niraD

It's basically the same thing as calling a toll-free phone number and getting information from the outgoing recorded message. Or clicking a link to a website, for that matter. You aren't interacting with a person. You're using an automated system.

True. If the spoiler is an image, then you can delete just the image. If the spoiler is in the log text though, then you'll need to delete the log.

Error 500 is a generic server error. The lackeys need to fix something, and there's nothing anyone else can do.

See the Help Center article Delete logs.

See the Help Center article Adopt or transfer a trackable.

Unless the cache is a challenge cache, the guidelines state that it "can be logged online as 'Found' after the geocacher has visited the coordinates and signed the logbook." The CO of a PMO cache cannot require that members have a current premium membership to log the cache as "Found". That would be an Additional Logging Requirement (ALR), and is not allowed.

Just out of curiosity, how are you able to view another player's lab logs? Even when I login on labs.geocaching.com all it shows me is a pitch for the apps.

Well, yes. But while they did make a decision about what characters are possible in usernames, they have since revised that decision. Those characters are no longer allowed in usernames, and usernames with those characters are now grandfathered. Support for grandfathered features can sometimes be unreliable, and may be discontinued.

I've spent time cleaning up legacy code that did not sanitize its inputs. I'm sure I'm not the only one here who has. It's a lot like accessibility. It's a lot easier if you design it into the code to begin with, rather than trying to retrofit the code later. But even then, it's easy to screw up in subtle ways.

If I'm with a group and we're signing with a team name, then I'll copy-paste something like this into every log. But the rest of the log will be about that cache. I've been in one group that drove from cache to cache, but that was an Evil Cache Run™. Since the point was to find "evil" caches (well-camouflaged caches, often hidden in plain sight), everyone saw every hide, and we mostly played "huckle buckle beanstalk" style so everyone who wanted to could spot the hide before it was spoiled. We weren't after numbers that day, so the pace was relaxed and friendly, with much oohing and ahhing at the clever cache designs. And rather than fill up the logs with all our names, we signed "Evil Cache Run" or "ECR" depending on how big the log was.

That's a difference of 5 finds. Your profile shows 5 lab caches. Lab caches do not appear in PQs, including the My Finds PQ.

I wonder how we could discourage the habit of sending a quick "TFTC" and later editing the log to add the full details. How could we encourage finders to wait until they can post a real log with the full details?

One possibility would be to enter the hint like this: [Hint 1:] gentle hint [Hint 2: fgebat uvag] [Spoiler: fcbvyre uvag] Then the system will encrypt it to this: [Hint 1:] tragyr uvag [Hint 2: fgebat uvag] [Spoiler: fcbvyre uvag] And only the first hint will be decrypted automatically.

One of my favorites was the cache I found for my 1500 milestone. Mrs niraD and I spent about 3.5 hours on a pedal boat (definitely not the most efficient watercraft around) for a multi-cache touring a suburban lagoon. The log: niraD found Multi-cache Lagoon Tour The photo:

I resemble that remark... Some of the caches that have taken me the longest time to find have been hidden near multiple "usual spots", but didn't use any of them. It took me a long time to thoroughly examine all those "usual spots" and finally give up and start looking elsewhere. Then I found the cache hidden right there, but in some other way.

Absolutely. And a lot of caches with low difficulty ratings are rated low because they're in "the usual spot" and experienced geocachers know to look there right away. For inexperienced geocachers who haven't learned where "the usual spots" are, such caches can be much more difficult to find.

Thanks for that reminder. I use the term "scavenger hunt" rather than "treasure hunt" myself, because there is nothing of real value (treasure) and the point of the game isn't the value of what you find, but the adventure you have finding it.

Congratulations on being First to Find (FTF)! Now you just have to figure out which cache it is so you can log your Find online. If the GC code was on the log or on the container, then that would make the job easier. But it could be a cache that hasn't been published yet, or it could be a puzzle cache or a multi-cache that no one has solved yet, or it could be a PMO cache that you can't see on the web site, or (if you're using Groundspeak's Geocaching app) it could be rated higher than 2 for difficulty or terrain.

I've helped friends post backdated logs like this when they finally decided to create an account and log their old finds (from geocaching trips with me). Using the date of the actual find is important, and explaining the situation when you found it with someone else is important. Good job, CSIDavis!

When I have taught kids that age geocaching, I've spent about half an hour explaining the basics of geocaching to them, with lots of hands on props. For example, I pass around containers of various sizes, I pass around examples of trackables, and I pass around examples of trade items. Then I take them out to practice geocaching. For a one-hour class, I will have set up a couple dozen hides in a small outdoor area near my classroom, and then I have the kids stay behind a line and raise their hands when they've spotted a hidden container. If I have more time for an actual geocaching hike, then I take them to a park or open space some distance away from home so we can find actual caches there. (The half-hour talk can happen at the trailhead right before the hike, or it can happen beforehand with a brief reminder of the rules before the hike.) I specifically DO NOT take them to find urban/suburban caches in the neighborhood. Even if I trust all my kids completely, I don't necessarily trust their friends and classmates who hear about hidden treasure in the neighborhood.

Yep. As the guidelines say, "Caches can be logged online as 'Found' after the geocacher has visited the coordinates and signed the logbook." (Emphasis added.)

Truly worthy caches can be recreated once the original listing has been archived. The new owner can link to the original listing in the description of the new listing. As long as it's actually the cache that is worth preserving, this works great. Of course, it doesn't work if it's just the GC code that you're trying to preserve.

Were you criticizing the thing that was done? Or were you criticizing the people who did the thing? There's a world of difference, and the forum moderators pay attention to that difference. From the forum guidelines: "4. Personal attacks and inflammatory or antagonistic behavior will not be tolerated. If you want to post criticism, please do so constructively. Generalized, vicious, or veiled attacks on a person or idea will not be tolerated."

For reference, that rating means "Very difficult and may take special knowledge, advanced preparation, or multiple trips."

And there was much rejoicing...