Ragnemalm
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Everything posted by Ragnemalm
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This is the first time I see any clear data about what the rule actually is. It is crazy that we can't send coordinates if they (1) do not include identification and (2) the user has given permission. Even crazier is that I asked the support about this twice and never got a clear answer. First I got a copy-paste and the second time they didn't respond at all. OK, so the rule is that no locations are to be sent to the server? But what if we don't send coordinates to the server but process them locally? The coordinates never leave the user's device? That must be legal.
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I have failed to see where this is against the guidelines. Pointer, please?
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If that would be the case, it would be wonderful! I don't need to collect data to make a fun myst based on an online solution.
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"www.geocaching.com says You're about to leave Geocaching.com. Please note: External links have not been reviewed by Geocaching.com." Isn't this all Groundspeak needs to be safe? We are visiting all kinds of pages when solving mysteries. We are allowed to link to external pages, right? As long as they are not full with ads? Or not? So if I make a mystery that links to my JavaScript game, it is not OK? Or my own myst checker? Where is this rule actually stated in the guidelines?
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Comments on "Where are the missing DNFs?"
Ragnemalm replied to Ragnemalm's topic in General geocaching topics
I'd say they are both under-logged and over-logged. There are cases they are used when they shouldn't, and cases where they should. It is a pretty complex problem. -
Comments on "Where are the missing DNFs?"
Ragnemalm replied to Ragnemalm's topic in General geocaching topics
Absolutely. What does this mean? What are the "actual DNF rates"? Is someone counting DNF-style "note", or "found it" that should be DNF? Sounds like an impossible job. -
Comments on "Where are the missing DNFs?"
Ragnemalm replied to Ragnemalm's topic in General geocaching topics
I think both your cases are good examples of bad DNFs. The first is "didn't really search - DNF", the other is "didn't find"- what? I got a DNF of a multi I have with four stages and final. I messaged the person logging DNF for some detail, no response. There is a broad spectrum, and I include cases in that spectrum where the DNF really isn't called for. But I must say that there is definitely the opposite case, especially "found it" when you didn't find it. I had one just a few days ago. Found my birdhouse, "there was no log in it", wrote a signature on the outside of the birdhouse! I definitely would have preferred a DNF there. Yes, there was a log, and I had to take down the birdhouse to paint over the incorrect log. On the positive side, it could use the paint. -
Isn't it annoying with official blog posts that just isn't accurate? This blog post is one of them, IMHO. The blog encourages DNFs any time you didn't find a cache, regardless of what the cache is. I quote: "Maybe they think they didn’t spend enough time looking, or they only log a DNF if they feel certain the cache isn’t there." This is exactly how you should think! If you didn't find a D4 after just searching a short time, a DNF is just harmful because: "Some fear their DNF log will be the reason for a cache’s archival (it won’t)." Yes, it will! It definitely will! I have seen caches archived by reviewers after as little as two DNFs (that is warning + archive), and we are talking about pretty hard caches. "Not surprisingly, countries with more engaged cache owners have lower actual DNF rates on caches." Yes, but if you make tough caches, you get both DNFs on caches that are there, as well as the equally annoying "found it" by people who saw the cache but didn't sign it because they could not reach it. I strictly avoid DNF and NM on very old caches where the CO has quit. I don't want a 20 year old cache to be archived just becacuse the log book is a bit damp or because the locaction has gotten a bit harder, or it gets DNFs by people who didn't search well. I rather, if needed, try to do "non-owner maintenance" to keep it alive. Sadly, if such maintenance counts is totally up to the reviewer and AFAIK it doesn't raise the health score and the DNF lowers it. So, my point is that things are not as simple as this blog says.
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That is certainly one pf the advantages, but not the only one. Even if your goal isn't to log a lot fast, you get pretty intensive action. Mixing a multi-stage multi and a Wherigo doesn't give you more logs that two traditionals but a lot more things happen on that way there. ALC's, however, are very much constructed for numbers as goal.
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So how long had it waited until it was archived?
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Have your priorities changed?
Ragnemalm replied to Oxford Stone's topic in General geocaching topics
My top priorities: 1) Tree climbing at T3-T4 = free climbing on moderate difficulty. Definitely my #1! 2) Other "sweet spot" caches, T3-T4, D2-D3. Not trivial, takes a bit of effort and can be a bit tricky but it usually works out. Fun stuff! 3) High FP caches. (High Wilson score.) 4) Old caches. 5) High T that look possible. I don't dare the most extreme T5's any more. It was close enough once... 6) Smart mysts that are not wild guessing and not plain time wasters. 7) Lab caches - and I mean the real ones, temporary, usually physical and often very original caches at mega events. 8) FTFs. They are not super important but it can be fun to be first once in a while. I opt out of - most challenges, since the new ones are not challenges at all. Many old ones are good. - ALCs, since they mess up my lab cache statistics and the concept is flawed anyway. - JiGiDi puzzles. No thinking, just mechanically spend too much time. - Most 1.5/1.5. Default D/T is a warning signal, can be a careless CO. - Power trails. Feels like working. -
That is usually considered an advantage.
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That is one of the sources I referred to above. It says: "Inactive and unpublished cache pages may delay the review of newly submitted geocaches. To prevent this, inactive cache pages that are older than ten months may be automatically archived." Ten months... or three... or one.
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I agree with you, but I know people who encourage this, simply because they get more finds. But in my experience, they don't appreciate it with FPs even if it is enhanced. I had an IMHO pretty good cache that didn't work well since it was too easy to cheat. I archived it and built a better version of it. No, it didn't help. It was just another logg.
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It often takes time for me to complete planned caches, so I need to hold the place with an unpublished listing for some time. My caches are often dependent on the location, have to be built, have to be planned in detail... ...but how long can I hold the place (granted that it was free in the first place) without making reviewer notes, before it is archived? I have seen three different rules: - 30 days - 3 months - one year In case someone else tries to get the place, I will either give it up or complete my cache very quickly. So that is not the case I am thinking of here. My cases are caches in not very busy areas where the location is not expected to be in high demand so there are rarely collisions with others. So what are the rules?
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It is definitely high. I am at 2.11/2.18 and that is when actively prioritizing high T and D!
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Lots and lots of them. Anything that is actually a challenge! I am totally against the challenge rules. The current challenges are horrible. They are mainly a tool for experienced caches to intimidate the newcomers. New challenge: Old cachers fulfill it immedialtely and it is just another petling. New cachers can not fulfill it withing a year or even five! They are not challenges! A challenge is something you accept and try to fulfill within a limited time. So my idea about a challenge is almost completely reverse to what we have today: - Must be actively accepted at a certain time. - Must be finished in a limited time, no more than a month. (Long-time challenges are bad and tend to make cachers give up the hobby after finally fulfilling them!) - Anything you did before accepting the challenge does not count. - Does not require a log in a physical cache. That's what I call a challenge! Beginner friendly, does not give you a long-time stress, can not be pre-fulfilled. A checker would be nice, and are not technically impossible to make for many cases.
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Lonely Cache challenges are the best challenges of all! They encourage finding old caches, which often leads you to nice, off.trail places. It will give the CO of a rarely found cache more finds. There are some variations of it, like finding a number of caches in one week with 2000 "lonely days" or finding 3 of the 10 "most lonely". I see absolutely no problem with this as a challenge. It is fun, it is challenging, and it is good for CO and thereby for the whole community. I have logged a few of its kind and I have always finished them in one single day. I don't know if Project-GC can make a checker but technically it is possible to make one.
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And an E-mail you have put into research publications does not...
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Geocaching bingo - a different one
Ragnemalm replied to Ragnemalm's topic in General geocaching topics
Wow! That must have felt bad at the time, but something you will never forget! -
Geocaching bingo - a different one
Ragnemalm replied to Ragnemalm's topic in General geocaching topics
I meant necessary at the moment for you, not mandatory for the cache itself. Like a cache intended for boat, or bathing clothes, but you had none with you so... This happened on one of my caches. The cacher had brought wading boots, but it was too deep, so on to solution #2. -
I mean everything outside geocaching expires. When I left the university, my very personal E-mail address was removed in no time, and when I came back, I had to choose another one. My phone account (including my phone number!) expires if I don't use it for one year. Web domains are promptly deleted and grabbed by someone else if you miss a payment. If other things, much more valuable than a GC nick, expire that quickly, why would an abandoned GC nick last forever?
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Why is "Boat required" automatic T5?
Ragnemalm replied to hsiale's topic in General geocaching topics
The D/T ratings are shaky, since we all have different views. A cache may seem easy for the CO, who knows how to find/solve it, but others can get sidetracked and it can suddenly be very hard. Also, how hard a physical challenge is depends on COs and visitors shapes. But it is sad that the system in some ways encourage obvious misses, where easy caches are rated higher than the harder ones just because of some trivial tool. I don't find the island caches too hard to rate. If it is a short swim, safe for most people to swim: T4 or T4.5. If it is a long swim, or you cant reach the cache if you are swimming, then you need a boat and it is T5. However, it is most likely much easier than a T5 where you need rope and harness, and most T4.5s will be harder. We had a CO in my area who made very hard T5's, very high up in trees, with need for climbing gears and often complicated rigging like double ropes, and also hard to find so you may need to get the rope up several times just locating it. We were disussing putting in special T5 symbols for the different kinds of T5, T5-basic (boat), T5-medium (tough climbs but straight forward so you don't need things like multiple ropes), T5-expert... They were never used though. Online jigsaw puzzles and rods are two problematic ones. With a rod, you are standing on the ground and the problem is to handle the rod. D or T? Jigsaw puzzles take time, a lot of time, but they are trivial, no mental challenge, you will finish them just by spending time. D1 or D5? Both are commonly used to shortcut the high ratings, not least when doing things like the D/T "bombs", that is areas with all D/T ratings on one trail. -
Geocaching bingo - a different one
Ragnemalm replied to Ragnemalm's topic in General geocaching topics
Let's call it memorable moments. -
But why? Everything else expire, why not an unused user nick? The attached finds, of course not.