Cache Maintenance

[+TriciaG]

I'm with you and Justin, Lone.R. Thing is, I don't advertise it very often in the forums. It's easier to just toodle along doing what needs to be done than it is to sit here defending myself.

[+justintim1999]

I didn't place the cache, I only find or not find it. I don't expect anyone to look after my caches, in fact I would rather a NM posted than someone trying to fix my "stuff up" because I did not get the cache right in the first place.

So therefore, if the cache I find that is not my own and needs some TLC, depending on the amount, the first option is message the owner. The second, and the one more finders should be using, is the NM.

 

It is not my job to prop up somebody else's cache for any reason. If it is damaged or wrong or funky, NM it. Watch it and if nothing happens, NA it and let someone else have a go. Let's start to clean the game up and get rid of propped up caches!

 

I agree with everything you say. How long after the Needs Maintenance would you wait to post a Need archived?

 

I give it 1 month.

But if the cache owner isn't playing anymore and hasn't played in a year or more, I might give it 2 weeks since it's pretty much pointless to prolong the NA.

 

This sounds tedious - many cachers find dozens of caches each month. So on a given day they post NM. Now they should put this on their calendar or tickler file to post the NA after the acceptable number of weeks wait?? Or is this best left for the next Cacher or reviewer to do?

 

If you feel the cache is not being maintained or is abandoned what's wrong with taking the initiative and getting it fixed up or removed? Let's not leave it for the next cacher or expect reviewers to do our job for us.

 

Yes it can be a little tedious but to improve the quality of caches out there people need to start stepping up and stop worrying about offending everyone. As a cache owner I welcome NM"s. I see them as a responsible cacher helping me keep my caches in order. I'd actually be disappointed if there was something wrong with one of my caches and they didn't say anything.

 

Use NM's & NA's wisely but use them.

 

Thank you justin1999.

 

Yesterday I felt that a couple of responses questioned my mental health for wanting to help improve the quality of caches in the places I cache. I was ready to throw in the towel and stop bothering to log NMs and NAs. What's the point if most people seem not to care about the growing problem of abandoned set-em-and-forget-em caches.

 

Thankfully there are a few cachers who still care about quality and will say so in the forums, at the risk of being labelled with the derisive term "cache cop".

I'm fortunate that the reviewer who normally handles my NAs seems to value my contribution. I've never felt I've overstepped even though I tend to log a lot of NAs, 76 in 2015, 74 are now archived. 2 are currently active. 1 replaced with a better container (gave it a fav point when I went back to find it); the other one replaced by the owner - lasted 5 months then went missing again, currently 8 DNFs in a row over 3 months, 1 NM, no response from the owner.

 

Going through my NMs and posting NAs when there is no response from cache owners, is easy:

• Go to https://www.geocaching.com/my/default.aspx
• Click the "Geocaches" link in the "Quick View" links at the top of the page
• Click the "Needs Maintenance" link in the "Show" field under "Your Geocaching Logs This Month"
• You get a handy list of the all of the NMs you posted with dates

 

I never understood the term "cache cop". In a sense aren't we all suppose to be one? I thought the caching community was suppose to keep an eye out for un-maintained caches and absentee owners. Reviewers can only do so much. After all were the ones on the ground finding these poor neglected things.

 

If expecting someone to follow through with what they agreed to do when they placed the cache makes me a "cache cop" than I'd probably be the chief by now.

[Duskywing]

 

Thank you justin1999.

 

Yesterday I felt that a couple of responses questioned my mental health for wanting to help improve the quality of caches in the places I cache. I was ready to throw in the towel and stop bothering to log NMs and NAs. What's the point if most people seem not to care about the growing problem of abandoned set-em-and-forget-em caches.

 

Thankfully there are a few cachers who still care about quality and will say so in the forums, at the risk of being labelled with the derisive term "cache cop".

I'm fortunate that the reviewer who normally handles my NAs seems to value my contribution. I've never felt I've overstepped even though I tend to log a lot of NAs, 76 in 2015, 74 are now archived. 2 are currently active. 1 replaced with a better container (gave it a fav point when I went back to find it); the other one replaced by the owner - lasted 5 months then went missing again, currently 8 DNFs in a row over 3 months, 1 NM, no response from the owner.

 

Going through my NMs and posting NAs when there is no response from cache owners, is easy:

• Go to https://www.geocaching.com/my/default.aspx
• Click the "Geocaches" link in the "Quick View" links at the top of the page
• Click the "Needs Maintenance" link in the "Show" field under "Your Geocaching Logs This Month"
• You get a handy list of the all of the NMs you posted with dates

 

Wow that is depressing. Please don't give up!

 

Posts like the OP here make me want to give up on the game as a whole.

OP actually made me feel sick. The ONLY person who is responsible for maintenance is the cache owner. I was going to respond "I hope all this 'maintenance' was done with cache owner permission" but it is clear it is not and its often pointless to point this out to those with this crazy idea. I have nothing against helping a cache owner out but you MUST receive permission before messing with someone else's property. Replacing with a crapy container does nothing to help the game/hobby. Posting a NM lets the cache owner know somethings up with the cache. Maybe even message the owner with more detail, and offer help if they can't get out.

 

The prevalence of crappy containers and even crappier logs (or other content), and the prevalence of this 'lets throw down more crap' attitude (and the rampant trespassing) make me want to throw in the towel because people don't seem to care about anything other than a smiley on a map or their numbers.

 

Some of the attitudes against MN and MA logs are even worse....utterly depressing SOME cache owners can't take them for what they are; a helpful notice something is wrong. Sure some newbies will get it wrong but its not hard to perform a maintenance log and gently let the newbie know the correct use. No need to take offence. Water gets in caches, things happen, go fix it up and move on...if you can't be bothered with visiting the cache once and a while then don't place it (sometimes caches can go YEARS before they get that desperate a MN is finally posted).

 

And thanks for the helpful tip, never thought of looking back through the logs that way.

 

 

I never understood the term "cache cop". In a sense aren't we all suppose to be one? I thought the caching community was suppose to keep an eye out for un-maintained caches and absentee owners. Reviewers can only do so much. After all were the ones on the ground finding these poor neglected things.

 

If expecting someone to follow through with what they agreed to do when they placed the cache makes me a "cache cop" than I'd probably be the chief by now.

 

I agree 100%. In an ideal world all cachers would be. I also thought the caching community was suppose to help each other out, and part of that is alerting owners to issues and removing abandoned caches.

Communicate with cache owners, and if an owner no longer has an interest in the game then adopt out or remove, it will help improve the game for all.

If we lose the small percentage of cachers doing the right thing (posting NM, NA and contacting owners before "helping") then I think I'll lose all hope (and interest) in the game. (as it is I only selectively cache...there's only so many pill bottles and mold I can take)

[+cerberus1]

I believe most here see NM and NA as a simple task that needs to be done within the hobby.

 

I feel it's a completely different mind set however, when one is actually planning a timeframe strategy to return to the cache again for the final kill, as if they're looking forward to it, with some bragging of their "helped archive" records...

[+justintim1999]

I believe most here see NM and NA as a simple task that needs to be done within the hobby.

 

I feel it's a completely different mind set however, when one is actually planning a timeframe strategy to return to the cache again for the final kill, as if they're looking forward to it, with some bragging of their "helped archive" records...

 

Why would a planed, organized effort to remove neglected or abandoned caches be a problem?

 

This type of effort is exactly what we need. It's a stretch to imply someone would be doing this just for kicks. I don't think anyone relishes posting a N/A but sometimes it needs to be done.

 

If someone in my area was doing exactly this, It wouldn't effect me at all because I maintain my caches.

 

On the other hand if I were a lazy cache owner I'd be more than a little concerned.

[+L0ne.R]

I believe most here see NM and NA as a simple task that needs to be done within the hobby.

 

I feel it's a completely different mind set however, when one is actually planning a timeframe strategy to return to the cache again for the final kill, as if they're looking forward to it, with some bragging of their "helped archive" records...

 

If we don't follow up, some places like old cemeteries (my favourite geocaching location) never open up for another hopefully quality cache. Or that spot just ends up with one moldy cache after another, as the CO ignores issues and people throw down junk.

Then throwdowns and set-em-forget-em COs and moldy messy caches become the norm. They already have become the norm in my area.

 

I'm really tired of finding yet another moldy garbage cache, especially in cemeteries that deserve better. What it feels like the CO is saying is... "Here's a beautiful pioneer cemetery and to top off your experience, here's a leaky bison tube with a moldy tattered log that I left 3 months ago and do not intend to return to. Enjoy. If it goes missing please replace it with another tiny leaky cheap container."

 

By not posting or following up with NAs we perpetuate the problem.

Edited August 6, 2016 by L0ne.R