Team accounts vs. single accounts

[+bevema]

In the abruptly closed thread concerning armchair logging an interesting question has popped up

(a cacher logged a found when a colleague of him has found a cache being no geocacher):

Is it legit that teams log a found, even if not all members are present at a cache?

 

I created an account for my whole family. My children are still underage, so they usually cache with me. But I also cache without them.

 

A friend has created 4 accounts: One for him, one for his wife, one for his daughter, one for the whole family. Whoever finds a cache, uses his own account. I'm not sure what the last mentioned account is good for, maybe then just this account is used for shared founds.

 

What are your opinions?

[+KJcachers]

I raised that question. my wife and I cache together on the weekends and I do some alone during the work week but they all go to the same account. For us we are considered "1" others may dispute this but oh well.

[+joranda]

A team is a team. Not everyone plays on the field at the same time but when they win, they all win.

[+sbell111]

It's your account. How you log your finds is between you and the cache owners.

[+fastforty]

My wife and/or daughter cache with me a lot, but sometimes I grab one without them along- so *I* have been present on ALL cache finds that are logged on "our" account. When 60-80 people all log on one Premium Membership & every one of them think that they personally are racing for world status against the majority of us who cache alone or as one family group I for one am not impressed- how supportive to the website that supports their hobby is that anyway? Oh well, I guess if we could figure out how to get around Garmin's map unlock security we'd all have them on our GPSr's. Personally, I think that there should be at least 2 types of accounts- one for single cachers (who might take a friend or family member along sometimes) & one for multiple use (when more then one "hunt" occurs simultaneously). I've never seen where the "world leaders" list is posted, but it too should be separated into single & group categories.

[+ArcherDragoon]

I am just a single account...me, myself and I...

 

I do cache with a group on occasion...and we call ourselves a team name...but we all have individual accounts. We do, on occasion, sign log books with the team name...but we mention that team name and members of the team in each of our individual online logs...

[+briansnat]

A team account only really makes sense if the group always or almost always caches together. Now if hubby is away on a business trip and finds a few and wife finds a few at home while hubby is away, I really don't see an issue.

 

For a family, especially one with young kids, a team account is probably the way to go, unless family members are interested in entering their own logs.

 

My wife and I have separate accounts. It made sense to us, because I often cache without her and on a few occasions, she has cached without me.

 

Now if a team is set up specifically so members can cache apart and report under the same account, just to have a high numbers count, I think that would be pretty cheesy.

[+Team Cotati]

We have a team account and believe that it is the best way to go.

With a team account, you get the best of both worlds.

When we geocache together, as is the norm, we get team credit. Also when we geocache separately we get team credit. This way we assure maximum number building for The Team. Not that numbers are important.

 

We do however, ever once in a while, win the quarterly team geocaching prize in our area.

 

Cool.

[+TeamGumbo]

I agree with the team concept in principle, but I see it being abused here far outside its intended purpose.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

With careful delineation it could work, lots of double-logging though.

 

Say that you have a couple who wants to log as a team.

Team Cacher = Their collective finds

Cacher1 = His personal finds

Cacher2 = Her personal finds

 

Cacher1 finds a cache and logs it once under his Cacher1 account and once under the TeamCacher account.

Cacher2 was not there and therefore logs it not at all, she doesn't qualify under her Cacher2 account as she wasn't there, and it's already logged under the TeamCacher account.

That will work.

 

If Cacher2 logs it under her personal account or makes a second TeamCacher log then it's bogus.

[+theosus]

With careful delineation it could work, lots of double-logging though.

 

Say that you have a couple who wants to log as a team.

Team Cacher = Their collective finds

Cacher1 = His personal finds

Cacher2 = Her personal finds

 

Cacher1 finds a cache and logs it once under his Cacher1 account and once under the TeamCacher account.

Cacher2 was not there and therefore logs it not at all, she doesn't qualify under her Cacher2 account as she wasn't there, and it's already logged under the TeamCacher account.

That will work.

 

If Cacher2 logs it under her personal account or makes a second TeamCacher log then it's bogus.

 

Wow - thats a lot of concern over something trivial. I'm the main geocacher... my wife attends sometimes (but never by herself), and sometimes my child goes too. We all use one account name.

 

Unless you are a "numbers hound" why worry about how other people are logging as teams? There used to be a team of five members near me. They would all hunt different caches, and log them together as a team. They had a couple thousand finds. But not every member did every cache.

 

Think of a team this way though - if a member ever leaves the team (gets pissed at the group, moves, etc.), he has to create a new name and start over at zero.

 

As a cache owner, Id rather not get four individual "i found it" logs... for a team of four guys that all showed up at once, with one GPS. A team log is more appropriate, as long as they always go together.

[+Peconic Bay Sailors]

Deb & I have a joint account...

Deb does most of the caching (but not all)...

So I'm along for the ride...

(I'm more of the cache placer)...

For us it works though...

Edited January 30, 2008 by Peconic Bay Sailors

[+StarBrand]

My family goes caching together sometimes but other times I am alone. We log them all under one account. My wife has never been out without me or I am sure she would get her own account.

[+Cedar Grove Seekers]

My wife and I started together, but after about 100 finds she stopped caching (although she still joins me now and then). I have personally done every cache we have logged, but at this point if she ever wanted to go on her own she would need her own account.

 

If you ever think you'll want to track your own caches, then I'd suggest creating individual accounts early on.

[+Sagefox]

We have named ourselves a team but, as far as numbers go, it is essentially a single account.

 

I have been to all of our cache finds.

 

My wife (Spark) and I have been to over 1/3rd of our posted finds together.

 

Spark has not been to any caches that I have not been to. If she does go to one on her own or with others then I will post her finds under her individual Spark 1 account.

 

We enjoy caching together and it is a solid team effort.

[nonaeroterraqueous]

My family goes caching together sometimes but other times I am alone. We log them all under one account. My wife has never been out without me or I am sure she would get her own account.

 

Same here. I originally registered with the idea that it was my own personal name (my wife showed no interest at the time). Since then, it has been a family team name. Individual accounts would be useless, because I'd be the only one to ever bother logging-in finds, anyway.

[+Annie & PB]

The way it works for us is that we cache together all the time - so it would be pointless for us to have two accounts - it would drive me barmy logging everything twice! We have decided that this is going to be our activity that we do together, and I can't really see either of us doing any caches without the other so there is no point to us having separate accounts.

 

Annie & PB