fruit baby

Someone has released 100 (onehundred) different wooden coins -- all with the identical tracking code stamped on the back. Is that OK? Am I missing something? I thought each code has to be bought from Groundspeak and is special to one particular TB! https://www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?guid=0f5f3f7d-cd10-4e7e-bf3d-eb106d05c84f

The way I see it, that is just plain wrong. If you want to track your travels with a travel bug, go buy one. Don't use someone elses. It's rare now that I release a bug or a coin, but when I do, it's so that I can share it with as many people as possible. When some one gets a hold if it and uses it to track his mileage, they have negated the entire purpose of me releasing the TB/coin. You are supposed to pickup a TB and MOVE it to another cache, not hold onto it and bring it to every cache that you visit. I personally would like to see the "Visited" log restricted to only TBs that you own. Now that's a brilliant idea: restrict "took it to" or "visited" to TBs you own yourself! And otherwise use the "write a note" function if you want to leave a remark on someone else's TB record. I often even leave a funny picture featuring the TB.

The way I see it, that is just plain wrong. If you want to track your travels with a travel bug, go buy one. Don't use someone elses. It's rare now that I release a bug or a coin, but when I do, it's so that I can share it with as many people as possible. When some one gets a hold if it and uses it to track his mileage, they have negated the entire purpose of me releasing the TB/coin. You are supposed to pickup a TB and MOVE it to another cache, not hold onto it and bring it to every cache that you visit. I personally would like to see the "Visited" log restricted to only TBs that you own.

Thank you, lamoracke, nicely put! I fully agree.

I agree with you! And, anyway, WHY should anyone think that my TB wants a lot of mindless mileage? Where is the fun in that? My TB wants comments, pictures, and it wants to achieve the (normally fun)goal that is clearly stated on its register and on a tag around the TB's neck.

I agree with the people who are disenchanted with long lists of "took it to". The annoying habit is spreading that people do not turn off the auto-visits for TBs on their smart phones. Some people possibly are not even aware of the fact, that their phone is logging every single TB presently in their possession at every single cache they visit. Even all the TBs they have lost continue to be registered in this way, as has been pointed out repeatedly in the above comments. When we take a TB from a cache, it is treated like a special visitor who wants to know something about our part of the world.I create our TB's log page lovingly and with a clearly stated purpose, something the children can enjoy; but so often we get long list of mindless entries now, lacking in any interest whatsoever. WHAT is the point of sending a TB out into the world, saying "it has nothing to do with me any longer, it can just drift or get lost whilst computers register its whereabouts". It frankly puts me off the "game". Can officials perhaps run a little public awareness campaign to stop this deplorable state of affairs?

Thanks, Dave! Life is a ***** and then you die!

I am glad that I am not the only one being sooo annoyed by this! But it is quite likely that people do not even know that their smart phones are constantly logging all Tbs in their possession, including all the ones they have lost over the years (unless they registered them missing)! I think the way forward is to make officials of geocaching aware of this deplorable state of affairs. I just wrote something to this effect on the TB-forum, but I am not sure I published it really in the right place.

With the advent of smart phones, the annoying habit is spreading that people do not turn off the auto-visits for TBs. Some people possibly are not even aware of the fact, that their phone is logging every single TB presently in their possession at every single cache they visit. Even all the TBs they have lost continue to be registered in this way, as the phone still counts the lost TBs as being in the person's possession. The result is a long list of mindless entries lacking in any interest, as they do not feature any comments, let alone pictures. Whole pages of my lovingly created TBs are lately taken up with such location entries (often more than 20 in a row!)which often just go around in circles in a relatively small area, using valuable travel time and blog space. It frankly puts me off the "game". Can officials perhaps run a little public awareness campaign to stop this ?

Thanks, much obliged!

I'm sure you're right that some people think that's what they're showing, but when I see a string of empty visits, I think the opposite: that they've forgotten the TB entirely and are just robotically (or, as you point out, programatically) posting a visit every single time. Who knows whether they really have any idea where the TB is, or, in fact, whether they've already dropped it and just forgot to log that? Yes, I agree! And a string of empty entries, (i.e. 20 or more with no comment , no photo) which ends up where it started, or ends up in South-Hungary when Paris was the goal, is somehow mindless and puts me off the whole "game".

Wow, that is VERY impressive. But this was presumably NOT a bug that was destined to fly to Europe or something like this. So, that's fine!

Just be glad it's still moving and not lost yet. I like TBs and watch where mine go but, like lending money to family, once you put them out there, you pretty much have to pretty much consider them gone. The lucky ones last awhile but many don't and you have no say where they go. A philosophical reply! I shall try to take it to heart, I am sure you are right, but it gets so annoying when people actually do the very opposite of what is stated so clearly on the goals-site AND around the TB's neck!

Thanks, LightHouseSeekers!

Many thanks to redwoodkestrel and to dprovan for taking the trouble to reply. The aps on smart phones may explain some of it, and as dprovan points out, some people think differently about all this, even if goals etc are stated clearly. So, they are not gaining miles or increasing some other count by doing it?

Can anyone tell me why people take a TB around from one cache to the next and register it each time. Is there any merit in it for them? The reason I am asking: I am fairly new to this, but I have several TBs out there with precise destinations and tasks. Again and again someone will take a TB writing "I shall help it along" but then they proceed to take it round and round in circles for several weeks (just registering the TB at a great many caches, without comment or photo) and then dropping it more or less where they found it. It is quite annoying for us; the children feel we just are not making any progress. So, the question is: why do people do that? Is there anything in it for them, or can they just not be bothered or are unable to read?

Sorted! Thanks to Saza being very helpful and obliging!

"uxorious" definitely had me with my nose in the dictionary. My verdict: it is far too nice and complementary. "Pantoffelheld" is mocking the man, not complementing him.

@ Pontoffel Pock: "Pantoffelheld" literally means "hero of the slippers" and is a softly mocking (and loving) expression for a henpecked husband or a man who is under a woman's thumb. Cannot think of a good translation into English, because "henpecked" really sounds far too nasty.

@ Saza: thanks, will ring this evening. I am in the UK, Southern England, near Windsor. Is that ner to you by any chance?

They do look fantastic! Will they send them to the UK if I order a set?

P.S. Sorry! Just realised, its Pontoffel and not Pantoffel. So you are a Dr Seuss animation, right? Thanks for replying to my querie. OAO

Thank you, Pantoffelheld! This is a blow, indeed. But it does at least clarity the issue. Sind "wir" zufaellig Deutsche? Frag' ja nur, Pantoffel... und so.