Jump to content

A newspaper put one of your caches into the news


wolfbait

Recommended Posts

When giving interviews to the press, I strongly prefer taking the reporter on a cache hunt, if they are local to me. The ones who go into the woods to find a cache usually "Get It" and write a better article.

 

I take care to only visit my own caches, or caches placed by friends from whom I have obtained advance permission, or unlisted caches set up just for the article. I would not want to feel responsible if the cache got muggled due to the attention it received in the article, and the poor owner had no notice that they'd be in the spotlight.

Link to comment

By the way, a great test for cache quality to keep in mind when hiding a cache: "Would I want to see this cache featured in an article about geocaching, and would I take a reporter to visit this cache?" If I cannot give a positive answer to that question, I don't hide the cache.

Hear hear.

 

Here's a TV news story I doubt we'll see:

 

Reporter: "This is your roving reporter, Pang-Wah Smith, accompanying a new participant to the sport of Geocaching, John Jones, whose codename in the game is 'TreasureSeeker', on his hunt for the day. He was so excited about his discovery of this neat new game that he contacted us to do a story on it."

 

TreasureSeeker: "Here's a typical hide I've found here right in town..." as they drive into the loading dock area behind a local convenience store. "You've sometimes gotta get down on hands and knees..."

 

<Camera shows Jones pushing aside discarded wrappers and food leftovers at the foot of the dumpster.>

 

TreasureSeeker: "Ah! Here it is!" as he reaches under the edge of the dumpster to produce the magnetic key holder. "Sometimes you have to press pretty hard on these log sheets when they're damp after sitting under here for a while. And you can really run up your score driving around town going after all these caches. It's exciting to see your score go up and have all the other local cachers in the area grow their respect for you."

 

Reporter, to the camera: "Well, folks, doesn't that make you want to run out and pick up a GPS and bring your kiddies out for some fun and fresh air?? Participants in this game say it really brings you out to worthwhile locations right in your own town that you wouldn't have discovered if not for the game. This cache hunt we've shown you here is a great example."

Edited by drat19
Link to comment

my point is that everyone knows that this persons username realates to the person... what would you suggest?

 

I'm not sure that there's a lot that you can do about it. Did this person alienate a lot of people? That s/he may have to live with.

One could:

1) Legally change their name.

2) Archive their caches, and start out with a new name.

3) Give up the hobby?

I would not be upset if some geocachers knew my real name. (And, it's not Harry!) Some do. And there are a number of cachers whose real name I do know.

For the most part, if one behaves in a civil manner, this should not be a problem. On the other fin, I can be a lot more free in geocaching (and other aspects of my private life). Not sure I'd want the general public to know that I run around in the wilderness (where was I today? Under a culvert on an abandoned road...) doing strange things (walking on the shoulder of a major highway looking for a 1933 benchmark) (Found it!) carrying small stuffed animals with tags (to put in a cache.) For the most part, I've done little to be ashamed of (Hey! You can't stand on a bridge. Get a move on.)

I guess that person should learn to live with it (inevitably, my coworkers are going to discover my secret identity), or move across the country an start over again.

Link to comment

I must confess I don't see the point.

 

I have always considered having my name in the newspaper (assuming it is not for nefarious reasons) to be a GOOD thing. Why do you consider it so important not to have your real name known?

 

If you are THAT private, you mustn't go to events either. To each his/her own, but if privacy is that important to you, why give the interview? Leave it to someone who is comfortable with it.

Link to comment

Was the cache listed in a positive light? Was this a "covert account"? Is this person embarrassed because of the media attention? Could it be time to archive the listing and let the user name go inactive?

 

Not everyone reads the paper, some may be on to you but many won't and the attention will be forgotten by nearly everyone is a short time.

Link to comment
I would not be upset if some geocachers knew my real name. (And, it's not Harry!) Some do. And there are a number of cachers whose real name I do know.

 

"My name is Jim and I'm a geocacher..."

 

It's not like geocaching is something to be ashamed of. Yes we all enjoy our privacy, some more than others, and I typically don't tell people my nickname when telling them about the hobby. However, if the world were to find out my true identity, it wouldn't bother me a bit.

 

I've always had the belief that if you get your name or picture in the paper, it is your turn to bring the doughnuts.

 

-Jim

Geocaching Anonymous Founder and

12 step recovery program director.

Link to comment

While hosting two different training classes for our local parks & rec dept we were interviewed by the local newspaper (pulitzer prize winning! and it still wraps fish well!!) and two television news teams (one of which still uses a 'shout-out' shot of our cachers on its weather intro segments from time to time). My real name, distinctively ugly broken-nose grey-haired mug, and geonick were shown in all three news venues. My esteemed colleagues in life (coworkers, bosses, church members, neighbors, relatives, fellow cachers) all teased me a teensy bit and life went back to normal... except, I still get questions about how to "try" geocaching, tolerant smiles when I say I've been out 'rambling' all day, and requests from the bosses to go 'geocache up' another benchmark or sign location to save us money on state contracts...

 

I wouldn't geocache if I couldn't take my wife & kids (who all cache with me - the kids with their own geonicks - shoot, even my dog has its own account!); my pastor's an enthusiastic cacher (when the poor guy gets five minutes to himself); the teens at my church think GPS scavenger hunts are cool but signing real cache logs is even cooler; my coworkers respect my ability to find what they've lost in the field; my relatives have real respect for my ability to navigate cross-country via rental car at high speed in dense suburban developments on a dark rainy night accurately, quickly, and right to the destination like a local (latest navi-run: Morristown NJ area - whew!).

 

The Lep is right on about cache placements - when the news cameras saw Serenity View cache the reporters & cameramen said that line I love to hear in the logs there - "How did you find this place? It's beautiful..." Because of good cache placement, the game got a rave review and 'hosted' a new million-dollar camera shot of our city's awesome parks that no one had ever featured on the air before (much to the pleasure of the park unit manager and the city parks boss - who're delighted at any good press for their parks!)

 

So, uh, what's the problem?

Link to comment

fine here it is...

htt0p://www.cleveland.com/search/index.ssf?...hoga&coll=2

His nick aint in there they are conncting him with his real name and he dont want that..

 

Aren't you the same person who posted this thread: Our cache is gone, Wow... this is a hilarious muggling?

 

Today my dads first cache "have a blast" was muggled. At first I thought that some muggle had just taken the container until my dad explained what all was missing. The cache was hidden in a memorial cannon on our city triangle, today the cache and even the cannon was gone.

This is no simple task considering that that cannon is made of cast iron and that the wheels were locked and broken. Good news is that we got an E-mail from a crew of men who today moved the cannon to a shop to be referbished saying that they were stunned to find a cache stuffed down the barrel. We are just glad that our first cache is still safe and intact

 

Or is it an issue now that your dad's honor is on the line? Did he not have permission to place the cache inside the canon?

Edited by Kit Fox
Link to comment

fine here it is...

htt0p://www.cleveland.com/search/index.ssf?...hoga&coll=2

His nick aint in there they are conncting him with his real name and he dont want that..

Rather unique story :P , was this already mentioned here or did I see that somewhere else? I don't really see anything wrong - nothing exposed that is not public record plus the 15 minutes of fame :) it brought. At least the local EOD folks did not have to come out and "remove" the cache.

Link to comment

thats not my point... my point is that everyone knows that this persons username realates to the person... what would you suggest?

 

um...everyone already knows my name is Katie. I don't see a problem with that.... :)

 

I have no problem with the name "Katie." I wouldn't use it for myself but for others it would be appropriate.

Link to comment
By the way, a great test for cache quality to keep in mind when hiding a cache: "Would I want to see this cache featured in an article about geocaching, and would I take a reporter to visit this cache?" If I cannot give a positive answer to that question, I don't hide the cache.
Can't they put that question in the cache submittal form?
Link to comment

fine here it is...

htt0p://www.cleveland.com/search/index.ssf?...hoga&coll=2

His nick aint in there they are conncting him with his real name and he dont want that..

I see nothing wrong with this article. I would have happily given an interview and allowed them to use my real name.

 

It might have been different if they had called the bomb squad or something... but then the real name would not be an issue either... if they were able to identify it as a cache and wanted to investigate, the real name is quite easy for the authorities to get, along with exact coordinates as to which door upon which to knock (or not) when they come to visit.

 

This sounds like it was a good outcome. I say let it go.

 

OBTW I think most journalists have a policy of only using real names unless there are VERY special circumstances. It should have been expected IMHO.

Link to comment

fine here it is...

htt0p://www.cleveland.com/search/index.ssf?...hoga&coll=2

His nick aint in there they are conncting him with his real name and he dont want that..

 

I was checking and noticed that on Nov 14th you posted:

 

Just an update.

 

People around our community have noticed the cannon missing as well. Because of so many people asking "where did the cannon go?" Our local newspaper desided to do an article on the subject. On interviewing the maitenece people who moved the cannon our cache was brought up in conversation. The story quicky became a double purpose and now they have asked my dad if they can use his cache in the article. He said yes. How many people can say that their first cache made a major newspaper? This just gets better and better.

 

_wolfbait_

 

I would say that if he didn't want his name in the paper he should have asked them to not use it in the article. However, I see nothing wrong with the article and I would be happy to have found such a good spot for the cache and happy to have brought some good attention to the sport. I also see you weren't concerned with the media attention, so what changed??

 

Edit for spelling

Edited by DSine
Link to comment

fine here it is...

htt0p://www.cleveland.com/search/index.ssf?...hoga&coll=2

His nick aint in there they are conncting him with his real name and he dont want that..

 

I was checking and noticed that on Nov 14th you posted:

 

Just an update.

 

People around our community have noticed the cannon missing as well. Because of so many people asking "where did the cannon go?" Our local newspaper desided to do an article on the subject. On interviewing the maitenece people who moved the cannon our cache was brought up in conversation. The story quicky became a double purpose and now they have asked my dad if they can use his cache in the article. He said yes. How many people can say that their first cache made a major newspaper? This just gets better and better.

 

_wolfbait_

 

I would say that if he didn't want his name in the paper he should have asked them to not use it in the article. However, I see nothing wrong with the article and I would be happy to have found such a good spot for the cache and happy to have brought some good attention to the sport. I also see you weren't concerned with the media attention, so what changed??

 

Edit for spelling

hi wolfbait if he's changed his mind or didn't realise the implications of allowing his name to be used he can adopt out the cache in question ( to a sock puppet account if necessary ) and his profile will disapear from the listing - a link to him is not maintained. Hope this helps

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...