Needs Maintenance

[+icefall5]

Doesn't it just bug you when someone posts a "Needs Maintenance" log instead of a DNF log when they can't find a cache? I just saw this one pop up from my watchlist:

*name omitted*, I cannot believe that she forgot our names. O'Man. I won't mention that I forgot to ask her name and only know due to the logs.

 

Well this was DNF and the owner needs to look-up on the cache. Maybe we just suck, but with 240+ caches just myself I think not.

 

Sorry that we dragged you back there again *name omitted*, but it would have sucked if we found it and you didn't. Makes me feel better that we worked as a team and still came up short.

 

It's logs like this that I really dislike. It was her first attempt on this cache and the area is so overgrown you wouldn't believe it. I have seen pictures of the location and find it highly unlikely that it is missing, just from the way it is hidden.

 

Any input?

[+BlueDeuce]

At least the valley-girl wannabe writing style is entertaining.

 

 

 

..

Edited August 26, 2006 by BlueDeuce

[Clan Riffster]

Just $0.02 from an ol' fat guy;

It's the owner's problem. Probably not worth you stressing over. Life moves on. Personally, I'd never post an SBA simply because I couldn't find a cache, even if I was dead certain it was missing in action, but obviously other folks feel differently.

"Hakuna ma-something or other"

[+icefall5]

I have done it once before, but it was the third or fourth cache I ever tried to find. Now I just get sick of it when people try to place the blame on the owner for them not finding it.

 

EDIT- Wording.

Edited August 27, 2006 by icefall5

[+norsehawk]

If I get more than 2 dnf's in a row, I contact the geocachers and see if they can tell me where they looked, what they saw, ect, if I can't get in touch with them, I drive by for a quick wellness check on the cache, check its connection, make sure all is right and all.

 

and then I post a note saying cache is in good shape if it is, or if not, I fix it and state so. I always take a cache container with me when I go out to check just in case it needs replacing. ( I guess winning 144 bison tubes on ebay does come in handy)

 

edit, removed the quote that didn't have anything to do with my post.

Edited August 27, 2006 by norsehawk

[+icefall5]

And I do know that the cache is there. I just got this on my watch list:

Decided to look for this cache while in town for the *name omitted* Event. Found after a short search. TNLNSL Thanks for a fun cache!!

Edited August 27, 2006 by icefall5

[+gof1]

Well this was DNF and the owner needs to look-up on the cache. Maybe we just suck, but with 240+ caches just myself I think not.

 

I just love the arrogance.

With over 500 finds I still miss the occasional 1/1.

No one is perfect.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

Well this was DNF and the owner needs to look-up on the cache. Maybe we just suck, but with 240+ caches just myself I think not.

 

I just love the arrogance.

With over 500 finds I still miss the occasional 1/1.

No one is perfect.

 

Trust me, no matter how high your number or long your experience you'll still DNF caches - I do regularly!

 

As far as the OP, your right, it should have been a DNF.

 

Over time folks will learn to use the Needs Maintenence and Should Be Archived logs correctly (note one poster confused them even in this thread) and some of the confusion will die down.

 

Unfortunately ego will still prohibit some cachers from admitting DNFs - their brain just won't let their fingers type those letters! It's gotta be somebody else'es fault!

 

Ed

[+gof1]

Hey AlabamaRambler, that's twice we agreed in one night.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

Hey AlabamaRambler, that's twice we agreed in one night.

 

Be careful, do much of that and they'll run you out of here!

 

Ed

[b1rdbrain]

Well this was DNF and the owner needs to look-up on the cache. Maybe we just suck, but with 240+ caches just myself I think not.

 

I just love the arrogance.

With over 500 finds I still miss the occasional 1/1.

No one is perfect.

thats funny i seem to miss alot of 1/1's but man do i find the 5/5's real quick. it's missing the 1/1's that make you go "What the <edit by moderator> am I Doing Wrong"?

Edited August 28, 2006 by Quiggle

[+LadeBear68]

Well this was DNF and the owner needs to look-up on the cache. Maybe we just suck, but with 240+ caches just myself I think not.

 

I just love the arrogance.

With over 500 finds I still miss the occasional 1/1.

No one is perfect.

thats funny i seem to miss alot of 1/1's but man do i find the 5/5's real quick. it's missing the 1/1's that make you go "What the <edit by moderator> am I Doing Wrong"?

 

Which 5/5 caches have you done?

Edited August 28, 2006 by Quiggle

[+The Leprechauns]

Which 5/5 caches have you done?

Good catch, LadeBear. All 88 of his logged finds are on caches that are terrain 1 or terrain 1.5.

 

I'm betting he posted just to test the language filter.

[b1rdbrain]

Which 5/5 caches have you done?

Good catch, LadeBear. All 88 of his logged finds are on caches that are terrain 1 or terrain 1.5.

 

I'm betting he posted just to test the language filter.

I posted to see how fast you hard core guys would respond. don't fool you're self to think anything different.

 

I don't Pee in you're pool, please don't poop on my cache.

Edited August 28, 2006 by b1rdbrain

[Clan Riffster]

All 88 of his logged finds are on caches that are terrain 1 or terrain 1.5.

Careful B1rdBrain. As unlikely as it seems, there are actually folks on here with so little to occupy themselves that they check profiles of other folks. Feel free to check mine. I don't think I've ever done a 5/5. I did one that was posted as a 4.5/4.5, (I think), but it must've been listed wrong. It was a very short hike, and a fairly simple find. I would've called it a 2/2 at best. I do own a 3/5 that some folks suggested I change to a 5/5, but I don't see that the change is justified.

[+Quiggle]

With respect to icefall5's question, let's keep the thread on-topic (hint: unf abguvat gb qb jvgu jurgure be abg o1eqoenva unf sbhaq n 5/5 be abg)

 

Thanks.

[+ibycus]

As an owner, I'd probably just clear the maintenance flag and move on. If a couple of someone elses posted another NM because they DNFd it I might head out to look, but yeah its not really a NM issue for a simple DNF (although it might be in certain unique circumstances that I don't care to speculate too much on...)

[+Hokers]

I think my responce would matter on how convinent the cache is.

 

If it was real close to home, I would go look and place a service note "Cache is there in original location, never looked better, could not be happier".

[+Harry Dolphin]

And, so, I put a NM on a cache that I couldn't find...

I DNFed it May of 05. Finds in Sept, Oct and Dec of 05 list it as open, and wet, probably due to hunters in the area. Four DNFs for this year (no finds). Owner inactive since April 05. Sounds like it needs maintenance to me.

[+icefall5]

And, so, I put a NM on a cache that I couldn't find... blink.gif

I DNFed it May of 05. Finds in Sept, Oct and Dec of 05 list it as open, and wet, probably due to hunters in the area. Four DNFs for this year (no finds). Owner inactive since April 05. Sounds like it needs maintenance to me.

But still, you don't know that. It might be hidden really well. You can probably assume that is correct, but you never know...

 

EDIT- Forgot the quote.

Edited August 28, 2006 by icefall5

[+Harry Dolphin]

And, so, I put a NM on a cache that I couldn't find... blink.gif

I DNFed it May of 05. Finds in Sept, Oct and Dec of 05 list it as open, and wet, probably due to hunters in the area. Four DNFs for this year (no finds). Owner inactive since April 05. Sounds like it needs maintenance to me.

But still, you don't know that. It might be hidden really well. You can probably assume that is correct, but you never know...

 

Do I know that it needs maintenance (not having found it)? From the logs of cachers that I know and/or trust who tell me that it was found open and wet three times in three months, and an inactive owner? Yup. I think that's a dead give-away. The point being that I did not log the NM from my DNF. I certainly would not go looking for it again with those logs, plus the four DNFs from this year.

[+Trucker Lee]

And, so, I put a NM on a cache that I couldn't find...

I DNFed it May of 05. Finds in Sept, Oct and Dec of 05 list it as open, and wet, probably due to hunters in the area. Four DNFs for this year (no finds). Owner inactive since April 05. Sounds like it needs maintenance to me.

 

Sounds like a "needs adopted" to me. Unfortunately, due to hunters indicates away from the beaten path, so out of my reach with a tractor-trailer. Darn it!!!

[+Thrak]

I logged a DNF on what was probably the easiest 1/1 cache I've ever done. It had a clue that couldn't be mistaken. I looked really long and hard for the cache and ended up logging a DNF. I went back at another time and it was a total D'Oh! moment. I still can't believe how dense I was to not find it before. I've logged a Needs Maintenance on a cache that was broken and falling into pieces. The container needed to be replaced in a big time way. If I was the hider I'd appreciate knowing that my container was trashed.

 

I've never done a 5/5 cache but I did a 4.5 / 4.5 -- It was a blast.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

QUOTE(Harry Dolphin @ Aug 28 2006, 01:39 PM)

 

And, so, I put a NM on a cache that I couldn't find...

I DNFed it May of 05. Finds in Sept, Oct and Dec of 05 list it as open, and wet, probably due to hunters in the area. Four DNFs for this year (no finds). Owner inactive since April 05. Sounds like it needs maintenance to me.

 

 

Sounds like a "needs adopted" to me. Unfortunately, due to hunters indicates away from the beaten path, so out of my reach with a tractor-trailer. Darn it!!!

 

 

A perfect example of where an SBA is in order. This cache Should Be Archived, why not use the mechanism provided for that purpose?

 

Ed

Edited August 28, 2006 by TheAlabamaRambler

[+icefall5]

And, so, I put a NM on a cache that I couldn't find... blink.gif

I DNFed it May of 05. Finds in Sept, Oct and Dec of 05 list it as open, and wet, probably due to hunters in the area. Four DNFs for this year (no finds). Owner inactive since April 05. Sounds like it needs maintenance to me.

But still, you don't know that. It might be hidden really well. You can probably assume that is correct, but you never know...

 

Do I know that it needs maintenance (not having found it)? From the logs of cachers that I know and/or trust who tell me that it was found open and wet three times in three months, and an inactive owner? Yup. I think that's a dead give-away. The point being that I did not log the NM from my DNF. I certainly would not go looking for it again with those logs, plus the four DNFs from this year.

Oh, didn't see the "Finds in" part.

[nonaeroterraqueous]

I don't generally post "Needs Maintenance" because of a DNF, but I will say as much in my log if the cache starts with a perfect history of no DNFs and suddenly goes to nothing but DNFs for about five logs or so. There was only one case where I posted an NM for a cache that I never even looked for (GCTG44), because it had a perfect record for less than three months after publication before ceasing to be found; the owner had one hide and no finds. The NM, in this case, was just a test to see if the cache had been abandoned. I didn't want to waste my time. Still no word on the fate of the cache's owner. I don't think asking someone to drive out and just take a look at their own hide is too much to ask, so long as it isn't asked too often.

[+Glock22]

We posted a SBA 1 time but then i found out otherwise from the owner. and just made an apoligy another cacher had told us Yes the cache was gone so we had looked for an hour or so before and just a DNF frlt pretty silly. But another we found was destroyed and my son and ifixed it back up and replaced it for him then about a monthe later the whole tree gets cut down.

 

Tahoein' Bunch

[+Shop99er]

If I can't find the thing, I'll post a DNF.

 

I'll post a NM if I find it, and it's in obvious need of work, but salvageable.

 

Now, if it's toasted, say, laying in pieces, or like one we found this summer, full of water and everything inside ruined. That's a whole 'nother story.

 

For that one, I looked up the owner. He hadn't been on the site in many-many months. The cache was totally shot. The last 5 finders berfore us complained in their logs about the condition, but didn't bother to make an "official" note about it. So, I posted an SBA on it. There was really no other option.

 

The reviewer gave the owner two more months before he pulled the plug.

[+Klondike Mike]

Doesn't it just bug you when someone posts a "Needs Maintenance" log instead of a DNF log when they can't find a cache? I just saw this one pop up from my watchlist:

 

Yea it can be annoying. It seems a few of the people searching for this cache felt I should go out and check it without even bothering to read the past logs and clue in that perhaps they had the old coords.

[+Zzyzx Road]

My team and I on several occasions have found destroyed containers. One was an obvious food container with cammo tape that was marked with the owner's name - it had been vandalized and based on the location and lack of contents even, was not repairable. Another was just really damaged by sprinklers. Yet another one was shredded, probably by the lawn maintenence crew, but identifiable by the clues for the container. All of those I just logged the DNF and emailed the owner to check on them - since I am not claiming to be able to find everything very well - and all of them have either been repaired, replaced or archived accordingly. But also all of the cache owners in question are active cachers too, so they are pretty quick to check...

[+familysearch]

Does anybody know the intention of Groundspeak to introduce the NM-log.

Only to use, when there is a broken box or a full logbook?

Or should it be used, if the cacher is completely convinced, that the cache is gone, too?

Greetings from Germany,

familysearch

p.s.: I apologize my poor English

[+BlueDeuce]

I like to first simply post a note/log concerning the condition of a cache. If there is a problem I'm willing to give the owner a couple three weeks to respond.

 

After that? Unfortunately when I need to post an NM the cache owner typically hasn't logged in for a few months and a SBA is soon coming.

[+Trucker Lee]

Just thought of an interesting question--------------

 

How can someone log a NM on a cache if it is truly a DNF?

 

If they didn't find the cache, how would they know it "needs maintenance"? How would they know the seal leaks or the logbook is wet if they didn't have the cache in their hands?

 

 

Obviously, some are logging NM as retaliation for placing a cache they couldn't find. Guess it goes back to the numbers game, some just can't admit they had a bad day and won't get the smiley!

[+IV_Warrior]

Just thought of an interesting question--------------

 

How can someone log a NM on a cache if it is truly a DNF?

 

If they didn't find the cache, how would they know it "needs maintenance"? How would they know the seal leaks or the logbook is wet if they didn't have the cache in their hands?

 

 

Obviously, some are logging NM as retaliation for placing a cache they couldn't find. Guess it goes back to the numbers game, some just can't admit they had a bad day and won't get the smiley!

 

What about the caches with stings of DNF's, and the few finders saying the coords are off, but still the owner hasn't went back to check on the cache? For the sake of arguement, the hider has hidden other caches since and has time to find caches. Doesn't that sound like a cache that "needs maintenance"?

[Clan Riffster]

Doesn't that sound like a cache that "needs maintenance"?

Nope. The coords might need maintenance, but in this scenario, there's no indication that the cache needs maintenance.

[+robert]

Just thought of an interesting question--------------

 

How can someone log a NM on a cache if it is truly a DNF?

 

If they didn't find the cache, how would they know it "needs maintenance"? How would they know the seal leaks or the logbook is wet if they didn't have the cache in their hands?

 

Obviously, some are logging NM as retaliation for placing a cache they couldn't find. Guess it goes back to the numbers game, some just can't admit they had a bad day and won't get the smiley!

 

What about the caches with stings of DNF's, and the few finders saying the coords are off, but still the owner hasn't went back to check on the cache? For the sake of arguement, the hider has hidden other caches since and has time to find caches. Doesn't that sound like a cache that "needs maintenance"?

 

No. Sounds like a cache that "needs archiving".

 

Seriously though, if the coords are off and people aren't finding it at the new coords, then sure, SBA. If people are finding them at the new coords, needs maintenance. Though sometimes an SBA log gets quicker attention than a needs maintenance (particularly when the needs maintenance logs are ignored).

Edited September 3, 2006 by robert

[Clan Riffster]

No. Sounds like a cache that "needs archiving".

Actually, I was thinking it needed neither maintenance or archiving, if the only issue is the coords are off, but then I don't carry the "Let's call the geopolice" gene.

"Needs Maintenance" is a pretty simple statement. It means the cache needs maintenance. Wet/full logbook, broken container, soggy swag, etc.

"Should Be Archived" is a bit more complicated, but typically means there's a drastic issue with the cache that needs to be addressed ASAP.

Coords being off by 20' hardly qualifies for either one.

Hunt the cache, find the cache, post your coords in your "Found It" log. Calling the cops is a bit of an over reaction.

[+robert]

Well at least you ignored the entire second part of my post, and not just part of it.