Is It Generally Considered Acceptable...

[+jeffk42]

I would think that if you had the desire to deface someone else's travel bug, you should at least email the owner of the bug and make sure it's okay to do so.

 

There's a guy around here that has picked up 3 TB's so far, wrote all over one of them with marker, and cut the arm off of another (because it was "too cute")...

 

If someone did something like that to one of mine, it wouldn't be a huge deal -- especially if they had asked me first -- but I wonder if everyone would be that understanding.

 

So, the question I have is... knowing that an owner has to expect things to happen to their TB when they release it, is it or is it not considered bad form to deface a TB without notifying the owner first?

[+Rick618]

Sounds like a busy body. Some do break but this sounds like willful destruction. It would be up to the tb owner to inform the person of thier displeasure.

You turn them loose and hope for the best. Out of 8 I have only lost one so far and hope that the rest of the cachers that find them enjoy them in the original state that I sent them out.

[+Renegade Knight]

It's not acceptable. I think any cacher who gets caught doing dumb things like that should get "The Mark" on their lawn so they know we know.

 

A nice Gx in roundup.

[+ReadyOrNot]

I try not to deface anybody's property, but I will remove inappropriate items from TB's and Caches. For example, there was a keychain TB floating around with wiccan related items on it. I removed the wiccan items and sent it on its way. Eventually the TB would have been tossed in the trash, so in a way, I did a service to the owner. As geocachers, we have a responsibility to police the sport to ensure that noone is using the sport to further their agendas. (That's what the forums are for)

[+BlueDeuce]

I try not to deface anybody's property, but I will remove inappropriate items from TB's and Caches. For example, there was a keychain TB floating around with wiccan related items on it. I removed the wiccan items and sent it on its way. Eventually the TB would have been tossed in the trash, so in a way, I did a service to the owner. As geocachers, we have a responsibility to police the sport to ensure that noone is using the sport to further their agendas. (That's what the forums are for)

 

You should not alter a TB without owner permission. If you find a bug with questionable material attached to it or on the bug's page, report it to GC.com for direction.

 

Personally I think you're just trolling.

[+Eartha]

It is unacceptable and bad form to change anyone's travel bug in any way, shape or form. That INCLUDES putting a laminated goal sheet on their bug or even slipping their travel bug into a ziplock baggie. Unless you ask first and get approval. If they wanted a goal tag or baggie they would've sent it out that way.

To willfully destruct a TB is totally wrong. This is the type of cacher I would not want to meet on the trail. Sad but true.

Regarding removing items from a TB. Do you know for a fact those wiccan items were added later and didn't belong to the bug? If they are original to the bug you have defaced their bug. One's man's religion is another man's cult. It is not up to anyone to decide what is good or bad or acceptable or unacceptable. If the travel bug goes against your better judgement, leave it in the cache but do not judge others. This is a game and not a political forum. Do not feel as though you are doing a service to the owner, unless you have communicated with that owner and gotten an approval from them and they are happy with it. How does that go? People who live in glass houses should judge not unless they want to be treated that way? Something like that!

[+Celticwulf]

It is unacceptable and bad form to change anyone's travel bug in any way, shape or form. That INCLUDES putting a laminated goal sheet on their bug or even slipping their travel bug into a ziplock baggie. Unless you ask first and get approval. If they wanted a goal tag or baggie they would've sent it out that way.

To willfully destruct a TB is totally wrong. This is the type of cacher I would not want to meet on the trail. Sad but true.

Regarding removing items from a TB. Do you know for a fact those wiccan items were added later and didn't belong to the bug? If they are original to the bug you have defaced their bug. One's man's religion is another man's cult. It is not up to anyone to decide what is good or bad or acceptable or unacceptable. If the travel bug goes against your better judgement, leave it in the cache but do not judge others. This is a game and not a political forum. Do not feel as though you are doing a service to the owner, unless you have communicated with that owner and gotten an approval from them and they are happy with it. How does that go? People who live in glass houses should judge not unless they want to be treated that way? Something like that!

 

I like smart moderators! I agree with what Eartha said doubly...in fact I'd say the act changing TB's shows the true moral character of the person doing the modification without owner permission better than whatever reason they try to give for changing it in the first place.

 

Celticwulf

[+ReadyOrNot]

I try not to deface anybody's property, but I will remove inappropriate items from TB's and Caches. For example, there was a keychain TB floating around with wiccan related items on it. I removed the wiccan items and sent it on its way. Eventually the TB would have been tossed in the trash, so in a way, I did a service to the owner. As geocachers, we have a responsibility to police the sport to ensure that noone is using the sport to further their agendas. (That's what the forums are for)

 

You should not alter a TB without owner permission. If you find a bug with questionable material attached to it or on the bug's page, report it to GC.com for direction.

 

Personally I think you're just trolling.

 

Actually, this happened about a week ago and I felt it was appropriate for the discussion. The rules are clear that this is a family friendly game and if someone puts a TB with inappropriate material attached to it (which I have seen several times), I think it's appropriate to remove it. The other option is to toss it in the trash (which I would disagree with completely).

 

What is trolling exactly anyways? I'm fairly new to all this. Is that when a user looks at forum posts and adds a post when they deem it appropriate? Thanks in advance!

[+BlueDeuce]

troll v.,n. To utter a posting on Usenet designed to attract predictable responses or flames. Derives from the phrase "trolling for newbies"; which in turn comes from mainstream "trolling";, a style of fishing in which one trails bait through a likely spot hoping for a bite.

[+Criminal]

Look what happened to mine!

 

[+BlueDeuce]

Look what happened to mine!

 

That's terrible! They shouldn't take pictures with an ale advertisement. It sends the wrong message to kids.

 

I can't see the problem with the other pictures, but they are very nice ones!

Edited May 5, 2006 by BlueDeuce

[+SunnyWalker]

1) As for religion, I read the rules of Geocaching and they state in part that religious TB and religious "treasure" were not to be left or used. I have noticed that this rule is overlooked and many people place religious items. The Wiccan "treasure" or TB may not be to my personal liking so I just overlook it. It is an ancient religion and taught in some circles to be benign and harmless. I do not agree totally with that assessment but hey, this is an open forum and the "Geocaching System" is an open forum or open street. Overlook it, move on and let it be.

 

Now all that said, isn't there a way to return a TB that is damaged, or dangerous or offensive to the owner? there has to be a way to do this. That could be a solution for some. As for me, I do not feel I will be making judgment calls on anything less than really, really obvious. And then I would want to go back and re-read the rules about all this.

 

Obvious? Let's say I find a gun in the Geocache-well I would call the cops on that one. But let's say I found a knife. Now that is a good example. I would probably think that is not appropriate. If I found a "Wiccan" pendant as a TB I would overlook that and move on. Make sense?

 

By the way-I sent for my first TB! I am going to attache it to a die cast bus and put it down in a cache on I-40 here in Texas. Fun. -SunnyWalker

[+BlueDeuce]

1) As for religion, I read the rules of Geocaching and they state in part that religious TB and religious "treasure" were not to be left or used. I have noticed that this rule is overlooked and many people place religious items.

 

I remember something about no solicitation. Can you link me the rules about the items? Seriously, I can never find the policy statements. Just the FAQs

 

As to the other stuff.

 

Yes, you could find something that is probably against the rules, such as a fake hand grenade or something pornographic, but I would hope that a cacher would report the item to gc.com for direction. They may decide that more than removing the TB is necessary to prevent a reoccurrence

 

I certainly wouldn’t decide for myself that gc.com would want me to remove a TB out of circulation based on my own interpretation of the rules. In fact I’m pretty sure they don’t want me to start yanking TB’s on my own.

Edited May 6, 2006 by BlueDeuce

[+VeryLost]

I will remove inappropriate items from TB's and Caches. For example, there was a keychain TB floating around with wiccan related items on it. I removed the wiccan items and sent it on its way.

 

One cannot help but wonder if this person would have removed the items had they been Christian-themed.

[+geoSquid]

The rules are clear that this is a family friendly game and if someone puts a TB with inappropriate material attached to it (which I have seen several times), I think it's appropriate to remove it. The other option is to toss it in the trash (which I would disagree with completely).

 

The problem is, nobody appointed YOU to be the judge of what is or is not family friendly.

 

Would you remove the crosses from an Easter TB? That is just as "not family friendly" as any wiccan TB by ANY measure. More importantly, how can you be so sure it's a Wiccan thing? Would you remove a swastika TB? Do you even know that the swastika is an ancient symbol of life and good fortune? Do you realize how flat-out wrong you can be on so many levels?

 

You have an obligation to protect YOUR family from material YOU think is inappropriate. You do that by not picking up those "inappropriate" things.

 

You have NO OBLIGATION, and indeed NO RIGHT to try and protect me and my family.

[+BlueDeuce]

Wasn't this horse beaten back in May?

[+geoSquid]

Wasn't this horse beaten back in May?

 

Probably. "inappropriate material" is a discussion that pops up on pretty much every message board everywhere every few months.

[+BlueDeuce]

Yes, so it does.

 

I guess I want a new pony.

 

Not a beaten, dead, chewed by vultures, bones beached in the sun kind of pony.

 

(yeah, I know this was a back alley job but it still seems like a late reponse to me.)

Edited September 11, 2006 by BlueDeuce

[+ar_kayaker]

I try not to deface anybody's property, but I will remove inappropriate items from TB's and Caches. For example, there was a keychain TB floating around with wiccan related items on it. I removed the wiccan items and sent it on its way. Eventually the TB would have been tossed in the trash, so in a way, I did a service to the owner. As geocachers, we have a responsibility to police the sport to ensure that noone is using the sport to further their agendas. (That's what the forums are for)

 

You should not alter a TB without owner permission. If you find a bug with questionable material attached to it or on the bug's page, report it to GC.com for direction.

 

Personally I think you're just trolling.

 

I figure it's trolling since a review of the trackables they have logged doesn't reveal anywhere they logged the fact that they fixed (defaced!) a religious oriented TB. But then again ReadyOrNot complains about promoting agendas and yet their profile has a nice big religious oriented quote in the place of a picture so they might just be mentaly myopic about "the one true religion."

 

For my part I have a "religious" TB out there....it is a crystal (wiccian?!?...on no!) with a goal of visiting sacred places. Any sacred places, of any religion.

 

AR_kayaker

[+WyoBigFish]

I try not to deface anybody's property, but I will remove inappropriate items from TB's and Caches. For example, there was a keychain TB floating around with wiccan related items on it. I removed the wiccan items and sent it on its way. Eventually the TB would have been tossed in the trash, so in a way, I did a service to the owner. As geocachers, we have a responsibility to police the sport to ensure that noone is using the sport to further their agendas. (That's what the forums are for)

 

I know that I am a few months behind the curve, but I just had to find something out. What exactly were the inappropriate items that you removed? I am just confused, because all you mentioned was something about religion. Do you also remove crosses and Star's of David?

[+BlueDeuce]