+Mr.Benchmark Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 Perhaps is simple but it's also pretty meaningless. I have been caching since 2007. You've been caching since 2003. We can't really compare your find count my find count when you've had a four year head start. I've actually been on hiatus for 6 years, and just rejoined the game, so ironically enough, you have 2.5x as many finds as I do! But yes, I agree with you on all points - one of the reasons I got frustrated with this game 6 years ago was over this very issue. People are by nature competitive, and the people who want to compete want a way to do this. (This is also why FTF is a big deal.) I was upset that the tendency to compete for "most found" would tend to drown out other types of caches, making them harder to find amongst the droves of PNGs, and be less frequently placed. Six years later and ... there are a LOT more PNG's. There's a nearby power trail that crosses the state of Oklahoma. I could spend a few days doing this, and triple my current find count. (At least). What does it all mean? As you point out, comparing numbers like this is fairly silly, so it doesn't mean anything, really. I was trying to point out too that I'd seen some alterative scoring systems that attempted to address these issues - but they tended to be complex enough that it was difficult for some to understand HOW to play, and I think if the rules are too complex for someone to understand, that tends to make things less fun. And fun is important. But yeah, anyway, as a "score" find count is really broken. BTW, given your handle and looking at your profile, I am willing to bet we'd agree on what makes for an awesome cache. Link to comment
Clan Riffster Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 (edited) People have been predicting the demise of geocaching because of lame micro and lamppost hides for at least 8 years. Some would argue that those predictions were right. And that the end occurred a couple years ago... Naturally, such a belief system would require that the term "demise" not mean "to completely end, utterly", but rather, to change to such a degree that the game itself is unrecognizable. Sort of like how some folks predicted the end of civilization with the advent of the television, then used the decline of societal moors which followed said invention as "proof" that civilized society died a lonely death, even though any rational definition of "society" revolves around population centers and how they interact with each other. The game ain't like it was in the "good ole days"... Ergo, it must be declining... 'Cuz, ya know, change can never be a good thing... Edited January 13, 2012 by Clan Riffster Link to comment
diggingest_dogg616 Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 a fun-sucking, soulless drudgery of an experience I think that's the best description I've ever read for hunting an LPC. I may need to steal that for a T-shirt. Not that it's required, but you have my blessing I want a picture of it if you do it though! Link to comment
+fizzymagic Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 People are by nature competitive, and the people who want to compete want a way to do this. Some people are. Not all people. And those people who have decided that geocaching needs to be a competition have done their level best to ruin things for the rest of us. Luckily, I have tools and I have developed the right attitude to prevent it from ruining caching for me, but I can certainly sympathize with the original sock puppet poster. Link to comment
+NYPaddleCacher Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 People are by nature competitive, and the people who want to compete want a way to do this. Some people are. Not all people. And those people who have decided that geocaching needs to be a competition have done their level best to ruin things for the rest of us. And some people are competitive by nature but still enjoy engaging in activities purely for the fun of it as opposed to some people that can't seem to enjoy an activity unless they *are* being competitive. Link to comment
+t4e Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 the lobster must be out of season, 105 posts and never came back to post again, or maybe its because my lack of capitalization? Link to comment
Clan Riffster Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 the lobster must be out of season, 105 posts and never came back to post again, or maybe its because my lack of capitalization? Improper capitalization. Definitely. Seagull posters hate improper capitalization. Link to comment
+TheAlabamaRambler Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 If we keep doing what we've always done... ...we'll always have what we've already got Do you mean eleven years of fantastic viral international success, a great game for millions of players and the meteoric rise of a company like Groundspeak? Yeah, I'd keep doing that! Link to comment
4wheelin_fool Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 People have been predicting the demise of geocaching because of lame micro and lamppost hides for at least 8 years. Some would argue that those predictions were right. And that the end occurred a couple years ago... Naturally, such a belief system would require that the term "demise" not mean "to completely end, utterly", but rather, to change to such a degree that the game itself is unrecognizable. Sort of like how some folks predicted the end of civilization with the advent of the television, then used the decline of societal moors which followed said invention as "proof" that civilized society died a lonely death, even though any rational definition of "society" revolves around population centers and how they interact with each other. The game ain't like it was in the "good ole days"... Ergo, it must be declining... 'Cuz, ya know, change can never be a good thing... Trading is dead. There was once a time when cachers would leave useful items in a cache. When I started, most caches were full of items with an average value of $5. I would estimate that the $30 cost of a premium membership was equal to the value of a single cache. Cachers wrote their trades in the logbook along with their experience getting there and finding it. It was interesting reading all of the entries and comments on site. Now there is just a list of usernames written to prove that they were there. It's a little ridiculous, as most cachers do not audit their logbooks. I suppose that the spamming of identical micros is what caused it. Cachers were told to filter them out and ignore them if the didn't like them. However the trend of no trading and signing took over. The label "geocaching" is still used, but for a heavily modified version. Link to comment
Clan Riffster Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 I suppose that the spamming of identical micros is what caused it. Probably had a lot to do with it. From that perspective, I would say that you, (and I), qualify as the "some" who might argue that geocaching, as it once was, is either dead or on the endangered list. I think cell phone caching was the final straw. Folks who are willing to spend $500 on a GPSr have already demonstrated that they are not cheapskates. (at least where shiny new gadgets are concerned) Folks who spend, at most, a few bucks on a cell phone app might balk at spending $50 to hide a cache. Link to comment
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