Length Of Time To Get Cache Approved

[CamoCachers]

when i placed my first cache in july, it went through the approval process in about 30 minutes. up to yesterday, i have placed 10 other caches, all of which went through the approval process in under 12 hours. all had ben approved by my waking time the next day. and ive found it to work that way up until a few weeks ago. new caches for the state were approved every night.

 

but yesterday i go and place 4 new ones, began submitting them at about 4 o clock, and they still havent been approved! almost 24 hours now. i know it says to give them up to 36-48 hours, but after it gets done quickly so many times, a long wait can kill you

 

ive also noticed that for the past few weeks, newest caches in indiana are popping up a day or so later than submitted. like its dropped to approving them every other day. and ive also not been getting the "weekly new cache" email for quite a few weeks now. not sure if theyre related issues or not.

 

maybe we need new approvers? or maybe a few new ones to help with the load? are we running low on approvers? or maybe im just in a rush to see my caches approved

[+horsegeeks]

Patience....they're volunteers. Who knows your approver might have the flu or worse.

Edited January 19, 2006 by horsegeeks

[+Googling Hrpty Hrrs]

I thought that that the timeline was up to 72 hours?

 

We're talking about a cache that's going to be out there for years. What is the rush? If I were new to geocaching and I read that it took a week for caches to be published, I wouldn't have thought that to be too extreme.

[CamoCachers]

i know theyre volunteers, and ok, so our approver may have the flu or worse. but isnt there more than 1 approver per state? and how much work could it be to approve a cache? read it over for rule violations, check a map, and click a button im guessing. i just dont see the hold up in a state that gets about 4-5 new caches a day avg.

 

if we lived in a higher concentration of caches, itd make more sense.

 

theres no rush. i originally had plans to place over last weekend, but weather ruled it out. i was going to place them on tues cause it was my birthday, but it rained all day. so i took them out yesterday in 3 inches of snow. to me it just seems like the caches have been a long time in the making and id like to see them approved. i was also hoping to pull the FTF guys out in the snow to do a 2 mile hike. but the snow has melted!

 

also, if for some reason they are not approved, today is the day i would need to make changes. and the day is wasting away. if they were not accepted as of tonight it may be another week before i can go check them out. but there should be no problems with approval.

 

im not really fussing or upset. just discussing the matter at hand. i know the time limit makes it to where theres no rush. but after 11 placed caches and none taking over 6-7 hours to approve, a 24 hour wait is forever!

[+Moose Mob]

Since your caches have a "date placed" of 1/18 all I can say is to be patient. Your eagerness is appreciated but since it is a volunteer thing, we do have other things to do. If it goes beyond 3-4 days, then send an e-mail to contact@ and see what's up. They can toss is a substitute if needed.

 

As far as the quantity of reviewers, some states have several, other states share one reviewer. It depends on the workload and the availability of the reviewer.

[+Googling Hrpty Hrrs]

also, if for some reason they are not approved, today is the day i would need to make changes. and the day is wasting away.

 

see, there's a good reason!

[+Jennifer&Dean]

Some states share approvers with other states, some states have multiple approvers. These vary by volume of cache approvals needed. And don't forget that there are approvers who do entire countries, not just states.

My understanding is that the 72 hours is usually enough time for an approver to live their regular life and still spend 5-6 hours a day approving caches, checking on cache issues, reading the forums to catch up on caching issues, and deal with e-mails from cachers.

Don't forget that they have to sleep at some point or they get grouchy and start requesting paypal deposits for cache approvals.

From what I've seen, if an approver has caches accumulating, they can often ask for help from other approvers. But in cases where local guidelines need to be checked, your local approver is not going to be able to pass as many caches on to other helpers. I recommend patience and planning of your next cache.

-J

[+CT A-Team]

As others have mentioned, I think approval time is purely related to work load. Some of my caches have taken a few days, yet my event cache just posted took only on day.

[Hugh Jazz]

Our approver for Kansas approves new caches on Sundays and Thursdays. Once you figure this out, it's no big deal. They're volunteers, not being paid a nickel for their time. If they got a buck fifty to approve a cache, it would be different. But they don't get anything but scorn and derision in reward for their efforts.

 

My hat's off to 'em.

[+briansnat]

know it says to give them up to 36-48 hours,

 

Actually it says 72 hours.

[+Artemis]

i know theyre volunteers, and ok, so our approver may have the flu or worse. but isnt there more than 1 approver per state? and how much work could it be to approve a cache? read it over for rule violations, check a map, and click a button im guessing. i just dont see the hold up in a state that gets about 4-5 new caches a day avg.

Most states do not have more then one reviewer.

 

Also many reviewers help in the forums. So everytime a reviewer has to come to the forums to defend themselves or explain to the caching community why an action was taken, it is that much longer before other caches can be listed.

 

Consider as well that the reviewer might be having to deal with other issues with another cache owner.

 

Please try to give the reviewer some patience and time, we also like to go caching from time to time ourselves.

[+Davispak]

I know how you can get a little excited when placing a cache and you wanted active as soon as you submit it, but paitence is a virtue.

[+horsegeeks]

I know how you can get a little excited when placing a cache and you wanted active as soon as you submit it, but paitence is a virtue.

And patience usually comes with maturity. Except, of course, when I am waiting at a long light trying to get to a site for a FTF....then this 60 yo gets fired up.

[CamoCachers]

i know, i know guys. ive done all i can do and now i have to wait. im not upset or anything. ive just had this trail scouted and the caches prepared for almost 2 weeks. original plans to place them last week, but the weather wouldnt cooperate. the thread was more to just to vent. it wasnt meant as a complaint. i know the reviewers have lives. and i know they have 2 or 3 days to approve my listing. i was unaware that so few people do so much. i figured there would be at least 3 reviwers for indiana alone. and i wasnt expecting the reviewers to also be forum moderators. thats a lot of responsibility to get things done efficiently, perhaps some new helpers are needed.

[+DogByte]

I agree. I'm going on 7-days now waiting for approval but I do understand its all volunteer. I'll be patient and wait.

 

-db

[+Moose Mob]

I agree. I'm going on 7-days now waiting for approval but I do understand its all volunteer. I'll be patient and wait.

 

-db

You're reviewer mentioned earlier he is playing catch up tonight. He has a large area , but maybe he'll finish yours.

 

In the meantime, there is a new fgeature as of today which allows you to enter additional coordinates for caches (parking and multi-cahce points). You may want to update your listing to include that.

[+Quiggle]

I agree. I'm going on 7-days now waiting for approval but I do understand its all volunteer. I'll be patient and wait.

 

-db

Thank you for being patient, I am sure your reviewer appreciates that!

 

[RockyMtnReviewer]

I can't snowshoe it into town to check the review queue daily. If you submit a cache right after I'm done for the day, it may be a couple of days until I get to it... longer if it's snowing or if there's a grizzly bear blocking the trail.

[+Harry Dolphin]

i know, i know guys. ive done all i can do and now i have to wait. im not upset or anything. ive just had this trail scouted and the caches prepared for almost 2 weeks. original plans to place them last week, but the weather wouldnt cooperate. the thread was more to just to vent. it wasnt meant as a complaint. i know the reviewers have lives. and i know they have 2 or 3 days to approve my listing. i was unaware that so few people do so much. i figured there would be at least 3 reviwers for indiana alone. and i wasnt expecting the reviewers to also be forum moderators. thats a lot of responsibility to get things done efficiently, perhaps some new helpers are needed.

My goodness. Approvers are permitted to have lives? Who'd athunk? Yes, I know the anxiety attacks. I had three caches that took three weeks to get approved! The rapscallion went off on a cross country trip with his/her intended. Go for it! I survived the anxiety attacks. In due time, my caches were approved by alternates. (Okay, so I complained at the time. I'm human too.) In the long run, it boils down to: Oh, well. Our approvers are volunteers. Sometimes, somehow, they actually find time to have lives of their own. I've learnt to deal with that.

[+Beffums]

and, in the defense of the Indiana reviewer, JAPTKD and I have been on a cache placing binge this month, so he's had at least 20 caches to review already, just from what we've placed. The first 15, all approved in 5 hours or less. I panicked when the last 5 took about 36 hours or so, but he got to them. Your time will come. (I PROMISE, we put out no new caches today. I PROMISE!!!) I know, you are sitting there thinking you've lost favor. you missed a tiny sign denoting change of land ownership or some other such thing. But, likely, he's just busy. He's generally really really effecient, so I figure we can't complain if every once in a while it takes him more than 45 minutes to find our new postings and approve them

 

who knows - maybe he actually found time to go find a cache or two himself!

[CamoCachers]

i just wanted to say my caches got published later the night after i originally posted this. and the cache i placed yesterday was published in less than 4 hours.

 

i think most missed my point though. i was more curious of why there are so few reviewers. why cant they get more? i understand the work they do, all for free, but why cant they just get more help to make it easier on everyone if its such a big job? im sure there are hundreds of cachers who would be more than happy to volunteer and help with the chores.

[+Ambrosia]

i just wanted to say my caches got published later the night after i originally posted this. and the cache i placed yesterday was published in less than 4 hours.

 

i think most missed my point though. i was more curious of why there are so few reviewers. why cant they get more? i understand the work they do, all for free, but why cant they just get more help to make it easier on everyone if its such a big job? im sure there are hundreds of cachers who would be more than happy to volunteer and help with the chores.

Obviously, they don't need new reviewers in my area, because I haven't been asked.

 

But seriously, I had this same question many times. Why not just get more reviewers and lighten all their loads?

 

It was explained to my satisfaction, but my brain has problems with memory. So I can't remember it specifically. Something to do with the more reviewers you have, the more potential for not having them all on the same page, which can cause more work for TPTB and more angst for cache placers and the forums.

[+Quiggle]

Something to do with the more reviewers you have, the more potential for not having them all on the same page, which can cause more work for TPTB and more angst for cache placers and the forums.

That's one good reason.

 

I wonder why ~24 hours in one case, and 4 hours in another case isn't fast enough for some people. What time frame is quick enough to be satisfactory?

[+StarBrand]

I'm simply amazed that a volunteer working for free spends even as much as 2 - 3 hours a week looking at new caches when they get such trival complaints such as this. I'd be happy if they got listed within 7 days.

[Keystone]

I'm simply amazed that a volunteer working for free spends even as much as 2 - 3 hours a week looking at new caches when they get such trival complaints such as this. I'd be happy if they got listed within 7 days.

2 to 3 hours per DAY would be a vast improvement in the workload for many volunteers.

 

Ambrosia has it right, since I was the one that 'splained it to her. More reviewers = more kittens to herd in a lightning storm. Also we staff for the average cache volume, not the peaks. When someone hides 50 caches for an event, that rather ruins a volunteer's evening. This is why the guidelines were modified recently to require advance notice for large volumes of cache hides to be released on a certain date.

 

Also, we do have reviewers that can fill in during vacations, or pitch in with extra heavy volumes, or allow someone to have a "sabbatical."

[+StarBrand]

As I know a reviewer or 2 - I know the long hours that are put in. Just being satirical....

[+sbell111]

I wonder why ~24 hours in one case, and 4 hours in another case isn't fast enough for some people. What time frame is quick enough to be satisfactory?

If one of you guys could go hide my box under some sticks and then come to my house, type the info in and list it right then, that would be optimal.

[H to the Bizzle!]

I give the reviewers a lot of credit - especially with some of the cachers they put up with.

[+sbell111]

Dude, I'm right here. You hurt my feelings.

[CamoCachers]

I'm simply amazed that a volunteer working for free spends even as much as 2 - 3 hours a week looking at new caches when they get such trival complaints such as this. I'd be happy if they got listed within 7 days.

you obviously missed the point and a few of my posts. this thread isnt to complain. it was about the number of reviewers maybe needing upped if the load is so high.

[+Mastifflover]

I've never had a cache go for more than 24 hours without being approved. No problems in my area. Thanks Keystone!

[+Mudfrog]

Our more recent submissions have taken alot longer than what we had gotten accustomed to. It used to be that a cache got approved within minutes or at times, a few short hours. But the last 3 or 4 that we submitted took over 48 hours.

 

There are several things that may figure into this. Caching is more popular and therefore keeping reviewers busier these days. Our reviewer is doing a more thorough check on cache placements than what was done in the past. Or maybe, just maybe,,,, a reviewer is a volunteer who has a life and likes to do other things besides sit in front of a computer screen 24 hours a day.

 

I would think that if a volunteer thought they were overwhelmed, then they themselves would ask for more help. We dont need to be asking that question.

 

Bottom line, as long as our submissions are looked at in the quoted time frame (we wouldnt complain even if not unless it became an ongoing problem), then we are satisfied with this FREE service.

[+Team Muppet]

I can understand everyone's idea about caches being placed within an alloted time frame, and I agree that most of the volunteers must be overwheled at times.

 

Right now, we are sitting on a 3 stage multicache that's been waiting for approval since the 18th of January. I am anxious to have this up and running, but when it happens, it happens. (Although I wished it had been up for this last weekend... lol)