Elitists - You know who you are...

[+pghlooking]

That picture of me confronting the visage of Phil is breathtaking. Thank Phil that he joined as that evening so that no more blood would be spilled. I believe Jim spilled his Apple-tini though.

It was an Electric Lemonade buddy. Get it right!

 

Sadly, I'm one of the geeks in TRIGO. The test that was posted earlier reveals my score to be just over 51%. I'm not ashamed of this. I didn't major in computer science so I could be picked first for dodgeball.

I love an easy target in gym class!

 

Don't allow the vocal few to influence your opinions about any group. This happens far too much nowadays. A few loud voices end up labeling an entire community. You can see this in politics, religion, and business. Don't let it happen with local GC groups.

You mean the 5 of us here aren't speaking on behalf of the over 400 other members of TRIGO? You mean TRIGO allows anyone to say anything, as long as it if PG rated? What a concept!

 

PS: I wondered why all the applicants were streaming in over the past few days. Now I know. Controversy is good advertising apparently.

Just doing my part to spread the good word of Phil, or as is more commonly known WOP.

[+pghlooking]

I want a FOP t-shirt

They are a coming after GW5. We have some plans for a whole wardrobe lineup. Currently looking for models of the fashion wares. Please take a moment and submit you best photo in something you would like to model for TRIGO and I will let you know the results. Currently the only application we have is D@nim@l modeling the latest in cacher thong wear. This is last year's fashion from the Burning Micro II.

Edited May 16, 2007 by pghlooking

[+CheshireFrog]

Does TriGo have anything to do with the TriBoro bridge in NYC? Or with sodium triphosphate, which is an industrial detergent? Can TriGo be used in laundering socks?

 

I had a Trigo once. It wasn't very fast, and it never wanted to start when it was cold.

[O-Mega]

I wonder how many "old school" cachers that believe that geocaching started on a mountain peak with a great view realize that the frst geocache was a bucket buried along side the road. The first trade item was food and the cache was on private property. The oldest active geocache is a piece of smallish tupperware along a highway interchange in Kansas.

 

I was actually surprised when I drove up to MINGO which is actually a big bucket type container. A bit of a "is this it?", but what the heck it's historic!

 

O-Mega

[+LivesWithMonkeys]

Does TriGo have anything to do with the TriBoro bridge in NYC? Or with sodium triphosphate, which is an industrial detergent? Can TriGo be used in laundering socks?

 

I had a Trigo once. It wasn't very fast, and it never wanted to start when it was cold.

I had TriGo once, but my doctor gave me some shots and it cleared right up.

[+bugabootoo]

I've been to one caching event with my family since I started geocaching, and we also felt out of place and uncomfortable. Only one or two people made any effort to say hi and be friendly.

The cachers there were well known and all seemed to know one another.

My family and I left the event after a fairly short stay, feeling that the experience was a negative one, and no one in my group wants to attend any more events.

Needless to say, being an ignorant jerk or overly critical to new comers doesn't exactly give caching a good name.

I've also read logs that criticized other logs, the fact that some people like trading items and TB's, that some people don't, the list goes on. I say, opinions are cheap, everyone has one, no one is handing down the wisdom of the ages when they speak...just shut up and cache.

[+Snoogans]

I've been to one caching event with my family since I started geocaching, and we also felt out of place and uncomfortable. Only one or two people made any effort to say hi and be friendly.

The cachers there were well known and all seemed to know one another.

My family and I left the event after a fairly short stay, feeling that the experience was a negative one, and no one in my group wants to attend any more events.

Needless to say, being an ignorant jerk or overly critical to new comers doesn't exactly give caching a good name.

I've also read logs that criticized other logs, the fact that some people like trading items and TB's, that some people don't, the list goes on. I say, opinions are cheap, everyone has one, no one is handing down the wisdom of the ages when they speak...just shut up and cache.

 

 

I don't want to say something that is going to tick a large subset of geocachers off, but try attending an event in the states. A mega event would be a good excuse to make the trip....

[CoyoteRed]

I've also read logs that criticized other logs, the fact that some people like trading items and TB's, that some people don't, the list goes on. I say, opinions are cheap, everyone has one, no one is handing down the wisdom of the ages when they speak...just shut up and cache.

I think what you're seeing is a by-product of there not being any real guidance in geocaching. There is a listing site and, pretty much, if you can get past the guidelines anything goes as far as they are concerned. Nothing is addressed about what log-types are appropriate for what situation, no firm declaration of trading kindly, putting the cache back where you found it, etc. The list goes on and on. It's anarchy and the only guidance comes from the community. Unfortunately, there are those who don't accept the community as any sort of the authority and would rather do things however they please as long as they aren't kicked off the site.

 

What I think geocaching (.com) needs desperately is an official (or recognized) "Miss Manners" sort of figure. It has to be a single source because when folks come to the forums to ask a question, I can see them walking off more confused than before because of all the differing--sometimes diametrically opposed--viewpoints. Some admonish that you should simply use common sense. Yeah, right. That's why the opinions only nearly any issue is all over the radar.

 

But this is simply wishful thinking. Even if someone did step up and was widely accepted, there would be those strong detractors that would simply reject them out of hand. Then, what is the community supposed to do? Hmmm, some of the things being complained about in this very thread, I suppose.

[+chuckwagon101]

The purpose for this post? Something happened that irritated me a few weeks back at an event and it's been gnawing at me ever since. I'm not directing this post at anybody, although it may feel that way to those involved, I'm directing this at the situation that I do not like.

 

 

Don't gettcha bowels in such of an uproar!!

 

Just get out there, hunt some caches, grab all the GUSTO and McTOYS you can find.....and

be happy!

 

Life is too short to worry about being snubbed .......or more likely, THINKING you were snubbed!

 

Enjoy life! Take a McToy and leave a Bill's Auto Key Chain!!

[+tands]

I can't let a thread get this big without posting in it.

 

That is all.

 

- T of TandS

[+briansnat]

I wonder how many "old school" cachers that believe that geocaching started on a mountain peak with a great view realize that the frst geocache was a bucket buried along side the road. The first trade item was food and the cache was on private property. The oldest active geocache is a piece of smallish tupperware along a highway interchange in Kansas.

 

I think all of us. If your point is that not all early caches were awesome geocaching experiences, I don't think anybody disputs that at all.

Edited May 17, 2007 by briansnat

[+LivesWithMonkeys]

I wonder how many "old school" cachers that believe that geocaching started on a mountain peak with a great view realize that the frst geocache was a bucket buried along side the road. The first trade item was food and the cache was on private property. The oldest active geocache is a piece of smallish tupperware along a highway interchange in Kansas.

 

I think all of us. If your point is that not all early caches were awesome geocaching experiences, I don't think anybody disputs that at all.

Well, I personally had no idea of how Geocaching started until just now. I read this article:

 

http://geocaching.gpsgames.org/history/

 

and WOW! I guess I kinda thought geocaching was a happy friendly communal thing. I probably shouldnt comment further or I will be banished.

[+bilbad]

I encourage everyone to try an event or 2. I went to one in early spring /late winter and got a chance to meet those who I consider leaders in my area that has made my Geocaching experience awesome. I thought it was great to personally thank them for thier caches that I have found instead of the standard TFTC. Several apparently check my profile now and then, as I recieve emails from them, and I feel a "real" relationship has started and new friends made. Events have a lot of things to offer. I have seen cool geocoins and travel bugs. I have gotten leads on great caches others have done and now I have enjoyed finding. I have learned many things as well.

 

I feel the OP has changed minds on this discussion and it has turned into a more positive conclusion then it had started. That's why we need discussion.. to get past misunderstandings, maybe some self evaluation on both sides to see where improvments can be made. I leave you with a quote from an old friend of mine... "Oh what a wonderful place this would be, If everyone was just like me...(my addtion - But it probably would be pretty boring)"

[+ncfinn]

I am the person who sits alone in a corner away from everybody. I never initiate conversation with a stranger. Yet I have nothing but good things to say about all the people I have met at geo events on two continents, in two states on this side of the Pond, and in four areas of my state. Even if I neglected to bring food, there were always several people offering to share theirs. I never had to sit on the ground when I forgot to bring a chair. People have always invited me to join their group in search of local caches. Do not give up on caching or going to events.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

Well, I personally had no idea of how Geocaching started until just now. I read this article:

 

http://geocaching.gpsgames.org/history/

 

and WOW! I guess I kinda thought geocaching was a happy friendly communal thing. I probably shouldnt comment further or I will be banished.

Geocaching is exactly what you make of it, no more, no less. Like the rest of life, it's all in your attitude!

 

Your geocaching experience will only reflect your psyche, no one else's.

[+LivesWithMonkeys]

Well, I personally had no idea of how Geocaching started until just now. I read this article:

 

http://geocaching.gpsgames.org/history/

 

and WOW! I guess I kinda thought geocaching was a happy friendly communal thing. I probably shouldnt comment further or I will be banished.

Geocaching is exactly what you make of it, no more, no less. Like the rest of life, it's all in your attitude!

 

Your geocaching experience will only reflect your psyche, no one else's.

Wow, I just censored myself. I was going to make some comment about what if I wanted to make geocaching some sort of profit-generating thing for me, but decided against it.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

Well, I personally had no idea of how Geocaching started until just now. I read this article:

 

http://geocaching.gpsgames.org/history/

 

and WOW! I guess I kinda thought geocaching was a happy friendly communal thing. I probably shouldnt comment further or I will be banished.

Geocaching is exactly what you make of it, no more, no less. Like the rest of life, it's all in your attitude!

 

Your geocaching experience will only reflect your psyche, no one else's.

Wow, I just censored myself. I was going to make some comment about what if I wanted to make geocaching some sort of profit-generating thing for me, but decided against it.

Go for it - Groundspeak did!

[+sbell111]

Well, I personally had no idea of how Geocaching started until just now. I read this article:

 

http://geocaching.gpsgames.org/history/

 

and WOW! I guess I kinda thought geocaching was a happy friendly communal thing. I probably shouldnt comment further or I will be banished.

Geocaching is exactly what you make of it, no more, no less. Like the rest of life, it's all in your attitude!

 

Your geocaching experience will only reflect your psyche, no one else's.

Wow, I just censored myself. I was going to make some comment about what if I wanted to make geocaching some sort of profit-generating thing for me, but decided against it.

Go for it - Groundspeak did!

A number of people (me included) make some profit related to geocaching.

[Mainexile]

... ... if you like geocaching then you have geek tendencies ...

 

Well I only scored a 9.46 on the Inner Geek Quiz, so that blows holes in your theory .

 

 

Pretty cool test. I scored a 6.1144. That fact, and because I felt compelled to include all four decimal places, may mean I should have scored slightly higher...heh heh!

But notice that I said "geek tendencies". The whole point of my post was to state that I believe everyone has a few, if minor, geek tendencies and no one is better than anyone else. Step back and take a look..it's only geocaching. Hey, it's not like you walked on the moon...you're hunting down "tupperware and ammo cans in the woods"! It seems no matter what the subject is, there are always folks who make themselves feel better by putting others down. Sometimes you just gotta shake your head and smile...

[+KerBear]

wow-rhelt told me about all the hub bub-skimmed through most of the posts. to offer my opinion, unfortunetly, trigo has a very bad reputation in the butler, pa area. I've only met Trigo's DresselDragons once at one of my events and then saw them at Cabela's event and at Moraine Corners event. At Moraine corners I made sure to say hi to them since we didn't get to talk at all at Cabela's even though they were the table in front of ours. I'm on the shy side myself-but will talk to new people. I'm guilty of hanging out with people I know. For the events that I plan-we typically go around the room and introduce ourselves-have done meet and greet games (people bingo) etc. Had a great time at the ASP Geobash-met new people there as well as my friends from New York that travel down to my events. IMO-part of events is the meeting of people (new and familiar) besides the scheduled activity whether cito, service project, or just plain fun. I think I'll make it a point to talk to at least 4 (why 4-because it's my lucky number) new people at events from now on.

 

met one of the organizers for the moraine corners (kiteboy) at moraine cito event the weekend before and felt a little bit more confortable about attending this event. a lot of work went into this! enjoy this park and have caches hidden in this park. was happy to help this park. Obie-the park ranger is very supportive of the Butler Outdoor Club, which I and kiteboy are members of. reading the posts on the trigo yahoo group - I felt both bad that they wanted the date I had for the cito and also upset no one from the group contacted me since I'm the one that plans events for butler. I hope that dif. groups can work together. I'm registered into several dif. groups for that reason. Have a good relationship with Oil Region Cachers to the north of us. Looking foward to working with ohio valley geocachers on oh/pa geowoodstock and meeting some of the names I see in their forum.

 

everyone has different reasons for caching-that's just the way it is. Some people like to see the smileys add up. Some people have to be FTF on everything that pops up. Some people like only the difficult ones. My uncle's friend that caches is wheelchair bound and due to the diversity of caches-he is able to find some- mainly the urban micros and virtuals. I'm an outdoor person so that's how I got involved with caching. love the caches that are in the woods and not too dif. for me to get to. also like caches that take me someplace new and interesting. I'd still be walking on the same trails if it wasn't for caching. the micros give me something to do when it's raining and I can typically get those by myself without too much danger or preperation. starting to learn some of the tech. stuff also-pretty scary!

 

as a member/co-founder of BACON (butler area cachers) I hope that Trigo which isn't too far south of us and bacon can work together and have some great events. We may not all get along and we may not all see caching the same way-but we all have caching in common. I've seen this posted on, I believe, trigo's yahoo group-It's just a game!!!

Edited May 29, 2007 by KerBear

[+GeocachingAdam]

OK, I am totally new to Geocaching, but I have to ask:

 

1) What is this "change in direction" that people keep mentioning about geocaching? What was it like before as opposed to now? Ive only hunted down a few caches, but they seem to fall into 3 categories:

 

a - Caches that lead you to a cool (generally natural) place that you would have otherwise drove by.

b - Caches designed for the working guy out on lunch break, but jonesin for some caching

c - Themed caches

 

And, of course, some combination of those categories mentioned above.

 

2

Answer to number 1: Most caches used to be type A in larger containers. Most caches now are type B in smaller no trade containers. Cache density has vastly increased as well. Reasons to place a cache have gone from type A reasons to Type B reasons.

 

I am of course generalizing the whole issue.

 

I think you missed the nail by a wide margin. The issue with many of us "elitists", "old timers" or whatever you want to call us is the morphing of geocaching from a sport where the point was to use your GPS for a little adventure and discovery, to one focused on accumulating as many smileys as possible ( to the point where it sometimes no longer even involves finding geocaches).

 

This focus on numbers is the root reason for the explosion in what we consider to be "junk caches" (which to me and many of my fellow "elitists" are caches placed for no reason other than to place a cache).

 

Now it's easy to say to each his own - let the numbers people chase their numbers and let the "elitists" go after the kinds of caches they enjoy. The problem that us "elitists" have with this is that the junk caches

are crowding out the caches we like and making it difficult to find the kinds of caches we enjoy among all the chaff. In other threads I've detailed how this change has prevented my from enjoying the sport the way I prefer to.

 

The numbers thing is the whole reason why I took nearly two years off. I would chat with my brother and tell him about the 4 or 5 caches that I got in one day... and he would rush out and get double the amount of caches just to brag that he beat me.

 

I love caching, and I don't care about the size of the cache or where it is placed. If the hider is good, it will be challenging either way....

 

I just am not in competition and refuse to be.... if some says anything about the fact that I have been caching since 2003 and still only have 80 caches... I just say who cares....

 

And in the famous words of Rodney King..."Can't we all just get along?" and in my famous words... "Get a life and stop whining... go work off the frustration by Caching!!"