Jump to content

neglected cache

pikeyVan

By pikeyVan
in United Kingdom and Ireland

Followers 1

Recommended Posts

pikeyVan

+pikeyVan

Posted
Posted

hi guys...im still quite new to geocaching. quick question... what happens when a cache is abandoned by its owner?..

ive found one thats been reported many times as in need of care and attention,and is now missing, but noone seems to be maintaining it.

the problem is ive placed a cache in a great spot only to be told that its too close to the cache which has been missing for some time.

dont want to move my cache unless i have to

any advice?

cheers

Link to comment
chizu

+chizu

Posted
Posted

should be archived log if it is being neglected?

 

i thought only the owner could archive a cache??

 

owners or reviewers. If you log a Should be Archived log with your reasoning, the reviewers will be alerted and will archive the cache if they consider it appropriate.

Link to comment
pikeyVan

+pikeyVan

Posted
  • Author
Posted

should be archived log if it is being neglected?

 

i thought only the owner could archive a cache??

 

owners or reviewers. If you log a Should be Archived log with your reasoning, the reviewers will be alerted and will archive the cache if they consider it appropriate.

 

if its archived, will i then be able to set my cache??

Link to comment
chizu

+chizu

Posted
Posted

should be archived log if it is being neglected?

 

i thought only the owner could archive a cache??

 

owners or reviewers. If you log a Should be Archived log with your reasoning, the reviewers will be alerted and will archive the cache if they consider it appropriate.

 

if its archived, will i then be able to set my cache??

yes, and your cache would then prevent the archived cache being reactivated at a later date (as it would be < 0.1 miles from your active cache).

Link to comment
The Blorenges

+The Blorenges

Posted
Posted

should be archived log if it is being neglected?

 

i thought only the owner could archive a cache??

 

owners or reviewers. If you log a Should be Archived log with your reasoning, the reviewers will be alerted and will archive the cache if they consider it appropriate.

 

if its archived, will i then be able to set my cache??

 

You will, if the Reviewer is happy that it meets all the other Cache Placement Guidelines.

 

MrsB :rolleyes:

Link to comment
Graculus

+Graculus

Posted
Posted (edited)

... whilst I am all in favour of caches being maintained, isn't it a bit of a tricky precedent to force and archive simply becasue you wish to set a cache within the statutory limits?

 

Obviously, I don't know the cache concerned but I would hope it has been genuinely abandaoned. :rolleyes:

 

We would not of course archive a cache just so another could be placed there. We check out all 'needs archived logs' that come in and assess them carefully.

 

There is no hard and fast rule for archiving a cache, but the guidelines are clear that the owner must respond to logs, maintain their cache and be active on the geocaching.com site. So if we find a cache with lots of DNF logs/needs maint logs/ from finders and the owner has ignored them for 6 months or more we would probably just archive the cache. If it was less than 6 months the owner gets a polite request to sort things out and 7 days to do it in. If they ignore this request the cache would be archived. If however the owner has responded but is taking too long to sort things out (normally we'd let a cache stay disabled for about 2 months) then we'd ask them to either sort it out or archive it themselves. If it is apparent the owner has abandoned the cache (not logged in for a long time) and the cache is out of action we would archive it.

As I said this is not absolute, each cache is dealt with individually - we try to be reasonable. Our aim is to get caches running again, not remove them.

 

I hope this clarifies things

 

Graculus

Edited by Graculus
Link to comment
Haggis Hunter

+Haggis Hunter

Posted
Posted (edited)

The owner of that cache is the daughter of another cacher who has had a fair bit going on recently. The fact that the owner hasn't logged in since April shouldn't be an indication that the cache is abandoned.

I think if life has taken a turn that means your priorities are not geocaching for months on end then any caches that are in need of maintenance are indeed abandoned until your circumstances have changed back again.

 

Also the reviewers can't be expected to second guess why someone hasn't logged in for months and have to take what they feel to be appropriate action.

 

Edited to add, that I hope whatever has caused this for those cachers isn't too serious and that things turn towards the better for them in the near future.

Edited by Haggis Hunter
Link to comment
Pengy&Tigger

+Pengy&Tigger

Posted
Posted

I think if life has taken a turn that means your priorities are not geocaching for months on end then any caches that are in need of maintenance are indeed abandoned until your circumstances have changed back again.

 

As it happens, in the case of the cache concerned, the first 'needs maintenance' was posted a few weeks ago, not months on end. Since the cache hasn't been linked on the forum, it's easy to assume it has indeed been abandoned for months on end, which simply isn't the case. There are many caches out there with needs maintenance logs going back further than this one. If it wasn't for someone wanting to place a new cache there wouldn't even be a discussion about it here.

Link to comment
maxkim

+maxkim

Posted
Posted

I think if life has taken a turn that means your priorities are not geocaching for months on end then any caches that are in need of maintenance are indeed abandoned until your circumstances have changed back again.

 

As it happens, in the case of the cache concerned, the first 'needs maintenance' was posted a few weeks ago, not months on end. Since the cache hasn't been linked on the forum, it's easy to assume it has indeed been abandoned for months on end, which simply isn't the case. There are many caches out there with needs maintenance logs going back further than this one. If it wasn't for someone wanting to place a new cache there wouldn't even be a discussion about it here.

 

Which cache is it??? MaxKim

Link to comment
pikeyVan

+pikeyVan

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I think if life has taken a turn that means your priorities are not geocaching for months on end then any caches that are in need of maintenance are indeed abandoned until your circumstances have changed back again.

 

As it happens, in the case of the cache concerned, the first 'needs maintenance' was posted a few weeks ago, not months on end. Since the cache hasn't been linked on the forum, it's easy to assume it has indeed been abandoned for months on end, which simply isn't the case. There are many caches out there with needs maintenance logs going back further than this one. If it wasn't for someone wanting to place a new cache there wouldn't even be a discussion about it here.

 

 

thanks to everyone here for their advice...seems like i opened a can of worms,some mixed emotions it seems.

my intention wasnt to get a cache archived so i could place mine, rather it was to incourage cachers to visit the area. i had spoken to other cachers who decided not to go visit the area due to the logs saying it was missing or in poor condition.

sorry if i offended anyone.

Link to comment
mongoose39uk

+mongoose39uk

Posted
Posted

Pikey van, thanks for bringing this to my attention via the forums, unfortunately my daughters internet access has been very limited of late .

 

I will sort it out for her in the next couple of days along with some long needed maint on my own caches.

 

It would help to be honest if more people used the needs maint logs..............

 

I went out to sort my own out a couple of weeks ago then got back to find caches very close to the ones with maint needed logs on them also needed sorting out.

 

Ta

 

Tony

Link to comment
Bear and Ragged

+Bear and Ragged

Posted
Posted (edited)

First Needs Maintenance 13th July with a Found log of "Found the cache, unfortunately he has been muggled."

 

Second Needs Maintenance 31 Aug.

 

Two months, eight* weeks not " a few weeks ago..."

Is there not someone local who could do a bit of maintenance on the cache?

:rolleyes:

 

* Ten weeks now.

 

edit to add, slow on the keys!

Edited by Bear and Ragged
Link to comment
mongoose39uk

+mongoose39uk

Posted
Posted

First Needs Maintenance 13th July with a Found log of "Found the cache, unfortunately he has been muggled."

 

Second Needs Maintenance 31 Aug.

 

Two months, eight* weeks not " a few weeks ago..."

Is there not someone local who could do a bit of maintenance on the cache?

:rolleyes:

 

* Ten weeks now.

 

edit to add, slow on the keys!

 

Yeah, me her dad, who has now changed the email for notifications to his own as Rachel is not always getting her email.

Link to comment
mongoose39uk

+mongoose39uk

Posted
Posted

If it can be rescued, maybe pikeyVan can find somewhere outside of the limit... :rolleyes:

 

Or maybe the reviewer will let it stand, if it's not too close...

 

Plenty of places around there for another cache.

 

Boggarts behind you will be a whole new box etc. Though I can't say I will be enjoying the muddy approach to replace it.

Link to comment
mongoose39uk

+mongoose39uk

Posted
Posted

If it can be rescued, maybe pikeyVan can find somewhere outside of the limit... :rolleyes:

 

Or maybe the reviewer will let it stand, if it's not too close...

 

Plenty of places around there for another cache.

 

Boggarts behind you will be a whole new box etc. Though I can't say I will be enjoying the muddy approach to replace it.

Link to comment
Graculus

+Graculus

Posted
Posted

The fact that the owner hasn't logged in since April shouldn't be an indication that the cache is abandoned.

 

Yes it is. The guidelines clearly state: The cache owner will assume all responsibility of their cache listings...... As the cache owner, you are also responsible for physically checking your cache periodically, and especially when someone reports a problem with the cache (missing, damaged, wet, etc.). You may temporarily disable your cache to let others know not to hunt for it until you have a chance to fix the problem. This feature is to allow you a reasonable time – normally a few weeks – in which to arrange a visit to your cache. In the event that a cache is not being properly maintained, or has been temporarily disabled for an extended period of time, we may archive or transfer the listing.

 

I see the owner in this case not having logged in for several months and the logs ignored so it appears they have abandoned the cache. As I stated in my previous post if the period is only a few months then a polite note is put on the page asking the owner to check. I also disabled this cache so others would know there was a problem with it. If the owner ignores my request after 7 days then it just confirms the owner is not maintaining the cache and I would archive it. In this case the owner did respond. The system worked exactly as it should.

1) someone reports it needs archived

2) the reviewer checks it and posts a note asking for it to be fixed

3) the owner responds saying it will be

 

Graculus

Link to comment
The Mighty Shark

+The Mighty Shark

Posted
Posted (edited)

Following on from this thread. I also know of a local cache to myself that seems to have been neglected by it's owner and the last few people to find the cache have commented on it's lack of maintenance. It's one that I would hate to see get archived and I have emailed the owner to ask if I can adopt it but what happens if I get no reply from them.

Could I be given permission to adopt it from anyone other than the owner and if so, how do I go about it?

 

Edited to add that the owners registered since 2001 and have found a total of 18 caches so not what you may call keen cachers. they last logged into geocaching.com in July of this year

Edited by The Mighty Shark
Link to comment
MartyBartfast

+MartyBartfast

Posted
Posted

Following on from this thread. I also know of a local cache to myself that seems to have been neglected by it's owner and the last few people to find the cache have commented on it's lack of maintenance. It's one that I would hate to see get archived and I have emailed the owner to ask if I can adopt it but what happens if I get no reply from them.

Could I be given permission to adopt it from anyone other than the owner and if so, how do I go about it?

No, there used to be such a thing as a forced adoption but they're not allowed anymore. All you can do is get it archived and place another one in the same place.

Link to comment
Alan White

Alan White

Posted
Posted

I see the owner in this case not having logged in for several months

I don't disagree with anything you say, but I'd be careful about using the last visit date from the profile as an absolute.

 

I've noticed on more than one occasion that the "last visit" on the profile hasn't been updated even when the user has obviously logged in because they've posted logs :ph34r:

 

I reported this to Groundspeak but, as usual, got no response at all.

 

I'm aware that there's a known problem where logins via WAP don't update the last visit date and it's possibly that.

Link to comment
mongoose39uk

+mongoose39uk

Posted
Posted

The system worked exactly as it should.

1) someone reports it needs archived

2) the reviewer checks it and posts a note asking for it to be fixed

3) the owner responds saying it will be

 

Graculus

 

Wrong the system did not work, the email on the account was not accessible so no notification was received. I saw this thread and put two and two together knowing the area the OP caches in and knowing that Pengy&Tigger know why my maint has fallen behind.

 

Also, Mr. White is quite correct if you log in via WAP it does not update the fact you have logged in.

 

However, in the vast majority of cases the normal procedure would work.

 

Can I request that now the OP's question has been answered this thread gets closed.

Link to comment
Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
Followers 1
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...