Jump to content

niraD

+Premium Members
  • Posts

    15283
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by niraD

  1. Exactly. At the time LBH caches were introduced, attributes did not exist, so they were introduced as a new type. If they were introduced today, then they would be introduced as an attribute, not as a type.
  2. Sounds to me like you need to rework the cache so that it has a container. From the guidelines (which you acknowledge): "The container must hold the logbook." "The logbook must be [...] Enclosed within a container" And to reiterate what Max and 99 wrote: "There are no precedents for placing geocaches. Past publication of a similar geocache is not justification for publication of a new geocache. If a geocache was published that you feel violated the guidelines, you may report it. However, the existing geocache may have been placed prior to a guideline change, and may be a legacy cache type."
  3. Be careful what you wish for... Owner attention requested The log sheet is completely full. Knowing the owner's habit of deleting the logs of everyone who uses team names, we didn't use our team name to save space. Instead, all 18 of us signed and dated the log sheet using our full geocaching names. CUTWTA actually wrote out "Caching Up The Wrong Tree Again" (something I've never seen him do, even with a full-size log book). And GeoMamaX4 had all four of her kids sign the log too, since they may want to create their own accounts someday. It took a while for everyone to sign, especially when some started including comments about our geocaching day. Anyway, the person who retrieved the cache (maybe EagleEyeSprinter, but I'm not sure) was long gone by the time I signed it. Since I was the last to sign the log, I replaced it where I thought it should be hidden.
  4. I've used "unregistered" team names on group geocaching trips, mainly to save space so the logs of micro-caches don't fill up faster when everyone signs individually. I know people who use stamps as their legal signatures, which is accepted by banks, government agencies, etc. I know many geocachers who use stamps to sign logs. What is it that you object to? The use of "unregistered" team names? The use of stamps? The use of both together? The use of either separately?
  5. My current plan includes 10GB/month which is much more than I ever use. But when I was on a much more limited plan, I made a point of downloading geocaching data in advance, usually by downloading a Pocket Query or two (Pocket Queries are a premium feature). Sometimes I would have my geocaching app (a third-party API partner app that is no longer supported) download map data as well. Now, I usually download data via the API, rather than downloading PQ data as a GPX file. But it's still possible to do that via a WiFi connection, before setting out on a geocaching trip. To me, one of the main features of a premium membership is full API access. All API-based apps (Groundspeak's official app and third-party API partner apps) are pretty limited for basic members.
  6. According to the latest stats I saw, most geocachers have fewer than 100 finds. (Maybe it was fewer than 50 finds, but I know it was fewer than 100 finds.) Anyway, the point is that most geocachers are NOT the high find count types who discuss stats and challenges at events. Anyone discussing such things at an event is almost certainly a few standard deviations away from the average geocacher. When I've introduced newbies to geocaching, I tell them that terrain tells them how hard it is to get to the cache location, difficulty is how hard it is to find and retrieve the container once they're at the cache location, and size is a rough description of how big the container is. Period. These ratings are a basic part of a geocache description, and they need to be accurate. Don't break them for the sake of a side game.
  7. Yeah, decon containers were popular for small-size caches when I started, but I found a lot of them that hadn't been closed properly. You have to make sure all 4 corners of the lid click into place, otherwise it isn't sealed. And many geocachers didn't know how to close them properly. But the same goes for ammo cans. I've introduced a lot of newbies to geocaching, and a lot of them have struggled to close an ammo can properly. And if the lid slips sideways and comes off the pins, then they're completely lost. Good quality beach safes can work well as geocaches, are similar in size to decon containers, and are generally more intuitive for most people to open and close properly. But with any plastic container, you have to be aware of UV exposure, and any food scents will encourage animals to chew through them.
  8. For the record, this was discussed here almost 4 years ago...
  9. Yeah, I kept my "Milestones" bookmark list because I don't like the automatically generated ones.
  10. See also the Help Center article Cache review process.
  11. I've used extension poles sold for paint rollers, for fruit pickers, and for tree pruners. Paint stores, garden stores, and home stores will probably have extension poles in various lengths. They can also be found online. The longest ones I've used have been in the 15-16 foot range, which could reach 20-22 feet high when I held them overhead, and higher if I held them overhead while standing on a stepladder.
  12. To be honest, I would expect an elevated cache to be archived when replaced by a ground-level cache. If it's in a tree (whether the CO intends seekers to climb the tree or to retrieve the cache with a tool), then it seems the point of the cache is that it's in a tree. If the point were something else (the location, the hike, the history, whatever), then the cache wouldn't be in the tree in the first place. But ultimately, it's up to the CO what the point of the cache is, and what changes affect "an elementary part of the cache".
  13. As a starting point, read the Help Center article Cache containers explained. In general, a container with a gasket will be more weatherproof than a container without one. One good container that isn't listed in the Help Center article is a preform, but that depends on the lid used. Some are sold with lids that have gaskets (like the lids used on soda bottles). Some are sold with lids that don't have gaskets. Another good container that isn't listed is a matchstick container, which is often found with camping supplies. The largest cache I've ever found was a plastic footlocker that was hidden in a hollow redwood stump. Redwood forests are pretty damp, and almost everything inside the container was ruined by the moisture. The most important thing a container needs to do is protect its contents. If it doesn't do that, then it isn't a good container.
  14. See the Help Center article When a cache needs maintenance. For a newer system, see the Help Center article Geocache Health Score. But that depends on cache seekers posting logs too.
  15. The difficulty, terrain, and size ratings of a cache are not points to be scored by finders, or prizes to be won by finders. They are tools for the CO to communicate the general nature of the geocache experience with potential seekers. So, what is an "elementary part of a cache"? If the point of my cache is the view, then changing the size of the container is not changing an elementary part of the cache. If the point of my cache is the historic location, then changing the difficulty rating is not changing an elementary part of the cache. If the point of my cache is the public sculpture, then changing the terrain rating is not changing an elementary part of the cache. IMHO, it's up to the CO to decide when a change affects an elementary part of the cache. If finders want to play a side game based on difficulty, terrain, or size ratings (or anything else), then that is on them. The CO shouldn't be prevented from maintaining the cache, which includes updating the cache page if conditions or coordinates change.
  16. Is it April Fools' Day already?
  17. What if the information needed to determine "why it was (color)" is found on a sign? Some of the information needed to answer the questions in my EarthCache is in the description. Some of it is on signs located on site. For new EarthCaches, are "remember" questions based on signs prohibited, even when there are also "understand" (and maybe even "apply") questions? What if those "understand" (and maybe even "apply") questions are also based on information found on signs, at least in part? And potential EarthCache owners are likely to skip it if they're expected to create a college-level earth science lesson. But maybe that's the goal.
  18. The original post was from 2003. That was before my time, but I recall hearing/reading that the "micro" size was created first, then the "small" size was created later to fill the gap between large "micro" and small "regular" caches.
  19. Here are a couple older threads about signature items geocachers have made:
  20. I've lived in the USA my whole life and recognized only about half of the terms on that list.
  21. Here are some general puzzle tips (based in part on a puzzle-solving class event presented by The Rat a while ago): Identify the theme. Check the cache title, the hint, the HTML source, the graphics (including names/URLs), any links (including URLs), whatever is at the posted coordinates, etc. If you can figure out the theme, then you should look for numbering systems that are associated with that theme (zip codes, athletes’ jersey numbers, episode numbers, product codes, etc.). Around here, coordinates will have 15 digits, and will look like "N 35° xx.xxx W 084° xx.xxx". So when I'm solving a nearby puzzle, I look for a group of 15 things, and then I look for ways to get the digits 35xxxxx084xxxxx from them. In general, I look for ways to get the number 35 (or the digits 3 and 5) from something near the beginning of the puzzle, and the number 084 (or the digits 0, 8, and 4) from something near the middle of the puzzle. (Of course, you'll need to adjust this for the coordinates near you.) If you ask the cache owner for a hint, then be sure to mention the approaches you have tried so far, and the results those approaches have yielded. It can also be helpful to work together with others who are trying to solve the same puzzle. Geocaching events are a good place to meet other geocachers; ask around to see if anyone else is trying to solve the same puzzle(s) as you. Other useful resources include: How to solve Mystery Caches (also known as Puzzle Caches) (blog post) Puzzle Solving 101 Series (bookmark list) Calgary Puzzle Solving 101 (bookmark list) Puzzle Shortcuts (bookmark list) Solving Puzzle Caches (online article) How Do I Solve All These &#$@! Puzzle Caches? (tutorial-style puzzle cache) Geocaching Toolbox ("All geocaching tools a geocacher needs in one box.") The GBA's Puzzle Cache FAQ (for puzzle designers, but useful for understanding how puzzle caches work) How to Puzzle Cache (book) To expand on the response from geoawareUSA9, according to section 2.4.15 of the geocaching.com terms of use, "You agree not to: [...] Publish on our websites or anywhere else, solutions, hints, spoilers, or any hidden coordinates for any geocache or Adventure without consent from the owner."
  22. The guidelines do say, "For at least part of the search, the cache must require finders to navigate with a GPS-enabled device to specific coordinates necessary to finding the cache. See this article for examples." And the guidelines also say, "The community volunteer reviewer may offer suggestions if there are additional concerns not fully documented in these guidelines."
×
×
  • Create New...