Suggestion: Notify users about archived caches

[+Dovre]

I keep a folder in my car with printouts of all the roughly 200 caches in my country (Denmark). I do not plan my searches very carefully.

 

I try to keep the folder up-to-date, but quite often I happen to search for caches which are disabled or archived, or caches where previous searchers have given a clear indication that the cache is missing og broken and should be archived or maint-checked. In Denmark, caches very often seem to disappear.

 

I thought it would be a nice feature if users are notified weekly about not only new caches, but also archived, disabled and reenabled caches. Usage would be greatly improved if a special logging category "Not found. Should be checked by owner" was introduced. Of course this category should only be used when the searcher is absolutely certain or has physical evidence of the state of the cache - for example a broken or emptied case - and I think the geocaching community is able to impose this discipline onto the users.

 

I would be willing to pay for such a feature, for example as a charter member.

 

Regards

Dovregubben og Snöflingan

[+Mopar]

quote:

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Originally posted by Dovregubben og Sn�flingan:

Usage would be greatly improved if a special logging category "Not found. Should be checked by owner" was introduced. Of course this category should only be used when the searcher is absolutely certain or has physical evidence of the state of the cache - for example a broken or emptied case - and I think the geocaching community is able to impose this discipline onto the users.

 

I would be willing to pay for such a feature, for example as a charter member.

 

Regards

Dovregubben og Snöflingan

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There already is such a feature, and it's even free. All cachers can use it, not just charter members. When you log a cache, there is a choice called "Cache should be archived". This is meant exactly for cases like you suggest, where you are 100% certain the cache is destroyed or placed illegally. Unfortunately, there also seems to be some sort of stigma attached to using that feature. Just last night someone was telling me about a cache that clearly needed to be archived, but begged me not to point it out, for fear the cache owner would retaliate and delete this person's finds.

Personally, I've had cachers fly into a rage because I commented (in person, face to face) that the coords were off (the fact every previous finder said the same thing and that an area 75ft away was practically destroyed didn't seem to matter), or that gladware might not be the best cache container to use in a swamp. Can you imagine what would happen if some cacher had actually hit some sort of complaint button on that cache?

Perhaps some sort of less public way is needed to report damaged or illegal caches. The archive notice is privately sent to the cache owner and the site admins, and the copy sent to the owner is stripped of the submitter's name. Maybe then more people would be willing to report problem caches without fear of reprisal from the cache owner or other local cachers. Or not.

 

Tae-Kwon-Leap is not a path to a door, but a road leading forever towards the horizon.

[+sbell111]

The way I read your post, (ok, I only scanned it, bot I think I understand) you have two issues. Mopar discussed the 'cache should be archived' issue.

 

Also, you would like notices when caches in your area are archived, disabled, or re-enabled. While this may be a good feature to add to the weekly cache notifications, there is a current workaround. If you place caches that you are interested in searching for on your watch list, you will not only get emails of logs made, but also emails notifying you of any status changes. Of course, the more caches left in your 'when I get to them' folder, the more emails you will receive. It doesn't take too long to flip through the 'I found it' emails, however, to discover the ones notifying you of problems with a cache.

[+Dovre]

Mopar, thanks for pointing that out, and for the discussion of cache-owners' pride.

 

Sbell111, thanks for commenting on the email notification part. Sure this work-around works. I will try and see the amount of flooding.

 

Thanks

 

Dovregubben og Snöflingan.

[+reepicheep]

quote:

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Originally posted by Dovregubben og <snip>

Sbell111, thanks for commenting on the email notification part. Sure this work-around works. I will try and see the amount of flooding.

 

Thanks

 

Dovregubben og Snöflingan.

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If you have an email client that will allow filters, you can move them to a folder based on certain keywords. The subjects are almost always '[LOG] Watch List Notification', but if a cache is archived, you get something like '[LOG] Archived: <cachename>'.

Then you could look through them without clogging up your inbox, or just watch for the Archived messages if that is your main concern.

 

Kenneth

[+Bisanabi]

The watch list/email/filter works, but it is a massive waste of bandwidth. Why add 100 caches in your area and auto-delete all email (lots of email) after they arrive. Multiply this by dozens/hundreds/thousands of users, and... A simple addition to the sites scripting would be much cleaner and less resource intensive.

 

I would suggest allowing such notifications to be received based on range from home or by state.

 

I also think the site should auto-archive a cache that has not been found within the last 3/6/12 months. One site in Connecticut obviously does not exist, having had several people reporting non-finds over the past year. If only the "owner" can archive the cache, what happens when the "owner" ceases to exist, like his/her cache?? Does it remain "on the books" forever, luring the occasional cacher in who doesn't always read the logs first?

 

-Bisanabi

[+Stunod]

If it is obviously gone, log it with a "This Cache Should Be Archived" and the admins will take care of it. Or if the cache is still there, someone can "adopt" it.

 

"Just because I don't care doesn't mean I don't understand."