Grrr... unknown types for art

[+TeamPennyFinder]

This is the second time I have gotten excited by getting a slew of email notifications of drops. This time I got really excited because a lot of them were reported only about 4 miles from me. With my wife at work I could walk that far to grab some of them.

 

Eagerly I open the GS site link to look at some. Oh yeah baby... according to the map they are in walking distance. A pretty decent hike but still doable. Oh happy days!!!

 

Then I see that they are classed as unknowns and each have a little easy puzzle to solve. Then after you solve the puzzle you pick out the correct answer for the coords.

 

WTH?!?!?!?!?! The real coords are like 30 miles from me. Sorry I call Bull. Only the "artwork" is close to me.

 

Pissed off....

[Pup Patrol]

This is the second time I have gotten excited by getting a slew of email notifications of drops. This time I got really excited because a lot of them were reported only about 4 miles from me. With my wife at work I could walk that far to grab some of them.

 

Eagerly I open the GS site link to look at some. Oh yeah baby... according to the map they are in walking distance. A pretty decent hike but still doable. Oh happy days!!!

 

Then I see that they are classed as unknowns and each have a little easy puzzle to solve. Then after you solve the puzzle you pick out the correct answer for the coords.

 

WTH?!?!?!?!?! The real coords are like 30 miles from me. Sorry I call Bull. Only the "artwork" is close to me.

 

Pissed off....

 

That's interesting, because the Guidelines state that the posted coordinates should not be more than 1 to 2 miles away from the real location:

 

3. Mystery/Puzzle Caches

 

The information needed to solve this type cache must be available to the general community and the puzzle should be solvable from the information provided on the cache page.

 

For many caches of this type, the coordinates listed are not of the actual cache location, but a general reference point, such as a nearby parking location. The posted coordinates should be no more than 1-2 miles (2-3 km) away from the true cache location. This allows the cache to show up on the appropriate vicinity searches and means that the mileage of Trackables passing through the cache will be reasonably accurate.

 

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

 

 

B.

Edited February 19, 2013 by Pup Patrol

[+BBWolf+3Pigs]

I agree - they shouldn't be allow these types of puzzle hides. There's one in NH where the caches are 50-100 miles from the posted icon.

 

[edit > typos]

Edited February 19, 2013 by BBWolf+3Pigs

[7rxc]

This is the second time I have gotten excited by getting a slew of email notifications of drops. This time I got really excited because a lot of them were reported only about 4 miles from me. With my wife at work I could walk that far to grab some of them.

 

Eagerly I open the GS site link to look at some. Oh yeah baby... according to the map they are in walking distance. A pretty decent hike but still doable. Oh happy days!!!

 

Then I see that they are classed as unknowns and each have a little easy puzzle to solve. Then after you solve the puzzle you pick out the correct answer for the coords.

 

WTH?!?!?!?!?! The real coords are like 30 miles from me. Sorry I call Bull. Only the "artwork" is close to me.

 

Pissed off....

 

I would be as well! There is a rule for the 'unknown' category requiring the final to be within 2 miles of the posted coordinates. I don't have the guideline available right now, but it is in the appropriate placement sections for unknowns. There is the possibility that it is old enough to precede the rule of course.

Also possible to have fudged the calculations (you or the placer). I've done that a few times myself.

 

Always good to check the cache pages completely before heading out. I know people sometimes don't do that and often get what they asked for... problems. I always try to work them out and then cross plot on Google Earth as a double check for errors or 'hidden' secrets.

 

Good luck in future! Which art would this be?

 

edit: I see I got beat re the guidelines...

 

Doug 7rxc

Edited February 19, 2013 by 7rxc

[+Ike 13]

I've seen the one in NH where the art is no where near the final. I hope this does not become common. Stretching it to 3 miles or maybe even 5 may be acceptable because the geoart is a neat idea, but 50!

[+Ike 13]

Did a quick map search and found the series. Here's #1: http://coord.info/GC433ME and just looking at the first few they seem to be reasonably close and not 30 miles away. Maybe you mispunched?

Edited February 19, 2013 by IkeHurley13

[+TeamPennyFinder]

Ugh, I put a number in wrong on the art work. Should have copied and pasted to Google Earth.

 

BUT, even with the corrected coord it remains far out of walking distance. I did a caculation. One of the artworks is 4.8 miles from me. The new coords of the real cache is 8.33 miles as the crow flies, or 18 miles to walk along the roads.

 

So, I am no longer angry as the distance has been cut down (as the crow flies) but just very disapointed.

 

Note to self: grow wings

[+StarBrand]

The reviewers will generally question why the bogus cords are any more than 2 miles from the real final - ... and there better be a darn good reason.

 

I'd check your solution.

[+TeamPennyFinder]

Oh, the first time I did it, it put it on alcoa hwy near knoxville. That would have been 30 miles as the crow flies. So people very important to make sure you put the exact coords into google earth to find the proper idea of the exact location. LOL!

[7rxc]

Did a quick map search and found the series. Here's #1: http://coord.info/GC433ME and just looking at the first few they seem to be reasonably close and not 30 miles away. Maybe you mispunched?

Thanks! I just found that as well but used #24 which was 6.xx miles or so east. Re reading the OP, I think that the real meaning was that some were over 30 miles from his location... Still a pain, there are reasons for the guidelines... even the 'grandfathered' ones should state that the distance is greater in the descriptions, should they not? I could live with that for exceptions... it's about knowing in advance. Again why I solve and plot caches in advance of hunting them.

edit: seems I was right

Doug 7rxc

Edited February 19, 2013 by 7rxc

[+TeamPennyFinder]

The corrected difference is 3 miles from artwork to actual cache. It is as the crow flies and realistic travel distance (roads) difference that is big.

 

I will eventually be able to do it one day. But not by walking. Going to need the wife to drive me to do this one. LOL!

 

There is also another cool artwork semi near me that I will have to get to also.

 

I like the art, but just wish the caches were where the artwork really was.

Edited February 19, 2013 by TeamPennyFinder

[+TeamPennyFinder]

The BowTie one is the other one I was talking about. Looks cool. But this is a new one that just started dropping this morning. It is the Power T artwork which is closer to me. Looks like they are still dropping as the T is not fully formed yet. But when finished it will make 2 artworks in my general area that I do not have to be driven long distance to.

[+bjmccacher]

I know we wouldn't be allowed, gotta be within 2 miles!

[+Viajero Perdido]

So... Somebody voluntarily put out a whole bunch of caches to add to the local smorgasboard, and you're

 

Pissed off....

[+murrayegger]

Just hide one next to it of a picture of Calvin.....

 

I noticed that geo-art is featured on the blog with the race for 2 Million active caches.

 

I will admit that the ones done with traditionals require more effort and therefore are cooler http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?wp=GC23RZB

 

Our end of the world also has lots of water to draw on which is the cool thing to do:

 

[+TeamPennyFinder]

No, what I was actually pissed about is that the automatic email notices that I got suggested that some of the distances were with in walking distance of where I am. That got me excited as I am disabled with two different types of epilepsy so therefore unable to drive. I have to depend on people to drive me places. The wife works a lot of hours and is tired when she gets home so I rarely ask her to drive me somewhere. I live out in timbuckto with nothing of interest with in walking distance so I sit at home.

 

I am fully capable of walking, after all even if I have a siezure I will not veer off the road and crash into somebody and kill them like if I were to be able to drive.

 

So when these dropped and the reported miles was with in my walking range I was very excited. Then I work the puzzles out and find out that the REAL caches were far out of my walking range I was at first pissed.

 

Got it?

 

What would aleviate things like this is that if the notifications were based on the actual coords of the real cache. Do not show the real coords on the map or tell the real coords in the email. But, "distance to" should be based on the real coords.

[+Ike 13]

What would aleviate things like this is that if the notifications were based on the actual coords of the real cache. Do not show the real coords on the map or tell the real coords in the email. But, "distance to" should be based on the real coords.

That would make puzzles way easier. I could set up 3 notifications for puzzles at 3 different locations all close together and use the distance to triangulate the position and never have to solve the actual puzzle. This is the system that has always been in place and if it's something that you dislike you can always choose not to be notified of unknown caches publishing.

 

Or if you look at the title of the email it will be labeled [GEO] Notify: LocalReviewer published Some New Cache (Unknown cache) it should also mention (Unknown cache) two more times in the actual email including the top line.

Edited February 20, 2013 by IkeHurley13

[+TeamPennyFinder]

You must be way smarter than me if you can triangulate exactly where the true cache would be if the only info you had was the real distance to your home location. After all the real cache could be at any one of the 360 degrees of a compass point. Triangulating three close together unknowns would not give you the answer because the given coords on the map can be allowed to be off by as much as two miles. The three close together could be in opposite directions from one another as for the real cache coords.

 

Or am I missing something?

[+murrayegger]

 

Or am I missing something?

You can centre a notification anywhere you want, not just near your home location.

[+bflentje]

Somebody has always got to be whining about something or another. Will it ever stop?

 

- whining about whining.

[+TeamPennyFinder]

Would it still be whining if I turn it into a suggestion?

[+Lil Devil]

The only suggestion here is if you don't want to deal with puzzles, then don't set up notifications for them. Stick to traditionals and you won't be disappointed.

[+BBWolf+3Pigs]

The only suggestion here is if you don't want to deal with puzzles, then don't set up notifications for them. Stick to traditionals and you won't be disappointed.

 

And GC should make sure the actual cache is within the 2 miles of posted coordinates as laid out in the guidelines.

[+TeamPennyFinder]

No, I do not want to rule out puzzles as the wife and I love the puzzle caches (when she has time).

[+Don_J]

Just hide one next to it of a picture of Calvin.....

 

I noticed that geo-art is featured on the blog with the race for 2 Million active caches.

 

I will admit that the ones done with traditionals require more effort and therefore are cooler http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?wp=GC23RZB

 

Our end of the world also has lots of water to draw on which is the cool thing to do:

 

 

I don't know? Drawing puzzle caches on the map seems kind of watered down, no pun intended. Especially when the puzzles practically have the solution flashing on the cache page. Now, even someone's puzzle stats mean nothing. I no longer have to think that cachers with high puzzle finds are smarter than me.

[+Don_J]

Would it still be whining if I turn it into a suggestion?

 

If you did it without the actual whining, no.

[+Don_J]

No, I do not want to rule out puzzles as the wife and I love the puzzle caches (when she has time).

 

Depending on what mail program you use, perhaps you can set it up to have your "Unknown" cache notification filtered into a special folder. That way you won't get unnecessarily excited when you see a new notification in your main folder. Each notification has a name that you give it. That name is included in the email. Name your notification something that you can easily filter on.

[4wheelin_fool]

The only suggestion here is if you don't want to deal with puzzles, then don't set up notifications for them. Stick to traditionals and you won't be disappointed.

 

And GC should make sure the actual cache is within the 2 miles of posted coordinates as laid out in the guidelines.

 

These appear to be promoting a commercial business by drawing a pretty picture of a Chevrolet bowtie on the map, as well as being outside of the 3 mile range from the icon to do it. Perhaps someone else could now be encouraged to draw a Toyota emblem, or perhaps a giant McDonalds M... I would expect that if the guidelines would be so blatantly violated there would be a good reason for it, but a Chevy symbol?

[+EscapeFromFlatland]

The only suggestion here is if you don't want to deal with puzzles, then don't set up notifications for them. Stick to traditionals and you won't be disappointed.

 

And GC should make sure the actual cache is within the 2 miles of posted coordinates as laid out in the guidelines.

 

These appear to be promoting a commercial business by drawing a pretty picture of a Chevrolet bowtie on the map, as well as being outside of the 3 mile range from the icon to do it. Perhaps someone else could now be encouraged to draw a Toyota emblem, or perhaps a giant McDonalds M... I would expect that if the guidelines would be so blatantly violated there would be a good reason for it, but a Chevy symbol?

 

There are several sports team emblems in geo art, that seems to be commercial to me, as well. (Pro sports is all about making money for a small group of owners).

[+EscapeFromFlatland]

The only suggestion here is if you don't want to deal with puzzles, then don't set up notifications for them. Stick to traditionals and you won't be disappointed.

 

And GC should make sure the actual cache is within the 2 miles of posted coordinates as laid out in the guidelines.

 

So then quit complaining. You can do the darn cache with your wife.

[+TeamPennyFinder]

Thank You for that pearl of wisdom brama that I already knew. Read the whole thread carefully and I think you may see that I was upset at first but then got over it when the artwork rules were explained to me. No, I am not brand new to geocaching but was unfamiliar with that type cache. You learn something new everyday or you just spend life spinning your wheels.

 

BTW, what you directed directly at me makes no sense following the ones you quoted which were not me.