A Boy's Game?

[+Proud Soccer Mom]

We could, but it would have to be discussed in the Geek/Nerd forums, as it would be off topic in the GeoCaching Forums.

 

Aren't all forums geek/nerd forums by default?

 

- Elle

[+WRITE SHOP ROBERT]

 

Aren't all forums geek/nerd forums by default?

 

- Elle

No, because the Coin Forums are really COOL. Come see for yourself!

[+Vinny & Sue Team]

I had originally posted this in the Livejournal geocaching community a while ago and finally decided to cross-post here.

 

Is geocaching male by default?

 

We geocache as a family and use a team name. We geocache as a family because I wanted to geocache. I keep track of cache announcements, plan the find routes, maintain the hides and manage the correspondence. Our team name is our Groundspeak account username so it's also our Waymarking username. I'm the only waymarker in the family.

 

What does a geocacher comment for one of our hides?

"...and met the owner's wife..."

 

 

So, is geocaching male by default?

 

I'm not asking if there are women who geocache. Obviously, there are. I'm one of them. I'm talking more about the social expectation or perception of geocaching by geocachers. The assumption that a woman is the wife of the geocacher instead of a geocacher.

 

- Elle

Not at all. There is a VERY strong female presence in geocaching. Allow me to remind you that two of the top high-number geocachers are female, and many of our most active forum participants are female. Further, speaking for myself, my wife Sue is a FAR more active geocacher -- at least in terms of hunting caches -- than am I, and she may find up to 78 caches in a single day, and up to 340 caches in one month, whereas my idea of heavy caching is to look for perhaps one to three caches per month, and they must, for the most part, be caches in which I am really interested. And, a good friend of ours is Lynn, CCCooperAgency, and in her team account, it is she who makes 99.99% of the finds, and, much as in my case as recounted above, her husband rarely goes out in the field to hunt geocaches, whereas Lynn is one of the top-ranked (in terms of find count) cachers in the world, and also owns hundreds of caches.

 

And, in my own life, most of the folks with whom I geocache are females. Aside from my wife Sue, I have, over the past couple of years, tended to go geocache hunting with my (female) friend Taj/Aryanna when I have been traveling or visiting with her in the Midwest and Great Plains states, with my (female) friend Mote (an artist) when I have been visiting LA, and with my (female) friend Greta (a backcountry guide and artist) when I am visiting the Jackson WY area.

 

In fact, all of my online geostalkers, including the much-beloved Sioneva (who calls me at 2:30 AM each morning using the Autovon phone system on a remote Air Force base in the God-forsaken wilds of Nebraska) on the forum are also all female, and all of my geostalkees, including Sioneva (better known as Sionevil) are also female geocachers!

 

.

Edited August 21, 2008 by Vinny & Sue Team

[+Proud Soccer Mom]

Not at all. There is a VERY strong female presence in geocaching. Allow me to remind you that two of the top high-number geocachers are female, and many of our most active forum participants are female. Further, speaking for myself, my wife Sue is a FAR more active geocacher -- at least in terms of hunting caches -- than am I, and she may find up to 78 caches in a single day, and up to 340 caches in one month, whereas my idea of heavy caching is to look for perhaps one to three caches per month, and they must, for the most part, be caches in which I am really interested. And, a good friend of ours is Lynn, CCCooperAgency, and in her team account, it is she who makes 99.99% of the finds, and, much as in my case as recounted above, her husband rarely goes out in the field to hunt geocaches, whereas Lynn is one of the top-ranked (in terms of find count) cachers in the world, and also owns hundreds of caches.

 

And, in my own life, most of the folks with whom I geocache are females. Aside from my wife Sue, I have, in the past few years, tended to go geocache hunting with my (female) friend Taj/Ayanna when I have been traveling or visiting with her in the Midwest and Great Plains states, with my (female) friend Mote (an artist) when I have been visiting LA, and with my (female) friend Greta (a backcountry guide and artist) when I am visiting the Jackson WY area.

 

In fact, all of my online geostalkers on the forum are also all female, and all of my geostalkees are also female geocachers!

 

From my OP, "I'm not asking if there are women who geocache. Obviously, there are. I'm one of them. I'm talking more about the social expectation or perception of geocaching by geocachers. The assumption that a woman is the wife of the geocacher instead of a geocacher."

 

We all know women geocache. No debate there. In all your examples of there being women geocachers, I assume you're trying to make the point that nobody presumes that a geocacher is a man?

 

- Elle

[+Proud Soccer Mom]

 

Aren't all forums geek/nerd forums by default?

 

- Elle

No, because the Coin Forums are really COOL. Come see for yourself!

 

Coin Geek!

 

- Elle

[+Jennifer&Dean]

I think it depends on the person who is looking at the activity. Older folks tend to think this is a game for youngsters, men may assume gender neutral names are men, and women may assume that gender neutral names are men.

 

Personally, I know more women who cache than men and I think our area is pretty balanced. So many login names are neutral that you never know what gender the cacher is until you meet them.

 

When dealing with unknown cachers I try to use neutral wording until I get more info.

 

And I usually sign my online posting with a

-J

so folks know it is Jennifer and not Dean posting.

 

I started our account. When Dean wanted to start caching we changed our name to the joint name so we wouldn't have to log everything twice. It has worked out for the most part, except every now and then he asks why we have to have a female avatar.

 

-J

[+infiniteMPG]

Aren't all forums geek/nerd forums by default?

Naw...... the "Emotional repercussions caused by the decline in the quality of Startrek outfits due to Chinese imports" forum doesn't have any geeks or nerds in it

 

I started our account. When Dean wanted to start caching we changed our name to the joint name so we wouldn't have to log everything twice. It has worked out for the most part, except every now and then he asks why we have to have a female avatar.

That's easy.... it's 'cause she's the one with the sword Edited August 21, 2008 by infiniteMPG

[+Proud Soccer Mom]

Aren't all forums geek/nerd forums by default?

Naw...... the "Emotional repercussions caused by the decline in the quality of Startrek outfits due to Chinese imports" forum doesn't have any geeks or nerds in it

 

I started our account. When Dean wanted to start caching we changed our name to the joint name so we wouldn't have to log everything twice. It has worked out for the most part, except every now and then he asks why we have to have a female avatar.

That's easy.... it's 'cause she's the one with the sword

 

This wins the internet! Thanks, infiniteMPG!

 

- Elle

[+Vinny & Sue Team]

I wouldn't say it is male "by default." But I do think that because there are more men in the game than women and because of general assumptions people make, there tends to be an assumption that the man on a team is the one who is really into it etc. Also, there can be the assumption that any given cacher is male.

 

Way back, someone on these forums, who I will allow to remain nameless unless he wants to speak up, thought I was a male named Carl Eenp! To be fair, I had a gender neutral, or perhaps even masculine appearing avatar at that time.

 

I also review under the name Electric Mouse and on many occassions have recieved email beginning with "Mr. Mouse."

Carl, I would never make that mistake. I know that your real name is Carl E. Enp!

 

 

 

 

 

[+carleenp]

Geocaching with a woman is a lot like fishing:

 

"Here, Baby Doll....let me thread that old GPS hook with the wiggling, squishy coords!"

 

"Ohhhh Thank Kewwwww! You are sooooo strong! And they are soooooooo ICKY!"

 

"That's whut I'm here for, Doll Face! Now, just take this over there....read that romance novel and I will call you when I need something."

 

"Ohhhhhhh, Thank Kewwww! You are so considerate! And big and strong!"

 

"Yeah, it's just the way us HE-MEN cachers ARE! We don't want you worrying your pretty little heads about FTF, logging etiquette, decimal coords and such. We like to look out for our women folk!"

 

"Ohhhhhhh, Thank Kewwww! You are so helpful! Do you want me to make a big pot roast dinner with all the trimmings for you tonight? With maybe a "special" I-love-you dessert?"

 

"Well, we will see about that. I MIGHT let you. But you gotta stop yammering so much! You are throwing my coords off and scaring the satellite signals!"

 

"Yes Dear."

 

This example of a geocaching household may or may not be typical of the average geocaching family!

 

 

Remind me never to go fishing with you. All those attempts at helping me tie on the fly (sorry, I don't spin fish) and all that yacking about it would annoy me to no end and would scare the fish. And I can remove and clean my own fish, thanks.

[+infiniteMPG]

This wins the internet! Thanks, infiniteMPG!

The WHOLE internet? Cool! Where do I pick it up?

[+karstic]

I think of geocaching as a "das"

[+Sioneva]

 

<snip>

 

... tended to go geocache hunting with my (female) friend Taj/Aryanna when I have been traveling or visiting with her in the Midwest and Great Plains states...

 

<snip>

 

In fact, all of my online geostalkers on the forum are also all female, and all of my geostalkees are also female geocachers!

 

I'm hurt. After all we have been to each other, I don't even get a mention, except as a generic geostalkee???

I'm crushed! :wub:

 

I'm also the first female president of my state's geocaching org (I think)... not that I ever really thought of it that way before, or cared. And will promptly forget it and go on geocaching. (But... take that, Hillary! )

[+Mokzii]

Oddly enough, my brother-in-law insists it's a "girly" activity.

Yeah. Figure that one out.

[+Vinny & Sue Team]

 

<snip>

 

... tended to go geocache hunting with my (female) friend Taj/Aryanna when I have been traveling or visiting with her in the Midwest and Great Plains states...

 

<snip>

 

In fact, all of my online geostalkers, including the much-beloved Sioneva (who calls me at 2:30 AM each morning using the Autovon phone system on a remote Air Force base in the God-forsaken wilds of Nebraska) on the forum are also all female, and all of my geostalkees, including Sioneva (better known as Sionevil) are also female geocachers!

 

I'm hurt. After all we have been to each other, I don't even get a mention, except as a generic geostalkee???

I'm crushed! B)

. . .

Huh? I have no idea what you are talking about! If you will look at my original post closely, and also at the portions of my post which you quoted (above), you will see that I mentioned you liberally!

 

Sheesh!

 

 

[+FourRiverRatz]

another wife chiming in here. I started us geocaching..bought the gps...plot out all the cache-runs, map out the course, stock the swag box, planned, did up and hid all our hides, and even hosted an event.

 

when HE doesn't have to work, I will let him drive us to the days or weeks caches...and if he is really really good, I will let him borrow my gps when he goes hunting..BUT only if I am not planning on using it! lol (and since I don't work..I do let him pay for the swag too..lucky guy that he is!!)

[+Proud Soccer Mom]

Oddly enough, my brother-in-law insists it's a "girly" activity.

Yeah. Figure that one out.

 

I got a friend like that. He doesn't call it girly but calls it silly. His wife goes caching with me because she's a no-fear hiker outdoorsy person, too. So, yeah, I guess it's girly... if you consider Tank Girl girly.

 

- Elle

[+SimbaJamey]

One of my best friends showed me a TB she had found and told me about geocaching several years ago.

I have so far met 2 other cachers, 1 CO and 1 finder...Both female.

I've gone out looking with several friends and family members...quick accounting, 5 female and 2 male.

 

 

I was thinking the ratio was skewed in the other direction.

[+vw_k]

I tend to percieve geocaching as a balanced game as far as genders are concerned, although it seems to be the guys that are more interested in the "extreme" caches, maybe it's the testosterone, the need to show off or the fact that we have never grown out of childhood risk taking!

I think there is a very good mix of genders in geocaching, and the amount of females I've met at events and out on the trail certainly don't give me the impression that this is a "male" sport.

[+the hermit crabs]

So, is geocaching male by default?

 

I'm not asking if there are women who geocache. Obviously, there are. I'm one of them. I'm talking more about the social expectation or perception of geocaching by geocachers. The assumption that a woman is the wife of the geocacher instead of a geocacher.

Hmm, interesting question.

 

I do tend to make gender assumptions based on less-than-solid facts. I'll assign genders to cachers based on their writing styles or their user names. I think I am right a little more often than not, but then again, I haven't met most of the cachers that I have assigned to these arbitrary genders. So who knows?

 

I'm going to make a very sexist generalization here: I'd be willing to bet that the majority of male geocachers do have the "male by default" mindset -- i.e., they assume that, in the absence of very specific evidence, any unknown cacher is male. And I'd bet that the majority of female cachers are more likely to try to guess at the genders of unknown cachers based one what little evidence they may have, but don't automatically assume one or the other.

 

And like most baseless generalizations, mine is probably wrong.

[+hikerT]

I cache with my daughter on occasion- hikerE. Once I met up with another cacher to find a cache we had both DNF'd twice. We had only known each other through logging the same caches, and during the conversation that day he made the assumption that hikerE was my husband.

 

Also, when I am mentioned in the logs of other cachers who do not know me, they always refer to me as 'he'. ..."I followed the tracks of hikerT right the cache, but he hid the cache really well so it still took me a while to find".

Edited August 24, 2008 by hikerT

[Scoopa2]

I am the "female" part of our twosome and I am always the one pushing to go out caching, checking for newly posted caches and logging them.

[+BoggyWoggy]

Grrr...that was my first reaction to this thread. But now, after reading through all of the responses, I must say that it does appear that geocaching is male-dominated, but that's not necessarily a bad thing...actually, it's meaningless and not worthy of discussion. I think the real issue comes with the creativity part. I love the "men-placed" caches, as they stretch me physically. However, some of the female-placed caches stretch me mentally! Check out some of my newest: "Errol Flynn," "Axiom-Stretcher," and "Tubular Flutterby." Many women seem to like putting a twist into their caches. However, "Blame Game" is a classic male cache that pushes folks into their fight-or-flight mode.

Oh yeah...my husband and son HATE geocaching!

Edited August 24, 2008 by BoggyWoggy

[+Proud Soccer Mom]

Grrr...that was my first reaction to this thread. But now, after reading through all of the responses, I must say that it does appear that geocaching is male-dominated, but that's not necessarily a bad thing...actually, it's meaningless and not worthy of discussion. I think the real issue comes with the creativity part. I love the "men-placed" caches, as they stretch me physically. However, some of the female-placed caches stretch me mentally! Check out some of my newest: "Errol Flynn," "Axiom-Stretcher," and "Tubular Flutterby." Many women seem to like putting a twist into their caches. However, "Blame Game" is a classic male cache that pushes folks into their fight-or-flight mode.

Oh yeah...my husband and son HATE geocaching!

 

Male Caches are from Mars, Female Caches are from Venus???

 

 

- Elle

[+BlueDeuce]

I still don't see a difference.

 

I have seen many caches by both that are just as good, dedicated, and cacherific as any person could place.

 

IF I looked at gender I'd say it's about 40/60, well okay maybe 60/40 but definitely not 90/10.

[+Annie & PB]

We are both about equally involved here at our house - one male, one female. Although I am the one who spends most of the time on the computer!

 

Our local cachers are a wide mix of couples, families, teens. But I just did a little survey and 'statistically' there are more males involved.

 

From the sociological point of view I have thought that geocaching was more 'male-orientated.' Events I have been to ( the whole two of them!!!LOL) have had more guys there, and our local forum has more males actively involved. So those factors are probably what I formed my opinion on.

 

I don't think geocaching is inherently a more male activity - just that's what the 'facts' in my locale are. It probably IS inherently a more 'middle class' activity due to the expensive nature of the toys.

 

Annie

[+Skepticache]

I don't cache with the males, because I used to be one.

[+Proud Soccer Mom]

I don't cache with the males, because I used to be one.

 

Mrs. Doubtfire quote for the win!

 

 

- Elle

[+L L L]

I haven't looked at your profile, but with a forum avatar of a male picture and the title History Nerd, I would assume the account holder to be male. I think the term "Nerd" is usually taken to be male, even if not always true.

 

Okay. I accept that, even though I sign every post with "Elle". But, hey, maybe there are guys named Elle. Who knows. But I am a huge history nerd.

 

I guess we could talk about whether geekitude and other nerdisms are default male.

 

- Elle

We could, but it would have to be discussed in the Geek/Nerd forums, as it would be off topic in the GeoCaching Forums.

 

This was fun to read!

 

1. Go geocaching with a girl that is afraid of all kinds of small and creepy animals is very amusing!

All that noice and jumping around before she digs out the cache.......

 

2 I read somewhere that a man think in a straigt line and a woman in circles,

Who's cache is most fun to hunt?

 

3 A wise (?) man once said: Women ara amazing, You can't live with them

and you can't live without them

 

I should bee the last one to speak about avatar but, the bowtie and that hat makes the poor dinosaur look's a lot like Blondies husband when he has'nt eatin for the last ten minutes

[+Chilln']

I do think high-tec gps, map reading, exploring the unknown, searching for treasure and ect... is more associated with men. As a male this is exactly why I enjoy geocaching. I wonder if females who geocache do it for the same reasons or at the core they doing for other more traditionaly female reasons. I have 2 kids. One boy. One Girl. My son and I sometimes pretend were on an army mission. He finds a stick to be his rifle. We even take turns walking point. My daughter never joins in but she loves to think about what kind of swag will be in the cache. If we do a micro cache she protests. For her its the prize not the adventure.

 

Just a thought

[+chuckwagon101]

.

 

3 A wise (?) man once said: Women ara amazing, You can't live with them

and you can't live without them

 

 

****Voice of Al Bundy of Married With Children concerning his philosophy of women****

 

"WOMEN! Can't live with them, ................................The End!"

 

 

I think geocaching is more male oriented than female. Of course I have only low, double digit smilies so my thoughts can't count for much! Couple that with a low post count and....well.....you shouldn't even be wasting your time reading a post by such an unworthy!

 

But someday, someday I will be a .......................CONTENDER!