Too Many Favorite Points

June 26, 2012

I've found that I have more favorite points than I am using. If I get 1 favorite point for every ten caches, then does Groundspeak expect me to favorite about the top 10% of caches I find? If so, then I am being too stingy with my favorite points.

I'm considering being more liberal, after all, if I only favorite my top 1% (for example), then a cache in the top 95 percentile has no way to be distinguished from the very worst caches.

What do you do? Do you aim to use all your favorite points, or do you have an excess? Do we owe it to the top 10% to try and recognize them?

June 26, 2012

Use them how you see fit. Nobody else's expectations matter.

I also have more than I've awarded, and wouldn't be upset if I only earned one point for every 20 or 50 instead of every 10.

Edited June 26, 2012 by JJnTJ

3.9k · June 26, 2012

When the points came out, I thought that 1 for 10 was too many and that I'd prefer 1 for 20. However, I found that I used 80% of my points on the first 30% of caches which I found (them were the days, aye). Now I have 100 points over, with the last two years of caching (over 2,000 caches) to back-attribute FPs, so I'm back to 1 for 20.

I would support 1 for 20 going forward, though. Doing the ET highway gets you over 100 extra favorite points. ("Oh yeah, micro #342 on that trip was so cool, one of the team tripped getting back into the minivan, ha ha.")

10.1k · June 26, 2012

Groundspeak does not expect you to assign one for every ten finds. You assign them to ones that you like (very much). I have earned 377, and have not used 92. Perhaps someday, I'll find ten in a row that I think are great! In the meantime, assign them to caches that you think are great.

3k · June 26, 2012

111.

I can't seem to find the time to go through all of my logs. I spent one the other day looking at an old cache I did. It was archived. But it deserved the favorite point.

Don't Do This Cache. by FrioGeo, Burlhunter, and LameDuck. It was a 19 stage multi, with about 10 decoys at every stage. When you got to the 18th stage, after finding all kinds of very well hidden, and cleverly camouflaged stages that made maintenance a bear, that stage was an ammo can. HOORAY! we've already bushwhacked and stream crossed for 11 miles, and it had the coords in it for the 19th stage. We thought it was the final. The page said nothing about how many stages. It kept warning you not to do the cache. It was fantastic and a memory I will keep forever as long as I can!

There was even a party held at one of the CO's house for everyone that did the cache. Archived in 2006, people were still writing notes to the cache page 5 years later. It has to be my number one favorite, even though there was blood. Not mine. Good thing it wasn't a broken leg, just an awful looking scratch.

The three guys in the bottom row are the brothers who placed the cache, and the others are the cachers who could make the party.

I favorited two others, Old 470 and You Sank My Battleship!. both are brdad's, in Maine.

I will eventually spend some more points. But I haven't the time, or the inclination, to sit down and deliberately do it.

Edited June 26, 2012 by Planet

3.2k · June 26, 2012

In answer to your title, I guess...Yes!

It was another one of the features that GS added that really went nowhere and serves no useful purpose, so if I have used 3 or 4 of my 400 some available, I would be surprised.

June 26, 2012

It sounds like your problem isn't that you have too many favorite point but that there isn't enough excellent caches out there to award them too...

2.2k · June 26, 2012

I have about 200 Favorite points I haven't awarded. I do not feel under any obligation to use them. I'd be happy at earning one for every 20 finds. Of course, maybe if I got more picky about the caches I do I would find 1 to 10 isn't enough.

June 26, 2012

I self filter caches and am always on the brink of using all my faves. If you go do a bunch of PnGs, then you will have too many favorites. It depends on how you cache.

2.2k · June 26, 2012

It was another one of the features that GS added that really went nowhere and serves no useful purpose, so if I have used 3 or 4 of my 400 some available, I would be surprised.

I have the opposite viewpo9int -- I think Favorites are one innovation that Groundspeak got right, as opposed to Challenges, Souvenirs, Waymarking, etc.

2k · June 26, 2012

I have used only about half of my points.

It was another one of the features that GS added that really went nowhere and serves no useful purpose, so if I have used 3 or 4 of my 400 some available, I would be surprised.

I disagree. When I travel I always sort by favorites and find it useful to find the best caches in an area. Though I tend to filter out the earthcaches and virtuals, as those always rise to the top for unknown (to me) reasons. But the rest are usually worth my time.

June 26, 2012

I have used only about half of my points.

It was another one of the features that GS added that really went nowhere and serves no useful purpose, so if I have used 3 or 4 of my 400 some available, I would be surprised.

I disagree. When I travel I always sort by favorites and find it useful to find the best caches in an area. Though I tend to filter out the earthcaches and virtuals, as those always rise to the top for unknown (to me) reasons. But the rest are usually worth my time.

I don't travel often, but I also use the highest favorited caches to plan my trip. I love favorite points, and I personally try to not be stingy with them.

2k · June 26, 2012

some folks use them all, some hardly any. Some use power trails and have even more to spend than they might (assuming they did not use them at the trail). I have a few friends who do not use them period. Either way, it balances out. If one person does 10%, one 0%, one 5%, it just means that the average used by PMOs is somewhere between 0% and 10%. Either way, its still the top caches as folks define them.

I do not use them all, I guess I am a bit selective. If a cache violates a guideline in my book, I won't give it a favorite point for example (ie digging a tube in the ground or a nail in the tree).

June 26, 2012

I do think Groundspeak has a good thing going with favorite points. I think it's a good rating system.

I'm starting to think that the rating data will be better the more favorite points are used by the community.

15.3k · June 26, 2012

When the Favorites system first came out, I went through all my "Found It" logs and existing bookmark lists and gave points to my very favorite caches. I had a LOT of points left over.

When I saw how many points I had left over, I went through my lists again, giving out points to all the caches that were somehow notable. I didn't have nearly enough points for all the caches that qualified.

So I went through my lists a third time, putting the bar somewhere in the middle: not "the best of the best of the best", but not anything that's somehow better than the average cache either. I ended up using most of my initial points that time.

It's pretty subjective, but I've tried to maintain something close to that standard going forward. I usually have several points in reserve, so I don't need to scrounge points from "lesser favorites" if I find a few excellent caches on the same day. But I'm also spending most of my points as I go along, because unspent points don't help anyone, and unspent points don't make my spent points any more valuable.

38.2k · June 26, 2012

I have used only about half of my points.

It was another one of the features that GS added that really went nowhere and serves no useful purpose, so if I have used 3 or 4 of my 400 some available, I would be surprised.

I disagree. When I travel I always sort by favorites and find it useful to find the best caches in an area. Though I tend to filter out the earthcaches and virtuals, as those always rise to the top for unknown (to me) reasons. But the rest are usually worth my time.

I think it's one of the best features they added in years. I was against the idea for a long time, but that was before we had 1.8 million caches (of which 1.6 million are in parking lots and on guardrails) and TFTC smartphone logs on outstanding caches. Now I only wish that it was done earlier.

Edited June 26, 2012 by briansnat

1.8k · June 27, 2012

I have used only about half of my points.

It was another one of the features that GS added that really went nowhere and serves no useful purpose, so if I have used 3 or 4 of my 400 some available, I would be surprised.

I disagree. When I travel I always sort by favorites and find it useful to find the best caches in an area. Though I tend to filter out the earthcaches and virtuals, as those always rise to the top for unknown (to me) reasons. But the rest are usually worth my time.

I agree that filtering in favorite points gets one to some of the better caches.

I, however, filter IN Virtuals, and Earth Caches

BTW I have 782 points in my bank ... have awarded about 50.

I award a"Big Blue Ribbon" for those caches that have left me gob-smacked, as they say over the pond.

Edited June 27, 2012 by humboldt flier

June 27, 2012

I usually have several points in reserve, so I don't need to scrounge points from "lesser favorites" if I find a few excellent caches on the same day. But I'm also spending most of my points as I go along, because unspent points don't help anyone, and unspent points don't make my spent points any more valuable.

Agreed. I think the more data in the system, the more useful it becomes, at least while the ratio is kept low (1-10).

7.8k · June 27, 2012

Of my 253 points, I've awarded 62. There are a lot of good caches in my area, so I end up awarding points to just the very best.

Whenever I look at the list of the most favourited caches in my area, I'm always confused why some caches get so many. The most favourited cache in my area is a basic container behind the counter of a coffee shop. Why so many people find it worthy of a point, I have no idea. After that one, the next dozen or so I completely agree with.

June 27, 2012

257 Favorite points remaining

Logs Until Next Favorite Point: 2

Total Favorite Points: 333

77.1% Unused 22.9% Used, If only my Bank Account :rolleyes: was that good!

8.9k · June 27, 2012

I believe I saw in the favorites thread somewhere that people with the find counts over 1000 are a very small percentage of the actual cacher accounts. So those of you with over 100 favorite points to use are in a very, very small minority.

June 27, 2012

I favorited two others, Old 470 and You Sank My Battleship!. both are brdad's, in Maine.

I will eventually spend some more points. But I haven't the time, or the inclination, to sit down and deliberately do it.

I favorited the Old 470 too!

That's the thing about points.... I had a good amount in reserve and then I took a trip to Maine. Making a point of targeting popular caches, I came back with almost none left. Now I have a surplus, but will be caching in Ohio soon.

I use them when I need them.

7.5k · June 27, 2012

I self filter caches and am always on the brink of using all my faves. If you go do a bunch of PnGs, then you will have too many favorites. It depends on how you cache.

I think you're right about that. I haven't got many favorite votes left.....5 I think. But I do a lot of filtering and try to go to caches that suit my caching style best ( for instance I don't do micro power trails, or most micros unless they have a lot of favorite votes), so I don't collect smileys quickly and I find quite a few nice caches probably because I also look for most favored caches in an area I'm visiting. I'm happy with the 1 in 10 allowance.

7.5k · June 27, 2012

But I'm also spending most of my points as I go along, because unspent points don't help anyone, and unspent points don't make my spent points any more valuable.

Exactly. I use to hoard points but then got to thinking that many good above-average caches deserved recognition too.

7.5k · June 27, 2012

I have used only about half of my points.

It was another one of the features that GS added that really went nowhere and serves no useful purpose, so if I have used 3 or 4 of my 400 some available, I would be surprised.

I disagree. When I travel I always sort by favorites and find it useful to find the best caches in an area. Though I tend to filter out the earthcaches and virtuals, as those always rise to the top for unknown (to me) reasons. But the rest are usually worth my time.

I think it's one of the best features they added in years. I was against the idea for a long time, but that was before we had 1.8 million caches (of which 1.6 million are in parking lots and on guardrails) and TFTC smartphone logs on outstanding caches. Now I only wish that it was done earlier.

I'm looking forward to filtering for favorite votes in the PQs. I hope it happens.

4.5k · June 27, 2012

It was another one of the features that GS added that really went nowhere and serves no useful purpose, so if I have used 3 or 4 of my 400 some available, I would be surprised.

I have the opposite viewpo9int -- I think Favorites are one innovation that Groundspeak got right, as opposed to Challenges, Souvenirs, Waymarking, etc.

I agree! Favorites are one of the features i utilize alot. Since a cache's quality is subjective, favorites aren't perfect, but they usually help to find caches that are more interesting to me.

I'm kinda picky when it comes to what i like in a cache so i haven't given out alot favorite points. Just looked and i have 575 available to hand out. It never occurred to me that i had too many or that i needed to use them all.

3.7k · June 27, 2012

I award *all* my favorite points. I"m often short! We're lucky to have so many great caches in our area.

To answer your question, I don't understand why people would save up so many favorite points. If you especially enjoyed a cache and the CO put extra effort into it, why not make them happy and give them a point. Just my opinion. However, they're your points, so you can do what you like.

Edited June 27, 2012 by The_Incredibles_

4.5k · June 27, 2012

I award *all* my favorite points. I"m often short! We're lucky to have so many great caches in our area.

To answer your question, I don't understand why people would save up so many favorite points. If you especially enjoyed a cache and the CO put extra effort into it, why not make them happy and give them a point. Just my opinion. However, they're your points, so you can do what you like.

In my case, i don't save up any points. Don't remember when the feature came out but when it did, i suddenly had over 500 added to my account. I agree with you in giving points to caches that i enjoy and/or that the CO has put extra effort into. That's what favorite points are for. Only thing is, there's just not that many caches that i have found that, imo, provide either of these..

2.3k · June 27, 2012

I have 9 points I haven't used yet. I like to keep some on hand because sometimes I'll do more than one out of 10 great caches in a day when I'm out so I purposely save them until I have found a bunch of caches and then go back and assign them as desired.

I use them when searching for caches to a degree. I hand pick the caches I do based on location on a map, cache page and comments. Then I look to see if it has favorite points. Since I usually mark a batch of caches to do I may put more effort into finding the ones with favorite points in my very limited time I have to cache like if I only had so much time left and two caches one with favorite points and one not I'll probably do the one with the points.

June 27, 2012

1. If they are issued at a rate of 10%, I expect to allocate them at a rate of 10%.

2. They are no use to anyone sitting in my account unused (it's not like they are a cash surplus!).

3. I'm pretty selective about choosing caches to find, and don't find too many, so I typically have a surplus of 0 or 1 point at any time.

4. If I started building up a surplus, it would be a sign to re-think my caching habits as to why I'm bothering to find so many bland caches. I don't cache for the sake of it. My free time is valuable, and I want every cache to be excellent.

5. Since I rarely have a surplus, a new favourite can oust one of my current 10% (so I don't say "have a favourite point" in my log, because it might get taken away when a better one comes along later!).

38.2k · June 27, 2012

1. If they are issued at a rate of 10%, I expect to allocate them at a rate of 10%.

2. They are no use to anyone sitting in my account unused (it's not like they are a cash surplus!).

3. I'm pretty selective about choosing caches to find, and don't find too many, so I typically have a surplus of 0 or 1 point at any time.

4. If I started building up a surplus, it would be a sign to re-think my caching habits as to why I'm bothering to find so many bland caches. I don't cache for the sake of it. My free time is valuable, and I want every cache to be excellent.

5. Since I rarely have a surplus, a new favourite can oust one of my current 10% (so I don't say "have a favourite point" in my log, because it might get taken away when a better one comes along later!).

I like to have a surplus in the event I were to find a bunch of worthy caches in a short period of time. For example, if I didn't have some in reserve I wouldn't have had any left to give to the 4 caches I favorited on a recent road trip. I don't like the idea of removing an old favorite in order to add a new one.

Edited June 27, 2012 by briansnat

1.9k · June 27, 2012

I have four that I have not issued yet, and I'm reserving them in case I find a cache that deserves one and I have not reached the next point yet.

7.5k · June 27, 2012

I've found that I have more favorite points than I am using. If I get 1 favorite point for every ten caches, then does Groundspeak expect me to favorite about the top 10% of caches I find?

I would say it's more accurate to say that they're forbidding you from giving out too many. I don't think there's a lower bound on the expected rate.

What do you do? Do you aim to use all your favorite points, or do you have an excess? Do we owe it to the top 10% to try and recognize them?

I give a cache a favorite point when it's one of my favorites. I always have plenty extra, but the number doesn't seem to be growing without bound.

1.5k · June 28, 2012

Yeah, I've got a boat load. Well, a small row boat, maybe. Rarely use them, couldn't care less. But, at least they are there for future great caches.

June 28, 2012

I'm looking forward to filtering for favorite votes in the PQs. I hope it happens.

I hope they make it into the PQs soon. The percentage favorite-ed is needed too, and I think this stat is actually more important as time goes on.

You can PREVIEW a PQ and sort that preview by favorites, which is a great way to look for good caches.

June 28, 2012

Yeah, I've got a boat load. Well, a small row boat, maybe. Rarely use them, couldn't care less. But, at least they are there for future great caches.

Same here. Out of 1000 fav points we have 870 left. :laughing: Guess we better start giving some out.

8.9k · June 28, 2012

Some people use the favorite points to keep track of their own personal list of favorite caches. Some people use the favorite points for "recommendations." I'm in the latter camp - using the points for recommendations of caches so that others know the ones that I think are worth looking at, all other things being equal. What you do, or don't do with your favorite points is up to you.

2.4k · June 28, 2012

It was another one of the features that GS added that really went nowhere and serves no useful purpose, so if I have used 3 or 4 of my 400 some available, I would be surprised.

I have the opposite viewpo9int -- I think Favorites are one innovation that Groundspeak got right, as opposed to Challenges, Souvenirs, Waymarking, etc.

+1!!

I think favorite points are helping improve the quality of caches in my area.

People have a reason to place a good cache now, rather than just throw down film cans for the numbers.

I'm seeing people want to go for the favorite points and put out better caches.

Heck I changed one of mine to see if it would get more points with a better container and location.

2.4k · June 28, 2012

I think it's really important to give favorite points when they are deserved in order to encourage others to put out good caches, and point out to others that it's a good cache worthy of a visit.

Of the ones I found before the system came into effect, I've gone back and given them to those that stand out in my head. Now and then I'll tell someone about a great one from the past and then go favorite it.

I don't give out all I have, but if you've got a surplus, perhaps you need to be more choosey about the caches you find.

I had a day recently where I gave points to all five I found that day. I was glad to have some extras.

I'm getting pickier in the ones I go for.

Sometimes I think the drive-ups are only good to get the extra points to go give to the good caches.

3.7k · June 28, 2012

I think it's really important to give favorite points when they are deserved in order to encourage others to put out good caches

Good point. I think I'm going to go place a film can 'specially for those who rarely/never favorite my caches.

Edited June 28, 2012 by The_Incredibles_

1.4k · June 28, 2012

I have 1666 points and honestly I forget that I even have them.

1.9k · July 1, 2012

It was another one of the features that GS added that really went nowhere and serves no useful purpose, so if I have used 3 or 4 of my 400 some available, I would be surprised.

I have the opposite viewpo9int -- I think Favorites are one innovation that Groundspeak got right, as opposed to Challenges, Souvenirs, Waymarking, etc.

+1!!

I think favorite points are helping improve the quality of caches in my area.

People have a reason to place a good cache now, rather than just throw down film cans for the numbers.

I'm seeing people want to go for the favorite points and put out better caches.

Heck I changed one of mine to see if it would get more points with a better container and location.

I'm aiming to have favorite points on all of my caches.

7.9k · July 2, 2012

I'm aiming to have favorite points on all of my caches.

That's a good plan.

Hide cache.

Wait three months for favorite points.

If point(s) are given, the cache continues.

If no points, archive.

Rinse.

Repeat.

I suppose you actually meant that you hope to put out caches worthy of one or more favorite points, but around here the FTF usually gives a favorite just because.

Favorite points are a poor indicator of overall cache quality, and a one sided system will always be a failure.

7.9k · July 2, 2012

P.S. I have over 900 favorites points 'available', and I have never awarded a single one.

In my not-so-humble-opinion, a cache needs to be rated on both a positive AND NEGATIVE scale...by every one who found it.

As per my previous post, I've seen way too many lame parking-lot lampskirt caches that were favorited by the FTF just because they got the FTF. This does nothing to help me find the good caches in an area, nor does it help me avoid the really bad caches in an area. The problem is that Groundspork* (in their infinite wisdom), refuses to acknowledge the fact that there are really lame caches out there, and people really do want to avoid them.

*No, that's not a typo.

1.7k · July 2, 2012

1. If they are issued at a rate of 10%, I expect to allocate them at a rate of 10%.

2. They are no use to anyone sitting in my account unused (it's not like they are a cash surplus!).

3. I'm pretty selective about choosing caches to find, and don't find too many, so I typically have a surplus of 0 or 1 point at any time.

4. If I started building up a surplus, it would be a sign to re-think my caching habits as to why I'm bothering to find so many bland caches. I don't cache for the sake of it. My free time is valuable, and I want every cache to be excellent.

5. Since I rarely have a surplus, a new favourite can oust one of my current 10% (so I don't say "have a favourite point" in my log, because it might get taken away when a better one comes along later!).

I like to have a surplus in the event I were to find a bunch of worthy caches in a short period of time. For example, if I didn't have some in reserve I wouldn't have had any left to give to the 4 caches I favorited on a recent road trip. I don't like the idea of removing an old favorite in order to add a new one.

I don't like the idea of removing a point either but...

If a cache has been archived, I have no problem with leaving a not that states what the total was before I removed the point because the only good it is doing anyone on an archived cache is ego.

38.2k · July 2, 2012

I'm aiming to have favorite points on all of my caches.

That's a good plan.

Hide cache.

Wait three months for favorite points.

If point(s) are given, the cache continues.

If no points, archive.

Rinse.

Repeat.

I suppose you actually meant that you hope to put out caches worthy of one or more favorite points, but around here the FTF usually gives a favorite just because.

Favorite points are a poor indicator of overall cache quality, and a one sided system will always be a failure.

I wouldn't say they are a poor indicator. Imperfect is probably a better description. If a cache has more than a handful of favorites I realize its not a guarantee of quality, but odds are that it's a high quality cache. Of course there are also many high quality caches that have no favorite points.

Edited July 2, 2012 by briansnat

July 2, 2012

When they first started the favorite points I went through all we had done up to that point and awarded points accordingly. Since then I continue to award points to caches that I feel the CO put the effort into and was a quallity hide. Problem is in our area and even areas we travel to the quallity is deminishing. I refuse to give a favorite point to a ho-hum caches. In fact if I do a park-n-grab or similar and it is lame I only write TFTH and nothing else.

15.3k · July 2, 2012

In my not-so-humble-opinion, a cache needs to be rated on both a positive AND NEGATIVE scale...by every one who found it.

Only if there is a neutral rating (neither positive nor negative), and the neutral rating is the default. And only if my negative ratings are anonymous; I've seen what happens when negative ratings are public. And only if my neutral ratings are anonymous too; otherwise, people can figure out my negative ratings from my positive and neutral ratings.

But really, all I really care about are the caches enjoyed by people with similar preferences to my own. Until the system can correlate my preferences with the preferences of others, and show me caches enjoyed by people with preferences similar to my own, the current favorites system provides data that's at least as useful as any other system.

3.2k · July 3, 2012

I've only "favorited" 11 caches and have 255 points left. There are soooooooooooo many so-so caches and sooooooooooooo few outstanding caches. I went back and gave a favorite point to some caches I did in the past that I felt were worthy of praise but, for the most part, I just don't seem to find that many outstanding caches.

[EDIT]

This prompted me to look at my favorites list. I was really surprised not to find my all time favorite guardrail cache Avant-"Guard" listed there. I checked the cache and didn't even find my log! Now I have to go back through my 2008 and 2009 records to see when I found the thing so I can log it properly even though it is now archived. This was a cache that proved guardrail caches don't have to be lame. It was definitely worthy of a favorite point. Of course, back then, there wasn't such a thing as favorite points. Otherwise I would guess that pretty much everybody who found the thing would have given it a point.

Edited July 3, 2012 by Thrak

July 5, 2012

P.S. I have over 900 favorites points 'available', and I have never awarded a single one.

In my not-so-humble-opinion, a cache needs to be rated on both a positive AND NEGATIVE scale...by every one who found it.

I respectfully disagree. I think a negative rating could create animosity in an otherwise friendly community.

Too Many Favorite Points

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