Caches not finished but published anyway?

[+ArtieD]

Trillian and I went after this cache on Wednesday (8/23) when we saw it published. We searched and searched but to no avail. We check back the next day to see if someone found it, but alas one of the cache's owners not only posted a "find" but said it wasn't even finished until that point.

 

Personally, i think if you have a cache published it should be ready to be found and not still in the works.

 

Am I out of line for disliking this or am I being overly critical? Opinions?

Edited August 25, 2006 by Arthur & Trillian

[+ibycus]

Yeah I hider with that many finds should know better...

[+wimseyguy]

Yes caches should be in place before they are submitted to the reviewers. It isn't clear in the guidelines, but is quite clear on the "how to hide your first cache tutorial page.

• Step 1 - Research a cache location
  
• Step 2 - Preparing Your Cache
  
• Step 3 - Placing Your Cache
  
• Step 4 - Report the Cache
  
• Step 5 - Maintain the cache
  

I'll also agree with your observation that logging a find on your own cache is a bit odd, but not prohibited in the guidelines. And that is another topic anyway.

 

Edited to add, it's possible that the finding owner did not participate in the hiding of the cache, and quite likely that the local reviewer thought this was availble to find when s/he hit that publish button.

Edited August 25, 2006 by wimseyguy

[+conradv]

lol - how does a cacher "find" a cache that they put out themselves?

 

That's silly.

[+StarBrand]

I've spent over 2 hours trying to be FTF on a cache not in place. I have seen it happen personally a total of 3 times. The hiders all thought it was best to get approval before bothering to hide a cache. Reasonable thinking on thier part - they just didn't understand the frustration of seekers. Only takes once.

[+The Leprechauns]

This happens often enough that the listing guidelines were updated to remind hiders very clearly that the cache should be in place and ready to hide at the time it's submitted to the review queue. If special arrangements are needed, these can be mentioned in a "Note to Reviewer."

 

But who reads the listing guidelines?

[+Blue Power Ranger]

So how do you know it wasn't finished when you went out looking?

 

You say you looked on 8/23 when it was published. The owner logged a find (yes, odd) on 8/23 saying he went out "last night" and finished everything up. Wouldn't that mean he finished it up on 8/22?

 

Did he confirm to you that it was unfinished when you looked or is it possible you just didn't find it? Also, your DNF log is for 8/25, not 8/23 was it still incomplete as of 8/25?

 

Edit: If you have confirmed that this cache is really not out there, you should at very least post a needs maintenance log to save others the hassle of going out to look.

Edited August 25, 2006 by Blue Power Ranger

[+Quiggle]

This happens often enough that the listing guidelines were updated to remind hiders very clearly that the cache should be in place and ready to hide at the time it's submitted to the review queue. If special arrangements are needed, these can be mentioned in a "Note to Reviewer."

 

But who reads the listing guidelines?

Not only that but the checkbox on the cache submission form that states:

 

If I get them in and they don't appear done, I disable it with a note to not activate it until the cache is ready to be reviewed. If you want to have your reviewer check out coords, send them privately, but you run the risk of problems like this if you check the "this cache is active" box when it's still on your kitchen table.

[+ArtieD]

So how do you know it wasn't finished when you went out looking?

 

You say you looked on 8/23 when it was published. The owner logged a find (yes, odd) on 8/23 saying he went out "last night" and finished everything up. Wouldn't that mean he finished it up on 8/22?

 

Did he confirm to you that it was unfinished when you looked or is it possible you just didn't find it? Also, your DNF log is for 8/25, not 8/23 was it still incomplete as of 8/25?

 

Edit: If you have confirmed that this cache is really not out there, you should at very least post a needs maintenance log to save others the hassle of going out to look.

 

We saw it was published that afternoon/evening and went out for it. We went out with the laptop and checked the info on site once more before setting out...no log by the hider at all about extra setup. We got back that night and checked at about 10 p.m. or so. No log about the setup. In fact I didn't see the log until I got up the next morning...meaning it was posted from at least 10 p.m. to midnight (because the log says 8/23).

 

My log for today represents our second attempt at going after this cache. For all I know it is there and we just didn't find it. However, as I noted in the log, there are some discrepancies in what is posted in the cache info and what is out there (i.e., placement of reflectors, etc.)

 

I cannot confirm if it is out there or we just didn't find it; it had one of those infamous "no clue" clues...

 

ETA: It is possible that the hider did indeed finish it up on 8/22, but I wonder why it took so long to say so...

Edited August 25, 2006 by Arthur & Trillian

[+niraD]

Yes caches should be in place before they are submitted to the reviewers. It isn't clear in the guidelines

It isn't?

Your cache should be in place and ready to hunt at the time your cache page is submitted for review.

Seems pretty clear to me...

[+ArtieD]

Nevermind...issue has been resolved.

[+Harry Dolphin]

Really makes you want to (hmm...) mutter unkind comments about the cace hider. Went looking for one of the once. Searched and searched the guard rail. Could not find. Another cacher came a few hours later. Searched and searched. It had an FTF the next day. Went back, and we both exclaimed "That was definitely NOT there the other day!"

I used to set out my cache, work on the basic page, and submit it. And then continue to edit the page. (Add pictures &c.) Till I had a reviewer who started making suggestions before I was done! Oh, well. Live and learn.

[+shammond]

I submitted a cache once, without the cache in Place. However I noted to reviewer that the cache was not in place, due to a magnet strength problem, and not to publish it yet. I would replace the magnet and and enable the listing when it was ready. This worked out well and no one got angry.

[+Glenn]

Yeah I hider with that many finds should know better...

Since when has having a high find count on GC mean anything other than you are very skilled at finding and clicking on the log it button on cache pages?

 

Its a mistake that a lot of new cache placers make despite the how-to and check box.

 

It happened only last month to me. I went to find a recently placed cache. Logged a DNF and so did a few other cachers. The owner logged a note the next day saying that he had waited until he saw the cache listed before he placed the cache and was sorry he didn't have it in place for us yet. When I found the cache it was in a place I had checked and was empty before.