MNTA

Maybe make the waypoint the location of the virtual. Then there is no dispute where the picture is to be taken from.

Some of us choose to not do Events. Also I skip wherigos. So did not achieve the souvenir. Unfortunately this month I'm moving two kids into college next week and moving myself so managed the easy going to skip the hard one and I'm ok with that.

You are taking the headline out of context. Expiration date was for unmaintained caches. Expiration dates can be reset if maintained. I still predict it will happen but may be more subtle. Can't wait to see.

The use of the top 100 may not be a good sample size since it appears the Germans love giving favorites. I also observe that the higher the favorite count the older the caches are, with some exceptions for sure. 80 - Germany 1 - Locationless 5 - US HQ, APE, Original Stash Mingo 14 - Rest of Europe

Or a tree of shoes. Filet of Sole Virtual Cache GC4B0A

I have a love hate relationship. 985 finds of which 743 were challenges. Currently have 628 mystery caches on my ignore list. Don't get me wrong, I have.enjoyed many a puzzle but some are simply super obtuse and I don't care enough to try to figure out how to even start let alone solve. I HATE to beg the CO for hints and suggestions. If the puzzle is older forget about it, no checker and no finds in years not going to waste my time. Really dislike if the CO is no longer active, can't bug the CO so ask for help from a previous signer and sometimes they don't remember and just give you the solution. What's the point? My metro area has 7 unsolved/found mystery caches dating back 7-10 years with an inactive CO and no checker, permanent additions to the ignore list. I love the logic puzzle type of caches. Sudoku or Crosswords are fun maybe a simple google search of trivia on 80s tv shows. I am hopelessly addicted to challenge caches. Currently signed 99 that are in various states of active working on some will never qualify and that is ok. I prefer the grandfathered ones over the X number of attribute challenges. I spent hours upon hours watching music videos trying to find a snapshot of a guitar player with a planet on his head (Solved that one!!!!!). I truly dislike that default toggle switches of the map show unsolved mysteries. I want to be able to easily see the ones I've solved plus the challenges which are by rule at the posted coordinates. The app should be able to show just the ones I can find today. But toggling the "updated coordinate" disables traditionals, which are by default solved. I just checked looks like that feature is now gone. Fine I still would like to be able to see just the caches which I can find today so unless I'm specifically in the mood to go after a mystery cache they all get turned off. Next issue I am passionate about is mystery caches significantly complicates the hiding experience. Really wish this could be improved.

Irks redux anyone?

Bingo!

100% agree. I also save all my nearby ECs for the yearly souvenir.

No container here unless they are indoors lasts forever. O-rings disintegrate, plastic containers eventually become brittle and shatter, metal containers rust and seize, zip-lock baggies get torn, threads of screw tops wear out due to use or misapplication. Water gets in one way or another. You can only delay maintenance.

Personally I really like it. Some observations that may help Pull the bar up a bit more barely see the D/T details and maybe increase the distance font size. Real issue how to report a problem. Seems to be missing. No way to file a Owner or reviewer attention requested log. How about a write note log? Also occasionally I've used the opem in browser option. That is also no longer present. Was this intentional? If not you could add to the three dots list at the top.

Gallon size ziplock bags for the log and swag do well for a time.

This is one of the problems mentioned in the survey results. The chance of a negative experience for new cachers to an area is high

The area you are talking about does not pay the bills. The game should not be run based upon fear of change.

Love statistics wish there were more like below. YTD 530 Found, 57 DNF, 31 NM/OAR, 14 NA/RAR So close to a 20% not found/problem rate. Most of the DNF & NM were on older caches but not all. Of the 31 NMs all but 12 are either archived or disabled soon to be archived. Of the 12 still enabled. 3 were replaced by the CO (YAY 10% fix rate), 1 archived by CO due to fire damage, 1 was there I simply did not find it, 1 CO filed a OM log ignoring the problems, 6 will eventually be archived Of the 14 NAs reviewer has archived or disabled with a final warning of all caches.Reasons for filing NA 1 Clearly posted no trespassing sign ignored by previous DNFs 11 Old logs either showed problems/missing and/or ignored NM many years of ignoring logs, inactive CO 1 COs friend had posted a request for help archiving as cache was missing new CO inactive 1 previous DNF said neighbor had told them they had personally disposed of the cache on their property line and did not want cachers near their property Some may think this is acting like the caching police, in reality every one archived had multiple months to fix and file an OM. But a ~10% fix rate is pretty poor. What did most of these have in common. Older caches with inactive COs, or COs that did not maintain and fix reported problems.

Hopefully you'll change your mind one day and return. Please don't feel like you are alone. My intention of these posts is to try to improve things. I've also never shied away from filing NM & NA despite complaints. There is a lot of resistance to any change, even positive change. Consider the pushback of cache health scores, adventure lab caches, phone vs gpsr. As for me if these pictures were my first, second, or third experience I'd probably never cache again which is my motivation to cleaning up problems. I'm volunteering to help. Sounds like as you said there may be a a glimpse of change in the wind.

I wish we had more quality caches like yours. Let me give you an example of a few of our older urban hide problems. Cache hidden in 2011 CO still plays but does not maintain NM filed 2 months ago problems reported 5 months ago in logs. Just the lid. A 2013 cache I filed a NM on lots of logs saying problems with the log and cache. CO appears to rely on community maintenance, but tons of problems reported in logs. Another 2010 cache with CO that relies on community maintenance. The problem is that dropping off a slip of paper does not solve the underlying problem and the next rain will have the same issue. Most older containers need new o-rings and/or new containers. A 2014 letterbox with an unsignable log oh and missing stamp.

So true! You changed my opinion of this months challenge, thanks for that. Will I participate in an event probably not. But thats ok. As you said the challenge is to encourage folks to do certain thing. I can choose to do them or not. No one is forcing me to do anything. On the contrary it looks like it caused you to want to do something maybe normally you would not do (drive 100km) and you seem to have had a very positive experience out of it. Love challenges, though like all caches you can't find (do) them all.

Yup I've definitely noticed a lot of their same conclusions. Having spent a few years in a new area and finding a lot of duds and then moving back to my present area which has a high cache density and many inactive COs finding at one time all traditional caches in a 5 mile radius. Negative experience are not good for the game. It saddens me to find a cache that is a slimy moldy mess. It saddens me find a container full of water with smelly toys. And it saddens me to arrive at a GZ and read the four previous logs saying there are problems or worse yet it is missing, I just wasted my time and gas. It saddens me to see an old cache now in the middle of stinging nettles or field of black berry bushes 10 feet high. My unpopular suggestions 1) Encourage filing of "Owner attention requested" and owner maintenance yes even for full logs. If not acted upon automate disabling within a couple of months. Automate the archival of abandoned caches suspend hiding for lack of maintenance of owned caches. Don't complain you volunteered to maintain your cache when you listed it.It's part of the game. 2) Encourage and reward CO maintenance. Collect enough points get 25% off an item in the store or get a virtual reward. Utilize geofencing for maintenance logs or request reviewer approval of unverified maintenance. Ex next cacher reported all is fine, or no service in the area. Take a picture and prove maintenance ad submit for reviewer only. 3) Have an expiration date on caches unless CO performs maintenance after a few years or request a waiver from the reviewer based upon a written set of criteria. Pick X number of years. Even active COs sometimes don't maintain their caches. Automate this process don't make the reviewers the bad guys. Please replace your ten year old cracked plastic container. 4) Get rid of cache adoption in cache dense areas. As the data shows the find rate drops as the locals have all rushed out to find the new caches. Gives the opportunity for new caches closer to peoples home. It is my belief unless folks are on a trip, vacation or just a weekend outing they don't want to be traveling tens of miles away for a caches. Allow the opportunity to refresh a local area. I'd be interested if the data supported this. Allow for exceptions for valued and culturally important to the game bar should be high. For those that are already abandoned but not adopted add a maintainer responsible for the cache or declare eminent domain and reassign ownership possible to the local caching association. How would the geocaching community feel in the absent CO for Mingo decided to log in and archive the cache, which is his right as owner. It should be preserved by the game as should others that currently have active owners. But there should be someone that can be responsible to address problems. Change the listing agreement for future caches to address abandonment. If someone truly wants to take over relist the cache. 5) Increase the number of reviewers or automate a lot of what they currently do. Have special reviewers or guidelines for new hiders to help them and require pictures of the cache placement and confirming good coordinates etc. 6) Improve the app to support finding hiding locations in the field. If I see what I think is a prefect spot to hide a cache I should be able to get a green light or a message saying please contact a reviewer for guidance. Figure out a mechanism to protect hidden locations and prevent battle shipping this is a big complaint. Also allow the app to get the coordinates not manually enter. I have been confronted by angry landowners why I was on their property, one was armed and that was not fun at all. 7) Hove local volunteers to go and checkup on potential problems as directed by reviewers or GS. Actual community maintenance. First time hiders, have a community volunteer check the cache before publishing and work with CO/reviewer to address problems. Sorry this does not count as a FTF since it was not published but could count as a find. 8) CO archival should be followed within a short period of time retrieval of container logs. Do not allow new listings if maintenance or cleanup is not performed. Have local volunteers attempt to collect archived abandoned caches. If the app would allow opening of archived listings GS could publish request for cleanup lists. 9) Possibly add survey for premium members during/after submitting find it logs requesting status information, Log Full, log almost full, container cracked, baggy ripped, moldy, coordinates off, everything is great! , was a positive experience, would recommend to other cachers. Supply feedback to CO on dashboard for feedback. Before the board blows up on shooting down these suggestions. No I don't think many of these will be implemented. However, I firmly believe that the finding experience can and should be improved. Think of it from the perspective of a new caching family going out for their first time you want them to have a positive experience, heck when I go out I want a positive experience. So instead of focusing on the negatives focus on what could potentially work to improve things. Any changes are not free and details and +/- worked out even the best ideas may have execution issues.

I agree they are always too tight a fit. Cut them in half and then do maintenance when full.

Yep that is exactly what will be shown. Last week I completed my 4th grid and the search results now have changed to include the needed spaces for a 5th grid. Looking at the url you could easily modify it yourself to expand another loop.

Um maybe your reviewer needs a little re-training? No response to a NM in a month the cache in my area would probably get disabled by the reviewer. If not the NA would be promptly acted on.

Let the CO confirm it is still in play. Though my recent luck would show it was still there.

Very interesting. Shows what people like to do and you can kind of infer how they cache. April Find 5 10 100 May Leaderboard favorite points 100 1000 June Cache number of days 5 10 20 July Streak days 2 7 28 So what I infer here is most folks cache a few days a month and usually get more than one cache a day but don't go crazy. Personally I. achieved all but July Hard, was travelling with non-cachers and my priorities was not caching. Though little annoyed missed a new state, shoot. However, between June and July kind of burnt me out.

I've never attended a single event. Will that change now? Will see. Never say never but unlikely. But then would qualify for a Fizzy. Agreed! Never done a Whereigos, don't think a challenge would change that. Wish all the apps were integrated into one then may change that.