First Name Basis

[+cache_test_dummies]

Approximately how many geocachers do you know* (and they you) by real name, as opposed to just their geocaching name? And of these people, how many did you meet through geocaching, as opposed to knowing before or meeting them completely outside of the activity?

 

My count is 9, 6 of whom I met through geocaching. Which makes me think I need to get out and socialize more.

 

* By 'know' I mean if you bumped into them someplace, you would greet them by their real name, and they would greet you by your real name. For example, if I bumped into New England n00b, I'd say "Hello, Phil**! " and he would respond "Why, hello there, Chuck**!".

 

** Not our real names. Just used for example purposes. Please don't refer to either one of us as "Phil" or "Chuck". That would be annoying.

[+BlueDeuce]

'bout 10.

[CacheNCarryMA]

12 or so.

[+CYBret]

ummmm.....just about all of them that I do know. I'm the first to admit that I'm lousy with names, but I really hate using screen names face-to-face. It usually takes a couple events or emails and I'll do my best to remember someone's name.

 

As far as actual numbers....wow....I'll have to think about that.

[+Vinny & Sue Team]

Well, this may be partly because we have set a precedent by insisting on using our real first names (Vinny and Sue) in our geocaching handle/name, and also partly because a great many cachers contact me from across the world about our Psycho caches, but I can count at least 90 (actually, probably more like 250 if I sat down and counted...) cachers around the world whom I know by first name. About half are located within 90 miles of our home, and the other half are spread across the USA (including even the fabled no-man's lands of Texas and West Virginia) and across the world, including Germany, Norway and India.

 

P.S., I am NOT including in the above count friends of mine who I knew from outside the caching world and who have since gotten at least a bit involved in caching, and rather, I am counting only people whom I met through geocaching.

Edited September 12, 2007 by Vinny & Sue Team

[+tands]

Well heck,

 

There's knucklehead, ding-dong, and dufous, just to name a couple local heros.

 

- T of TandS

[+tands]

But that's just us and one other...

 

- T of TandS, ie T(ravis)andS(tephanie).

[+DavidMac]

Probably about 50, mostly because strangers give you weird looks if you refer to someone by their screename in public. In private, sometimes it's easier to call someone by their first name, other times their handle is easier to say. In email, most cachers I frequently converse with either use their real name, or have their real name in the "from" field of their email headers (unless the message was sent directly through gc.com).

[+Moose Mob]

Probably a few hundred. Not that I remeber thier names, but I have met them in person and I have been told what their name is.

[+carleenp]

Probably a few hundred. Not that I remember their names, but I have met them in person and I have been told what their name is.

 

Same as Lyle, Lyon, Lance, Lynn, oh heck whatever that Moose guy's name is!

[+kyk96]

prolly 15 or so. two of whom i knew before caching. the rest we either met along the trail, or i emailed them a lot and we eventually met, or met at an event. there's probably more, but my brainthinker's not working too well this morning...

 

oops - 16! one woman came up to us after church and introduced herself and said "i think we have a hobby in common..." That was cool!

Edited September 12, 2007 by kyk96

[+Allanon]

Probably between 50 and 100. Of those, I only knew a handful before caching.

 

I even know some 'real' names of cachers I've not met yet...from right here in the forums.

[+Team Crime Scene]

Around 30 here. Mostly local folks with a few "Snow birds" mixed in... DO the wife and kids count if they have their own caching handle? Make it 34.

[+wesleykey]

Approximately how many geocachers do you know

 

Approximately 12.5895474

 

[+tozainamboku]

All of the geocachers who have met me call me by my real first name because they can't pronounce my geocaching handle.

[+cache_test_dummies]

I even know some 'real' names of cachers I've not met yet...from right here in the forums.

Hey! Me too!

[+Skillet68]

Well heck,

 

There's knucklehead, ding-dong, and dufous, just to name a couple local heros.

 

- T of TandS

 

Hi, I'm dufous.

 

I would say about 15-20.

 

There is another 5 that I keep files on.

[+StarBrand]

About 12 know me by my real name well enough to say "hi". Another 150 or so I've been introduced to but wouldn't recognize them. All through Geocaching.

[+wandererrob]

Let me think... counting my girlfriend...

 

1,

2,

 

I know 2. I don't interact with my fellow cachers often it seems.

 

I've met a few others and caught their names at events, but probably couldn't remember the names if I tried. I'm bad with names like that.

[+Metaphor]

I thought all those were their real names -- they just had weird parents...

[+Harry Dolphin]

It has come as a real surprise to many geocachers that my name isn't really Harry. I can think of maybe twenty or thirty whom I call by their first name, but most of them call me Harry.

[+cache_test_dummies]

All of the geocachers who have met me call me by my real first name because they can't pronounce my geocaching handle.

That makes sense, Nyteadaireachd. I had trouble pronouncing your geocaching name at first, too.

[+Moose Mob]

Probably a few hundred. Not that I remember their names, but I have met them in person and I have been told what their name is.

 

Same as Lyle, Lyon, Lance, Lynn, oh heck whatever that Moose guy's name is!

Just because I don't remember your name, doesn't mean I don't respect you.

[Uberquandary]

Around ten or so. But one of those is my husband.

[+BlueDeuce]

All of the geocachers who have met me call me by my real first name because they can't pronounce my geocaching handle.

 

huh, I've been reading it as

 

to-zain-am-bo-ku

[+Renegade Knight]

Roughly 20 or so. I think of cachers in terms of their cache names. The real names screw me up.

[+Ambrosia]

ummmm.....just about all of them that I do know. I'm the first to admit that I'm lousy with names, but I really hate using screen names face-to-face. It usually takes a couple events or emails and I'll do my best to remember someone's name.

 

As far as actual numbers....wow....I'll have to think about that.

Same here. I'm bad with names in general, but I've tried to learn the real names. After a couple really close calls years ago with talking to people here in town (like family, or church friends or something) about a geocaching friend and hesitating for a panicked second while trying to retrieve a real name instead of a lovely one like "The Leprechauns", I've learned quickly.

 

I have no idea how many, and I was only going to post "lots", but I may think about it for a few minutes and see if I can come up with a number.

 

People learn my name fairly quickly. I used to be very quick to protect my real name here in the forums, and if someone posted it, I would ask them to edit it or get a mod to edit it for me. But so many people know it and are familiar with it and use it here, that I've given up.

[+nekom]

just a handful, no more than a dozen. went caching with 2, met some at an event, scouted an area out with one and talked on the phone to a couple

[+Jhwk]

ZERO, but then I'm terrible with names anyway.

[+Airmapper]

About 15 or so.

 

I have to see people a few times before I really know them. I hate it when some friendly cacher comes up at an event and says: "Hey Airmapper!" and I draw a blank on not only their handle but real name as well.

 

At events, I usually get called by my handle, but if it's the group of cachers I know better my real name is used. A few cachers call me "Mapper" and I don't mind that.

[+Kiwi Nomad]

Four I email/meet/txt with regularly.

Possiably another 15 I have been introduced to at an event but would not reconignse again (unless it was another event ;-) )

[+nittany dave]

Not sure, over 50 at least. Now if I could just remember which name goes with which face!

[+ThreeRushkateers]

ummmm.....just about all of them that I do know. I'm the first to admit that I'm lousy with names, but I really hate using screen names face-to-face. It usually takes a couple events or emails and I'll do my best to remember someone's name.

 

As far as actual numbers....wow....I'll have to think about that.

Same here. I'm bad with names in general, but I've tried to learn the real names. After a couple really close calls years ago with talking to people here in town (like family, or church friends or something) about a geocaching friend and hesitating for a panicked second while trying to retrieve a real name instead of a lovely one like "The Leprechauns", I've learned quickly.

 

Yeah, it makes for funny phone messages too! Once my sister-in-law was staying at my house and got a call from a mutual friend who caches. The friend asked my sister to let me know that a fellow cacher had given her some things to give to me, so we should arrange to get together sometime. The message should have been, "Toni has some baby clothes for you from GoPurdue". Instead is was "Toni has some baby clothes for you from Joe Perdue." I was VERY confused, since I don't know anyone named Joe Perdue. Then my husband figured it out. I guess you had to be there.

 

I'd say I know about 10 or so, and one is someone I converted to caching. It doesn't help that we just had a baby and changed names to the FourRushkateers. (I see I've been automatically logged in as 3Rushkateers. I'll do something about that when we make 4rkt our premium account.)

Edited September 12, 2007 by ThreeRushkateers

[+Isonzo Karst]

I'd guess 100 to 200. Same as Lyle, Lou, Lance, the moose head.

[+BlueDeuce]

'bout 10.

 

Wait a minute, answering the OP question of how many of us passing in the street would recognize each other, I would have to add probably three more people that I have never met in person but have seen their photos and they have seen mine.

 

It might take a double take, but it could happen.

 

'bout 13.

[+Ambrosia]

I tried counting, and gave up at over 100. I know there's much more, but I'm tired of trying to remember. That doesn't include people that I already knew before caching, which would add another 30 or 40 I suppose.

[bogleman]

'bout 10.

 

Wait a minute, answering the OP question of how many of us passing in the street would recognize each other, I would have to add probably three more people that I have never met in person but have seen their photos and they have seen mine.

 

It might take a double take, but it could happen.

 

'bout 13.

Met one in the wild from profile lurking, never said anything - that's just a bit too creepy even for me. The conversation was all business anyway.

 

folks who would know me by my real name every cache I've found (every on line log is signed with my real name) - actual cachers who know me my by name/face to face - 7 or so

[+BlueDeuce]

Met one in the wild from profile lurking, never said anything - that's just a bit too creepy even for me. The conversation was all business anyway.

 

That's cool, but they might recognize the checkered overalls and gianormus burger.

 

[bogleman]

Met one in the wild from profile lurking, never said anything - that's just a bit too creepy even for me. The conversation was all business anyway.

 

That's cool, but they might recognize the checkered overalls and gianormus burger.

 

I do stand out in groups a bit

[+Harry Dolphin]

Met one in the wild from profile lurking, never said anything - that's just a bit too creepy even for me. The conversation was all business anyway.

 

I'm not great at names and faces. But I guess I should change the photo on my profile page. It does make me wonder when people come up to me in the supermarket, or when I'm caching 35 miles from home, and say "It's Harry Dolphin!"

[Chumpo]

Tons.

Don and Vin here.

[+Mopar]

Like some others, I can count into the hundreds the number of cachers I've met and would recognize on the street. Most I know by name as well, including a handful in this thread like Carl, Sigh, Yellow, and Lyle.

Edited September 13, 2007 by Mopar

[+Mudfrog]

We have met hundreds since we started caching and i know the majority by their caching names. Not sure why but i am terrible with regular names and would probably only be good for remembering about a hundred of those.

[+sseegars]

Around 20 or so but I usually refer to them as their caching names or a shortened version of it. Gets to confusing using real names. Besides, G28 might not want anyone knowing his real first name is Perriwinkle. OOPS!

[+Snoogans]

I'm on a first name basis with hundreds of cachers that I have met at nearly 100 events in 6 states. (Soon to be 7 states.) Honestly, I usually forget the first name right away and think of them by their caching name.

 

My first name is Mark. Now you're all on a first name basis with me.

[+briansnat]

It's kind of embarrassing to me but there are numerous geocachers whom I've met many times and I don't know their real names. One that comes to mind is Harry Dolphin, a frequent poster here. We've met a good number of times and when I see him I call him Harry, which I know isn't his real name.

 

As far as geocachers who I know on a first name basis, of course there are CarleenP and Vinny of Vinny and Sue team but because I've never personally met them, they don't count.

 

As far as geocachers whom I've met personally and know on a first name basis I just counted 34 off the top of my head and if I were to think harder I bet I could come up with equal that amount.

[+Team GeoBlast]

Approximately how many geocachers do you know* (and they you) by real name, as opposed to just their geocaching name? And of these people, how many did you meet through geocaching, as opposed to knowing before or meeting them completely outside of the activity?

 

My count is 9, 6 of whom I met through geocaching. Which makes me think I need to get out and socialize more.

 

* By 'know' I mean if you bumped into them someplace, you would greet them by their real name, and they would greet you by your real name. For example, if I bumped into New England n00b, I'd say "Hello, Phil**! " and he would respond "Why, hello there, Chuck**!".

 

** Not our real names. Just used for example purposes. Please don't refer to either one of us as "Phil" or "Chuck". That would be annoying.

 

I'd say fifty. Well 51 since Snoogans just introduced himself and I see his face a lot around these parts.

[+simpjkee]

3, but 1 is my mom

[+mtn-man]

ummmm.....just about all of them that I do know. I'm the first to admit that I'm lousy with names, but I really hate using screen names face-to-face. It usually takes a couple events or emails and I'll do my best to remember someone's name.

 

As far as actual numbers....wow....I'll have to think about that.

Yeah, I am sort of the same way. Terrible with names but great with numbers. All day I've been trying to remember your name for example. Dangit. I'll remember at some point.

 

In the past, as I have corresponded with cachers who have "reviewer" questions, I signed my emails as "mtn-man". I began to feel that it was impersonal. In the last couple of years or so, I have been signing them with my real name instead. I can sense that cachers like to deal with me as "Greg" rather than "mtn-man". They know my nick, but my perception has been that it has been a very positive shift. When I went to British Columbia early in the summer, many knew me by my first name even though I had never met a single person there. I felt welcomed and among friends. Part of that was because we are cachers, but I know part of it was because they felt like they knew me already.

 

How many? Wow. Lots. I just wish I could remember CYBret's first name.

[+El Diablo]

I just wish I could remember CYBret's first name.

 

I think it's Bob, Bruce, or Brent. I know it starts with a "B".

 

I know a few by their first names. At least 5 anyways.

 

El Diablo