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People who don't bother to log finds on the website


tonibunny

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[bIG SNIP]

 

And lastly, from the FAQ

 

What are the rules in Geocaching?

1. If you take something from the cache, leave something of equal or greater value.

2. Write about your find in the cache logbook.

3. Log your experience at www.geocaching.com.

 

I don't think bold is necessary here!

 

Sorry to be a pendant Ian, but most, if not all references to logging online have been added in a code release this year.

 

The same section taken from archive.org (Feb 2008)

What are the rules in Geocaching?

 

Geocaching is a relatively new phenomenon. Therefore, the rules are very simple:

 

1. Take something from the cache

2. Leave something in the cache

3. Write about it in the logbook

 

Where you place a cache is up to you.

 

The closest I can find was a page that suggested you could "EMail" the hider to let them know you've found their cache. So yes, it was suggested, but not insisted upon.

 

I recall this being discussed in the forum a few years back, and it didn't seem to cause as much fuss then - non-online-logging geocachers seemed to be quite common, and accepted as long as they didn't mess with TBs.

I've always made a point of reading the physical logbook, both in my caches, and caches I find. Back when I started there were at least two caching names/teams who's names appeared in all the logbooks of caches I was finding, but never online. I quickly learnt that these were people who chose not to log online, and talking to local cachers showed they were all well known and liked.

To this day, I still give a wry smile when I see their caching names in logbooks.

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Any references to logging online in "how to"-type documents are intended to encourage people to use the site (feel free to add "and click on the Google ads, buy Premium Memberships, visit the online store, etc"). They do not represent any official position from Groundspeak that failing to log your finds here is "not within the spirit of the game" or anything like that. This is one of those areas where the wording is intended to be informal and as such, may not stand up to extensive semantic scrutiny.

 

From my experience, I would say that the number of cache seekers who do not log online is about 2% of the total. I even know of at least one reviewer who no longer logs their finds online.

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In the vain chance of stirring someone up

 

I have noticed that the members of this community that dont log online, also seem not to place caches! or take out premium memberships!

 

this would lead me to believe that this class of cacher would be in the take take take section of the wider community.

we all know the type and whether we like or dislike what they do, we all know that there is nothing that we can do about them.

But they know who they are and just how selfish and self centred they are.

you know i bet they drive BMW's as well!

Why do they cache? because its free! and they dont letterbox because its not! and not kept up to date! or as easy! as it is to geocache

I also know how much this winds me and others up!

 

so you know who you are Play The Game By The Rules or dont play :blink:

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"the decency to place caches"

 

Wow. You know I'm kind of offended that you think placing caches make me a decent person. Kind of makes me want to go find a cache without logging it. That'll teach ya won't it? :)

 

Yeah! lets have a silent protest shall we BD? We will go and do some caches, not log them and the owners will never know... that will teach them! LOL! :cry:

 

The good news is that cachers who don't log online are probably even less likely to come into the forums and read some of this nonsense. Ignorance is bliss as they say... I only ever seem to get wound up over caching when I come in here

 

Even better, why not grab a FTF, don't log it in the logbook or online and then let someone else think it was really their FTF :blink:

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In the vain chance of stirring someone up

Not really stirred at all, just sad that we can't have a civilised discussion.

<snip>

But they know who they are and just how selfish and self centred they are.

you know i bet they drive BMW's as well!

So much for respect in the forum as required by the forum guidelines.

<snip>

I also know how much this winds me and others up!

 

so you know who you are Play The Game By The Rules or dont play :blink:

Surely you mean "Play The Game By MY Rules or dont play"

 

I entered this discussion thread to contribute a different point of view. I didn't expect wholehearted agreement but I did hope for civility in any responses. I have been disappointed. :)

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In my opinion, you don't start a civilised discussion and probably shouldn't expect civility in responses when you start out by accusing 98% of cachers of being boastful and "flaunting". Your opening post on the matter ended with a phrase apparently closing any discussion as far as you were concerned.

 

The majority of responses simply disagreed with you and said how they viewed it. I stand by everything I said.

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In my opinion, you don't start a civilised discussion and probably shouldn't expect civility in responses when you start out by accusing 98% of cachers of being boastful and "flaunting". Your opening post on the matter ended with a phrase apparently closing any discussion as far as you were concerned.

 

The majority of responses simply disagreed with you and said how they viewed it. I stand by everything I said.

 

Where did anybody accuse OTHERS of boasting? Someone made a statemant about their personal feelings and motiviations and for some reason others took this as some sort of attack.

Edited by uktim
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Where did anybody accuse OTHERS of boasting? Someone made a statemant about their personal feelings and motiviations and for some reason others took this as some sort of attack.

This is a bit of a double standards statement is it not?? I think one requires to take a look back through the thread and they may well see that both sides are taking exception at other people's opinions, that includes yourself.

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I guess I'm one of those people being discussed in that I don't bother logging cache finds online. I get my enjoyment from the hunt rather than boasting about it online. I'm not a numbers person so am not interested in flaunting my number of finds for comparison with others here. While out walking I enjoy the solitude that geocaching brings me and in my time I've yet to meet another cacher despite having visited hundreds of cache sites.

 

As for TB's, no I don't take them and neither do I bother with "swaps" as to be frank I see little point in moving junk around the countryside.

 

So I'll keep myself to myself as I play this game in my own way thanks.

 

In my opinion, you don't start a civilised discussion and probably shouldn't expect civility in responses when you start out by accusing 98% of cachers of being boastful and "flaunting". Your opening post on the matter ended with a phrase apparently closing any discussion as far as you were concerned.

 

The majority of responses simply disagreed with you and said how they viewed it. I stand by everything I said.

I was surprised by your accusations so I re-read my original post. As I see it (and as I meant it) I said I wasn't into "boasting" or "flaunting". At no point in that message was anyone else accused of either. In the same way, if I said I don't smoke doesn't mean I'm accusing everyone else of being a smoker.

 

As for closing any discussion I don't see where I said that either. I did say I kept myself to myself when I go caching but that's it. I didn't say I wanted to close this discussion. While I don't log online I do comment on the online forum from time to time (obviously! :blink:)

 

So by all means disagree with me but please don't put words into my mouth. Thank you.

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This is a bit of a double standards statement is it not?? I think one requires to take a look back through the thread and they may well see that both sides are taking exception at other people's opinions, that includes yourself.

For my part, I'm only taking exception at being insulted and misquoted. I'm quite happy to disagree and for people to disagree with me. A forum is a good place to air opposing viewpoints in a measured way.

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I guess I'm one of those people being discussed in that I don't bother logging cache finds online. I get my enjoyment from the hunt rather than boasting about it online. I'm not a numbers person so am not interested in flaunting my number of finds for comparison with others here. While out walking I enjoy the solitude that geocaching brings me and in my time I've yet to meet another cacher despite having visited hundreds of cache sites.

 

As for TB's, no I don't take them and neither do I bother with "swaps" as to be frank I see little point in moving junk around the countryside.

 

So I'll keep myself to myself as I play this game in my own way thanks.

 

In my opinion, you don't start a civilised discussion and probably shouldn't expect civility in responses when you start out by accusing 98% of cachers of being boastful and "flaunting". Your opening post on the matter ended with a phrase apparently closing any discussion as far as you were concerned.

 

The majority of responses simply disagreed with you and said how they viewed it. I stand by everything I said.

I was surprised by your accusations so I re-read my original post. As I see it (and as I meant it) I said I wasn't into "boasting" or "flaunting". At no point in that message was anyone else accused of either. In the same way, if I said I don't smoke doesn't mean I'm accusing everyone else of being a smoker.

 

As for closing any discussion I don't see where I said that either. I did say I kept myself to myself when I go caching but that's it. I didn't say I wanted to close this discussion. While I don't log online I do comment on the online forum from time to time (obviously! :blink:)

 

So by all means disagree with me but please don't put words into my mouth. Thank you.

I read your original statement as saying that those who log are boasting and flaunting their numbers!

 

This is a bit of a double standards statement is it not?? I think one requires to take a look back through the thread and they may well see that both sides are taking exception at other people's opinions, that includes yourself.

For my part, I'm only taking exception at being insulted and misquoted. I'm quite happy to disagree and for people to disagree with me. A forum is a good place to air opposing viewpoints in a measured way.

I don't think you have been misquoted? Perhaps your original post was put across in the wrong way, and people have taken exception to that? As for being insulted, well I can't comment, as an insult is in the eyes of the beholder, hence why people have taken exception to your 'boasting' and 'flaunting' remark!!

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Where did anybody accuse OTHERS of boasting? Someone made a statemant about their personal feelings and motiviations and for some reason others took this as some sort of attack.

This is a bit of a double standards statement is it not?? I think one requires to take a look back through the thread and they may well see that both sides are taking exception at other people's opinions, that includes yourself.

 

It's all to do with the way things are expressed. There is a subtle but important difference between saying "I FEEL xxx if I do yyy" and saying "IT IS xxx to do yyy"

 

We all cache in subtly different ways, I keep my logs short and sometimes even forget to log online because personally I feel uneasy or boastful if I rush into telling all and sundry what I've been up to in minute detail. Why bore strangers online when I can bore I bore friends in person whilst relaxing over a pint or a coffee instead :blink: That doesn't mean that I perceive those with a gift for writing longer logs as boasting, they are just different and long may we all continue to have different characters.

 

Some posters appear to categorically state that IT IS selfish, lazy, disrespectful etc to write short logs or even not log at all, it's that rather sweeping condemnation of the way others cache that I take exception to. Caching is a wide and varied hobby, a little tolerance of the way others choose to partake must surely be a good thing.

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We all cache in subtly different ways, I keep my logs short and sometimes even forget to log online because personally I feel uneasy or boastful if I rush into telling all and sundry what I've been up to in minute detail. Why bore strangers online when I can bore I bore friends in person whilst relaxing over a pint or a coffee instead :blink: That doesn't mean that I perceive those with a gift for writing longer logs as boasting, they are just different and long may we all continue to have different characters.

 

This paragraph totally contradicts itself. You feel that if you make a post when you get home that you are boasting, but don't believe that when others do this aren't boasting. Unless you like to have different standards from everyone else, then it just doesn't wash with me.

 

As for short logs, I have nothing against those, as a lot of mine are short, I've never been good at telling stories.

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I guess I'm one of those people being discussed in that I don't bother logging cache finds online. I get my enjoyment from the hunt rather than boasting about it online. I'm not a numbers person so am not interested in flaunting my number of finds for comparison with others here.

 

To me, this implies that those who do log online are boasting and flaunting numbers for comparison. It is not the same as saying "I don't smoke". A better analogy would be "I don't smoke because I am not interested in being filthy or stinking", the clear implication being that those who smoke are filthy and stinking.

 

So I'll keep myself to myself as I play this game in my own way thanks.

 

How is this not stating that you are not interested in discussion?

 

If you're not interested in discussion, fine.

If you don't want to log online, fine.

Play the game how you want, everyone else does.

However, you can't stop people thinking that it is selfish not to post a simple thank you or give something back to the caching community - that's no different from and no more or less accusatory than you thinking that online logging is boastful.

 

Everyone plays it differently but one thing that is obvious is that it would be a poorer hobby if no one logged online.

 

It does make me tempted to make my caches available to premium members only though. However, as I started out as a freebie member, I'm reluctant to block new cachers from finding my caches.

 

I make a variety of logs - longer if I've had a good time finding it (and I've had some FAB times full of laughs and ridiculous antics) and short if it was just a nice cache. I write what I'd like to read. I've read some fabulous logs for some of my caches that I've actually laughed out loud at and been equally pleased just to read a simple TFTC since it means all is well with the cache and people have enjoyed finding it.

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Maybe cache owners are expected to go and read the log book on a weekly basis so as they can read all of the notes that have been made.

Well yes, it's called regular maintenance, one of the things you agree to do when you place a cache.

 

Yes we all agree to regular maintenance but noone should be expected to go there just to read the comments. I personally rely on online logs to alert me to issues between visits. I also like to read about people's experiences which for the most part will not fit into a logbook.

 

The very basis of this hobby is a community sharing their experience with others in that community. If people don't log online even just to say TFTC then it just seems pointless. In effect someone has invited you to go to a particular area, maybe solve a puzzle and find a cache. The very least anyone expects is a thank you because without people hiding caches there is no geocaching for you to enjoy.

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We all cache in subtly different ways, I keep my logs short and sometimes even forget to log online because personally I feel uneasy or boastful if I rush into telling all and sundry what I've been up to in minute detail. Why bore strangers online when I can bore I bore friends in person whilst relaxing over a pint or a coffee instead :P That doesn't mean that I perceive those with a gift for writing longer logs as boasting, they are just different and long may we all continue to have different characters.

 

This paragraph totally contradicts itself. You feel that if you make a post when you get home that you are boasting, but don't believe that when others do this aren't boasting. Unless you like to have different standards from everyone else, then it just doesn't wash with me.

 

As for short logs, I have nothing against those, as a lot of mine are short, I've never been good at telling stories.

 

You seem to be struggling to understand the difference between a description of a personal feeling that influences ones own actions and a broad sweeping judgement of everyone else.

 

Try thinking of it this way. Some people are quite extrovert and will eagerly jump up and sing karaoke, whilst others don't. It doesn't mean that either party is wrong, different people have different characters.

 

When I say that I feel boastful if I post long accounts of my own activities I mean exactly what I say. I mean that it feels boastful to me and I'm not comfortable doing it. It's a description of a personal feeling, it's NOT a judgement on others.

 

If I wanted to condemn those who post long logs I'd say something along the lines of "posting long logs is just idle boasting."

 

Is it really such a hard concept to understand?

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Is it really such a hard concept to understand?

It is when it was put across in such a way, that I at least perceived it as having a go at those that can bother to give recognition to those that have gone to the effort to place something in a place for you to enjoy.

 

I still stand by my view that I think it's selfish and perhaps lazy not to take the time to at least acknowledge you have gone and found the cache. My daughter enjoys going out and finding caches, using her own account, but dislikes having to log online. But she still logs her finds, for she understands the basic principles of politeness and thanking people for what she has been given.

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I still stand by my view that I think it's selfish and perhaps lazy not to take the time to at least acknowledge you have gone and found the cache. My daughter enjoys going out and finding caches, using her own account, but dislikes having to log online. But she still logs her finds, for she understands the basic principles of politeness and thanking people for what she has been given.

 

Say I write something complimentary about the cache and maybe the cacher hider in the logbook, would that be enough ackknowledgement? Does it have to be online?

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I still stand by my view that I think it's selfish and perhaps lazy not to take the time to at least acknowledge you have gone and found the cache. My daughter enjoys going out and finding caches, using her own account, but dislikes having to log online. But she still logs her finds, for she understands the basic principles of politeness and thanking people for what she has been given.

 

Say I write something complimentary about the cache and maybe the cacher hider in the logbook, would that be enough ackknowledgement? Does it have to be online?

I'm pretty sure I have gave an answer with regards to acknowledgements in the logbook already in this thread? Unless something new comes up that inspires me to make a further post, I think I will leave it as it is now. Otherwise we could end up going round and round in circles. :blink:

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I'm afraid that I must 'fess up to being one of the guilty ones.

 

I usually do make a log entry on the webpage, but there are a few cases where I've simply forgotten or been too busy to do so.

 

No excuse for it, really.

 

Trouble is, if I try to make a retrospective entry I have to select a date and for the life of me I can't remember what month such finds occurred in, let alone the date.

 

In very slight mitigation, I might point out that when I do write a log on the webpage I tend not to simply say "Done this cache". My logs tend to express a bit of interest in the cache or its surroundings or the circumstances of the surroundings or something else which has interested me in the cache and which I think might interest others too. If there isn't something intrinsically interesting about the cache's location then I probably wouldn't have "done" it anyway.

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Well yes, it's called regular maintenance, one of the things you agree to do when you place a cache.

 

Maintenance = is fixing anything should it become out of order or broken

 

and working from the old saying 'if it aint broke why fix it'

 

Plus in this day and age with transport cost so high, not everybody can afford to or have the time to visit every one of their caches every week to sit and read every entry in the logbook so are dependant on the online logs to communicate to them any problems.

 

Log Types:

Found it

Didn't find it

Write note....................}

Needs Archived............} One of these three points to a problem so maintenance is required.

Needs maintenance.....}

 

Personally I react to any log that pinpoints any problems with my caches (wherever it may be) withing 3 days and the cache would normally be replaced/repaired within a 7 to 10 day period whether it is done by myself or the cacher who is looking after the cache. I am just about to post a new cache out to a 'maintainer' as the cache has gone missing but I only found out because a fellow conscientious cacher posted that he could not find it and I had it checked out the next day and thats it maintenance now in progress. No log and it would still be missing in action and I would be none the wiser.

 

And that is me now out of this 'debate' nite nite as it is time to write some logs online :blink:

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I tend not to simply say "Done this cache".

 

I've just had a look at my own cachelog profile. :blink:

 

I've only written two cachelogs recently.

 

The most recent one ran to 35 lines of text.

 

The one before that ran to 32 lines - with a 13 line addendum.

 

I think I might have broken Allieballie's record. (but she's a teacher, so she speaks English and reads and writes better than I do)

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