If you were a reporter...

[+Singletree Expedition]

Articles in the news are often criticized for the way they describe geocaching. So... if you were a reporter, how would you describe it?

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

You are kidding, right?

Criticized for describing geocaching?

Just cannot fathom that.

 

Lessee here... maybe if they start REPORTING (news) and stop WRITING (news).

 

Biased here, they have a talent for making what you say entirely different than what you said.

I would never bash reporters about GEOCACHING. I volunteer to do it over anything and everything.

[+mpilchfamily]

Any good reporter would go directly to the main page of the website and quote what it has there.

 

GEOCACHING is a real-world outdoor treasure hunting game. Players try to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, using GPS-enabled devices and then share their experiences online.

[+Snoogans]

If you were a reporter... ...how would you describe geocaching?

 

That would all depend on my personal bias.

 

If I thought geocaching was stupid, I'd hit my word count and end the article by telling geocachers to "get a life."

 

If I needed something sensational to spice up a dull Sunday insert, I would write about all the buried "TREASURE" and send folks out the the nearest hardware store for shovels and trowels.

 

If I wanted to crush kill and destroy geocaching I'd sensationalize death(s), injuries, public safety concerns, littering, and try to prove (without offering a shred of evidence) that geocaching causes rectal cancer.

 

If I really wanted to do a good job, I'd peel back the layers of the onion slowly by participating in every aspect of geocaching, then I'd contact the founders (not just Groundspeak) and interview long term geocachers and users of other geocache listing sites.

[+justinmc]

I am a journalist, and I've written about geocaching twice ... mostly first-person here's what it was like to go geocaching kind of stuff. I think I always said something like "high-tech treasure hunt" and then get a little more specific about how it's done (ie, with handheld GPS, looking up coordinates, etc.).

[+Too Tall John]

Any good reporter would go directly to the main page of the website and quote what it has there.

GEOCACHING is a real-world outdoor treasure hunting game. Players try to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, using GPS-enabled devices and then share their experiences online.

My apologies to Groundspeak, but the problem with "Treasure Hunt" is that it still conjures up images of spades & pick axes in the heads of the uninitiated. I much prefer describing it as a "Global High Tech Scavenger Hunt."

 

I work at a Camp and Conference Center in New Hampshire. I frequently get to share geocaching with people while they are staying here, either just in conversation, or by actually taking them caching. I find the use of Scavenger Hunt always brings up way less comments about "Should I bring a shovel?" than Treasure Hunt does. Lately, I only have to answer the shovel question when my boss tries to tell people about the game. To him, it's definitely a Treasure Hunt. I need to work on him about that...

 

Similarly, I notice a big difference in reactions when I use the word Global. I hear a lot more excitement from people when they realize this isn't something exclusive to this area. "You mean I can do this at home???" "Wait, a sec, when I go on vacation to (fill in the blank) I can get my kids to do this there, too?" Eyes light up with excitement! It's great!

 

So, if I were a reporter trying to get people excited about going geocaching but not lining up to buy spades & pick axes (or landowners lining up to buy pitchforks and torches), it'd be a "Global High Tech Scavenger Hunt."

Edited June 1, 2011 by Too Tall John

[+Ecylram]

I've never been a fan of using the phrase "Treasure Hunt" to describe geocaching. I believe the phrase give a false impression about the activity.

 

"Scavenger hunt" is better but, for some, it conjures up theft of property. Personally, I just describe it as a hunting for hidden caches or logbooks. I then go on to describe interesting ones I've found.

[+justinmc]

Here's the issue -- and the exact conversation I've had with two different editors:

 

-too many don't understand the phrase "cache" -- a lot will spell it cash or geocashing and if you ask the uninitiated, as I've had to, they think of money. So explaining things in terms of "a cache" becomes difficult and labored in the tight spaces of a printed article.

 

-I think scavenger hunt is just as accurate as treasure hunt, but we felt "scavenger hunt" generally indicates a list of things you have to find in order to complete the hunt, while treasure hunt can denote finding one thing, like a hidden box. You do geocaching and just find one cache.

 

-Part of the issue is that neither the AP Stylebook nor the NYT Stylebook contain a definition, so most reporters will and should fall-back on how the activity is described here, instead of adding their own interpretation.

[knowschad]

It is not a treasure hunt. Not only is digging not involved, but most of us are not primarily interested in the swag. Treasure "box" hunt would be more accurate. However, I will say that while the blurb on the Geocaching.com home page does equate geocaching to a treasure hunt, it immediately backs away from that perception by mentioning the containers as the actual goal:

 

Geocaching is a real-world outdoor treasure hunting game. Players try to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, using GPS-enabled devices and then share their experiences online.

 

It is not a scavenger hunt:

 

A scavenger hunt is a game in which the organizers prepare a list defining specific items, using which the participants — individuals or teams — seek to gather all items on the list — usually without purchasing them — or perform tasks or take photographs of the items, as specified.^[1] The goal is usually to be the first to complete the list, although in a variation on the game players can also be challenged to complete the tasks on the list in the most creative manner. (From Wikipedia)

It is not "high-tech". The manufacturer of our GPS units and our computers have already taken care of that part for us. We are just the button-pushers.

 

It is not a "game of hide-and-seek":

 

Hide-and-seek or hide-and-go-seek is a variant of the game tag, in which a number of players conceal themselves in the environment, to be found by one or more seekers. (From Wikipedia)

[GOF and Bacall]

It is not a treasure hunt. Not only is digging not involved, but most of us are not primarily interested in the swag. Treasure "box" hunt would be more accurate. However, I will say that while the blurb on the Geocaching.com home page does equate geocaching to a treasure hunt, it immediately backs away from that perception by mentioning the containers as the actual goal:

 

Geocaching is a real-world outdoor treasure hunting game. Players try to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, using GPS-enabled devices and then share their experiences online.

 

It is not a scavenger hunt:

 

A scavenger hunt is a game in which the organizers prepare a list defining specific items, using which the participants — individuals or teams — seek to gather all items on the list — usually without purchasing them — or perform tasks or take photographs of the items, as specified.^[1] The goal is usually to be the first to complete the list, although in a variation on the game players can also be challenged to complete the tasks on the list in the most creative manner. (From Wikipedia)

It is not "high-tech". The manufacturer of our GPS units and our computers have already taken care of that part for us. We are just the button-pushers.

 

It is not a "game of hide-and-seek":

 

Hide-and-seek or hide-and-go-seek is a variant of the game tag, in which a number of players conceal themselves in the environment, to be found by one or more seekers. (From Wikipedia)

 

OK. So you have pointed out what it is not. Care to give what it is a shot?

[+StarBrand]

I've always called it "a high tech modern scavenger hunt for tupperware in the woods".

[+Too Tall John]

I think scavenger hunt is just as accurate as treasure hunt, but we felt "scavenger hunt" generally indicates a list of things you have to find in order to complete the hunt...

But there IS a list of things that you can hunt!

...while treasure hunt can denote finding one thing, like a hidden box. You do geocaching and just find one cache.

If people are expecting treasure there's a good chance they're going to be disappointed when they find out the treasure is, at best, an ammo can full of McToys (please excuse the hyperbole) and at worst a rolled up piece of paper in a film canister. Explaining to people that "the real treasure is the journey" causes not just a few eyes to roll, in my experience, if I'm backpedaling from the "Treasure Hunt" explanation. Especially when they find that the "journey" is a drive through the Wal-Mart Parking Lot.

 

Not only is "treasure" inaccurate, but it conjures up the negative image of picks and shovels that geocaching has been hurt by for years.

[+justinmc]

Not only is "treasure" inaccurate, but it conjures up the negative image of picks and shovels that geocaching has been hurt by for years.

 

Doesn't for me, but maybe we're different generations?

 

Anyway, I think "treasure" refers to the "cache" -- not what's inside. But I didn't write the definition, Groundspeak did.

[+Too Tall John]

It is not a scavenger hunt:

A scavenger hunt is a game in which the organizers prepare a list defining specific items, using which the participants — individuals or teams — seek to gather all items on the list — usually without purchasing them — or perform tasks or take photographs of the items, as specified.^[1] The goal is usually to be the first to complete the list, although in a variation on the game players can also be challenged to complete the tasks on the list in the most creative manner. (From Wikipedia)

To paraphrase your quote: Geocaching is an activity in which organizers (geocaching.com for example) maintain a list of specific items called geocaches, using which the participants — individuals or teams - seek to find the caches listed on the website. The goal is to find the caches, some of which are hidden in a most creative manner. Exactly which part of your definition works directly against the idea of geocaching?

It is not "high-tech". The manufacturer of our GPS units and our computers have already taken care of that part for us. We are just the button-pushers.

It still uses High Tech Equipment. C'mon, the GPS was the first device to utilize Einstein's Theory of Relativity. That's pretty high tech, whether I can explain the theory or not.

[knowschad]

It is not a scavenger hunt:

A scavenger hunt is a game in which the organizers prepare a list defining specific items, using which the participants — individuals or teams — seek to gather all items on the list — usually without purchasing them — or perform tasks or take photographs of the items, as specified.^[1] The goal is usually to be the first to complete the list, although in a variation on the game players can also be challenged to complete the tasks on the list in the most creative manner. (From Wikipedia)

To paraphrase your quote: Geocaching is an activity in which organizers (geocaching.com for example) maintain a list of specific items called geocaches, using which the participants — individuals or teams - seek to find the caches listed on the website. The goal is to find the caches, some of which are hidden in a most creative manner. Exactly which part of your definition works directly against the idea of geocaching?

It is not "high-tech". The manufacturer of our GPS units and our computers have already taken care of that part for us. We are just the button-pushers.

It still uses High Tech Equipment. C'mon, the GPS was the first device to utilize Einstein's Theory of Relativity. That's pretty high tech, whether I can explain the theory or not.

 

Geocaching is nothing at all like a scavenger hunt. A scavenger hunt would give a list of objects to participants to find:

 

1) A 1967 penny

2) A lock of blonde hair

3) A tupperware container

 

To win, you come back with all three items before anybody else gets back with their completed list.

 

How is that like geocaching?

 

Sure... you *could* come up with a scavenger hunt using geocaches as the list, but that would be a scavenger hunt, not geocaching.

 

My car is very high-tech. Does that make me high-tech just because I can drive it?

Edited June 1, 2011 by knowschad

[+Too Tall John]

Not only is "treasure" inaccurate, but it conjures up the negative image of picks and shovels that geocaching has been hurt by for years.

Doesn't for me, but maybe we're different generations?

In my experience, people asking me about the shovels when they hear "Treasure Hunt" is not a generational thing, I hear it from young and old alike. Only difference is that the older generation is more likely to be concerned about the idea. They are also more likely to be property owners than the younger generations, though. So, the problem of perception persists...

Anyway, I think "treasure" refers to the "cache" -- not what's inside. But I didn't write the definition, Groundspeak did.

I agree, Groundspeak is referring to the container when they say "treasure" but that still doesn't mean that someone who has never heard of the game won't be expecting something of value, especially when they hear the word "Geo-cash"!

[+Too Tall John]

Geocaching is nothing at all like a scavenger hunt. A scavenger hunt would give a list of objects to participants to find:

 

1) A 1967 penny

2) A lock of blonde hair

3) A tupperware container

 

To win, you come back with all three items before anybody else gets back with their completed list.

 

How is that like geocaching?

The problem is, you are making absolutes out of the definition you gave that are specifically not there.

The goal is usually to be the first to complete the list, although in a variation on the game

So, the goal is usually, not always to be first back. Also, the definition offers a variation, not the variation. There can be more than one variation. Seems that Groundspeak's variation works quite nicely.

[paricipants] seek to gather all items on the list — usually without purchasing them — or perform tasks or take photographs of the items

People are challenged to perform the task of finding the cache and signing the log. This fits your definition perfectly.

Sure... you *could* come up with a scavenger hunt using geocaches as the list, but that would be a scavenger hunt, not geocaching.

Groundspeak disagrees. This is exactly what a Challenge cache is.

My car is very high-tech. Does that make me high-tech just because I can drive it?

So, because you are not high tech, geocaching isn't high tech either, but your car still is?

[knowschad]

Geocaching is nothing at all like a scavenger hunt. A scavenger hunt would give a list of objects to participants to find:

 

1) A 1967 penny

2) A lock of blonde hair

3) A tupperware container

 

To win, you come back with all three items before anybody else gets back with their completed list.

 

How is that like geocaching?

The problem is, you are making absolutes out of the definition you gave that are specifically not there.

The goal is usually to be the first to complete the list, although in a variation on the game

So, the goal is usually, not always to be first back. Also, the definition offers a variation, not the variation. There can be more than one variation. Seems that Groundspeak's variation works quite nicely.

[paricipants] seek to gather all items on the list — usually without purchasing them — or perform tasks or take photographs of the items

People are challenged to perform the task of finding the cache and signing the log. This fits your definition perfectly.

Sure... you *could* come up with a scavenger hunt using geocaches as the list, but that would be a scavenger hunt, not geocaching.

Groundspeak disagrees. This is exactly what a Challenge cache is.

My car is very high-tech. Does that make me high-tech just because I can drive it?

So, because you are not high tech, geocaching isn't high tech either, but your car still is?

 

I do not believe it is like a scavenger hunt. I don't care if Groundspeak disagrees. They can tell me an elephant is a hamster all they want, but I know from personal experience that you can't fit an elephant in an ammo can. Well, maybe not really from personal experience.

 

My problem with calling Geocaching a "high-tech adventure", is that it implies that you need high-tech skills that the activity really does not require.

[knowschad]

It is not a treasure hunt. Not only is digging not involved, but most of us are not primarily interested in the swag. Treasure "box" hunt would be more accurate. However, I will say that while the blurb on the Geocaching.com home page does equate geocaching to a treasure hunt, it immediately backs away from that perception by mentioning the containers as the actual goal:

 

Geocaching is a real-world outdoor treasure hunting game. Players try to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, using GPS-enabled devices and then share their experiences online.

 

It is not a scavenger hunt:

 

A scavenger hunt is a game in which the organizers prepare a list defining specific items, using which the participants — individuals or teams — seek to gather all items on the list — usually without purchasing them — or perform tasks or take photographs of the items, as specified.^[1] The goal is usually to be the first to complete the list, although in a variation on the game players can also be challenged to complete the tasks on the list in the most creative manner. (From Wikipedia)

It is not "high-tech". The manufacturer of our GPS units and our computers have already taken care of that part for us. We are just the button-pushers.

 

It is not a "game of hide-and-seek":

 

Hide-and-seek or hide-and-go-seek is a variant of the game tag, in which a number of players conceal themselves in the environment, to be found by one or more seekers. (From Wikipedia)

 

OK. So you have pointed out what it is not. Care to give what it is a shot?

 

What fun would that be?

[+Too Tall John]

I do not believe it is like a scavenger hunt. I don't care if Groundspeak disagrees. They can tell me an elephant is a hamster all they want, but I know from personal experience that you can't fit an elephant in an ammo can. Well, maybe not really from personal experience.

Nobody's saying anything about elephants and hamsters. You provided a definition for scavenger hunt, I showed how geocaching fits within that definition. I don't care if you go running around a big grey animal with a trunk and floppy ears yelling "This is not an African elephant! This is not an African elephant!" It's still might be an Asian elephant.

My problem with calling Geocaching a "high-tech adventure", is that it implies that you need high-tech skills that the activity really does not require.

Again, what high tech skills do you need to operate your high tech car? Car companies don't seem to be driving customers away by touting the virtues of the latest technologies that they manage to cram into their products. In fact, it attracts customers. Edited June 1, 2011 by Too Tall John

[+justinmc]

Also ... this is on the official cache note that's supposed to go in all the caches: "The real treasure is just finding the container and sharing your thoughts with everyone else who finds it."

[+Snoogans]

I've always called it "a high tech modern scavenger hunt for tupperware in the woods".

 

I call it High Tech Hide 'n Seek. Which is exactly what it is.

 

It's the modern version of the game we all played as kids which is just the basic human instinct to hunt and gather.

 

It has been going on since the stone age and this (geocaching) is like version 7.0 since the begining of time. (I'm not a historian so your view on versions may vary.)

[+Panther&Pine]

I tend to explain it as "A global high-tech hide and seek game where you're most often using longitude and latitude coords provided on a website that show you roughly where to find a container that may be as small as my pinkie and well hidden to a trash can sized item hidden in plain sight. When you get there you look for the container and if you find it you sign the log, and if you take a trade item you should trade up or trade even. Then make sure you put the container back the way you found it. There are other styles of caches but you probably want to start with the ones with the green icons, that are larger and have smaller numbers in the D/T column."

[GOF and Bacall]

I've come to think of it as a high tech cross between hide 'n seek and a scavenger hunt. It really is difficult to describe it in terms of other games because it isn't any of them.

 

The problem with some of the reports we see is that they try to condense any description of what geocaching is. This leaves the reader with the classic picture of treasure hunting. "It's buried under a big W."

 

[+justinmc]

I went back and looked at what I wrote in the story last year:

 

Some state tourism officials called me and asked if I'd like to try something called "geocaching," a sort of hiking, treasure hunting and technology hybrid that uses GPS coordinates to locate hidden "caches" all over the world.

 

Though, I think "game of hide and seek" is particularly apt.

[GOF and Bacall]

I went back and looked at what I wrote in the story last year:

 

Some state tourism officials called me and asked if I'd like to try something called "geocaching," a sort of hiking, treasure hunting and technology hybrid that uses GPS coordinates to locate hidden "caches" all over the world.

 

Though, I think "game of hide and seek" is particularly apt.

 

Not the worst we've seen. Pretty good actually. It doesn't seem to emphasize the treasure hunting aspect the way some descriptions do.

[+niraD]

I prefer the term "scavenger hunt" to "treasure hunt", although neither is perfect.

 

In my experience, describing geocaching as a "treasure hunt" leads people to think of buried containers, and of being able to get rich by taking valuable objects from the containers. I don't call it a "treasure hunt" any more.

 

Also in my experience, describing geocaching as a "scavenger hunt" leads people to think of a game where you're finding something for the sake of finding it, and not for any intrinsic value in the objects found. It isn't a perfect description of geocaching, but "scavenger hunt" is the term I use now when I want to communicate the basic concept quickly.

[knowschad]

I've always called it "a high tech modern scavenger hunt for tupperware in the woods".

 

I call it High Tech Hide 'n Seek. Which is exactly what it is.

 

It's the modern version of the game we all played as kids which is just the basic human instinct to hunt and gather.

 

It has been going on since the stone age and this (geocaching) is like version 7.0 since the begining of time. (I'm not a historian so your view on versions may vary.)

 

Actually, it is MUCH more like Hide The Thimble if one needs to compare it to some other game.

[+fuzziebear3]

Me, I use the analogy of an Easter Egg Hunt. I think it is a closer analogy, and has a better connotation - we don't think of buried, and we don't expect true treasure. Unfortunately, it is not a global concept, so it works well in the US, but does not cover other countries.

 

Geocaching is a world-wide game, like an Easter Egg Hunt, where players hide containers and provide the GPS coordinates, and other players then try to find the containers based on the coordinates.

[+tozainamboku]

How can the reporter know what it is, if the geocachers can't even agree on a definition.

 

Geocaching is like gelato. It's not quite ice cream, and it isn't a sorbet either.

[+Snoogans]

I've always called it "a high tech modern scavenger hunt for tupperware in the woods".

 

I call it High Tech Hide 'n Seek. Which is exactly what it is.

 

It's the modern version of the game we all played as kids which is just the basic human instinct to hunt and gather.

 

It has been going on since the stone age and this (geocaching) is like version 7.0 since the begining of time. (I'm not a historian so your view on versions may vary.)

 

Actually, it is MUCH more like Hide The Thimble if one needs to compare it to some other game.

 

I'll say that's version 6.3. Still hide and seek. Nothing has changed much. It's just a variation on the general theme.

 

Hide and seek is the very nature of nature.

[+briansnat]

Articles in the news are often criticized for the way they describe geocaching. So... if you were a reporter, how would you describe it?

 

I actually got to do it. Waddya think?

[+Snoogans]

Me, I use the analogy of an Easter Egg Hunt. I think it is a closer analogy, and has a better connotation - we don't think of buried, and we don't expect true treasure. Unfortunately, it is not a global concept, so it works well in the US, but does not cover other countries.

 

Geocaching is a world-wide game, like an Easter Egg Hunt, where players hide containers and provide the GPS coordinates, and other players then try to find the containers based on the coordinates.

 

An earlier version. Let's sayyy version 5.4. Still hide and seek.

[+Singletree Expedition]

Articles in the news are often criticized for the way they describe geocaching. So... if you were a reporter, how would you describe it?

 

I actually got to do it. Waddya think?

 

Nice read! This is an excellent article. ...and somehow you explained it without using the words "Treasure", "Scavenger", and "Hide and Seek". Nice work!

[+Singletree Expedition]

I've always called it "a high tech modern scavenger hunt for tupperware in the woods".

 

I call it High Tech Hide 'n Seek. Which is exactly what it is.

 

It's the modern version of the game we all played as kids which is just the basic human instinct to hunt and gather.

 

It has been going on since the stone age and this (geocaching) is like version 7.0 since the begining of time. (I'm not a historian so your view on versions may vary.)

 

Actually, it is MUCH more like Hide The Thimble if one needs to compare it to some other game.

 

I'll say that's version 6.3. Still hide and seek. Nothing has changed much. It's just a variation on the general theme.

 

Hide and seek is the very nature of nature.

 

I'm not sure where this would be on the Snoogans' scale, but I once played a variation as a kid that we called "Hide the Hamster". It was a lot of fun, until the hamster escaped from it's hiding spot. It was the next day before it turned up.

 

And yes, I'm serious!

[+Redfist]

Articles in the news are often criticized for the way they describe geocaching. So... if you were a reporter, how would you describe it?

 

I actually got to do it. Waddya think?

 

Nice read! This is an excellent article. ...and somehow you explained it without using the words "Treasure", "Scavenger", and "Hide and Seek". Nice work!

 

Very nice read... I shared this on Facebook.

[GOF and Bacall]

Articles in the news are often criticized for the way they describe geocaching. So... if you were a reporter, how would you describe it?

 

I actually got to do it. Waddya think?

 

Not bad. You did a great job of explaining it.

 

To be honest, I hadn't been thinking about this subject from the article about geocaching perspective. I was thinking about the one short paragraph description we always see in the bomb squad in the news reports. I guess those are the reports that stick in my mind.

[+d+n.s]

I hate the term "treasure hunt" because

a. Its a little embarrassing to call the stuff you find in them "treasure"

b. It starts people with a misconception that they get to keep the cache and it's contents

c. It makes people think of digging

d. It's not about WHAT you find for me

 

I usually say, "Its a game where people mark cool sights, things and places by hiding a box near it and posting the box's GPS coordinates. You find the box and sign a piece of paper to prove you went there. Usually there is stuff inside people trade, but sometimes there isn't. A good cache will point out a park, shop or even just a cool tree you might not have noticed otherwise if you hadn't slowed down."

 

Not catchy, but thats the gist of how I describe it.

[+SwineFlew]

It all depend:

 

its breaking news?

its a slow news media day?

its because my boss wanna stir the pot to see what people are really thinking?

and on and on...

 

My mother told me years ago, the news media write the news because there is a gold mine there. Period.

[+geodarts]

It all depend:

 

Exactly. If it was a slow news day and I was told to write an article that was just going to fill up space I would probably write about buried treasure. If it was about how the bomb squad was called out, I would talk about containers in lamp posts (or wherever it happened to be) and then describe how the cache disrupted the business or closed down the road for awhile. If I thought it was something interesting I would talk to a couple of cachers before I misquoted them to make a better story. Or I would go to these forums and get a feel for what the game really is about.

[+popokiiti]

I would interview a few different geocachers to have them explain it, with an introduction and closing taken from Geocaching.com, including a link to the site.

[DurniesTribe]

Articles in the news are often criticized for the way they describe geocaching. So... if you were a reporter, how would you describe it?

 

I actually got to do it. Waddya think?

 

Nice read! This is an excellent article. ...and somehow you explained it without using the words "Treasure", "Scavenger", and "Hide and Seek". Nice work!

I agree!! That was a very excellent article without "tagging" it with another known "game title".

[+narcissa]

I'd make sure I made liberal use of the term "buried treasure." That's always a win.

[+power69]

I've never been a fan of using the phrase "Treasure Hunt" to describe geocaching.

Me either. one look at the swag of an average geocache could hardly call it treasure[unless you're into broken happy meal toys]

[+gsmX2]

Articles in the news are often criticized for the way they describe geocaching. So... if you were a reporter, how would you describe it?

 

I actually got to do it. Waddya think?

 

I like it and you actually answered the poster's question. Nice job.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

Here's the issue -- and the exact conversation I've had with two different editors:

 

-too many don't understand the phrase "cache" -- a lot will spell it cash or geocashing and if you ask the uninitiated, as I've had to, they think of money. So explaining things in terms of "a cache" becomes difficult and labored in the tight spaces of a printed article

 

Here's an idea...

 

Instead of calling it a cache, it could be called a stash, or describe is as a GPS stash hunt.

[+JL_HSTRE]

When describing geocaching to those unfamiliar I keep using the "GPS scavenger hunt" explanation, with a pretty high rate of success. Most everyone knows what a GPS is and most everyone knows what a scavenger hunt is so putting the two together is grokkable. (Describing it that way even encompasses Waymarking and benchmark hunting too.)

 

Instead of calling it a cache, it could be called a stash, or describe is as a GPS stash hunt.

 

Stash has too many drug connotations.

 

I've never been a fan of using the phrase "Treasure Hunt" to describe geocaching.

Me either. one look at the swag of an average geocache could hardly call it treasure[unless you're into broken happy meal toys]

 

Also might give people the mistaken impression that caches are buried and/or that the caches are taken by finders.

Edited June 6, 2011 by Joshism

[+Don_J]

Geocaching is a game where players hide objects in public, share the coordinates of the objects with other players who then use GPS devices to locate them. Often this brings players to interesting places that they were unaware of.

 

That is how I describe it to friends/family.

 

Whenever I read a "bomb scare" article, there is one constant that really gets my goat. The cache is almost exclusively referred to as a geocache "device". This gives the reader the impression that the over reaction by the authorities was warranted. I mean, they had a "device" to deal with, right? They always leave out the fact that the "device" was a film can designed to hold a scrape of paper.

 

The one that makes me chuckle is when the reporter describes a geocache as a device that sends out GPS signals so others can locate it with their GPS receivers.

[+GeoGeeBee]

Whenever I read a "bomb scare" article, there is one constant that really gets my goat. The cache is almost exclusively referred to as a geocache "device".

 

This is probably because they are quoting (or paraphrasing) information that was given to the reporter by the bomb squad spokesman. Bomb squads refer to the things they deal with as "devices."

[+briansnat]

Here's the issue -- and the exact conversation I've had with two different editors:

 

-too many don't understand the phrase "cache" -- a lot will spell it cash or geocashing and if you ask the uninitiated, as I've had to, they think of money. So explaining things in terms of "a cache" becomes difficult and labored in the tight spaces of a printed article

 

Here's an idea...

 

Instead of calling it a cache, it could be called a stash, or describe is as a GPS stash hunt.

 

I think you might have something there. How about The Great American GPS Stash Hunt ?