+Amberel Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 It seems to me the problem is quality, or lack of it. It's true that the average quality of geocaches has fallen since the game started, but the average quality of caches remains head and shoulders above the average quality of "challenges". The average quality of challenges STARTED at rock bottom. I am strongly opposed to them being listed here at all. I think only geocaches should be listed on a geocaching site, but really my opposition was initiated less by the principle than by the apalling quality of the first examples provided by Groundspeak. And the quality of logging also started at rock bottom, by which I mean the huge number of completed logs by people who haven't really done the challenge at all. And I find it absurd that the system is designed to permit such logs to be made with impunity. I also find the name "geocaching challenges" to be wholly inappropriate - they are nothing to do with geocaching, and the majority are not in any way challenging. So no, I haven't done any, I don't plan to, and I would much prefer they were moved to somewhere other than this site. Rgds, Andy Quote Link to comment
+metal-bijou Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 It seems to me the problem is quality, or lack of it. It's true that the average quality of geocaches has fallen since the game started, but the average quality of caches remains head and shoulders above the average quality of "challenges". The average quality of challenges STARTED at rock bottom. I am strongly opposed to them being listed here at all. I think only geocaches should be listed on a geocaching site, but really my opposition was initiated less by the principle than by the apalling quality of the first examples provided by Groundspeak. And the quality of logging also started at rock bottom, by which I mean the huge number of completed logs by people who haven't really done the challenge at all. And I find it absurd that the system is designed to permit such logs to be made with impunity. I also find the name "geocaching challenges" to be wholly inappropriate - they are nothing to do with geocaching, and the majority are not in any way challenging. So no, I haven't done any, I don't plan to, and I would much prefer they were moved to somewhere other than this site. Rgds, Andy This is a very good summation of my thoughts - And that's coming unfortunately from someone who probably didn't help in the spirit of the challenges. I was certainly one of those on day one taking advantage of loopholes in logging requirements. That's not to say I didn’t do all the ones I logged. I would love to see these moved away from geocaching and on to their own page. BUT also think it's a good idea for those who play multiple GS games to be able to search for all in a joined up tool. Perhaps allow people to have a joined up profile page if they wish. But give people more options as to where they wish to opt in or out. I don’t want the challenges I’ve done to show up anymore as I have no interest in doing anymore. Quote Link to comment
+Delta68 Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 At one time, I would have completed one 'just for the icon' but now that Groundspeak seem keen to keep adding icons which the majority of cachers can't obtain, this no longer holds any interest for me... Mark Quote Link to comment
+The Chaos Crew Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 Yes, have done a couple recently. I do not often get the chance to travel far, so having mostly cleaned up the few miles circumference of Geocaches around my home location, challenges provide something else I can look to do. There do look to be a few excellent ones out there. I have accepted this one, and am longing to do, but it will be some while before I can get there: http://coord.info/CX1494 I would love for a few more similar to that one to pop up a bit closer to me. ah, see that is a really good use of challenges - presumably this is a location where a "real" cache cannot be hidden, so the challenge setter has used an alternate method of getting people to go somewhere cool and have a great experience. which is what most good virtual caches were more like this please! Quote Link to comment
+thebruce0 Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 (edited) The argument that "it's not geocaching so it shouldn't be here" can be made for many of the official geocache types as well (and it has been in other threads on this topic). I choose to see Geocaching Challenges as opportunities to create geocaching-themed challenges, tasks, experiences... a sidebar type activity, most certainly related to geocaching - except right now so open and flexible it allows easy abuse for proliferation of non-geocaching related challenges. You can look at it as the cup half empty or half full. I see potential - and GS really needs to give the system a lot of TLC if they want it to work. Edited October 31, 2011 by thebruce0 Quote Link to comment
+thebruce0 Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 It's also demonstrative of GS's move to have geocaching more social, broader, as shown with a recent 'experiment' being undertaken in Ontario - discussed in this thread about a two month period of allowing group geocaching 'social' events to be created. An expansion away from simply a website listing geocaches, to a website providing a smorgasboard of geocaching-related content, as it were. Quote Link to comment
+Amberel Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 The argument that "it's not geocaching so it shouldn't be here" can be made for many of the official geocache types as wellI agree - virtuals, webcams, earthcaches, etc., are not caches at all and, in my view, should live elsewhere. Events are not caches and event listings should not count as cache finds. But in my view that's not a valid excuse to put "challenges" on here too. Rgds, Andy Quote Link to comment
+FYI_Geocaching Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 I'm thinking of creating my own Challenge, which would be to never do a Challenge. Everyone automatically completes the challenge successfully without doing anything, but fails the challenge if they complete a challenge. I reckon it could be a best selling novel, a sequel to Catch-22 if you like! Maybe the above gives a clue as to my feelings about Challenges? Quote Link to comment
+thebruce0 Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 That's fine. Then don't create that challenge, otherwise you're perpetuating the very thing you hate about them. Quote Link to comment
+The Blorenges Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 Some people believe Challenges are boring. What? More boring than going to look for a nano cache that's stuck on some random BT box beside some random street corner where you can guess from 50 yards away exactly where it'll be? There are some good, interesting Challenges out there. Like choosing which caches to search for - You need to be selective. Or just ignore them all. It's all about choice. MrsB Quote Link to comment
I! Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 ... apalling quality of the first examples provided by Groundspeak. CX1's alright, isn't it? Quote Link to comment
+FYI_Geocaching Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 Message for thebruce0 - above... You're obviously interpreting my original post seriously. Ever heard of irony? Treat it in the light hearted way that it's meant. Chill out! Quote Link to comment
+Amberel Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 ... apalling quality of the first examples provided by Groundspeak. CX1's alright, isn't it? I'm sure that there must be one or two reasonable challenges, but whenever I have looked they are totally submerged in the dross. I guess that CX1 must be an early one, but it didn't appear on my radar, probably because it is some distance away! The very first ones that did show up for me when they introduced them were abysmal. Rgds, Andy Quote Link to comment
team tisri Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 Challenges seem like a(nother) half-cocked idea from Groundspeak. Waymarking could have been an interesting variation on virtual caches but for the dross (waymarks outside McDonalds "restaurants" for example), and the fact they represent another place you have to go to download information. If these things could be grouped into a single query (e.g. one file showing me all the caches, challenges, waymarks etc within 20 miles of home, that I hadn't already found/done/completed) it might be useful. If I have to download a bunch of different files, merge them together myself, then log them all in different places, it gets to feel like more work than it's worth. Which means the new idea might attract a bunch of early adopters but is unlikely to gain the traction it needs to really fly. If that means nobody is doing silly poses outside every branch of Charbucks in the country that's no great loss, it's just a shame that an interesting idea gets overrun with dross in the interests of racking up a big score. (I know one man's trash is another man's treasure, so when I say "dross" regard it as shorthand for "things that I consider to be dross") Quote Link to comment
+thebruce0 Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 You're obviously interpreting my original post seriously. Ever heard of irony? Treat it in the light hearted way that it's meant. Chill out! Oh, don't worry, I am. Just responding with the same level of criticism as all the challenge "haters" commenting here I'm just saying - they have potential. Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater - there are some good ones around, and more will appear the more people make good ones (and the more GS improves the system). Ignore them for now if you want, but to demand things like their removal from the website and whatnot - well that's been debated repeatedly in other threads s'all I'm sayin' Quote Link to comment
+ratcliffe Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 I did one when it started, but really can't be bothered. now if it were a nice Virtual cache, I'd be doing them! BRING BACK VIRTUALS!!! Quote Link to comment
+Clipper. Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 (edited) I've only done one, when I was on holiday in the US. Strangely enough, it was a challenge at exactly the same place as a virtual, with identical logging requirements. Used the same photo, claimed both. Can't say i'm in a hurry to do more. Edited to say - didn't even realise there was a challenge there till a couple of days later - went purely to grab the virtual. Edited November 2, 2011 by Clipper247 Quote Link to comment
+bones1 Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 Nope dont intend to do any as im not even sure what one is,sometimes its a challenge to find a cache,after getting up in the morning, bit like Pharisee. happy caching jeff=bones1. Quote Link to comment
+Happy Humphrey Posted November 10, 2011 Share Posted November 10, 2011 It's ironic; when Waymarking was brought in to replace virtuals, the main gripe was that it's a separate website and doesn't update your geocaching stats. A big gripe with Challenges is that it's part of geocaching.com and updates your stats. Might I suggest, if you don't like challenges in principle because they're on geocaching.com, then log them on Waymarking. They appear quite similar, although to my mind better presented. Quote Link to comment
+Amberel Posted November 10, 2011 Share Posted November 10, 2011 It's ironic; when Waymarking was brought in to replace virtuals, the main gripe was that it's a separate website and doesn't update your geocaching stats. A big gripe with Challenges is that it's part of geocaching.com and updates your stats. It's not too taxing to guess that it's not the same people in both instances. Might I suggest, if you don't like challenges in principle because they're on geocaching.com, then log them on Waymarking. They appear quite similar, although to my mind better presented.It's certainly the case for me, and seems to be for most people I speak to, that the lack of interest in "challenges" is simply because they are not something I want to do, exacerbated by the poor implementation and the abysmal average quality. That is a separate issue from whether or not they should be listed here. The reason I would prefer they were not listed on a geocache listing site is because they are nothing to do with geocaching. I have equally little interest in Waymarking, which also has nothing to do with geocaching. Rgds, Andy Quote Link to comment
+thebruce0 Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 "nothing to do with geocaching" is not a good argument, as outlined earlier in the thread. Geocaching, as per geocaching.com and Groundspeak, is no longer strictly finding a physical container in the woords. Earthcaches, Events, Megaevents, and other non-physical caches are equally legitimate. Geocaching is now effectively anything related to getting outdoors and using a gps, at least here in the context of Groundspeak... Challenges are just another 'tool' for that end. So, while challenges themselves are geocaching, its implementation (as per above) is poor, and easily abused to the point of providing activities that are far less geocaching-related than most anything else on the site. That is, I agree, quite unfortunate So make them relevant. Make them fun. Make them geocaching-related. Make them! Quote Link to comment
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