Write a story or you're being disrespectful?

[4wheelin_fool]

I agree with everyone and I really USED to hate reading copy and paste logs on my caches and still do.

 

Lately however I have been guilty of copying and pasting myself on some caches.

 

When I do an extreme cache, or a cache that brings me to an interesting place, or is a unique cool hide, I write a log. On some of the extreme caches I have been to I have filled up my log box with ease. I always try to write something about the cache in my log. I understand that people like to read the logs and appreciate that....and I really DO try!

 

HOWEVER, when I am with a group of people and they insist on stopping at every cache and 9 out of 10 or lamp post or guardrail micros, how do you write an interesting log? I will write on one of the 9, something to the effect of, "Great day caching with the ----- group. Thanks for the cache!" and copy and paste it on the cache pages. I am having fun caching with the group because I am having a good time with friends, but how can you write something interesting about a cache that was placed just for the fact that there was no cache within .1 miles?

 

I cannot write an interesting log for a cache called "Bumper" because someone was driving down the road, saw an abandoned car bumper and decided to place a cache.

 

Anyone else feel this way?

 

 

Yes.

Yours is no disgrace.

As long as you are not murdering innocent puppies, or behind a cabal to harass Flask's neighbor's cat, it's OK.

[+bittsen]

Letting a cache owner know you found the cache is good enough but, really, do you want to be just "good enough" in life?

 

I don't feel my caches are all that spectacular but when someone lets me know that they enjoyed (as opposed to having simply found) my caches, I feel good about placing them.

 

I have found my share of average caches and I've had a fair share of finds on both ends of average. I try to say a little about each one of them but sometimes it's a chore to say something unique about the 7th guardrail cache in a series of them.

 

There is one cacher in the area who writes amazing logs. I enjoy each one I read. I had the pleasure of meeting her yesterday and her insight behind her logs was refreshing. The belief that the cache owner must have wanted someone to see something in the cache placement is something that hit home.

 

Whether it's showing a seeker the degradation of human society or a spectacular view of the forest/trees/skyline, the mere fact that the cache owner saw "something" within the cache location that made them decide to bring someone to the cache spot.

 

Now, does that mean people have to write about their experience? Of course not. Does that mean they could write something, yes it does. Personally, I will take an extra 15 seconds or so to find something to say. If others don't, then that is their perogative. And when someone does write a great log, enjoy the heck out of it.

[+Harry Dolphin]

I cannot write an interesting log for a cache called "Bumper" because someone was driving down the road, saw an abandoned car bumper and decided to place a cache.

 

Anyone else feel this way?

 

I know someone who did a series of 86 cache and dashes, and left random Simpson's quotes as logs...

[+Team Cotati]

I can’t imagine having anything more than a cursory interest in trading swag under any circumstance.

This is a very interesting statement.

 

Let's consider the very fact that the hobby is named after, and based on, finding a container with items. The whole idea is to be able to find these boxes of goodies with a GPS.

 

Yet, less than 10 years into the hobby there are folks who couldn't imagine doing the very thing the hobby is based on.

 

What gives?

 

I think that some cachers like ..78 there and The Team don't find that swag trading is a very important part of the game for THEM. Others do seem to find that aspect of the game to be important...to them. Those cachers will probably continue trading for stuff. Cachers like The Team and ...78 won't. Tragic, isn't it?

[+Moose Mob]

Blessed are the flexible for they shall not get bent out of shape.

[knowschad]

Hey, flask... how's your neighbor's cat doing?

she's very busy these days.i'll tell her you asked.

Thanks. I think the litterbox is getting full. At least, its starting to smell that way.

[+KBI]

"Long, descriptive and unique logs are the ONLY correct way to show proper respect to a cache owner because a blunt, plain or cookiecutter log is ALWAYS an INSULT."

 

This idea has been expressed as well. Some of us have taken exception to this idea. While we don’t quite see it as puppycide (rolleyes.gif), we don’t agree with the viewpoint.

Insult is not a term that I've used, nor is it an argument that I've been making.

No, but others have been making it, and you know it. Your puppycide statement was unfair and inappropriate.

[+jaroot]

it used to be (as long as the OP is on the topic of what used to be normative) that however short the log was, people took the time to write out a few words.

 

then with the advent of number whores, TFTC made its ugly appearance because it was too much trouble to actually write words. then newer cachers began to think this was how things were done, and then all of a sudden we had people who thought the good old day were when TFTC was the best anybody expected.

 

when i find a hundred or so caches in a stretch, i really appreciate previous logs in which a finder has taken the time to write a few words for each cache, however brief. it helps me make sense of the caches i'm finding, and it helps me remember them when i come to write my own logs.

 

to me and to my friends, TFTC as a stand-alone log translates roughly to "i can't be bothered to write even so much as 'thank you' but i'm happy to collect a smilie."

 

the next time you're tempted to write a non-log, consider:

 

we found it before we left the van.

boy, that sure is a dusty road!

this one had us going for a minute, but we found it.

that's a pretty view.

this one is hard to find in the dark.

i really, really love this guardrail.

we got this one on our way to lunch.

i don't know how i missed that one the first time i walked by it.

smells powerful much bad here.

it's been a wild ride.

 

there you go; ten viable logs, each of which would be preferable to TFTC. it isn't hard to write a few words, however brief. back before we had TFTC people actually used words. it is a charming custom that i very much recommend.

Given that 'TFTC' has been around longer than you've been playing the game, I find it hard to believe that you have some kind of inside scoop on why each person uses it.

 

That being said, I think it would be helpful if everyone remembers that 'TFTC' is a person's way to show thanks for the cache (since that's what it actually means).

 

For those that think that 'TFTC' is derogatory, I would advise them to either concentrate on the non-TFTC logs or hide better caches.

 

I have very little pity for people who insist that all others kowtow to their whims. I would normally advise people like this to grow up.

 

Being really new to the game I thought that TFTC was proper etiquette for the game. I have a few hides, most are unique in container if not location and most of the time they garner me unique log entries. And I like that. Occasionally I will get a cut and past log from some mad man on a 1000 cache run (don't know how you can even do that. I think my best day ever was about 12) I don't begrudge them the effort. At least they logged the cache thus making my hide worth while.

 

Most of the time I try to leave a unique log, on-line. But at the same time, as has been stated here, some caches aren't much in the way of a muse.