Improve web guidelines for fewer missing trackables

[+Coniferous Bunnies]

I suspect that misleading instructions on the geocaching website are responsible for many of the missing trackables. The instructions (as of July 15, 2012) say that anyone who finds a cache can take anything from it so long as they leave something of equal or greater value. They get to trackables a few Q&A's later, but realistically people aren't going to keep reading after they think they already have their answer. So newbie finds a geocoin in a cache, thinks "oh, cool, I can just take this so long as I leave behind my (object they think is of equal or greater value)," and the trackable is missing, possibly forever. The instructions can be fixed simply by adding "except trackables such as geocoins and travel bugs (discussed below)" each time they have the incomplete instructions.

[+EXMAN]

i think that when you buy a trackable, it should come with a laminated card explaining what a trackable is and how they should be handled.

if people keep losing their trackables, they'll stop buying them altogether.

[+BlueDeuce]

Honest question here, what's the current process to submit a change request to gc.com?

[+Jim & Pam]

i think that when you buy a trackable, it should come with a laminated card explaining what a trackable is and how they should be handled.

if people keep losing their trackables, they'll stop buying them altogether.

 

I have. I haven't even bothered to release the last one. The ones I released were for my young nephews to be able to monitor as they moved. They were given a goal, which was always ignored, and so far, they go around and about for a little while, and then are never seen again. The nephews are bored with it.

[+fotimyr]

Yup. I have bought my last trackable to release. Instead of spending energy on being irritated over apathetic geocachers, I'll rather spend it handling other people's trackable properly. Over here in Europe, you've likely seen the last of your trackable once it enters Germany. Probably got something to do with statistics. IMO, attaching a multi-language goal and explanation on the trackable is of no use. People see it in the cache and immediately go "Ooooh! Shiny!" and take it. If you're lucky they may even log it out of the cache.

 

We don't need better trackable explanations, we need better geocachers.

[+kunarion]

We don't need better trackable explanations, we need better geocachers.

+1

However, people who visit caches with the intent to take everything for themselves all the time, probably aren't what you'd call "Geocachers". Travel Bugs have "Don't Keep Me" imprinted on them. Anyone with the aptitude to find a Geocache has the ability to know not to keep Trackable items. The intent is already plain as day.

[+fotimyr]

Yes, travel bugs have "Don't Keep Me" printed on them, but people seem to hang on to them anyway. I took a look at your TBs; apart from the ones you have in your pocket or have gone missing, the majority of them have been in someone's hands for at least a couple of months. It's the same with mine. I think it's theft.

 

It actually pi**es me off, being from a small town where nothing's ever locked and nothing ever goes missing. But then again, I may have a mindset which is incompatible with the whole Travel Bug thing.

[+aka Momster]

Over here in Europe, you've likely seen the last of your trackable once it enters Germany.

 

This have not been my experience. In fact, the geocachers in Germany have moved my trackables (most of which are geocoins, BTW) so promptly that I am always trying to get more over the pond! The same holds true for the two that have since jumped over into the Czech Republic (where they also have been very active), and one coin that is now in New Zealand.

 

Of my two trackables that are currently in Germany:

The Sheridan Coin arrived in Germany in May 2011, and the 18 movers since have taken it an additional 4500 miles.

A Tsun Hopper GC added about 1000 miles there, with 5-6 movers, before going missing. Hey, it happens.

 

My only other European traveler is a TB that arrived in Finland in January 2010, and is still going strong. One of my highest mileage TB travelers!

 

Thank you for keeping my trackables on the move!

[+The Blorenges]

Over here in Europe, you've likely seen the last of your trackable once it enters Germany.

 

This have not been my experience...

 

 

Nor mine.

 

I have no complaints about the way my trackables have been handled by German cachers. The only 'problem' is that once they get into Germany they seem to circulate around... and around... and around... and never manage to move out to another country!

 

MrsB

[+BlueDeuce]

 

I have no complaints about the way my trackables have been handled by German cachers. The only 'problem' is that once they get into Germany they seem to circulate around... and around... and around... and never manage to move out to another country!

 

MrsB

 

hmmmm

[+aka Momster]

ecks-PEK-toh pah-TRO-num!

 

 

 

[+fotimyr]

The only 'problem' is that once they get into Germany they seem to circulate around... and around... and around... and never manage to move out to another country!

Well, that's exactly my complaint. I like to call Germany The Great European Travel Bug Gyre. But as I said, it probably got something to do with statistics. They have about 360 gazillion geocaches and roughly three times as many geocachers, each with more than 22,000 finds. Or something like that.

 

By the way, here's the travel map for a TB mentioned in another thread. It was released in California in June 2003. Now look where it is. His mission, by the way, is to travel around to great surf spots. Surf spots!

 

Literacy in Germany is listed at 100%, so something must be going on.

 

Edited July 21, 2012 by fotimyr