The geocaching community experience

[+shuccrum]

I couldn't think of a good topic for this post. I just wanted to mention some really great experiences I have had with people that geocache. Meeting geocachers from Portugal while caching in Paris, France was so cool. But what was really neat was when I was caching this week-end with my grandkids. (Who are very enthusiastic by the way.) I saw these two girls, about 10 years old, watching us. One girl was on her cell phone. All kids have them these days. We had our GPSRs out actively searching. One girls said, "Are you geocaching?" I said yes and asked her how she knew about it. She said her teacher had told them about it and they were going to put out some hides. Her exact words. As we walked away I heard her on her cell phone saying, "I just met some people that were geocahing."

Edited March 19, 2008 by shuccrum

[+StarBrand]

Sometimes the people are the best aspects of this little activity of ours. I have enjoyed meeting many over the years - somehow just more satisfying when it is by chance.

[+9Key]

I used to enjoy the "community" but politics, drama, cliques, and those that are easily offended have pretty much destroyed that aspect of the game for me. The "lone wolf" classification suits me fine.

[+uxorious]

I used to enjoy the "community" but politics, drama, cliques, and those that are easily offended have pretty much destroyed that aspect of the game for me. The "lone wolf" classification suits me fine.

 

I don't know what it's like where you are, but I haven't seen any problem around here with any of the things you mentioned --- when dealing with other cachers on a face to face basis.

 

When I've gone to Meet and Greets, or other events, the people I have met feel almost like family. When I've run into others out caching it has always made my cache day more fun.

 

The only time I ever get the feelings you mention is when I come here on the forum. I find every bit of what you say is true, sometimes, here on the forum. However, even here most posters are friendly and helpful.

 

I'll bet if you met some of the worst offenders of politics, drama, cliques, and those that are easily offended, at a meet, face to face, they wouldn't be like that at all.

 

Just something about the forums that brings out the worst of some people. But I'm not easily offended, (at least I don't think I am). So I really enjoy this also.

[Adam-Eve]

I think it's nice seeing other fellow geocachers enjoying the same activity as we are.

[+9Key]

I used to enjoy the "community" but politics, drama, cliques, and those that are easily offended have pretty much destroyed that aspect of the game for me. The "lone wolf" classification suits me fine.

I'll bet if you met some of the worst offenders of politics, drama, cliques, and those that are easily offended, at a meet, face to face, they wouldn't be like that at all.

 

No, they're pretty much the same in person.

[+sbell111]

My personal interaction with geocachers is primarily through the forums. I prefer that my actual caching be spent alone.

[+TrailGators]

I couldn't think of a good topic for this post. I just wanted to mention some really great experiences I have had with people that geocache. Meeting geocachers from Portugal while caching in Paris, France was so cool. But what was really neat was when I was caching this week-end with my grandkids. (Who are very enthusiastic by the way.) I saw these two girls, about 10 years old, watching us. One girl was on her cell phone. All kids have them these days. We had our GPSRs out actively searching. One girls said, "Are you geocaching?" I said yes and asked her how she knew about it. She said her teacher had told them about it and they were going to put out some hides. Her exact words. As we walked away I heard her on her cell phone saying, "I just met some people that were geocaching."

I have met so many people in San Diego because we like to cache together. We have a local thread dedicated to meeting up and caching together. To me a huge part of caching is about meeting cool people and the camarderie. Edited March 19, 2008 by TrailGators

[+Snoogans]

I used to enjoy the "community" but politics, drama, cliques, and those that are easily offended have pretty much destroyed that aspect of the game for me. The "lone wolf" classification suits me fine.

I'll bet if you met some of the worst offenders of politics, drama, cliques, and those that are easily offended, at a meet, face to face, they wouldn't be like that at all.

 

No, they're pretty much the same in person.

 

Say it ain't so Will. I hear ya.

 

It's not so bad down here in the pit.

 

However, I used to delight in telling folks that the Geocaching community was just like a church group except everyone wasn't ummm,(self moderation here ) everyone else plus all that other stuff you mentioned. Now a days, we (the geocaching community) more or less exactly resemble a church group. :D

 

I'm with you in missing the grass roots feel of days gone bye, but that's what days do. They go bye, so you adjust or you fade. I reeeeeally miss the old days of you and me and Sam up late by the campfire and all the folks who have faded since then.

[+briansnat]

I enjoy the community aspect of the sport. The logs provide a shared experience that I think has contributed a lot to geocaching's success. The events, group hunts or just getting together with another geocacher from another part of the country (or world) for a few beers and caching talk are a big part of the sport to me.

 

I've heard about drama, conflict, cliques, animosity and other not so great situations in a few areas, but I'm willing to bet that in most areas cachers get along great, friendships are formed and the community is a tight and healthy one. I'm lucky to live in one of those areas.

[+horsegeeks]

We have the most wonderful geocaching community in the North Carolina area. We all worked so well together to make GW5 happen as well as all of our events no matter how large or small. There is always someone organizing a cache hunt. We have even gone so far as to have a "Let's Go Caching" topic on the NCGO forums. No matter where we go in the state (even into Virginia) there is always someone ready to go out with a group. I sure haven't seen any politics here just good old fashioned fellowship.

[+Snoogans]

I have met so many people in San Diego because we like to cache together. We have a local thread dedicated to meeting up and caching together. To me a huge part of caching is about meeting cool people and the camarderie.

 

We may not agree on many topics, but here is one place that we do.

 

I have attended 110 events (it will be 115 after an 800 mile roundtrip this 5 event weekend ) plus more "No Smiley, Just Smiles, Impromptu events than I can even remember anymore.

 

Geocachers are MY people. I've never met a more uniqe subset of humanity any place other than here.

[+TrailGators]

I have met so many people in San Diego because we like to cache together. We have a local thread dedicated to meeting up and caching together. To me a huge part of caching is about meeting cool people and the camarderie.

 

We may not agree on many topics, but here is one place that we do.

 

I have attended 110 events (it will be 115 after an 800 mile roundtrip this 5 event weekend ) plus more "No Smiley, Just Smiles, Impromptu events than I can even remember anymore.

 

Geocachers are MY people. I've never met a more uniqe subset of humanity any place other than here.

Glad to see that we agree. I bet we agree on a lot more than you think. A handful of topics is a very small sample size. Plus I got bored with most of those hackneyed (word of the day) topics and have moved on...

[+mousekakat]

I've only done one small event here in Sweden, but I can say that the community that exists, especially in the coin forum here where I tend to hang out the most, is just incredible.

 

Most folks are willing to give the shirt off their back to you if need be, and the caring and giving spirit and friendship found there is just one of the most incredibly positive things I've come across in a long time.

 

Yeah, there are the "troublemakers," and the people who'd be better off shutting up, but they're everywhere, not just here. Just gotta learn to ignore them...and I need to take a bit of my own advice there, sometimes it's rather hard to do!

 

Naomi

[+Toaster Rodeo]

I just met my first in person geocacher today. He walked up on me while I was hunting his cache. It was a pretty funny scenario, but basically, he seemed like a really cool kid. 'Kid' to me being 13. :-) I could have stood out there and talked to he and his dad for days, but alas, I had to leave.

 

That being said - the geocaching community is probably like many others. It's probably mostly really cool, fun people, but there's going to be some people you just don't get along with. Same goes for any large group, be it an office, a sporting team, PTA, whatever.

 

As for the forums, the internet has a strange way of making some people much 'bolder' than they would be in real life, as somebody else had mentioned earlier in the thread. Some people are 'bold' in real life. So again, in my opinion, it's like with any group, hang with the people you like and just avoid the ones you don't.

 

And most important...have fun.

Edited March 20, 2008 by Toaster Rodeo

[+hydnsek]

We have the most wonderful geocaching community in the North Carolina area. We all worked so well together to make GW5 happen as well as all of our events no matter how large or small. There is always someone organizing a cache hunt. We have even gone so far as to have a "Let's Go Caching" topic on the NCGO forums. No matter where we go in the state (even into Virginia) there is always someone ready to go out with a group. I sure haven't seen any politics here just good old fashioned fellowship.

Ditto for Seattle (Puget Sound area, actually). There are always Northwest forum threads about caching outings and other get-togethers. We have a Hike of the Month thread (HOTM), even. And we're always happy to host events and outings for visiting cachers. Sure, there are occasional dramas, but overall, we have a wonderful community in the sunny Northwest!

Edited March 20, 2008 by hydnsek

[+Metaphor]

Maryland has a great community, interconnected through the Maryland Geocaching Society. Though I haven't met all of of them in person (I'm a lone walker for the most part), I have had many interactions online, through the web, and through cache visits, both to theirs and them to mine. All cachers really have to depend on each other -- after all, we are the providers of each others' experience, and interactions tend to reflect that. People who take everything too seriously, or get too arrogant don't last long, as in any social circle.

[+Sioneva]

For the most part, I agree! Geocachers are really great people... sure, we're kinda strange, but who isn't? At least we're outside doing things, strangely, rather than lying around being strange.

 

On the other hand, I'm kinda leery about caching too far into one particular state, though, due to a bad experience with a cacher there. So I can't agree 100%. And no, I won't go into any more detail about that. I promise.

[+carleenp]

On the other hand, I'm kinda leery about caching too far into one particular state, though, due to a bad experience with a cacher there. So I can't agree 100%. And no, I won't go into any more detail about that. I promise.

 

I was just kidding when I said that I would steal your beer and Runzas if you ever came here.

[+Sioneva]

On the other hand, I'm kinda leery about caching too far into one particular state, though, due to a bad experience with a cacher there. So I can't agree 100%. And no, I won't go into any more detail about that. I promise.

 

I was just kidding when I said that I would steal your beer and Runzas if you ever came here.

 

*sniffle* Really? Do you have any idea what anguish and stress you have caused me? I cried for DAYS!

 

Guess that means I can take the Runzas out of the safety deposit box. They were starting to smell anyway. The beer, um, vanished. Mysteriously. *hiccup*

 

While I've got your attention, thanks for that COOL GEOCOIN you sent via NevaP. I love it!!!

[+Vinny & Sue Team]

I used to enjoy the "community" but politics, drama, cliques, and those that are easily offended have pretty much destroyed that aspect of the game for me. The "lone wolf" classification suits me fine.

I occasionally bump into politics, drama queens, cliques and those who are easily offended at both the national/international level (largely via the forums) and at the local/regional level (in fact, when Sue and I first started caching, a very well-respected veteran local cacher befriended me and warned me that he had discovered that the local cachers in an near our city were "very unfriendly and a bit of a nightmare", but none of those things have ever bothered me, and I have let go of each strange encounter as soon as it has happened, and thus I continue to freely use the term "geocaching community". And, I continue to have great fun at events and whenever I meet other cachers during my travels (I even met two geocachers while in Chennai, India back in 2005!)

 

BTW, 9Key, I would enjoy meeting you someday; I always enjoy your posts and your private notes! Then again, I pretty much enjoy meeting ALL geocachers, with the sole exception of 4_Wheelin_Fool, the notorious evil slimy reptoid reptilian shapeshifter from NJ!

[+Vinny & Sue Team]

. . .On the other hand, I'm kinda leery about caching too far into one particular state, though, due to a bad experience with a cacher there. . .So I can't agree 100%. And no, I won't go into any more detail about that. I promise.

Oops! Sorry about your experience here in Maryland! Please rest assured that we were shooting at you only with birdshot in the shotgun shells, just to scare you off! And, thanks for not revealing the details of how you stumbled upon me in the clearing with the UFO people and the alien starcraft....

[+Sioneva]

. . .On the other hand, I'm kinda leery about caching too far into one particular state, though, due to a bad experience with a cacher there. . .So I can't agree 100%. And no, I won't go into any more detail about that. I promise.

Oops! Sorry about your experience here in Maryland! Please rest assured that we were shooting at you only with birdshot in the shotgun shells, just to scare you off! And, thanks for not revealing the details of how you stumbled upon me in the clearing with the UFO people and the alien starcraft....

 

Mommie... Vinny is scaring me...