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Cache Machines


julebear

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I was just wondering what everyone thinks of the cache machines. A big group go out, say 12-16 people, and one person finds the cache. In the on-line log pages, everyone logs the find. I read somewhere that the etiquette is if you find the cache, you say nothing, maybe stand in a designated spot, until everyone has found the cache for themselves. Now, that sounds OK to me, but when reading the logs, that's not what is going on. No wonder some people have thousands of finds. Not that everyone with thousands is doing it in a large group. And that's not all about the numbers??? I've read some places where a person is sitting in the car and claims a find. Another story has a person logging by proxy from Alaska! If it only was that easy. That's MHO..what's yours?

Edited by julebear
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Quite often we play them game of waiting for every one to find the cache on their own. We are an evil sick bunch. :)

 

As far as claiming a find on a cache you have never been to, that is up to each individual on how they want to play the game. Etiquette is only the view of the person expressing it. You will notice there are no posted "rules" on what constitutes a find. That would be up to the cache owner to decide. You will probably find most cache owners would rather go out and find a cache than spend their time policing every find on the caches they own.

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Every individual takes something different from the Geocaching experience.

 

For some, it is a contest about the numbers, and brutal honesty is practiced/expected from the cachers. For these people having a certain number of finds can be a pride point.

 

For others , it is about the journey to the cache (assuming it's not a micro at a shopping centre) - and the actual cracking open of the cache container is anticlimatic compared to the hike that brought them there.

 

Cache machines exist can exist to be just about the numbers, but the ones I have been on are a social activity that can be the most rewarding experiences. Yes, I've heard of people logging from the car - but really, the only person they hurt is themselves. Who really cares if we are all having fun. Although it can be really stressing to be the ONE person in the group that still hasn't found the darned cache among another 10 that have! I would much rather this than hiking several miles into the woods alone.

 

It is also important to note that there are no prizes for most finds, this is not a competition.

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You will drive yourself nuts fretting about what others do. Set your own personal rules and live by them. You will sleep better at night.

 

Cache machines (and I love that term) will not change their style just because you and I don't like it.

 

I have taken my name off the Geocaching Ranking List because I don't care about the numbers. To me it is about going out with a friend or two (never more than that) and having a good time.

 

The same with hiding. I like to put out very few caches that either salute a caching friend or offers something unique (i.e. Wherigo or a challenging hide).

 

At the end of the day, it is just a game.

 

My 2 cents.

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I think it doesn't really matter...

 

As Tequila said, it's all about the fun involved.

 

If anyone gets bent out of shape due to either one person making the find and everyone signing in on it OR one person signing all members present into the log book needs a catscan.

 

It's for fun people, it's not a competitive sport / hobby / game.

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Out looking for a Tequila cache a month or so ago, 5 other cachers showed up, mostly one-by-one. After a length-of-time-which-shall-never-be-divulged, one cacher made the find. We were all looking within the same, say, 20-square-foot area, so of course we all noticed, especially after the, ahem, certain finder, began their happy dance, which for some reason included extremely athletic war woops, and several "I found it and you didn't, I found it and you didn't" to the tune of Yankee Doodle....like what were we to do? We each signed the log and moved on to the next cache, of course. :rolleyes:

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... I read somewhere that the etiquette is if you find the cache, you say nothing, maybe stand in a designated spot, until everyone has found the cache for themselves. ...

 

That's the huckle buckle beanstalk method of finding the cache. I find it a good way to maximise the embarrasment of those who can't find the cache and the enjoyment of those who can.

 

My MO is the Three Muskateers Method. All for one and one for all. One of us finds it, we all find it...then we start in with the game of hot potato with the log. "I'm not going to sign it...you sign it..."

 

People are different. They cache in groups differently.

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As the #1 non-cheating cacher in the entire world, I though I'd chime in here too.

 

I've participated in two of the three methods of powercaching.

 

Method one - We each spot the cache, yet don't announce it. We wander away from the cache, and then announce that we've found it. We wait until everyone has a chance to find it.

This method is done usually when kids are with us.

 

Method Two - Everyone races to see who spots the cache first. The cacher who finds it announces it ....sorta like "Bingo!" . Everyone signs the logsheet (many use stickers). Then we race back to the jeep, and head for the next cache.

 

Method Three - Cheat - This is done many different ways (including caching from the desk :grin: ).

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... I read somewhere that the etiquette is if you find the cache, you say nothing, maybe stand in a designated spot, until everyone has found the cache for themselves. ...

 

That's the huckle buckle beanstalk method of finding the cache. I find it a good way to maximise the embarrasment of those who can't find the cache and the enjoyment of those who can.

 

My MO is the Three Muskateers Method. All for one and one for all. One of us finds it, we all find it...then we start in with the game of hot potato with the log. "I'm not going to sign it...you sign it..."

 

People are different. They cache in groups differently.

 

That depends on the group you are with.

 

Our caching group uses the method that when you find it, you try as much as possible to hide that fact from the others. If night caching, you move off somewhere and turn your light out. No heckling or humiliating the others. The goal is to give everyone the thrill of the find, not end the hunt as soon as the first person spots it. I really like this method, as there are some REALLY clever hides out there, and we all want the satisfaction of actually spotting it before it's pointed out to us.... well at least I do.

 

During the day, the word "click" stands in for the actual dousing of the flashlight.

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... No heckling or humiliating the others. ...

 

I don't mind looking for a cache when everone else is looking. I really don't like being watched when I look though. If everone finds it first...I'm left feeling exposed and that's not fun. Thats why I like the 3M method.

 

When that happens, I go back to the jeep.....lol . I agree. :grin:

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I've done that but I was the driver and at least contributed by driving to the right lampost :grin:

 

I've actually made a point of finding a couple lamp posts / GO station yellow tube hides by leaning out of the car to get the cache container.... had to be done!

 

I did that exact thing at the liquor store skirt-lifter cache in Angus. Didn't even have to take my seat belt off. But it all depends on the day, because a few weeks later I drove by and there was a camel in a pen right beside the lamp post, which would make it a much tougher find.

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I prefer to see it as teamwork tahn as an evil "cache machine": you go out caching as a group, one person finds it, the whole group gets to sign.

 

If you are only a few people, waiting for everyone to find it is doable. If you are a dozen people, it would make the whole day rather boring unless you really really enjoy watching other people search for a long time. I mean, waiting for everyone to find it ensures that each cache takes you the longest time it would have taken anyone in the group to find it. You would end up finding much less caches than if you were alone.

 

Using the teamwork (or "all for one") approach means you are getting the best time at each cache instead of the worst one. Just like a golf tournament were you always play the best ball of the foursome, its faster and more fun for less competitive people :grin:

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Using the teamwork (or "all for one") approach means you are getting the best time at each cache instead of the worst one. Just like a golf tournament were you always play the best ball of the foursome, its faster and more fun for less competitive people :grin:

 

Yes, this tends to be the method used when the caching group exceeds a dozen people. Especially at large event caches - you're not going to get the 30 people you just met at the cache to play 'the game'.

 

Depends as well, if you're out for numbers or just out for some fun. We tend to treat our weekly group night caching like it's some kind of outdoor 'poker night'. Complete with poker faces [:grin:].

 

Another factor is the hide. We're typically not going to stand around a 'duh - there's only one thing within 300 metres, and it's a lamp post' hide, and if the search takes to long, we've been known to 'accidentally' leave a flashlight or two or three pointing toward the cache for the person that's just not having any luck.

 

Whatever your method, as long as everyone is having a blast, then that works for me.

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The cache machine idea leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Going out with family or a friend or two: fine. But some of these cache machines have 5 or more experienced cachers (500+ finds)along, where is the fun (besides social) in the find then? You might as well start at the edge of the hide area & walk thru in an extended line.

I personally find it hard to believe that everyone in the caching machine has solved a given puzzle on the days agenda & aren't just racking up caches on someone else's brain power.

Makes me wonder how the cache owners; especially those who have put some effort into the puzzles feel after 10+ people have rolled thru & they all log a find?

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I think I would feel, cool 10+ people have enjoyed my hide, and wanted to do my cache. Just because some people have solved the puzzle doesn't mean the cache is now dead for everyone else who wants to solve it/find it solo. Also I might feel rather proud and validated, that if after it hadn't been found for a while it then it took a group of 10+ people to find it, my cache attained the level of challange I had hoped for.

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Makes me wonder how the cache owners; especially those who have put some effort into the puzzles feel after 10+ people have rolled thru & they all log a find?

 

Well, as a cache owner I have to say it would annoy me if they were all using copy and paste logs. getting a whack of emails all saying the same thing, none of which describe the unique experience the person had at the cache is not fun for me as an owner.

 

As for the Puzzle thing, I know on my puzzle caches I don't really care how/if the person found the cache. If someone can get enjoyment from the cache by tagging along with someone else who solved the puzzle that's fine by me. I place caches for people to find, I don't really care if they find it using the exact method I thought they would.

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The cache machine idea leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Going out with family or a friend or two: fine. But some of these cache machines have 5 or more experienced cachers (500+ finds)along, where is the fun (besides social) in the find then? You might as well start at the edge of the hide area & walk thru in an extended line.

I personally find it hard to believe that everyone in the caching machine has solved a given puzzle on the days agenda & aren't just racking up caches on someone else's brain power.

Makes me wonder how the cache owners; especially those who have put some effort into the puzzles feel after 10+ people have rolled thru & they all log a find?

You read our minds. That's where we fall too. ;)

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The cache machine idea leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Going out with family or a friend or two: fine. But some of these cache machines have 5 or more experienced cachers (500+ finds)along, where is the fun (besides social) in the find then?

 

Exactly. Some of us very much enjoy the social aspect of the game.

 

I'm not about to stop going group caching just because the group I cache with has more than 500 finds per person. We have a group that goes out caching every friday night. I'd say combined the group has more than 10,000 finds easy. On remote caches, having a group around adds an element of safety. I've hiked 40+ kilometers in one day while caching - not something I'm prepared to do by myself.

 

I have puzzle caches out there, including one that has 14 finds after one year. If someone in a group solves it and 10 people show up at once, so be it (hey, at least I get a report on the cache condition!). As long as they enjoy my cache I'm good for it. In the end, the only person that is losing out by being given an answer is the person that doesn't get the joy of solving the puzzle themselves.

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Exactly. Some of us very much enjoy the social aspect of the game.

I'm not about to stop going group caching just because the group I cache with has more than 500 finds per person. We have a group that goes out caching every friday night. I'd say combined the group has more than 10,000 finds easy. On remote caches, having a group around adds an element of safety. I've hiked 40+ kilometers in one day while caching - not something I'm prepared to do by myself.

I have puzzle caches out there, including one that has 14 finds after one year. If someone in a group solves it and 10 people show up at once, so be it (hey, at least I get a report on the cache condition!). As long as they enjoy my cache I'm good for it. In the end, the only person that is losing out by being given an answer is the person that doesn't get the joy of solving the puzzle themselves.

For some, it's all about the numbers. For me, it's all about getting out & enjoying the outdoors & in most cases, a place I otherwise wouldn't have visited

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I attended an event that was just that, a cache machine event. I had already done most of these caches on the route, and still had a blast, watching them search. I say go out and have fun whatever way you most enjoy having fun.....

 

and don't forget to laugh as you Cache your life away..

 

Bernard

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Shesh it sounds like some people think we should all cache by ourselves.

 

Sure its fun to be the one to find it, but just how long are you going to wait for others in the group to find it?

 

If you find it and 5 others find it and then 1 person just can't find it are you going to wait for what 15 minutes 30 minuters 45 minutes maybe an hour?

 

Then what, your group of 7 people go on to the next cache without signing the log sheet.

 

Caching is the more people the more fun you will have, but if you have to make everyone find the cache before moving on to the next one, well that will just take all the fun out of it. We have some in our groups with kids and you know its actually lots of fun watching them find the cache, some of them even look a little sad when one of the adults come up with the find.

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Some puzzles though are just not meant to be solved by certain age groups.

 

Myself and others wracked our brains trying to figure out a cache, we tried every which way to figure this out and nothing worked. I got a hint on it and someone else in the group got a hint, we then at least had a direction to go. But I can tell you some of use old people would not have ever figured out the puzzle without the hint we where given.

 

Now you get the ones that people put out and the puzzle is just wrong, you follow the rules for how it is supposed to be calculated and it doesn't work, you try it another way and it doesn't work, you give it to people that have gone to school for it and it doesn't work, you give it to people that work with this stuff every day and it doesn't work, so you say to heck with it lets not follow the rules, lets not do it the way the cache owner says to do it, guess what? after about 5 or 6 tries doing it all wrong you come up with numbers that seem to work out.

 

So ya sometimes a group cache with only one person having the final location is a must.

 

The cache machine idea leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Going out with family or a friend or two: fine. But some of these cache machines have 5 or more experienced cachers (500+ finds)along, where is the fun (besides social) in the find then?

 

Exactly. Some of us very much enjoy the social aspect of the game.

 

I'm not about to stop going group caching just because the group I cache with has more than 500 finds per person. We have a group that goes out caching every friday night. I'd say combined the group has more than 10,000 finds easy. On remote caches, having a group around adds an element of safety. I've hiked 40+ kilometers in one day while caching - not something I'm prepared to do by myself.

 

I have puzzle caches out there, including one that has 14 finds after one year. If someone in a group solves it and 10 people show up at once, so be it (hey, at least I get a report on the cache condition!). As long as they enjoy my cache I'm good for it. In the end, the only person that is losing out by being given an answer is the person that doesn't get the joy of solving the puzzle themselves.

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