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Getting caches archived


diorex

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There seems to be a problem with getting caches archived in my area.

 

No one likes going out to look for a cache only to find once they are at GZ that the last 5 people who looked did not find it and that the cache owner has not logged on for over a year or that people who previously found it are openly stating it is no longer there, yet these caches seem to sit there for months after archive requests are put in - long after it is clear they are not going to be maintained.

 

I understand that you want to give a CO some time to maintain the cache etc. and that not every DNF means its not there, but the other extreme is just as bad.

 

Take a brand new cacher who is maybe using their phone or just getting used to a gps to try out our game, they go out and search and dont find anything at several caches. Remember how hard it was as a newbie? Now compound that with the fact that many caches in some areas simply are not there to be found and frustration grows and they leave the game.

 

That was me, I DNF'ed 5 caches on my first day - all but 1 were not there to be found... I almost quit before I even got started and maybe that is why I am more sensitive to this issue than some others might be.

 

As an example of the severity and magnitude - I am in the process of ignoring over 50 of the 1000 closest traditional caches due to no maintenance, lots of DNFs in a row after lots of finds without any DNFs, clearly abandoned, or otherwise a waste of my time to visit these locations based on reading the logs - I am not ignoring the gosh that was hard to find types just the ones that the logs show they are clearly no longer there. Small sample, but that means 5% of the caches near me are not there...

 

In my opinion, it is easy enough to unarchive (or relist) a falsely archived cache but it is almost impossible to get a newbie to come back to the game if they have bad experiences. The negative effects of one choice are clearly greater than the other.

 

Perhaps create a new category for caches called "orphaned caches" that are hidden from search results (just like temporarily offline caches are) so that others in the area can adopt a cache before it ispermanently archived. Some clearly deserve to be kept alive (think GC## caches) for historical reasons. So archiving may not be the best answer, but keeping them active is also the wrong answer...

 

Anyone have a good explanation for why these caches dont get sent to cache heaven? Any good rationale I have not thought of as to why caches should wait months to be archived when maintenance is not coming?

 

Not trying to attack reviewer/volunteers - I would be happy to help out if asked and appreciate the work they do - just trying to get some resolution to what I see as a problem.

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No one likes going out to look for a cache only to find once they are at GZ that the last 5 people who looked did not find it and that the cache owner has not logged on for over a year or that people who previously found it are openly stating it is no longer there...

Sorry, but aren't you supposed to check this sort of thing BEFORE making the decision to go look for the cache?

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I haven't seen this in the area where I live, so perhaps it is a regional thing? If the "Needs Archived" flags are standing for as long as you say they are, then your local/regional reviewer is probably MIA or overworked and still trying to catch up. I know that most (if not all) of the reviewers are responsible for large geographic areas, plus they are only volunteers whom also have jobs, families, and lives. Hopefully they are able to catch up quickly.

 

I would like the idea of adopting an orphaned cache, but Groundspeak won't do it without the permission of the original owner--even when they are completely gone from the game. The best we can hope for is that the "geolitter" gets cleaned up and the listing gets archived so new caches can be placed.

 

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A contributing issue is the reluctance on the part of many cachers to place a needs archived log on caches that are in bad shape and are clearly not being maintained. No one wants to hurt the feelings of a cache owner but ignoring poorly maintained caches results in the situation you have mentioned, and that others talk about.

 

I'm not suggesting writing need archived logs on every cache that you cannot find or that has a damp log book. But if there are repeated needs maintenance logs on the cache page, someone needs to escalate the issue. A needs archived log brings it to a reviewer's attention. If it turns out that a needs archived log has been posted in error, the reviewer can sort that out. And if a cache is archived in error, the reviewer can correct that.

 

There is the special case of caches belonging to cachers who have been deployed for service outside the country. Reviewers will usually cut them a break and members of the community will often step in to repair or replace a cache that is in need.

 

I hope this is helpful.

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I have to give a lot of credit to the reviewers in our area. They are very, very responsive to requests to archive if it is justified. And we appreciate it when they do take care of them. I do believe the greater responsibility lies with cachers who don't like to post NA logs. Not sure why they won't do that, but perhaps your reviewers would be responsive if people posted a "needs archived." A cache that has had a number of DNFs and NMs, and has gotten no response from the CO over a period of times deserves a "needs archived" log.

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I have to give a lot of credit to the reviewers in our area. They are very, very responsive to requests to archive if it is justified. And we appreciate it when they do take care of them. I do believe the greater responsibility lies with cachers who don't like to post NA logs. Not sure why they won't do that, but perhaps your reviewers would be responsive if people posted a "needs archived." A cache that has had a number of DNFs and NMs, and has gotten no response from the CO over a period of times deserves a "needs archived" log.

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How do you submit a 'Needs archived' note. I can't figure out how to do it and theres a cache in my area that has 6 DNF Logs on it.

It should be one of the options under the "log your visit" button.

Keep in mind, that just because it has 6 DNFs doesn't necessarily mean it needs archived. It may just be hard to find.

Edited by Kacher82
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How do you submit a 'Needs archived' note. I can't figure out how to do it and theres a cache in my area that has 6 DNF Logs on it.

It should be one of the options under the "log your visit" button.

Keep in mind, that just because it has 6 DNFs doesn't necessarily mean it needs archived. It may just be hard to find.

And also keep in mind that in most cases, even when a bunch of DNFs means something, they mean that the cache needs maintenance. A cache only needs to be archived after it becomes clear it isn't going to be maintained. Although not impossible, it is very unurual to be able to reach this conclusion based on 6 DNFs if a needs maintenance hasn't been filed yet.

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Same problem with a cacher in my area. LOTS of DNF caches. I even go look for those ones just in case it's there but harder to find. Will go out several times looking, then ask CO to check it. I have even gone to some DNF's that haven't been found for 2+ years.. At that point I post a needs archived note.....

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