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Logging a find after a DNF, what's the etiquette?


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Ok, I know there are not really any "rules" about how you log your caches, but what does everyone think about how to log a cache that you couldn't find one day, but found later? Mainly, do you go back and edit your DNF entry and change it to a Found entry even though they may be days or weeks apart? Would this even eliminate DNFs from your history which is what I am getting at? Any thoughts?

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Ok, I know there are not really any "rules" about how you log your caches, but what does everyone think about how to log a cache that you couldn't find one day, but found later? Mainly, do you go back and edit your DNF entry and change it to a Found entry even though they may be days or weeks apart? Would this even eliminate DNFs from your history which is what I am getting at? Any thoughts?
I just include the history of my DNF in my find log. :blink:
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... Mainly, do you go back and edit your DNF entry and change it to a Found entry even though they may be days or weeks apart? ...

Of course not! That day and that particular moment I didn't find the cache is quite another story than when I'm back finding it!

When and if I log a DNF is mostly a matter of how much time I spent looking for the cache, but I'm a stubborn person so I search mostly so long time so either I find it or it ends up with a DNF-log!

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Would this even eliminate DNFs from your history which is what I am getting at?

 

If you edit the DNF into a find, yes, you eliminate the DNF from your account history. If that's what you're trying to do, it will succeed.

 

Please note that editing a cache log produces no notification. The cache owner, or anyone who might be watching the cache, will NOT be notified of your find. You'll lose your history, and the cache will lose its history.

Lots of information in a DNF, I always log them and always leave them. Part of the game (and some of the risk, which is part of the fun) is that you may make an effort and fail. If you want a risk free game, try solitaire...

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I'll add to the chorus here. If I don't find a cache, I log a DNF. Often the DNF is a more interesting story than a future "Found it" log, if I return to the location and finally find the cache. <_<

 

After I have a DNF, I add the cache to a "Bookmark List" of all my unresolved DNFs. That way I'll get any subsequent logs. Sometimes the next log I get in my email is, "Easy find. TNLNSL." <_< However, other times it will be another DNF by another cacher. If someone edits a previous DNF to a Found it log, I won't get that log. :D

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It's been my experience that most people just enter a new Found It log. I don't see a single good reason to alter the cache history by removing old DNFs. Also as Isonzo Karst pointed out, the owner and anyone watching the cache won't get notification of the find

 

They will if you create a new found log with the entire history! <_< I have been doing it like this for almost 5 years. It allows me to know which DNFs I still needed to find.
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... I have been doing it like this for almost 5 years. It allows me to know which DNFs I still needed to find.

It's really sad that you have to spoil all statistics like that! <_< You who live in "the land of statistics"! Besides that a DNF-log can be helpful for others, like the cache owner, other cachers, statisticians etc.

 

If you have so many DNF-logs so you can't keep track on them, without you have to log them "your way", maybe you should alter your strategy in your search for geocaches! <_<

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... I have been doing it like this for almost 5 years. It allows me to know which DNFs I still needed to find.

It's really sad that you have to spoil all statistics like that! <_< You who live in "the land of statistics"! Besides that a DNF-log can be helpful for others, like the cache owner, other cachers, statisticians etc.

 

If you have so many DNF-logs so you can't keep track on them, without you have to log them "your way", maybe you should alter your strategy in your search for geocaches! <_<

 

Here's one solution- just create a private bookmark list of "my unresolved DNFs" or something similar. When you post a DNF log, bookmark the cache, then delete it from the list after you find it. Or, just move it to a "resolved DNFs" list so that you can keep track of how many caches you found on later attempts.

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Here's one solution- just create a private bookmark list of "my unresolved DNFs" or something similar. When you post a DNF log, bookmark the cache, then delete it from the list after you find it. Or, just move it to a "resolved DNFs" list so that you can keep track of how many caches you found on later attempts.

A brilliant solution! :o Worth working with, for those who have the need!

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I log a DNF on the day that I did not find it and then a "found it" on the day that I did. In my DNF logs I usually say why I think that I got the DNF. This may indicate that I believe that there may be a problem witht he cache or the area. It most often will indicate that I'm sure the cache is there but I couldn't find it today.

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I'll add to the chorus here. If I don't find a cache, I log a DNF. Often the DNF is a more interesting story than a future "Found it" log, if I return to the location and finally find the cache. :)

 

After I have a DNF, I add the cache to a "Bookmark List" of all my unresolved DNFs. That way I'll get any subsequent logs. Sometimes the next log I get in my email is, "Easy find. TNLNSL." :) However, other times it will be another DNF by another cacher. If someone edits a previous DNF to a Found it log, I won't get that log. :)

I like the Bookmark List idea, Miragee. Thanks!

 

BTW: We log our DNFs and leave them as DNFs (my kids hate it when I do that). If we go back and find the cache later, then we log a found it log on the day we found it.

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If I go to a cache area and make a reasonable effort, then I will log a DNF. I might have multiple DNFs on the same cache (did that on a particularly tricky cache) but each visit with effort gets a log of found or not found.

 

The only time I edit logs is to make slight changes or to add pictures.

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I like to make a new "found it" log. I'll put in the log that, even though it was an incredibly easy find this time, I must have been brain dead the first time I looked - or that the cache was so creatively hidden that, even though I looked extensively the first time, it took me this second (or third) attempt to find it. Whatever the case, I leave the original DNF and make a new log for the find. It's great to let the hider know how much you enjoyed the hunt - even if it frustrated you before. I also don't mind admitting when it was simply my own silliness that made for the original DNF.

 

I prefer to have the full range of logs on my caches and I like to let other hider's know the history of my search for their hides.

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Wow, I've been doing it wrong...opps. Oh well, I'm still new.

 

I've just been editing/updating my DNF... but changing the date so it shows up as a recent log, I'm watching the cache and got notified of it, so you do get notified if you update the log date.... Here's one I did just yesterday..

___

August 13 by geoSpartan (23 found)

Found it!!!! The third times the charm. We had a good signal today and found it quick. Thanks for the long hunt. TNLNSL

 

[July 09, 2007]

Okay, today was my second attempt... and still no luck... I've looked at the hints, pics, and even other posts. At first I thought it was my old GPS, so I just spent $400 on a new one and still I walk in circles. ARRR! I'll try one more time in a few days.

 

[June 25th 2007]

Walked around and around, the GPS couldnt make up its mind. I'll try again this summer.

___

 

.... but I never thought about the DNF stats for the cache owner. I'll start adding it as a separate log, even thou I hate frownys. Thanks for the info.

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Interesting... Coincidently as I've been reading this thread this morning, a noobie cacher who originally logged a DNF on one of my caches, just now changed his DNF log to a smiley log. Fine, that's his prerogative if he'd rather erase any evidence of his DNFs.

 

But what's most interesting is that - as this cache is truly an easy find, his was heretofore the only DNF among the near 30 smiley faces, yet... When he changed his blue frowny to a smiley - interestingly, among the cumulative "Logged Visits" icons at the top of the logs section on the cache page, the smilies incremented by 1 all right, but the 1 blue frowny remains (i.e. the smiley icons = 29, frownys = 1, yet there's only a total of 29 found it and no DNF logs.)

 

This is technical good news for the "Truth in Cache Advertising Dept." 'cuz DNFs often demonstrate the true difficulty of a cache. And thus if everybody changed their DNF logs to a smiley and the Logged Visits icons likewise dropped the number of frownies, future seekers would have no means of judging that some found the cache a bit more difficult than others.

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Keep your eye on that to see if it stays that way after a few days.

 

I agree with you. It would be nice if the icons were based on the original type of log . . . but from other posts here about the icons, I wonder if it will stay that way after the page completely updates. :P

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Worst percentage of Finds / DNF's

 

* Freddo 261 DNF in 1754 finds (14.88% )

* McPhan 59 DNF in 508 finds. (11.61% )

 

The above is from local wiki. It's a bit dated as I'm up to 78 DNF.

 

I try to log them all although sometimes I miss some when on long caching trips.

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