Hint Etiquette

[+Mishka]

It has become increasingly popular in my current area to find cache pages that have encrypted words in the hint area that are not hints. Usually they say something like, "log a dnf, and I'll email you a hint" or "too easy, you don't need one." or "call me and I'll let you know where it is."

 

I find this to be very irritating for several reasons. First, I don't really associate with the geocaching community around here (just moved here) so I don't have everyone's cell phone number at my disposal when I am out caching to call them up for a hint to find their micro in the woods (not that I would call anyway since the point of caching is to find it yourself, not with help from the owner). Second, when I leave the house with a cache page that has a hint, I am under the impression that if I get stumped, I have an option. There is nothing more frustrating than looking forever for a cache, and resolving to use the hint, decrypting it, to find that it is just the cache owner laughing at you because you didn't find it.

 

Does anyone else run across this on cache pages in their area? Does it irritate them or do they think it is funny? I have only noticed it since moving to this place so I am not sure if it is happening everywhere. I just think that if you are going to put a hint in the hint area of the cache page, it should be a hint. Just encrypting snide remarks because there is a field you can fill in on the cache set up is just mean and a waste of a cache finder's time.

[+Isonzo Karst]

I've actually pasted this link into a couple of cache logs where I've added their hint to the thread. Take a look.

[+medic208]

I agree, it annoys me too. I'd much rather find the hint area to be blank than see a useless hint. Once I even asked the cache hider for a hint on one of these caches after posting a DNF but received a snooty reply that I didn't look long enough. I'll be the first to say that I enjoy Micros, BUT not when they are placed in areas that get destroyed due to overly agressive or frustrated seekers.

 

On a further rant, some of these same caches that the OP mentions, have ended up on my ignore list... I mean who wants to "literally" dive in the middle of prickly bushes or huge trees with thorns.

 

UGH!!!!

[+Renegade Knight]

Yes it's annoying but it's owners choice. The "Email me" is especially handy when I'm 250 miles from home standing up to my knees in ticks.

[+Prime Suspect]

It makes you wonder which part of "If you don't have a hint, leave it blank" these people don't understand.

 

News flash! - Putting "It's too easy for a hint" or something similar as a hint isn't cute, clever, or original. It is tired, annoying, and highly unoriginal.

 

A hint should should help someone who is within 50' of the cache find the cache. It should not tell people where to park, it should not be something that's blindingly obvious to anyone who's already navigated to GZ ("It's near the playground", etc.), it should not tell people to call or email for a real hint.

Edited April 25, 2006 by Prime Suspect

[wandat24]

hell i thought it was normal...... but have gone after plenty that has good hints. I usually decrypt it before I even decide to worry about the hint (before I printed out the paper). Now I just use my Pocket PC and get a bit frustrated when it's not a true hint, but then again i don't really mind...... (there's a neat program you can use for free that decrypt it on you PPC really cool, but don't help if there is no good hint lol)

Edited April 25, 2006 by wandat24

[+sbell111]

Its 'okay', but quite annoying. Its somewhat less annoying for those of us who are paperless because we don't decode by hand, but it's still annoying.

[+briansnat]

Above the box where you enter the hint it says "If you don't have a hint, leave it blank."

 

I wish more people would heed that. It's frustrating to sit there and decrypt the hint and find parking directions (hey dimwit, I'm already at the cache), or worse, "This is too easy for a hint" (hey Bozo if I'm decrypting the hint obviously I need one).

[+Mule Ears]

The useless, mocking hint is a plague on us. When we're not using the PDA with PQs, we just decode the hint ahead of time, because hand-decoding something like "YOU DON'T REALLY NEED A HINT, DO YOU?" is just too irritating. Kind of kills the 'hint' concept, but it's better than having to suppress the impulse to strangle someone.

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

It makes you wonder which part of "If you don't have a hint, leave it blank" these people don't understand.

 

News flash! - Putting "It's too easy for a hint" or something similar as a hint isn't cute, clever, or original. It is tired, annoying, and highly unoriginal.

 

A hint should should help someone who is within 50' of the cache find the cache. It should not tell people where to park, it should not be something that's blindingly obvious to anyone who's already navigated to GZ ("It's near the playground", etc.), it should not tell people to call or email for a real hint.

 

What he said.

[+Team LaLonde]

I see the frustration here, but when does a 'hint' become 'the solution'? For instance, "it's right there under the picnic table on the left leg" isn't really a hint, it just tells you where it is.

[+Team Neos]

I see the frustration here, but when does a 'hint' become 'the solution'? For instance, "it's right there under the picnic table on the left leg" isn't really a hint, it just tells you where it is.

I agree with this. On a recent trip, we ran into hints that were dead giveaways through a whole state--every cacher, every cache. I prefer more subtle hints, for instance, in the case above "Left" would be better. I would know it was to the left of something or on the left side of something, etc.

 

As far as being paperless and using hints. I use plucker and spinner to get my cache data into my Palm. One of the options was to have the hint not decoded--but out in the field, if I need it, I can simply click on the hint link to decode it. I ahve been looking into switiching over to some other program--Do any of the other programs NOT offer that feature?

[+Wild Thing 73]

I see the frustration here, but when does a 'hint' become 'the solution'? For instance, "it's right there under the picnic table on the left leg" isn't really a hint, it just tells you where it is.

I agree with this. On a recent trip, we ran into hints that were dead giveaways through a whole state--every cacher, every cache. I prefer more subtle hints, for instance, in the case above "Left" would be better. I would know it was to the left of something or on the left side of something, etc.

 

As far as being paperless and using hints. I use plucker and spinner to get my cache data into my Palm. One of the options was to have the hint not decoded--but out in the field, if I need it, I can simply click on the hint link to decode it. I ahve been looking into switiching over to some other program--Do any of the other programs NOT offer that feature?

I'm going to check my "hints" Because I agree with all the above...

Edited April 25, 2006 by Wild Thing 73

[+The Jester]

Yes it's annoying but it's owners choice. The "Email me" is especially handy when I'm 250 miles from home standing up to my knees in ticks.

It's even worse when you've spent $20 dollars on ferry fare and will have to go home to email AND spend as much to come back (as if I would...).

 

Or when you decypt and find it's in Spanish...

[+Mystery Ink]

Yes it's annoying but it's owners choice. The "Email me" is especially handy when I'm 250 miles from home standing up to my knees in ticks.

Or when you decypt and find it's in Spanish...

hahaha I have thought about putting one in latin.

Edited April 26, 2006 by Mystery Ink

[+drat19]

I couldn't agree more about useless hints. However, I don't mind a clever hint that can help but is not necessarily a giveaway...like decrypting and finding it's in Spanish - that sounds like a neat idea, actually. OK, so it's not for everyone.

 

I've used the following hints, and I actually got good reviews in more than a few logs:

 

Cache hidden at base of a tree in a particular feature of it: Alex Haley

 

Cache hidden in the side of a pile of ground cover: Almond Joy has nuts, but these don't

 

Cache hidden beneath a particular type of walkway: Drifters, 1964

 

Now, I also used another musical reference that was a bit too obscure for some: Musique, 1978. Not enough old disco fans around to realize it was the reference to "In the Bush". What can ya do?

[+YuccaPatrol]

It would also be nice if hints were made as BRIEF as possible. Many of us now have GPSr's that can accept hints in a notes field, but that is limited to 30 characters for Garmin 60 series.

[+mizdeeds]

I followed a link from one of the forums and landed on this person's caches, which were very creative. The hint in this one made me think of this forum. The hint isn't brief, but I found it hilarious. If I'd had to decrypt in the field by hand, I probably wouldn't have found it quite so funny.

 

"Look for a tree with a pink blaze on it. Climb about 3/4 of the way to the top. Ok, are you there? Good. Now look down, and you should see it in the fallen tree below you. Just climb back down to the ground and grab it. On second thought, you probably didn't need to climb that tree. Sorry"

 

[wandat24]

I followed a link from one of the forums and landed on this person's caches, which were very creative. The hint in this one made me think of this forum. The hint isn't brief, but I found it hilarious. If I'd had to decrypt in the field by hand, I probably wouldn't have found it quite so funny.

 

"Look for a tree with a pink blaze on it. Climb about 3/4 of the way to the top. Ok, are you there? Good. Now look down, and you should see it in the fallen tree below you. Just climb back down to the ground and grab it. On second thought, you probably didn't need to climb that tree. Sorry"

 

 

LMAO! I'll have to remember this ............

[+Mishka]

Wow, it is nice to know I am not alone...and like many mentioned, I too like it when the hint is not the exact location. Even a play on words, like "don't get burned up if you can't find it" and it ends up being in a burnt out log works for me. That is actually creative and still helpful.

 

Since I am still in the dark ages and input all my caches by hand and decode my hints by hand, I have started looking at the hints before I even print the paper. If it is a stupid one, I just put it on my ignore list and don't even bother.

 

Caching is supposed to be fun, a way to get some fresh air, and exercise. I don't need for it to be frustrating, that is what work and school are for...haha.

[+Mishka]

I've actually pasted this link into a couple of cache logs where I've added their hint to the thread. Take a look.

 

Great idea, I might have to do that as well...sort of a passive agressive way to deal with it. Will make me feel better without really being bitchy about it....thanks.

[+The Jester]

I couldn't agree more about useless hints. However, I don't mind a clever hint that can help but is not necessarily a giveaway...like decrypting and finding it's in Spanish - that sounds like a neat idea, actually. OK, so it's not for everyone.

 

I've used the following hints, and I actually got good reviews in more than a few logs:

 

Cache hidden at base of a tree in a particular feature of it: Alex Haley

 

Cache hidden in the side of a pile of ground cover: Almond Joy has nuts, but these don't

 

Cache hidden beneath a particular type of walkway: Drifters, 1964

 

Now, I also used another musical reference that was a bit too obscure for some: Musique, 1978. Not enough old disco fans around to realize it was the reference to "In the Bush". What can ya do?

I'm trying to figure out how the two sections above work together??? What help is it if it's in Spanish? That's as bad as a "e-mail me", you can't do anything with it in the field.

[+The Geocache Hunter]

Its bad enough when hints aren't even hints but I hate the real ones that are described from the hiders point of view without any real reference. "left side of the big rock" is useless when there is more than one way to approach the location. I also hate it when a clue descibes a hiding location that looks like everything else in the area. "Under a thick bush" in a forest filled with thick bushes doesn't narrow down the search area very much.

[+briansnat]

I see the frustration here, but when does a 'hint' become 'the solution'? For instance, "it's right there under the picnic table on the left leg" isn't really a hint, it just tells you where it is.

 

I place my caches to be found, so my hints are usually dead giveaways. I would hope the seekers don't decrypt until its actually needed, but if they do its their loss.

[wandat24]

I couldn't agree more about useless hints. However, I don't mind a clever hint that can help but is not necessarily a giveaway...like decrypting and finding it's in Spanish - that sounds like a neat idea, actually. OK, so it's not for everyone.

 

I've used the following hints, and I actually got good reviews in more than a few logs:

 

Cache hidden at base of a tree in a particular feature of it: Alex Haley

 

Cache hidden in the side of a pile of ground cover: Almond Joy has nuts, but these don't

 

Cache hidden beneath a particular type of walkway: Drifters, 1964

 

Now, I also used another musical reference that was a bit too obscure for some: Musique, 1978. Not enough old disco fans around to realize it was the reference to "In the Bush". What can ya do?

I'm trying to figure out how the two sections above work together??? What help is it if it's in Spanish? That's as bad as a "e-mail me", you can't do anything with it in the field.

 

I think it could be interesting. How ever it'd be frustrating *Note to self pick up a pocket translator before trying very many out of state caches*. My husband and I are planning a trip to London for our 10th anniversary next year (lol may have to wait for the 11th). I mentioned to him that some of the ones over seas may not be in English, he said he wasn't too worried about it. He's a computer nut and has learned to "speak" C++ in just under 2 weeks. He said just before we head out he'll just pick up a learning book for French to English and maybe a couple of other languages. Not relevant for this thread, I know..... Just rambling.....

[+Team Red Oak]

We also decrypt by hand in the field. We hate it when the hint is useless, we also hate when we have to decrypt a hint nearly the size of War and Peace. We try to keep our hints simple and clear. We have a multi that has the hint "it's all about the logs", the first stage of the multi is velcroed to the underside of a fallen log and the final is hidden inside a very large fallen log. We don't decrypt until we need the hint we don't expect a hint to tell the exact location, but it would be nice to have the hint make sense if you are in the correct area.

[+drat19]

I couldn't agree more about useless hints. However, I don't mind a clever hint that can help but is not necessarily a giveaway...like decrypting and finding it's in Spanish - that sounds like a neat idea, actually. OK, so it's not for everyone.

 

I've used the following hints, and I actually got good reviews in more than a few logs:

 

Cache hidden at base of a tree in a particular feature of it: Alex Haley

 

Cache hidden in the side of a pile of ground cover: Almond Joy has nuts, but these don't

 

Cache hidden beneath a particular type of walkway: Drifters, 1964

 

Now, I also used another musical reference that was a bit too obscure for some: Musique, 1978. Not enough old disco fans around to realize it was the reference to "In the Bush". What can ya do?

I'm trying to figure out how the two sections above work together??? What help is it if it's in Spanish? That's as bad as a "e-mail me", you can't do anything with it in the field.

I guess I thought it was a neat idea because I can translate a phrase or two in Spanish (I'm not fluent, but I manage.) So, to me, it's a hint that still requires a little work...not a dead giveaway. As for the other hint examples I cited, you're right, they have nothing to do with the Spanish part of the post...they're just, also, hints that still require a little work once you decrypt them.

 

That was the point of my post...hints that help but don't give it all away...you still have to use a little brain power to fully solve them.

Edited April 26, 2006 by drat19

[+Cryptid]

Try this one Inner tube After solving that in the woods, I'd likely want to "go hunting"

Edited April 26, 2006 by Cruiserdude

[+drat19]

Try this one Inner tube After solving that in the woods, I'd likely want to "go hunting"

Yeah, for the cache owner for posting that as the decrypted hint!

[Clan Riffster]

News flash! - Putting "It's too easy for a hint" or something similar as a hint isn't cute, clever, or original. It is tired, annoying, and highly unoriginal.

I think people's perspectives change as the evolve during their geolifespan. When I first started this game, I used to laugh at useless hints, because I found them to be cute, clever, & original. A bit of humor in the bush is a good thing, no? I've even been guilty of hiding a cache, (one of my first), with a useless hint. Now that I've grown a bit as a cacher, I've come to realize that all I've really accomplished is to waste the time of whoever decrypted that hint. I suppose I should delete that hint someday, and I most certainly won't post any other caches with useless hints, but by the same token, I won't condemn those who do. Geocaching is a learning experience for all of us.

 

Just $0.02 from the cheap seats!

[+CheshireFrog]

Personally, I think this whole thread stems from people's fear of admitting they didn't find a cache.

 

If you're on the hunt and can't find the cache, go home, log a DNF, then decode the hint, contact the owner, whatever.

[+Tharagleb]

Try this one Inner tube After solving that in the woods, I'd likely want to "go hunting"

 

Although it is long, at least it is an actual hint. The question is how many of the [nouns] are there that have to be searched.

[+scavok]

IMHO, you all seem a bit touchy for not finding the cache . A hint like "You don't need a hint" I think is a pretty good hint, it means "stop looking for a 5 star and pick up that fake rock you are standing on" without totally giving it away.

[+Ed & Julie]

I see the frustration here, but when does a 'hint' become 'the solution'? For instance, "it's right there under the picnic table on the left leg" isn't really a hint, it just tells you where it is.

 

I place my caches to be found, so my hints are usually dead giveaways. I would hope the seekers don't decrypt until its actually needed, but if they do its their loss.

 

Outstanding. I too place caches to be found. Tricky, super tough micros with no hints just seems stupid to me, and I have dozens on my ignore list.

[+Team Neos]

I see the frustration here, but when does a 'hint' become 'the solution'? For instance, "it's right there under the picnic table on the left leg" isn't really a hint, it just tells you where it is.

I place my caches to be found, so my hints are usually dead giveaways. I would hope the seekers don't decrypt until its actually needed, but if they do its their loss.

I have one cache that has a giveaway hint. In the main body of the cache page, I wrote, "The hint is a complete giveaway" The hint is two words, the type of tree that holds the cache. It is the only tree of that sort within a half mile.

 

I figured anyone in the field who didn't know the name for that kind of tree could still figure it out. I know if I were standing there, looking at a lot of similar trees and one different tree, I would probably look in the oddball one.

[+drat19]

I place my caches to be found...

You actually want people to FIND your caches?? Surely not! You must have started playing this game before '04...when that was the POINT! I didn't know anyone still actually played that way anymore...

Edited April 27, 2006 by drat19

[+Isonzo Karst]

I figured anyone in the field who didn't know the name for that kind of tree could still figure it out. I know if I were standing there, looking at a lot of similar trees and one different tree, I would probably look in the oddball one

 

Early in my geo carreer I placed a micro under heavy tree cover. I kept going back and checking and rechecking my coords, and found that I couldn't reliably get to within 30 feet of it. So I decided to put it at the base of a mulberry tree. It was the only one, and terribly out of place - shouldn't have been salt tolerant enough to be there at all. Hint = mulberry Like you I figured folks would at least look for the ONE different tree. I was wrong.

Folks kept DNFing it, and ocassionally remarking that they didn't know what a mulberry looked like but looked at the wild orange tree (! ?!) but no cache.

I finally archived it, went to collect it and couldn't find it. A week or so later some British tourists found it and emailed me that it was there, and right under the orange tree!

[+Prime Suspect]

IMHO, you all seem a bit touchy for not finding the cache . A hint like "You don't need a hint" I think is a pretty good hint, it means "stop looking for a 5 star and pick up that fake rock you are standing on" without totally giving it away.

Sorry, but no. A correct difficulty rating should have already covered that. Adding an annoying and useless hint message isn't helping.

[+emb021]

It has become increasingly popular in my current area to find cache pages that have encrypted words in the hint area that are not hints. Usually they say something like, "log a dnf, and I'll email you a hint" or "too easy, you don't need one." or "call me and I'll let you know where it is."

 

 

Yeah, I'd find that annoying.

 

For me, when I do printouts of cachepages (not paperless), I include the DECRYPTED hint, plus the most recent 5 logs. So I don't get burned out in the woods when I go to decrypt a hint, but just roll my eyes when I decrypt it before printing out.

 

(someone I met does the same thing, but covers up the hint with a piece of paper, and only removes it and looks at it if she needs it)