Variations on a theme

[+dollhouse2]

I'm new, barely two months and 67 caches into this wonderfully fun sport/obsession/game. I've fallen in love with finding and moving trackables, invested in a few to put in caches, and watched anxiously to see if they go somewhere. Oh, they went somewhere, alright, but I have no idea where. I've scoured logs and the forum posts to find out what's going on, and I reached a conclusion: not everyone is playing by the same rules.

 

The most prominent alternative game appears to be "Finders Keepers; Losers Weepers". It seems that to these players the objective is to get to a newly placed coin and claim it for themselves, thinking that perhaps the game is about finding and collecting trackables. I can't really blame them, coins are very tempting and I resist the urge to collect them myself. I still want to know who has my coins, though.

 

Another variant are the players who play under the radar. They may play the same game as I, but they avoid logging their thousands of finds on the computer. They sign the log, but refuse to do any additional tracking. This may account for trackables that just show up somewhere other than the cache they were put in. I don't think there is really anything wrong with what these minimalist are doing, but it sure plays havoc in tracking a coin. There is no rule that requires one to log a find in the computer, that I've found anyway. It would be interesting if someone who owns a cache would compare the log entries with the computer logging.

 

These two variations have altered my future in geocaching. I will not, even though I want to so badly, be buying or placing trackables in caches. This will really take the sparkle out of the game for me, but what else can I do. Next, now that I know how useless the computer tracking can be in following a coin or cache, I'm demoting the logs in importance, credulence and priority.

 

Being new, I probably haven't stumbled on all the obscure variations yet. If you have found others, please clue me in.

[+entogeek]

I'm new, barely two months and 67 caches into this wonderfully fun sport/obsession/game.

<snip>

 

Welcome to geocaching - I hope you won't let your experience with missing trackables deter you from sticking around. Like you, I too have lost both travel bugs and geocoins. Sometimes a polite email to the last person to pick them up refreshes their memory and they drop them off (I typically wait a month before contacting them). Other times, I simply have to accept the fact that when I don't get a reply, my trackables are lost. And sometimes they simply show up months later.

 

As for users not logging their finds, there are geocachers who only sign the log book, those who only sign the log book and log a note instead instead of a find, or those who just go out and find the cache without signing the log nor logging it on-line at all. To each their own - the only "set rule" is that to claim a find you have to find the cache and sign the log. But there's nothing stopping one from finding the cache and not logging it.

 

My only advice is to take the negatives in stride with all the positive aspects of this game as there are far more of the latter then of the former.

[+humboldt flier]

Welcome to this zany activity.

 

Many of us share your " trackables angst ". I only set free into the wilds items that I won't mind losing.

 

Some folks, will take a photo of a trackable and release that as a proxy item.

 

I would like to believe that folks simply do not understand the trackable aspect of this zany activity and act on the assumption that all cache contents are swag. A message to the contrary with a brief mission statement is sometimes helpful. Others may lose track of a trackable in the bottom of a safe location within their swag bag.

[+EyeD10T]

When I go to a casino, I go with the hopes to win but the expectation of loosing. Thats how I handle the trackables. I want to see them follow the mission, but understand they may get lost. I bought one coin at a clearance sale at an online shop and released it. That is the only coin I plan on releasing. I have released a few TB trackables and am taking the wait and see approach. I dont expect much, but will be very happy if they continue. As for the coins, I am starting a collection that I will keep at home and may eventually start "dipping" some of them to get mileage - but am not sure about that yet.

 

As far as the rules of cache engagement, I have decided that it is each to his own. Everyone is in this hobby for whatever reason and they all have lifes outside of the hobby. It would be nice for everyone to follow the short list of recommended rules and unspoken assumptions, but like anything else, I can only ensure I do and be happy with that.

 

I am fairly new to Geocaching myself and sure have enjoyed it so far. I wish I had discovered it years ago. It is a blast!

Edited December 13, 2010 by EyeD10T

[+niraD]

As I've heard said around here:

The best thing about geocaching is that anyone can play.

The worst thing about geocaching is that anyone can play.

 

Take entogeek's advice to heart. Don't worry too much about the negatives: missing trackables, degrading swag, muggled caches, etc. Have fun.

[g_o_caching]

I will not, even though I want to so badly, be buying or placing trackables in caches. This will really take the sparkle out of the game for me, but what else can I do. Next, now that I know how useless the computer tracking can be in following a coin or cache, I'm demoting the logs in importance, credulence and priority.

 

I understand your frustrations even though I haven't spent and lost money on placing trackables yet. I think the way I will do trackables is the keychains, tee shirt, or window decals types of TB's. That will let others have the enjoyment of logging and following them but also take the worry out of losing them.

 

I will continue to grab and move trackables when I find them, if I can meet the owners intent on the destination of where they want the TB to go. In hindsight I didn't really help one TB on its way, and may have slowed its trip some. I get on my laptop in the field and check where the owner wants the TB to go before I grab it now.

 

Don't let the way other people play the game detract from your enjoyment. If you like finding them and moving them, and logging them correctly for the owners to trace, maybe more will learn how to do it right from reading your logs.

[+The Blorenges]

I had a look at your trackables to see if I could offer any words of hope and/or encouragement!

 

You have two Space Coast GAC - the one placed in "Out in the Woods" on 3 Dec seems to be OK.

 

One of your two Travel Dolphins went into "Hidden From All Souls" on 6 Nov. There's only been 3 Founds since then, none of them mentioned taking it, so it could still be there.

 

I understand your concern for one of your two Love geocoins: Is it possible it was taken by FSUDad on 23 Nov? He's logged "Took geocoin and TB and will move them along" although your coin is still showing as being in the cache.

 

All I'd say is, don't despair too soon. Sometimes cachers don't log trackables out, and into, caches correctly but then sometimes they move them along (without doing the logs) but the next finder does it right and then your item is back on track again.

 

By the way - I notice that where you have two of the same item they have exactly the same name. Maybe you intend never to release both of them, but it sometimes helps to rename them, or number them #1 and #2, or something, so that it's clear which is which. Just a thought.

 

I hope that those that you're concerned about will get logged soon, or else re-appear mysteriously in another cache.

 

Good luck!

 

 

MrsB

[+kpanko]

If you don't mind, please send 3 votes to this:

http://feedback.geocaching.com/forums/7577...onger-in-caches

 

I enjoy the game of moving trackables, but seeing trackables in a cache inventory when I know it is missing is frustrating.

[+michigansnorkelers]

"Illegitimus non carborundum".

 

Julius Caesar

 

All five of mine are gone too.

 

BTW. You still own the tracking number of those lost geocoins. If you have absolutely given up all hope of seeing them again, you can use those tracking numbers for another object. It could be a proxy (picture of the lost geocoin), or anything else you want to attach it to. Perhaps use a permanent marker to write the number on a metal or plastic tag, etc. This is done with lost TBs all the time. Just be aware of the mess you'll have on your hands if the missing geocoin ever surfaces again.

 

By now you've learned the dirty little secret, that the TB search in Pocket Queries is practically useless. It only shows caches that have Travelers have logged in, but not logged out. They might have been logged in YEARS AGO!

 

In an earlier thread, I outlined my approach to finding TBs and geocoins.

Here it is for you.

 

What I currently do is run a PQ for TBs. I make the assumption that a TB will be picked up by the next finder or two. If there have been 2 finders since the TB was dropped, it probably isn't there any more. This is generally true. Conversely, if the last cache log date = the TB drop date, then there is a very good chance the TB is still in the cache.

 

So, I load the PQ into GSAK which shows me the date of the last cache log and a list of all TBs that are logged as being in the cache. I click on the TB number (which opens the Geocaching.com TB page) and quickly see the date it was dropped. I then USER TICK the cache if the dates were the same, or if there were some other reason I thought the TB might still be there (TB hotel, etc). Easy for a small list, tedious for a long one. Now, I have a list of caches that have a high probability of containing travelers.

Edited December 13, 2010 by michigansnorkelers

[+Chokecherry]

When I find trackables in a cache I think it's a nice little happy accident/surprise thing. I don't pay much attention to the trackables listed on the page. Even as I'm logging I don't pay much attention to them.

 

I've released a few trackables and am getting another coin ready to go out. Any movement on them makes me happy and I realize someday they will probably just vanish. But the reality is that these items are not going to come back to me even if they keep moving. At no point where I walk up to a cache and find that trackable and reclaim it as my own. If anything I would move it along to another cache and send it on its way again. I like to know other people are getting some enjoyment out of moving them or see where they've been. I always like to see where trackables I have found have been and where they go.

 

I have two coins that won't leave my possession one I use to track my mileage and the other is a copy of the coin I'm getting ready to release as I wanted one around just for me to look at and bring with me for other people to "discover."

[+dollhouse2]

Thanks to all of you that replied to my message. I got the most wonderful news this morning. My "Love" geocoin has reappeared. Seems that the person who found it was taken ill and hospitalized. I'm so happy. Game on!