+GIDEON-X Posted March 22, 2009 Share Posted March 22, 2009 (edited) I really get tired of just plain dumb or nothing Hints. Such as "Bring a pencil. "I still have stock in Band-Aids"....,none needed, etc.etc.. Just leave the space blank. But Then Some Folks want to take their shot at Humor (I Guess) ........... And yes it does make me feel a tad better (THANKS).... Click Here / Useless Hints Edited March 22, 2009 by GIDEON-X Quote Link to comment
+Kit Fox Posted March 22, 2009 Share Posted March 22, 2009 Be sure to post a link in your found it log to the thread titled "Useless Hints." Quote Link to comment
+undertree Posted March 22, 2009 Share Posted March 22, 2009 This got me to thinking. Some of my hides have cryptic hints. One of them had a hint that was also in the normal description. That one I just went and changed. I agree that I don't like hints that don't help at all. Quote Link to comment
+redjada Posted March 22, 2009 Share Posted March 22, 2009 Well, still kinda new to this. But I have found that the hints basically give the cache away. "don't get stumped on this one" or "be sure to sign the log" I would rather not have any hints. And I no longer look at them. I like to look for something that I don't know what I'm looking for but I know what it is when I find it. Quote Link to comment
AZcachemeister Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 It's the 'EMail me for a hint if needed' ones that get me the most. Like I'm going to stand there and wait for the owner to answer my EMail. Of course, nobody from out-of-town would happen to be looking for it, either. I don't mind obtuse hints, and I give them from time-to-time. Some carp about the parking, or how much water to bring, isn't a hint. Quote Link to comment
+Cache O'Plenty Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 What's the point of a hint that makes no sense until you find the cache? Or: "easytofind" Quote Link to comment
+Star*Hopper Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Isn't the "Leave it blank" directive on the cache submission form a rather recent revision? (Gawsh I sure hope my memory isn't that bad!!) From some of the ones I've seen, it serves a purpose that was needed LONG ago!! Still, the worst I've ever done is decrypt, say "well, that's no help" -- and moved on. ~* Quote Link to comment
Mr.Yuck Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Useless hints, are ummm. useless. Many people do the paperless caching thing, and don't decrypt the hint unless they actually need them in the field. The cache submission form clearly states that if you don't have a hint, leave it blank. But yet I still see tons of ABAR hints. ABAR decrypts to "none", I've memorized that. If it's any consolation some reviewers will actually look at this, and post a reviewer note telling the cache placer that their hint is useless, and if they don't have one, leave the field blank. Obviously not my local reviewer though. Quote Link to comment
GOF and Bacall Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Haven't decrypted a hint in ages. I use GSAK and Cachemate. The hint is already decrypted for you. It's on its own page so you don't see it unless you choose to. No tedious decrypting and no fashionable decoder ring required. Paperless, the way to go. Quote Link to comment
+Star*Hopper Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Oh - forgot to add..... Back when I's first getting started, & reading everything I could find about the game.....somewhere out there I remember the words "Hints are an art-form". Unfortunately, many among us aren't artists! ~* Quote Link to comment
+beejay&esskay Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Haven't decrypted a hint in ages. Even then, I still find it annoying. Hints on caches I searched for today include: no hints needed Shouldn't need any none needed The concept of "leave it blank" seems to be lost on many. Quote Link to comment
+GIDEON-X Posted March 23, 2009 Author Share Posted March 23, 2009 Some Folks Will Never Learn, or Be Told What To Do........Thier-Way or No-Way Quote Link to comment
+apfelmaus Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 I appreciate the idea of having a hint available, althought I always start looking for the cache for a while before decoding it. It is ok if the hint itself is not very specific. Even a hint like "no hint needed" gives more information away than no hint at all. My interpretation of "no hint needed" is that the cache should be easy to find and the location is obvious so I would start looking again with fresh eyes, possibly increasing the search radius. Quote Link to comment
+beejay&esskay Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Even a hint like "no hint needed" gives more information away than no hint at all. My interpretation of "no hint needed" is that the cache should be easy to find and the location is obvious so I would start looking again with fresh eyes, possibly increasing the search radius. I think "difficulty 1" conveys that information. Quote Link to comment
+Star*Hopper Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 ... It is ok if the hint itself is not very specific. Even a hint like "no hint needed" gives more information away than no hint at all. .. But then again, that's the hider's interpretation. Just try outguessing THAT!! ~* Quote Link to comment
+fox-and-the-hound Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 (edited) What's the point of a hint that makes no sense until you find the cache? Actually, I've found them very helpful in that understanding hints is a learned skill and over time you start to get better at understanding clever hints. I've been surprised at the difference a similar word can mean when in the field. "Below" vs. "Under" vs. "Beneath" is just one example of how subtle those differences can be while searching for a cache. Turns out "Below the boulder" at the top of the hill meant directly downhill from the boulder at the top of the hill and not Under the boulder itself. Edited March 23, 2009 by fox-and-the-hound Quote Link to comment
SWEEPER73 Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 (edited) Hmmm, This item will have to be considered by the "SQUAD"...............Perhaps a few "Zaps" would help........one never knows! Edited March 23, 2009 by SWEEPER73 Quote Link to comment
+rovers3 Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 I was out of town caching yesterday and came across one that I had no idea what it means "Think like an unkwatchas" Difficulty 3.0 Terrain 2.0 Coords had me on flat ground, bicycle path along a hydro line. A previous finder according to his log had no idea what the clue meant either so its not like "Oh yeah, now I get it! Duh!" Had to leave with a DNF Quote Link to comment
knowschad Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Encrypted hints don't affect me anymore, since I've gone paperless, but they still bother me, because I remember too well what it was like before then. My pet peeves are "Email for a hint", "Hint after first DNF" (not very helpful when I'm visiting from out of town and don't intend to get back again), more more than anything, encryped driving or parking directions! Quote Link to comment
+rovers3 Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 See my post two above. Well, I just found out what "unkwatchas" means via google. It is CREE for SQUIRREL. That really helped me a lot while I was out trying to hunt down the cache. Quote Link to comment
+Bear and Ragged Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 It's archived, so not a spoiler Gur qvfx vf nobhg sbhe vapurf va fvmr, guva va frpgvba naq vf terra va pbybhe. Vg vf nggnpurq gb n oynpxgubea gerr 5 srrg hc jvgu n gra vapur yratug bs oynpx punva. Vg vf 35 zrgref cnffrq gur pragre bs gur Zvaqynaq Envyjnl oevqtr ba gur Terng Prageny Envyjnl urnqvat fbhgu. Rarely use the hints these days. It's a Puzzle cache -I'd printed out the page, with the hint encrypted. Struggled, so thought I'd decrypt... Took almost as long to decrypt the hint! To save you the trouble: The disk is about four inches in size, thin in section and is green in colour. It is attached to a blackthorn tree 5 feet up with a ten inche lenght of black chain. It is 35 meters passed the center of the Mindland Railway bridge on the Great Central Railway heading south. Great cache though. Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 I just love getting to the cache site and decrypting the hint only to find out that it's "Too easy for a hint". Hey Bozo, if I need to decrypt the hint, obviously it's not that easy. Quote Link to comment
+slackpacker Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 I have a cache hidden in the end of a round hollow log, and the hint is "famous oceanographic institute" - a reference, of course, to "Woods Hole", MA. Half the finders say "awesome clue" - "thanks for the chuckle", etc. The other half say "have no idea what the clue meant". So maybe I should change it something more easily recognized - but, hey, its fun to see who gets it. Quote Link to comment
+beejay&esskay Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 See my post two above.Well, I just found out what "unkwatchas" means via google. It is CREE for SQUIRREL. That really helped me a lot while I was out trying to hunt down the cache. You are complaining about Cree? We have a cache owner who puts hints in Tagalog. Quote Link to comment
Mr.Yuck Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 I appreciate the idea of having a hint available, althought I always start looking for the cache for a while before decoding it. It is ok if the hint itself is not very specific. Even a hint like "no hint needed" gives more information away than no hint at all. My interpretation of "no hint needed" is that the cache should be easy to find and the location is obvious so I would start looking again with fresh eyes, possibly increasing the search radius. I've actually seen this interpretation before in several of the other useless hints threads. In theory, I guess I can see where you people are coming from; if it says something along the lines of "no hint needed" or "too easy for hints", it could be a super easy cache, and you may be overthinking it. However, I've never personally stumbled on such a case. Only grossly underrated 1 star rated caches with multiple DNF's. This is all besides the fact that "no hints needed" or "too easy for hints" are not hints. Read the friggin' form, people. Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 I have a cache hidden in the end of a round hollow log, and the hint is "famous oceanographic institute" - a reference, of course, to "Woods Hole", MA. Half the finders say "awesome clue" - "thanks for the chuckle", etc. The other half say "have no idea what the clue meant". So maybe I should change it something more easily recognized - but, hey, its fun to see who gets it. That's a good hint, being cryptic is fine. Putting useless info, or taunts in the hint is silly and annoying. Some of us still sit there with a pencil and paper and decrypt the things. Quote Link to comment
+Klatch Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Useless hints, are ummm. useless. Many people do the paperless caching thing, and don't decrypt the hint unless they actually need them in the field. The cache submission form clearly states that if you don't have a hint, leave it blank. But yet I still see tons of ABAR hints. ABAR decrypts to "none", I've memorized that. If it's any consolation some reviewers will actually look at this, and post a reviewer note telling the cache placer that their hint is useless, and if they don't have one, leave the field blank. Obviously not my local reviewer though. It would be nice if all reviewers did that, but I suppose some clues are so strangely written that it would be almost impossible for the reviewer to determine if they are helpful or not. There are a couple of local hiders that use clues that are absolutely meaningless until you find the cache. Quote Link to comment
+Singletree Expedition Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 How about those hints that use "left" and "right" for direction? It's rarely obvious what that means. ...or maybe it's just because we usually approach from an unexpected direction. East & West are much better indicators. Quote Link to comment
+Snake & Rooster Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 (edited) Another type of hint that irritates me, but hasn't been mentioned yet are those that are decrypted to reveal something like this: TFE LRUOY OTHS UBAD NIHEB STI. Why do some people think it is necessary to make it harder to use the hint by writing it backwards and separating the words incorrectly so that you need to decrypt the hint again? Edited March 24, 2009 by Snake & Rooster Quote Link to comment
+beejay&esskay Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Another type of hint that irritates me, but hasn't been mentioned yet are those that are decrypted to reveal something like this: TFE LRUOY OTHS UBAD NIHEB STI. Why do some people think it is necessary to make it harder to use the hint by writing it backwards and separating the words incorrectly so that you need to decrypt the hint again? I'm actually OK with those. I feel they are made a little harder to read in case you mistakenly see a decoded hint and don't want a complete spoiler. But I would agree with a previous poster that "to your left" makes a lot of assumptions about which way you are facing...maybe if you are at the edge of a cliff that would be OK. Quote Link to comment
+power69 Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 I just love getting to the cache site and decrypting the hint only to find out that it's "Too easy for a hint". Hey Bozo, if I need to decrypt the hint, obviously it's not that easy. Its *ALWAYS* easy when you know where it is! Quote Link to comment
sdarken Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 (edited) Another type of hint that irritates me, but hasn't been mentioned yet are those that are decrypted to reveal something like this: TFE LRUOY OTHS UBAD NIHEB STI. Why do some people think it is necessary to make it harder to use the hint by writing it backwards and separating the words incorrectly so that you need to decrypt the hint again? I'm actually OK with those. I feel they are made a little harder to read in case you mistakenly see a decoded hint and don't want a complete spoiler. I dont mind those either and use that same technique myself sometimes. With paperless caching particularly, it's easy to see the hint when you dont necessarily want to. On the flipside of this discussion, someone once suggested that the best kind of hints are sometimes the ones that tell you where the cache isn't hidden. "Not in the rocks" "No in the bush". Sometimes all that's needed to find a cache is better focus on where to look or not look (without providing a spoiler). Edited March 24, 2009 by sdarken Quote Link to comment
+StarBrand Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 My current pet peeve is a hints like "tree". If I get there and coordinates point right at a tree and it is the only one for 60 feet in any direction. Please don't bother. Quote Link to comment
+Bear and Ragged Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 My current pet peeve is a hints like "tree". If I get there and coordinates point right at a tree and it is the only one for 60 feet in any direction. Please don't bother. Yep. High, low, eye level or knee level are much more useful in that situation! Quote Link to comment
SWEEPER73 Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 One local placer in this area (Yuma,AZ) standard (Bring your own writing stick)....... Quote Link to comment
+Stargazer22 Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 How about those hints that use "left" and "right" for direction? It's rarely obvious what that means. ...or maybe it's just because we usually approach from an unexpected direction. East & West are much better indicators. I agree wholly with this one. Right and left mean nothing unless you know which direction the seeker is facing. Reminds me of the old Three Stooges gag where they all face each other and Moe says "point to the right", so of course they all wind up pointing in a different direction. I think some hiders use useless hints as an attempt at humor. For a seeker needing to resort to the hint, the humor just isn't there. Good hints can be something like "look high", "underneath", or "not behind the fence". Depending on the terrain, there could be lots of places to look high, or underneath. While not exactly specific enough to completely give away the hiding spot, it helps to eliminate a certain amount of territory from the search. Those are the kinds of hints I like, something that will aid in the search without actually giving it away completely. Quote Link to comment
+Cache O'Plenty Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 This thread prompted me to go back to my own caches and rethink the hints I provided. Especially the early ones when I was a newbie. Never gave a thought then of the task of decrypting them in the field and they really didn't provide any "hint". I've rewritten some of them and eliminated several that were pointless. Thus, this thread has served me well. Quote Link to comment
John E Cache Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 (edited) I really get tired of just plain dumb or nothing Hints. Such as "Bring a pencil. "I still have stock in Band-Aids"....,none needed, etc.etc.. Just leave the space blank. But Then Some Folks want to take their shot at Humor (I Guess) ........... And yes it does make me feel a tad better (THANKS).... Click Here / Useless Hints You managed to hit two of my pet peeves. One is non-descriptive titles for forum threads. RANT could describe 90% of the threads here. The other is yelling by using all caps or large fonts. I once decoded a hint that said "left end of the log". There were several fallen trees in the area. I always think about Ralphie decoding "Be sure to drink your Ovaltine" when I decode a useless hint. Edited March 25, 2009 by John E Cache Quote Link to comment
+Mredria Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 I always think about Ralphie decoding "Be sure to drink your Ovaltine" when I decode a useless hint. And now I'm always going to think about that. At least I'll be able to laugh myself out of the blinding werewolf rage. Quote Link to comment
SWEEPER73 Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 (edited) I really get tired of just plain dumb or nothing Hints. Such as "Bring a pencil. "I still have stock in Band-Aids"....,none needed, etc.etc.. Just leave the space blank. But Then Some Folks want to take their shot at Humor (I Guess) ........... And yes it does make me feel a tad better (THANKS).... Click Here / Useless Hints You managed to hit two of my pet peeves. One is non-descriptive titles for forum threads. RANT could describe 90% of the threads here. The other is yelling by using all caps or large fonts. I once decoded a hint that said "left end of the log". There were several fallen trees in the area. I always think about Ralphie decoding "Be sure to drink your Ovaltine" when I decode a useless hint. Hmmm, ( "RANT" Encrypted Hints.......Trying to be Humorous) "Non-descriptive ?" CAPS shouting (THANKS) ok I'll give you that one (but I did mean it to - SHOUT) large or different font....whoopie (live with it) Edited March 26, 2009 by SWEEPER73 Quote Link to comment
+slackpacker Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Another annoying type of hints are those that describe in exacting detail how to get to the area but then don't tell you anything about the actual hide, like "Park at lower parking lot near baseball fields and take the woodlands trail for one mile or the valley trail from the group picnic area - trails close at 8:00 - be sure to watch for deer". Quote Link to comment
John E Cache Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Hmmm, ( "RANT" Encrypted Hints.......Trying to be Humorous) "Non-descriptive ?" CAPS shouting (THANKS) ok I'll give you that one (but I did mean it to - SHOUT) large or different font....whoopie (live with it) I hate colored fonts too. Quote Link to comment
+GIDEON-X Posted March 26, 2009 Author Share Posted March 26, 2009 Hmmm, ( "RANT" Encrypted Hints.......Trying to be Humorous) "Non-descriptive ?" CAPS shouting (THANKS) ok I'll give you that one (but I did mean it to - SHOUT) large or different font....whoopie (live with it) I hate colored fonts too. "BOO-HOO"--Hate It All Quote Link to comment
John E Cache Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Hmmm, ( "RANT" Encrypted Hints.......Trying to be Humorous) "Non-descriptive ?" CAPS shouting (THANKS) ok I'll give you that one (but I did mean it to - SHOUT) large or different font....whoopie (live with it) I hate colored fonts too. "BOO-HOO"--Hate It All You are proving my point. You don't get irony or sarcasm. What set me off was that you called hints that use not so obvious(to you) attempts at humor dumb. Don't you find it ironic that your rant caused another rant? Quote Link to comment
+GIDEON-X Posted March 27, 2009 Author Share Posted March 27, 2009 Hmmm, ( "RANT" Encrypted Hints.......Trying to be Humorous) "Non-descriptive ?" CAPS shouting (THANKS) ok I'll give you that one (but I did mean it to - SHOUT) large or different font....whoopie (live with it) I hate colored fonts too. "BOO-HOO"--Hate It All You are proving my point. You don't get irony or sarcasm. What set me off was that you called hints that use not so obvious(to you) attempts at humor dumb. Don't you find it ironic that your rant caused another rant? What ever........... Quote Link to comment
+Cedar Grove Seekers Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 My current pet peeve is a hints like "tree". If I get there and coordinates point right at a tree and it is the only one for 60 feet in any direction. Please don't bother. Yep. High, low, eye level or knee level are much more useful in that situation! Really? I would be happy to know that it is in the tree, as opposed to the likely several other spots near and around the tree. Adding the height at which it is in the tree seems too specific - more of a spoiler than a hint. I've always assumed that hints were there to narrow things down, not give them away. Quote Link to comment
+PT_Tex Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 I don't want to give a hint that gives away everything, so sometimes I make the hint a riddle or a play on words. I have a cache in a cemetery that is next to an electric power plant. the hint is "Go toward the light". another one I drilled a hole in a log and put small tube in it and the hint was "Don't forget to log in”. My last cache is a magnet on an old railroad tie coming out of the ground next to a jogging path. The hint is "Oh no my shoes untied". All three caches are easy to find without the hint, but maybe some people get the joke. Quote Link to comment
Mag Magician Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 There are those useless hints that are only seemingly so! One that had me cursing the CO after an hour searching for a 1.5 difficulty cache, was decrypting the clue to see it said "pine". OK, there is one pine tree in a field of spruce trees, and it is 40 feet off indicated GZ. Spend another 1/2 hour scouring the pine tree, and curse the CO again. So, back to GZ, ready to give up, still cursing a useless clue, glance up, and here's a pine cone cache in a spruce tree! Quote Link to comment
+Ed56 Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 (edited) The hint that I absolutely loath is the one that says "Oh Please!" It kind of implies in a sarcastic way that this cache is so easy that any idiot could find it instantly. As a registered Any Idiot, I can testify that this is often not the case.... I've found level 3+ difficulty caches that took me 5 minutes or less, and conversely I've found level 1 or 1.5 caches that required multiple hints and multiple attempts. My point is that difficulty ratings are highly subjective. The owner of course thinks it's an easy find since he/she knows exactly where it's located (Duh). Meanwhile we less enlightened souls have to plod along using our wits and it ain't so obvious to us. Either give me a decent hint or just say "no hints" and don't jerk me around. Edited April 9, 2009 by Ed56 Quote Link to comment
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