Geocaching: Secret Online Society

[+Team Cotati]

Well, I guess you could compare the secret white robed cachers to the skull and bones society...

Or the Klan.

[+Poidawg]

Ever hear of Orienteering? Not quite the same as geocaching in that the events are held only for a limited time, and the general public would not pass by the course controls everyday, but there are few people who are into Orienteering in the US compared with the European public. I think some of the reluctance is the cost of the GPS units, and the other might be that their is directional issues to be solved. Some of us are terrible just at reading maps and following directions. I know at first even though my curiostiy was peaked when I first heard of geocaching, I thought there was alot of math or map reading involved, what little did I know that these little machines do so much FOR the user in the way of figure out so much. I am new to the game/sport but I already love it. I see how some of the cache owners get into a type of cache, and although miles apart, some of the caches look the same, and are hidden in the same way. I really love the caches that have alot of creativity to them, like a pirate themed cache. Or a cache completely hidden but in plain sight. There are caches you have to figure out, and some are really hard, the coordinates given are not the ones where the cache is located...I think most of the people involved in this game/sport are very creative and clever people, and Im happy to be involved with them. I started caching in September of 05 and have already got a friend involved, their family has a gps unit and now she is spending more time than ever with her grandson hunting the county they live in, in search of the prize, even if it is only to log your name in.

[+Corp Of Discovery]

What's the frequency Kenneth?

[4wheelin_fool]

What are the coords to King Solomon's temple?

[+ZackJones]

What are the coords to King Solomon's temple?

It was a locationless so it's been archived

[+1NatureMom]

What are the coords to King Solomon's temple?   

It was a locationless so it's been archived

Should we tell him where Jimmy Hoffa is ?

[+Davispak]

It is no secret what we do, not well known, but no secret. Many people, probably the majority of people have heard about GCing at one time or another, but filed in the back of their brain as "usless stuff that doesn't affect my daily life" and forgot about it. I remeber seeing a television piece on GCing about 4 years ago. Said to myself "thats kinda cool" and then didn't think about it until last year when I started using a GPSr while hunting.

I think what makes it feel so secretive is the finding and seeking of items that 99% of the population doesn't even know are there. That feeling that you are in on a joke that everyone else isn't. I like to call it Blissful ignorance. Most people don't know and really don't wanna know. I experienced this as a police officer.

You drive down a street and see some people standing around. John Q public sees them and goes on about his business, I, with my Cop vision see the drug deal they just did and can tell you who was the runner(makes the actual hand to handdeal with buyer,usually only has one rock or one baggie), the money man, and which guy is holding the dope, and who the decoy runner is. (Decoy runner is the guy who runs from the group when the cops show up, trying to get them to chase him so the real dealer can stash the dope and cash)

I can drive down any street in my town and tell you something that happened on that street. Who was shot, or the guy who killed himself, where they deal drugs. This is in even the nice part of town. Good example is in the richest neighborhood in town a 40 year old mentally handicapped man had his dead mother in the house for over 4 months before it was found out. There are stories like this all over.

Its like in "Men In Black" people don't wanna know, their lives are simple and safe and they want it to stay that way.

[+two left feet]

Yeah not much really secret about it, more like what was just posted that most just don't want to know or arn't interested. Part of it is the combination of things required:

 

1. Interest in gagets like GPS units and PDA's (or at least a tolerance of them)

2. Access to a computer and the Internet to get the information

3. Willingness to be outside and get some exercise

4. Desire to learn new skills and figure things out

5. Free time

6. Being a little bit "odd" :-)

 

Don't have to keep it secret. A hugh part of the population will not have one or more of those requirements.

[+HolyCowboys]

Shneaky shneaky sir!

 

Do I feel guilty about sneaking around looking for a cache. NO!

 

I was reading this forum post with much pleasure. I jumped to our local cache hides to see if anything new was in the area. I noticed a geocoin hiding in a very high muggle cache and I had to get into shneaky shneaky mode to go grab it. The silly muggles didn't even know I was there.

 

Zero guilt ..... 100% pride

 

Oh, If you are in the Central Pennsylvania area look up the "By George" cache.

[+Packanack]

Hardly a secret, only been around a few years, may turn into a continuing pasttime, or just another pop culture fad like leisure suits and disco, remains to be seen. But there is hardly any real mystique about it, some of it is destination hiking. Some of it is lunch time walking for exercise, some of it is just goofy fun, that is part of its appeal. People have all different kinds of interest in this country and they come and go with the change in season.

[docdigit]

<----------------

 

It was a locationless so it's been archived

 

HAH! Guess again...check out the avatar please!

 

Doc

[+Deliveryguy428]

Coming soon to a bookstore near you "The Signal Code" staring Kermit The Frog

[+M.S. thebrain and Pinky]

I Do it because I'm cheep and need a tour Guide to get me off the couch the society makes you go to all kinds of places looking for all kinds of things and tricks you into getting ech Exercise then you get to go home and sit infront of computer waiting for more directions.