logged them, but it switched them again.
The order in which you see them on the TB page is correct. BUT, when I click on "View Map" for my TB, both the map as well as the list below the map are out of order.
Technically it should've been Kodak Moment then Royal Landing (just as it shows on the TB page) but I accidentally logged Royal Landing in the wrong place. But even so, it still switched that one and Piasa Harbor. So out of 3 places I look (my Profile page, the TB page, and the "View Map" page) only one of them shows the order correctly.
Also, I was unaware that the public can see our personal TB's page. Is there any way to hide it?
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We were out over the weekend and grabbed 4 caches. I logged a few of them in the field from my phone, then logged the last two when we got home. I always try to log my caches in the order in which we found them. I logged the 2nd to last cache online, then moved on to the last one. When I submitted the last cache, it was placed in line BEFORE the previous cache. I thought it was a glitch, so I deleted both logs and did them over, but got the same result. This has happened before so I thought it was time to see if anyone else knew what was going on. It's a bit frustrating because we have our own personal TB to track our travels and since it's logging them out of order, our TB doesn't always show the exact order in which we found them. It's not a make or break problem, I'm just curious as to why it's putting them out of order and if there's a way to correct it.
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My family & I just vacationed in Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg this past July. We rented a cabin too and it was so much more fun than staying in a hotel. If you want great views, your best option is to go into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There are several great lookouts where you can pull off the side of the road for spectacular views, but no caches. There are only Virtual Caches within the park and they're located at a few of the most popular destinations. If your wife isn't much into long, somewhat rough hikes, you'll have to choose carefully because the more popular summits can be quite strenuous.
Alum Cave Bluffs is roughly halfway up Mt. LeConte, the 3rd highest peak in the park. The Alum Cave Bluffs are about halfway up the Alum Cave Trail. Alum Cave Trail is technically shorter, but is also steeper than a couple of the other trails to the peak. The Boulevard Trail is longer, but not as steep. Alum Cave is not a cave per se, but a concave section mined out of the bluff wall by the Epsom Salts Co. in the early 1800's. Then the Confederate Army mined it for saltpeter during the Civil War. It's a great view, but can be a difficult climb if you're not used to it.
Climgmans Dome is the highest peak in the park and is home to a Virtual Cache. The trail from the parking lot to the lookout tower is only 1.5 miles, is paved, but it is quite steep. The view is well worth it.
Chimney Tops is another popular hike, but no caches. Even so, I recommend it for anyone who enjoys hiking, can handle a strenuous climb, and loves an amazing view. While we were there, they were doing some major improvements to the trail and it was closed during the week, so you may want to stop at the visitor's center to make sure it's open if you try it. People warned us that it was steeper and more difficult than the Alum Cave Trail, but to be honest, we found Chimney Tops to be an easier climb. Maybe because by the time we climbed it, we were used to so much activity. The last 50 ft. or so is up an exposed rock face. It can be intimidating for some, but it is manageable for even inexperienced climbers. You don't have to climb the rock face to the peak for a great view, but going all the way is something I definitely recommend.
If you decide to take some of the longer hikes, remember to carry plenty of water and some snacks wouldn't hurt. Some of the websites give estimates as to how long each hike takes, but no everyone goes at the same pace, so it's vital you have enough to eat & drink. And wear proper clothing...tennis shoes at the very least (which I was fine in), but hiking shoes/boots are best. We saw people in sandals & dress clothes who obviously underestimated the hike and were totally unprepared. We gave away some of our water & snacks to a few people who only brought small bottles of water or none at all. I can't stress enough how important it is to be prepared.
Cades Cove, as others have mentioned, is another great place. It's an area of flat land tucked inside the valleys. Cades Cove Loop Rd. is an 11 mile circle and you can tour all of the cabins, churches & structures built by early settlers. There are a few caches at Cades Cove. It's also a great place to see wildlife. We saw a bear as we entered the area and even followed it on foot (at a safe distance) for some great photos.
You might want to look into some of the trails that lead to waterfalls as well. I wish I could recommend some, but we ran out of time and didn't get to any of them. Next time! Another location for a great view (in Gatlinburg itself) is Ober Gatlinburg. You can take a large skycar up the mountain to a "mall" with shops, some food, and fun things to do. Once there, you can ride a chair lift to the peak of the mountain where there's another great view. If you have time, and enjoy that type of thing, go to the Ripley's Aquarium in downtown Gatlinburg. It's kind of pricey, around $20-22/person, but it's HUGE and amazing.
Here's a site for information about seasonal & temporary road closures. It does look like the roads to Clingmans Dome are closed due to weather, but you can keep an eye on them: http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/seasonalroads.htm
And here's a link to download a Park Map & Trail Map .pdf of the National Park: http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/maps.htm
Sorry my post was so long. We had such a great time and I'm happy to offer any info I can to anyone who's going. Have a great trip.
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Original poster posted at the beginning of the thread and then never came back...
Are we really trying to convince someone?
I don't know if this is true of the OP, but I think many people who post their opinion to internet forums simply don't count on such a backlash against their opinion. I know, I know, welcome to the internet. But when the response is so overwhelmingly against you, it can be quite daunting & disconcerting. Maybe even intimidating. Let's face it, the Geo forums can be a harsh environment for newcomers at times. They're constantly reading that the influx of newcomers has negatively affected the hobby and that newcomers & smartphone cachers = bad caches, bad logs, and bad swag. It didn't take long for this thread to go that direction. I don't blame some people for not coming back.
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I've got a neice that will turn twelve on 12-12-2012
...sorry, off topicThere's a slight chance she's going to disrupt the space time continuum.
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Why do we care about whether or not a certain group of people do not engage in geocaching??
A discussion like this only promotes us to make assumptions of why - which often includes stereotyping. Stereotyping is a form of being pre-judgemental.
So, instead of making assumptions.... Get out there and introduce the hobby to some new folks (minorities or not). Everything else is better left unknown.
Well said. There was no way this thread was going to last long without cries of racism & discrimination. Then came the claims of racial profiling while caching, black cachers who don't feel safe because they see a lot of pick-up trucks or Confederate flags (which, by the way, is racial profiling of whites), and cachers who say they can't enjoy the game because they're harassed by law enforcement due to their skin color. I'm white, my family & I enjoy camping and it's true, we rarely see blacks or other non-white races camping. I don't know why, I don't care. We enjoy it, that's all that matters. I guess they don't enjoy it, that's their choice. Same goes for Geocaching, you either play or you don't. There's no need to turn it into a racial debate because that never ends well.
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We actually looked for one of these Sterling caches while on a small vacation in Springfield, MO. We searched for a good 20 minutes or more and never found it. After coming home, I researched it a little bit and come to find out, the cache was an old DVD stuffed down into the crack of the sidewalk...hence the name of the cache, "redbox," as in the Red Box kiosks where you rent DVD's. Like the water bottle, cachers have to use a tool of some kind to scratch their usernames onto the DVD, which also doubled as the "log." When I discovered what these CO's use as caches, and saw how many they have and that some people seemed to like them, the first thing that came to mind was that cachers in the Springfield, MO area sure do have a unique sense of what a good cache is. In a way, I'm glad we didn't find it because I wouldn't have been too happy attempting to scratch our username into the DVD with a car key, which was probably the only thing we had on us that would've come close to working. Personally I don't think these caches follow the guidelines for a proper container/log.
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My Geico Gecko Travel Tag visited 3 caches before it went missing, even though I attached a laminated card clearly stating that it was not to be kept. I don't think these eye-catching beauties will survive very long in the wild, but I ordered one, anyway. We'll see.
I know the feeling. Our Gecko only made it into the hands of 3 cachers (4 if you count the thief) before it disappeared for good. I agree, I doubt many of these golden travelers will last. I signed up for one and if we get it, I just hope it lasts longer than our Gecko. I won't hold my breath.
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There are a couple commom quotes I use. Mostly when out in the wilderness and I trip over a limb, step in a hole, etc. I can't put them on here. Use your imagination.
Son of a biscuit? Firetruck? Shih tzu?
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I can't tell you how many times I've said it when passing a park or cemetery we haven't cached in..."I'll bet there's a cache in there." I've also been known to say, "That's a great place for a cache" on several occasions. Geocaching has caused us to look at places in a whole new way.
"Find or find not. There is no try"
Bonus points for the Star Wars reference!
"When you go to hide a geocache, think of the reason you are bringing people to that spot. If the only reason is for the geocache, then find a better spot."
– briansnat
(From the Geocache Listing Requirements / Guidelines)
This seems to be quite popular, several mentions on a single page alone. Geocaching.com is proud of the millions & millions of caches hidden around the world that are listed on their site, but think of how many millions less there'd be without some of the "less interesting" locations. I look at it this way...some people enjoy the hunt regardless of the end result. I understand that one of the major goals of Geocaching is to bring people to interesting locations. We've gotten more than enough satisfaction out of the locations we thought were interesting, and that makes up for the not so interesting ones along the way. Besides, it is possible to turn the less than desirable locations into a great Geocaching experience. We've found plenty in places that were just there for the cache, but the thought that went into the hide & the cleverness of the container made it well worth the time. There are ways to ensure you're brought to "better" locations...easy difficulty & terrain ratings can be a possible sign; descriptions often tell you if it's an interesting destination or not; look at the satellite maps, if it's not in a place you find appealing, don't go. If you don't like the caches "along the way," that's fine, just remember, we all enjoy this game differently.
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Not that I agree with your test, because I don't, but if you're going to test cachers on the proper logging of trackables, then you can't single out just newcomers. Newbies take a lot of blame, but let's face it, there are just as many experienced cachers who have a hand in hurting this game as well. I'd much rather see a new cacher who holds a trackable too long because they aren't sure of the process over a cacher who steals them.
It just irritates me that a (from my POV) noob thinks there should be an entry exam.At what point do you consider a cacher no longer a "noob?" The OP has been caching for nearly 2 1/2 years and has over 500 finds. That's not a newbie to me. My family & I have been caching for about 2 years with over 300 finds...I don't consider us newbies. I doubt you considered yourself a "noob" after 2 years. So you've been doing it for 8 years and have 4000+ finds, good for you, I'm glad that makes you feel so superior. I couldn't care less about someone's start date or find count. If they need help, I'm happy to help any way I can. If they can teach me something, I'll listen. You said it yourself...this isn't college, it's a game. If a person is serious enough about playing it, then it doesn't take long to figure out, it's not rocket science. There's been times when we've found caches that long time cachers couldn't. I'll take a humble newbie eager to play and learn over a high-and-mighty long timer anyday.
And there are more than one geocacher in my household, and yes they use the Intro App on their smartphone but they are not new to geocaching. We also shop at Groundspeak and I am a very avid geocoin collector, but you have to see me at an event to discover one of them. 
So I read my very first post months ago wow I was angry. I have had a lot to think about.
total miles
in How do I...?
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We use our own personal TB and log it to "visit" each cache we go to. We log it as a visit even if we don't find the cache. We wanted it to show everywhere we've been, not just every one we've found. The downside to using a TB in this way is that it only offers the mileage as the crow flies between caches, not the actual miles we drove to each one. But it's still fun to go back and look at the map.