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"Discovered" Travel bugs


Outspoken1

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Discovered Travel Bugs (sorry for typo)

 

Dear Fellow Cachers:

 

I went to a geochaching chat event on Sunday. There were close to 90 activated, collected, found, older (however you want to phrase it) travel bugs that were being raffled off (no charge for raffle--just a way to exchange TBs) to the attendees. I won one and will move it as won as the weather clears. The question is in regards to the offer made to give everyone there a list of all the TBs so they can log them as "discovered." I don't understand why one would do this? Does this increase your found cache numbers (I hope not-this is not really a found cache)? I also feel the log is confusing to the TB owner. Logging that you basically "saw" a TB is not the same as having it in your actual possession and moving it along. Or am I totally missing the point (would not be the first time)?

 

Thanks so much for your clarification and explanations. I really think TBs are great (I enjoy looking at the TBs history when I find one) but I am very confused at this logging convention.

 

Take care,

Outspoken1

Edited by Outspoken1
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Typically people just Discover geocoins, that's what the Discover option was provided for. Some people however do Discover TBs and it does increase their TB stat count (not cache).

 

Everyone can choose to Discover bugs or not. I choose not. Travel bugs are meant to move and I won't log one unless I move it.

 

Now people are going to tell you that Discovering bugs let's the owner know the bug is still alive and in the cache but considering your scenario is at an event it's a lame excuse to log a bug they didn't move.

Edited by BlueDeuce
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The question is in regards to the offer made to give everyone there a list of all the TBs so they can log them as "discovered." I don't understand why one would do this? Does this increase your found cache numbers (I hope not-this is not really a found cache)? I also feel the log is confusing to the TB owner. Logging that you basically "saw" a TB is not the same as having it in your actual possession and moving it along. Or am I totally missing the point (would not be the first time)?

 

The discovered option was meant more for geocoins, so people could accumulate all the neat coin icons in their profile if they were shown a coin at an event, or elsewhere. Discovering a TB misses the point in my opinion. The things are meant to travel, not be admired.

 

What I find really strange is the practice of passing around lists of TB and coin numbers so people can discover them. They don't even see the coin or TB, just a number on a piece of paper. What exactly are they "discovering"? It's like logging a bloomin' grocery list :laughing: .

 

Anyway, I'm as confused as you are by the practice and I'm not exactly a newbie. You may be missing the point and apparently so am I. I personaly think it's plain silly.

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I'm glad you posted this, as I hadn't really thought about it in depth. Being new also, it's good to have an idea of the proper etiquette. I personally like to collect the icons. It's not about the numbers, they are just cool. And it's true, most travel bugs are just in a lump on your profile page. I have discovered bugs and coins but think now I will switch to coin only discovery. I hope today to hit a cache to discover a coin (I figured since I have already logged the cache I'd leave it for someone else.), it's a POW/MIA coin, and just would like to see it.

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The discovered option was meant more for geocoins, so people could accumulate all the neat coin icons in their profile if they were shown a coin at an event, or elsewhere. Discovering a TB misses the point in my opinion. The things are meant to travel, not be admired.

 

I was under the impression the coins were meant to move as well. Aren't they basically just another type of TB?

 

That being said I DO see what you mean, having been to a few events where people bring their geocoin collections and let people write down the numbers to dicsover them. Personally I don't get it, I'd much rather find them "in the wild" and move them along, but everybody plays the game their own way and that's part of how they wish to enjoy it, so be it.

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I have my own personal rules for the Discovered Log:

 

-- I will only discover a TB if I find it in a cache and for one reason or another I am not moving it along. I am one of those people who think of it as a courtesy to the bug's owner and also as a method for helping to track when a bug went missing from a cache. Discovering a bug at an event doesn't make sense to me.

 

-- I will only discover a Geocoin if I see the actual coin, either at an event or in a cache. I've never been to an event where a big list of trackables was passed around but discovering a trackable I never saw makes no sense to me.

 

As I say, those are my personal rules and they have evolved over time. I used to discover every TB I saw at events but I changed my opinion over time and I reserve the right to change it again in the future. :laughing:

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The question is in regards to the offer made to give everyone there a list of all the TBs so they can log them as "discovered." I don't understand why one would do this? Does this increase your found cache numbers (I hope not-this is not really a found cache)? I also feel the log is confusing to the TB owner. Logging that you basically "saw" a TB is not the same as having it in your actual possession and moving it along. Or am I totally missing the point (would not be the first time)?

 

Take care,

Outspoken1

 

I don't care for the lists. Seems like you should at least touch the TB to discover it. There is a local cacher who deletes any logs for his TBs that were made at events other than the one who dropped it and the one who took it after the event. I only have a couple of TBs out there and have been thinking of implementing that policy.

 

There is also a local cacher who grabs/discovers every TB they possibly can. At events they stand at the TB table writing down the number of any TB dropped on the table. Not my thing.

 

Loch Cache

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There are reasons I'd log a "discovery" on a TB. I cache frequently with a buddy and lots of times we'll find an interesting bug and snag it. Once we get it home, we look it up and find out what It's mission is. One or the other of us may be making some kind of drive for some event or the other and be in a better position to move it along on its journey. So if my buddy ends up taking it, I might log it as "discovered" especially if I was the one who pulled it out of the cache we found it in. A list from an event... why would anyone want to log something they didn't have some kind of connection with?

 

Driver Carries Cache

(madmike)

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I held the annual christmas event last year.

 

I usually make a list of all the tb's and coins, along with what the approx look like to aid me recognising them, plus their tracking number, who is bringing it and who is taking it. This helps me keep track of all trackables and to make sure they all get logged out of the event.

 

At this event I think we got up to around 70 or 80 bugs and coins, a couple of the attendees wanted a copy of the master list to discover the lot, had to tell them I did not think that was the right thing to do which I don't think impressed them too much.

 

Hell, if I was going to let people do that, I would have done it myself.

 

PSSSST, wanna buy a list of trackable numbers? He He

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The question is in regards to the offer made to give everyone there a list of all the TBs so they can log them as "discovered." I don't understand why one would do this? Does this increase your found cache numbers (I hope not-this is not really a found cache)? I also feel the log is confusing to the TB owner. Logging that you basically "saw" a TB is not the same as having it in your actual possession and moving it along. Or am I totally missing the point (would not be the first time)?

 

Take care,

Outspoken1

 

I don't care for the lists. Seems like you should at least touch the TB to discover it. There is a local cacher who deletes any logs for his TBs that were made at events other than the one who dropped it and the one who took it after the event. I only have a couple of TBs out there and have been thinking of implementing that policy.

 

There is also a local cacher who grabs/discovers every TB they possibly can. At events they stand at the TB table writing down the number of any TB dropped on the table. Not my thing.

 

Loch Cache

 

 

Though we have never attended an event as yet but hate the thought of people who log everything at an event just to make their stats look good!

 

Though we are relatively new to caching, we could have easily increased our stats if we had done the same!

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...

What I find really strange is the practice of passing around lists of TB and coin numbers so people can discover them. They don't even see the coin or TB, just a number on a piece of paper. What exactly are they "discovering"? It's like logging a bloomin' grocery list :D .

 

Anyway, I'm as confused as you are by the practice and I'm not exactly a newbie. You may be missing the point and apparently so am I. I personaly think it's plain silly.

OH OH!! I haven't logged a grocery list yet, what are the numbers? :D Where can I get one? Whats the icon look like??! :D:D:D

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G'day

 

I am with briansnat on this one. Also there is and was before the discover log a "write note" log. If one needs to update the owner they can easily use the "write note" log type IMO.

 

The discover log appears to be in most cases just a means of getting an icon and/or increasing one's count . Can't see the intergrity in that myself.

 

That said I have discovered one coin which was part of GCA moving cache and it was meant to be discovered. But that is a rare example I suspect.

 

Regards

Andrew

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When looking at the Trackables Homepage, the system knows whether something is a coin or TB. Why not change the log options to remove Discover from the TB list? As mentioned above, 'Write Note' covers the owner update issue, and if its a case like Driver Carries Cache states, then he could Retrieve It, then the friend can Grab It.

No need for Discovering TBs as far as i'm concerned

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When I find a TB or geocoin in a cache or at an event, if I can move it in a way that will help it reach its mission, I take it and move it. If I cannot help it with its mission, or if someone else wants to move it, I generally 'discover' it. I saw the TB/coin, and would have moved it if it would have helped it, so why not log it?

 

I only log TBs and coins I have physically seen. If someone has a binder with dozens of coins, I look through the binder, enjoy looking at the collection, then 'discover' the coins. If there's a list, it saves me the effort of writing down every number. I don't log lists of coins/TBs I haven't actually seen.

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What does that mean? It comes down to personal choices. If you want your choices respected then respect the others choices.

 

Isn't that contridactory? Let me explain my point. I don't want discover logs on my coins for example but you do want to discover my coin and do so. How do you respect my wishes whilst I respect yours?

 

Now if you respected my wishes and did not do the discover log on my coins but did discover others whose owners did not mind, that I could respect and actually I do. You see I respect others choices and other owners' perspective on THIER coins, I just prefer to not have discover logs on MY coins and bugs.

 

Interesting :D

 

Regards

Andrew

Edited by Aushiker
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There are many travel bugs that are attached to automobiles, motorcycles, airplane propellers, cinder blocks, and even babies. For obvious reasons you will not be taking them with you to the next cache! This is exactly the reason for "Discovered It" when it comes to Travel Bugs.

 

Geocoins are getting more and more expensive. If a cacher is willing to look at and enjoy my geocoin collection, it is a nice gesture to let them "Discover" the activated coins.

 

Some coins are attached to the cache container so they can not move but again are available for the cacher to see. "Discovered It " also works for this situation.

 

Otherwise ...... I like to move TBs and geocoins so every one can enjoy them.

 

:D ImpalaBob

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I don't want discover logs on my coins for example but you do want to discover my coin and do so. How do you respect my wishes whilst I respect yours?

If you don't want anyone discovering your coins, then don't release them into caches, and don't give out the numbers. If someone manages to find or figure out the numbers, just delete the log.

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The question is in regards to the offer made to give everyone there a list of all the TBs so they can log them as "discovered." I don't understand why one would do this? Does this increase your found cache numbers (I hope not-this is not really a found cache)?

The point of "discovering?" Many people want to fill their trackables page with numbers and icons, and discovering is an effortless way of doing that. To be sure there a few special situations where discovering can be used to properly manage a trackable item but for the vast majority it's about the numbers.

 

Trackables are a branch of the game that has grown and diverged to the point that it has little to do with geocaching. They have nothing to do with navigation or the GPS and often don't even involve caches. Some of them, especially the custom coins, are fun if you can get your hands on one. The problem is that in the numbers frenzy people do strange things such as the aforementioned event list. Indeed, a primary activity of events these days is to log as many trackables in one night as it used to take a year to find and move.

 

It is especially hard to know what to do with trackables these days, as they have morphed into a confusing item that can be a collectable, signature item, travel bug, promotion or some combination. Consequently, people generally ignore an item's goal (assuming it has one) and treat it as swag, sometimes not even logging it. To avoid losing their trackable item, some owners never let them out of sight but will bring them to events for people to discover. Other owners are frustrated when their traveling trackables get swallowed up at events and generate scores of "discovered" logs or disappear into someone's collection. What a strange game it's become.

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Thanks so much for your clarification and explanations. I really think TBs are great (I enjoy looking at the TBs history when I find one) but I am very confused at this logging convention.

 

Take care,

Outspoken1

 

WARNING - Personal Opinion follows - WARNING

 

When you go to a cache and find it missing, most cachers walk away and report a DNF. Some log a 'Saw the velco, thanks for the cache'

 

This is one of the far out differences on how the game is played. As for TB's? Well that in and of itself can cause some serious discourse because someone is going to tell you that you did it wrong, no matter what you did.

 

"That bug wanted to go east, you took it north!"

"That TB wanted pictures and you moved it without taking a picture!"

"That TB only wants to go to snow country, but you moved it during the summer!"

 

blah blah

 

When you do what you can it is between you and the TB owner. While I love TB's and Geocaching, I have found that even I sometime get a tad confused on the proper TB procedures. When a TB says it wants to go to Sante Fe, I will not take it from Lordsburge to New York. Though this is just me

 

If the TB has no tag or sheet describing the goal, I will either discover it and report it is doing well or I will grab it and pray that it has a goal along the lines of my route or plans.

 

Most TB owners are very nice to work with if you want to do something special. Example would be a TB we picked up with a goal of going to the East Coast, but I was going on a plane to Hawaii in a few days. I emailed the owner and asked if they would mind the TB going with us and received some very nice emails... It went on a trip to Hawaii then came back and continued the journey.

 

Some TBs you simply cannot get and move such as the VW hood that is out there. What do you do with a Car someone put a TB tag on? A steamroller? You really plan to pick these up and move them to another container?

 

It's Alive!!! loves to be DISCOVERED because my kids would be heart broken if someone actually took it from them. So ..

 

Discover a TB? Not a bad idea as I often see cachers go to a cache that has our TB and no mention is made. After 3 or 4 weeks we believe the TB was stolen or lost only to see a log a week later... Yet if people wrote more discovered logs, we would know it was still in the cache and doing well.

 

Personal opinion warning over----

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I personally do not understand why there is a "Discovered it" option for travel bugs. This appears to be very confusing, especially to new geocachers. Many geocachers pick up a travel bug and log it using the "Discovered it" option, without realizing that this option does not put the travel bug in their inventory.

 

When I first saw the "Discovered it" option, I didn't know what it meant, so I logged one of the travel bugs that I found using this option. I didn't know how this option worked until I realized that the travel bug I had "discovered" was not in my inventory. I then had to re-log the travel bug using the correct procedure.

 

I would like to see the "Discovered it" logging option eliminated. One should only earn credit for a travel bug find if they remove a travel bug from a cache and move it to another cache. Travel bug logging should be made simpler, not more complicated. Too many travel bugs become lost because the logging process appears to be confusing to many inexperienced geocachers.

 

:lol: Ken Akerman (a.k.a. Highpointer) :rolleyes:

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I don't want discover logs on my coins for example but you do want to discover my coin and do so. How do you respect my wishes whilst I respect yours?

If you don't want anyone discovering your coins, then don't release them into caches, and don't give out the numbers.

 

G'day

 

You are saying that because I don't want coins "discovered" I should not release them? So that the fact that I want my coins to MOVE you know as a TRACKABLE I shoudn't because I don't like discover logs.

 

Sorry but can't see the logic in that argument ... Seems to defeat the whole purpose of having trackables and it also says alot about respect :rolleyes:

 

Regards

Andrew

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First time I ran into anything like this was when I took a bug from a cache and someone e-mailed me that they "grabbed" it from me, and I had to grab it back. This was before "Discovered" was an option. Never dawned on me to do such a thing. LOL!

 

I have discovered bugs myself since that has become available. But if the discovered bugs were to disappear from our counts one day, it wouldn't bother me. I still prefer to actually find and move bugs.

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I personally do not understand why there is a "Discovered it" option for travel bugs. This appears to be very confusing, especially to new geocachers. Many geocachers pick up a travel bug and log it using the "Discovered it" option, without realizing that this option does not put the travel bug in their inventory.

 

Amen to the confusion factor. If I find a trackable item in a cache, did I not discover it? They should have called it "Seen it" or "Admired it" instead.

 

A few simple changes to the logging page for trackables might lessen the confusion greatly:

  • Replace "Discovered it" with "Seen it" or "Admired it"
  • Instead of "Retrieve from <cache name>", have the entry say "Retrieve from cache: <cache name>"
  • Instead of just "Travel Bug Tracking #", add in parenthesis "from the dog tag"

 

Bill

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A Discover log on one of my Travel bugs. (Names removed)

 

(cacher) discovered (Travel Bug Dog Tag) at 3/21/2007

 

Log Date: 3/21/2007

.

 

 

Which is interesting as the log on the bug page shows: ..

 

Maybe they edited to add the extra . so I'd be certain the bug is still in the cache. :D

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A Discover log on one of my Travel bugs. (Names removed)

 

(cacher) discovered (Travel Bug Dog Tag) at 3/21/2007

 

Log Date: 3/21/2007

.

 

 

Which is interesting as the log on the bug page shows: ..

 

Maybe they edited to add the extra . so I'd be certain the bug is still in the cache. :o

 

Thats the sort of I would send an email for asking when/where they seen my coin. If they don't respond, I delete the log :D. Though I don't think it removes the icon which seems to be the motivation for a lot of these cut and paste discover everything in sight people :o.

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Thats the sort of I would send an email for asking when/where they seen my coin. If they don't respond, I delete the log :o. Though I don't think it removes the icon which seems to be the motivation for a lot of these cut and paste discover everything in sight people :D.

 

It's a legit find if that's what you are referring to. And yes deleting the log would remove the stat or icon.

 

But I guess I'll let people enjoy their stat count for doing nothing and just complain about here. :o

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Thats the sort of I would send an email for asking when/where they seen my coin. If they don't respond, I delete the log :anibad:. Though I don't think it removes the icon which seems to be the motivation for a lot of these cut and paste discover everything in sight people :anitongue:.

 

It's a legit find if that's what you are referring to. And yes deleting the log would remove the stat or icon.

 

But I guess I'll let people enjoy their stat count for doing nothing and just complain about here. :D

The reason for the email would be to determine if it was legit :D

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issue, and if its a case like Driver Carries Cache states, then he could Retrieve It, then the friend can Grab It.

No need for Discovering TBs as far as i'm concerned

 

We have come across some very interesting TB's. A few are Jeeps and several dogs, both in the United States and France. They would definitely be "discovered" but ask as many times as possible, I still couldn't keep these travel bugs. They would have to be listed as "Discovered". :anitongue:

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I usually make a list of all the tb's and coins, along with what the approx look like to aid me recognizing them, plus their tracking number, who is bringing it and who is taking it.

 

At this event I think we got up to around 70 or 80 bugs and coins, a couple of the attendees wanted a copy of the master list to discover the lot, had to tell them I did not think that was the right thing to do which I don't think impressed them too much.

 

 

I applaud your action. The main reason I don't like discovering TB's is that it has made them very difficult to move. Because anyone can just discover a TB and get credit for it, it seems they just sit in caches forever. At the last event I attended, we could not get anyone to take our TB's to move on. A few folks wanted to write down the numbers, though. That being said, when the discovered option first came out, I used it on a few that other cachers had in their possession and were moving on themselves. Then when I saw a TB in a cache and realized I could log it without taking it, I saw the implications. The discovered option is hurting the TB fun!

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