Is it a waste of time or common courtesy?

[+Konnarock Kid & Marge]

As a lot of you know, Marge and I have a few earthcaches and after most weekends and at other times we get a lot of email notifications of a cacher(s) logging their finds. We always send a kind of thank you for visiting email after each log. Our question, do you fellow EC owners acknowledge finds on your ECs or is it a total waste of time? Please, we have enough dramatics here..........just a friendly discussion. Thanks.

[+Lostby7]

Every log gets a reply thanking them for taking the time to visit. Also I look at the profile of each finder to check the likelihood that they actually visited.

Edited June 24, 2011 by Lostby7

[+Arby Gee]

If the cachefinder took the time to write something of value in their log and/or their e-mailed answers, I always send a reply. If they just log "TFTC" or "Found it" and send an unsigned e-mail with the bare minimum of info, I usually don't bother to reply any more.

 

I've also found that I rarely get responses to my e-mails when I find an Earthcache (even though I always make it a point to say something of value in my log entries, and I always sign my e-mails).

[+dfx]

I don't own any ECs, but my experience from logging them is that most owners send at least a quick thank-you. Some don't, however.

 

It should be noted that some people first send the answers and then wait for confirmation before logging the EC. So, it might be wise to always reply back, even if it's just for those cases.

[kvhollis]

As a lot of you know, Marge and I have a few earthcaches and after most weekends and at other times we get a lot of email notifications of a cacher(s) logging their finds. We always send a kind of thank you for visiting email after each log. Our question, do you fellow EC owners acknowledge finds on your ECs or is it a total waste of time? Please, we have enough dramatics here..........just a friendly discussion. Thanks.

 

I try to always send some sort of a reply with a confirmation note about their answers, a correction, perhaps something I noticed from their profile, etc. But I do thank them for visiting my earth cache.

[+Trekkin' and birdin']

We always respond, and depending on the email received, might do a little back and forthing about the world's problems and such. Of late, we've had to email more than the average number of finders to request their answers. We're not sure what the deal is, as they usually have a number of EC finds and should know the protocol. Part of me thinks, "well, they're on vacation," but if they can log the find, they should be able to send the answers, too.

 

We have also decided, as a previous poster commented, that the ones that get the tftc logs, get just a quick 'thanks.' We used to try and encourage more commentary, but that takes time and I don't think it really changes anyone's thinking.

Edited June 24, 2011 by Trekkin' and birdin'

[cezanne]

Most ECs in my region are equipped with autoresponders. Personal mails are not that common maybe for that reason.

 

Cezanne

[+geoaware]

I respond to every email I get about the few EC I look after.....I think its good etiquette!

[+Ashallond]

I confirm the correct answers of give them the right answer if they got most parts right but missed one.

[+cincol]

I will respond to every EC e-mail that I receive. If answers are incorrect I will guide them in the right direction if necessary. If EC's are logged without an e-mail wit the answers I will e-mail them with a gentle reminder for the answers.

[Neos2]

I try to respond to every email. Sometimes I miss one and discover it when I'm clearing out old emails several weeks later. Then I only respond if they asked a question or if I see they haven't logged it yet (Waiting on my response? Ooops~Sorry!)

[savant9]

Every visitor to one of my EC's gets an "Thanks for visiting!" reply from me at minimum, unless of course they have checked the "hide email address" box, in which case my reply ends up in the great void somewhere.

[+Flintstone5611]

Whenever I get an email with the answers to one of my ECs I always thank them for their interest and their effort. At times I will get logs without answers provided, but a friendly reminder is usually all it takes. I really feel it is good form to send a little message to those ones that took the time. I only have 6 ECs, I can't imagine the work required to do that for 60 ECs, but thanks for being a good example as a CO!

[+Konnarock Kid & Marge]

Flintstone5611, we don't deserve any thanks, but thanks anyway!

It's like Geoaware said, "I think its good etiquette!" Although I'll be the first to admit that logs like "TFTC" or similar quick cut-n-paste logs don't inspire a lot of courtesy, we still do it. As a lot of you know, I'm far from perfect, but acknowledging a visit is important to us. As a result, a few times we have been asked to help with a cacher's first EC and that is fun.

Maybe after a vacation or camping trip the logs can stack up but a short couple of sentences isn't that much of a bother.

If the requirements are not met and we just get a log notification I still send a note with a little nudge for the answers. Ninety percent plus comply.

Someone mentioned blocked email addresses. It's kind of a pain, but clicking on the cacher's profile to use 'send message' isn't as fun, but it isn't hard. While it is everyone's right and I would never question it, thank goodness most don't block their return email address.

When I think about it, it's hard to remember visiting others ECs and not receiving a note back. Maybe there have been a few but I just don't remember them. I guess we are not that much different after all, especially considering all of you who have responded.

Thanks.

[+Flintstone5611]

The trend I have noticed is that despite intentions, this game is very "reactive". It is always nice to see someone acting to benefit a stranger based on principle rather than "reacting" to the initial offering of that stranger. If we all acted nice no matter what others did, the world would be a different place!

[+Thutmosis]

I always reply to e-mailed answers to my earthcaches. Earthcaches are supposed to be educational. So I let the cacher know if he/she has answered correctly. If the answer is incorrect, I give the correct one. That's part of the educational process. I'm not the geocache police. If a cacher makes an honest effort to answer a question, I allow the log to stand, even if the answer is wrong. Cachers who don't e-mail any answer get a reminder. If they still don't answer within a week or so, I delete their log.

[cezanne]

 

When I think about it, it's hard to remember visiting others ECs and not receiving a note back.

 

That's interesting. Does it mean that ECs with automatic mail reponders for the log permission do not exist in the areas you visited ECs or that the owners of the ECs decided to write a separate personal note, or do you count receiving an automatic reply also as receiving a note back from the owner?

 

Cezanne

Edited June 25, 2011 by cezanne

[+terratin]

For our (and i guess all) ECs there always has to an email with the answers to the questions. And -so far- none of the finders on any of our earthcaches has answered all questions completely correct; there's always a wrong answer/some info missing/minor details incorrect/etc

 

So what i do is send a reply email with a thank you and the correct answers; even in case of someone forgetting to include their email address, i go to their profile page and send my reply from there.

 

In that light, i don't understand the mentioned auto-responders: it implies i can just send a mail with utter nonsense and still get an ok for the log?

 

Moreover, eventhough Mrs. Terratin is a geologist, with most of the ECs we've found there's usually some guessing involved. I'd love to receive emails from the CO's with the exact answers, which unfortunately doesn't happen very often, which in turn sometimes leaves me with a nagging feeling about certain aspects of the earthcache in question.

 

Anyway, to get to the question of Konnarock Kid & Marge, no, it's no waste of time at all. Replying as we do is -imo- part of the educational aspect of earthcaches.

 

Mr. Terratin

[+Konnarock Kid & Marge]

We don't use nor do I know what an 'automatic email' responder is. I wouldn't know an 'automatic email responder' if it jumped up and bit me on the butt. In this day-n-age of electronic marvels I don't doubt that 'automatic email responders' exist, but we don't use them nor can we tell if others use them. When something specific like the EC name or a personal reference is used, I doubt if anything was automatic except the good manners of the cache owner!

Regardless, auto or not, a response acknowledging your find is nice.

[I!]

In response to all (six, sigh) Found It logs and answer-bearing PMs, I've responded with a thank-you and a prepared answer sheet. That way I can be generally nice & chatty in the covering email whilst lecturing the victim^H^H^H^Hsitor by means of the answer sheet. Social networking and education ... you can't beat a good earthcache.

[+cincol]

For our (and i guess all) ECs there always has to an email with the answers to the questions. And -so far- none of the finders on any of our earthcaches has answered all questions completely correct; there's always a wrong answer/some info missing/minor details incorrect/etc

 

 

Ummm ...... I don't recall my answers to your EC's being incorrect

[+Tank and Spaz]

I tell people to send answers, then log the cache on my pages. If there is something incorrect, I reply. I make it a point to put "I do not respond to correct answers."

[cezanne]

We don't use nor do I know what an 'automatic email' responder is.

 

One of the main usages of such responders is for replying when one is away from one's mail (e.g. on vacation or business travel - these are active only while on is away while those used for ECs are active permanently).

Among Earthcachers in some areas such responders became popular as they send the reply very quickly and thus those who wish to log immediately (i.e. by now the majority) are happier.

 

I wouldn't know an 'automatic email responder' if it jumped up and bit me on the butt. In this day-n-age of electronic marvels I don't doubt that 'automatic email responders' exist, but we don't use them nor can we tell if others use them.

 

I guess if you ever had ecountered an EC with such a responder, you would have realized it. As it is not well received if I link to caches here, let me just cite a piece of the instruction for an EC which uses an automatic responder:

 

When you have obtained all answers (words and numbers respectively), send me a (blank) e-mail with your GC-alias in the subject field to the following address:

(aa)(bb)(cc)@aol.de. To obtain the first part (aa)(bb)(cc) of the address put together the answers to the questions (aa)-(cc) above. For example, suppose that the answer to the first question is "Fichten", the answer to the second "12" and the answer to the third "Kammfarn", then the e-mail address is Fichten12Kammfarn@aol.de. If you use the correct address, the you will immediately get an automatic response with the permission to log. Please wait for the log permission.

 

The key issue is that the owner of the cache typically does not even look at the answers (usually e-mail addresses are used that have been set up just for the that specific EC and the inbox is never looked at manually) and he does not send out any replies.

Whether the answers are correct is just checked by the fact that when sending mail to a wrong address, one will not receive any reply at all. A sideeffect of this approach is however that only simple questions with unique answers can be used, not even estimation questions and no questions where something needs to be explained.

 

When something specific like the EC name or a personal reference is used, I doubt if anything was automatic except the good manners of the cache owner!

 

In the examples I gave it does not play a role whether the mails sent contain anything personal as they are typically not read by a human.

Of course the prepared text that is sent out to everyone can contain a standard text like "Congratulations for having successfully answered the questions for Earthcache XY. Thanks for your visit. Yours .....", but it is like the standard replies one often gets from offices and politicians.

 

Regardless, auto or not, a response acknowledging your find is nice.

 

Actually, in case of the automatic reply, this is not a sign of good manners or the wish to treat fellow cachers nicely, but just a consequence of the used technology. Autoresponders for ECs always give me the feeling that the owner does not want to bother with the answer mails.

 

Cezanne

Edited June 26, 2011 by cezanne

[+geoaware]

Autoresponders are now strongly discouraged by the EarthCache review team. They lead to weak logging tasks and no communication between the developer and the visitor - especially when a person has not understood the questions.

[cezanne]

In that light, i don't understand the mentioned auto-responders: it implies i can just send a mail with utter nonsense and still get an ok for the log?

 

No, see my example in my reply preceding this one. If the answers are wrong, you will write a mail to a non-existing mail address.

 

Cezanne

[cezanne]

Autoresponders are now strongly discouraged by the EarthCache review team.

 

Good to hear. I never liked them, but most of the ECs in my area (not recent ones) use them

(some owners even have changed over to the automatic system after some time) and they are very

well received by the majority of cachers as they allow to keep the logging order without having to wait

with logging all caches visited during a day just because of the waiting time for log permission for ECs.

 

Cezanne

[+Konnarock Kid & Marge]

"Most of the ECs in my area use them"? Your area seems to be representative of almost every exceptional oddity in regard to earthcaching. I have never run across a response that looked automatic. "Most" is very categorical!

Maybe they have a use, especially for businesses, but as I have found out they are automatic and not responsive to an email containing specific answers to required questions (educational experience). The use of them would preclude the CO reviewing to accomplishment of the EC requirements.

As Geoaware said, the use of an automatic responder could "... lead to weak logging tasks and no communication between the developer and the visitor". We certainly don't advocate the use of them in regard to earthcaching! We are talking about the CO responding to a log not some bit of software spitting out a response like

"I'm on vacation and will get back with you" which would be appropriate if true and followed up. Something generic like "thanks for visiting our EC" may be better than nothing but not by much! I would assume that the auto responder cannot check answers or personalize such as mentioning the cache or cacher's name.

Thanks.

[+Flintstone5611]

Yeah, the idea of someone autoresponding to an EC answer confirmation is so strange. I think that our interaction based on an earth science theme is another great facet of these types of caches. I really think these ones are missing out on a fun part of ECing!

[cezanne]

"Most of the ECs in my area use them"? Your area seems to be representative of almost every exceptional oddity in regard to earthcaching. I have never run across a response that looked automatic. "Most" is very categorical!

 

Still it is true with respect to autoresponders. Please note that with respect to autoresponders unlike issues like quality, factor of enjoyment etc there is no subjective aspect involved. The Ec descriptions tell you that you will receive an automatic response.

 

I need to add however that the number of ECs in my area is not that high and not too many owners are involved. It started with one such EC and vers positive reponses by the finders of the Ecs who liked the fast response. So other hiders have taken up the example and did the same. I cannot even blame them for doing so as most finders in my area prefer it that way.

 

A few months ago I had read about a German guy who had set up a more involved checkup-system for EC answers which has received vers positively by the German community (The tool was called Earthchecker). Groundspeak then asked the GSA what they think about this system and the answer was that the GSA is against such a system. This has caused quite some debate in German geocaching blogs where most comments there were negative about the decision of the GSA. (I welcomed this decision, BTW.)

Those who can read German can look up links like

http://geocaching-handbuch.de/?p=1654

http://jr849.de/allgemein/das-neue-reviewer-buzzwort-earthchecker/

http://www.coburger-gps-community.de/board22-allgemein/board24-neuigkeiten/2132-der-earthchecker-ein-segen-f%C3%BCr-cacher-und-owner/

http://www.geoclub.de/viewtopic.php?f=98&t=53765

and see how well received such tools are in the German speaking community.

 

I would assume that the auto responder cannot check answers or personalize such as mentioning the cache or cacher's name.

 

The checking is already done by the fact that the e-mail address to which you send the answer is assembled from the answers (look again at the example I have provided to explain it).

Personalization (mentioning the cacher's name - the cache name is the same for a fixed EC anyway) would be possible though it takes a little bit more effort or knowledge about mailing systems. (It would be no real issue.)

 

I will not comment any further on this as it does not really fit into the mainstream of your topic and geoaware mentioned above that the reviewers are now dealing with automatic responders more restrictively as they used to.

Unlike other topics, we share the same opinion on this topic anyway and both prefer personal replies. I am sending out personal mails for my virtual cache and would do the same if I had an EC.

 

 

Cezanne

Edited June 26, 2011 by cezanne

[+Konnarock Kid & Marge]

Please......may we forget about auto responders? If some cacher wants to spend their money for the necessary software, that is their business! In the final analysis, even though Geoaware is right and using them is kinda against the grain of earthcaching, I guess an auto response is better than no response! Not much, but better than nothing!

One last word on how we do it. After receiving the email notification of an EC log we wait until the second email with the required educational information. After that, we send our 'thanks for visiting' note. Unless the answers are way out in left field (wrong or totally inaccurate), we usually say your answers are: great, nice, close enough, etc. (pick one). If a pic is included with the log, we tell the cacher that we enjoyed the pic(s).

Absent the second email with the required answers, we send a gentle email reminder to the cacher telling them of the requirements. For newbie cachers, we are especially gentle making allowances for their inexperience even though the requirements are spelled out on the cache page. Those emails go in to a follow-up file and after a couple of weeks and no response, we delete the log. With all the ECs we have you could count the number of deletions on both hands and thank goodness for that. I hate log deletions because locally, a couple of years back, we saw a vast abuse of it with nothing being done by GS.

P.S. The log deletion abuse was not on earthcaches and not on any of our logs, but that's another topic!

[cezanne]

Please......may we forget about auto responders?

 

Agreed. I already suggested to stop this side issue. I only replied as I wanted to explain to you how they work. I tried to be helpful to you. Sorry if that did not work out.

 

If some cacher wants to spend their money for the necessary software,

 

It does not cost a single cent and one does not need to buy software to that end. All suppliers of free email adresses I am familiar with also offer automatic responders. This by the way allows cachers with many Ecs to use a separate

address and responder for each EC.

 

Cezanne

Edited June 27, 2011 by cezanne

[+hzoi]

I try to send a personal response for every log. Certainly if they appear to be close with the answers but have missed a small detail, I will write them back to fill them in -- the purpose, after all, is education.

[+Konnarock Kid & Marge]

I try to send a personal response for every log. Certainly if they appear to be close with the answers but have missed a small detail, I will write them back to fill them in -- the purpose, after all, is education.

 

Good for you! You don't know how pleased we are to see so many ECers sending notes although we haven't heard from a lot of cachers. Thanks.

[+Chrysalides]

About 1/2 the earthcaches I did got a response either confirming the answers are correct, or thanking me for visiting. Compare that with only 2 responses for virtual caches. I always appreciate a response, but I don't mind if there isn't any.

[Neos2]

I try to send a personal response for every log. Certainly if they appear to be close with the answers but have missed a small detail, I will write them back to fill them in -- the purpose, after all, is education.

 

Good for you! You don't know how pleased we are to see so many ECers sending notes although we haven't heard from a lot of cachers. Thanks.

 

Speaking of which, did I write to tell you those were some great photos you posted for the Beachfront Indiana Fossil Zone (GCPTAD)? I love the photos that come from that EC--especially when people can make it up to the top of the hill to see the view from Geologyjim13's The Oolotic Limestone Cache (GC9BA0), too. If I forgot, I meant to write!

Edited June 28, 2011 by Neos2

[+Konnarock Kid & Marge]

I try to send a personal response for every log. Certainly if they appear to be close with the answers but have missed a small detail, I will write them back to fill them in -- the purpose, after all, is education.

 

Good for you! You don't know how pleased we are to see so many ECers sending notes although we haven't heard from a lot of cachers. Thanks.

 

Speaking of which, did I write to tell you those were some great photos you posted for the Beachfront Indiana Fossil Zone (GCPTAD)? I love the photos that come from that EC--especially when people can make it up to the top of the hill to see the view from Geologyjim13's The Oolotic Limestone Cache (GC9BA0), too. If I forgot, I meant to write!

Thanks for the compliment. The 'Fossil Zone' is a really nice EC. Unfortunately, for our trip West, all I had loaded up in the GPSr were earthcaches and we didn't know about the traditional cache at the site. I think even an old guy like me could have made it to the top (that is using the more easy route!)

With a lot of time restraints and four grand kids, I think we visited only three ECs during the trip and one was previously logged.

[+Loony Londo]

I have four earthcache and I have the answers prepared so every time there is a request to log I cut and paste the correct answers with a suitable reply to the email. if someone has taken the time to email the answers toan eartcache it seems only fair to tell them if their answers are correct and tell them have the correct answers.

[cezanne]

I am asking myself whether also EC owners with ECs that really get many visits manage to reply to each e-mail.

E.g. the EC at the Cologne Cathedral has received already more than 3000 visits (the owner of that cache has 56 other ECs as well). It would be quite some work to manage that for someone who has a full working load in his job and I admit that it would be more than I would be able to do, but on the other hand I prefer to address my caches to minorities

anyway. Somehow I obtained the feeling that in the US already about 300 visits for an EC are a lot (this is about the level already the urban EC in my small home town has reached).

 

Cezanne

[+LewisClan77]

I always send a thanks for visiting. If they ask for more detailed info I can send that as well. I wish more EC owners would respond.

[+Flintstone5611]

I am asking myself whether also EC owners with ECs that really get many visits manage to reply to each e-mail.

E.g. the EC at the Cologne Cathedral has received already more than 3000 visits (the owner of that cache has 56 other ECs as well). It would be quite some work to manage that for someone who has a full working load in his job and I admit that it would be more than I would be able to do, but on the other hand I prefer to address my caches to minorities

anyway. Somehow I obtained the feeling that in the US already about 300 visits for an EC are a lot (this is about the level already the urban EC in my small home town has reached).

 

Cezanne

 

It must bee tough with 3000 finds, my EC in Rome has over 250 finds and it is pretty reasonable. I probably have one response every couple days. I love connecting with Earthcachers from around the world, my response creates a small bond. It definitely enriches my experience as a CO.

[cezanne]

It must bee tough with 3000 finds, my EC in Rome has over 250 finds and it is pretty reasonable. I probably have one response every couple days. I love connecting with Earthcachers from around the world, my response creates a small bond. It definitely enriches my experience as a CO.

 

The difference to the cache in Cologne is that it is mainly visited by tourists as the Italian community is not that large (Italy has a bit over 6000 active caches, Germany is close to 200000 active caches and Austria to 20000). Since June 18, 2011 more than 3200 new caches have shown up in Germany (no power trail involved). At a typical weekend way more than 1000 new show up.

 

Cezanne

[+junglehair]

I try to respond to all the emails for my 6 EarthCaches. If they didn't include their email address and I have to go through their profile to contact them, then sometimes I don't bother unless there was a problem with their answers.

[AZcachemeister]

I ALWAYS acknowledge the 'send me a note' E Mails.

It tells the logger their E Mail went through, and there is a live person at the other end.

[+Konnarock Kid & Marge]

Thanks for all the posts. I guess we are in good company since we also try to respond to each EC log. We have been out of town for a few days over the weekend and have gotten behind with several logs. By tonight, we hope top be caught up!

[+danieloliveira]

Hi there.

I understand your hesitation perfectly. We have hundreds of things to do and then it seems that everything piles up at once.

I have adopted the "autolog function" in my EC's. That means that I allow all visitors to log their "find" if they think they are correct with their answers with the proviso that answers still get sent and will be checked. Even though I tell everyo9ne that I will only contact them if there's a problem, I still respond to each mail correcting any errors, confirming answers or just generally thanking them for their visit.

If I were a visitor to a EC and I simply logged the cache and never received a reply what would I think?

1- yeah! all correct. I am the best in the world!; or,

2- The owner is sick and tired of answering emails and doesn't care anymore.

...that nagging feeling is a terrible burden to carry.

[+Ladybug Kids]

I respond to every email I get about the few EC I look after.....I think its good etiquette!

We do that, too.

[+NorthWes]

When folks have taken the time to send me a message, I reply. It's good etiquette, and it builds up the educational concept involved in EarthCaching. Courtesy is never out of style...

[+danieloliveira]

When folks have taken the time to send me a message, I reply. It's good etiquette, and it builds up the educational concept involved in EarthCaching. Courtesy is never out of style...

 

Totally agree.However, I also like the courtesy of everyone who replies to "send their email address" with their answers. As you well know, replies to the GC.com address go straight to jail, do not pass beginning and do not collect $200

Edited July 18, 2011 by danieloliveira