Cacher Dilemna: Finding what once was your own..

February 8, 2013

I want to ask this question to the community:

I have caches in the area that I have recently given off to others who have adopted them as their own (I am moving away and didn't really want to archive them).

Is it ethical or not to go out and claim a smiley on the caches now that they belong to other cachers?

Fellow cachers, please...your thoughts...I haven't gone out yet, it's tempting, but it just doesn't seem right to do so.

4.1k · February 8, 2013

Its a personal decision. Some people might log it to keep the cache as part of their record, others would not. I don't think its a matter of ethics, but how you want to play the game. People all play the game differently and there is no right or wrong answer for anyone but yourself. But my general advice for almost any situation is that if it does not seem right, don't do it.

2.7k · February 8, 2013

I am not the community. I am me. I don't have to ask the community to define the word ethical. I already know what it means, and I would not do it. Many would. I think less of them for it. I won't log a cache if I had any hand at all in hiding it. Who owns it doesn't mean spit.

According to your signature line, you seem to advocate more decisive personal action. What went wrong?

February 8, 2013

We've had cachers in my area that logged finds against their former caches once they were adopted out.

On he flip side of that, I've kept my finds for four caches that I had previously found and later adopted.

10.2k · February 8, 2013

I want to ask this question to the community:

I have caches in the area that I have recently given off to others who have adopted them as their own (I am moving away and didn't really want to archive them).

Is it ethical or not to go out and claim a smiley on the caches now that they belong to other cachers?

Fellow cachers, please...your thoughts...I haven't gone out yet, it's tempting, but it just doesn't seem right to do so.

Seeing your avatar and forum title, I thought they were going to be in Iraq, Kuwait, or Dubai or something. I see about 20 parking lot caches owned by you, are you keeping them, and the other ones have already been adopted out, or are these generally the ones you're getting rid of, and it hasn't happened yet? Either way, heck no, I wouldn't log them as finds.

Edited February 8, 2013 by Mr.Yuck

February 8, 2013

Its a personal decision. Some people might log it to keep the cache as part of their record, others would not. I don't think its a matter of ethics, but how you want to play the game. People all play the game differently and there is no right or wrong answer for anyone but yourself. But my general advice for almost any situation is that if it does not seem right, don't do it.

That's what I am going to do...just know they were once mine, but not any longer. No smileys.

I am not the community. I am me. I don't have to ask the community to define the word ethical. I already know what it means, and I would not do it. Many would. I think less of them for it. I won't log a cache if I had any hand at all in hiding it. Who owns it doesn't mean spit.

According to your signature line, you seem to advocate more decisive personal action. What went wrong?

Nothing went wrong, I wanted to get a feel of what others do / did before I took a course of action.

We've had cachers in my area that logged finds against their former caches once they were adopted out.

On he flip side of that, I've kept my finds for four caches that I had previously found and later adopted.

I have four finds where the latter applied. I wanted to see what others did before I chose to do anything. Thanks for the advice, fellow cachers.

3k · February 8, 2013

I have caches in the area that I have recently given off to others who have adopted them as their own (I am moving away and didn't really want to archive them).

Is it ethical or not to go out and claim a smiley on the caches now that they belong to other cachers?

As long as the new cacher has officially adopted them (i.e. they show up as Hides under the new owner's account and no longer under yours) then I feel it is acceptable to log them as Finds.

My philosophy is any cache I have been to (excluding DNFs) should be listed amongst either my Finds or Hides. If a cache is Adopted then it no longer shows up under Hides so I would log it as a Find.

I have seen others log Finds on caches they adopted out.

8.6k · February 8, 2013

What the hey... 26 additional FTF's!

Certainly could claim FTF, as you were the first to find the spot and see the cache, right?

------------

In all truth... one plays the game as they wish.

Personally, I see and understand the reverse of the situation, finding then later adopting. I don't understand "finding" what you already know is there -- unless you really need some more numbers.....

:blink:

5.7k · February 8, 2013

We've PCS'd a couple times since we started and are fixing to do it again this summer. I have yet to adopt any of our caches out. Several of our old listings have been revived as new caches -- we archived our cache but were asked to leave the container behind for those cache owners to reuse.

I still consider them to be our old caches; even though they are new listings with new cache owners and new logs, I still know right where they are because I'm the guy that put 'em there. So it's pretty much the same thing.

I have yet to log any of them. But I can't say that I would categorically exclude the possibility. It might be nice to drop by one or two for old time's sake, and to tip my hat to the people who took over the listing. I don't think I'd log 'em all, and I'd probably only do it if I left the area and then came back later. (That way it might even seem like a new cache, especially for the multis.)

February 8, 2013

If you have to ask yourself, then the answer should probably be no.

6.7k · February 8, 2013

If you have to ask yourself, then the answer should probably be no.

Yup.

February 8, 2013

You hid them, you can walk right to them without the GPS. You didn't find them.

Of course it isn't "right" but you can do what you wish. No one will care and you won't be smite down.

This is the same as being with someone when they hide a cache. If you log those, then you log transfers as well.

10.1k · February 8, 2013

I'd go with 'cheesy'. Nothing to stop you but your conscience.

Had a local who moved away, and adopted out many caches. Returned for a visit and logged them. Definitely think less of that cacher for doing that. Inflating numbers. Cheesy.

February 8, 2013

I would log them. If you move away for example, I think it is a nice record of those geocaches that were once yours. If anyone thinks negative of you for it, forget them. Remember, It's just a game.

February 8, 2013

wouldn't be very fun finding the cache if you already know where it is...

February 8, 2013

I want to ask this question to the community:

I have caches in the area that I have recently given off to others who have adopted them as their own (I am moving away and didn't really want to archive them).

Is it ethical or not to go out and claim a smiley on the caches now that they belong to other cachers?

Fellow cachers, please...your thoughts...I haven't gone out yet, it's tempting, but it just doesn't seem right to do so.

February 8, 2013

Go find new ones, The one who dies with the most Caches Does Not Win???? :unsure:

February 9, 2013

If you view geocaching as a game with "points" and the number that you log is meaningful in some competitive sense to you or your geocaching mates, then it's extremely untoward to log caches that you've hidden. If you don't view it that way and there's some reason that you want to log them it's nobody's business but your own.

3.8k · February 9, 2013

I wouldn't do it-I'd probably log a DNF just to be funny/stupid on them if anything. I can see how it might be wrong. I wouldn't complain if anyone did it but I'd think it was cheesy too. Depending on the person I might think down on them I might not.

7.9k · February 9, 2013

As long as the new cacher has officially adopted them (i.e. they show up as Hides under the new owner's account and no longer under yours) then I feel it is acceptable to log them as Finds.

My philosophy is any cache I have been to (excluding DNFs) should be listed amongst either my Finds or Hides. If a cache is Adopted then it no longer shows up under Hides so I would log it as a Find.

I have seen others log Finds on caches they adopted out.

Cheesy at best.

I wouldn't even consider this. :blink:

Let's all adopt each other's hides so we can 'find' them. <_<

I see the OP has chosen wisely, so all is well.

3.7k · February 9, 2013

I would log them. If you move away for example, I think it is a nice record of those geocaches that were once yours. If anyone thinks negative of you for it, forget them. Remember, It's just a game.

I think a bookmark list would be another way you could do this. If you aren't a premium member, I could see why you might want to log them as finds. Once they're adopted out, how do you 'visit' the cache pages again, easily...especially if they eventually get archived? I would think this is the only circumstances are which I might log a find, but otherwise, I wouldn't do it.

2k · February 9, 2013

You can either log them as a find, put them on your ignore list, or have them taunt you forever in your nearest caches.

If they are a long way from home and no where near an area you go over and over, perhaps they do not taunt you.

If it was me and they were in my nearest area, I would log them most likely because to me, a cache is either one I own or one I can find. Sure, I do ignore a few caches for various reasons, but those are usually do to them being unfindable, unpleasant or too onerous for me to do.

I have never adopted out a cache, so have not been in your quandary, but if the CO is okay..go log them. If you want your conscious clear, go sign them first. Don't see how that is any worse than folks using PAFs to find a cache.

7.5k · February 9, 2013

Yes, it's ethical, for all that matters. More importantly, I don't think I'd think anything less of you if you went to visit the caches you've given away to say goodbye and celebrate the visits by logging finds. It would have been a little more classy to visit them for one last logged OM, but since you've already adopted them out, you could do finds if you think mere notes wouldn't be sentimental enough.

On the other hand, if you think it's like kissing your sister, then don't do it.

February 9, 2013

If you are anything like me, you want all the icons on the giant map to be So if you no longer own them, take a stroll and visit them, log a find. If it doesn't affect your conscience, and the new COs are cool with it, do what you want.

February 9, 2013

I want to ask this question to the community:

I have caches in the area that I have recently given off to others who have adopted them as their own (I am moving away and didn't really want to archive them).

Is it ethical or not to go out and claim a smiley on the caches now that they belong to other cachers?

Fellow cachers, please...your thoughts...I haven't gone out yet, it's tempting, but it just doesn't seem right to do so.

As quoted by one famous cachers "Its not a numbers game"

February 9, 2013

I would log them. If you move away for example, I think it is a nice record of those geocaches that were once yours. If anyone thinks negative of you for it, forget them. Remember, It's just a game.

I think a bookmark list would be another way you could do this. If you aren't a premium member, I could see why you might want to log them as finds. Once they're adopted out, how do you 'visit' the cache pages again, easily...especially if they eventually get archived? I would think this is the only circumstances are which I might log a find, but otherwise, I wouldn't do it.

For me, I try to clear out all the geocaches in a given area. I've cleared out most of my area. If I ever moved away and adopted out my hides, and I came back to visit, those unfounded caches would haunt me. I don't use ignore lists. Again, its just a personal decision.

10.2k · February 9, 2013

Ya' know, after reading some of the responses, I suppose this isn't as cheesy as logging a find on a cache you hid yourself. An act that has many more defenders in the forums than people who have actually done it, incidently. :lol: I still wouldn't do it in this case of moving away and adopting them out, but I can definitely see where some of you are coming from with the points you have made.

5.2k · February 9, 2013

The Ignore List is perfect for cases like this.

38.2k · February 9, 2013

...it's tempting, but it just doesn't seem right to do so.

That would answer it for me. If it doesn't seem right to me, it isn't right for me.

6.1k · February 10, 2013

I want to ask this question to the community:

I have caches in the area that I have recently given off to others who have adopted them as their own (I am moving away and didn't really want to archive them).

Is it ethical or not to go out and claim a smiley on the caches now that they belong to other cachers?

Fellow cachers, please...your thoughts...I haven't gone out yet, it's tempting, but it just doesn't seem right to do so.

And what if the new owners wouldn't allow you to?

February 12, 2013

I was looking for a thread like this (though I'm sure there have been many more before this one).

I too am in the process of adopting out all 28 of my current caches (and all but one are NOT nano/micro). I wrestled with logging them as Finds for the record purposes, but in reading this thread and thinking further, I will NOT log them just for posterity. I can "Write Note" the cache and that log will also be there for me to go back to if I'm curious about the cache. I've never attempted it directly, but you could do a "new cache" page submission form, setting it up similar to the cache you adopted out, but don't publish it...just archive it, with a link to the active cache.

Now...I did log one of my own caches, but that was because I actually did find it. It was the Tunnel Vision cache in Bethesda, Maryland (the tunnel that goes under downtown for some distance and is an old railroad line, now a bike trail). It was archived because there was a log of DNFs and I wasn't living in the area at the time to revamp it. I returned, ready to replace a new container and new cache page. Then...completely by accident I found the cache...it was there the whole time (sat for 1.5 years (viewable to nearly every biker/walker too). Since I had planned on a new location for the new cache, but found the old one...I counted it. I also was able to have the cache unarchived. But this is an exception to the rule.

February 12, 2013

You hid them, you can walk right to them without the GPS. You didn't find them.

Meh...like 80% of caches today can be had without a GPS!

February 12, 2013

You hid them, you can walk right to them without the GPS. You didn't find them.

Meh...like 80% of caches today can be had without a GPS!

I meant that you can find the cache without having any information about it other than the information that is pre-existing in your mind.

Edited February 12, 2013 by fbingha

3.3k · February 12, 2013

Keep a list for sentimental reasons so you can follow the news and finds for your former caches after you move. If a cache is changed greatly by the new owner (for example, due to construction or other changes at GZ), then check it out on a return trip and claim a genuine find.

2k · February 12, 2013

hmmmm...thats a tough one for me. My first thought is that I would never adopt out one of my caches. I'd archive it before I'd adopt it, but if I was in that situation......yes. At this point right now, I think I would go find it and log it as a find.

I tend to think I am allowed 1 'credit' per cache. If I own a cache I get my 1 credit as owner. If I don't own a cache I am allowed 1 credit as a finder. If I place it and then adopt it out, I am no longer getting a credit on the cache. Without finding it (or having it adopted back to me) I am not allowed a credit on the cache and that just doesn't sit well with me.

1.1k · February 13, 2013

you can not find own caches, since many define the thing to find stuff, like it must be hidden first,

on own caches, you know where it is, you placed it, so you can not find it.

how ever if a friend ask me to REPLACE one of his missing caches,

I newer found it, I go out and locate a new box with a new log, his name on the log and all that,

I still log it as found, and note in my log I replaced the cache with prior permission from the co.

This find claim, is normally accepted..

I dont see that as beeing that much different from what you talk about,

however it WAS yours, now adopted away just means someone else legally is in charge of it,

get the mails and all that, but you still hid it, and the new CO maybe did not even go there in person

to adjust things, so, it is still your own hide.

I would not log it as found.

But you can if you want to, it is YOUR game..

Edited February 13, 2013 by OZ2CPU

Cacher Dilemna: Finding what once was your own..

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