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How many days after you became a GC.com member


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One thing that can be said about geocaching, the basic concepts are quite simple. Most people after finding just one or two caches are already thinking about better ways to hide caches, cooler places to hide caches, or just how they can improve the game.

 

Perhaps this explains why we often see some newbie posting all their ideas to better the game within days of signing up for an account. And these people act like know-it-alls.

 

They are convinced that everyone must like the same caches they have already decided they prefer, and dislike the same ones they dislike. If they think there are too many of some kind of cache, they are ready to ask "Why so many of these?" and suggest that the guidelines be changed to favor some other type of cache.

 

If they have found a particular way to select caches that works for them, they question why someone would do it some other way. If they found a way to look for caches without spending for a premium membership, then premium memberships must be worthless to everyone. If they signed up for a premium membership the first day, then anyone without a premium membership is a freeloader. Of course if they are still looking for ways to sort through all the cache to find ones they like then they will ask for a cache rating system. Clearly, since everyone likes the same thing, such a rating system will work.

 

Many will realize in their one or two days of geocaching, that muggles may be suspicious when they see you looking for a cache. The will want to know if anyone has been arrested geocaching. Or perhaps they will see that some caches have high terrain and will ask how many people have been killed when geocaching. Depending on their personal attitude to risk, they may even ask how can such dangerous caches be approved?

 

They will have ideas for hiding caches that could be answered by reading the guidelines. In fact if the they would find a few more caches they might even find out that people have already hidden caches inside building or high up in trees. Instead they post their ideas here and when are told what guidelines the should watch out for, they will question the reasons for these guidelines in the first place.

 

Of course when the hide their first cache and it's in some spot where muggles are likely to find it they will accuse a geocacher of stealing their cache. Or if someone reports the log is wet because of an inferior container, they will say it was because someone didn't close the lid properly. And no doubt someone will report that the coordinates are bad. They will have excuse for that too.

 

Now the moderators will tell us to have a little patience with newbies. After all the start out as tadpoles and while some will graduate to geocacher their first day because of all the posts they make, the posts can be viewed as them really asking for opinions from the experienced geocachers. If only they responded to the post of experienced geocachers with thanks for explaining something. It gets a bit annoying when the response is defensive. "Yes what you say is true, but...." They feel that they are experts already and question any advice that isn't carefully worded. And of course its funny to the experienced geocachers when the "but" is some example we know is wrong. YEah show off that you didn't read the TOUs of the website or the Guidelines for placing caches. And of course that you don't know the history of Wheresgeorge.com regarding their bill being used in geocaches, or the reasons why ALR caches are not allowed. These people act like they have figured out everything there is to know about geocaching and are only successful at proving they haven't.

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I never was a noob when I started geocaching. This is only because I read the guidelines and staked out the forums before I posted, as none of the questions I had were so important it didn't matter if they waited an extra day or two. In fact I mainly staked out the answer because I was too lazy to type the question. If the search function worked in the forums, or they just had one of those little custom Google search boxes, and the guidelines were a mandatory read for any geocacher, you would almost never have questions getting asked over and over...

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When I discovered Geocaching, I was so interested that I looked through every corner of this site. I read the Guidelines, I read about how to find a cache, I read about how to hide a cache, I read the FAQ, I read through the knowledge-books and then I went back and read the Guidelines again. There's a lot of information to be found in those documents.

 

A lot of newbies ask questions that are answered in these documents. I have no problem with helping the people who are new to this sport. Someone who has never heard of Geocaching before would have a lot of questions. I do, however, have problems with helping people who lack common sense, or people who do not wish to help themselves. Newbies who ask questions that are easily found on geocaching.com show they did not look very hard for the answer and they just want us to give them the answer. I have problems with people who decide: "Thinking is so old school."

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When I discovered Geocaching, I was so interested that I looked through every corner of this site. I read the Guidelines, I read about how to find a cache, I read about how to hide a cache, I read the FAQ, I read through the knowledge-books and then I went back and read the Guidelines again. There's a lot of information to be found in those documents.

 

A lot of newbies ask questions that are answered in these documents. I have no problem with helping the people who are new to this sport. Someone who has never heard of Geocaching before would have a lot of questions. I do, however, have problems with helping people who lack common sense, or people who do not wish to help themselves. Newbies who ask questions that are easily found on geocaching.com show they did not look very hard for the answer and they just want us to give them the answer. I have problems with people who decide: "Thinking is so old school."

Two people I KNOW do this, you and I. Could it be that that's a Canadian cacher only trend?

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When I discovered Geocaching, I was so interested that I looked through every corner of this site. I read the Guidelines, I read about how to find a cache, I read about how to hide a cache, I read the FAQ, I read through the knowledge-books and then I went back and read the Guidelines again. There's a lot of information to be found in those documents.

 

A lot of newbies ask questions that are answered in these documents. I have no problem with helping the people who are new to this sport. Someone who has never heard of Geocaching before would have a lot of questions. I do, however, have problems with helping people who lack common sense, or people who do not wish to help themselves. Newbies who ask questions that are easily found on geocaching.com show they did not look very hard for the answer and they just want us to give them the answer. I have problems with people who decide: "Thinking is so old school."

 

I wholeheartedly agree with and endorse this comment.

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When I discovered Geocaching, I was so interested that I looked through every corner of this site. I read the Guidelines, I read about how to find a cache, I read about how to hide a cache, I read the FAQ, I read through the knowledge-books and then I went back and read the Guidelines again. There's a lot of information to be found in those documents.

 

A lot of newbies ask questions that are answered in these documents. I have no problem with helping the people who are new to this sport. Someone who has never heard of Geocaching before would have a lot of questions. I do, however, have problems with helping people who lack common sense, or people who do not wish to help themselves. Newbies who ask questions that are easily found on geocaching.com show they did not look very hard for the answer and they just want us to give them the answer. I have problems with people who decide: "Thinking is so old school."

 

I wholeheartedly agree with and endorse this comment.

 

aww face it, it gives you all something to do, a reason to stay online at night, a sense of community when you can team up against the new guy, even if he is a jerk in an online forum, where social rules do not apply, but people seem to think they should.

 

in real life i think we would all be real good friends,

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When I discovered Geocaching, I was so interested that I looked through every corner of this site. I read the Guidelines, I read about how to find a cache, I read about how to hide a cache, I read the FAQ, I read through the knowledge-books and then I went back and read the Guidelines again. There's a lot of information to be found in those documents.

 

A lot of newbies ask questions that are answered in these documents. I have no problem with helping the people who are new to this sport. Someone who has never heard of Geocaching before would have a lot of questions. I do, however, have problems with helping people who lack common sense, or people who do not wish to help themselves. Newbies who ask questions that are easily found on geocaching.com show they did not look very hard for the answer and they just want us to give them the answer. I have problems with people who decide: "Thinking is so old school."

 

I wholeheartedly agree with and endorse this comment.

 

aww face it, it gives you all something to do, a reason to stay online at night, a sense of community when you can team up against the new guy, even if he is a jerk in an online forum, where social rules do not apply, but people seem to think they should.

 

in real life i think we would all be real good friends,

 

Trust me. We wouldn't.

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When I discovered Geocaching, I was so interested that I looked through every corner of this site. I read the Guidelines, I read about how to find a cache, I read about how to hide a cache, I read the FAQ, I read through the knowledge-books and then I went back and read the Guidelines again. There's a lot of information to be found in those documents.

 

A lot of newbies ask questions that are answered in these documents. I have no problem with helping the people who are new to this sport. Someone who has never heard of Geocaching before would have a lot of questions. I do, however, have problems with helping people who lack common sense, or people who do not wish to help themselves. Newbies who ask questions that are easily found on geocaching.com show they did not look very hard for the answer and they just want us to give them the answer. I have problems with people who decide: "Thinking is so old school."

 

I wholeheartedly agree with and endorse this comment.

 

aww face it, it gives you all something to do, a reason to stay online at night, a sense of community when you can team up against the new guy, even if he is a jerk in an online forum, where social rules do not apply, but people seem to think they should.

 

in real life i think we would all be real good friends,

 

I really don't think so.

I am very anti-social.

I dislike people that annoy me online.

I dislike people that annoy me in the real world.

 

Your mistake is assuming that people are different

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hmmm lets see, geocaching from the eyes of ashnikes....

 

1) you must place your cache wherever you like, with or without permission, the entire earth is your play pen, and people shouldnt get so bent up on private property, after all even if you work on the land, or put a fence with a lock around it, and signs up, dont the animals still get in? some say people are animals, so why should one species not be allowed in? besides even if you worked to make that land private, your kids didnt, so when you die it should become public again.

 

2) bombs are only ok as caches if they are water, whipped creme, or honey variety.

*** Pinatas are good caches as well, but dont tend to last very long around kids. so fill em with shards of glass, and bees. teach those kids a lesson.

 

3) you do not have to replace any loot you take from a cache, after all, you worked hard for it, had to drive to the back part of the parking lot of walmart for that thing, you know how crazy people drive in walmarts parking lot? you deserve a medal of honor! and it better be in that cache along with the president himself!

 

4) only hunt on trails already ruined by previous careless cachers, so you can blame the mess you leave on them.

 

5) if its not wheelchair accessible, it probably wasnt worth it.

 

6) if your cell phones crappy gps, and the pirated cache location software you loaded on to it, marks your new hide 300ft away from where you actually hid it, no worries, someone will find it. eventually.

 

7) always wear flip flops, and a fanny pack filled with the following....

***Smartphone (kindof a given)

***Beef jerkey, (in case you need to leave something in return for the loot you took)

***A shake and point flashlight, preferrably dubbling as a hammer, you never know when youre gonna need to hang a picture frame of those raccoons you just saw

 

8) always make sure to lock yourself out of your car in the excitement of a new find (which you found out didnt even exist any longer, after you found out your keys were locked in your car, and you had to treck 4 miles back to your house to get your spare, in the thunderstorm, with your smartphone in a newspaper plastic bag so it wouldnt get ruined, but wound up getting ruined anyway)

 

9) cant think of a good # 9 yet

 

and lastly,

 

10) be sure to rub your 25 finds and 1 hide in the span of 2 whole days in the faces of every geocacher you ever meet forever!

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When I discovered Geocaching, I was so interested that I looked through every corner of this site. I read the Guidelines, I read about how to find a cache, I read about how to hide a cache, I read the FAQ, I read through the knowledge-books and then I went back and read the Guidelines again. There's a lot of information to be found in those documents.

 

A lot of newbies ask questions that are answered in these documents. I have no problem with helping the people who are new to this sport. Someone who has never heard of Geocaching before would have a lot of questions. I do, however, have problems with helping people who lack common sense, or people who do not wish to help themselves. Newbies who ask questions that are easily found on geocaching.com show they did not look very hard for the answer and they just want us to give them the answer. I have problems with people who decide: "Thinking is so old school."

 

I wholeheartedly agree with and endorse this comment.

 

aww face it, it gives you all something to do, a reason to stay online at night, a sense of community when you can team up against the new guy, even if he is a jerk in an online forum, where social rules do not apply, but people seem to think they should.

 

in real life i think we would all be real good friends,

 

+1

 

Maybe I missed something, but I don't see what the big deal is. I'll chat with ya ashnikes

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How many days after you became a GC.com member, does it take to become an expert?

I think you are starting with a false premise.

According to The Illuminati Book of Secrets, one can not become an "expert" geocacher without becoming a Premium Member.

(Sorry. Their rules, not mine)

So the real question should be; How long after becoming a Premium Member, does one become an expert?

Translate Signal to Sanskrit, find a homonym for that phrase, then translate that word into Mandarin.

Invert the word, then count the strokes used to draw the glyph.

Multiply that by 42, which we all know is the Answer to Life, The Universe and Everything.

The answer is 2011 days. I should reach "Expert" status on June 30th, 2010. :)

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When I discovered Geocaching, I was so interested that I looked through every corner of this site. I read the Guidelines, I read about how to find a cache, I read about how to hide a cache, I read the FAQ, I read through the knowledge-books and then I went back and read the Guidelines again. There's a lot of information to be found in those documents.

 

A lot of newbies ask questions that are answered in these documents. I have no problem with helping the people who are new to this sport. Someone who has never heard of Geocaching before would have a lot of questions. I do, however, have problems with helping people who lack common sense, or people who do not wish to help themselves. Newbies who ask questions that are easily found on geocaching.com show they did not look very hard for the answer and they just want us to give them the answer. I have problems with people who decide: "Thinking is so old school."

Two people I KNOW do this, you and I. Could it be that that's a Canadian cacher only trend?

 

There is at least one in Alabama who has done and still does this.....me, but I have been to Canada a number of times. Maybe it rubbed off on me. :)

 

I've been a member of GC.com for almost three years. I don't know how many days it will take to become an expert as I'm still learning new things.

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I have been a member for a few years, but I only have 62 finds so far. I would have more but its hard to find time to get out and do it some times.

 

Although I do not have a big amount of finds, I feel that I am a seasoned cacher. I don't have trouble finding caches. I recognize them quickly. I know the rules. I'm not a jerk about things while caching.

 

I was very much like this from the start.

 

I think it really depends on the person. I did a bit of research before I went to find any cache's. I had to get a gps first LoL. Until then I read whatever I could find about geocaching.

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... OK

 

:blink:

 

... is it time for the

 

group-hug2_ani.gif yet?

 

... Newbies who ask questions that are easily found on geocaching.com show they did not look very hard for the answer and they just want us to give them the answer. I have problems with people who decide: "Thinking is so old school."

 

I think Newbies come in lots of different flavours. Some lurk for weeks or months before leaping into the fray others want to become part of this warm, generous, world-wide forum community 1780.gifas soon as possible (Mad fools!).

So they take their courage in both hands, think of a question to ask (and I don't think we should expect them to have absorbed all the available information links within these forums before they contribute) and add a post... or two. If they're really adventurous they sometimes start a topic... or two... or...

*MrsB stares at pointedly at ashnikes*

It's all part of the growth towards becoming an experienced cacher.

 

Anyway, anyone and everyone gets to have their say on here. Someone has the tag line, "Our opinions don't make us better people: our tolerance does." Sounds good to me.

 

(What were we talking about anyway? :( )

 

MrsB

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... is it time for the

 

group-hug2_ani.gif yet?

MrsB

 

No! I'm claustrophobic!

 

We never become experts! For the rules guidelines are ever changing. Or so it was intimated when I asked "I didn't know one could do that." I was told that I should know that since I had hidden a cache recently, and checked the box that I had read and understand the guidelines. There was a minor change in Part 6B, Subset 2, Part XII. Oh, well.

I know lots of things, but I do not know everything. So I am not an expert.

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I've got to get some sleep. We're going geocASHing tomorrow. Ciao!

Hey, you guys done already? Here's my contribution to keep it going:

 

http://www.a2zwordfinder.com/cgi-bin/liter...h&Search=Go

 

To answer the original question : 7 days. Which planet is left as an exercise to the reader.

 

Yes, I do get tired of the same old questions sometimes. If I'm in such a mood, I don't read the thread (or if I do, I don't respond).

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Many years ago when I started a new job, someone suggested that I should spend a few weeks learning about the company and the getting to understand and know the employees before starting to suggest changes. I was the first Controller of what is now a multi-billion Dollar enterprise in the USA. I took that advice and have followed it ever since. In my current life as a consultant I tell people I must be able to diagnose before I can prescribe. I think this is the core issue in play here. People new to the game prescribe before they know enough about the game to arrive at a suitable diagnosis.

 

And when they do they are rightfully shut down by those who have enough experience to diagnose and prescribe. There are always exceptions of course, but I have found this philosophy to be extremely helpful over the years.

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How many days after you became a GC.com member, does it take to become an expert?

I think you are starting with a false premise.

According to The Illuminati Book of Secrets, one can not become an "expert" geocacher without becoming a Premium Member.

(Sorry. Their rules, not mine)

So the real question should be; How long after becoming a Premium Member, does one become an expert?

Translate Signal to Sanskrit, find a homonym for that phrase, then translate that word into Mandarin.

Invert the word, then count the strokes used to draw the glyph.

Multiply that by 42, which we all know is the Answer to Life, The Universe and Everything.

The answer is 2011 days. I should reach "Expert" status on June 30th, 2010. :D

 

Really?

 

I had heard that the Illuminati was the 13th level of the Rosicrucians (Rosy Cross), and that the members frequently used nicknames with letter combinations of RC and CR. Many tend to have authoratative jobs such as policemen, so perhaps you are on the level about this? :blink::(

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I know lots of things, but I do not know everything. So I am not an expert.

Neither do the experts. :)

 

I had heard that the Illuminati was the 13th level of the Rosicrucians (Rosy Cross), and that the members frequently used nicknames with letter combinations of RC and CR. Many tend to have authoratative jobs such as policemen, so perhaps you are on the level about this? :rolleyes:

Shhh!!! ;)

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When I discovered Geocaching, I was so interested that I looked through every corner of this site. I read the Guidelines, I read about how to find a cache, I read about how to hide a cache, I read the FAQ, I read through the knowledge-books and then I went back and read the Guidelines again. There's a lot of information to be found in those documents.

 

A lot of newbies ask questions that are answered in these documents. I have no problem with helping the people who are new to this sport. Someone who has never heard of Geocaching before would have a lot of questions. I do, however, have problems with helping people who lack common sense, or people who do not wish to help themselves. Newbies who ask questions that are easily found on geocaching.com show they did not look very hard for the answer and they just want us to give them the answer. I have problems with people who decide: "Thinking is so old school."

 

I wholeheartedly agree with and endorse this comment.

 

aww face it, it gives you all something to do, a reason to stay online at night, a sense of community when you can team up against the new guy, even if he is a jerk in an online forum, where social rules do not apply, but people seem to think they should.

 

in real life i think we would all be real good friends,

 

Trust me. We wouldn't.

 

:rolleyes: I feel like in some way, due to the nature of this game (no forced social interaction), socializing of its members is always kinda awkward. Being good friends with everyone is a little ambitious.

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Many years ago when I started a new job, someone suggested that I should spend a few weeks learning about the company and the getting to understand and know the employees before starting to suggest changes. I was the first Controller of what is now a multi-billion Dollar enterprise in the USA. I took that advice and have followed it ever since. In my current life as a consultant I tell people I must be able to diagnose before I can prescribe. I think this is the core issue in play here. People new to the game prescribe before they know enough about the game to arrive at a suitable diagnosis.

 

And when they do they are rightfully shut down by those who have enough experience to diagnose and prescribe. There are always exceptions of course, but I have found this philosophy to be extremely helpful over the years.

Excellent advice too little taken!

 

As an independent consultant in IT I had to constantly attract new clients and contracts, often competing with the likes of Arthur Anderson, Booz Allen and other industry 'big guns' who had some pretty impressive folks on staff and far more resources than I.

 

What I found that often landed me contracts which the big boys didn't get was that they would show up, often en masse, meet with the client for an hour and start telling them what they should do.

 

I took the opposite approach. I met with the client, attempted to discover their understanding of the nature of the project (which wasn't always what the client thought it was) then arranged for an analyst to serve in their business for a bit as an observer and investigator to discover the true nature and scope of the problem to be solved.

 

In many cases my 'Let's work together to research it, when we all understand it we'll come back with what we can do for you' approach landed my little six-man shop contracts that the major players would have loved to have.

 

Many clients were amazed at how much a little research by an outsider (newbie) could enable us to truly understand their issue and thus be more effective than the guys who show up with a 'solution' to a problem they don't even understand.

 

It's the same with forums, new jobs, anything. Take the time to read the resources that Groundspeak provides, cruise the forums for a few hours (Groundspeak's as well as your local forum) and when you think that you have a feel for things, jump in.

 

Unfortunately too few think like that, but rather think 'Hey, here's a bunch of folks who know the answers, why should I have to spend time learning about a game, I will just ask the forum. That'll save me loads of time.'

 

Since we know that many folks will take the 'I don't need no steenking research' approach we just have to grin and bear it. Even those who could have found answers on their own but won't are valued peers and players, so let's continue to help them out with their issues.

 

Still, all that said, I am certainly no geocaching expert and I still at times ask questions that I could have found answers to elsewhere, be it because the search engine frustrates me, sometimes I don't have time, or I am lazy. :rolleyes:

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When I discovered Geocaching, I was so interested that I looked through every corner of this site. I read the Guidelines, I read about how to find a cache, I read about how to hide a cache, I read the FAQ, I read through the knowledge-books and then I went back and read the Guidelines again. There's a lot of information to be found in those documents.

 

A lot of newbies ask questions that are answered in these documents. I have no problem with helping the people who are new to this sport. Someone who has never heard of Geocaching before would have a lot of questions. I do, however, have problems with helping people who lack common sense, or people who do not wish to help themselves. Newbies who ask questions that are easily found on geocaching.com show they did not look very hard for the answer and they just want us to give them the answer. I have problems with people who decide: "Thinking is so old school."

Two people I KNOW do this, you and I. Could it be that that's a Canadian cacher only trend?

 

Maybe I live too close to the border, but I still ask questions that get answers and a reference to the guidelines.

 

The main difference is I listen to the advice given. If I don't like it I don't complain that it shouldn't be that way.

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People act this way consistently on every forum on every subject across the internet. People grow out of it and learn to assimilate and get along. While the behavior is annoying, new players should be graded on a curve with an understanding that, just with some young people who have to grow into the real world, they need some time to grow into the game to realize how they're acting and knock it off. And, just like some young people, you won't be able to tell them that until they discover it for themselves.

 

I'm not a prolific Geocacher by any measure. I'm still working on getting to 200 finds after 5 years (4 years on this account). There's still tons for me to learn. So I respond from my experience of knowing people, not necessarily what I know of the game.

 

Since I have all the patience of a steeped tea kettle I've had to make a concentrated effort to pick my battles and I just can't say know-it-all newbies would be one of them.

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