ohmelli

Apparently Groundspeak has gone into my account and "fixed" things -- but rather than taking away the 5 smileys for the Lab Caches, they ADDED 5 finds to my "stats"... NOW the only discrepancy lies between my "stats" and my "fizzy chart" -- but I don't really care what shows up on my fizzy chart, so I'm not going to complain about that. It WOULD have been nice if Groundspeak had mentioned to me that they WERE going to "solve" my finds issue... then I might not have spouted off -- so much!

Here's what I know. I wasn't on the boards, and I rarely read the Groundspeak Blog. The FACTS surrounding the Lab Caches were NEVER posted in the newsletter. I read every newsletter. I "stumbled" into the Lab Caches while attending my FIRST mega ever, was (exactly like another person said) handed coords and told "go find this! New kind of cache! It'll be fun!" Well, actually it was rather lame. Every cache was just sitting out in the open - there was no hunt involved at all - but a find is a find... no worse than a LPC! So I go along with it. I then log the caches when I get home, having been told that I would get a new icon on my "stats". When the icon didn't show up on my "stats", I also noticed that the FINDS didn't show up. THAT's when I started asking questions and learned that Lab Caches would ONLY count on your "finds", but NOT in your stats! Now, I don't use GSAK or any other handy dandy outside source to keep track of my stuff. I use Geocaching.com to keep track! Right now Geocaching.com says I have 1518 FINDS... but my "stats" say I only have 1513. This is not a big deal right NOW, only because my 1500th find ISN'T a milestone cache. But when 2000 rolls around, my count is STILL going to be off -- because after 2 letters to Groundspeak, they have still refused to remove the 5 smileys from my "finds" -- which means that my "smileys" and my "actual finds" will NEVER match up again. So to me it sounds like Groundspeak is sort of saying "too bad OhMelli... suck it up... or go use GSAK!" They don't care, because 1)they know people aren't going to "quit" geocaching... and 2)we've already been their little "Lab Gerbils" for this experiment. I can tell you for sure, I won't be their Lab Gerbil again! It's one thing to release these things without thinking it completely through. It's a whole different issue when a "customer" (a PAYing customer) requests to have it removed from their account - and to be told NO. NOT sitting well with me.

You have to be "invited" to participate in lab caches, usually through the mega event you're attending. I'd try the event page for the mega, and see if you can find the link the lab caches. For example, when I went to the block party, there was a special web page we were given to go to - and from there we had to log in, and then we could see the lab caches we were invited to do. Thank you! Thank you so much!

I just returned from the GCHR (geocaching Hampton Roads)Mega, and we had 5 Lab caches to find there. We have "find codes" that we're supposed to put it in order to claim them -- but how do I locate them on the GC.com site? There is no GC code on them. I am seriously confused.

WOW! When ya ask for help around here... EXPECT to GET it!!! That baby in the ammo can is just priceless!!!

Here ya go! Hope they help!

Ding ding ding! That's your problem right there. Based on the behaviour of the site with past souvenirs, editing a log to the correct date will not award the souvenir. You have to submit the log with the correct date in the first place to have it awarded automatically. You could email Groundspeak and ask them to manually add the souvenir, but the quickest and easiest thing to do would be to delete the log and re-submit with the correct date. You should then get the souvenir instantly. Thanks A-Team! But by the time I got home, I had an email from Groundspeak and they took care of it! I'll remember NEXT time though!

Good thought! I'll try that in a little while. Gotta run right now! Thanks!

Did you backdate the logs, to the correct date, or are they logged as today's date? B. They are backdated. But they weren't when I first put them in... and I thought that was the problem. But when I fixed the date they still didn't get the souvenir... so I came here!

Thank you Beach_Hut!

Did you have to submit your log for attendance ON 5/4 to get the souvenir for WWFMX? I just logged my grandkids today and they did not get the souvenir.

I found a benchmark over the weekend, and took a picture of it so I would have all the details... but I can't for the life of me find HOW to log it on the site! Help please!? Thanks!

That's a new and interesting perspective. I'd have to think you're in a fringe minority though, with that line of thinking. I'll bet a lot of people would like to debate you on some of that, but this isn't the proper forum for that. Trust me, I have already heard it. Once Groundspeak realise that the cost in both time and resources (fuel to replace a paper log, the paper itself) is self defeatest in what is supposed to be an 'eco friendly' hobby, the better for all of us. I long for the day where a QR code in your cache is sufficent proof. I would be very sad to see physical logs go the way of the wind. I have one cache that has a T-shirt in it for the log, along with fabric markers to sign it with. I get more compliments on the log than on the cache! Thus far no one has spoiled the surprise by posting a picture... but I have had a few people send me pictures of what they wrote or drew on my t-shirt! I can't wait for it to get full. I will wear it to Geocaching events!!! I have another one I'm getting ready to place that is full with colored pencils and asks the hunter to draw a picture in the log. You can't DO that on the on-line log!!!

WOW! So the very first cache actually WAS BURIED!!! No rules about digging holes back then... (i know... i know... off topic!)

Mine was a magnetic key holder on black railing. Boring, but I moved on to #2 anyway!

It hasn't slowed me down... it's just CHANGED what I'm looking for. This past week I completed the Maryland's Best Ice Cream Geotrail. It was fun. It was a LOT (a really LOT) of driving... but it gave me a purpose! I had something I was AFTER! And once I had the ice cream caches in each area, then I just picked up a few C&D's. The ice cream caches were all VERY EASY hides also ... no hiking involved. However, I put over 1000 miles on my car! LOL! Maryland is definitely NOT used to triple digit heat... and with our humidity it IS torture! But the car has AC - and music! So it was good! This coming week is supposed to be about 20 degrees cooler! WOOT!

I've discovered that I was SUPPOSED to start caching 10 years ago... I just didn't know it. I do not LIKE any urban caching. I will admit SOME is better than others... but I LIKE a nice sized container with nice swag to look through. THAT said... I can't say the worst I've FOUND - because I tend to just walk away and refuse to look for anything on a dumpster OR a trash can OR a portapotty OR a bus stop! And recently I was brought to a wooded area where "something" was cleverly disguised... but the place had obviously been someone's trash dump - and I walked away from that too! If the CO isn't going to CITO before inviting people to find something, I'm not even going to LOOK for it! It was a brand new hide. I CITO when I hide. I CITO when I check on my caches, and I CITO other people's caches too - if they are MOSTLY well taken care of. I'm not digging through TRASH to find a cache!

Snoogans... I completely agree... and I wouldn't give them ANYthing... nor would I want their tag! That IS dirty dealing. And it says a LOT about the company.

I would enjoy trying that type of cache! Just put it where muggles are NOT a problem! If I have to use my brain and stealth in the same situation... AAAAAAARRRGGGGHHHH!

Well honestly? It IS hard to write something creative about LPCs! I don't look for them anymore either. Unless I have my granddaughter with me. She still likes them. To her it's worth waiting for the guy sitting in the car next to us eating a sandwich to move on so that she can hop out and slip that cover up! She loves to grab the cache and bring it back to the car to SEE if by CHANCE there is some little treasure in there... and if there's NOT, to put something in! (we have a whole BAG full of things that are just for film containers and key box cases!) And I can manage a creative log for one or two in a day... but beyond that? NO! Then I start to get snarkie! But usually, I enjoy leaving a nice note about my experience... and even though I HAVE a smart phone and a Magellan GC, the phone IS my unit of choice most of the time when I'm caching. I NEVER log from my phone. I don't go after FTF's so I don't think it's hurting anyone if I wait until I get home and spend time composing nice comments about my day. (waiting til I get home also helps me get over the snarkies from any LPC's I've found!)

Sorta like our parents sayin' "I don't know HOW our kids are gonna survive in this world!" ... and now we say it about OUR kids! Apparently there is NOTHING NEW!!!

True THAT! An email should only be seen as a response TO a nice log... not as something needing a response back!

LPC = Lamp Post Cache I have not seen people "respond" on their logs... I don't see why it COULDN'T be done... but it might annoy some people who want to read just the logs -- looking for tips and all. Of course, it's YOUR log - and others may very much enjoy reading your responses! (there's always going to be at least two sides to anything!) If you want to keep a record of how you've responded, then I say GO FOR IT! Or you could just private message them with an email. I have emailed with some of my finders. But the bottom line is... it's YOUR game - play it the way you want!

Good point. And if we can't get cachers to properly close a lock-n-lock we probably can't give lessons in putting logs inside the CAP and then inserting in the tube... OR screwing lids "just so"...

Froggymama3 -- FIRST, let me say that I totally agree with the golden rule. After you have been around here awhile ... (and by 'awhile' I mean that I have only been here 2.5 months!) ... if you continue to come to the message boards... you will learn that (and I'm not pointing fingers at ANYONE) some people on the boards just have a bit of "snarkiness" about them. Some days I can handle it, and other days I'm just not in the mood and I leave the boards and don't "play". But please don't take it personally because it is not just THIS board... if you go read a mass quantity of them, you will find snarkiness abounds! But the other thing is, that the people who ARE here ON these boards are the people who (for the most part) DO care about logs, DO care about creative caches, creative logs, hospitality, the whole nine yards. MOST of the people who are regulars here have been geocaching for many years! They're in it because they LOVE it! But I would venture a GUESS that less than 1% of ALL geocachers EVER visit these boards! The people that you are trying to "reach"... are not reachable! Because they're not here. The people who are here... mostly love the game as it started. 10 years ago... with large Ammo cans in the woods and loooong descriptive logs. And the rest? They get chased away by the snarkies!