Can a cache be deleted?

[+H2OBob]

My daughter came to visit for a couple weeks, and of course, we did some caching. While out one day, she told me that one of the caches that we found together back on September 16, 2006 was missing. It took her a while to explain that it wasn't archived or disabled, It had completely disappeared. When we got home, I searched for it in 'my finds' and also did a pocket query and searched for the cache name (casemt site 2). Nothing! It's as if the cache never existed!

 

The next day, we went out again, and I wanted my daughter to help me find a micro near a coffee shoppe, that I'd searched for several times, without success. I looked in the GPSr and the PDA, without finding it. Sure enough, the "Java Cache" was gone too!

 

I emailed the owner, casemt, without getting a response. What gives? Is it possible for an owner to 'delete' a cache? Evidently, everyone who found these two caches lost their smileys

 

Can anyone explain this?

[+whistler & co.]

I always believed that once someone wrote a log of any kind (other than a log by the reviewer or owner), the cache would be "there" for ever. I do know that if a cache owner deletes a log you have written, you will receive email notification of it. Physical caches do disappear by accident or by design, but the cyber record should be permanent. Are you keeping track of your find count in any way besides through your profile online? Is your total number of finds wrong?

 

Some possibilities come to mind:

1. The name of the cache has been changed. This has happened to caches we have found. You may have found "Java Cache" but the cache may have been renamed "Coffee Cache" now, even though the coordinates and container remained the same.

 

2. The cache may have been adopted by someone. One day I was looking over our past finds and saw a cache listed that I didn't recognize at all. It turns out that the cache was adopted by someone, and renamed. Carefully check your list of finds to see if there is something there that looks unfamiliar.

 

3. If you are trying to do a search to find the cache, you may not be entering the name exactly as it is typed and spelled. A search for "Java Cache" will not provide you with the cache listing if the cache is really "Java - Cache".

 

If all else fails, email someone with a high find count who lives in the area where the caches are located and explain the situation. Maybe another cacher can help. Good luck!

[+Mommy2Tyler]

Thanks for the reply, whistler & co. I'm H2OBob's daughter.

I have checked and re-checked my list of finds and it is definitely not listed there... as the original name (CASEMT SITE 2) or any other. I have not been keeping track of my find count other than through my profile. The number isn't a big deal to me... but this particular cache was my first and only FTF, so it was kind of special to me. I had listed it as my first FTF in my profile, and was making a "milestones" bookmark list the other day... that's how I came to find it was gone.

 

Dad has an email into the cache owner, but hasn't gotten a reply yet. Hopefully he lets us know what's up.

Edited June 20, 2007 by Mommy2Tyler

[+byonke]

Thanks for the reply, whistler & co. I'm H2OBob's daughter.

I have checked and re-checked my list of finds and it is definitely not listed there... as the original name (CASEMT SITE 2) or any other. I have not been keeping track of my find count other than through my profile. The number isn't a big deal to me... but this particular cache was my first and only FTF, so it was kind of special to me. I had listed it as my first FTF in my profile, and was making a "milestones" bookmark list the other day... that's how I came to find it was gone.

 

Dad has an email into the cache owner, but hasn't gotten a reply yet. Hopefully he lets us know what's up.

How about this one?

 

Brian

[+Knight2000]

Use the geocaching.com maps and they will list archived caches also.

 

Do you keep a record of your caches offline? The GC# would not change, but it is possible that the name may be changed.

[+ODragon]

My daughter came to visit for a couple weeks, and of course, we did some caching. While out one day, she told me that one of the caches that we found together back on September 16, 2006 was missing. It took her a while to explain that it wasn't archived or disabled, It had completely disappeared. When we got home, I searched for it in 'my finds' and also did a pocket query and searched for the cache name (casemt site 2). Nothing! It's as if the cache never existed!

 

Casemt site 2 cache was never published. My guess is he reused the logbook and put the wrong name in it. I've seen that happen a couple of times. No idea what it might be now.

 

The next day, we went out again, and I wanted my daughter to help me find a micro near a coffee shoppe, that I'd searched for several times, without success. I looked in the GPSr and the PDA, without finding it. Sure enough, the "Java Cache" was gone too!

 

Java Cache: should have been easy for you to find as you've logged a DNF on it. It will show up on your list of DNFs.

[+Renegade Knight]

Thanks for the reply, whistler & co. I'm H2OBob's daughter.

I have checked and re-checked my list of finds and it is definitely not listed there... as the original name (CASEMT SITE 2) or any other. I have not been keeping track of my find count other than through my profile. The number isn't a big deal to me... but this particular cache was my first and only FTF, so it was kind of special to me. I had listed it as my first FTF in my profile, and was making a "milestones" bookmark list the other day... that's how I came to find it was gone.

 

Dad has an email into the cache owner, but hasn't gotten a reply yet. Hopefully he lets us know what's up.

The only thing that should cause it to appear missing, when it's not, is that is renamed and archived. It would still be there but unless you knew the new name you would not readily find it. Simplest way at that point would be to use the Geocachign.com maps and find the cache in the right spot (including archived caches).

 

It would take a site admin to remove the cache from existance. That seldom if ever happens.

[Guyute1210]

CASEMT used to start his caches with CASEMT site #1: <cache name>. At some point, he removed the "prefixes". If you look at when his caches were published, assuming all of his first few caches were published, it should be the second one he placed. You can send me a PM (or post on the ORC board), with where it was located, and i'll see what I can do.

Edited June 20, 2007 by Guyute1210

[+Mommy2Tyler]

CASEMT used to start his caches with CASEMT site #1: <cache name>. At some point, he removed the "prefixes". If you look at when his caches were published, assuming all of his first few caches were published, it should be the second one he placed. You can send me a PM (or post on the ORC board), with where it was located, and i'll see what I can do.

 

Monument to Education

You were right! His second hide. And my FTF log is there... and its on my list of finds (not sure why I didn't notice it before). Thanks!

[+H2OBob]

Thanks to all that replied. You've solved the mystery!

whistler & co and byonke, you were right- the cache name has changed. I just never thought to look it up under the owner's cache list.

 

Monument to Education

 

 

As for The Java Cache, it was archived. Too bad, as it was a thorn in my side type of thing. Not that many places to hide the cache, so it should have been easy to find.

 

The Java Cache

 

Thanks to knight2000 for the tip on keeping a record offline. After my daughter and I went paperless, I threw out that big stack of cache pages. Now I wish I hadn't, as I had clues to multis and notes on many of them. I'll make a list of all my finds right now!

 

Thanks again to everyone!

Edited June 20, 2007 by H2OBob

[+sTeamTraen]

whistler & co and byonke, you were right- the cache name has changed. I just never thought to look it up under the owner's cache list.

 

Don't forget that the "name" of the cache is GCxxxxx. The clever name which the cache owner decides to give it, is the "nickname", and can change at any time. There are some nicknames shared by dozens of caches.

 

In theory every reference to a cache on the site should be accompanied by its true name (GCxxxxx), but it's not very hard to find several places where this isn't the case (bookmark lists, your last 30 days' logs, etc), which can easiy lead to confusion.

[+Harry Dolphin]

The only thing that should cause it to appear missing, when it's not, is that is renamed and archived. It would still be there but unless you knew the new name you would not readily find it. Simplest way at that point would be to use the Geocachign.com maps and find the cache in the right spot (including archived caches).

 

It would take a site admin to remove the cache from existance. That seldom if ever happens.

 

Not never. Extraordinarily rare, though. It's called 'delisting'. There was one that I found a couple of years ago. Someone asked about finds in that area, and I could not find my log. It was 'delisted' for not meeting current permission requirements. It was then adopted, and since archived. It now appears on all lists.

There was another that I found that violated guidelines. Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. It is 'delisted' but appears on my list of finds as "Not yet published." TPTB have preserved my sacrosanct smiley count.