lame ratings

[+JohnnyVegas]

I have seen many events are being rated 5 for difficulty!These events are drive up a pizza joints etc. This is so lame and it distracts from cachers that do caches that are really 5's

 

I sure these event host think they are being cute, I think it just stupidity.

[knowschad]

I have seen many events are being rated 5 for difficulty!These events are drive up a pizza joints etc. This is so lame and it distracts from cachers that do caches that are really 5's

 

I sure these event host think they are being cute, I think it just stupidity.

 

If you're broke, a pizza joint can be a 5 difficulty, for sure!

[+KBfamily]

I have seen many events are being rated 5 for difficulty!These events are drive up a pizza joints etc. This is so lame and it distracts from cachers that do caches that are really 5's

 

I sure these event host think they are being cute, I think it just stupidity.

 

If you're broke, a pizza joint can be a 5 difficulty, for sure!

 

If the pizza is nasty, I might earn a 5 by just eating it....

[Clan Riffster]

Sorry Johnny. While I agree a cache/event/CITO/etc should be rated appropriately, someone failing to do so doesn't rate more than a "Meh" from me. If I do reach a point in my life where I worry about my D/T rating, and what those numbers represent, I might start caring.

[+lamoracke]

I have seen many events are being rated 5 for difficulty!These events are drive up a pizza joints etc. This is so lame and it distracts from cachers that do caches that are really 5's

 

I sure these event host think they are being cute, I think it just stupidity.

 

apart from cluttering up their stat pages, I seriously doubt its changing folks' opinions on whether or not to do true 5 difficulty (or terrain) caches.

 

I messed around with the attributes for my event, that is as far as I went for cuteness.

 

A lot of our "cache machines" are rated 4/4, thus a lot of folks around WA have a lot of 4/4 caches, however, they won't help anyone get a Fizzy challenge or anything.

 

I agree, its silly, but can't see its worth much angst.

[+Viajero Perdido]

I host events that involve beer and steak as optional components.

 

I give a moderately high terrain rating, because the sidewalk seems awfully steep going home afterwards.

[+SwineFlew]

Like this?

 

or this?

 

There is alot of feb 29 events going on all over Oregon and some people rate them higher in hope people will go to their event. Yep, Padding up the fuzzy!

[+lamoracke]

Like this?

 

or this?

 

There is alot of feb 29 events going on all over Oregon and some people rate them higher in hope people will go to their event. Yep, Padding up the fuzzy!

 

well, most Fuzzys exclude events or have date restrictions, for such reasons. I believe the Oregon Fizzy is pretty lax comparative to the others I know.

[+SwineFlew]

Like this?

 

or this?

 

There is alot of feb 29 events going on all over Oregon and some people rate them higher in hope people will go to their event. Yep, Padding up the fuzzy!

 

well, most Fuzzys exclude events or have date restrictions, for such reasons. I believe the Oregon Fizzy is pretty lax comparative to the others I know.

 

I dont need events to padding up my fizzy when there are Team ALE and Team ESP powertrails over in the Hood River area. Big time number bumping for sure.

[+lamoracke]

also a certain trail of mystery caches in your fine state that has a ton of tough to get unique fizzy combos all in a row in the same walking trail, 4.5 terrains and 5 terrains included. Should know, have done them. I already had the fizzy done by then though so did not feel too guilty.

 

Thus, to the CO, its not just events that have questionable D/T combos.

Edited January 30, 2012 by lamoracke

[+cx1]

This is so lame and it distracts from cachers that do caches that are really 5's

 

How is it distracting?

Are you under the impression that the general caching community is somehow holding cachers that do high difficulty/terrain caches in a special light of reverence or something? And someone who might shine with an unearned glow from an improperly rated cache might distract from this special light?

Should we assign an asterisks to their caching stats to help differentiate them from the 'real' cachers?

Or does Clan Riffster have the right idea perhaps?

[+SwineFlew]

This is so lame and it distracts from cachers that do caches that are really 5's

 

How is it distracting?

Are you under the impression that the general caching community is somehow holding cachers that do high difficulty/terrain caches in a special light of reverence or something? And someone who might shine with an unearned glow from an improperly rated cache might distract from this special light?

Should we assign an asterisks to their caching stats to help differentiate them from the 'real' cachers?

Or does Clan Riffster have the right idea perhaps?

Like they did to Berry Bonds?

[+power69]

Like this?

 

or this?

 

There is alot of feb 29 events going on all over Oregon and some people rate them higher in hope people will go to their event. Yep, Padding up the fuzzy!

considering it only happens one day out of 1,461. . .

[+power69]

Like this?

 

or this?

 

There is alot of feb 29 events going on all over Oregon and some people rate them higher in hope people will go to their event. Yep, Padding up the fuzzy!

considering it only happens one day out of 1,461. . .

[+briansnat]

This is so lame and it distracts from cachers that do caches that are really 5's

 

How is it distracting?

Are you under the impression that the general caching community is somehow holding cachers that do high difficulty/terrain caches in a special light of reverence or something? And someone who might shine with an unearned glow from an improperly rated cache might distract from this special light?

Should we assign an asterisks to their caching stats to help differentiate them from the 'real' cachers?

Or does Clan Riffster have the right idea perhaps?

 

With enough misuse of terrain and difficulty ratings they will eventually become meaningless. We've already misused "found it" logs to the point where they often have nothing whatsoever to do with finding a geocache. The SCUBA attribute has been abused to the point where it can no longer be relied on by SCUBA enthusiasts to find SCUBA caches.

 

Terrain and difficulty ratings are important tools for geocachers. They help us decide which caches to hunt, how much time to devote to them, and in the case of terrain can have an effect on safety.

 

Abusing these ratings for the sake of silliness, or so people can fill in a fizzy grid will eventually make an important tool useless. That doesn't get a meh from me.

[+Totem Clan]

I understand what you're saying. In fact as far as my stats are concerned I'm a purest. I would not go to such an event because it would interfere with what I want MY stats to reflect; however if the CO and the attendees want to log it that's their business. Everyone can see what the event is or isn't and they can decide for themselves if they want to attend or not.

Now if it were a regular cache with a purposely deceptive rating that might be different. Cachers might attempt it excepting a 4 or 4.5 and only to be greeted by a 2. With these events it's clear what you’re getting.

[Clan Riffster]

...they will eventually become meaningless.

Once Groundspeak decided they would not enforce even the most grievous D/T misrating, the numbers became meaningless. I suspect Groundspeak's decision was at least partially based on the fact that the ratings, as they are described, are so subjective that enforcement would be impossible. Because of this lack of enforcement, and years of abuse by cache hiders, the D/T ratings scale has only the value we each, individually, assign it. I've seen a 5/5 that should have been, at most, a 2/2. I've also seen a 2/3 that should have been a 5/5.

 

Early in my caching career, I would have gotten worked up about something like this. But I've seen too many grossly improperly rated caches to let an improperly rated event twist up my knickers. Sure, it's apathy, but I think it's deserved apathy. Groundspeak doesn't care, the community, for the most part doesn't care, why should I invest a lot of emotion to something that will not change? Heck, I've never even looked at the D/T rating on an event. I just look at the page and see if it sounds like fun. If it does sound like fun, I go. If it doesn't, I won't.

 

I'm hosting a CITO event this coming Sunday that is rated at 4/5. It involves paddling about 9 miles through mostly stagnant, aquatic plant choked, huge alligator infested creeks, in search of beer cans. Having made this run several times in the past, I can assure you the rating is accurate. Those who manage to complete the journey will be utterly wiped out, physically and emotionally.

 

But I wouldn't be bothered if someone attended, felt that the rating was undeserved, and posted their log as a Post Note, instead of an Attended, to avoid getting the 4/5 attached to their grid. After all, I did open up the Attended log type to those who stay on shore, cleaning up the parking area. For those folks, the 4/5 definitely won't fit.

[+Papa EGTH]

Abusing these ratings for the sake of silliness, or so people can fill in a fizzy grid will eventually make an important tool useless...

Well said!

 

We have had an uptick of events with bogus difficulty and terrain ratings. The sad part, to me at least, is that the CO hosting the event did not have that very d/t cell.

 

I fully realize that the game is played differently by everyone. Those that share my view of the activity would scoff at an LPC hide in the middle of a busy parking lot as one of the highest forms of geocaching lameness . Yet others would relish the opportunity of attempting to "not get caught".

 

At this point I figure I will attend any bogusly rated events that happen to fit in my schedule although I will post a note instead of an attended log.