Jump to content

Some cache hunts are UPSETTING


Recommended Posts

I am a newbie Geocacher and I am sure I am not the only one in the boat as well as some of you Veterans when I am saying, the most disappointing thing about going on a Geo-hunt, besides not finding the cache, is going to a cache for a specific reason, say a TB or a Coin or whatever is in the caches listing inventory. you get to the cache and the item is not there.

 

there is no log on this website, or in the log notebook, past the person who claims they put the item in the cache.

 

i have trekked to many caches looking for specific inventoried items only to be disappointed when the item is not there. In fact that happened with 2 caches today.

 

GRRRRRRR!

Link to comment

Gonna have to disagree with this one. The most disappointing thing is finding the cache vandalized and the swag, or what is left of it strewn all about. I've encountered this a few times.

 

As time goes on, your expectation of that coin or TB actually being in the cache will lessen-trust me.

Link to comment

First off - always check the TB or coin listed to see when they were put in the cache. If it's been a few weeks and there have been logs to the cache, chances are it's not there.

 

It's helpful to write a quick note in your log to say the trackable wasn't there. I also post a note to the trackable's page that it wasn't in the cache it's listed in.

 

I sometimes write in my log note to the cache owner (if the trackable has been on the page for several months) that they can easily mark that item missing so it doesn't show on their cache page. Surprisingly a lot of cache owners don't know they have the ability to do this.

 

As far as being disappointed in not finding a coin or TB - yeah...I am usually disappointed too. But it happens a lot and it's just part of the game. I've also found caches that have coins in them that haven't been logged in - and it's a very pleasant surprise! So it kinda evens out.

 

Well...kinda... ;)

Link to comment
going to a cache for a specific reason, say a TB or a Coin or whatever is in the caches listing inventory. you get to the cache and the item is not there.
- happens a lot over here in the summer - people are in an area on vacation, without web access, do some caches, then log them in a fortnight when they get home.... it's not the end of the world, is it?
Link to comment

Gonna have to disagree with this one. The most disappointing thing is finding the cache vandalized and the swag, or what is left of it strewn all about. I've encountered this a few times.

 

As time goes on, your expectation of that coin or TB actually being in the cache will lessen-trust me.

Hmm, not really the point of the OP? Perhaps you have been disenchanted by a bad experience in the past.

 

On topic, sometimes a cache hunter will not log a TB pickup for a few days after the hunt. It happens, it's common, and it can be a frustration.

 

Also, there are TB thieves out there that just want to spoil your game. It's happened on some of my hides, where a TB or coin goes missing for some reason or another.

 

Get use to it or get over it. There is nothing you can do about it.

 

Too true! Poop occurs, and there is nothing we can do about it. Love the game, and the satisfaction that a successful hunt can bring.

Link to comment

My answer is completely on point. The OP specifically states the most disappointing thing about going on a Geo-hunt. I respectfully disagreed and pointed out something that can be far more disappointing. I'm very lucky that I've only encountered this a couple of times in 5+ years of caching.

Link to comment

What I don't understand is when there is a TB or coin in the inventory....and someone logs that they took it....but they never log the trackable. Inventory still shows the coin there.

 

If they are going to take the coin or TB and not move it along, then they really shouldn't SAY THAT in their logs!

Link to comment

What I don't understand is when there is a TB or coin in the inventory....and someone logs that they took it....but they never log the trackable. Inventory still shows the coin there.

 

If they are going to take the coin or TB and not move it along, then they really shouldn't SAY THAT in their logs!

If you ever read the TB forum, you'd see how often people will log a TB/coin pickup with a "discovered it" log instead of a "retrieve" or "grab". Then they drop it into a cache, try to log the drop, and realize that it's not in their inventory, so they can't log the drop... and by now the TB or coin is no longer in their possession, so they don't have the tracking number, and can't fix the whole mess. The trackable is left logged in the wrong cache, and the cacher is frustrated by the whole user-unfriendly experience.

 

It's a completely understandable mistake, since nowhere on any of the geocaching.com pages is the "Discovered it" log defined. Not on Groundspeak Travel Bugs, or Travel Bug FAQ, or How to use a Travel Bug, or on the "post a new log" page for any given trackable. It is defined in the pinned HOW TO LOG A TRAVEL BUG OR GEOCOIN thread in the TB forum, but it's not especially likely that a new TB logger is going to look in the forums -- if they're going to look anywhere, the FAQ and the How-to pages are more likely targets.

 

I think that the unfortunate choice of the ambiguous term "Discovered it" is responsible for a lot of TBs being listed in the inventories of caches that they have long since departed from.

Link to comment

Gosh, to hear this cacher is kind of disturbing. ;) We cache for fun, never looking at contents before we go for it. Caching for us is doing something with our boys. It is exercise and most of all it is the love of the hunt. If you are seeking coins...etc look at purchasing them. Most coins in caches are for moving along not for keeping unless it is unactivated.

Not sure why this cacher is so upset. Caches are found by muggles who don't know what they are and some are lost forever...never mind just a coin. You are looking for the wrong reasons for caching. :D

Link to comment

What I don't understand is when there is a TB or coin in the inventory....and someone logs that they took it....but they never log the trackable. Inventory still shows the coin there.

 

If they are going to take the coin or TB and not move it along, then they really shouldn't SAY THAT in their logs!

If you ever read the TB forum, you'd see how often people will log a TB/coin pickup with a "discovered it" log instead of a "retrieve" or "grab". Then they drop it into a cache, try to log the drop, and realize that it's not in their inventory, so they can't log the drop... and by now the TB or coin is no longer in their possession, so they don't have the tracking number, and can't fix the whole mess. The trackable is left logged in the wrong cache, and the cacher is frustrated by the whole user-unfriendly experience.

 

It's a completely understandable mistake, since nowhere on any of the geocaching.com pages is the "Discovered it" log defined. Not on Groundspeak Travel Bugs, or Travel Bug FAQ, or How to use a Travel Bug, or on the "post a new log" page for any given trackable. It is defined in the pinned HOW TO LOG A TRAVEL BUG OR GEOCOIN thread in the TB forum, but it's not especially likely that a new TB logger is going to look in the forums -- if they're going to look anywhere, the FAQ and the How-to pages are more likely targets.

 

I think that the unfortunate choice of the ambiguous term "Discovered it" is responsible for a lot of TBs being listed in the inventories of caches that they have long since departed from.

 

I really don't see how your logic holds up here. If a trackable makes it into a cache then pretty soon another cacher is likely to find it and grab it from the cache it is listed in. In my experience most trackables vanish because cachers keep them for a collection or simply out of ignorance. If someone picks up a trackable and places it in another cache it will likely be found and keep moving regardless of if they properly logged it.

Link to comment

I understand the "Discovered it" option for coins.... But I agree that it shouldn't be an option for TB's.

 

I like the "Discovered It" option for TB's, because I usually don't take travel bugs. I like to take Geocoins home on the otherhand, to take pictures, show them to family and then pass them along on thier way.

Link to comment

I really don't see how your logic holds up here. If a trackable makes it into a cache then pretty soon another cacher is likely to find it and grab it from the cache it is listed in.

Eventually, and with some luck, yes. But at any given moment, there will be many TBs and coins that are listed in the inventories of caches that they are no longer in, partly due to the confusion over "discovery".

 

In my experience most trackables vanish because cachers keep them for a collection or simply out of ignorance. If someone picks up a trackable and places it in another cache it will likely be found and keep moving regardless of if they properly logged it.

I am not saying that confusion over the proper way to log is the only reason that trackables go missing, or are incorrectly logged. I'm not even saying that it's the main reason. But it is one of the reasons -- and judging by how many times this type of incorrect logging behavior is reported by confused newbies in the TB forum (over and over and over and over again, ever since the "discovery" option was introduced), it is a non-trivial contributor to the problem.

 

I know people steal them, I know people lose them, I know people just forget about them. And given how fragile the life of a trackable already was before the "discovery" option was added, I just think it's unfortunate that the choice of the term "discovered it" , rather than something like "saw it" or "spotted it" -- along with a clear explanation of the intended use -- has helped to make an bad situation even worse.

Link to comment

Personally, I try to not let other people / stuff / circumstances to have tremendous power over me.

 

At the end of the day, how I feel about most everything is a choice.

 

I choose for geocaching to be a fun activity - and so, it is. When it stops amusing me and starts bugging me, it will be time to stop.

Link to comment

..and the most upsetting thing about posting in the forums are the gagdum double posts when you get timed out. :P

 

well and a few of the avatars in here. :mad:

Geez, if you don't like my avatar, you could always just shoot me a note.

 

Does that mean you don't like the avatar itself, or are you upset that you might have to see what that person wrote.

______________________________________________________________________________

Anyway, with regards to the OP...You're right, that really sucks. There's not really much that can be done about it (before you find out)though. Hopefully you'll be able to find some enjoyment in the other parts despite this drawback.

 

Once you do know, there are some things you CAN do to help alleviate any similar disappointment for the next searcher:

 

1. When you log the find, mention that the Bugs/Coins are not in the Cache.

 

2. Send (nice)notes to both the Bug/Coin owner, and the Cache owner. this will let them know that the inventory is not accurate, and either of them can remove the Trackables from the list.

Edited by WRITE SHOP ROBERT
Link to comment

I've gone to caches looking for trackables, but only when the cache is close to home and I check the recent logs to see when the trackable was placed. If it has been logged in the cache for 4 days and 2 people have logged finds since then, then there is no way I would rely on the inventory.

Link to comment

Wow, I did not think I would get flamed for posting my original question.

 

I enjoy the hunt

I enjoy the find

 

I was just making a statement about inventories being wrong, not a big deal, I was just saying I was upset over it, but yes I will live and the earth will still be turning tomorrow.

 

I think geocaching.com can easily fix it, as when you log a find, at the bottom it lists the TB's you currently have and you select one to put in the cache if you do, why not have the same option on the same log page asking if you PICKED UP a TB.

 

I think because the FIND and the TB are two separate options on the cache listing page, and a lot of people do one and not the other.

Link to comment

Wow, I did not think I would get flamed for posting my original question.

 

I enjoy the hunt

I enjoy the find

 

I was just making a statement about inventories being wrong, not a big deal, I was just saying I was upset over it, but yes I will live and the earth will still be turning tomorrow.

 

I think geocaching.com can easily fix it, as when you log a find, at the bottom it lists the TB's you currently have and you select one to put in the cache if you do, why not have the same option on the same log page asking if you PICKED UP a TB.

 

I think because the FIND and the TB are two separate options on the cache listing page, and a lot of people do one and not the other.

I don't see any of those responses as flames.

 

Anyway, when you use that option to drop bugs, there is not an opportunity to add any information to the bugs log. It will just show as "X dropped "bug" into GCXXXX". You can go back and edit your log, but the edited info will not show up in the notification to any watchers.

 

To make you're idea work(while I like the concept) would take a major rewrite of the whole logging section. Consider how it would have to be logged if you picked up 5 or 6 bugs. It could be done though, but it would take the major changes in that section of the website.

 

To implement that, when I sit down to log my find, I would also have to input the tracking numbers and my log information for every bug I grabbed, all at the same time. While this would make it easier to remember to log the bugs, it would also result in many more logs that just don't say anything. I guess that's ok with some people, but I like to read the logs others have written.

 

Remember there are three people who are responsible for the (trackable)inventory in a Cache. Those people are the Owner of the Cache, The Owners of the Trackables, and the Takers/Droppers of the Trackable.

 

It's not Groundspeaks job to do that.

Edited by WRITE SHOP ROBERT
Link to comment

The owner of a local Travel Bug Hotel looks at the inventory of the cache every now and then. He enters a "discovered" note for each bug that remains in the hotel and if there is a bug that is listed in the cache but has been gone for some time he e-mails the bug owner and the people who visited the cache since his last "discovery".

 

While I don't think that kind of traffic is practical for the average cache owner, you just have to applaud this Travel Bug Hotel owner for going above and beyond the call of duty!

 

Sonorazark! you know who you are! :mad::P

Link to comment

The owner of a local Travel Bug Hotel looks at the inventory of the cache every now and then. He enters a "discovered" note for each bug that remains in the hotel and if there is a bug that is listed in the cache but has been gone for some time he e-mails the bug owner and the people who visited the cache since his last "discovery".

 

While I don't think that kind of traffic is practical for the average cache owner, you just have to applaud this Travel Bug Hotel owner for going above and beyond the call of duty!

 

Sonorazark! you know who you are! :mad::P

HaHa, I know who he is too! He's moved some of my Bugs and won some of my Prizes.

Link to comment

Yeah, I agree with both Naked Baby and the hermit crabs that the gc.com interface for trackables could be improved. I'm not sure just how good it could be made. There just is going to be an additional layer of complexity. Now you have not only caches, but travelers, and you also add the complication of needing to use the secret tracking number. Logging a retrieve/drop of trackable is, I'd say, about three times as complex as logging a find on a cache.

 

I think gc.com could do several things to improve this, the most important simply being to fix the terminology. However, fixing the English terminology is mainly going to help native-English-speaking cachers. These are probably in the majority now, but the distinctions will be lost on those who are not fluent in English. Thus any such change needs serious thought and design, or else translating the web site into several of the most common languages.

 

But the need for the secret tracking number is, I think, unavoidable. This will always make trackables more complex, no matter how much the web site interface is improved.

 

Edward

Link to comment

If you ever read the TB forum, you'd see how often people will log a TB/coin pickup with a "discovered it" log instead of a "retrieve" or "grab". Then they drop it into a cache, try to log the drop, and realize that it's not in their inventory, so they can't log the drop... and by now the TB or coin is no longer in their possession, so they don't have the tracking number, and can't fix the whole mess. The trackable is left logged in the wrong cache, and the cacher is frustrated by the whole user-unfriendly experience.

I think that the unfortunate choice of the ambiguous term "Discovered it" is responsible for a lot of TBs being listed in the inventories of caches that they have long since departed from.

 

It seems like this could be fixable. The site could allow users to 'grab/drop' the last coin/TB they have logged as discovered without entering the tracking number - if they were the last person to discover it.

 

Since they discovered it, in theory they could have done this anyway, so this does not allow exploits.

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...