NOT logging online

[+roundnround we go]

Think about it - if nobody logged their finds online and just signed their names in the logbook, why would anybody put out more caches?

 

The letterboxers seem to have managed to keep placing boxes for over a century. Although they do have a motivation of collecting handmade stamp impressions.

 

 

Yes, and look at how much more popular geocaching is than letterboxing. I think you've proved my point, actually.

 

Don't think that really proves a point. Geocachers are more lazy than letterboxes. A true letterbox has a hand made stamp and a story to guide you to the letterbox, for the most part they don't use a GPS at all. Most letterboxes take a lot more time, creativity and work on the part of the box owner than most cachers today are willing to invest. Letterboxers couldn't care less about "their numbers" to them it is all about the journey and collecting others hand hand made stamps in their stamp books. I have looked for a few and enjoyed them more than most urban caches but I have never looked into placing a letterbox mostly because I am not a that good at writing a good story to get you to GZ.

[+tozainamboku]

Think about it - if nobody logged their finds online and just signed their names in the logbook, why would anybody put out more caches?

 

The letterboxers seem to have managed to keep placing boxes for over a century. Although they do have a motivation of collecting handmade stamp impressions.

 

 

Yes, and look at how much more popular geocaching is than letterboxing. I think you've proved my point, actually.

It's hard to estimate how many caches are hidden because the hider wants to get notified every time their cache is found. Certainly many cache owners look forward to the notification, particularly if the logs are not critical of their cache. And I suppose that some people keep track of the number of times their caches are found as if this was some sort of score. This might account for the numbers of urban park and grab hides as they get found more often. And there are also those who want to hide the toughest caches to find who must be looking for the DNF notices. They may prefer this to not see any evidence as to whether their cache was even attempted.

 

However, I believe that there are plenty of people who hide caches without expectation of tons of notifications. Some don't even want the notifications, as seen by the requests from time to time for a way to turn off all the notifications they get from Groundspeak. There are plenty of people who would prefer to hide a geocache and forget it.

 

I imagine the the online find/DNF logs have helped Geocaching grow faster than letterboxing. The online logs do provide a way for the cache owner to know when a cache does or doesn't need maintenance, and even provides seekers with an idea of how likely it is that cache is still there. If in fact we had a sport where nobody shared their experience online (because that capability didn't exist) I suspect that we would look a lot more like letterboxing. However we have a support where many do participate with little or no online interaction - both as finders and hiders. Rather than viewing these people as some sort of parasites, I see them as the real lifeblood. From this group come the people who geocache purely for the fun of it. While some will eventually want to log their finds and have record of their experiences, others will keep a low profile but may share their hobby with others who will become active online. Long term geocaching will not sustain the growth rate of the past 13 years. But the pool of informal, less connected, geocachers will provide a slower letterboxing-like growth that is sustainable.

[+L0ne.R]

Think about it - if nobody logged their finds online and just signed their names in the logbook, why would anybody put out more caches?

 

The letterboxers seem to have managed to keep placing boxes for over a century. Although they do have a motivation of collecting handmade stamp impressions.

 

 

Yes, and look at how much more popular geocaching is than letterboxing. I think you've proved my point, actually.

 

Before stamps, in the 1980s, back in Britain, they used pre-stamped postcards (thus the name letterboxing). Finders would take a postcard, write about their experience and drop it in a letterbox (mailbox) to the letterbox owner.

 

In North America the game started about the same time as geocaching. Stamps were used from the get-go. Old-timers say that they used to get email messages back then. Atlas Quest added the online log feature (I think around 2006). The game has grown quite a lot since the online log feature was added to AQ.

Edited May 20, 2013 by L0ne R

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

Sometimes Iog them, other times I don't. I've been fairly active in the geocaching community for some time and COs aren't surprised when they find my sig in the log but no online record. I rarely cache alone anymore so the others with me logging it is enough. I have not logged about half as many as I have. I cache for fun - sometimes I feel like logging them, sometimes I don't, it's certainly no reflection on or statement about the cache or the CO.

[+J Grouchy]

There are plenty of people who would prefer to hide a geocache and forget it.

 

There are numerous phrases and terms that come to mind when I read this:

"geotrash"

"negligent owner"

"needs maintenance"/"needs archiving"

 

People can PREFER whatever they want, but it is both environmentally irresponsible and goes against the spirit (and written guidelines) of the game. Anyone not willing to do simple tracking, maintenance and upkeep ought not be placing caches at all. Really, why bother if they aren't even interested in how many find it or how they find it? Might as well just bury the thing in a shallow grave and assume some archeologist will uncover it 500 years from now.

[+Chief301]

Might as well just bury the thing in a shallow grave and assume some archeologist will uncover it 500 years from now.

 

Yes, but will he log it?

Edited May 21, 2013 by Chief301