Cache finds vs 'distinct' finds

[+russhowe]

I'm just curious what the sentence "You've found *** caches (*** distinct)" means

 

why is there a mention of distinct caches, and why is the number lower?

 

I'm just a little confused thats all.

 

Regards

Russ'

[+Totem Clan]

If the numbers aren't the same then there are multiple 'finds' on one or more caches.

[+Mitragorz]

For example, if you "find" the same cache twice (two "Found It" logs) your "You've Found xxx Caches" will go up, but your "xxx Distinct" will stay the same.

[+russhowe]

ok, so what your saying is, if i log a "found it" then go back and find it again at a later date, say a re-visit, then my counter will go up, but distinct will remain the same?

[+Totem Clan]

ok, so what your saying is, if i log a "found it" then go back and find it again at a later date, say a re-visit, then my counter will go up, but distinct will remain the same?

That's right.

[+StarBrand]

Multiple find logs on an Event cache is the common reason.

[+jellis]

If you have GSAK you can use the filter to find the duplicate or multiple finds.

It also shows up if you have any benchmarks as a unique find.

[+CanadianRockies]

For certain caches, it's possible to find (or attend) the same cache multiple times (often legitimately, in my opinion).

 

Certain events, for example, recycle the same listing page (and GC code) every month. I've found two travelling caches multiple times, each time in a different location. There is one "locationless" cache that I've found about 100 times, each find being the location of a different Alberta survey marker. There's a similar "locationless" cache in the United Kingdom that I've also found several times.

 

Other people will find temporary caches hidden for events and log multiple attends for that event, one for each cache find. I've also seen challenge caches that allow you to log multiple finds for achieving different degrees of difficulty.

 

On a day when I've found, say, 30 caches, I've also accidentally logged two finds for the same cache as I worked my way down the list. When I discovered that, however, I corrected my mistake by deleting one of the finds.

Edited March 16, 2012 by CanadianRockies

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

Other people will find temporary caches hidden for events and log multiple attends for that event, one for each cache find.

Although this is done, you will mostly find it as a local phenomenon, and practiced only in a few areas.

Many label this practice as 'cheesy' or some such thing.

[Pup Patrol]

I'm just curious what the sentence "You've found *** caches (*** distinct)" means

 

why is there a mention of distinct caches, and why is the number lower?

 

I'm just a little confused thats all.

 

Regards

Russ'

 

You've got caches (or events) that you've logged as "found" (or "attended") more than once.

 

russhowe has found 190 caches (179 distinct) since 04/10/2011.

 

Do you use a phone to log in the field? That's caused some problems for some people.

 

Maybe you've re-visited a cache for some reason, and logged it as "found" rather than posting a "write note" log?

 

You *could* go through each cache listing and find the repeated logs and delete the extraneous ones. That would be time-consuming.

 

It would be faster to follow jellis' advice:

 

If you have GSAK you can use the filter to find the duplicate or multiple finds.

[+russhowe]

Yes I do use my mobile.

 

If i've recorded a find, then immediately posted a note, or needs maintenance' would this affect my figures?

 

Also, what is GSAK?

[+russhowe]

Sussed it out - dont worry

i <3 Google

[Pup Patrol]

If i've recorded a find, then immediately posted a note, or needs maintenance' would this affect my figures?

No, that shouldn't affect the figures at all.

 

Only "found it" logs are recorded in the finds statistics.

 

 

 

B.

[+CanadianRockies]

Other people will find temporary caches hidden for events and log multiple attends for that event, one for each cache find.

Although this is done, you will mostly find it as a local phenomenon, and practiced only in a few areas.

Many label this practice as 'cheesy' or some such thing.

Yes. And I've never done this. Nor have I ever logged multiple finds for a challenge cache, although several such cache owners would have allowed me to do so.

[+DragonsWest]

In Soviet Russhowe Google <3 YOU!

[+mlrs1996]

you can also use www.mygeocaching.com

if you use it when you upload the updates it will give you a list

of caches logged more than 1 time.

 

i dont log caches or events more than once. i dont see how thats fair but who am i.

when i started using my ipad to log my caches i was logging a lot of caches more than once.

ive just gotten in the habit of checking to see if they are logged twice and deleting if they have.

[Mr.Yuck]

Since the question has been answered, I'll bring up another reason for doing this, "the good old days". I don't talk about that ever, do I? There were far less reviewers, and the review process wasn't so tight. If I'm lying I'm dying, I have multiple finds on a cache that in 2004 was changed from a traditional to a 4 leg multi under the same GC number And to top that off, the hiding spot of the traditional was abandoned, and not used in the multi. I also have a multiple find on a cache that was muggled, it's name changed, and moved about 400 feet away. Also probably 2004 or so.

[+jellis]

Yes I do use my mobile.

 

If i've recorded a find, then immediately posted a note, or needs maintenance' would this affect my figures?

 

Also, what is GSAK?

 

Sometimes the phone in the process of sending might go in and out of reception and send more the one log. Hence multiple logs.

 

GSAK is the best tool around. I can't do without it. Does so many things.

[+russhowe]

Yes I do use my mobile.

 

If i've recorded a find, then immediately posted a note, or needs maintenance' would this affect my figures?

 

Also, what is GSAK?

 

Sometimes the phone in the process of sending might go in and out of reception and send more the one log. Hence multiple logs.

 

GSAK is the best tool around. I can't do without it. Does so many things.

 

I've managed to locate the caches that i've logged twice, it was all my own doing.

Return visits etc, and logging them as found again without thinking.

my finds, and distinct find totals now match.

 

Thanks for your help everyone

[+jellis]

I cleared all my multiple finds including the ones that were allowed by the CO, because I decided it wasn't right.

But if you look at my GSAK stat you will see my benchmarks were added but it clarified what they were.

 

jellis has 19625 Finds on 19625 unique Geocaches out of 19670 Total finds

(19625 Geocaches & 45 Benchmarks)

Edited March 16, 2012 by jellis

[+Harry Dolphin]

I have no qualms about my few multiple finds. A moving cache found 75 miles apart. Events that reuse cache number. Locationless caches that changed the object to be found. All valid finds in my book.

[+jellis]

Never heard of reusing a Waypoint. Though about it but so strange.

Edited March 18, 2012 by jellis

[+Arndtwe]

If you have GSAK you can use the filter to find the duplicate or multiple finds.

It also shows up if you have any benchmarks as a unique find.

You sure bout that? I have 7 benchmark finds, but my caches, and distinct caches numbers are the same...

 

I am very careful about only logging a found it once per cache...

[+Andromeda321]

The only multiple finds I have on an entry are thanks to a traveling event cache which moved to a different location in the city each month. So the listing itself is years old, but you'd log it every month (even though the coordinates would change a few miles each time between finds!).

[+Arndtwe]

The only multiple finds I have on an entry are thanks to a traveling event cache which moved to a different location in the city each month. So the listing itself is years old, but you'd log it every month (even though the coordinates would change a few miles each time between finds!).

I don't get it... why would anyone do this? What's the point of 'recycling' the event page like this?

[+Andromeda321]

The only multiple finds I have on an entry are thanks to a traveling event cache which moved to a different location in the city each month. So the listing itself is years old, but you'd log it every month (even though the coordinates would change a few miles each time between finds!).

I don't get it... why would anyone do this? What's the point of 'recycling' the event page like this?

 

Well looking back on it, what was important about the event is it was a monthly thing organized by a specific set of people for the local caching community to get together on the first Tuesday of every month (or whatever). It just so happened to move each month to be fair to those in a city-sized area, but it was nice to have it be the same ol' listing so you didn't have to do a search to find it each month.

[+DanOCan]

The only multiple finds I have on an entry are thanks to a traveling event cache which moved to a different location in the city each month. So the listing itself is years old, but you'd log it every month (even though the coordinates would change a few miles each time between finds!).

I don't get it... why would anyone do this? What's the point of 'recycling' the event page like this?

We had a similar event, except most months it wouldn't even change locations. I guess it was easier for the cache owner to simply change the date than it was to copy and paste the same information into a new cache page each month. Perhaps he didn't want to inflate his number of hides by publishing each month's event as an individual cache? No idea.

 

It didn't really matter to me as there are enough grandfathered traveling caches around our area that I gave up on the "1 Find per GC code" idea years ago.