Common Misconceptions That Lead to ANGST!

[+XRayPenguin]

1 minute ago, Goldenwattle said:

Are you logging those DNFs ? ?? If you are well done ?.

Sometimes I read logs, such as, "I finally found this, on my fourth attempt" (or even more), and I check, and not even one DNF.

I've logged 2 of them, wrote notes the other times... begged the CO for hints with no luck, haha

Edited July 25, 2019 by XRayPenguin

[+XRayPenguin]

I also wanted to add that I get some angst from the knowledge that I should have started geocaching years ago, but I wasn't enlightened then, and now I have the shame of being a noob... I wanna be like you guys and have all the years under my belt so I can complain about noobs like me and LPC's ?

[+Goldenwattle]

28 minutes ago, XRayPenguin said:

I also wanted to add that I get some angst from the knowledge that I should have started geocaching years ago, but I wasn't enlightened then, and now I have the shame of being a noob... I wanna be like you guys and have all the years under my belt so I can complain about noobs like me and LPC's ?

Many of us were like that once :). I joined in 2012, but even then some had been caching for many years and I would have been what you call a "noob" too. One day you won't be either.

Oh, and well done for logging those DNFs. Keep up showing you are brave enough to :).

[+colleda]

21 minutes ago, Goldenwattle said:

Are you logging those DNFs ? ?? If you are well done ?.

Sometimes I read logs, such as, "I finally found this, on my fourth attempt" (or even more), and I check, and not even one DNF.

Yep, I get that too, especially on one of my D4s. I probably would have sent them an extra hint or two after their second DNF especially if they had written an interesting log on how their search went. Often, at home on my desktop,  I'll be watching a cacher doing one of my series caches and, if they're going in order, I can spot their DNFs because they log their finds as they go an then skip one, or possibly more. Recently I saw a DNF logged, then some finds, and was able to message the cacher an extra hint on the DNF which they were able to come back to and make a find. If there's no DNF logged I'm never really sure if they didn't find it or just skipped it, or worse still, it's missing.

[+Goldenwattle]

13 minutes ago, colleda said:

Yep, I get that too, especially on one of my D4s. I probably would have sent them an extra hint or two after their second DNF especially if they had written an interesting log on how their search went. Often, at home on my desktop,  I'll be watching a cacher doing one of my series caches and, if they're going in order, I can spot their DNFs because they log their finds as they go an then skip one, or possibly more. Recently I saw a DNF logged, then some finds, and was able to message the cacher an extra hint on the DNF which they were able to come back to and make a find. If there's no DNF logged I'm never really sure if they didn't find it or just skipped it, or worse still, it's missing.

Yes, I have also messaged some people who log DNFs an extra hint. I like to do that. Although, LOL, I had one reply to the hint I sent, from one cacher who said they didn't want the hint, as they like to keep returning until they find it without hints, but I think they would be in the minority who don't want an extra hint.

 

I had one message though from a cacher saying they had searched several times and couldn't find the cache and would I be willing to give an extra hint. I checked, and no DNFs from this person, so I replied that if they had logged their DNFs I would likely have already sent them an extra hint, especially after multiple DNFs (or words to this effect), but sorry I don't send hints to people who don't log DNFs, as they should log them. I got a reply something like, "Whatever rocks your boat." Still no DNFs from that person and they never got extra help from me. I would consider it the height of presumptuous cheek to ask for a hint without logging a DNF first. I just couldn't do this. What is it with some people that they can't log DNFs? Are they that spineless and scared what others might think? I think they really are!

Edited July 25, 2019 by Goldenwattle

[+arisoft]

45 minutes ago, Goldenwattle said:

Yes, I have also messaged some people who log DNFs an extra hint. I like to do that. Although, LOL, I had one reply to the hint I sent, from one cacher who said they didn't want the hint, as they like to keep returning until they find it without hints, but I think they would be in the minority who don't want an extra hint.

 

It is always polite to ask if they want a hint before spoiling. All geocachers are not statistics collectors. Small small minority are geocachers.

 

45 minutes ago, Goldenwattle said:

What is it with some people that they can't log DNFs? Are they that spineless and scared what others might think? I think they really are!

 

The funny thing is that some of them may log DNF only after CO declares the cache missing ?

 

I am using this for my advance as a CO. No DNF means that cache is in a good shape and needs no maintenance check.

Edited July 25, 2019 by arisoft

[+Goldenwattle]

7 hours ago, arisoft said:

The funny thing is that some of them may log DNF only after CO declares the cache missing ?

Or only after someone else logs the first DNF (back to my spineless comment). I've likely given this example before. I logged a DNF on a cache that hadn't been logged for six months. I calculated based on previous logging statistics for that cache there were likely up to 20 not logged DNFs during that six months. In other words, amazingly 20 people who were either too lazy, or two scared to log a DNF. Another clue to  missing DNFs is when a cache has a number of watches on it, but not the corresponding DNFs. Within a few days after my DNF there was a second DNF! As I predicted there would be, after someone was willing to log the first DNF and was willing to accept being wrong about it missing ?!!!

It was missing the CO confirmed.

Edited July 25, 2019 by Goldenwattle

[+cerberus1]

6 hours ago, XRayPenguin said:

I also wanted to add that I get some angst from the knowledge that I should have started geocaching years ago, but I wasn't enlightened then, and now I have the shame of being a noob... I wanna be like you guys and have all the years under my belt so I can complain about noobs like me and LPC's ?

 

I don't feel the issue is "noobs"...      

Complaints usually stem from new folks who don't bother to read the basics, which they're presented entering the hobby.

We had many of our ammo cans taken from their spots and "re-hidden" in other areas , because "that's how I thought the game was played".

 - Separate from the ones who thought the "treasure" in this "world's largest treasure hunt" was the container and contents.

Trackables held with no log who/where.  Two just asked roughly the same time, "how do people track me?", and "please find my dog".

Just reading the basics of this hobby would have shown both that they aren't real-time tracking devices, they only log caches visited and people who "discover" them  in that person's online log. 

Numerous other examples, that are mostly based on people not bothering to even scan the basics.

Years ago we had an investment in this hobby (you had to buy a GPSr just to play), and wanted to learn all we could to return our investment. 

Today,  you can enter a free app and "go geocaching" with no knowledge other than there's treasure in the woods.

 

I feel lpcs are viewed by many as not interesting - "just a find",  with porta-potties and dumpsters  worse.  

Maybe it depends on how one starts, and whether this is a hobby ( I consider it a hobby) or game.

We were outdoors folks , hiking, camping, hunting and fishing long before this hobby.  

 - Parking lots aren't my idea of "the language of location"...

I don't understand what's the attraction, other than a "point" in playing a game.     That's not a complaint.     

[+hzoi]

7 hours ago, XRayPenguin said:

I also wanted to add that I get some angst from the knowledge that I should have started geocaching years ago, but I wasn't enlightened then, and now I have the shame of being a noob... I wanna be like you guys and have all the years under my belt so I can complain about noobs like me and LPC's ?

 

I'd wager that the only folks who don't have this angst are the charter members.  We started in 2007.  Wish I'd started in 2001 or so when I first heard about it and dismissed it.  If I had, this photo would be of me celebrating my find on Iraq's oldest geocache, and not in a log lamenting that I was right on top of it (I even remember seeing the pile of rocks) and didn't know it.

 

[+L0ne.R]

1 hour ago, cerberus1 said:

Years ago we had an investment in this hobby (you had to buy a GPSr just to play), and wanted to learn all we could to return our investment.

 

This. 

[+L0ne.R]

1 hour ago, cerberus1 said:

Maybe it depends on how one starts, and whether this is a hobby ( I consider it a hobby) or game.

We were outdoors folks , hiking, camping, hunting and fishing long before this hobby.  

 - Parking lots aren't my idea of "the language of location"...

I don't understand what's the attraction, other than a "point" in playing a game.     That's not a complaint.     

 

And this. 

[+Goldenwattle]

1 hour ago, cerberus1 said:

Years ago we had an investment in this hobby (you had to buy a GPSr just to play)

I found 180 caches before I bought a GPS. My car Tom Tom would get me to the area, and then I pulled out the map I had printed on (waste) paper and also looked at the ground to check for signs of where others had walked and followed that. Most confusing though for that method is when you get to GZ and previous finders have walked all over the place looking for the cache; then I didn't know what track to follow. Often I just stood back and scanned the area for likely hides. My GPS made it soooooooo much easier.

[+XRayPenguin]

 

8 hours ago, arisoft said:

 

It is always polite to ask if they want a hint before spoiling. All geocachers are not statistics collectors. Small small minority are geocachers.

 

So this is what I was talking about earlier... being taunted by people saying there are only a minority of "real" geocachers.  Makes me not want to immerse myself in the community.  

[+bflentje]

30 minutes ago, XRayPenguin said:

 

 

So this is what I was talking about earlier... being taunted by people saying there are only a minority of "real" geocachers.  Makes me not want to immerse myself in the community.  

 

The majority of the participants here in the forums move more hot air than they do finding caches. In addition, the people that like to hear themselves talk here in the forums represent a tiny fraction of geocachers in the real world. I would not come here for advice but come here for the entertainment value. So with that in mind, don't avoid the community based on people here in the forums that think their opinions are the gospel.

[+VAVAPAM]

7 hours ago, bflentje said:

 

The majority of the participants here in the forums move more hot air than they do finding caches. In addition, the people that like to hear themselves talk here in the forums represent a tiny fraction of geocachers in the real world. I would not come here for advice but come here for the entertainment value. So with that in mind, don't avoid the community based on people here in the forums that think their opinions are the gospel.

 

Wow.  That's quite disappointing.  Maybe ... I dunno, "filter what you read with your common sense while awaiting your ability to recognize which contributors give sage advice"?

Just sayin' that's more harsh than accurate, from my experience ... solely.

[+CAVinoGal]

9 hours ago, bflentje said:

The majority of the participants here in the forums move more hot air than they do finding caches. In addition, the people that like to hear themselves talk here in the forums represent a tiny fraction of geocachers in the real world. I would not come here for advice but come here for the entertainment value. So with that in mind, don't avoid the community based on people here in the forums that think their opinions are the gospel.

 

1 hour ago, VAVAPAM said:

Wow.  That's quite disappointing. 

I guess I am in a minority here on the forums then (though from my limited time here, I don't think so).  Granted, my caching has slowed this year compared to last, but that's been due to circumstances that forced geocaching to the back burner for a while.  But I still use the forums to glean useful information, bounce ideas around, and hopefully add some input that others find useful, if not entertaining.  I don't necessarily like to hear myself talk - and I definitely don't think my opinions are gospel. 

 

And, frankly, I don't get that vibe (hot air, like to hear themselves talk, think their opinion is gospel, etc) from most of the participants here either. I enjoy participating, interacting with other geocachers.  Yes, I'm new to geocaching and new to the forums (relatively speaking).  What's with reviving all these old threads??

 

 

Edited July 26, 2019 by CAVinoGal

[+The Jester]

9 hours ago, bflentje said:

 

The majority of the participants here in the forums move more hot air than they do finding caches. In addition, the people that like to hear themselves talk here in the forums represent a tiny fraction of geocachers in the real world. I would not come here for advice but come here for the entertainment value. So with that in mind, don't avoid the community based on people here in the forums that think their opinions are the gospel.

Let's see if I have this right:  You are giving advice to not get advice in the forum where you posted your advice?  So they shouldn't take that advice, and get advice here; but that means it they are getting advice here, which they shouldn't ...  pair of ducks!

[+XRayPenguin]

My whole point was to say that there is "angst" in being new to the hobby and feeling like you have to prove that you are a "real cacher" somehow... whether that be by years of membership, amount of finds, difficulty of finds, or the topic I brought up earlier about a CO taunting seekers as not being real cachers because they can't all find his 5D hide.  I was originally trying to add my 2 cents to the angst tree ?

[+hzoi]

7 hours ago, XRayPenguin said:

My whole point was to say that there is "angst" in being new to the hobby and feeling like you have to prove that you are a "real cacher" somehow... whether that be by years of membership, amount of finds, difficulty of finds, or the topic I brought up earlier about a CO taunting seekers as not being real cachers because they can't all find his 5D hide.  I was originally trying to add my 2 cents to the angst tree ?

 

My only recommendation would be to have fun with it and not worry about other cachers.  The only cachers who aren't "real cachers" are those who log finds from the comfort of their own home.  You've found over 100 caches, and perhaps more importantly, you've made the effort to give back and hide some of your own.  I've seen people with thousands of finds who have never made the effort to hide a single cache.  You've arguably contributed more to geocaching in the last three months than they have in years.

 

As for the taunting CO, well, I'd hope that was done in jest.  If not, it doesn't sound like someone who I'd want to sit next to at events.

[+L0ne.R]

9 hours ago, XRayPenguin said:

being new to the hobby and feeling like you have to prove that you are a "real cacher" somehow

9 hours ago, XRayPenguin said:

I brought up earlier about a CO taunting seekers as not being real cachers because they can't all find his 5D hide

 

Well then, after 18 years of caching, 1000s of finds, almost 7000 posts in the forums,  I'm not a "real" cacher either. I don't have even one 5D cache in my stats. I don't like needle-in-a-haystack caches. 

 

[+coachstahly]

12 hours ago, XRayPenguin said:

My whole point was to say that there is "angst" in being new to the hobby and feeling like you have to prove that you are a "real cacher" somehow... whether that be by years of membership, amount of finds, difficulty of finds, or the topic I brought up earlier about a CO taunting seekers as not being real cachers because they can't all find his 5D hide.  I was originally trying to add my 2 cents to the angst tree ?

 

EVERYBODY was a new cacher at some point in time.  You keep caching and you'll begin to realize that you belong.  It took me a couple years to realize I was already a "real" cacher, regardless of what types of finds or hides I had and that what others said or thought of me didn't really matter in the larger scheme of things.  I wish I had realize that sooner.

 

Be content with what makes you happy when you cache and don't worry about what others think, say, or do.  That doesn't mean to ignore what they have to say but realize that they're coming at it from their experiences while you are coming at it from yours.  Their "way" works for them but it won't necessarily work for you.  If it does, great; if not, then no big deal.  There is no one right way to cache.  I've changed my caching habits from a find them all attitude (first couple of years) to being more selective in what types of caches I find.  Don't be surprised if you change as well.  It's part of the game.

 

Your years in this activity don't really make you a "real" cacher.  They just make you one that has stuck around a long time!  Those charter members and early members, however, are great to talk to and have some recollections about the early days that are neat to hear.  I have a couple friends with over 125,000 finds each but that doesn't make them any more "real" cachers than my friend who caches sporadically and has less than 1000.  I met some Canadian cachers this past weekend with a crazy high D/T average, but that doesn't make them any more "real" than my friend who has an average around 1.5/1.5.  As for the CO who is taunting seekers for not being able to find a 5D cache, that's uncalled for.  A 5D cache will, by nature, have significantly MORE DNFs than it will finds and every one of those DNFs is a "real" cacher who logged their adventure the way it should be logged.

[+coachstahly]

23 hours ago, bflentje said:

 

The majority of the participants here in the forums move more hot air than they do finding caches. In addition, the people that like to hear themselves talk here in the forums represent a tiny fraction of geocachers in the real world. I would not come here for advice but come here for the entertainment value. So with that in mind, don't avoid the community based on people here in the forums that think their opinions are the gospel.

 

Ouch.  Someone wake up on the wrong side of the bed?  That's a rather negative attitude to take toward your fellow forum members here.

 

You honestly believe that good advice can't be found here?  I can cite numerous times that show where advice has been provided that is appropriate, concise, and meaningful.  It might not be in this subsection (as this one seems to draw more opinionated discussions) but it certainly can be found.

 

[+barefootjeff]

8 hours ago, L0ne.R said:

 

Well then, after 18 years of caching, 1000s of finds, almost 7000 posts in the forums,  I'm not a "real" cacher either. I don't have even one 5D cache in my stats. I don't like needle-in-a-haystack caches. 

 

 

I have four 5D finds, none of which I'd consider deserve anything like that difficulty rating. One is a traditional placed in 2002, when I guess the D/T ratings weren't as well defined, which I spotted in less than a minute after arriving at GZ, another a traditional rated 5/5 that was probably closer to a 2/3, and the other two were long (20+ stages) multis that I'd consider 3.5 or 4 D at most. I suspect many of the 5D caches out there are like those.

[+XRayPenguin]

7 hours ago, coachstahly said:

There is no one right way to cache.  I've changed my caching habits from a find them all attitude (first couple of years) to being more selective in what types of caches I find.  Don't be surprised if you change as well.  It's part of the game.

This is already true for me. I've learned how to use the filters to seek out the harder hides, multi caches, and mysteries. I wanna save the easier ones for when I need them, when things like MAtM happen, or there's a certain challenge to fulfill.  This hobby is really fun for me, and I wouldn't let anyone's negativity ruin that. I've been perusing used GPSr's and am hoping to have one soon. I do a lot of backcountry trips as is, so I'm excited to learn more about it for more than just geocaching.  Thanks for your kind words. 

[+Snoogans]

On 11/14/2013 at 12:05 PM, Snoogans said:

Hey gang,

 

Just getting around to a long awaited edit to identify another branch on the "Geocaching Tree of Angst!" It's bolded down at the bottom.

 

To summarize our "Geocaching Tree of Angst" so far:

 

We have an atmosphere rich with CO2 that is represented by one atom of "Entitlement" ( C ) and two atoms of "Expectation." (O2)

 

We have a rich medium for the growth of angst in our soil, which is represented by a common/general, "unawareness that this hobby is intrinsically linked to other people."

 

The water (H2O) that nourishes the tree is either actual or perceived (H2) negative interaction (O) between geocachers.

 

Our tree is furtilized by misconception, misinterpretation, and misunderstanding (MMM) whether actual or deliberate.

 

The roots of our tree are based in actual participation and experience in geocaching as an activity.... Hiding, finding, & moving trackables.

 

The trunk of our tree emerges over time. It is actually just individual experience that expresses itself in this way, "I know better than YOU what geocaching is supposed/intended to be all about."

 

From there our "Tree of Angst" branches out in many directions. Some branches sprout from the trunk and some branches think they are attacking the trunk from the other side, but are seemingly unaware that they are part of the same tree.

 

The named branches of our tree so far:

 

The Theory of Geocaching Evolution

 

Geocaching would be more fun for me, IF

 

Perceived Staunch Defenders of Everything Perceived Lame (P.S.D.E.P.L.)

 

Geocaching was so much better way back when

 

The Theory That It's the "OTHER GUY" Who Is Just Sucking the Fun Out of Geocaching

 

The Theory of Keeping with The Highly Subjective "Spirit of Geocaching"

 

The theory that with the ease of attaining apps for smartphone and Iphones, and a geocaching.com account "Low quality cachers" are infecting this game.

 

The theory that if Groundspeak cared more, then the subjective personal caching aesthtics would rise to meet the occasion.

 

The dreaded Forum Posting Kobayashi Maru

 

The Theory of the Lake Woebegone Geocaching Effect

 

The Theory that Geocaching History Effects the Price of Tea in China

 

 

Whoa, let's do the time warp again.

 

Another 6 years has passed since I revisited what I feel is my Geocaching Forum posting Magnum Opus. Let's see if we can identify a few more branches before I hit the snooze button on this now glacial forum again.

Honestly, I feel like a blind man who woke up from a coma. It's still the same house, but all the furniture has been rearranged, and my favorite comfy recliner has been put behind museum glass like Archie Bunker's chair from that show in the 70s. (it's in the Smithsonian) (Speaking of the Smithsonian, they contacted me to ask for one of my trackables and I turned them down, but that's a story for another thread.)

 

[Keystone]

2 hours ago, Snoogans said:

It's still the same house, but all the furniture has been rearranged, and my favorite comfy recliner has been put behind museum glass like Archie Bunker's chair from that show in the 70s.

 

I'm still the groundskeeper, if that helps. 

 

The surprise I felt when I saw you last month was one of the highlights of my GeoWoodstock.  It was great catching up with you.  In the context of this thread, it's a reminder that there's a separate tree, entirely different from the Geocaching Tree of Angst.  This tree is nourished by interpersonal relationships facilitated by geocaching, some of which now stretch back more than two decades.  Every time that geocachers reconnect, a blossom flowers on the Geocaching Tree of Goodness.

 

As for adding branches to the Geocaching Tree of Angst, I'd suggest a branch about Adventure Labs.  It has five times as many leaves as all the other branches and it seems to be growing faster than all the other branches.  Some people love sitting in the shade of this branch, while others are asking the arborist to cut off this branch, or at least to trim back 80% of its leaves.

 

I will leave it to @Snoogans to develop the branch into a Theory for addition to his tree, if he deems it worthy.

[RuideAlmeida]

3 hours ago, Snoogans said:

Speaking of the Smithsonian, they contacted me to ask for one of my trackables and I turned them down, but that's a story for another thread.

 

Please, please, please...

[+Snoogans]

18 hours ago, Keystone said:

 

I'm still the groundskeeper, if that helps. 

 

The surprise I felt when I saw you last month was one of the highlights of my GeoWoodstock.  It was great catching up with you.  In the context of this thread, it's a reminder that there's a separate tree, entirely different from the Geocaching Tree of Angst.  This tree is nourished by interpersonal relationships facilitated by geocaching, some of which now stretch back more than two decades.  Every time that geocachers reconnect, a blossom flowers on the Geocaching Tree of Goodness.

 

As for adding branches to the Geocaching Tree of Angst, I'd suggest a branch about Adventure Labs.  It has five times as many leaves as all the other branches and it seems to be growing faster than all the other branches.  Some people love sitting in the shade of this branch, while others are asking the arborist to cut off this branch, or at least to trim back 80% of its leaves.

 

I will leave it to @Snoogans to develop the branch into a Theory for addition to his tree, if he deems it worthy.

 

I don't know if it was me that said it first, but some give me credit: "If you're not having fun geocaching, you're doin' it wrong."

 

It was great to see you too. Man, it has been at least 15 years since I last saw you in Seattle. I've never seen you so happy. I didn't recognize you with the beard.

 

I've been around here 23 years on and off. I never quite succeeded in destroying geocaching as so many forum prophets predicted because I loudly advocated Counting Coup on trackables (now called discoveries) and that time I gave out 300+ large caches filled with 13,000 seed caches that poisoned the entire world with crappy film can micros hitting over 50 countries and almost all of the USA in my One Degree of Separation project which is still alive and I still have plans for round 2. I'd have destroyed geocaching already if it weren't for those meddling cachers, Things seem very tame around here compared to the olden days when you needed rhino hide if you stood out for any reason. And the mods had it worse.

 

I'll say now about Adventure Labs what I said to the creator of Munzee when we were seated together playing geocoin poker in Clear Lake, Texas in 2014. It doesn't blow my skirt up the same a Waymarking doesn't., A benchmark beats any of those by a light year. But that's just my opinion. I'm not threatened by someone getting joy from something that liken to chewing on tinfoil in my personal aesthetic. It's just hard for most people not to yuck someone else's yum. Adventure labs are durian fruit or sardines if you will as far as I'm concerned.

 

I still have angst about Groundspeak discontinuing and deleting the Challenges app. That's the most fun I've had with a Groundspeak product by farrr. My "Make Contact with Uranus" and "Legally Molest A Manatee" were becoming quite popular then *poof* GONE. But not just gone, deleted. I still feel the burn.

 

I like your idea for that other tree (Hey Siri, what is the opposite of Angst?=== Ease) The Geocaching Tree of Ease. I like that. As John Wayne said in The Green Berets, "It sings!" Let me ponder on it awhile. That was always the goal of this thread... To hold a mirror up to identify one's geocaching angst and to realize it isn't serving you well if it is preventing you from experiencing joy in your pursuit of this sport/hobby/obsession.

 

Now that Joe is gone (sniff) I'm gonna need a mod to clue me in when my warn level gets past 50%. That's if I stick around for any length of time. I've grown a little bit of a filter since good old days, but I've never suffered fools well especially when the fool is a volunteer.

 

 

[+Snoogans]

18 hours ago, RuideAlmeida said:

 

Please, please, please...

Did my response glitch? I gave the whole story.

What happened? Can you check?

[+niraD]

5 hours ago, Snoogans said:

I still have angst about Groundspeak discontinuing and deleting the Challenges app. That's the most fun I've had with a Groundspeak product by farrr. My "Make Contact with Uranus" and "Legally Molest A Manatee" were becoming quite popular then *poof* GONE. But not just gone, deleted. I still feel the burn.

When Geocaching Challenges first came out, it took a while for everyone to figure out how to use them in an interesting way. The early Challenges (both the ones created by Groundspeak and the ones created by local-to-me geocachers) were pretty lame as a whole, so I just ignored them entirely. But I heard sometime later that there were now some interesting Challenges out. I looked into it again, and sure enough, more recent Challenges (both the ones created by Groundspeak and the ones created by local-to-me geocachers) had matured, and were more interesting. So I downloaded the app, started looking into completing some of the local Challenges, and... POOF! The app was gone, the Challenges were gone, everything was gone. It was as if they had never existed.

[+The_Jumping_Pig]

6 hours ago, Snoogans said:

Did my response glitch? I gave the whole story.

What happened? Can you check?

I don't see it on this thread, at least. 

[+Snoogans]

6 hours ago, niraD said:

When Geocaching Challenges first came out, it took a while for everyone to figure out how to use them in an interesting way. The early Challenges (both the ones created by Groundspeak and the ones created by local-to-me geocachers) were pretty lame as a whole, so I just ignored them entirely. But I heard sometime later that there were now some interesting Challenges out. I looked into it again, and sure enough, more recent Challenges (both the ones created by Groundspeak and the ones created by local-to-me geocachers) had matured, and were more interesting. So I downloaded the app, started looking into completing some of the local Challenges, and... POOF! The app was gone, the Challenges were gone, everything was gone. It was as if they had never existed.

I did a web search for large scale models of the solar system and discovered they were everywhere. The challenge was to find Uranus on an outdoor scale model and touch it which turned out to be tricky  on some models. 
The best find I had was a guy who set out from the east coast of Australia to “Make Contact with Uranus” which was out in the Big Empty in the middle of nowhere all by himself on an adventure bike. A drive somewhere around 2000 miles give or take. When he arrived at the spot there was a metal pole. A very hot metal pole. Uranus was mounted at the top about 15 feet off the ground.

This guy put his bike on the center stand, stood on the seat at touched it with his trekking pole. He wasn’t happy with the first person shot, sore he set up his SLR camera on a tripod and shot it again in a feat worthy of an Olympic gymnast to start the camera timer and then get balanced enough to pose for the shot. I was really impressed. I would have considered the challenge completed if he had just touched the pole and he said he figured as much, but that wasn’t his style.

The record of his awesome adventure no longer exists in exact detail because for whatever reason it was erased without consideration for those of us who spent a lot of time and effort on designing fun and interesting challenges. Like I said. I still feel the burn from it. It definitely belongs on The tree of Angst.

[+Crow-T-Robot]

15 hours ago, Snoogans said:

I still have angst about Groundspeak discontinuing and deleting the Challenges app. That's the most fun I've had with a Groundspeak product by farrr. My "Make Contact with Uranus" and "Legally Molest A Manatee" were becoming quite popular then *poof* GONE. But not just gone, deleted. I still feel the burn.

 

I'm not sure I'd call it angst, but I was definitely disappointed to see Challenges just up and vanish. I don't think they were given a real chance to develop before Groundspeak pulled the plug. If I could have a few wishes related to geocaching, one would be spent on bringing Challenges back.

 

I know we have Adventure Labs and those can be really fun but I just liked the idea of not being beholden to geofencing or data connections or locations that someone decides is the only way to complete the Adventure. 

 

10 hours ago, niraD said:

When Geocaching Challenges first came out, it took a while for everyone to figure out how to use them in an interesting way. The early Challenges (both the ones created by Groundspeak and the ones created by local-to-me geocachers) were pretty lame as a whole, so I just ignored them entirely.

 

Yeah, I think as a whole, Challenges had a lot of potential but Groundspeak kind of just tossed the idea out before it had a chance to gain any kind of traction. I'm not sure if Challenges would have been there for the long haul, even if GS had let them marinate longer but it seemed just as the shiny novelty of the idea wore off and cachers started seeing the potential to create something more than a "find a green car" kind of Challenge, GS zapped it out of existence. 

 

 

[+NanCycle]

On 7/25/2019 at 1:49 AM, arisoft said:

 

It is always polite to ask if they want a hint before spoiling. 

 

 

Thank you for stating this.  I once posted a DNF and received an unwanted message telling exactly where the cache was. That took all the fun out of going back to try again.  

[+niraD]

18 minutes ago, NanCycle said:

On 7/25/2019 at 3:49 AM, arisoft said:

It is always polite to ask if they want a hint before spoiling. 

Thank you for stating this.  I once posted a DNF and received an unwanted message telling exactly where the cache was. That took all the fun out of going back to try again.  

Definitely. I once sent email asking a puzzle cache owner whether I was on the right track with my solution, and received a complete spoiler (puzzle and hide).

[+Goldenwattle]

4 hours ago, NanCycle said:

Thank you for stating this.  I once posted a DNF and received an unwanted message telling exactly where the cache was. That took all the fun out of going back to try again.  

Only once has anyone been upset of me being helpful. Years ago one person did send me a rude message saying I ruined it for them after I sent help, so now I ask first. Over the years since then though, every person has wanted that extra hint. They do need to have logged a DNF though before I will assist them. One person who asked for help hadn't logged a DNF though and I said if they had logged that DNF I would likely have already offered help. The reply was basically they don't log DNFs. Then my reply was then I don't help you. They have never logged that DNF. I consider people who won't log DNFs, spineless😂.

[+funkymunkyzone]

41 minutes ago, Goldenwattle said:

I consider people who won't log DNFs, spineless😂.

 

I love this. I may get a t-shirt printed with this.

 

If I set out to find a cache, and I don't manage to find it -> DNF. It's just a statement of fact: I didn't find it. I literally lol when I hear some people's crazy criteria on why they won't log a DNF after failing to find a cache.

[+barefootjeff]

4 hours ago, Goldenwattle said:

I consider people who won't log DNFs, spineless😂.

 

I've been guilty a few times of asking for help without logging a DNF, but those have been caches owned by a mate and I've sent out a PAF while standing around staring into space at GZ. Often I find the cache immediately after sending the request, so follow it up with a "never mind ". Except for FTF field logs, I do all my logging after I get home, so if I still haven't found it by then it'll likely get a DNF, unless it was a case of me being ill-prepared and planning on returning in the coming days so I'll just post a progress report WN. The same if it's a multi that I haven't finished working through.

[+Goldenwattle]

48 minutes ago, barefootjeff said:

 

I've been guilty a few times of asking for help without logging a DNF, but those have been caches owned by a mate and I've sent out a PAF while standing around staring into space at GZ. Often I find the cache immediately after sending the request, so follow it up with a "never mind ". Except for FTF field logs, I do all my logging after I get home, so if I still haven't found it by then it'll likely get a DNF, unless it was a case of me being ill-prepared and planning on returning in the coming days so I'll just post a progress report WN. The same if it's a multi that I haven't finished working through.

I understand that at GZ; that's fine. If I answered an email in time (as I don't hover🚁 like many over a phone), I would try to assist. The one I referred to who wouldn't log a DNF, when they contacted said they had been there several times and still failed to check. After several DNFs still they wouldn't log a DNF.

I have read logs such as, "We found this on our fifth attempt", but not one DNF. I likely would have logged each of those DNFs, especially if it's only marked low, such as 1.5D. Yes, especially if it's only rated lower than reality at 1 or 1.5 D. Mean streak of mine. (Rate the caches realistically )

Edited June 16 by Goldenwattle

[+Sottiwotti]

20 hours ago, niraD said:

Definitely. I once sent email asking a puzzle cache owner whether I was on the right track with my solution, and received a complete spoiler (puzzle and hide).

Got the same thing recently. Only wanted a little help, but just got the coordinates spoiled immediately. They said that the cache was pretty old and they didn't remember how the puzzle has to be solved. So now I kinda don't want to search for the cache, because half of the fun is spoiled already 

 

It's a Wherigo with a puzzle at the end, so I guess I already had my fun with the Wherigo itself

[+ecanderson]

On 6/15/2025 at 7:46 PM, funkymunkyzone said:

 

I love this. I may get a t-shirt printed with this.

 

If I set out to find a cache, and I don't manage to find it -> DNF. It's just a statement of fact: I didn't find it. I literally lol when I hear some people's crazy criteria on why they won't log a DNF after failing to find a cache.

We will occasionally write off an attempt as a DNL (did not look) rather than a DNF, even though a cache was on our itinerary for the day.  In such cases, we might consider a 'Write note' log, or post no log at all.

 

In a recent and more extreme event than usual for 'DNL', a 100' wide landslide that closed US 6 (Loveland Pass) caused us to have to pass on several that were beyond that point on the road.  We'll get back to them another day.  The recent logs suggest that they're all probably perfectly 'findable' from the other side.