Wife joined in. Advice

[WrongwayUK]

Although I have been around for a bit, this is a more basic question. My wife has took a great interest in geocaching as well now. Initially she has started her own account on here as she has her own computer and iPhone, plus I have got her a eTrex 30 for Christmas. The question is whether its a good idea to have two accounts or just the one as a team/family account. I am not bothered about the cost of two premium accounts more what any other limitation or advantages are that I haven't thought about. When we go, we go together and when home I have been filling the log out and so has she filling hers. Something she said has prompted this query. It makes a caches visit log look false with one visit and two entries. So I am looking for opinions.

[+mpilchfamily]

What do you mean it looks false with one visit and 2 entries? You log on yours and she logs on hers. So its 2 different people logging on the same day is all.

 

If you do a team account then only one log should be submitted for the team account. If you want to log it on your personal account as well then thats fine.

 

I don't see where the confusion is.

[WrongwayUK]

By false I meant it looks like two visits where in effect its just one. I didn't mention confusion, I just merely asked for opinions from other people who might have had a similar decision to make.

[Pup Patrol]

There's plenty of couples and/or families who each have their own account and log their visits separately. Nothing wrong with that. It's an accurate history of the cachers and the caches if they log on their own accounts.

 

I know of cachers who created accounts for each of their children at the time of their births. Each child has a record of the caches that they found while in the company of their father.

[WrongwayUK]

Thank's for that Pup Patrol. Will probably keep to two accounts. I think she wants to keep her own identity in geocaching but thought it may seem odd with us both going together and doing separate logs. I think this will put her mind at ease. After all I suppose if you team up with a friend for the day and find several caches, you will both claim your finds on their respective accounts.

[+mpilchfamily]

IMHO, if i had over 4 years of caching under my belt and my wife wanted to start an account then we would keep it all separate. Overall its less hassle for you. I for one wouldn't want to stop logging on my existing account and there is no point in logging it in a team and your existing account.

 

Really its not just one visit. You visited the cache so you logged it. Your wife visited the cache and she logged it. Its no different if you went caching with a friend or happened to run into a fellow cacher looking for the same cache. Everyone who visited should get credit. Even the team account should get credit if it was done by the team.

 

There are many teams out there that cache together and log finds on both there personal account and the team account. As far as any CO is concerned the team account is just another cache that found it that day. If you really wanted to you could have as many accounts as you want and log your finds on all of them. Just be sure to sign the physical log as all of them too. I know when a team goes out they sign the team name only but when they log there personal account they mention they are part of whatever team it was in there online log. This way the COs know whats going on.

[+The Blorenges]

Play it whichever way you want - Whatever is most convenient/suitable/enjoyable for you two.

 

We two have been playing this game for ages and have never felt the need for separate accounts. MrB isn't that bothered about writing logs, he's more into the gadgety side of it, doing the PQs and making them go into the Pointy Arrow Machine. I enjoy wittering away in logs and on these forums. It works for us. Occasionally one or the other of us finds a few caches without the Other Half being present: When that happens we just put (MrB) or (MrsB) at the end of the log to signify (to ourselves, for future reference) that it was just one of us.

 

If you both enjoy the logging part of caching and prefer to keep your statistics separate then two accounts will be best for you.

 

It's just a game.

 

MrsB

[WrongwayUK]

Thanks to both of you for the advice. Will keep the accounts separate for now. I think I was just a bit concerned there was some unwritten code of ethics and I didn't want to upset.

[+doug_hollyNKC]

In my opinion it's no different than going on a caching adventure with 5, 6 or even 10 different people at a time. It's very possible to have 6 or 7 finds on the same visit with all the different users. It's perfectly acceptable and shouldn't be questioned.

[+Bear and Ragged]

If you always cache together, and there is no way ever either of you will go and find a cache on your own, and you both only put TFTC in the log -Go for one account.

 

If you write 'proper'* logs, that may vary slightly, and may cache separately at times -Keep the two accounts.

 

* 'Proper' logs, with words, not just acronyms!

With stories that may vary from each others, eg you fell over and won't say so, but she will.

[+luvvinbird]

At least you have a wife who enjoys geocaching. Mine couldn't care less and is getting a new Oregon 450 for Christmas. DOH!

[PirateKel]

I created my account figuring that my family wouldnt be interested. We do go together here and there tho. We still just use the one account but I have considered making one for my husband. I dont think it matters either way. One thing that I, myself, do with just having one account is that if my husband actually finds it, I log it as a find by my crew

[+Lieblweb]

If you're caching together....create a new account for 'the family'.

 

My husband and I have one account - and even if we're caching by ourselves, we still log it on the 'family' account. It really doesn't matter how you slice it, just enjoy the game.

 

Think of it this way..... if you use ONE account, you only have to pay for ONE premium membership.

 

Good Luck and Happy caching!

[WrongwayUK]

Yes wil probably do that. Decided best to keep separate accounts in case I do any solo ones. But may generate a family one too as son occasionally gets interested.

[+Pure Cane Sugar]

My husband took an interest too, after I'd already signed up. It never occurred to me to do anything other than share the account. It's very unlikely that he'll ever go out without me, and he's with me more than half the time when I'm out.

 

Meh, we share bank accounts and a car and everything else, lol. Why not.

[+t4e]

By false I meant it looks like two visits where in effect its just one. I didn't mention confusion, I just merely asked for opinions from other people who might have had a similar decision to make.

 

we cache with two different accounts, nothing false about that unless one of you was not physically there

[+Kochibu]

By false I meant it looks like two visits where in effect its just one. I didn't mention confusion, I just merely asked for opinions from other people who might have had a similar decision to make.

 

we cache with two different accounts, nothing false about that unless one of you was not physically there

 

Exactly! Each of us has a different account, too. Neither one of us can understand why anyone would share the same account...we like to have our individuality and privacy even though we're a couple and usually cache together!

 

+ Sometimes we have different opinions and things we'd like to share with our logs, so we don't have to fight over who's writing the log, what will be in there, etc.

+ Each of us has an accurate find rate (having only 1 profile means you'll probably have a find log in your profile of a cache your partner found when you weren't even there)

[+briansnat]

My husband took an interest too, after I'd already signed up. It never occurred to me to do anything other than share the account. It's very unlikely that he'll ever go out without me, and he's with me more than half the time when I'm out.

 

Meh, we share bank accounts and a car and everything else, lol. Why not.

 

My wife took an interest in caching over a year after I started so she just opened her own account. I cache without her probably half the time and she occasionally caches without me, so that works for us.

 

It's all a matter of what works best for the couple.

 

Now if someone's relationship is on the rocks two accounts may be the best way to go. I've seen numerous couples split, then one half of the couple had to relog all of his or her finds on a new account. In one case I heard about the couple actually negotiated who would get the account in the divorce proceedings.

Edited December 20, 2011 by briansnat

[+BAMBOOZLE]

The " Team " concept and common account has worked well for us for about 9 years. When you find a lot of caches its a lot less logging. My wife has found about 10 that I didn't and I found a few hundred that she didn't......I do all the hides and she does all the logging. I load up the units and plan the outing, she loads the water and food and does the paperwork

[+paleolith]

It's totally up to you. Two people finding a cache together and logging it separately does not look "fake" in any way. Happens constantly, both with couples and friends. It sounds like the two of you enjoy writing your own logs, as do many couples, so go with the two accounts (as I see you've decided to do).

 

The cases where it's appropriate to use a single account is when two people (whether a couple or not) always cache together -- neither ever finds a cache without the other -- and at least one doesn't enjoy the logging part and would rather leave it to the other. There are couples who find a few caches separately and log them all in the joint account, which is also totally OK.

 

You already said it's not about the cost, but those who worry about the cost but still want two accounts can have one premium and one regular account. The premium account does the PQs and other things requiring PM status. They find caches together and log them separately. There's a GS-approved workaround for non-premium members to log PMO caches.

 

Edward

[russnbunny]

My wife Hollie ( I call her bunny) and I cache together on one account works just fine, I am sure she doesn't care about logging or reading these things, as a matter of fact I think she just likes beating me to the find... Lol

[+FlossyUK]

Hi all, this is WrongwayUK's wife finally here after receiving my Garmin Etrex30 as a Christmas present from him today. Thanks all for your advice, I feel better about keeping my own identity now even though on most occasions I think we will be together. In fact, I also received a Premium Membership here as a gift from him earlier today. Looking forward to doing some more geocaching over the coming year. Merry Christmas to you all!

 

Helen

[+howarthe]

I like the idea of two accounts because I think I would appreciate the log entries from two different people with different perspectives on the find. I thought about creating accounts for my children because i sometimes make them go with me, but since they can't log in and share their perspective I decided to give them trackables that will "visit" caches, so they can get counts and miles that way.