Cache Logs

[+tozainamboku]

Bad decision that sets a bad precedent.

While I don't agree with the decision (I think cachers should share their experience if they can without spoilers, and I think it is just polite to thank cache owners), TPTB made the decision to emphasize that cache owners don't have any control over what people put in the online logs.

...

Really - you were there during the discussion??!!?? They actually discussed cache owners in the context of "control" issues??

Sorry. Should have said, "IMO".

[Spether]

Wow. As a brand new player in this game, I find it fascinating to listen to veterans squabble. After reading these posts, I hope we never get this jaded and snotty over geocaching. I also hope we never get so upset at a cache that we refuse to sign the log because it didn't meet "our standards."

 

Maybe people get bored with the thrill of trying to grab a hidden object without getting caught that's in a public place. Maybe people's appreciation for the fact that some of these "boring micros" have been in the same place for over FIVE YEARS and never disturbed.

 

The contempt towards a game like this (and, trust me, this attitude is found on every forum/game in the world) astounds me. For example, we searched for two hidden at a local park. This place had narrow, high-up paths, sharp cliff edges, climbing, etc. Someone has the nerve to post "not impressed by the terrain here." Really?

 

I'm thinking some of the people who are a) not leaving their names and require a higher standard of caches need to take a break from the game. Take some time to reflect and rest up. There's no good reason to try and cram 50 finds in a day then complain about the quality of them.

 

But then, we're new and still in the honeymoon phase of geocaching. Maybe in 3, 6, 12 months we'll be as angry and snotty about small caches, too. We'll see.

 

Spether

[+Don_J]

Bad decision that sets a bad precedent.

 

It would be helpful if we knew what bad decision you were referring to.

 

The thread topic. Groundspeak not requiring data input. Of course people can just put a . or anything, but it sets a bad example from the top down.

 

I totally agree. On the other hand, we have a local cacher that is approaching 500 finds that logs every single cache with TFTC, nothing more, nothing less. It's to the point that a blank log would almost be acceptable instead of that.

[+Harry Dolphin]

Well, the world keeps changing. Used to was a polite society. People took other people into consideration. The electronic society has changed that. E-mail. Faebook. Texting. It's a different world. And then there's entitlement. Which also seems to be part of modern society. Oh, well. What we are expecting (logs) is not necessarily part of that society.

Okay - There's a great view here. Not sure why you did it in a pea soup fog. (At least they noted that!) Numbers is good too, I guess.

I have worked hard on remembering to thank owners for nice caches! Great view. Thanks.

However, I do not understand the theory of "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything." "Why did you bring me to the dumpster?", I asked. (Actually, the CO didn't have a good answer, and archived it.) Though I should try the snarky approach: "Nice pile of garbage. Cache fits right in."

If you're on a numbers run, and miss the view: Oh Well. I tried. I like the view That's why I brought you here. You want a number, that works too (as long as you signed the log.) I cannot change that, and I wouldn't want to. But I would, at least, like to see TFTC.

[+DazeDnFamily]

I'm a firm believer in common courtesy. And, I guess I'm a crack head, but I agree with those that say, "The effort you take to hide the cache merits my effort to log it for you." I don't know if anyone saw the "Cache Karma" thing that went around recently, but even though we have 514 finds, and only 9 hides (as of last night), we were told that we had karma to spare, because the group we cache with has a ball reading our logs. We are the village idiots of our group, because we hardly ever read before we go. We bushwhack, cross creeks, fall, and many other "Bad News Bears" type things. We say there's the right way, the wrong way and our way. But, we have a blast causing ourselves a lot more adventure than we prolly have to, and we love sharing with others. Honestly, I put a log in that I had to trim over 300 characters from, and it was for a hide that was part of a State Park geocaching program here in GA. LINK But, like I said, we had a blast, and like to share. That, to me is almost as important as acknowledging the effort. If it's a LPC in a parking lot, our logs are usually correspondingly small. But, when someone takes the time, and gives us an adventure, I'll give them a book in return.

 

Later!

Edited March 22, 2011 by DazDnFamily

[RedShoesGirl]

.... Expecting every log to be a work of literature is useless. It's best to just enjoy the rare funny or clever logs that you do get!

I don't have that as an "expectation". I don't think anybody does. But is too much to expect a basic "Thank You" and/or a basic description of the caches condition "cache is in good shape"???

 

I don't think you need any more than an elementary education to say that much. It is just basic manners.

 

if a cache is really nothing noteworthy i don't feel as if i have to write anything more tnln tftc. once i wrote - "another key holder magnetic on the back of a sign. is this as original as you can get? there is a big desert out here!"

 

and they had listed it as a "small." if i had known it was a bloody key holder i would not have bothered. i was sufficiently ticked at the waste of time i wrote the note.

 

they were not amused.

[+Redfist]

I think there are 2 forces at play that are more powerful than anything we can socialize here:

 

1. As cachers turn into COs, they begin to appreciate how hollow a "TFTC" can feel and thus do so less often. I know I came to that realization after I started receiving emails about my own caches.

2. People who don't wish to leave much content in their log simply won't. Best case, you'll get some "form letter" style response that they merely copy/paste. Those who don't care, won't care.

 

I think the best thing we can do as a community is to lead by example.

[+roziecakes]

This sort of thing used to bother me, but I know that there are so many reasons why people leave short or no logs, especially in this day and age with phone logging, that I've just had to let it go. I know that I will get enough interesting logs on my caches to make up for it.

 

I like what one poster mentioned about how if you want nice logs, inspire them by placing a really cool cache that people will have a lot to say about it. That will probably guarantee that you'll get better logs, but it doesn't always... even Dr. Who in Portland, which is one of my favorites has some TFTC logs on it.

 

I personally would rather see people have the freedom to log as they choose. It's not a big deal, I'm just happy my caches are being found.

[jholly]

I wonder about this log with no comment thing. If you log via the website you can't submit the log unless there is something in the log field. At least I can't. I do remember reading comments about the smartphone programs being able to do that. What about the field note interface, can that submit logs without a comment?

[+NeecesandNephews]

I tried to blank the text box in an online log the other day. The CO asked that logs be submitted as a QR so I attached a pic. The site would not let me leave the text box blank.

Someone mentioned earlier that Groundspeak was going to change this to allow blank text logs online also.

[Mr.Yuck]

Here's my theory. Tell me if I'm crazy or not. Crackberry, Apple, and Motorola have conspired to place mind control chips in their smartphones. This mind control chip commands the smartphone Geocacher that they must post their find log from the field. Then the smartphone Geocacher, in a zombie-like trance mutters "Must log cache from field; must not go home and use computer" three times. Cell phones are small, and hard to type on, so the smartphone Geocacher then sends a blank log. Or if we're really lucky, an emoticon log. In the best case scenario, they thumb out a "tftc".

 

Whaddya think?

[Mr.Yuck]

Bad decision that sets a bad precedent.

 

It would be helpful if we knew what bad decision you were referring to.

 

The thread topic. Groundspeak not requiring data input. Of course people can just put a . or anything, but it sets a bad example from the top down.

 

I totally agree. On the other hand, we have a local cacher that is approaching 500 finds that logs every single cache with TFTC, nothing more, nothing less. It's to the point that a blank log would almost be acceptable instead of that.

 

Do not name this person, not that I think you would. I'm going to go out on a limb and say they've never hidden a cache, nor attended a Geocaching event. They also probably cache alone, and have never interacted with any other Geocachers.

 

After all of that, Of course I'm probably totally wrong.

[+Rckhnd]

 

Do not name this person, not that I think you would. I'm going to go out on a limb and say they've never hidden a cache, nor attended a Geocaching event. They also probably cache alone, and have never interacted with any other Geocachers.

 

After all of that, Of course I'm probably totally wrong.

 

Hey!! I resemble that comment!

Except sometimes I drag my boy along, er, he drags me...

[+nittanycopa]

Here's my theory. Tell me if I'm crazy or not. Crackberry, Apple, and Motorola have conspired to place mind control chips in their smartphones. This mind control chip commands the smartphone Geocacher that they must post their find log from the field. Then the smartphone Geocacher, in a zombie-like trance mutters "Must log cache from field; must not go home and use computer" three times. Cell phones are small, and hard to type on, so the smartphone Geocacher then sends a blank log. Or if we're really lucky, an emoticon log. In the best case scenario, they thumb out a "tftc".

 

Whaddya think?

 

I'll submit a 1-2 sentence log or note with an "edit later / will add photos" note on it for memorable caches directly from my phone. I like submitting a log on the phone as it assists me in remembering which caches I found that day, especially if it's some "go insane find 25 caches on a trail" kind of day.

 

If I'm using my eTrex because I'm in the middle of somewhere remote, I use a notekeeper on my smartphone to type in the GC and a quick hint or note about the cache found.

 

Hate on the phones users all you want - not all of us are inconsiderate.

[Mr.Yuck]

Here's my theory. Tell me if I'm crazy or not. Crackberry, Apple, and Motorola have conspired to place mind control chips in their smartphones. This mind control chip commands the smartphone Geocacher that they must post their find log from the field. Then the smartphone Geocacher, in a zombie-like trance mutters "Must log cache from field; must not go home and use computer" three times. Cell phones are small, and hard to type on, so the smartphone Geocacher then sends a blank log. Or if we're really lucky, an emoticon log. In the best case scenario, they thumb out a "tftc".

 

Whaddya think?

 

I'll submit a 1-2 sentence log or note with an "edit later / will add photos" note on it for memorable caches directly from my phone. I like submitting a log on the phone as it assists me in remembering which caches I found that day, especially if it's some "go insane find 25 caches on a trail" kind of day.

 

If I'm using my eTrex because I'm in the middle of somewhere remote, I use a notekeeper on my smartphone to type in the GC and a quick hint or note about the cache found.

 

Hate on the phones users all you want - not all of us are inconsiderate.

 

It was a joke, you know.

 

We've heard from plenty of smartphone cachers with similar comments to what you've said, who are interested enough in Geocaching to get on a computer and look at the forums.

 

I've yet to see someone like the cacher Don J mentioned though, come to the forums and explain why they've felt compelled to log all 500 cache finds with tftc from their smartphone.

[+releasethedogs]

personally Id rather someone have the option to leave no comment then "TFTC" over and over and over. A Pocket Query only downloads 5 or 6 of the most recent logs and it sucks when you get hone and the 7 or 8 comment down could have helped you find the cache but you never saw it because every one was forced to type something so they wrote "TFTC".

Edited March 22, 2011 by releasethedogs