Logs In Logbook Vs Logs Online

[SMDMD]

They don't correspond: I have caches with 30 logs in the cache's log book but there was only 23 logs posted online.

 

Do some of you (and you know who you are) participate independently of the geocaching webpage? By that I mean, you log in long enough to get coordinates, but thats it? Nothing else?

 

Its all very interesting (to me anyway)

 

Has anyone else noticed in their caches, etc?

[+Team Ginalf]

I've met several catchers on the trail but have also noted some do not post online.. They usually track in a personal log or such.. I guess to each their own!!

 

At least you don't have it the other way around.. More on-line logs than cache logs!!

[+Stunod]

My physical cache logs tend to have 10-20% more logs than online. There are obviously some people who don't want to (or can't) log online.

[+webscouter.]

Don't forget the muggle logs.

[+BlueDeuce]

There are people who sign the logbook more than once. To each their own.

 

(That's a joke by the way. I think.)

[+wekivahunters]

Some families have each member sign the log, but log online under one name.

[+Sagefox]

...They usually track in a personal log or such...

And some don't keep track at all. They just like "The Hunt" and to be taken to interesting places.

[The Junkyard Dogs]

I have not compared the 2. I do know of cases where some one was keeping track of what they had found in a pda on a long spree of caching. Then lost the info in the pda and had to go back and try to remember what they found.

 

Hence logging the cache log but not logging the computer log.

[+brodiebunch]

I've met several catchers on the trail but have also noted some do not post online

Question?: They have to log on to the website to get the coordinates, dont they?

[Dinoprophet]

I've met several catchers on the trail but have also noted some do not post online

Question?: They have to log on to the website to get the coordinates, dont they?

No, you can search the site without logging on.

 

Quite a few people whom I've introduced to caching never log online. I don't know why. But I would bet that many people think it's something only really devoted people do, sort of like using the forums.

[+El Diablo]

I introduced a family to caching that almost never logs on-line. As long as they sign the log book in the cache is all that is required.

 

El Diablo

[+forman]

There is a guy in my area that only logs online if he has a FTF. I ran into him at a cache one time and that is what he told me. What's up with that?

 

Don

[+Renegade Knight]

40-50% in my area log the book only. I think that's dropping over time as more people get involved.

[+Corp Of Discovery]

Why worry about it as long as the cache isn't disturbed? Maybe its just a karmic balance to what this thread is talking about.

[SMDMD]

What prompted me to write this was that one day while attempting to check up on a cache, I can across two people looking for it. They were being non-chalant, etc. until I asked them if they were geocachers then I intro'd myself. We chatted a bit with explaining that all they had were the coords, I offered a hint and they seemed grateful. I went to Subway for lunch to wait them out before checking out the cache. They found it, log it up in the logbook. But they never logged it online.

 

I just wondered why, but then someone said, yes you can access caches without being a member (though I think w/o being one, you cannot do close-ups on mapquest through the site) I am pretty diligent about maintenance, adding TB's etc to my caches, and I think they are in some interesting places so yes, I do like them to be found and if that means being interested in numbers so be it. However I do like reading the postings too

[+StarBrand]

Some of my caches have as much as 50% more on site than online. Others it is closer to 10%. I know of one local family with 50 or so finds that don't have an online account and don't care about online logs.

[+StarBrand]

BTW - your profile indicates you don't log online either.........so why are you asking us??

[+jimmyreno]

This spring when I went into the hills I thought I'd be the first for the year, or close to it and found about 25% of the people signing the logs don't go online.

 

They probably don't see where it adds any value to the experience for them.

[CoyoteTrust]

There was a bunch of paper-log signings in one of my caches and nothing online, but it turned out one geocacher's whole family found the cache, and each member signed the log. Later only the 'main' cacher logged online.

[+Gorak]

Many cachers get their cache listings from Pocket Queries and never actually log on to the site. Personally, I only write online logs for about half the caches I find and even then it often takes me months to get around to it. In my case it's mostly laziness. I do, however, keep a detailed personal logbook and photos of my log entries, for every cache I find. Some people believe it is rude and/or disrespectful not to log online but I don't subscribe to that logic. I think everyone should enjoy caching in whatever style and manner suits them best.

[JohnX]

If I find a cache, I sign the log book. If the cache was a waste of time, I don't bother to log it online. I have in the past, when I knew the cache owner was an adult, logged a note for a cache instead of a find just to let the owner know they could have done better. But hey, I am a little fussy, and I like placing caches more than I like finding them.

[+Tharagleb]

BTW - your profile indicates you don't log online either.........so why are you asking us??

Yes, this is very bizarre!

 

Pot, may I introduce Kettle. Kettle, Pot.

[+Tharagleb]

He must be using that new "Hide my Stats" option I hear tell about.

[+Miragee]

I have a friend who just doesn't care about logging online . . . In fact, he probably wouldn't even sign the log book if I didn't hand it to him. He just likes getting out with his new GPSr.

[+fly46]

There's a lot of reasons people don't log. Before I forced my mother to get an account, she'd sign every log book that she was with me for as 'fly's mom'. I've also seen logs from people who ended up not becoming members and/or ever caching again. Why log online if the sport/game/waste of time isn't your cup of tea?

[+wimseyguy]

While in JAX for GW3 we found this one cache with an assist from a Duval County Deputy Sheriff. He signed the physical log, but I doubt he'll be logging online.

[+WalruZ]

What's sort of unfortunate about that is that online logging is one of the things that knits the geocaching community together. When I sign a logbook I usually just date it and sign "WalruZ". IMO, most logbooks are just destined to be muggled someday, although I'm sure there are some exceptions.

 

What matters to me is sharing each experience with my fellow geocachers, many of whom I know from events and even from caching and hiking outings. I think many long-time geocachers will site the community aspect of the sport as a powerful continuing motivator. Seeing a new cache come up and then following the stories of people you know who find it, knowing the people who placed the cache you're persuing, placing caches that you know your geo-friends will appreciate, tooling around as part of a group caching run - that's what makes it real.

 

People who don't log online miss all that. Too bad.

[+vree]

additionally, i like having the online logs so i can read through people's comments for any info:

-coords being off

-particularly muddy cache site area

-very pretty area

-short/long, nice walk, carpy walk

 

and sometimes, if it's a hard find and the clue is useless, you can try to use some clues from online logs.

 

if i enjoy a cache, i make sure to leave a somewhat verbose log both for the placer's benefit and my own. i enjoy reading my old logs and remembering the hunt. of course i would rather someone doesn't log online at all than log the same comment and/or tnln for every online log.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

I rarely log caches any more.

 

I am retired and cache almost daily, attend quite a lot of geocaching events and group-caching runs, and therefore tend to find lots of caches...logging them is often a PITA. Plus, I cache with others more often than not, and so revisit caches repeatedly with different folks. For this reason my PQs have ALL caches in them, regardless of found or type, because my companions most likely don't have it even though I might.

 

Keeping up with which I have logged and which not was another PITA (before GSAK, but I am holding on to the excuse!).

 

I log caches that are of particular interest, or those in need of maintenance, or that for some reason catch my attention, or sometimes just because I have nothing to do on a rainy day.

 

Of the 250+ I have found since the week before GeoWoodstock III I have probably logged less than 40.

 

I cached Chattanooga Friday with three friends, we found ~70, I logged, I think, 4, and them only because I was playing with GSAK's new upload capabilities..

 

I pretty much quit moving TBs unless I can specifically further their mission, and I refuse to trade junk, so trade items just got to be too expensive after a while...aside from the fact that it irritated me to trade $5-$10 items for somebody's cereal-box sticker.

 

This is in no way a commentary on caches or cachers (okay, the comment on trade items was!) - I have seen VERY few caches I did not like! I truly do like them all, and appreciate the hider of every one!

 

Now that I have figured out how to log in the field on my Palm (Cachemate), transfer those find logs to my desktop (GSAK) and upload the logs to geocaching.com with a few keystrokes I may start logging more.

 

So please, if you ever find my name on your paper log but not online (and folks in 10 states will!) don't take it as some sort of personal statement!

[+briansnat]

I think logging online is a courtesy. The owner took the time, money and effort to place a cache, so the least I can do is let him know that I found it.

[+Teamhawaii1981 & blueicyrose]

I love logging online, it is part of the fun for me to let the finder know I enjoyed his cache. I also like looking back at the records I make and think back about the find. I also log a sentence or two in the logbooks, but I always write less, as I am usually hot to trot off to my next cache.

 

However, I have a friend who I introduced to caching who doesn't have an account, but does tons of caches, he is just in it for the hiking and finding. Which I think is cool.

[SoySauce, WhiteRice & BeanSprout]

We went to our very first cache near Big Rapids, MI this weekend, expecting to find a geocoin to bring back to our area, only to find that someone did not log online that they had taken the coin. They had a SigSticker in the log book and everything, and their visit was 2 weeks ago, so it's not like they didn't get around to it yet. BIG BUMMER for new cachers!

 

BTW, who would I mention this to: the offender, the cache owner, or the Geocoin owner?

[+Team Cotati]

I introduced a family to caching that almost never logs on-line. As long as they sign the log book in the cache is all that is required.

 

El Diablo

Let me see, never logs online but is required to sign the paper log thingie. Because if they don't sign the paper log thingie they will not be permitted to hunt any more caches.......................... ever. Got it, marked it down, tee shirt on order

 

I would never introduce someone to cache hunting if I didn't think that they were going to log online. That is just not the correct thing to do and I for one would not do it.

Edited June 13, 2005 by Team Cotati

[+Team Cotati]

We went to our very first cache near Big Rapids, MI this weekend, expecting to find a geocoin to bring back to our area, only to find that someone did not log online that they had taken the coin. They had a SigSticker in the log book and everything, and their visit was 2 weeks ago, so it's not like they didn't get around to it yet. BIG BUMMER for new cachers!

 

BTW, who would I mention this to: the offender, the cache owner, or the Geocoin owner?

The cache police would be my recommendation.

[+Team Cotati]

We went to our very first cache near Big Rapids, MI this weekend, expecting to find a geocoin to bring back to our area, only to find that someone did not log online that they had taken the coin. They had a SigSticker in the log book and everything, and their visit was 2 weeks ago, so it's not like they didn't get around to it yet. BIG BUMMER for new cachers!

 

BTW, who would I mention this to: the offender, the cache owner, or the Geocoin owner?

The cache police would be my recommendation.

[+Isonzo Karst]

BTW, who would I mention this to: the offender, the cache owner, or the Geocoin owner?

I'd email the coin owner, let them contact the user who took the coin. If the coin icon stays on the cache page over weeks, you might also contact the cache owner. The cache owner and/or the coin owner can remove the coin icon from the cache page.

[+Markwell]

I've met several catchers on the trail but have also noted some do not post online

Question?: They have to log on to the website to get the coordinates, dont they?

No, you can search the site without logging on.

 

Quite a few people whom I've introduced to caching never log online. I don't know why. But I would bet that many people think it's something only really devoted people do, sort of like using the forums.

Logging on and logging online are two different things. You have to get the coordinates first by going online (but you don't need to log in, as you don't NEED to have an account). But that doesn't mean that people who go online HAVE to log their adventures online.

 

I agree though - it's a nice courtesy.

[+wimseyguy]

I introduced a family to caching that almost never logs on-line. As long as they sign the log book in the cache is all that is required.

 

El Diablo

Let me see, never logs online but is required to sign the paper log thingie. Because if they don't sign the paper log thingie they will not be permitted to hunt any more caches.......................... ever. Got it, marked it down, tee shirt on order

 

I would never introduce someone to cache hunting if I didn't think that they were going to log online. That is just not the correct thing to do and I for one would not do it.

OK so exactly does that work? Let me see, ED or TC invites some friends on a cache hunt, they like it and say let's go out again next week. After a few weeks, or months, you see them again at an event.

 

They say: Hi guys! Thanks so much, for introducing us to geocaching, we're having lots of fun, but ya know, this logging our finds online stuff is kinda tedious, and we don't have a lot of access to the computer anyway, so we're not doing that very much.

 

What are ya gonna do, take away their GPS? Publicly chastise them in the forums, or in public?: Na I didn't think so.

How could you possibly know what their intentions are?

 

Besides, actually finding the cache and signing the physical log is way more productive and valuable than the reverse behavior; signing online without actually signing the physical log cuz you were never actually there.

 

That said, I do like logging online, and like to read other's logs sometimes too, especially the DNF's .

[+Jeep_Dog]

Question?: They have to log on to the website to get the coordinates, dont they?

Nope. I know of a cacher that does not even get online to get the coordinates! He has never had a computer, probably never will have one, but he loves geocaching. The chap gets friends to print up cache pages for him.

 

1. Sign Log

2. Take something

3. Leave something

 

Hmmm. It does not seem as if he is doing anything contrary to the rules... to each their own.

[hunter-bob]

LOL you all find dry log books lol. well I havent found very many but the ones I have found where wet lol its a bit hard to log some times.