+lonepinemax Posted October 5, 2011 Share Posted October 5, 2011 I have recently run into some problems with a new geocacher that does not know how this game is played. They have found several of my caches and have not logged them in. The only reason I know this is they did sign the log in one cache but when I contacted them they did not know they should log the finds on line but also said they did not know how to do this. They made unequal trades and took a travel bug but did not log it either. They have no finds or hides registered. They did reply to one e-mail but have not received any others. I mentioned that the travel bug needs to be logged, but I am sure they don't know what a travel bug is. Any suggestions on how to proceed with this other than hope they reply? Quote Link to comment
+GeoGeeBee Posted October 5, 2011 Share Posted October 5, 2011 Life is too short to worry about the logging practices of other geocachers. Too bad about the travel bug, though. I bet a lot of them are lost to newbies who don't understand that they aren't swag. Quote Link to comment
+tozainamboku Posted October 5, 2011 Share Posted October 5, 2011 For years I've been complaining about puritans who say you can't log a find online unless you signed the log. "Why aren't you more concerned about all the people who do sign the log and then don't log online?" I would ask. Finally someone is complaining about this. Yep. Some people just don't want to play this game "right". Every day, newbies try out geocaching (especially now that you can do it with a cell phone). They might create an online account so they can get coordinates for caches. But they probably have no intention of ever posting anything online. What for. They get enjoyment from finding caches and perhaps making trades. They may never even look at the so-called rules on Geocaching.com because they just don't need them to have fun. (Or more likely after finding a few caches they decide it's not that much fun and they quit). I certainly sympathize with travel bug owner if a bug is taken and not logged. But it happens. I can understand a cache owner's disappointment if they didn't trade fairly. But accept it. It happens. You don't need a license to go geocaching and there is not much one can do if someone doesn't want to log their finds. Sending emails to someone who may or may not be the same person who signed the log, might be seen as helping to educated someone. But it might also be seen as harassment. Just take a deep breath and stop worrying about it. Quote Link to comment
+Legochugglers Posted October 5, 2011 Share Posted October 5, 2011 You can only politely explain the suggested method for logging but at the end of the day on line logging is up to them. The position regarding the TB is a little bit different and you may like to alert the owner of the TB to the issue so they can contact the cacher that has picked it up and not logged it. Hopefully they will respond to some advice re the protocol re the TB. Quote Link to comment
+dphickey Posted October 5, 2011 Share Posted October 5, 2011 Perhaps putting a brief breakdown of the rules in the cache to remind/inform these people to trade fairly and log travel items... But then again, if they are too busy to log online I doubt they'd take the time to read a note card with the rules in the cache. Quote Link to comment
+Lil Devil Posted October 5, 2011 Share Posted October 5, 2011 I've found several thousand caches in the last couple of years that I haven't logged online. Maybe someday I will. Maybe I won't. What does it matter to you? Quote Link to comment
knowschad Posted October 5, 2011 Share Posted October 5, 2011 Send them here to the forums. We'll take care of them. Just kidding... that is probably the LAST thing you should do! Got any upcoming events? Maybe invite them to meet you there and you'll take them out caching afterward? Quote Link to comment
+lonepinemax Posted October 6, 2011 Author Share Posted October 6, 2011 I am not concerned about them not logging, that is up to them, but am concerned about swag disappearing and them not even signing the log books. They also altered a container so as to make it not water resistant. However maybe with time they will be more considerate, when and if, they put out there own caches. Quote Link to comment
AZcachemeister Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 I'd say the un-logged TB is the bigger issue...but perhaps it will turn up somewhere. Unequal trading? Didn't sign the log? MEH. Didn't close or re-hide the container properly is a concern. I'll bet they loose interest and fade away within a month or two. Quote Link to comment
+The_Incredibles_ Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 I would focus on the travel-bug issue. I like the idea of giving their email address to the travel bug owner. As for the other stuff, the info on fair-trading etc is there, my guess is they are too lazy to read it. If they wanted to log their finds online, they would have figured it out by now, my guess is they are not interested in that either. Quote Link to comment
+Viajero Perdido Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 This is why some people mark their caches for Premium Members Only. (47 posts from now, a moderator will merge this thread with another one about PMO caches.) Quote Link to comment
+lonepinemax Posted October 6, 2011 Author Share Posted October 6, 2011 I would focus on the travel-bug issue. I like the idea of giving their email address to the travel bug owner. As for the other stuff, the info on fair-trading etc is there, my guess is they are too lazy to read it. If they wanted to log their finds online, they would have figured it out by now, my guess is they are not interested in that either. Quote Link to comment
+lonepinemax Posted October 6, 2011 Author Share Posted October 6, 2011 I am the travel bug owner. I just realized today they also took far more swag than i thought as no one else has visited these caches. I hope they get tired of the game soon but probably not if they are just collecting swag and not trading faily. Quote Link to comment
+lonepinemax Posted October 6, 2011 Author Share Posted October 6, 2011 This is why some people mark their caches for Premium Members Only. (47 posts from now, a moderator will merge this thread with another one about PMO caches.) Quote Link to comment
+lonepinemax Posted October 6, 2011 Author Share Posted October 6, 2011 I came to that conclusion now also and have changed my caches to premium members only. Quote Link to comment
+BlueDeuce Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 You can only politely explain the suggested method for logging but at the end of the day on line logging is up to them. The position regarding the TB is a little bit different and you may like to alert the owner of the TB to the issue so they can contact the cacher that has picked it up and not logged it. Hopefully they will respond to some advice re the protocol re the TB. Well said. Quote Link to comment
+tozainamboku Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 I came to that conclusion now also and have changed my caches to premium members only. You have possibly had the misfortune of being hit by cache pirates or as they are called here cache maggots. They are usually teenage boys who think it is funny that people leave containers full of swag that they can anonymously plunder. Generally, these scumbags will log their find as a way to get attention. Fortunately they loose interest quickly - but not before doing some damage and perhaps claiming a few travel bugs or coins. Making caches premium member only is one way to foil them since most won't pay the money for premium memberships. Quote Link to comment
Narcosynthesis Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 People don't *have* to log a find - it really makes little difference barring one less 'find' in the statistics of a cache, which I don't see as a huge issue. If they don't want to log them online it is no problem to me, they just miss out on an easy way of keeping track of what has or hasn't been found. I do have a bit more of a problem with the travel bug - it is owned by somebody, and is meant to be logged to show its travels - not logging it means it doesn't do this as it should, and more importantly, I would be worried that not having read the travel bugs page, a newbie risks not realising what they hold and what they should be doing with it (let alone completing specific missions). I would be tempted to send one more email, make a point of saying that logging or not is a personal choice, but the bug is owned by someone and should really be logged properly online. Quote Link to comment
+jeffrae Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 If you know who they are, and they are local, invite them to an event or take them under you wing and teach them the right way. Quote Link to comment
+badger10 Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 My wife and daughter do not log their finds unless they take a TB or if the cache is part of a coin challenge. For them it is just the fun of finding the caches. Sorry to hear about your TB. I am going to put a couple of tb's on the trail and I hope they have a long run! Quote Link to comment
+Zop Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 I have recently run into some problems with a new geocacher that does not know how this game is played. They have found several of my caches and have not logged them in. The only reason I know this is they did sign the log in one cache but when I contacted them they did not know they should log the finds on line but also said they did not know how to do this. They made unequal trades and took a travel bug but did not log it either. They have no finds or hides registered. They did reply to one e-mail but have not received any others. I mentioned that the travel bug needs to be logged, but I am sure they don't know what a travel bug is. Any suggestions on how to proceed with this other than hope they reply? That's nothing out of the ordinary anymore and it will just get worse and worse with all the phone apps. My daughter has well over 12oo finds yet she has only logged about 400 of them. "Logging is no fun" for her. My son too with about 1000 finds, has only logged about 80. Fortunately, they got started with me and they know what to do with TB's. Quote Link to comment
+Legochugglers Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 I've found several thousand caches in the last couple of years that I haven't logged online. Maybe someday I will. Maybe I won't. What does it matter to you? Absolutely your choice, but when I visit somewhere I tend to have the decency to say thank you. Quote Link to comment
+Chokecherry Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 I've found several thousand caches in the last couple of years that I haven't logged online. Maybe someday I will. Maybe I won't. What does it matter to you? Absolutely your choice, but when I visit somewhere I tend to have the decency to say thank you. You're assuming thanks was not written on the paper log which cache owners should be checking when they do their periodic maintenance on a cache. Chances are if I didn't write a lot online there's something written in that log in the cache. Quote Link to comment
+SwineFlew Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 I got a share of people finding my caches but not logging them online. I dont care since they still enjoying finding my caches. Quote Link to comment
+baloo&bd Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 This is why some people mark their caches for Premium Members Only. (47 posts from now, a moderator will merge this thread with another one about PMO caches.) Quote Link to comment
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