I've had harassing, nasty, belittling emails from others.

[+Citrus Tree Farmer]

I quit geocaching in 2006, because the forums were so hostile and nasty, and because people loved taking things (the TFTF prize I included with my geocaches, often worth $25) when they were not eligible. I put ot about 30 geocaches, and found many more. People want to talk to me like I'm stupid, and don't know anything about geocaching. Now, after geocaching for a week, I recieved several emails, harassing and belittling me, and I am wondering: is this what I can expect of geocaching? It's supposed to be FUN, not make me a target for other people's harassment. If I get ONE more nasty email, it's OVER. I'll ask for a registration refund and SELL my GPS. Edited September 17, 2010 by Citrus Tree Farmer

[+G & C]

What are these harassing emails regarding?

 

I noticed that you've taken several trackables without logging them out of the caches you took them from. You need to do that, ASAP. Four or five of your logs indicate a taken trackable, and not one of them shows up on your trackables list. You might also think about asking a CO before replacing a cache. Even with the best of intentions, you don't want to step on anyones toes. These are just a couple of suggestions, without me knowing what you're being given a hard time about.

[jholly]

I can see how one of your logs and actions could cause a bit if unpleasant email to be generated. I can also see that you could be upset, but without any real basis, over your single cache that was archived. I could possibly see a trackable owner sending you an email to log your finds, but the probably have not noticed they are gone yet. Hopefully things will get better. I would also be cautious about the threats, some might help you along in that regard.

Edited September 17, 2010 by jholly

[NordicMan]

I don't know what's going on, but are you sure you're not causing the problems to happen? You're basically saying you walk along minding your own business and, whamo a bunch of people just start yelling at you? If you REALLY aren't causing whatever problem you're experiencing (twice now ) I'm sorry to hear your luck is so much worse than typical.

 

I've had nothing but great experiences my whole time Geocaching, and no I'm not bragging lol, I am sure that is the rule & your experience is the exception. About the worst encounter I had was when another cacher got upset when I posted a log comment about finding a tiny pen knife in a cache & thought it was inappropriate. But at the end we both "shook hands" and all was ok again.

Edited September 17, 2010 by NordicMan

[+BlueDeuce]

What are these harassing emails regarding?

 

They are probably just the cache logs.

[+ScottKaren]

I hope you don't consider this a belittling post, but you have 10 finds. One you "replaced" the cache where you thought it should be. You have two travel bugs from two different caches that you have not logged and one geocoin that you have not logged. So out of the 10 caches you have had problems with 4 of them. That is not a real good success rate. Now you come on here saying you are being harrassed. Don't know man, maybe it is not in the cards for you. If you do sell your GPS, please place the TBS back in a cache. You do kind of owe it to those people to return them.

[+hukilaulau]

Well, this might seem like piling on, but here's another thing: If you believe you can dictate who is "eligible" to take something you've put in a cache, you are just asking for trouble.

[+t4e]

you say you cached before but stopped in 2006, but you seem to have created a new account, so how does anyone know who you are under the new user name?

you do know that you can report any harassing emails, right?

 

 

however, i can't help to wonder if you're someone we already know

Edited September 18, 2010 by t4e

[+knowltonGeo]

OP, what you said seems fishy to me. My experience so far has been far different. The people here are very friendly, helpful and patient with noobs like me.

 

"Me thinks thou dost protest too much!" to borrow from Shakespeare's Hamlet (accurately, I hope!)

 

In my experience, posters who complain about being treated unfairly, about being victimized, and then "threatening to leave" are just looking for attention.

 

Dang...I fell for it!

 

I just feel like we're getting HALF the story, the OTHER HALF being what the two posts that followed yours seemed to indicate...that you've broken some of the guidelines, and contrary to your protestations, are ruining the fun for OTHER people more than having your own fun being ruined by some random conspiracy to make your geocaching a pure nightmare.

Edited September 18, 2010 by knowltonGeo

[+BlueDeuce]

"The lady doth protest too much, methinks."

 

But we know what you meant.

[+knowltonGeo]

"The lady doth protest too much, methinks."

 

But we know what you meant.

 

SEE??!!

 

Friendly, helpful and patient ... just like I said!

[+WhoDis]

I have yet to get a single email from anyone on here, good, bad or otherwise. Think maybe it's something you are doing? I've had nothing but positive experiences since I started caching. Maybe you are being a little to critical of the responses you are getting. It could just be helpful advise you are getting and you are reading too much into it. If you are taking trackables and not logging them, that would warrant a response from the owner asking you to log your take.

 

If you do decide to leave, please fill out the proper forms.

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php...mp;#entry659453

[+WhoDis]

Just read through your hide and finds. You hid a cache before finding any and it was evidently a bad hide. Sounds like it was in a place where it would soon disappear. Your hints, look for the dead fish head and the cheetos wrapper? You used trash as your hint?

 

You took trackables, but never logged them out of the cache. You replaced a cache that you couldn't find, even though others couldn't find it and the owner posted a note saying that they checked on it and it is there.

 

I have no idea why you would be getting emails.

[+the family bu]

I am sorry you feel you are being unfairly treated - but remember the written word is open to different interpretation. To be honest with you I too would be upset if you had replaced my 'supposedly' missing cache, claimed a find on it and then written a log like you did. I would have deleted your log. One of my caches had many DNF's - in a row, when I went to check it out - it was still there - just people hadn't found it. I think that maybe if you change your way of communicating, and was quicker to log trackables, and slower to jump to conclusions about 'missing' caches - you may solve your problems.

[+scaramedic]

Wait, your cache was published on Sept 11th and then archived on Sept 11th? Is that a record??

[bgoathill]

Around my area, if you're not in the "clique", you're nothing. I've been harrassed real subtly for a while now by one of the big time cachers here, for what I believe was just posting a log for a cache I found thanking them for putting out such a creative hide. He's even accused me of taking one of his caches, a micro hid in small town city park full of nosy neighbors and bored kids. I think someone else his screwing with him now and I'm getting blamed. Unfortunely, most of the geocachers I have dealt with are real jerks who take this game way too seriously, at least around here.

[+BlueDeuce]

Around my area, if you're not in the "clique", you're nothing. I've been harrassed real subtly for a while now by one of the big time cachers here, for what I believe was just posting a log for a cache I found thanking them for putting out such a creative hide. He's even accused me of taking one of his caches, a micro hid in small town city park full of nosy neighbors and bored kids. I think someone else his screwing with him now and I'm getting blamed. Unfortunely, most of the geocachers I have dealt with are real jerks who take this game way too seriously, at least around here.

 

Iowa eh? Well, we have our fair share of jerks but no more than anywhere else.

 

I find these cliques are usually people who all start around the same time, are all doing the same things like discovering that they can place caches, find excitement in being ftf, meeting for the first time at events. Then the honeymoon is over, and a new batch of newbies move in. (and then the old newbies commiserate by complaining about the new newbies.)

 

I haven't been in a clique for quite some time.

[+WascoZooKeeper]

Sorry, I can only give this one a 5.5.

Edited September 18, 2010 by WascoZooKeeper

[+JL_HSTRE]

and because people loved taking things (the TFTF prize I included with my geocaches, often worth $25) when they were not eligible.

 

How would you not be eligible for a FTF prize if you are the first person to find the cache?

 

I'm in SE Florida and approaching 300 finds having been caching since the start of the year. I've only gotten one harsh email: CO questioned whether I found their cache since in my log I said I could not sign the moldy log but the next finder didn't report any problems with the log. The cache container was pretty unique so I described it and put the CO's concerns to rest. I later met the CO at the local 10th anniversary of geocaching event and all was well. Between that event and a geo-paddle in Ocala Forest last month, I've met several dozen other geocachers and they all seemed at least reasonably friendly.

 

As far as people criticizing your cache: sometimes you will make a bad choice in location or container or get poor quality coordinates (or their GPS makes them think the coordinates are bad). If you can't handle criticism then don't make anything because someone out there is probably going to have a negative opinion about it whether it's a book, movie, play, artwork, or a geocache.

 

Log your trackables, don't place a replacement cache container without consent of the CO, report to Groundspeak any emails you feel are harassment, don't be antagonistic, and just relax.

[BlueRajah]

If you feel like you are being harassed, please include the relevant information and sent it to contact@geocaching.com.

 

That tends to do better than airing dirty laundry in the forums. You will have some support you and other attack you here. If it is not worth reporting.. its not worth discussing. That is my opinion.

[+Ecylram]

you say you cached before but stopped in 2006, but you seem to have created a new account, so how does anyone know who you are under the new user name?

you do know that you can report any harassing emails, right?

 

 

however, i can't help to wonder if you're someone we already know

*ding* *ding* *ding*

[+Ecylram]

Sorry, I can only give this one a 5.5.

I'm thinking more like a 7.0.

 

A lot of detail went into this along with multiple 'triggers'.

[+randco]

I quit geocaching in 2006, because the forums were so hostile and nasty, and because people loved taking things (the TFTF prize I included with my geocaches, often worth $25) when they were not eligible. I put ot about 30 geocaches, and found many more. People want to talk to me like I'm stupid, and don't know anything about geocaching. Now, after geocaching for a week, I recieved several emails, harassing and belittling me, and I am wondering: is this what I can expect of geocaching? It's supposed to be FUN, not make me a target for other people's harassment. If I get ONE more nasty email, it's OVER. I'll ask for a registration refund and SELL my GPS.

 

[+briansnat]

Blue Rajah gave some good advice. This thread is going nowhere fast so I'm closing it.