What IS Geocaching? What validates your participation?

[+Snoogans]

49 replies (including mine) and not one from your named recipient. Hmmm...

 

Anyway, please allow me a syllogism in reply to your question:

 

I am real.

I have cached.

Therefore, I am a real cacher.

 

I have found over the 2.5 years of caching that most people who accuse others of not being real are really just pains in the butt themselves.

 

Very curious. Huh.

 

Essentially NO representation from the other side unless I skimmed past it. I bet I know why....

[+Castle Mischief]

Essentially NO representation from the other side unless I skimmed past it. I bet I know why....

 

Clearly he's out caching. Duh.

[+J the Goat]

Yup, out being a real cacher.

 

Doh! Why do I keep getting sucked into this stupid topic...

[4wheelin_fool]

I haven't started a good debate in some time and the following quote begs for one, but it would be lost in the thread it was posted in sooo.....

 

The fact is, most of the people that actively post here in the forums don't really go out and geocache. They just sit around the forums all day and complain about how other people geocache.

 

Really?

 

This is a tired statement I hear over and over in one form or another and the fact is it isn't true.

 

Actually, it is true.

 

I've only found 4 caches, and the owner of this account has been caching under another name. I get to use it in the forums until they change the password again..

[+thedeadpirate]

49 replies (including mine) and not one from your named recipient. Hmmm...

 

Anyway, please allow me a syllogism in reply to your question:

 

I am real.

I have cached.

Therefore, I am a real cacher.

 

I have found over the 2.5 years of caching that most people who accuse others of not being real are really just pains in the butt themselves.

 

Very curious. Huh.

 

Essentially NO representation from the other side unless I skimmed past it. I bet I know why....

 

I might also be because he said he was kidding.

[+David]

I do know this... we have over one thousand cachers in the Alabama Geocachers Association, many of whom are active in our local DixieCachers.com state forum, but there are only two of us who come to this forum regularly! That tells me something... it tells me that whether true or not his second sentence is in fact the way this forum is perceived by many.

 

Really? Who is the other aside from you?

 

To the OP, I'm not a real geocacher. My profile information proves it.

 

Wait! I do have one of your smashed pennies. Does that mean I'm a real geocacher?

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

I do know this... we have over one thousand cachers in the Alabama Geocachers Association, many of whom are active in our local DixieCachers.com state forum, but there are only two of us who come to this forum regularly! That tells me something... it tells me that whether true or not his second sentence is in fact the way this forum is perceived by many.

 

Really? Who is the other aside from you?...

Castle Mischief

[+CanUK_TeamFitz]

I'm not a geocacher.

 

I find geocaches, I sign the logs, I log online. I put caches out there for others to find, I even got permissions for an SSSI... but I'm not a geocacher.

 

[+BAMBOOZLE]

Like someone once said, " if I have to explain it , you wouldn't understand it. "

Read an article in the paper re geocaching about 8 years ago and it is hard to describe the feeling I felt......like being a kid again. I yelled at my wife, " come read about this.....we need to go try it ."

Try it we did......48 states, several foreign countries, mountain tops, swamps, deserts, seashores, bayou's, etc.....at last count over 95,000 miles.

The unexpected bonus were the cachers we've met along the way......I've always remarked that the hobby seemed to encompass more than its share of really nice people.

[+Jeep_Dog]

[

Essentially NO representation from the other side unless I skimmed past it. I bet I know why....

 

Uh. Hmmm. Perhaps because you made this all up to have a "robust" discussion in the forums because you are not really a geocacher?

 

There you have it. The "other side" rests his case without firing a single post....

 

[+lil_cav_wings]

Personally I don't need anything to "validate" my participation. I enjoy geocaching, that is enough for me.

 

I'd like to buy you a drink, sir. If only more people had that philosophy about things in their lives, there would probably be fewer fake boobs, flashy cars, and trophy wives in the world.

[+WOLVERINEtheRonin]

I'll add my two cents. You can give me change if you want.

 

I have fun caching and I don't take away from others fun so I am a Cacher!

[Clan Riffster]

What validates your participation?

I've never really considered it in that perspective. I guess I'm not one in need of validation? I cache therefor I am?

For me, it's a game. A rather fun game, most of the time. If that changes, so will my participation, I suspect.

[+Castle Mischief]

I do know this... we have over one thousand cachers in the Alabama Geocachers Association, many of whom are active in our local DixieCachers.com state forum, but there are only two of us who come to this forum regularly! That tells me something... it tells me that whether true or not his second sentence is in fact the way this forum is perceived by many.

 

Really? Who is the other aside from you?...

Castle Mischief

 

Is that why you people keep calling asking for my membership dues? To be fair, I hardly ever post on the AGA forums and I'm as much a member of AGA as I am the more northern counterpart of AGA, the SGA. I really kind of self-identify as unaffiliated cacher. But I'll sit down and eat with anybody and I don't really think about it much at all.

[+Harry Dolphin]

The fact is, most of the people that actively post here in the forums don't really go out and geocache. They just sit around the forums all day and complain about how other people geocache.

 

Really?

 

This is a tired statement I hear over and over in one form or another and the fact is it isn't true. I see it here and hear about it at events. I started the "What type of cacher am I?" thread when a similar sentiment was posted about me essentially being percieved as retired from caching on a local forum.

 

What validates me? Do I actually hunt caches too? Hmm...

Going on six years ago, I read about Geocaching in the paper. I had a GPS. I located one on the site near the trail I was maintaining. Said "Hey. I should give this a try!" I went for a 2/3.5 by BrianSnat. (Learn from the best!) Hey! I enjoyed it! Almost six years later, you people are stuck with me!

Heading towards 2500 finds in 18 states, and New Brunswick, Canada. Yes. I plan trips around Geocaching. My sister wants to color in South Carolina and Georgia this year. I'll add Florida. Contemplating a trip to Ontario. Okay. So I'm a bit of a cache ho. Found the APE cache in Maryland a few years back. And the GPS Adventures Exhibit in Connecticut. Oh, well. I also enjoy benchmarking with over 700 finds.

I have 64 hides (two archived. I don't like having to archive caches, but another is about to be archved.) Over half are listed as Grumpy Dolphin caches. I'm a Grumpy Dolphin. I don't sugar-coat things. I will tell you what I think. Learn to live with it.

Okay. I'm over 5000 forum posts (not counting Off Topic). That is mostly because I spend my evening IMing on the puter with family and friends. The Geocaching Forum fits in nicely with this.

Last Friday, I did a four mile bushwhack through the local WMA, in six hours, for seven caches (and one DNF). I had a great time, and thought "This is what Geocaching is all about!!"

That's all I can offer in the way of validation.

[+Snoogans]

49 replies (including mine) and not one from your named recipient. Hmmm...

 

Anyway, please allow me a syllogism in reply to your question:

 

I am real.

I have cached.

Therefore, I am a real cacher.

 

I have found over the 2.5 years of caching that most people who accuse others of not being real are really just pains in the butt themselves.

 

Very curious. Huh.

 

Essentially NO representation from the other side unless I skimmed past it. I bet I know why....

 

 

 

I might also be because he said he was kidding.

 

Yeah well he/she also rendered that defense moot by the very next thing written after that:

 

All kidding aside (was I really kidding?),

 

I think the dog still hunts.

Edited March 25, 2010 by Snoogans

[+DarkZen]

I think there are a lot of people who read the forums regularly but don't post. I occasionally get emails from people who follow my comments, and I wouldn't be surprised if other prolific commenters did as well.

I'm not a prolific commenter, but I have received quite a few emails from cachers who's name I've never seen in regards to info about my caches that have been mentioned on the board.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

Is that why you people keep calling asking for my membership dues? To be fair, I hardly ever post on the AGA forums and I'm as much a member of AGA as I am the more northern counterpart of AGA, the SGA. I really kind of self-identify as unaffiliated cacher. But I'll sit down and eat with anybody and I don't really think about it much at all.

Just for clarity to those who don't know, he's joking about the dues bit! We don't have any. We certainly don't contact members and ask for money.

 

In fact the AGA doesn't exist except as a state of mind.

 

The closest we come to structure is that WD4BSU owns our web domain (DixieCachers.com) and donates hosted forum software on it for our use, and we have a few volunteer Moderators who police it and keep it clean. Fortunately they're less busy than the Maytag repairman and very rarely have to act... I don't think anyone has needed to be modded in our forums in over a year!

 

We have no structure, no officers, no management, no meetings, no member list, no dues, no newsletter... in fact nothing at all but a website that any geocacher can join! The only reason we even ask cachers to create an account on our website is to block bots and spammers, otherwise we don't keep track of who calls themselves an AGA member.

 

Anyone who chooses can call themselves members of the AGA and host events in the name of the AGA.

 

That's worked out fine for all of us for seven years now.

 

So, just sayin'... no dues, no angst, no worries, just a bunch of folks getting along by personal choice and having fun who choose to informally associate.

Edited March 24, 2010 by TheAlabamaRambler

[+starfishsaving]

I don't feel like I need validation. I have nothing to prove. I cache, I'm a cacher. I have been since the day I took GPSr in hand and wandered in circles to hone in on that first treasure chest (metaphorically speaking- it was a micro) and decided not to look back.

 

I don't have a lot of posts on the forum, I mostly just read it; and I don't have a lot of finds yet. I've only been caching for three and a half months or so, but that doesn't make me any more or less a cacher than anyone else. I love this game dearly and though I'm new to it, it's a part of my life. Assigning value to our efforts in numbers or in some crazy ratio of forum posts to finds would only serve to DEvalue the game.

[+nericksx]

I don't need no validation from no one, no how. Not in geocachin', not in 'nuthin'.

 

I participate in the forums when I feel like I have something to say and if the negativity hasn't gotten me down yet. If it gets too mucky in here, I go outside and cache for a bit.

 

I go caching when I get the urge and wanna find Tupperware with million dollar satellites and the weather isn't to soggy. If it gets to mucky out there, I come inside and lurk in the forums.

 

SO there.

[+BCSasquatch]

I have a plastic container fetish. Geocaching just helps me get closer to them.

[+thedeadpirate]

49 replies (including mine) and not one from your named recipient. Hmmm...

 

Anyway, please allow me a syllogism in reply to your question:

 

I am real.

I have cached.

Therefore, I am a real cacher.

 

I have found over the 2.5 years of caching that most people who accuse others of not being real are really just pains in the butt themselves.

 

Very curious. Huh.

 

Essentially NO representation from the other side unless I skimmed past it. I bet I know why....

 

I might also be because he said he was kidding.

 

Yeah well he/she also rendered that defense moot by the very next thing written after that:

 

All kidding aside (was I really kidding?),

 

I think the dog still hunts.

 

I'm just reposting what you said so folks can see what I actually wrote.

[+Too Tall John]

I've found almost 1700 caches since I started caching in late 2006. I'd give you a specific number, but I have caches I've been procrastinating about logging. Whoops . . . 1785 w/out the unlogged caches.

 

I've hidden 58 and have at least 6 ideas for hides awaiting further development. Once I develop 2 more Earthcaches, I will be a Platinum Earthcache Master.

 

I introduce people to caching as often as I can through my work (at a camp & conference center) and have taken enough people caching that I've lost count, well over 200 people though. I can think of a good number, right off the top of my head, who have gotten into it for themselves.

 

I've made 1756 posts (including this one). I am also active in the Granite State Geocachers' forums, an organization that I helped start.

 

None of this validates my participation.

 

What validates my participation is my love of the game.

[+fizzymagic]

In general, I have less respect for those who post a lot in the forums than for those who are able to stay away. With three exceptions: Briansnat because he is actually helpful, Lep because he basically has no choice, and Snoogans because he's Snoogans.

 

It's a particular weakness of mine that I keep coming back to these forums. It's like watching a car wreck over and over and over again.... And then I fall off the wagon and post. The shame lasts for days.

[+Ambrosia]

In general, I have less respect for those who post a lot in the forums than for those who are able to stay away. With three exceptions: Briansnat because he is actually helpful, Lep because he basically has no choice, and Snoogans because he's Snoogans.

 

It's a particular weakness of mine that I keep coming back to these forums. It's like watching a car wreck over and over and over again.... And then I fall off the wagon and post. The shame lasts for days.

 

Meh, sadly I don't have much of a choice, either. But unfortunately, I'm not Snoogans, and I'm definately not helpful at all (everybody knows that!). I just want to post enough to finally have a higher post count than Sparky-Watts. I'm almost there! Whoo, hoo!

 

*happy dance*

 

[+Snoogans]

In general, I have less respect for those who post a lot in the forums than for those who are able to stay away. With three exceptions: Briansnat because he is actually helpful, Lep because he basically has no choice, and Snoogans because he's Snoogans.

 

It's a particular weakness of mine that I keep coming back to these forums. It's like watching a car wreck over and over and over again.... And then I fall off the wagon and post. The shame lasts for days.

 

is as does....

 

And a in hand isn't nearly as much fun as a in the bush.

[+Castle Mischief]

Is that why you people keep calling asking for my membership dues? To be fair, I hardly ever post on the AGA forums and I'm as much a member of AGA as I am the more northern counterpart of AGA, the SGA. I really kind of self-identify as unaffiliated cacher. But I'll sit down and eat with anybody and I don't really think about it much at all.

Just for clarity to those who don't know, he's joking about the dues bit! We don't have any. We certainly don't contact members and ask for money.

 

Mystery solved, it was the Alabama Grass-fed Aardvarks people that kept calling the house. My bad. (You've never lived until you've had free-range, grass-fed aardvark.)

[+GeoGeeBee]

What IS Geocaching?

 

It's a game where some people hide some stuff, post the coordinates, and then other people go find it. I"m surprised that anyone could figure out how to post to these forums without knowing that, but since you asked. . .