Is Geocaching going too mainstream for you?

[+CacheFreakTim]

I was watching the news today and the were talking about summer activities for the kids. I was blown away they actually said "Geocaching." They didn't go into detail about what Geocaching was but the fact that it was on the news shocked me.

 

Do you think the fact that Geocaching is moving into mainstream culture is good or bad for the hobby? On one hand I think it is good because it is bringing a ton more people and families into it which can only make it bigger. The downside is that the more people that join will bring some bad caches and may turn some people off. What are your thoughts?

[knowschad]

I was watching the news today and the were talking about summer activities for the kids. I was blown away they actually said "Geocaching." They didn't go into detail about what Geocaching was but the fact that it was on the news shocked me.

 

Do you think the fact that Geocaching is moving into mainstream culture is good or bad for the hobby? On one hand I think it is good because it is bringing a ton more people and families into it which can only make it bigger. The downside is that the more people that join will bring some bad caches and may turn some people off. What are your thoughts?

 

Good for those folks at Groundspeak, not so good for those of us that like activities that not everyone knows about or does.

[+A & J Tooling]

Good short term. Bad long term. After the dust settles and go back to the way things were or as close as possible, things will be worse off.

[+Barefoot One & Wench]

I was watching the news today and the were talking about summer activities for the kids. I was blown away they actually said "Geocaching." They didn't go into detail about what Geocaching was but the fact that it was on the news shocked me.

 

Do you think the fact that Geocaching is moving into mainstream culture is good or bad for the hobby? On one hand I think it is good because it is bringing a ton more people and families into it which can only make it bigger. The downside is that the more people that join will bring some bad caches and may turn some people off. What are your thoughts?

 

Good for those folks at Groundspeak, not so good for those of us that like activities that not everyone knows about or does.

 

I'm not sure I see the logic in this type of thinking although I respect others opinions.

I.M.H.O. the more people that join the sport the better it will get.

Back in the day like 2002 we had to travel 25 miles to get to an area that had caches. As a matter of fact our first cache GCEAA1 that we put out in 2003 was the very first cache in the entire area.

My point is that the more folks that are into Geocaching will probably put out at least one cache in their home area thus expanding the number of caches in possibly an area where there are none.

It would be my hope that family's will try the sport and their children will be introduced into the outdoors and see things off the beaten path that we all know you would never see without going caching to some very unique areas.

With the proliferation of caches this will open up more opportunities for folks to find caches and not have to travel longer distances.

I think that the more cachers there are they will be good caches that will CITO and this is all good for the environment. Of course there will be some bad eggs that will come into the sport, but those types will fizzle out with the lack of effort or will not want to hike a distance to find a cache.

Also with new folks maybe some will purchase premium memberships and this is good income for Groundspeak they are trying to run a business which provides some excellent services to us all.

This is a very interesting topic and one that will be discussed at length I'm sure.

 

Jeff of barefoot One & Wench

[knowschad]

I was watching the news today and the were talking about summer activities for the kids. I was blown away they actually said "Geocaching." They didn't go into detail about what Geocaching was but the fact that it was on the news shocked me.

 

Do you think the fact that Geocaching is moving into mainstream culture is good or bad for the hobby? On one hand I think it is good because it is bringing a ton more people and families into it which can only make it bigger. The downside is that the more people that join will bring some bad caches and may turn some people off. What are your thoughts?

 

Good for those folks at Groundspeak, not so good for those of us that like activities that not everyone knows about or does.

 

I'm not sure I see the logic in this type of thinking although I respect others opinions.

I.M.H.O. the more people that join the sport the better it will get.

Back in the day like 2002 we had to travel 25 miles to get to an area that had caches. As a matter of fact our first cache GCEAA1 that we put out in 2003 was the very first cache in the entire area.

My point is that the more folks that are into Geocaching will probably put out at least one cache in their home area thus expanding the number of caches in possibly an area where there are none.

It would be my hope that family's will try the sport and their children will be introduced into the outdoors and see things off the beaten path that we all know you would never see without going caching to some very unique areas.

With the proliferation of caches this will open up more opportunities for folks to find caches and not have to travel longer distances.

I think that the more cachers there are they will be good caches that will CITO and this is all good for the environment. Of course there will be some bad eggs that will come into the sport, but those types will fizzle out with the lack of effort or will not want to hike a distance to find a cache.

Also with new folks maybe some will purchase premium memberships and this is good income for Groundspeak they are trying to run a business which provides some excellent services to us all.

This is a very interesting topic and one that will be discussed at length I'm sure.

 

Jeff of barefoot One & Wench

 

I hear you. But I think there is a sweetspot, and we have probably passed it by now. Fortunately, I was there to see it.

[+Snoogans]

I was watching the news today and the were talking about summer activities for the kids. I was blown away they actually said "Geocaching." They didn't go into detail about what Geocaching was but the fact that it was on the news shocked me.

 

Do you think the fact that Geocaching is moving into mainstream culture is good or bad for the hobby? On one hand I think it is good because it is bringing a ton more people and families into it which can only make it bigger. The downside is that the more people that join will bring some bad caches and may turn some people off. What are your thoughts?

 

I'm indifferent. There is a fundamental appeal, to me, for caching. I have been a cacher for 40 years. Geocaching was a logical choice for a fun activity, for me.

 

I think it will gain vast popularity for a short period of a few years and then return to an increased baseline from what it is today.

 

I love this topic when it comes up. New discussions often lead in interesting new directions. Here is one past dicussion on the subject I link merely as a point of reference for anyone not aware of it.

 

Good for those folks at Groundspeak, not so good for those of us that like activities that not everyone knows about or does.

 

A verrry valid point. I expect those that can't roll with the changes will be left behind.

Edited May 5, 2011 by Snoogans

[+Barefoot One & Wench]

I was watching the news today and the were talking about summer activities for the kids. I was blown away they actually said "Geocaching." They didn't go into detail about what Geocaching was but the fact that it was on the news shocked me.

 

Do you think the fact that Geocaching is moving into mainstream culture is good or bad for the hobby? On one hand I think it is good because it is bringing a ton more people and families into it which can only make it bigger. The downside is that the more people that join will bring some bad caches and may turn some people off. What are your thoughts?

 

Good for those folks at Groundspeak, not so good for those of us that like activities that not everyone knows about or does.

 

I'm not sure I see the logic in this type of thinking although I respect others opinions.

I.M.H.O. the more people that join the sport the better it will get.

Back in the day like 2002 we had to travel 25 miles to get to an area that had caches. As a matter of fact our first cache GCEAA1 that we put out in 2003 was the very first cache in the entire area.

My point is that the more folks that are into Geocaching will probably put out at least one cache in their home area thus expanding the number of caches in possibly an area where there are none.

It would be my hope that family's will try the sport and their children will be introduced into the outdoors and see things off the beaten path that we all know you would never see without going caching to some very unique areas.

With the proliferation of caches this will open up more opportunities for folks to find caches and not have to travel longer distances.

I think that the more cachers there are they will be good caches that will CITO and this is all good for the environment. Of course there will be some bad eggs that will come into the sport, but those types will fizzle out with the lack of effort or will not want to hike a distance to find a cache.

Also with new folks maybe some will purchase premium memberships and this is good income for Groundspeak they are trying to run a business which provides some excellent services to us all.

This is a very interesting topic and one that will be discussed at length I'm sure.

 

Jeff of barefoot One & Wench

 

I hear you. But I think there is a sweet spot, and we have probably passed it by now. Fortunately, I was there to see it.

 

"Sweet spot" interesting way to put it.

I suppose I can understand that since I feel that some caches of today as compared to caches from years ago just aren't thought out as well and with little imagination.

I may be off base here when I assume that I know what was meant by the "sweet spot", but I feel I was there back in the day also.

[+geodarts]

My general tendency is to distrust anything that may be too popular. Luckily, I discovered this game before it reached that point. Now I can mutter about how it used to be instead of dismissing it out of hand.

 

I knew this game was headed toward the mainstream when I heard a colleague (who does not know I geocache) walking down the hallway, talking to someone else, about all the people you can see in the city who are staring at their gps units. These days, people can look at their smartphones instead, and since everybody seems to have one, then any lamp post, just about anywhere, can be a source of inspiration.

 

But its nice not to have to completely explain yourself in certain situations. It is good that certain parks have welcomed caching as a recreational activity. And even though I have learned more about lamp posts then I have ever wanted to know, new cachers have brought me to places on the mountain that even I did not know about. So if caching is being perceived as a summer activity for kids, it is one way to get them out and about.

 

I only hope that the kids do not plaster my neighborhood with caches placed in juniper bushes, with coordinates that are 50 feet off, only to leave the game a few months later when they discover girls (or boys).

Edited May 5, 2011 by mulvaney

[+nittany dave]

I don't think it's gone too mainstream but it certainly has changed. It was kind of cool before when nobody knew what I was talking about and it seemed like a secret passtime for those 'in the know'. I'm hoping that the strength of numbers may finally sway the NC State Parks to work with us to develop a set of guidelines that will allow geocaches in their(our) parks.

[GOF and Bacall]

I was watching the news today and the were talking about summer activities for the kids. I was blown away they actually said "Geocaching." They didn't go into detail about what Geocaching was but the fact that it was on the news shocked me.

 

Do you think the fact that Geocaching is moving into mainstream culture is good or bad for the hobby? On one hand I think it is good because it is bringing a ton more people and families into it which can only make it bigger. The downside is that the more people that join will bring some bad caches and may turn some people off. What are your thoughts?

 

Good for those folks at Groundspeak, not so good for those of us that like activities that not everyone knows about or does.

 

I'm not sure I see the logic in this type of thinking although I respect others opinions.

I.M.H.O. the more people that join the sport the better it will get.

Back in the day like 2002 we had to travel 25 miles to get to an area that had caches. As a matter of fact our first cache GCEAA1 that we put out in 2003 was the very first cache in the entire area.

My point is that the more folks that are into Geocaching will probably put out at least one cache in their home area thus expanding the number of caches in possibly an area where there are none.

It would be my hope that family's will try the sport and their children will be introduced into the outdoors and see things off the beaten path that we all know you would never see without going caching to some very unique areas.

With the proliferation of caches this will open up more opportunities for folks to find caches and not have to travel longer distances.

I think that the more cachers there are they will be good caches that will CITO and this is all good for the environment. Of course there will be some bad eggs that will come into the sport, but those types will fizzle out with the lack of effort or will not want to hike a distance to find a cache.

Also with new folks maybe some will purchase premium memberships and this is good income for Groundspeak they are trying to run a business which provides some excellent services to us all.

This is a very interesting topic and one that will be discussed at length I'm sure.

 

Jeff of barefoot One & Wench

 

It was those hidden areas that got me hooked. But what I have been seeing happening is that fewer caches are pointing these places out. More and more this is getting to be a game of numbers with the locations of secondary importance to ease of access and proximity to parking. I don't see that trend changing in the future.

[jholly]

I guess the upside is that all the new people will have to hide more LPC caches or film cans in the ivy for us to find. The downside is the month or two after they hide them the newbies will lose interest and the caches will start the downward spiral and we will be left posting all the NA logs and cleaning up the geolitter.

[+TheGrey]

I'm indifferent. There is a fundamental appeal, to me, for caching. I have been a cacher for 40 years. Geocaching was a logical choice for a fun activity, for me.

 

How is it possible that you've been a cacher for 40 years?

[+StarBrand]

....

It was those hidden areas that got me hooked. But what I have been seeing happening is that fewer caches are pointing these places out. More and more this is getting to be a game of numbers with the locations of secondary importance to ease of access and proximity to parking. I don't see that trend changing in the future.

It was being led to a nice spot just off the beaten path, a special spot, unknown to me spot, beautiful spot, historical spot - that is what got me hooked. That brought out the little kid in me and the explorer in me. Those caches are getting to be rather few and far between.

 

These days many more caches are hidden for 3 other main reasons. 1 - just to get another cache squeezed in the saturation guidelines (numbers caches) 2 - to try and bring more people to a spot (commercial/tourism aspects) 3 - for the challenge of the puzzle/search (nothing at all to do with the spot). While all 4 types of caches appeal to somebody out there - I really miss the majority of caches being out there to lead me to some special place.

 

I also miss swag and trades - so very many caches these days are too small for swag or do not include swag at all. The treasure hunter guy in me likes to find something when I get there.

 

Mainstream means that folks start creating new and much different reasons to cache. That will continue to the point that some of us may not recognize what is going on.

[+Snoogans]

I'm indifferent. There is a fundamental appeal, to me, for caching. I have been a cacher for 40 years. Geocaching was a logical choice for a fun activity, for me.

 

How is it possible that you've been a cacher for 40 years?

 

Caching has existed since the stone age. Google it.

 

I started hiding little caches of stuff and drawing treasure maps at about age 3.

 

I was a Geocacher the moment I discovered the site in the late evening on 3/28/03. I already had a GPS and I was hunting my first geocache less than 8 hours later. The rest is history.

Edited May 5, 2011 by Snoogans

[+A & J Tooling]

Yesterday on the way home from work, I went to 6 caches. 4 I left and didn't bother with because someone just threw something at the end of a road in a local dumping ground and logged it as a cache. Why would I want to see dead (and stinking) deer carcasses and the local trash heap? Nothing special there except for the stench.

 

I'm pretty sure that the person who did this was a n00bie with no cares but getting a placement under his belt. This is what going mainstream is doing. Yeah I could rack up numbers quick but it kinda' defeats the purpose of this sport/game/activity...

[+Ecylram]

Nope, not too mainstream at all.

 

If there are more cachers than there will be more caches to find. Placing caches will get increasingly harder in some of the more saturated areas, which will lead to faster archiving, but other areas will get less sparse.

 

More caches will, of course mean more bad caches but it will also mean more good caches as well. With the use of favorite points and heavy use of GSAK I can find a better percentage of good caches in the long run.

[+TL&MinBHIL]

I'm pretty sure that the person who did this was a n00bie with no cares but getting a placement under his belt. This is what going mainstream is doing. Yeah I could rack up numbers quick but it kinda' defeats the purpose of this sport/game/activity...

It's frustrating to see people lump newbies into one big pile of negativity. We were all new at one point. I've only been Geocaching for about 8 months and I'm sure some would still say I'm a newbie. And no offense, but you've been at this for less than 2 months so there's a little, pot calling the kettle black, thing going on here. You are "pretty sure" that person was new? Don't assume bad caches are hidden by newbies. There's a cacher in my area who owns over 40 caches, isn't new, and (in my opinion) oftentimes puts quantity over quality. That's not to say they don't have good ones, because they do, but I feel in many instances their descriptions, hints & locations suffer because of the need to hide one more. I'm not trying to attack you. I hope you don't feel that way and if you do, I apologize. Pointing fingers at newbies is commonplace in this forum. I just don't like to see it because many newbies, including me, take pride in learning the rules & doing it right. We want to contribute something good to the game, not be blamed for what's wrong with it.

 

I think the biggest problem with Geocaching going more mainstream (although I'm not saying it has) would be muggles. As more & more hear about it, but have no interest in playing, the more the population of muggles will increase. Let's face it, there are people who don't play because they enjoy the game but just want to see what kind of free stuff they can get. Because I've come across caches that have been plundered in locations that couldn't possibly be discovered accidentally. Going mainstream WILL bring in more players, yes. Situations where someone hides caches just for the sake of numbers is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it gives us more caches to find in areas that may otherwise not have many...or that we may have already tapped out. On the other hand, it "cheapens" the game in a way. I appreciate the hides because it saves me from having to travel long distances (especially now that gas is well over $4/gal) but I also like to see someone put some thought & effort into it.

[+DanOCan]

Yes, I think it is too mainstream now.

 

Sure, there are those who say more cachers = more caches but I don't see that as a good thing. I'd much rather find fewer caches in really special areas than a whole bunch just because someone wants to pump their numbers.

[+Barefoot One & Wench]

I'm pretty sure that the person who did this was a n00bie with no cares but getting a placement under his belt. This is what going mainstream is doing. Yeah I could rack up numbers quick but it kinda' defeats the purpose of this sport/game/activity...

It's frustrating to see people lump newbies into one big pile of negativity. We were all new at one point. I've only been Geocaching for about 8 months and I'm sure some would still say I'm a newbie. And no offense, but you've been at this for less than 2 months so there's a little, pot calling the kettle black, thing going on here. You are "pretty sure" that person was new? Don't assume bad caches are hidden by newbies. There's a cacher in my area who owns over 40 caches, isn't new, and (in my opinion) oftentimes puts quantity over quality. That's not to say they don't have good ones, because they do, but I feel in many instances their descriptions, hints & locations suffer because of the need to hide one more. I'm not trying to attack you. I hope you don't feel that way and if you do, I apologize. Pointing fingers at newbies is commonplace in this forum. I just don't like to see it because many newbies, including me, take pride in learning the rules & doing it right. We want to contribute something good to the game, not be blamed for what's wrong with it.

 

I think the biggest problem with Geocaching going more mainstream (although I'm not saying it has) would be muggles. As more & more hear about it, but have no interest in playing, the more the population of muggles will increase. Let's face it, there are people who don't play because they enjoy the game but just want to see what kind of free stuff they can get. Because I've come across caches that have been plundered in locations that couldn't possibly be discovered accidentally. Going mainstream WILL bring in more players, yes. Situations where someone hides caches just for the sake of numbers is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it gives us more caches to find in areas that may otherwise not have many...or that we may have already tapped out. On the other hand, it "cheapens" the game in a way. I appreciate the hides because it saves me from having to travel long distances (especially now that gas is well over $4/gal) but I also like to see someone put some thought & effort into it.

 

Yes we were all newbies at one time and I.M.H.O. this has nothing to do with poorly placed caches. I've found caches that were placed by "old timers" and they were not a good placement and the container leaked and was wet. What happened to the good old standby ammo box which generally doesn't leak if it has a uncompromised gasket. I guess a cheap tupperware or locknlock is the norm now.

I'm afraid in some cases quanity has replaced quality.

Edited May 6, 2011 by Barefoot One & Wench

[knowschad]

A verrry valid point. I expect those that can't roll with the changes will be left behind.

I'm not sure that "left behind" is quite the right phrase, however. "will turn away" may be more like it.

[+Viajero Perdido]

From the OP:

On one hand I think it is good because it is bringing a ton more people and families into it which can only make it bigger.

Interesting.

 

I never made that automatic connection.

[+t4e]

tbh i don't care if it goes mainstream and it will not affect me at all, geocaching will always be what you want to make it be, i know what caches i like to get and there's plenty out there to keep me satisfied for years to come

[+all done]

IAIWBTMCNPL

[+all done]

Sorry, I forgot to explain for those who don't speak the language.

 

I'M afraid it will bring too much cut N paste logging.

Edited May 5, 2011 by Pipeline Putters

[+t4e]

Sorry, I forgot to explain for those who don't speak the language.

 

I'M afraid it will bring too much cut N paste logging.

 

that's a language?...i thought you fell asleep and hit your head on the keyboard

[knowschad]

I guess the upside is that all the new people will have to hide more LPC caches or film cans in the ivy for us to find. The downside is the month or two after they hide them the newbies will lose interest and the caches will start the downward spiral and we will be left posting all the NA logs and cleaning up the geolitter.

 

Six new caches tonight in my neck of the woods. Named Park and Grab #1 - #6. Same cache page for each one:

 

A quick park and grab.

Nothing too exciting here. I am pretty much just filling in a big blank area on the map.

 

I like big blank areas on the map. Those are spots where I might be able to hide something good someday.

 

[knowschad]

I'm indifferent. There is a fundamental appeal, to me, for caching. I have been a cacher for 40 years. Geocaching was a logical choice for a fun activity, for me.

 

How is it possible that you've been a cacher for 40 years?

Five or six different personalities.

[knowschad]

I'm pretty sure that the person who did this was a n00bie with no cares but getting a placement under his belt. This is what going mainstream is doing. Yeah I could rack up numbers quick but it kinda' defeats the purpose of this sport/game/activity...

It's frustrating to see people lump newbies into one big pile of negativity. We were all new at one point.

Pssst... check A & J Tooling's join date.

[+spdrbob]

We found a nice sledding spot near our house last fall, it was an old skiing hill. I could not wait to go there in the winter but thought 'it's going to be really crowded'. First time we went there on a great day for sledding there were 2 families. Other times we went it was the same - no-one there. People don't get out to do active things like hiking etc anymore , I don't think the urban and park caches are in danger at all. More then once when hiking with my boys I hear comments or people say to me how great it is that I take my kids out hiking. I find it sad that it's so abnormal for kids to be seen hiking that people have to comment on it.

 

I agree that you can't group all newbies together , as well as Iphone user's. Although I don't have many finds under my belt and I use an Iphone < I'm getting a old GPS from a nice cacher here for free > I'm very respectful of the game and peoples caches. As someone said everyone was new at some point.

[Mr.Yuck]

I'm pretty sure that the person who did this was a n00bie with no cares but getting a placement under his belt. This is what going mainstream is doing. Yeah I could rack up numbers quick but it kinda' defeats the purpose of this sport/game/activity...

It's frustrating to see people lump newbies into one big pile of negativity. We were all new at one point.

Pssst... check A & J Tooling's join date.

 

I honestly believe if I had stumbled on this stuff in say 2010, instead of 2003, I'd still say to myself "self, what is all this parking lot crap"? Of course A & J Tooling will probably come back and say he started a new account last month after forgetting his 2005 username.

[+Crow-T-Robot]

I was watching the news today and the were talking about summer activities for the kids. I was blown away they actually said "Geocaching." They didn't go into detail about what Geocaching was but the fact that it was on the news shocked me.

 

Do you think the fact that Geocaching is moving into mainstream culture is good or bad for the hobby? On one hand I think it is good because it is bringing a ton more people and families into it which can only make it bigger. The downside is that the more people that join will bring some bad caches and may turn some people off. What are your thoughts?

 

I think it will gain vast popularity for a short period of a few years and then return to an increased baseline from what it is today.

 

 

I agree with that. Nothing ever continues on an upward trend. At one point, roller derby was insanely popular. Same with laser tag. Same with Beanie Babies, Cabbage Patch Dolls, Putt-Putt golf, baseball cards, Myspace, WWF and so on. If something becomes popular or the "cool" thing to do, many johnny-come-latelies will pigpile on, enjoy the heck out of it for a few weeks/months and then move onto the next fad. When the dust settles, those who truly love to geocache will still be here.

[+The_Incredibles_]

I'm not too worried. I"m amazed on a daily basis how mnay people given the opportunity to go geocaching choose not to. And when it is explained to them, they are not interested. *shocking* I know, welcome to my world. There's still only going to be a certain portion of the population that's going to do it.

[+A & J Tooling]

I'm pretty sure that the person who did this was a n00bie with no cares but getting a placement under his belt. This is what going mainstream is doing. Yeah I could rack up numbers quick but it kinda' defeats the purpose of this sport/game/activity...

It's frustrating to see people lump newbies into one big pile of negativity. We were all new at one point.

Pssst... check A & J Tooling's join date.

 

I honestly believe if I had stumbled on this stuff in say 2010, instead of 2003, I'd still say to myself "self, what is all this parking lot crap"? Of course A & J Tooling will probably come back and say he started a new account last month after forgetting his 2005 username.

 

Nope, I'm most likely one of the newest n00bies of them all. However, I didn't join because it was going mainstream. I stumbled upon it while planning a vacation. I'm not a 'true' cacher. Still, I used my 1st gps in 1991 and it weighed 72 lbs all told . When did you start?

[+DanOCan]

If something becomes popular or the "cool" thing to do, many johnny-come-latelies will pigpile on, enjoy the heck out of it for a few weeks/months and then move onto the next fad. When the dust settles, those who truly love to geocache will still be here.

 

I often joke that caching was doomed back in December of 2003 once I joined because "If I know about it then it clearly cannot be cool anymore."

 

I have already seen that of which you speak. I think everyone has seen the cachers who join, go crazy for awhile and find everything in sight, pat themselves on the back for passing the "veterans" in terms of numbers of Finds, litter the entire area with ill-thought-out caches and then disappear as suddenly as they appeared.

[+Snoogans]

I'm indifferent. There is a fundamental appeal, to me, for caching. I have been a cacher for 40 years. Geocaching was a logical choice for a fun activity, for me.

 

How is it possible that you've been a cacher for 40 years?

Five or six different personalities.

 

Nope. Just the one.

 

You are mistakenly crediting my friggin' HUGE ego and delusions of grandeur for multiple personality disorder. Please mail your license to practice medicine back to your local government medical offices and shred your AMA card.

[+Snoogans]

A verrry valid point. I expect those that can't roll with the changes will be left behind.

I'm not sure that "left behind" is quite the right phrase, however. "will turn away" may be more like it.

I guess to the person who is so wrapped up in their personal aesthetic of what geocaching is supposed to be, it would seem like that.

 

It reminds me of freshman romance. Two freshman knock about and find mutual feelings for one another... But the more mature counterpart (usually the female) seeks out company more on their level of maturity and spends less and less time with the less mature suitor. The suitor "will turn away" in a face saving response. (Or turn into a weirdo stalker.)

 

Geocaching, plain and simple, is hide and seek. Hide and seek is a primal game. It was most likely the very first game ever played. It prepared stone age chinlren for a life of hunting and gathering. We are just playing the space age version of it.

 

Many of us connect to geocaching at that fundamental primal level. It's evident on these forums. Look at the first few pages of top posters and see when they joined. There has to be a reason that they didn't burn out.

 

SO, if one boils down the activity to hide and seek, and accepts it at face value, and also accepts the consequences of the choices they make in regards to how they spend their free time, it becomes very hard to be left behind as the game evolves. Caches are choices regardless of all the gloom and doom over bad caches, abandoned caches, etc. Choices are good. Give me MORE. I'm not the OC type that has to find them all and takes offense when I let myself be lead to a cache/location that doesn't exactly blow my skirt over my head. It was still MY choice.

 

If you're not havin' fun with your choice of activity in your most valuable free time... You're doin' it wrong.

Edited May 6, 2011 by Snoogans

[Mr.Yuck]

I'm pretty sure that the person who did this was a n00bie with no cares but getting a placement under his belt. This is what going mainstream is doing. Yeah I could rack up numbers quick but it kinda' defeats the purpose of this sport/game/activity...

It's frustrating to see people lump newbies into one big pile of negativity. We were all new at one point.

Pssst... check A & J Tooling's join date.

 

I honestly believe if I had stumbled on this stuff in say 2010, instead of 2003, I'd still say to myself "self, what is all this parking lot crap"? Of course A & J Tooling will probably come back and say he started a new account last month after forgetting his 2005 username.

 

Nope, I'm most likely one of the newest n00bies of them all. However, I didn't join because it was going mainstream. I stumbled upon it while planning a vacation. I'm not a 'true' cacher. Still, I used my 1st gps in 1991 and it weighed 72 lbs all told . When did you start?

 

I just stumbled on it while surfing the web. I did own, before Geocaching, a little used GPS appendage that hooked up to a Palm PDA, but went out and bought a Garmin for Geocaching within a couple of weeks. It's kind of rare, but you're not the first lets say more "conservative" newbie I've seen. I remember when Knight2000 was brand new, and questioning why people in his area were logging that they attended events 125 times for finding temporary non-listed caches 300 feet apart at the event.

[Mr.Yuck]

If something becomes popular or the "cool" thing to do, many johnny-come-latelies will pigpile on, enjoy the heck out of it for a few weeks/months and then move onto the next fad. When the dust settles, those who truly love to geocache will still be here.

 

I often joke that caching was doomed back in December of 2003 once I joined because "If I know about it then it clearly cannot be cool anymore."

 

I have already seen that of which you speak. I think everyone has seen the cachers who join, go crazy for awhile and find everything in sight, pat themselves on the back for passing the "veterans" in terms of numbers of Finds, litter the entire area with ill-thought-out caches and then disappear as suddenly as they appeared.

 

Yeah, I'd have to say the majority of usernames you see logging Geocaches eventually disappear, and only those who truly love it stick around for the long term. How often do you see new obvious smartphone users who actually go out and hide a cache of their own? Not very often.

[knowschad]

I'm indifferent. There is a fundamental appeal, to me, for caching. I have been a cacher for 40 years. Geocaching was a logical choice for a fun activity, for me.

 

How is it possible that you've been a cacher for 40 years?

Five or six different personalities.

 

Nope. Just the one.

 

You are mistakenly crediting my friggin' HUGE ego and delusions of grandeur for multiple personality disorder. Please mail your license to practice medicine back to your local government medical offices and shred your AMA card.

Oh (forehead slap!) that's right!! 'Scuse me. I got you mixed up with Bittsen.

[+BAMBOOZLE]

I liked it much better in " the old days".

[+Snoogans]

I liked it much better in " the old days".

 

Going mainstream might just precipitate you wanting to archive your most awesome View Carre' cachin' experience, but I wouldn't blame you one bit if you did.

[Mr.Yuck]

I liked it much better in " the old days".

 

I seriously did too. So what if the caches were a few miles apart, gas was always cheap before what happened to the prices in 2008, when they reached an all-time high. We're still about 15 cents/gallon less than that all-time high, by the way.

[4wheelin_fool]

I don't like the fact that certain GPS units are preloaded with caches. The reason that people "muggle" caches when they are found accidentally, is because they have spent zero amount of time looking for them and do not repect them as much as the person who has visited the website, read the cache page, figured out how to enter or uploaded the coords, and made a determined effort to find it.

 

On the other hand, going mainstream makes it much easier to get permission for hides as the activity appears to be more legitimate to the general public.

[+TL&MinBHIL]

What happened to the good old standby ammo box which generally doesn't leak if it has a uncompromised gasket. I guess a cheap tupperware or locknlock is the norm now.

I'm afraid in some cases quanity has replaced quality.

I love when we find an ammo box because it usually means good swaps. I carry around bigger swag for this purpose alone. In defense of Lock N Locks, Groundspeak does sell them in their online store and all of the ones I've come across are holding up quite well...much better than other containers.

 

IAIWBTMCNPL

Sorry, I forgot to explain for those who don't speak the language.

 

I'M afraid it will bring too much cut N paste logging.

Do you mean cut & paste logs or acronyms, or both? I don't mind the acronyms. When I first started, I had no clue what they meant, so I took the time to find out. Since Groundspeak includes most of them in their list of glossary terms, it's obvious they're common & widely used by everyone. If they had never caught on, we probably wouldn't see them today. As far as cut & paste logs, around here that is a very common practice among long time cachers, especially when they find many in a single day. So you end up seeing the same log dozens of times. Some people accuse cachers of being lazy for using acronyms. If you feel that way, then it's fair to say the same of those who cut & paste their logs. I'll cut & paste when I look for a series, but I'll also add a bit of a personal touch to each one.

 

I honestly believe if I had stumbled on this stuff in say 2010, instead of 2003, I'd still say to myself "self, what is all this parking lot crap"?

Six new caches tonight in my neck of the woods. Named Park and Grab #1 - #6. Same cache page for each one: A quick park and grab. Nothing too exciting here. I am pretty much just filling in a big blank area on the map.

I like big blank areas on the map. Those are spots where I might be able to hide something good someday.

In defense of some of the park & grabs, once in a while they are a nice relief after trekking through the woods on a difficult & frustrating hunt. Also, I've seen many people place park & grabs (LPC's etc.) and note that it was more so for those in wheelchairs or anyone unable to access the more difficult terrains but still wanted to get out & cache. I thought that was a good idea.

 

It's frustrating to see people lump newbies into one big pile of negativity. We were all new at one point.

Pssst... check A & J Tooling's join date.

Pssst, I did. Read further into my post...I mentioned "pot calling the kettle black."

 

People don't get out to do active things like hiking etc anymore , I don't think the urban and park caches are in danger at all. More then once when hiking with my boys I hear comments or people say to me how great it is that I take my kids out hiking. I find it sad that it's so abnormal for kids to be seen hiking that people have to comment on it.

I agree wholeheartedly. We've hiked trails & saw amazing scenery that we've never seen or hiked before, some of which we never knew existed, all thanks to Geocaching. It's a fun & inexpensive way to get out, enjoy the outdoors & spend quality time.

 

Yeah, I'd have to say the majority of usernames you see logging Geocaches eventually disappear, and only those who truly love it stick around for the long term. How often do you see new obvious smartphone users who actually go out and hide a cache of their own? Not very often.

OK, we get it, you guys have a problem with the introduction of smartphone users to Geocaching, although I'm not sure why. Sounds like a broken record. I use my iPhone to cache & enjoy it so much that, for the time being at least, I'm not going to get a GPSr. And I surely wouldn't go out & get one just because many of you gripe about us using smartphones. Also, using a smartphone and not hiding our own caches has nothing to do with one another. Just because someone may not be a CO doesn't make them a bad cacher. There's so much finger pointing going on at newbies, smartphone users & non CO's it's ridiculous. Fine, we're ruining the game in your eyes, but many of us are here to stay. I guess I'll never be as cool because I just so happened to discover caching last year instead of 5 yrs ago. You can go on lumping all of us newbies, smartphones, etc. into one big pile of cachers who can't do anything right, that's your choice. On the flip side, I could also look at all the caching veterans as holier than thou gods of Geocaching, but I don't because I know better.

Just because you might see some newbies or smartphone users doing things in a way you don't like, you can't assume all of us are the same way. Sorry for the rant y'all, but it gets old seeing a small group of cachers continually being blamed for the downfall of this game.

 

PS. Mr.Yuck, please see my last post in the "Forget about TFTC logs" thread. If you haven't already.

Edited May 6, 2011 by TL&MinBHIL

[+Barefoot One & Wench]

What happened to the good old standby ammo box which generally doesn't leak if it has a uncompromised gasket. I guess a cheap Tupperware or locknlock is the norm now.

I'm afraid in some cases quantity has replaced quality.

I love when we find an ammo box because it usually means good swaps. I carry around bigger swag for this purpose alone. In defense of Lock N Locks, Groundspeak does sell them in their on line store and all of the ones I've come across are holding up quite well...much better than other containers.

 

Yes Lock N Locks can be water tight, but I have seen wet ones to. I guess I'm a traditionalist and really like ammo box's, can't recall a wet one .

 

IAIWBTMCNPL

Sorry, I forgot to explain for those who don't speak the language.

 

I'M afraid it will bring too much cut N paste logging.

Do you mean cut & paste logs or acronyms, or both? I don't mind the acronyms. When I first started, I had no clue what they meant, so I took the time to find out. Since Groundspeak includes most of them in their list of glossary terms, it's obvious they're common & widely used by everyone. If they had never caught on, we probably wouldn't see them today. As far as cut & paste logs, around here that is a very common practice among long time cachers, especially when they find many in a single day. So you end up seeing the same log dozens of times. Some people accuse cachers of being lazy for using acronyms. If you feel that way, then it's fair to say the same of those who cut & paste their logs. I'll cut & paste when I look for a series, but I'll also add a bit of a personal touch to each one.

 

I honestly believe if I had stumbled on this stuff in say 2010, instead of 2003, I'd still say to myself "self, what is all this parking lot crap"?

Six new caches tonight in my neck of the woods. Named Park and Grab #1 - #6. Same cache page for each one: A quick park and grab. Nothing too exciting here. I am pretty much just filling in a big blank area on the map.

I like big blank areas on the map. Those are spots where I might be able to hide something good someday.

In defense of some of the park & grabs, once in a while they are a nice relief after trekking through the woods on a difficult & frustrating hunt. Also, I've seen many people place park & grabs (LPC's etc.) and note that it was more so for those in wheelchairs or anyone unable to access the more difficult terrains but still wanted to get out & cache. I thought that was a good idea.

 

It's frustrating to see people lump newbies into one big pile of negativity. We were all new at one point.

Pssst... check A & J Tooling's join date.

Pssst, I did. Read further into my post...I mentioned "pot calling the kettle black."

 

People don't get out to do active things like hiking etc anymore , I don't think the urban and park caches are in danger at all. More then once when hiking with my boys I hear comments or people say to me how great it is that I take my kids out hiking. I find it sad that it's so abnormal for kids to be seen hiking that people have to comment on it.

I agree wholeheartedly. We've hiked trails & saw amazing scenery that we've never seen or hiked before, some of which we never knew existed, all thanks to Geocaching. It's a fun & inexpensive way to get out, enjoy the outdoors & spend quality time.

 

Yeah, I'd have to say the majority of usernames you see logging Geocaches eventually disappear, and only those who truly love it stick around for the long term. How often do you see new obvious smartphone users who actually go out and hide a cache of their own? Not very often.

OK, we get it, you guys have a problem with the introduction of smartphone users to Geocaching, although I'm not sure why. Sounds like a broken record. I use my iPhone to cache & enjoy it so much that, for the time being at least, I'm not going to get a GPSr. And I surely wouldn't go out & get one just because many of you gripe about us using smartphones. Also, using a smartphone and not hiding our own caches has nothing to do with one another. Just because someone may not be a CO doesn't make them a bad cacher. There's so much finger pointing going on at newbies, smartphone users & non CO's it's ridiculous. Fine, we're ruining the game in your eyes, but many of us are here to stay. I guess I'll never be as cool because I just so happened to discover caching last year instead of 5 yrs ago. You can go on lumping all of us newbies, smartphones, etc. into one big pile of cachers who can't do anything right, that's your choice. On the flip side, I could also look at all the caching veterans as holier than thou gods of Geocaching, but I don't because I know better.

Just because you might see some newbies or smartphone users doing things in a way you don't like, you can't assume all of us are the same way. Sorry for the rant y'all, but it gets old seeing a small group of cachers continually being blamed for the downfall of this game.

 

PS. Mr.Yuck, please see my last post in the "Forget about TFTC logs" thread. If you haven't already.

[sdarken]

Yeah, I'd have to say the majority of usernames you see logging Geocaches eventually disappear, and only those who truly love it stick around for the long term. How often do you see new obvious smartphone users who actually go out and hide a cache of their own? Not very often.

OK, we get it, you guys have a problem with the introduction of smartphone users to Geocaching, although I'm not sure why. Sounds like a broken record.

 

Smartphones lowered the barrier of entry quite considerably so I'd say it's true that Smartphone users are more likely to drop out sooner though it has also allowed more people to try the game so I presume that overall the number of obsessed cachers must be continuing to grow.

 

I dont agree with My Yuck's comment about Smartphone users not hiding. Smartphone-or-not, the most common pattern I see is that people will find between about 2 and 30 caches then hide one of their own then drop out of the game altogether.

 

I don't mind the game going mainstream but having more and more caches by absent owners isn't doing anything much to enhance the experience of subsequent new players since most people's first attempt at cache placement is a learning experience and those caches tend to have very slow deaths.

 

In my area, I see lots of people trying the game but very very few of those actually continue. I really wonder if it has something to do with the large number of easy-to-get-to uninspired caches. Most of those newer players never get to experience the really interesting caches/locations.

 

(Yes, I know there are going to be exceptions to my generalizations above).

 

I can't think of any other hobby that a new person can try for one day and leave something behind the impacts future players (positively or negatively) for years to come.

Edited May 6, 2011 by sdarken

[+fizzymagic]

I've been caching for over nine years. I see no evidence that there has been a sudden influx of smartphone users with poorer coordinates. My graphs of the growth of geocaching don't show any sudden changes at all. In particular, I don't see any evidence of a recent spike in users that will fade away.

 

Caching has been changing ever since I started. Staying interested has been a matter of changing my attitude to accommodate those changes. For example, I long ago gave up trying to clear a radius around my home coordinates. There is just no point. So many caches are available that it's not worth wasting time on lame ones just because they happen to be close.

 

Geocaching is very much what you make it. That's one reason I like it.

[AZcachemeister]

When website design is based more on what internet users expect to see, rather than what works best for the current users...

 

 

...yep, the honeymoon is over.

 

It's another kind of treasure hunt just to find the workarounds for the roadblocks thrown up by the recent 'site improvements'.

[+BlueDeuce]

I've been caching for over nine years. I see no evidence that there has been a sudden influx of smartphone users with poorer coordinates. My graphs of the growth of geocaching don't show any sudden changes at all. In particular, I don't see any evidence of a recent spike in users that will fade away.

 

Caching has been changing ever since I started. Staying interested has been a matter of changing my attitude to accommodate those changes. For example, I long ago gave up trying to clear a radius around my home coordinates. There is just no point. So many caches are available that it's not worth wasting time on lame ones just because they happen to be close.

 

Geocaching is very much what you make it. That's one reason I like it.

 

The only influx I'm aware of is the introduction of people using smart phones to place their caches. Granted I don't know if it's a user issue but around here I know of two cachers and some twenty caches that are clearly and consistently off-coords. Then again they both refuse to update the coords and have since abandoned their many questionably-permission-placed micro-caches,

[Mr.Yuck]

Yeah, I'd have to say the majority of usernames you see logging Geocaches eventually disappear, and only those who truly love it stick around for the long term. How often do you see new obvious smartphone users who actually go out and hide a cache of their own? Not very often.

OK, we get it, you guys have a problem with the introduction of smartphone users to Geocaching, although I'm not sure why. Sounds like a broken record.

 

Smartphones lowered the barrier of entry quite considerably so I'd say it's true that Smartphone users are more likely to drop out sooner though it has also allowed more people to try the game so I presume that overall the number of obsessed cachers must be continuing to grow.

 

I dont agree with My Yuck's comment about Smartphone users not hiding. Smartphone-or-not, the most common pattern I see is that people will find between about 2 and 30 caches then hide one of their own then drop out of the game altogether.

 

I don't mind the game going mainstream but having more and more caches by absent owners isn't doing anything much to enhance the experience of subsequent new players since most people's first attempt at cache placement is a learning experience and those caches tend to have very slow deaths.

 

In my area, I see lots of people trying the game but very very few of those actually continue. I really wonder if it has something to do with the large number of easy-to-get-to uninspired caches. Most of those newer players never get to experience the really interesting caches/locations.

 

(Yes, I know there are going to be exceptions to my generalizations above).

 

I can't think of any other hobby that a new person can try for one day and leave something behind the impacts future players (positively or negatively) for years to come.

 

I will pretty much stand by what is my personal observation that obvious smart phone new users aren't hiding very many caches, and go on to further explain myself that I personally feel hiding a cache generally shows a greater commitment to the game, and people who have hidden caches have a better chance of sticking around. But I can't argue with the tens of thousands of pieces of abandoned geotrash out there either.

 

Nice Fizzy showed up, and I didn't know he had updated his graph in January of 2011, and it does not show a spike in accounts since the smartphone app explosion, which is a year and a half old, at best. Go figure, shows what I know.