virtual caches

[+Gandalfrees]

I have just spent quite a few hours setting up four remote caches in Oxford (I live in Worcester UK)

I am now trying to set up the caches as virtual caches but it does not appear as one of the selections for cache type on the setup page. Can anyone tell me how to do it???????

 

Gandalfrees

[+Bear and Ragged]

You can't. (Well, not on Groundspeak)

They were Grandfathered years ago, and no new ones are allowed.

 

Grandfathered Cache Types

 

These are cache types that are no longer available for creation on geocaching.com. Visit the Waymarking web site for other GPS hunting activities.

 

Virtual Cache - Large Icon Virtual Cache - Small Icon

Virtual Cache

 

A Virtual Cache is about discovering a location rather than a container. The requirements for logging a Virtual Cache vary—you may be required to answer a question about the location, take a picture, complete a task, etc. In any case, you must visit the coordinates before you can post your log.

 

Although many locations are interesting, a Virtual Cache should be out of the ordinary enough to warrant logging a visit.

 

Virtuals are now considered waymarks on Waymarking.com.

 

http://www.geocaching.com/about/cache_types.aspx

Edited April 22, 2012 by Bear and Ragged

[+The Blorenges]

You can't. Sorry.

 

Please see this section of the Guidelines: Virtual and Webcam caches have been grandfathered.

 

You may want to consider creating them as location specific Challenges instead.

 

MrsB

[+Gandalfrees]

So have I spent several hours setting up four caches for nothing? Are we not allowed this type of cache at all. Want to set up caches but cannot maintain them. Can I not set them as normal caches but tell cachers they are virtual?

 

Gandalfrees

[+MickEMT]

No, that would also run afoul of the guidelines. What about seeing if a local cacher would assist with the maintenance of physical caches at those locations?

[+Gandalfrees]

drat - that's been a waste of two days work then

I just wanted to introduce people to Tolkien's Oxford by taking them round the city!

Edited April 22, 2012 by Gandalfrees

[+The Blorenges]

Well... What can we say?

 

Just got to recommend you read through the Cache Listing Requirements / Guidelines really thoroughly before you try again with something you can maintain near to your home location.

 

MrsB

[+Gandalfrees]

Think it's a bit sad that this type of cache has gone. It gives an opportunity to tell stories and does not limit setting caches to the local vicinity!

There are so many caches where I live that I would have to do a greatr deal of travelling to set and maintain any new caches.

Edited April 22, 2012 by Gandalfrees

[+Sapience Trek]

drat - that's been a waste of two days work then

I just wanted to introduce people to Tolkien's Oxford by taking them round the city!

 

You still can. Make a multicache with a number of virtual waypoints that are at locations you want to bring people to. People would collect information along the way in order to calculate the final coordinates.

 

It has been close to 7-8 years since new virtuals have been listed here.

[+Cardinal Red]

drat - that's been a waste of two days work then

I just wanted to introduce people to Tolkien's Oxford by taking them round the city!

 

You still can. Make a multicache with a number of virtual waypoints that are at locations you want to bring people to. People would collect information along the way in order to calculate the final coordinates.

 

It has been close to 7-8 years since new virtuals have been listed here.

Yes you can still have an informational collecting virtual tour as long as the FINAL is a PHYSICAL CONTAINER AND LOG placement. The OP has already indicated they can not do cache maintenance. As such they are not a good candidate to be a cache owner. Even virtual stages (leading up to a physical final) can require updates to the cache page by an active owner.

[maxon5]

even if you can do it how would you know you were by the virtual caches?

[+Max and 99]

Sounds to me like what you describe would make a wonderful waymark.

[+Cardinal Red]

even if you can do it how would you know you were by the virtual caches?

There are not any NEW virtual virtual caches. Only virtual stages on the way to an allowed cache type. The trail to follow would be defined by GPS coordinates. Is that your question? Or could you reword your post to provide clarity exactly what your question is.

[Pup Patrol]

The OP has already indicated they can not do cache maintenance. As such they are not a good candidate to be a cache owner. Even virtual stages (leading up to a physical final) can require updates to the cache page by an active owner.

 

The OP already owns one cache.

 

I think it's the distance from home of the proposed new caches that is causing a concern about maintenance.

 

Excellent suggestions about creating a multi-cache, with "virtual" stages. I like those kinds of tours.

 

 

B.

[jholly]

drat - that's been a waste of two days work then

I just wanted to introduce people to Tolkien's Oxford by taking them round the city!

 

You still can. Make a multicache with a number of virtual waypoints that are at locations you want to bring people to. People would collect information along the way in order to calculate the final coordinates.

 

It has been close to 7-8 years since new virtuals have been listed here.

The problem is he wants to establish vacation caches. He stated in his second posting he wants to establish caches but can not maintain them.

[+Gandalfrees]

I have a cache in my local area and regularly maintain it. I resent that you think I am not someone suitable to own a cache

[+Gandalfrees]

The problem is to tell the story would mean 'caches' all round the country with no chance of a final cache near to me to maintain - oh well just have to give it up

[+Gandalfrees]

Why do earthcaches still exist then - surely this is the same sort of thing - take a photo and answer a question. I did one recently not far from where I live.

[+tozainamboku]

So have I spent several hours setting up four caches for nothing? Are we not allowed this type of cache at all. Want to set up caches but cannot maintain them. Can I not set them as normal caches but tell cachers they are virtual?

 

Gandalfrees

 

Think it's a bit sad that this type of cache has gone. It gives an opportunity to tell stories and does not limit setting caches to the local vicinity!

There are so many caches where I live that I would have to do a greatr deal of travelling to set and maintain any new caches.

 

The purpose of virtual caches (when they were being published) was not to allow geocachers to set up caches that were too far away from home to maintain. The reason for virtual caches was to allow geocaching in places where permission to place a physical cache could not be obtained.

 

One reason virtual geocaches are not longer allowed is because people tried to use them in place of doing cache maintenance. Either the location was too far away or the cache owner was simply not interested in maintaining the cache. So they attempted to list it as a virtual. Even as the guidelines for virtual were tightened up, people would try to list the caches as traditional and post that they were in fact virtuals. The guidelines for traditional caches were clarified to remind people that caches must have a container and some kind of log to sign.

 

Groundspeak understands that sharing of interesting place without necessarily having to place a physical geocache there is something that geocachers (and others) may want to do. They have provided several alternative to virtual caches to this. The primary way is to use the www.Waymarking.com website. Your Groundspeak/Geocaching.com loging already works over there. Some geocachers have expressed an interest in sharing these locations on Geocaching.com as well (they seem to have a strong aversion to the other website). So Groundspeak has introduced Challenges as a way to shared locations without needing to place a physical geocache.

Why do earthcaches still exist then - surely this is the same sort of thing - take a photo and answer a question. I did one recently not far from where I live.

Ideally EarthCaches would have moved to Waymarking.com. However, there are a number of peculiarities with EarthCaches, that allowed them to stay on Geocaching.com. Since they didn't get moved your question is reasonable. In spite of the inconsistency, don't expect Groundspeak to bring back virtual caches.

 

Here's a video I made a while back on why new virtual caches are no longer published.

[jholly]

I have a cache in my local area and regularly maintain it. I resent that you think I am not someone suitable to own a cache

I didn't say you were not suitable to own a cache. I said you wanted to set up vacation caches.

 

You said

 

So have I spent several hours setting up four caches for nothing? Are we not allowed this type of cache at all. Want to set up caches but cannot maintain them. Can I not set them as normal caches but tell cachers they are virtual?

 

Gandalfrees

 

The very definition of a vacation cache.

[+ohmelli]

How about if you made it a multi that just ended in small cache (log only - perhaps the size of a film canister) that you could put a LOT of log in so that it would not require maintenance for a very VERY long time?

[+The A-Team]

How about if you made it a multi that just ended in small cache (log only - perhaps the size of a film canister) that you could put a LOT of log in so that it would not require maintenance for a very VERY long time?

What if a sign at one of the stages is removed? What if the final container goes missing entirely? There are many different reasons that maintenance might need to occur, and the owner needs to be willing and able to do this maintenance.

[+Markwell]

So have I spent several hours setting up four caches for nothing?

 

Nope. You spent several hourse setting up four caches to learn something.

 

Want to set up caches but cannot maintain them.

 

Guidelines on Maintenance

 

You are responsible for occasional visits to your cache to ensure it is in proper working order, especially when someone reports a problem with the cache (missing, damaged, wet, etc.), or posts a Needs Maintenance log. Temporarily disable your cache to let others know not to search for it until you have addressed the problem. You are permitted a reasonable amount of time – generally up to 4 weeks – in which to check on your cache. If a cache is not being maintained, or has been temporarily disabled for an unreasonable length of time, we may archive the listing.

 

The region in which a cacher is considered able to maintain caches responsibly will vary from person to person. A cacher who has previously logged caches within a wide range of their home may be considered able to maintain a geocache 200 miles (322 km) away. However, someone whose geocaching activities have primarily been within 25 miles (40 km) of home may not be able to maintain a geocache this far from home. This factor is determined at the discretion of the cache reviewer or Groundspeak.

[+Gandalfrees]

Thanks for all the replys.... I suppose - yes I have spent hours not setting up caches but learning something . Shame the virtuals do not still exist but I can see why they have gone. I suppose I will just have to think of some other way of telling my 'Tolkien story'.

[+briansnat]

I have a cache in my local area and regularly maintain it. I resent that you think I am not someone suitable to own a cache

 

Even when virtual caches were allowed, you were still required to maintain them. Just because it's a virtual doesn't mean that the object can't be moved, destroyed or disappear or that the verification method won't become invalid.

 

I owned a virtual that had to be archived because the object of the virtual disappeared. I own another where the old verification method disappeared and I had to revisit the site to find a new one. They were never intended to be a maintenance free method of cache hiding.

 

I believe that is what the other poster was alluding to.

[+Pond Bird]

Virtual Geocaches will be coming back soon! I hope!

[+TriciaG]

Virtual Geocaches will be coming back soon! I hope!

Ain't gonna happen.

[Keystone]

Since virtual caches won't be coming back, I am closing this thread as having been improvidently bumped.