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I just got "bitten" by this bug. Someone asked me for links to interesting caches, I sent two GC codes (typed into the message as GC codes only, i.e. no URLs) ... and later we found out, that the message was totally screwed up . The text showed the same GC code in all places, and the (auto-generated) links all pointed to a different cache. Are cachers supposed to actually talk about geocaching when using the Message Center? If so, fixing this bug would be a great idea . Thank you!

Yes, I like them. I just ignore the ones I'm not interested in whether it's because I'm not likely to be able to meet them or because the challenge just doesn't seem interesting. Dunno how many is too many to you. You could try talking to the CO and mention that you'd like to see more achievable challenges, just like you can talk to COs about any other caches you think are a waste of space.

There has always been a problem with getting help with Garmin to assist with Delorme file transfers - one would not talk about the other so you get caught in the middle. I hope that gets better now. What I want to see is Corrections in Delorme being permanent. They had the river names correct in 8 and 10 is wrong a lot or missing! I would like to trace better especially state borders and rivers. I like Delorme but not happy with all the errors!

Hello everyone! I am Son of Cyclops and started collecting geocoins back in 2005. Throughout my caching I collected a lot of coins but due to my interest being elsewhere and life getting in the way of geocoins and geocaching. I am selling off the last of my collection. In total, I have 543 coins on the Google Sheets list which I have attached in 3 different binders and a box. I would prefer to see if I can sell the entire collection to one person or if I can break it up in large portions that would be ok as well. A small portion of the trackable coins are activated and I can transfer these to you. If your interested in specific coins, we can talk about prices. But if I sold the entire collection to someone (to reduce the work on selling them off in smaller portions), I would ask $1800 obo. Not sure what the current market is for geocoins but this prices out to about $3.30 a coin which I feel is reasonable. Again if you are interested in smaller groups of coins or individual ones, we can talk. Some of the coins are more special which I listed below (although they are copied onto the list in the link) The Easter Coin Bunny (Blue and Red) The Easter Coin Bunny (Green and Pink) UF Gator Mystery Pay it Forward Gold GeoBandit Mystery 1markymark1 bronze 07 1markymark1 antique silver 07 Geocoin Club ROT13 Pure Silver Geocoin (Only one in public hands) https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1sdzCtHnX-DwT1qij99ujaOrbxQ_1XGb8xD1PJukOCUE/edit?usp=sharing Thanks for the time and don't hesitate to ask any questions!

I'm not the first person to ask here, but for some reason the question keeps getting ignored: What problem? Lots of talk about whether it would be better to routinely lock archived caches, or eliminate them from the database entirely, or just mask their coordinates, but I don't understand why anyone thinks any of those things are needed. The problems people are talking about seem insignificant compared to the various run-of-the-mill ways archived cache listing with accurate coordinates are useful. This is exactly the kind of minor complaints about imaginary problems that convinced GS to essentially wipe out challenge caches and completely change how problem caches are identified. Now I'm worried that archived cache listings will be similarly wiped out to fix these "obviously" terrible yet completely unidentified problems.

Thanks then I won't talk about the ones you have to solve a puzzle to get to the event.

Yes, as long as they know it's expected, so, as RuideAlmeida mentions, be sure to talk to other COs to get it going. I thought I heard that Curse of the FTF series are now forbidden because they forced (well, "forced" at least) someone to plant a cache whether they wanted to or not. You're not allowed to obligate another CO to plant a cache in your series, you can only ask them to.

For the android maps you can use openandromaps.org, they provide good maps for the whole of Europe and more. I've been Geocaching in Prague without speaking Czech and can't remember having any problems. I don't know if you've been to a country before where you couldn't understand the language, but humans are pretty good at communicating with each other without talking each other's language. (And most people talk some English) So don't worry and enjoy your holiday!

I snipped out the parts of your post to highlight some of the things I wanted to comment on. I wouldn't object to having some flexibility in creating an even with a higher D rating, as long it didn't create an additional burden for reviewers having to arbitrate all the requests for giving an event a rating higher than D1. It's hard to take your post seriously about justifying a higher D-rating around Christmas (keep in mind that not everyone celebrates Christmas). There's always going to be some reason why attending a specific event would be difficult (for example, I wish I could have attended a WWFM event several years ago in Ethiopia but I was enroute on an airplane at the time) but that is no reason to increase the difficulty. I am curious why geocachers in your area talk about "dead of events". The point of an event is to bring together geocachers to socialize, meet new geocachers and old, and talk about geocaching. I fail to see how the difficulty should make any difference. Filling up a D/T grid is just a side game and I, personally don't want to see guideline changes just to cater to some challenge cache or other side game. The only reason that I could envision an event with a rating higher than D1 would be if it was in a location that was from some reason difficult to find (e.g. behind an unmarked door in Manhattan), which, to me kind of defeats the whole point around events. Creating an event with a rating higher than D1 just so attendees can fill in a square on a D/T grid is not, to me, a legitimate reason.

I just found this thread and I like to share my opinion with you. First of all, I agree that 95% of events should be D1 because there is no reason for a higher D-rating. But then there are the 5% which are special. And the new rules give no space to adapt the D-rating to a special event, and that is a pity. Groundspeak acts like a poor government: they "improve" their regulations where is no need to do so. I would give the final decision about an event-D-rating into the hands of the reviewers in order to make exceptions possible, if they are reasonable. For example an event at christmas should have a higher D-rating because it is hard enough to leave the family to attend. Or a clock-change-event (summer/winter) at 02:00 AM in the morning, to give only two examples. Personally I drove sometimes 100 or even more kilometers to an event if the subject (and the rating) was interesting. Now - when all events are D1 - they are no longer attractive and I will focus my activities on other cache types. I know lots and lots of cachers they think the same way, and in my environment some guys already talk about the "dead of events". No doubt about it that a "stammtisch" (regulars' table) is mentionned as D1. But to forbid something that worked not so bad in the past should always be the last solution. I remember the one year without challenge caches, and they came back with some other rules. Why not aks the event owners to clearly justify their event-D-ratings in order to define some wise limits. Groundspeak might have forgotten that most of the players are paying clients. And if they lose fun, Groundspeak will lose money. In short: it's a game and cheating is part of it. If some cachers need to cheat, they disqualify themselfes and lose reputation. But for what reason Groundspeak is destroying the attractivity of some events? What comes next? All traditional caches wil get a D1-rating too, because they are easy to find if the coordinates are known before? I have filled my DT-grid with all possible 81 event ratings before the new rules were installed. For me it was a pleasure to drive a long way to an interesting event and I met some real cool guys there and we are still in contact. I would never have met them if the event had a D1 rating - because I would not have been there. So the higher rating was a prove for the classical sense of events: come together, meet new friends, share your hobby with others, and so one. With the new rules this will get lost for many people. And those who refuse a higher event-D-rating, just use your ignore list and stay at home. Nobody is raping you to attend, so please don't judge the others they like to do so. Just think about it.

I hope my posts don't come across as combative sophistry. I'm just discussing a topic that I find interesting with others who (hopefully) also find it interesting. And likewise. I get very flustered when I see critical opinions posted that I believe (key) are solely based on personal tastes and don't further discussion, and then I run off on a moral policing crusade. All I like to see is people getting along and being reasonable in disagreements. But often I fall into the boat of being the target of my own words. In this case, I was following the premise posed by the initial link, and the sentiment shared by Touchstone. The latest guideline link solidifies the point that yes, attendees need to be "at the event coordinates", which I believe everyone agrees is 'normal'. That doesn't change the fact that exceptions can always be made, but that's true of any of the guidelines, so isn't worth battling over. My primary point, which I still stand by, but which I pushed much too far here going off the rails and for which I apologize, is the moral "It's ok to not like things, just don't be a jerk about it." It's far too easy to hold that view so strongly to the point that it applies even to the people who espouse it. I still need to work on knowing when not to talk. =P It's the end of the year. The forums are a bastion for bringing out the worst in people, myself included. We don't all have to be best of friends, but we can all proceed with respect and ... ah well, here I go again, eh? Ok, off to finish off the year. Happy caching, folks. The concept of multi-waypoint events is an interesting one. I'd love to hear from HQ what they thought of the idea. I'm willing to bet something like that's been tried, but told that event must be at the posted coordinates, with alternate waypoints being references for optional activities and whatnot. It's an interesting compromise. What about claiming the event though? The stats would only show the listing as at the posted coordinates, even if the event equally took place at two simultaneous locations. But then if they're close enough to each other the statistical difference would be negligible. I guess the sticking point might be whether the EO publicly allows people to 'attend' the event from the alt waypoint or not.

Talk down to me all you like - I've not done so to you. You call me insulting, but your condescension is no better. I've not insulted any single person, but rather what some people will do for a number. Maybe I'm splitting hairs, but I find all the excuse-making and loophole-searching quite distasteful. I'm not here to enforce rules or tattle, but I see nothing wrong with calling anyone out when they go to great lengths to justify something which ultimately is meaningless, silly, and yes...ridiculous. I agree with J Grouchy and don't see why his arguments should be considered antagonistic rhetoric or how being affected / not affected by the issue being discussed is in any way relevant to the validity of the arguments presented.

Talk down to me all you like - I've not done so to you. You call me insulting, but your condescension is no better. I've not insulted any single person, but rather what some people will do for a number. Maybe I'm splitting hairs, but I find all the excuse-making and loophole-searching quite distasteful. I'm not here to enforce rules or tattle, but I see nothing wrong with calling anyone out when they go to great lengths to justify something which ultimately is meaningless, silly, and yes...ridiculous.

Are we supposed to talk about cryptocurrency in cryptic code?

To whom do you think the online attendee will talk to, if everyone else just drops in and is leaving again? I have the answer! To the multi tasking multi connecting machine mentioned above.

So "may" indicates it's optional, and a virtual attendee would choose not to. They may also choose to log a Will Attend and let the host know that they will be bringing 0 people. I agree, and I've seen some people physically at an event who didn't talk to or interact with anyone in any way, and I've seen many people who did nothing more than sign the log book and leave; however when I have seen people virtually attend via a skype session they have had a real interaction with the physical attendees because it's something different to the norm and everybody wants to get in on the act.

Let me post the guidelines again: Attend an event Find events near you and visit the cache page of the event you’re interested in. Read the event description carefully. You may want to bring geocoins to trade, trash bags to collect garbage (CITO), or some food to share. Post a "Will Attend" log and let the event host know how many people you're bringing. (bold-Italic inserted by me) So, if you attend on-line over the net, how do you bring coins or share food? An Event, in my opinion, is much more than just "attending", it is socializing it is a come together, talk, hear, smell, feel, get and give, many of those actions at an Event you cannot communicate over a cable, it will never be the same. Those bushiness meetings are based on fixed subjects, on-line to save time and money. If I go to a meetings, I am there to spend time with other Geocachers, talk about 100 different things and spend money by bringing some drinks and some food. Happy New Year 2018 to all of us

I don't mean to talk you out of it, but if I were you, I'd just continue to think of the previous caches as just my girlfriend's finds that I helped with, not as finds of my own. To me, the account is what defines my geocaching identity, so I'd treat the new account as strictly for new finds and not worry about the old finds not being associated with this new identity.

Well Waymarkers, Christmas is nigh, so it's time that we told you a little Christmas Waymarking story that may or may not have happened to us many years ago, back in the days when we were first on the road, hunting for new places to Waymark, new sights, new categories, a time when everything was shiny and new to us. So gather round the fire (here it's on channel 165) and we'll tell you the story of how we may or may not have met Kris Kringle himself: 'Twas the night before Christmas and here in the town All had been Waymarked so we bedded down, We'd Waymarked so long that our fingers were numb Now each had our own dreams of Waymarks to come. Now where should we head when the day dawned anew And we could put footprints in next morning's dew? Our options were many, but which would be best As we could head anywhere, north, south, east, west. While weighing our options I drifted to sleep With hopes that the day produced Waymarks to reap, Historic old churches would dance in my head As slowly I sank deep into the old bed. We knew the motels here would not be the best But darkness and hunger slowed us on our quest, And forced us in here to this seedy motel So here for the night is the place we would dwell. As sleep overtook me and lessened my pain Outside in the darkness it started to rain, Oblivious to it, remaining in dreams I slept the whole night, or so that's what it seems. When morning awoke me, outside in the dawn Through the mist covered window and shade that I'd drawn, I saw a strange figure outside on the walk And he beckoned to me as if wanting to talk. With a portly fat belly and all dressed in red He was soggy and sodden from toe to his head, He must have been out in the rain through the night So I hastened to find just what might be his plight. I invited him in through the creaking front door Then he started to speak as he dripped on the floor, "My name is Kris Kringle, I've come here to you To tell you a story I know to be true." He said "There's an old town way up in them hills Waymarkers who visit will find many thrills, It's wholly untouched by the Waymarking crew So Waymarks in that town will always be new." He gave us directions to this Xanadu "For Christmas this present is what I give you." Is what he then said as he turned to depart Then sloshed to the street where he'd parked his old cart. With reindeer for power, the cart was a truck That was straight from a dream that had just run amok, All covered in garlands and whistles and bells The kind of a truck a used car salesman sells. He whistled, then yelled and then screamed at the team But to no avail so he needed a scheme, He promised them goodies, the ploy seemed to work For newly alert they took off with a jerk. And when they'd gained speed they then started to fly Ascending up high in the cloud covered sky, Then up through the clouds they were soon out of sight I must now admit that it gave me a fright. We've searched for that town to which Santa alludes But to this day it for us still eludes, It's not to be found in the spot he described With maps or with sightings it never has gibed. Had Santa been here, or was it just a dream? For often things aren't always just as they seem, But still to this day do our hopes remain bright MANY WAYMARKS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT!

I rarely post in these forums but I'm one of those guys. I babble in logs. I'll admit it. If I ever find one of your caches, though, don't fret. Just skip to the end, where I almost always type TFTC! Honestly, my logs generally tend to be directly proportional in length to either the effort that was put into the cache or the effort it took to get to or find it. A long, detailed log should be a compliment. To the OP, when I got stung nine times by hornets while running up a creek canyon to get to a cache, there was no way I wasn't going to talk about it in my log. When I got swarmed by mosquitoes while grabbing another? Okay, maybe I could have left that out. But there were a LOT of mosquitoes at that cache.

I wonder if example-setting needs to happen at events, where peer pressure would be most effective. I haven't been to an event in years, from what I see though most of the attendees prefer geocaching as a social event, in groups, for the numbers. Does anyone at events discourage numbers style play? Do they discourage hiding cheap leaky containers? Do they have a talk with the known maintenance shirkers about maybe not hiding more caches until they do something about their missing or broken caches--besides posting notes and OMs saying they'll get to it, then never do? Do they discourage folks from logging finds on caches they haven't visited? Do they discourage or reprimand cachers who are known for throwing down caches?

I guess we have to go somewhere else now if we want to talk to ourselves...

it sounds more like a calculated attempt to divert the reviewer's attention than an honest mistake. That's what I find unacceptable. This is a good example. Yes, it could be a calculated attempt to deceive, and I can even understand you believing that. But there's no reason not to take it at face value as a sincere statement by a CO that's finally decided to get serious about doing something about the problem, yet, nevertheless, fails to follow through. You can still approach the cache the same way, since it makes not difference to the fate of the cache whether the CO was sincere or not: the cache hasn't been fixed, so the OM means nothing. The only difference is that you don't waste time or energy condemning the CO by assuming which precise way he failed us. On the other hand, add to the scenario that he does this all the time even after you complained to him, and I'll accept he's the problem and suggest you talk it over with the reviewer.

If you feel like you made a mistake, apologizing and explaining would probably undo the damage of turning off the other cacher. In fact, showing a personal interest in talking it over might make that person feel better about geocaching than before. I don't think you've done anything particularly wrong, so I'm not saying you need to apologize, but since you feel bad about it, there's no reason not to talk it over with him and maybe make a new friend. Too often these days geocachers seem quick to forget that the other person is just another geocacher that wants to have fun. And sometimes that makes us forget that the easiest solutions to most geocaching problems is to talk it over.

I've happily used that option to find events for some time, and explained that way to easily find events (within a regional thread) just yesterday. Like Keystone says, forums aren't like they were. Of the five regional sites (two local) I belonged, all are on faceboook now. I'd think we're lucky to have that odd state option there, since we "talk geocaching" at events. It's a surprise (to me) when a new thread is started, or replied to in the regional forums these days...