Archived Caches

[+CentralCArn]

When did archived caches stop showing up when you do a search of an area? Did this just change or am I going crazy? Seems like the only way to find them now is to look up a users profile and get to them that way.

 

They did kind of clutter up the search screen, but I do kind of miss them. What is your input?

[+robert]

When did archived caches stop showing up when you do a search of an area? Did this just change or am I going crazy?

You're going crazy.

 

[+welch]

You're going crazy

 

Actually, I would guess that you were probably used to seeing caches that were 'disabled', and they finally got archived (or maybe enabled).

 

Archived is usually permanent and can only be undone by reviewers. It usually means 'this cache is not here, do not seek it at all'.

Disable is menat to be temporary, and caches can be enabled/disabled by the owner. It means 'there is something wrong with cache, and you may not want to hunt it until the problem is fixed'. Unfortuntly sometimes caches get disabled and then the problem never gets fixed, sometimes caches sit disabled for months (or years!), eventally a reviewer may notice them (especially if someone points it out to the reviewer) and archive them.

[+Confucius' Cat]

No really, the OP is correct. But it has been quite some time ago (perhaps a year or so) that the archived caches "disappeared". They used to pop up in mileage searches, but don't anymore.

 

I kind of miss them. They had historical significance, but now can only be found by clicking on a log entry if you know someone who has logged the archived cache.

 

I do appreciate them not cluttering the basic mileage search, but would like to be able to view them by PQ perhaps.

 

If they are again made searchable, they should have their coordinates removed (made invisible?) so people don't go searching for them by mistake.

[+Moose Mob]

The ones that you have found will be in your "found it" PQ. I realize that this doesn't help for those archived caches you didn't find.

[+The Leprechauns]

I don't ever recall archived caches showing up in an ordinary zip code or other proximity search. I do recall working on various geocaching policies with land managers in the 2002-2004 timeframe where the land managers asked specifically if the listings were "deleted" from the website when the cache is removed. I then explained what "archived" meant, and how the caches stopped showing up on normal searches once they were archived. As a consequence of land manager concern about people continuing to search in spots that no longer had a cache, there are more than a few geocaching policies that say the cache owner must "delete" the cache listing from the website when the physical container is removed. I've always maintained that having archived caches show up in search results or regular pocket queries would violate these permission policies.

[Clan Riffster]

CArn, as a Premium Member, you have another option to view archived caches;

Select a cache, click the "View Map" link near the top of the page, then, under the map that loads, click the "Identify" box and the "Show Archived Caches" box. Then click on the map itself. You'll get a list of caches focused around where you clicked on the map, listing all the active caches and the archived ones. You can then click on the links for the archived caches and read them. It's best to right click each link, and open in a new window, cuz if you don't, when you backspace, the map and list will be gone.....I think.

[+briansnat]

No really, the OP is correct. But it has been quite some time ago (perhaps a year or so) that the archived caches "disappeared". They used to pop up in mileage searches, but don't anymore.

 

Never did for me. I guess the search feature worked differently in Indiana.

[+welch]

CArn, as a Premium Member, you have another option to view archived caches;

Select a cache, click the "View Map" link near the top of the page, then, under the map that loads, click the "Identify" box and the "Show Archived Caches" box. Then click on the map itself. You'll get a list of caches focused around where you clicked on the map, listing all the active caches and the archived ones. You can then click on the links for the archived caches and read them. It's best to right click each link, and open in a new window, cuz if you don't, when you backspace, the map and list will be gone.....I think.

 

Yes its true he may be able to see archived listings using the gc.com maps, the thing that confuses me is they say its changed. Those maps haven't stopped allowing you to see archived listings, so if thats how they were seeing archived caches, they should still be able to see them...

[+Confucius' Cat]

Interesting feature I had never tried b4 (GC.com maps)

 

It works. Even shows my finds where logs have been deleted.

 

It is interesting that NOTHING ever actually goes away on this site. I wonder how long it will be b4 all the memory in the world is full?

 

Seriously though,

there are more than a few geocaching policies that say the cache owner must "delete" the cache listing from the website when the physical container is removed.

GC should hide the coords on archived caches.

[+CentralCArn]

Thanks for the discussion and info, especially from Clan Riffster.

 

What stimulated the original thought was the receipt of an watchlist email from a cache that was archived due to a non-responsive owner. I had left a note saying that I had placed a temporary cache, but the reviewer archived it. Now I know how the person may have found out that the cache was actually still there.

[k_statealan]

They ought to have a google maps locater for archived caches or something. It would help in seeing if one has been placed in an area before and what the problems may have been. They're on the website so to speak. so it would be nice to be able to view them Just leave them off the mileage lists, don't allow them in PQ's. Just have a link to search for nearest archived caches to a point (home, ZIP, coord, waypoint, etc). Just for reference only.

[+edscott]

GC should hide the coords on archived caches.

 

I hope not.. I have used those coordinates several times to find a new cache nearby. Since I don't use a GPS, it is nice to have a known spot close to a cache as an attack point. If the closest identifiable spot on my map is 500 meters away, but I know the location of a former cache 100 meters away it can make things a lot easier.

[+Jackie and Bob]

There is one other way to find Archived caches. If you know the owner of the archived cache, and he/she has other finds that are still active, you can go to one of those. Click on other caches hidden by this user. It will bring up all caches that person has hidden including archived.

[+Confucius' Cat]

GC should hide the coords on archived caches.

 

I hope not.. I have used those coordinates several times to find a new cache nearby. Since I don't use a GPS, it is nice to have a known spot close to a cache as an attack point. If the closest identifiable spot on my map is 500 meters away, but I know the location of a former cache 100 meters away it can make things a lot easier.

Well, your method is not the norm, but no less valid therefore. I too, cache without portable GPSr most of the time, parking my cache-mobile as close as practical using the on-board GPS enabled computer, thence hunting the cache with compass and pacing.

 

I see your point, but my reasoning is that people should not be able to search for an archived cache, especially those that were archived for reasons of permission withdrawl (or the finding out that there never was any permission to begin with). the important point in the archiving of these caches being that the land owner/manager does not want geocachers on his land.

 

Hiding the coordinates, so that they do not display either on the page or in GSAK files, would help keep people out of properties that have been declared off-limits to cachers (for whatever reason) which formerly held (assumedly legal- or not) caches.

 

I think your method, being out of the norm, reinforces the need to hide the coords, as it illustrates that there are many who utilise means of unusual nature to find caches and some of these out-of-the-ordinary processes (not yours) can lead to unknowingly searching for archived caches.

 

Perhaps a good compromise which would still enable your methodology whilst protecting property owners who assumed that the archiving of the cache would solve their problem would be to hide the coords (similarly to what is done now for non-member viewing of cache pages) unless the person querying is logged in and has previously found the cache in question. I would still contend that the coords should NOT show up in the GSAK file.