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We had a horrible time..will probably never do this again


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P.S. Nice troll.

 

Exactly!!!!!!!! Your all getting your legs pulled here people............. :)

 

I beg to differ...this isn't the work of a troll. Look at her membership date. It's September 22, 2008. That means she's been at least moderately interested in this hobby since that time. Do you really think she'd sign up for a website and then wait 4 1/2 months to start trolling?? There are people who've been into this sport for years who have less than 10 posts on these forums. Does that make them trolls? Of course not.

 

I also think it's rude of you to respond in such a fashion. If you think she's a troll and got a good laugh about it, fine...but please keep it to yourself. I (along with the others on here) prefer to be helpful and offer sound advice and opinions without being judgemental. I think it took a lot of pride swallowing to come on here and admit her failure. Most folks would have just said "screw this" and disappeared. But she at least is making an attempt to find out why she might have had a bad first experience, so let's ALL just go with that and try to help.

 

IMO, it's guys like YOU that give hobbies like this a bad name. "Ooh...let's make fun of the noob!!" Lots of maturity and guidance on display there...

 

I, for one, hopes she reads through this entire thread and comes away with a new sense of encouragement. I love reading posts from new cachers. I like trying to help those who have questions, and I REALLY love to read the ones who come on here all excited when they tell the story of their first find and how exhilerating it was.

 

So again, if you want to be helpful...great. If not, just sit back and quietly get your kicks out of the thread and move on. No one here appreciates your attitude.

Well, well, well.

Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.

I think that Crockett felt that this thread smelled fishy. I have been following it as well and think its fishy as well.

Which led me to ask a question to the original poster.

Why tell a geocaching forum that this sport is horrible and that they never will do this again? She isn't trying to attempt to find out why, all her posts have said that its not for her. Crockett and others felt that this was designed to either get a rise out of cachers or get others to outpour their love.

 

I think your above post was much more negative in nature that what was posted by Crockett.

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Which led me to ask a question to the original poster.

Why tell a geocaching forum that this sport is horrible and that they never will do this again? She isn't trying to attempt to find out why, all her posts have said that its not for her.

 

It's like posting here about ignoring certain types of geocaches. It's not enough just to silently ignore them. Posting here lets everyone else, and especially those that own those types of caches they're being ignored.

 

I've seen the same thing on Usenet over the past 25 years. For those unfamiliar with Usenet, it has the notion of killfiles. Usenet newsreaders provide a facilitie for ignoring messages posted by specific authors and in some cases by thread. It's not enough just to put someone in a killfile, or using usenet vernacular, "plonking" a user. Liberal killfile user must also announce that they have "plonked" someone.

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So now I'm a troll? Lovely. :)

 

I'm sorry that I ruined anybody's day by letting people (especially newbies like myself) know that it's not always as easy as you (meaning the community in general) make it out to be. I had gotten all the advice I was going to get and I did say thank you. I guess that counts for nothing anymore.

 

I'm not an outdoorsy girl, but I was willing to give it another shot, even if my husband wasn't. Now, thanks to some PPs, I have been totally turned off. I don't want to contact other cachers in my area, because I'm afraid they will be like the poster who laughed at me and told me to go back to my dadgum Xbox. I'm not going to go out and spend upwards of $100 on a piece of equipment I'm not going to use either. I can't afford to right now. I have other things that are more important than a piece of equipment.

 

Once again, I am thankful for all the advice the PPs gave. It might come in handy if I ever decide to give this another shot.

 

Babythree

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So now I'm a troll? Lovely. :)

 

I'm sorry that I ruined anybody's day by letting people (especially newbies like myself) know that it's not always as easy as you (meaning the community in general) make it out to be. I had gotten all the advice I was going to get and I did say thank you. I guess that counts for nothing anymore.

 

I'm not an outdoorsy girl, but I was willing to give it another shot, even if my husband wasn't. Now, thanks to some PPs, I have been totally turned off. I don't want to contact other cachers in my area, because I'm afraid they will be like the poster who laughed at me and told me to go back to my dadgum Xbox. I'm not going to go out and spend upwards of $100 on a piece of equipment I'm not going to use either. I can't afford to right now. I have other things that are more important than a piece of equipment.

 

Once again, I am thankful for all the advice the PPs gave. It might come in handy if I ever decide to give this another shot.

 

Babythree

 

Don't let a few people reflect on everyone. MOST ALL cachers I've interacted with are very nice, helpful and understanding people. But like in the 'Real World', when you get a diverse group together you'll have a few that aren't so nice. If you like Geocaching fine, if you like something else that I don't enjoy that is fine also. That is why it's nice to live where we do - to have the right to make choices.

Edited by WatchDog2020
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It is also difficult for some people to differentiate between a legitimate concern or criticism and a personal attack. I took the OP to be trying to get a feel on it. Early on, my wife would say that I was becoming a little obsessive--so with that I decided I wouldn't--I would limit my time and integrate my game into other activities. My wife does not get it and says--that is your thing. But home life and children and work are also my thing. Friends with whom I hike, have said they don't get and don't want to get it, so with them I don't . Even with some guys who are active cachers they say more than a couple of caches on a hike diminishes the hike experience. Different strokes folks, she wasn't personally attacking anyone because they happen to enjoy caching. The fact that she didn't have a good time does nothing for or against me. I haven't yet divided my world into Cachers and Non Cachers, I also haven't restricted my outlet to solely caching.

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So now I'm a troll? Lovely. :)

 

I'm sorry that I ruined anybody's day by letting people (especially newbies like myself) know that it's not always as easy as you (meaning the community in general) make it out to be. I had gotten all the advice I was going to get and I did say thank you. I guess that counts for nothing anymore.

 

I'm not an outdoorsy girl, but I was willing to give it another shot, even if my husband wasn't. Now, thanks to some PPs, I have been totally turned off. I don't want to contact other cachers in my area, because I'm afraid they will be like the poster who laughed at me and told me to go back to my dadgum Xbox. I'm not going to go out and spend upwards of $100 on a piece of equipment I'm not going to use either. I can't afford to right now. I have other things that are more important than a piece of equipment.

 

Once again, I am thankful for all the advice the PPs gave. It might come in handy if I ever decide to give this another shot.

 

Babythree

Good luck in whatever endeavor makes you happy and I genuinely mean that

Edited by buttaskotch
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Forum posters are like many other things, there is The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly. The Good far out numbered the Bad in responding to your Topic. If you look at most Topics with more than 10 or 15 responses you will almost always find someone's post that is either crude, rude, or inappropriate.

 

You might want to look into Waymarking because you have the right unit for that. Waymarking is the finding of interesting visual locations. Check out these URL's http://www.Waymarking.com/ and http://portal.Groundspeak.com/forums/default.aspx

 

Check this cache out "GC1B7RR" and send me an Email if you want to and I will explain how it works, it is very interesting. You can drive to within 30' of it put I still had to go back three times to find it. Check ot the Gallery pics for this cache also.

Edited by BrrrMo
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You mentioned being a "city" person and I thought it might interest you to know that almost every city park I know of has a cache or two. You might want to look closer to home in an environment that is more comfortable. I'd also avoid buying a unit until I knew I was interested in pursuing the game. Your unit is probably just find to start with and if you search in an area you're already familiar with you might really get a kick out it and discover some cleverly concealed caches in a place you already frequent :laughing:

 

As for your having a bad time on that last cache, I had a chuckle because after a few years caching, I spent yesterday climbing 35 into a tree covered in ice and snow and praying none of the less than trustworthy looking branches snapped off just because I failed to read the whole cache description. Now I'll have to hike back out again next weekend and look approximately 24 inches off the ground to find it! :)

 

The greatest part of this sport isn't finding caches. It isn't placing caches. It isn't having big find numbers or accumulating treasures. It's about having great experiences and stories that go with them. When I get to work on Monday mornings people assume I'll have a good story for them now. They know my response will never be "nothing, just hung out at home". They want to see the pictures, laugh at my mistakes with me and enjoy my triumphs with me. Once you start finding caches, the whole world looks different to you and your life will probably never be the same. You'll always be wondering how close you're standing to that next cache :)

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So now I'm a troll? Lovely. :)

 

I'm sorry that I ruined anybody's day by letting people (especially newbies like myself) know that it's not always as easy as you (meaning the community in general) make it out to be. I had gotten all the advice I was going to get and I did say thank you. I guess that counts for nothing anymore.

 

I'm not an outdoorsy girl, but I was willing to give it another shot, even if my husband wasn't. Now, thanks to some PPs, I have been totally turned off. I don't want to contact other cachers in my area, because I'm afraid they will be like the poster who laughed at me and told me to go back to my dadgum Xbox. I'm not going to go out and spend upwards of $100 on a piece of equipment I'm not going to use either. I can't afford to right now. I have other things that are more important than a piece of equipment.

 

Once again, I am thankful for all the advice the PPs gave. It might come in handy if I ever decide to give this another shot.

 

Babythree

 

Quite frankly, with my experience at other forums, everyone here has been very patient and elsewhere you would have been run off very quickly as a troll. If you hated it soooo much and don't ever want to do it again, then why are you still messing with this thread? Suddenly now you say that you would have been willing to give it another shot, it seems to me that this is now the first time you have said this, where before you weren't even going to try again. And going back to the original post, it would make much more sense for you to have said, "we had a terrible time. Is there something we did wrong, or is it just not for us?" But instead you posted how horrible it was. All along the things you have said and done beg attention and are "stir up the pot" type comments. No one here did anything that would make you afraid of other cachers; but it sure sounds good when you see one person saying that you might be a troll and someone else saying give her a break. Makes for a nice little division you can exploit and act like you are a victim who has been terribly wronged. You didn't like it, then you didn't like it. Guess what, last night I tried sushi for the first time....I didn't like it, so I didn't eat anymore of it. I didn't get on a food forum and post how terrible it was. Maybe your actions are pure and without malice and all is done in ignorance, but this whole thread reaks of troll and someone who wants to play around. If you are done, then you are done, disable your email alerts and walk away. If you want to give it a try, then stop playing a victim, get someone who knows what they are doing and go after a few caches and then make the call. But either way, it takes some growing up.

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The worst thing any noob can do is post a question to these forums. 9 times out of 10 you will be ripped to shreds by the regular posters here because they have nothing better to do. During my research in tracking these forums, the data mining has shown that roughly the same 36 or so individuals, including some moderators, will criticize or hijack in some fashion, post after post after post.

 

I guarantee you, the majority of cachers that you run into in person, outside of these forums, will welcome you with open arms and do anything to help you in your geocaching endeavors.

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The worst thing any noob can do is post a question to these forums. 9 times out of 10 you will be ripped to shreds by the regular posters here because they have nothing better to do. During my research in tracking these forums, the data mining has shown that roughly the same 36 or so individuals, including some moderators, will criticize or hijack in some fashion, post after post after post.

 

I guarantee you, the majority of cachers that you run into in person, outside of these forums, will welcome you with open arms and do anything to help you in your geocaching endeavors.

Which was the advice she was given quite a bit to begin with. Stop and review what she has said and think of how it applies.

 

That research you have done sounds pretty interesting. I would expect that you have all that data compiled and on a spreadsheet somewhere. How about posting it so we can see the scientific evidence of the study you have done and the results of tracking in the forums that shows how the 9 times out of 10 breaks down in each catagory in each forum topic. Afterall that "data mining" I am sure you want to show it to back up your claims.

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And also, I have asked some very dumb NOOB questions on here and NEVER have I felt like people were berating me or attacking me because I was new and didn't know what I was doing. Everyone has been very helpful and friendly. I think pretty much that it all depends on the posters attitude when coming to the forums.

 

(now that is only my opinion and personal experience, I don't have any scientific data to back that up.)

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The worst thing any noob can do is post a question to these forums. 9 times out of 10 you will be ripped to shreds by the regular posters here because they have nothing better to do. During my research in tracking these forums, the data mining has shown that roughly the same 36 or so individuals, including some moderators, will criticize or hijack in some fashion, post after post after post.

 

I guarantee you, the majority of cachers that you run into in person, outside of these forums, will welcome you with open arms and do anything to help you in your geocaching endeavors.

 

and there are many on the Forums as you can see from some of the responses are willing to help. As in any forum disregard the Flamers and don't stoop to there level by replying to there post.

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And also, I have asked some very dumb NOOB questions on here and NEVER have I felt like people were berating me or attacking me because I was new and didn't know what I was doing. Everyone has been very helpful and friendly. I think pretty much that it all depends on the posters attitude when coming to the forums.

 

(now that is only my opinion and personal experience, I don't have any scientific data to back that up.)

The OP and the replies were all angst-free until someone explicitly called the OP a troll (pretty ironic, that. If it was in fact a troll, it would have failed horribly until that point). Even then, I'd say the OP handled it rather well.

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9 times out of 10 you will be ripped to shreds by the regular posters here because they have nothing better to do.

Just one of the harsh realities here in the forums. :D

Ironically, my super duper top secret data mining study says that 1 out of 10 will post inaccurate statistics reeking of their own inner negativity. :D

My data doesn't provide a specific cause for these posts, as my data mining software is not quite as good as yours.

(but I suspect it's because they have nothing better to do.) :D

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The worst thing any noob can do is post a question to these forums. 9 times out of 10 you will be ripped to shreds by the regular posters here because they have nothing better to do. During my research in tracking these forums, the data mining has shown that roughly the same 36 or so individuals, including some moderators, will criticize or hijack in some fashion, post after post after post.

 

I guarantee you, the majority of cachers that you run into in person, outside of these forums, will welcome you with open arms and do anything to help you in your geocaching endeavors.

Which was the advice she was given quite a bit to begin with. Stop and review what she has said and think of how it applies.

 

That research you have done sounds pretty interesting. I would expect that you have all that data compiled and on a spreadsheet somewhere. How about posting it so we can see the scientific evidence of the study you have done and the results of tracking in the forums that shows how the 9 times out of 10 breaks down in each catagory in each forum topic. Afterall that "data mining" I am sure you want to show it to back up your claims.

 

Study still underway but you have essentially proven my point. Although, I don't believe your ID was in the top 36 (yet).

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We are city folk. We didn't realize that this was going to take us to the middle of the woods in the middle of NOWHERE. After we found some shotgun shells on the ground, we both got really freaked and practically ran back to the car.

 

Babythree

 

Hmmmm.... as a shotgun shooter.... sounds like some leftovers from hunting season that a hunter didn't pick up (they should have). Unless you were there during hunting season, I doubt there was any danger. And even if you were there IN hunting season, shotgun shells only have an effective range of about 60 yards, so the danger factor was still probably pretty low.

 

While being out in the woods most of the year is usually quite safe, going during hunting season requires extra caution (blaze orange is a good idea), just as having knowlege of the local flora and fauna (is it a bear, or mountain lion area? Is the terrain steep, rocky? Are there cliffs? Are the trails well marked?)

 

It sounds to me like your comfort level is NOT caching out in the woods. Shotgun shells laying on the ground, in and of themselves, are not a reason to panic. City caching might be more your bag. I do both.

 

The above is just another reason to research the cache you are looking for before you head out. Know before you go.

 

BlueDamsel

Edited by BlueDamsel
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Well, I decided to try again. I don't usually give up so easily so I decided to look for stuff more local. Found my first one yesterday and another one this morning.

 

I used Google Maps to direct me to where the caches would be. The first time Google Maps was spot on. The second time it directed me through somebody's backyard. Oops. :D But I was able to find another way that did not involve trespassing and found the cache within about 10 minutes. I ended up hiking the rest of the trail, which was eh. Not great but ok. It's kind of a woody area, but not nearly as woody as the place we went on Sunday. At least here there was a marked trail. Ran into a jogger and some people walking their large, enthusiastic dogs. :) So it wasn't too bad.

 

I think for now, since I don't have a GPS and have no plans in the immediate future to buy one, I'm going to stick to urban caches that are are a 1 or 2 difficulty.

 

Babytroll

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That sounds like an excellent idea. Start out with the (supposedly) easier hides, and when you get the proper equipment and a few more finds under your belt, venture out a bit further. I'm just glad that you've stuck to your guns and decided to give it another try. Now you're off and running!! Good Luck and happy hunting!!

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Well, I decided to try again. I don't usually give up so easily so I decided to look for stuff more local. Found my first one yesterday and another one this morning.

 

I used Google Maps to direct me to where the caches would be. The first time Google Maps was spot on. The second time it directed me through somebody's backyard. Oops. :D But I was able to find another way that did not involve trespassing and found the cache within about 10 minutes. I ended up hiking the rest of the trail, which was eh. Not great but ok. It's kind of a woody area, but not nearly as woody as the place we went on Sunday. At least here there was a marked trail. Ran into a jogger and some people walking their large, enthusiastic dogs. :) So it wasn't too bad.

 

I think for now, since I don't have a GPS and have no plans in the immediate future to buy one, I'm going to stick to urban caches that are are a 1 or 2 difficulty.

 

Babytroll

 

Congrats on your find! We're glad to hear you gave it another shot, too. Hope you continue to have success, find new places to visit and attain great stories along the way. :D

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I still think Geocaching is not for everybody.

 

PS about the forums. In the ice cream forum everyone loves ice cream. There are of course the flame wars over butter pecan vs. rocky road or whether you should eat the largest dish that you can even though all you want is a cone. One day someone post that she and her husband wanted to to try some ice cream. But she didn't do her homework and read the descriptions before starting out. Sometimes the ice cream was frozen so hard they couldn't get a scoop out and other times the ice cream had melted and was liquid. And the flavor wasn't to their liking. So they decided ice cream wasn't for them and went to get cake. The people on the ice cream forum said she was a troll. :)

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The worst thing any noob can do is post a question to these forums. 9 times out of 10 you will be ripped to shreds by the regular posters here because they have nothing better to do. During my research in tracking these forums, the data mining has shown that roughly the same 36 or so individuals, including some moderators, will criticize or hijack in some fashion, post after post after post.

 

I guarantee you, the majority of cachers that you run into in person, outside of these forums, will welcome you with open arms and do anything to help you in your geocaching endeavors.

 

I'm sorry but I find this post way off base and uncalled for. I'd really like to see how you arrived at that 9 out of 10 statistic. Did you fail to add that before any negative comment on almost any thread in this forum, that several people will have already offered help and guidance? In fact, unless you can come up with the tangible results of your study, I'd say this is about a trollish of a statement as I have ever seen posted here.

 

I'd be willing to bet my farm that most of the cachers in this forum would welcome her with open arms too if they met her in person and I think that your insinuation that the regulars here are some sort of a sub-class of geocacher could not be further from reality.

 

While I don't think that the OP is trolling, she did break of the first rules in any internet forum and that is on her. He didn't lurk for awhile and try to gain an understanding of the forum content or people posting in this forum. Because if she had, not only would she have had all of her questions already answered, she would have also realized that many of the things that she is so loudly complaining about are the things that a lot of people love about Geocaching.

 

The theme of this entire thread is the same as dropping into a "I love the color blue" forum and proclaiming that there is no uglier color in the world than blue. Even when she took that approach, many people offered encouragement and advice. Why not take a moment to recognize that??

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I still think Geocaching is not for everybody.

 

PS about the forums. In the ice cream forum everyone loves ice cream. There are of course the flame wars over butter pecan vs. rocky road or whether you should eat the largest dish that you can even though all you want is a cone. One day someone post that she and her husband wanted to to try some ice cream. But she didn't do her homework and read the descriptions before starting out. Sometimes the ice cream was frozen so hard they couldn't get a scoop out and other times the ice cream had melted and was liquid. And the flavor wasn't to their liking. So they decided ice cream wasn't for them and went to get cake. The people on the ice cream forum said she was a troll. :)

 

Where are the ice cream forums???? :D

 

I sympathise with the OP. One time I got a papercut and almost gave up on reading. How can I enjoy classic fiction when I'm nursing wounds? I bet this is why geocachers prefer being paperless.

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My husband has had a Garmin Nuvi GPS for his car for awhile now and I"d heard wonderful stories about geocaching so this weekend we decided to go out and find a cache.

 

We had a HORRIBLE time. Partially my fault, I think, for being a stupid n00b and commiting stupid n00b mistakes. And partially because I think the Garmin couldn't find the coordinates. :)

 

I am probably never doing this again. It wasn't as much fun as I thought it would be.

 

Babythree

 

If you are still interested in posting to this thread, I am very curious about what your expectations were. What was it that attracted you to geocaching in the first place? What did you think it would be like?

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If you are still interested in posting to this thread, I am very curious about what your expectations were. What was it that attracted you to geocaching in the first place? What did you think it would be like?

 

We..or rather I..got interested in it because we were going to be attending a local pirate festival (arrrr!) in October of 08. I knew from the festival's website that they were going to have a geocache treasure hunt and I tried to convince my husband to go for it. He wasn't terribly interested, so we didn't attend that portion of the festival. We did attend later in the day and recieved a geocoin stamped with the festival's name and date on it (long story there).

 

Then I totally forgot about it until about a week and a half ago. Somebody (I forget who) mentioned it to me and I thought "OH! This will be SO much fun. It will be easy, no tramping through the briars and getting dirty and bugbit the way you would if you went camping."

 

I was SO wrong. :)

 

Dogs don't frighten me, even large ones, as long as they are leashed and their person seems to have reasonable control over them. Shotgun shells, however, do scare me as I might possibly get shot and it alerts me it MIGHT not be such a safe area to be in. If I hear what sounds like a gunshot going off (whether it's from a shotgun or a handgun), I hit the floor immediately. I grew up in a rather rough neighborhood where getting shot was something that could happen to anyone on a daily basis.

 

Babythree

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Then I totally forgot about it until about a week and a half ago. Somebody (I forget who) mentioned it to me and I thought "OH! This will be SO much fun. It will be easy, no tramping through the briars and getting dirty and bugbit the way you would if you went camping."

 

I was SO wrong. :)

 

Hi B3,

 

I hope you know that you have a mini-fan club here rooting for ya! I've seen a few city folks get slowly integrated into doing things in the outdoors through Geocaching. Now they are contributing to threads in our local forum on trail essentials. It is about knowing your comfort level and being will to go a little beyond it each time in name of a new adventure. It doesn't matter what level you've begun at, you compete only with yourself. Now that you have found a cache, hopefully you will soon be in double digits and have gained a new appreciation for why some of us really like doing it.

 

I am curious about one thing. What was it that made you think this was easy or that there wasn't challenge involved? I ask this because it was the one thing that probably jumped out at me over any aspect. That it would be a challenge and not be easy.

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If you are still interested in posting to this thread, I am very curious about what your expectations were. What was it that attracted you to geocaching in the first place? What did you think it would be like?

 

We..or rather I..got interested in it because we were going to be attending a local pirate festival (arrrr!) in October of 08. I knew from the festival's website that they were going to have a geocache treasure hunt and I tried to convince my husband to go for it. He wasn't terribly interested, so we didn't attend that portion of the festival. We did attend later in the day and recieved a geocoin stamped with the festival's name and date on it (long story there).

 

Then I totally forgot about it until about a week and a half ago. Somebody (I forget who) mentioned it to me and I thought "OH! This will be SO much fun. It will be easy, no tramping through the briars and getting dirty and bugbit the way you would if you went camping."

 

I was SO wrong. :)

 

Babythree

 

Well, at least you've got to admit that this is easier than hunting true pirate's treasures. Those cannibals are really mean, and cannon balls make shotgun shells look like child's play.

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If you are still interested in posting to this thread, I am very curious about what your expectations were. What was it that attracted you to geocaching in the first place? What did you think it would be like?

 

We..or rather I..got interested in it because we were going to be attending a local pirate festival (arrrr!) in October of 08. I knew from the festival's website that they were going to have a geocache treasure hunt and I tried to convince my husband to go for it. He wasn't terribly interested, so we didn't attend that portion of the festival. We did attend later in the day and recieved a geocoin stamped with the festival's name and date on it (long story there).

 

Too bad that you don't live out this way. You'd probably enjoy this cache.

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It's too bad I'm not on the forums as much as I used to or like, I would've love to respond to this before all the flaming.

 

First off, I have to agree with Buttaskotch that I too was kind of surprised you'd come on a forum to post your disgust (in terms of the post, not trying to flame here) with geocaching. If I really didn't like something, I'd just stop doing it, not go on and complain to those who do do it. My guess is that you actually were interested in at least trying again one more time and by posting hoped that you'd hear some kind of positive feedback. In that sense, I'm sorry that a lot of the responses on here came out the way they did.

 

But I also want to say in your defense that we all have the right to enjoy things that others many not, and vice versa. Or even enjoy it in a different way than the other person. Personally, what I like about caching is not the find so much as learning about parks and places (often in my own backyard), but other people who like caching like it for very different reasons. To each their own.

 

So if you do find geocaching enjoyable, great. And if not, it's great that you tried and enjoy whatever else you do.

Edited by HaLiJuSaPa
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Congradulations AndBabyMakesThree!

 

You survived your first geocaching experience and your first forum fray. Look at all the replies and opinions. Ya gotta love the diversity.

 

Your first geocaching experience might not have met your initial expectations but you tried it again. Reading this thread might make you wonder about alot of things aside from the geocaching advice: flames, lurking & trolls but you managed that too.

 

Kuddos to your determination and spirit ... keep on trekking and posting BabyThree!

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The worst thing any noob can do is post a question to these forums. 9 times out of 10 you will be ripped to shreds by the regular posters here because they have nothing better to do. During my research in tracking these forums, the data mining has shown that roughly the same 36 or so individuals, including some moderators, will criticize or hijack in some fashion, post after post after post.

 

 

You must be looking at the wrong forums. Here the overwhelming majority of the time when a novice with an earnest question posts, people are tripping over themselves to help. Once in a while you get a smart-alek, but most people try to be helpful.

 

This thread alone belies your 9 out of 10 nonsense. Most posts are encouraging, sympathetic or helpful, There were 45 posts before the first one that could be considered a flame. 45 positive to one flame. That's a ratio you won't see in many forums.

 

 

Then I totally forgot about it until about a week and a half ago. Somebody (I forget who) mentioned it to me and I thought "OH! This will be SO much fun. It will be easy, no tramping through the briars and getting dirty and bugbit the way you would if you went camping."

 

There are many caches where none of that is involved. I've hunted caches in my work clothing (business casual) as well as in a suit and tie and I recall one geocacher who used to hunt caches dressed in a tuxedo after he got off work. Just pick your spots, check the terrain rating, description and logs and you can find many great caches that don't involve mud, briars and sweat (well I can't promise the no sweat part in the summer in Texas).

Edited by briansnat
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I think the general issue is worth considering. Many caches are not particularly pleasant experiences. If the first cache you choose to look for with the kids involves searching around a dumpster, garbage strewn woods, or an LPC, then many would have what they would consider a bad time and have a bad impression of the activity and give up. Most caches, other than number junkies, recognize that there is a huge variation in quality of caches and that many are junk that should never have been placed. Whether one wants to acknowledge it or not, there are no quality standards in the sport. I was lucky in that the first caches I looked for with the kids were in parks and involved an enjoyable hunt.

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I just love threads with posts that validate my sig lines. :D

 

Oh dear, hot, muddy and scratched. tisk, tisk. And my goodness, shotgun shells on the ground, Oh, Dear! Where there any 45's or 9's on the ground too? That is really scary. But what is really, really scary and will absolutely make you run screaming back to the car is shear terror is if you happen to see some bear scat on the ground. Oh, your city folks so I guess you wouldn't know what bear scat is. No, I suggest you stay inside where the A/C keeps things nice an cool and enjoy your xbox activities. This is not a sport for you. P.S. Nice troll.

 

The worst thing any noob can do is post a question to these forums. 9 times out of 10 you will be ripped to shreds by the regular posters here because they have nothing better to do. During my research in tracking these forums, the data mining has shown that roughly the same 36 or so individuals, including some moderators, will criticize or hijack in some fashion, post after post after post.

 

The truth is that most posters to the thread have been quite helpful.

 

There are caches of all sorts out there for all sorts of seekers depending on your interests and desires. You just have to learn how to use the available tools to help filter them out. Before I began caching I thought a walk in the woods was strolling down the right side of the fairway after a sliced tee shot. :) Now I get to act like a little kid all over again walking around in the woods, getting muddy, climbing trees, and using fallen ones to cross creeks. And other days I can just take a casual stroll on a paved greenway and pop 25' into the woods to find a cache, or even take a 2 hour tour on some rural backroads finding easy micros at stop signs, but really enjoying the scenery and absence of people. I think you really do want to cache some more, and are secretly enjoying this digital encouragement. :D

Edited by wimseyguy
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Whether one wants to acknowledge it or not, there are no quality standards in the sport.

 

Although I wouldn't have a few years ago, I couldn't disagree with this statement more.

 

First, "quality" is about as subjective as you can get in describing a Geocache. The definition of quality have everything to do with the beholder. So is the time and energy that each individual puts into a Geocache hide. For example, there's a few hiders around here that spend months planning and executing a single hide. Their *individual* standards are not only in place but very high.

 

To stay on topic, once you have found a few caches and decided what type of cache that you would like to seek, a very good skill to acquire and hone is how to filter the caches you seek using software, information on the cache page, familiarity with hiders and intuition/geosense.

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I am probably never doing this again. It wasn't as much fun as I thought it would be.

 

Babythree

 

The first day we went out to find a cache we were looking for 3 different caches I wrote the information down on index cards. After walking for over two miles in circles we gave up on the first two of three we searched for the last with two cranky kids . They did not want to be bothered to look any further they kept saying that they did not want to geocache ever again, I pushed on and we made our first find. After they found the cache they wanted to keep going but it was getting late and we had to go home.

When arrived home I too went to the computer and checked the listings and I had completely missed so much information. We tried again a few days later and found the two we missed.

I have also enjoyed looking on my own. I recommended geocaching to everyone I know and even got my sister started and choose a name for her family while out with her boys and mine. This has been such a growing experience for us as a family and I cherish the quality time we spend together. If you think about all of the other things that take up children's time like school, sports, computer games, video games and not really wanting to spend time hanging out with their parents. this has changed my boys would rather go geocaching with me than play a video game. My boys cant wait to have days off from school to go on our next hunt. Now before we go out I download the cache to my gps and write down all information in a memo book and on the back of the page I write the clue. I also highlight the cache # so when we are caching I can look up the listing in my book and know exactly what we are looking for.

Please don't give up we have not had this much fun as a family in along time and you will too.

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Many here have told of the reasons they love geocaching. Now it is time to show you why we love geocaching. :D

Most of these places we would never had visited, had it not been for geocaching.

 

Awesome photos Team Moxiepup!!!! :) I would love to hike and cache the Maine countryside one day. Never been there before.

 

Also congrats AndBabyMakes3 on finding your first cache! :D Sweeeeeet!

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I gotta say, I'm surprised and delighted that you gave it another try. Good for you! You'll find that there are caches for everyone out there. If you don't like the woods that's ok. There are lots of caches that are no where near the woods. There is a bit of a learning period that we all went through. You'll figure out how to find the ones you like.

 

From your first post it sounds like your Nuvi will get you close to the cache. From there you'll need to learn how to spot 'em. I still manage to not find more than my share. It happens, no big deal.

 

Find a local Geocaching organization. I know that you are worried that you'll run into a jerk but geocachers are, for the most part, the greatest bunch of nuts you'll ever meet. There are 5 events in February and march within 38 miles of the traditional cache you found on the trail.

 

Stick with it long enough to give it a fair chance and I'm confident that you'll get hooked.

 

Happy caching.

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If you are still interested in posting to this thread, I am very curious about what your expectations were. What was it that attracted you to geocaching in the first place? What did you think it would be like?

 

We..or rather I..got interested in it because we were going to be attending a local pirate festival (arrrr!) in October of 08. I knew from the festival's website that they were going to have a geocache treasure hunt and I tried to convince my husband to go for it. He wasn't terribly interested, so we didn't attend that portion of the festival. We did attend later in the day and recieved a geocoin stamped with the festival's name and date on it (long story there).

 

Then I totally forgot about it until about a week and a half ago. Somebody (I forget who) mentioned it to me and I thought "OH! This will be SO much fun. It will be easy, no tramping through the briars and getting dirty and bugbit the way you would if you went camping."

 

I was SO wrong. :)

 

Dogs don't frighten me, even large ones, as long as they are leashed and their person seems to have reasonable control over them. Shotgun shells, however, do scare me as I might possibly get shot and it alerts me it MIGHT not be such a safe area to be in. If I hear what sounds like a gunshot going off (whether it's from a shotgun or a handgun), I hit the floor immediately. I grew up in a rather rough neighborhood where getting shot was something that could happen to anyone on a daily basis.

 

Babythree

 

From what you're saying about the Pirate Festival, I have a guess that you are in the Portland, OR area? Anyways, maybe you should try meeting up with some local cachers and going out with them, they can help show you the ropes and what style of caching fits you the best. Sounds like urban caching might be a better fit for you. but if you do go out into the woods, might I suggest wearing an orange hunting vest? I recently picked one up for myself, as I prefer getting out into the woods to searching around park benches, but I don't want to get shot, either! Got a bright orange vest and hat, and the vest has pockets for batteries and pens and a little first aid kit and my phone and whatever else I might need out there.

 

But anyways, before totally giving up and letting a few knuckleheads poison the whole well, try some in-town caches or going to an event or just hooking up with a couple others and try geocaching in a different way.

 

EDIT: Just looked at your finds, and they are both in Texas, so I reckon ya'll aint anywhere near Portland after all! Anyways, it sounded like the library one you found wasn't so bad, look for more like that, maybe.

Edited by HondaH8er
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B3, congrats on 2 finds now :)

 

What I "heard" in your original post, was disappointment, and a bit of frustration... what I heard is, "I want to do this, but it didn't work out like I thought and my hubby doesn't like it"... but a part of you wanted to try again, so you posted. Good for you :D

 

I found out about the hobby from a customer of mine. I signed up for the site, but it took 2 months for me to save up and find/buy a used GPS on eBay, and 2 more months to get the time/work up the nerve to try. My first day we found 6 I think... but we had to make 2 trips to each because we had NO IDEA what we were doing. My kids and me, and I dragged along their uncle, I think. The man I was seeing came along with me from time to time, but he really wasn't interested, so I either went with my kids, or alone - but always stayed in my comfort zone. Early on it was easier ones - urban micros and stuff in parks where bushwacking wasn't necessary.

 

Then I unloaded the boyfriend (LOL) and got more serious about caching. It was good "therapy" for me - physically and emotionally. Sounds lame but getting out there and upping the ante on difficulty/terrain and coming away successful (even if it took a few attempts) built up my confidence. I went to an event breakfast with my kids and found out that most of the locals were in my age group (+/-15 years!!!) and made some new friends. Just the social aspect is great!

 

As time passed, I tried more and more challenging ones - and the easier ones too - I like all kinds of caches.

 

Then I met another cacher who turned my head... and apparently I turned his too :D We've been together for about 18 months now :D

 

I found my 400th cache a few months ago. I ended up taking the hard way to get it... the VERY hard way. I couldn't find the right trail that would have made it an easy walk - but I really wanted to find this cache so I bushwacked... but that made the milestone that much better.

 

Not everybody wants to bushwhack - just as some cachers don't like urban micros. That's what I love about this sport - there is something for every age and ability. The customer who put me on to caching, maintains a cache outside my place of business, and someone in a wheelchair can access it - or someone with a stroller, etc. I maintain several caches, some are a bit of a hike, a couple are skirt-lifters and some are in between. I have an easy multi that takes you to an historical marker in our town square, and the final is just a short walk across the parking lot.

 

Don't spend a ton of money on it unless and until you're hooked :D I cached for a whole year before I sprang for a premium membership. I still use the same Garmin eTrex Legend I bought for $98.50 in eBay (used)... I got GSAK and registered it and I use Cachemate (free) so I can download stuff into the GPS and my PDA phone - but those are only useful if you have a premium membership... it's still not a lot to spend, but if finances are snug, and you're still not sure about your stick-tuitiveness, make do with what you have, and pick and choose the caches that match well with your equipment and ability.

 

I'm glad you gave it another shot :D Geocaching has literally changed my life, in so many good ways. It helped me get fit, got me out of the shop and off my butt, helped me meet lots of new friends, when I travel for business (once or twice a year) I find caches and see places I'd never see otherwise, or even know they were there.

 

And I met the man of my dreams too :D

 

It doesn't get any better than that!

 

Jenn

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Well, I decided to try again. I don't usually give up so easily so I decided to look for stuff more local. Found my first one yesterday and another one this morning.

 

I used Google Maps to direct me to where the caches would be. The first time Google Maps was spot on. The second time it directed me through somebody's backyard. Oops. :D But I was able to find another way that did not involve trespassing and found the cache within about 10 minutes. I ended up hiking the rest of the trail, which was eh. Not great but ok. It's kind of a woody area, but not nearly as woody as the place we went on Sunday. At least here there was a marked trail. Ran into a jogger and some people walking their large, enthusiastic dogs. :) So it wasn't too bad.

 

I think for now, since I don't have a GPS and have no plans in the immediate future to buy one, I'm going to stick to urban caches that are are a 1 or 2 difficulty.

 

Babytroll

 

So glad that you decided to give it another try and had better results! :D

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B3, congrats on 2 finds now :)

 

What I "heard" in your original post, was disappointment, and a bit of frustration... what I heard is, "I want to do this, but it didn't work out like I thought and my hubby doesn't like it"... but a part of you wanted to try again, so you posted. Good for you :D

 

I found out about the hobby from a customer of mine. I signed up for the site, but it took 2 months for me to save up and find/buy a used GPS on eBay, and 2 more months to get the time/work up the nerve to try. My first day we found 6 I think... but we had to make 2 trips to each because we had NO IDEA what we were doing. My kids and me, and I dragged along their uncle, I think. The man I was seeing came along with me from time to time, but he really wasn't interested, so I either went with my kids, or alone - but always stayed in my comfort zone. Early on it was easier ones - urban micros and stuff in parks where bushwacking wasn't necessary.

 

Then I unloaded the boyfriend (LOL) and got more serious about caching. It was good "therapy" for me - physically and emotionally. Sounds lame but getting out there and upping the ante on difficulty/terrain and coming away successful (even if it took a few attempts) built up my confidence. I went to an event breakfast with my kids and found out that most of the locals were in my age group (+/-15 years!!!) and made some new friends. Just the social aspect is great!

 

As time passed, I tried more and more challenging ones - and the easier ones too - I like all kinds of caches.

 

Then I met another cacher who turned my head... and apparently I turned his too :D We've been together for about 18 months now :D

 

I found my 400th cache a few months ago. I ended up taking the hard way to get it... the VERY hard way. I couldn't find the right trail that would have made it an easy walk - but I really wanted to find this cache so I bushwacked... but that made the milestone that much better.

 

Not everybody wants to bushwhack - just as some cachers don't like urban micros. That's what I love about this sport - there is something for every age and ability. The customer who put me on to caching, maintains a cache outside my place of business, and someone in a wheelchair can access it - or someone with a stroller, etc. I maintain several caches, some are a bit of a hike, a couple are skirt-lifters and some are in between. I have an easy multi that takes you to an historical marker in our town square, and the final is just a short walk across the parking lot.

 

Don't spend a ton of money on it unless and until you're hooked :D I cached for a whole year before I sprang for a premium membership. I still use the same Garmin eTrex Legend I bought for $98.50 in eBay (used)... I got GSAK and registered it and I use Cachemate (free) so I can download stuff into the GPS and my PDA phone - but those are only useful if you have a premium membership... it's still not a lot to spend, but if finances are snug, and you're still not sure about your stick-tuitiveness, make do with what you have, and pick and choose the caches that match well with your equipment and ability.

 

I'm glad you gave it another shot :D Geocaching has literally changed my life, in so many good ways. It helped me get fit, got me out of the shop and off my butt, helped me meet lots of new friends, when I travel for business (once or twice a year) I find caches and see places I'd never see otherwise, or even know they were there.

 

And I met the man of my dreams too :D

 

It doesn't get any better than that!

 

Jenn

 

Wow!! JennM, I know it's nothing official, but I'm going to nominate this post as the most honest and uplifting post of the new year...possibly ever!!

 

A script writer in Hollywood could not have created a better response. You 've inspired ME...and I've been doing this for a little while!!

 

Congrats on everything you've accomplished due to your passion for cachin'!!

 

And again...congrats also to the newly crowned "AB3"!! See? 2 finds and you've already got a forum nickname!! You're gonna get hooked, I just know it!!

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