REMOVE INVENTORY FROM CACHE LISTING

[+infiniteMPG]

Right now here in west central Florida we are having a massively bad rash of caches being raided. Recently I have done or had done by others, an inventory on traditional caches I own that showed items in their inventory. So far EVERY SINGLE CACHE that showed inventory had NOTHING in it. Most all of the MIA items are geocoins and it's become pretty obvious that some low-life out there got their hands on a GPSr, set up an account on GC and has been hunting down and raiding geocaches that show trackable items, probably the main target is geocoins.

 

After giving this some thought which included ideas like making a lock box with a combination lock on it and in the cache have people call to get the combination when they find the cache which made me think people would just steal the whole shooting match. Then laying traps for them but then couldn't tell if someone was innocently finding a cache or raiding it. Then web-cam ideas.... duh, this was getting stupid. Then thought about changing them to premium only but then nothing would stop someone from spending a few bucks to have access to tons of free geocoins. Maybe a tad safer, but not much more so.

 

Next thing I thought in my thinking mood, was what if GC just changed their theory on how they handled geocoins. This was my thought :

- ONLY allow OWNERS to SEE the inventory in their hides, no one else. (Or allow trackable owners the option to HIDE or SHOW their items in a cache inventory, if I had this option ALL of my geocoins would be set to HIDE).

 

- Have cachers move trackables around like they always did and log them, but just don't display the inventory to the general public

 

- Still show trackable locations on the trackable item page, but if you were in a location it would be tough to track down what trackables are around.

 

After all, the whole idea (I thought) behind trackable items was to be "surprise" discoveries when you find a cache. That way the people who would find the trackables would be people who are just geocaching. You'd pretty much REMOVE the risk of having someone search for caches with trackable items and go raid the hide.

 

I had my picture cast into the latest geocoin issued by the FGA and the first one I put out was stolen along with several other geocoins before it logged one move. And in the last several months I have had to put MARK THIS ITEM MISSING logs on trackable (mainly geocoins) more then I had to in the last several years of geocaching. Raided caches is at epidemic levels and I think it's time to change. I am tempted to note on my hides to NOT place geocoins in them as no cache is safe right now.

 

The fun of geocaching is the unknown.... I think this would actually make trackables a fun thing again rather then a target for raiders. If not globally, make people have an option to HIDE their items in a cache's inventory (but still visible by the owners of the cache and the trackable) so they can reduce the risk that their neat trackable or memorable geocoin doesn't end up on some muggles keychain.

 

Thanks for letting me ramble.

[AZcachemeister]

Right now here in west central Florida we are having a massively bad rash of caches being raided. Recently I have done or had done by others, an inventory on traditional caches I own that showed items in their inventory. So far EVERY SINGLE CACHE that showed inventory had NOTHING in it. Most all of the MIA items are geocoins and it's become pretty obvious that some low-life out there got their hands on a GPSr, set up an account on GC and has been hunting down and raiding geocaches that show trackable items, probably the main target is geocoins.

 

After giving this some thought which included ideas like making a lock box with a combination lock on it and in the cache have people call to get the combination when they find the cache which made me think people would just steal the whole shooting match. Then laying traps for them but then couldn't tell if someone was innocently finding a cache or raiding it. Then web-cam ideas.... duh, this was getting stupid. Then thought about changing them to premium only but then nothing would stop someone from spending a few bucks to have access to tons of free geocoins. Maybe a tad safer, but not much more so.

 

Next thing I thought in my thinking mood, was what if GC just changed their theory on how they handled geocoins. This was my thought :

- ONLY allow OWNERS to SEE the inventory in their hides, no one else. (Or allow trackable owners the option to HIDE or SHOW their items in a cache inventory, if I had this option ALL of my geocoins would be set to HIDE).

 

- Have cachers move trackables around like they always did and log them, but just don't display the inventory to the general public

 

- Still show trackable locations on the trackable item page, but if you were in a location it would be tough to track down what trackables are around.

 

After all, the whole idea (I thought) behind trackable items was to be "surprise" discoveries when you find a cache. That way the people who would find the trackables would be people who are just geocaching. You'd pretty much REMOVE the risk of having someone search for caches with trackable items and go raid the hide.

 

I had my picture cast into the latest geocoin issued by the FGA and the first one I put out was stolen along with several other geocoins before it logged one move. And in the last several months I have had to put MARK THIS ITEM MISSING logs on trackable (mainly geocoins) more then I had to in the last several years of geocaching. Raided caches is at epidemic levels and I think it's time to change. I am tempted to note on my hides to NOT place geocoins in them as no cache is safe right now.

 

The fun of geocaching is the unknown.... I think this would actually make trackables a fun thing again rather then a target for raiders. If not globally, make people have an option to HIDE their items in a cache's inventory (but still visible by the owners of the cache and the trackable) so they can reduce the risk that their neat trackable or memorable geocoin doesn't end up on some muggles keychain.

 

Thanks for letting me ramble.

 

Your idea would probably deter the 'Trackable Maggots', but it would also deter the thousands of respectable 'Trackable Movers' out there.

[ao318]

I'll be honest here about my self. I really never look to see if a cache has a trackable item associated with it. If I find one in a cache that looks cool and I think my kids would like to see it, I take it. Otherwise I try not to take them.

 

I am one of those people that go through spurts with caching. I'll go out for a few days here and there and then I won't be out for another month or so. I sometimes forget that I have taken one and realize that I need to get this out soon and will write a note on the trackable's page letting them know that I still have it and will move it soon.

 

I do have coins that I have bought but would never send them out because I like them and wouldn't want to lose them. I am also not big on the whole proxy thing and think that there should be a link or asterisk associated with those type of travelers. It would give those that do look for visit caches specifically to find them a heads up in knowing that they weren't going to actually find the real thing but a picture.

 

So for me, it really doesn't matter if it shows or not.