Feature request - Linked family

[+Bad Duck]

Caching with three other family members, wife and kids, that don't like to or want to write a log. I'd like to see a feature that would allow me to add people in a "My family" just as we do with my friends. And then when I log a cache have an additional drop down box that I could check any of those family that are caching with me at the time. Then submit one log and have all checked people get credit for the cache. Sure would save me from writing four cache logs about the same cache.

[+Max and 99]

Dear Bad Duck,

I feel your pain! I cache with my 3 kids and often write the logs for them, based on notes they make about each cache and recording what each child took or left in a cache. Although I think the feature you suggested could come in handy, I think a more personal log from each person who found the cache is nicer. When families find my caches, I love reading the different logs. Reading the same log 4 times wouldn't be as fun. Just my two cents, but I sure understand your situation! Keep on caching with the kids-great memories!

[+Bad Duck]

My kids won't write a log so I end up cut and pasting for the family. With my log detailing the caching experience. This would stop the cache owner from getting the other three C@P logs. They would get one useful log from me with at log in it of who was with me. And all the kids would then get credit.

[+tozainamboku]

And all the kids would then get credit.

Just as I thought. You have a problem because you believe that one gets credit for finding a cache. I know many caching families that simply maintain one account. If anyone from the family finds a cache they log with that account. If a group finds the cache together one person can enter the log and can even allow the kids to add to the log if they have anything to say. I've seen where dad logs a cache in one place and at same time mom and the kids log a different cache. That causes a lot of consternation for the people who count "credits" - "TeamMyFamily is cheating by sending out members to find caches in different places at one time" I personally would not have a problem if mom found the cache and logged it and then a week later dad and the kids find the same cache and log it as a find again. But the puritans get their panties up in a bunch when they see this, so it is probably better that after the first team members logs a Found It, the others use Write Note for subsequent finds.

[+Bad Duck]

We all have separate accounts. Not all of us go caching at the same time. When we do and say find 20 caches. I as the main cacher in the group end up having to post 80 logs for those twenty caches. The kids like finding but not logging. The wife won't log either. So Either I log all eighty or just the 20 for me. But then the kids like to see their counts go up and track where they have been individually.

The cache owner would get one log indicating the cachers that were there getting the cache. My sons log would link to my log for the cache. Last five logs for the cache wouldn't be "Found with the family" when looked at paperless in the PDA or on the Oregon. Would sure save me the time. Also if the family all wanted to post their own log that would still be available by not choosing to link them for that cache.

[+baloo&bd]

We all have separate accounts. Not all of us go caching at the same time. When we do and say find 20 caches. I as the main cacher in the group end up having to post 80 logs for those twenty caches. The kids like finding but not logging. The wife won't log either. So Either I log all eighty or just the 20 for me. But then the kids like to see their counts go up and track where they have been individually.

The cache owner would get one log indicating the cachers that were there getting the cache. My sons log would link to my log for the cache. Last five logs for the cache wouldn't be "Found with the family" when looked at paperless in the PDA or on the Oregon. Would sure save me the time. Also if the family all wanted to post their own log that would still be available by not choosing to link them for that cache.

 

I think it is a great idea, but wouldn't the issue/request for a family account need to be addressed before this?

[Neos2]

My kids won't write a log so I end up cut and pasting for the family. With my log detailing the caching experience. This would stop the cache owner from getting the other three C@P logs. They would get one useful log from me with at log in it of who was with me. And all the kids would then get credit.

Is it important to you or to the kids that they get credit for the caches you find together?

 

My husband and I log our finds separately because we don't always cache together. We usually cache together, but we both travel some or occasionally go out with other friends to cache. That method just made sense for us. We each wanted out finds counts to reflect what we individually accomplished.

 

If everyone writes their own log, the logs of a group don't have to be redundant. Even though we are together to find a cache, my husband and I almost always have different things to say about the experience:

* He may have some fond memory of an area that he raves about, while I talk about the challenge of the hide because I've never been there before.

* I may be able to tease him about not finding it, or about ripping his pants climbing up to get the cache.

* He may want to tell everyone that I grumped and grouched about mosquitoes all the way to the cache, but was so tickled by the cache I practically danced back to the car.

* My log for the same cache may talk about the lid needing to be replaced soon.

 

My son has been caching with us a couple of times, but he has no interest whatsoever in taking up geocaching on his own. He knows he could have his own account, but he just isn't interested. I wrote in my log that he was with us for the find. I wanted to record his being with us, but didn't feel like I had to create an account for him and write logs for him. It wasn't important to him to have his own find count. He knows that if he ever changes his mind, he could go back through our account and write his own logs, back-dating them to the date we were there and explaining why his log was years late. That suits him.

 

If you just want to cut down on the number of logs you have to write, you could have a separate account for yourself, and one family account for everyone else. Then the only log you would need to write would be "X Y and Z found with Bad Duck. Thanks for the cache" once naming whoever was with you at the time. If the kids or your spouse wanted to add something more personal, they could still do that on the joint account--signing their own moniker to set it apart. If that doesn't sit well with some of the family members, well, maybe they'll decide to start writing their own logs, which would be the ideal situation, I think.

[+tozainamboku]

We all have separate accounts. Not all of us go caching at the same time. When we do and say find 20 caches. I as the main cacher in the group end up having to post 80 logs for those twenty caches. The kids like finding but not logging. The wife won't log either. So Either I log all eighty or just the 20 for me. But then the kids like to see their counts go up and track where they have been individually.

I'm not seeing the logic here. It's like saying my kids like school but not homework. So I end up doing their homework for them so they'll get a good grade in school. If your kids or your wife want to see their find count go up or have a record of which caches they've found they should be doing their own logs. If they need help from mom or dad, that's OK, like helping with homework. But dad shouldn't be logging for the kids. Log your own finds and tell your wife and kids to log their own (or not).

 

The cache owner would get one log indicating the cachers that were there getting the cache. My sons log would link to my log for the cache. Last five logs for the cache wouldn't be "Found with the family" when looked at paperless in the PDA or on the Oregon.

This at least has some merit. Not just for families but for any group. If five or six cachers found the cache together and each writes a log, the next finder will only see the last five logs. Since these people were together the logs may have a lot of information in common; some may be more likely to be cookie cutter logs: "Found with the rest of the group". The next finder, especially if paperless, would likely appreciate only one log here instead of loosing that important hint from the person who found it three weeks ago. The cache owner on the other hand probably would like to see what everybody has to say, even if some of the logs are short. And they may be using the number of Found it Logs to keep track of how many people have found their caches (and even who they are) While the GPX file could be modified to give this information for a "group" log, that would require and change not only for Geocaching.com but for the programs that people are using to generate statistics from the GPX file. I think there is some merit in group logging and have supported it in the past. But the implementation of this would not be very easy and my guess is that it is going to be way down at the bottom of the priority list, if is is considered at all.

[+Talbot Tribe]

We maintain separate accounts so that when the kids leave the house, they will take all of the geocaching experiences with them.

 

I like the idea.

Edited March 25, 2009 by Talbot Tribe

[Motorcycle_Mama]

We all have separate accounts. Not all of us go caching at the same time. When we do and say find 20 caches. I as the main cacher in the group end up having to post 80 logs for those twenty caches. The kids like finding but not logging. The wife won't log either. So Either I log all eighty or just the 20 for me. But then the kids like to see their counts go up and track where they have been individually.

The cache owner would get one log indicating the cachers that were there getting the cache. My sons log would link to my log for the cache. Last five logs for the cache wouldn't be "Found with the family" when looked at paperless in the PDA or on the Oregon. Would sure save me the time. Also if the family all wanted to post their own log that would still be available by not choosing to link them for that cache.

Not trying to bash. But if they don't want to log the find on the website, that's no problem. But then they don't get a smilie on the website. No problem. They still found the cache. They (presumably) signed the logbook with you. So that's their record for that find if they don't want to log the cache on the website.

[+flask]

if it ain't important enough to write a log, it ain't important enough to claim a smilie.

 

why bother to write logs for people who don't care enough to claim their own finds? any kid who wants to see his count go up can write a log (no matter how brief) just like the rest of us. a thing worth having is a thing worth expending some energy for.

 

at some point my parents stopped tying my shoes for me. in this day when children are handed an awful lot of stuff just for the asking, the writing of logs is a lovely way for children to take responsibility for their own find counts.

 

it's fine if they just want to find the things and not log them, but unless they're too young to sit with you and say a little something about it (even if you have to do the typing 'coz they're too little), they ought to be able to do their own logs if they want their find count to go up.