What Irks you most?

[+MysteryGuy1]

Since I can't seem to edit my last post, I'll just add one more...

 

4. Hints that don't tell you anything useful. I had two DNFs today where the hint was a description of the container. How does that help me narrow down my search?

[+orienteeer]

i don't use a phone, i copy GC codes from my computer to my GPSr. but i've had this happen 3 times in the past year: i locate a cache, sign the log, then come home to post my find. what??? the cache is no longer on the site??? no indicator saying it's been archived or disabled, just no longer on the map! what's up with that?

[+TriciaG]

i don't use a phone, i copy GC codes from my computer to my GPSr. but i've had this happen 3 times in the past year: i locate a cache, sign the log, then come home to post my find. what??? the cache is no longer on the site??? no indicator saying it's been archived or disabled, just no longer on the map! what's up with that?

You should still be able to get to it via a direct link: http://coord.info/[insert GC code here]

Very, VERY rarely are cache listings entirely removed from the website, so they should still be around.

[+KatnissRue]

I hate it when someone publishes a cache series of all pill bottles

[+Manville Possum]

I hate it when someone publishes a cache series of all pill bottles

 

Yes, so do I. It almost makes me glad the VDOT banned guardrail hides here in Virginia to keep out the so-called geoart that is nothing more than a pill bottle with a soggy wad of paper every 528 feet along a highway.

[+Harry Dolphin]

I hate it when someone publishes a cache series of all pill bottles

 

There's a series nearby, two-hundred-somewhat caches along a county highway. All are listed as small. Most, if not all, are micros: MKH, pill bottles &c. Many are throw downs, since the CO relies on other cachers to replace missing caches.

[+FunnyNose]

I hate it when someone publishes a cache series of all pill bottles

 

There's a series nearby, two-hundred-somewhat caches along a county highway. All are listed as small. Most, if not all, are micros: MKH, pill bottles &c. Many are throw downs, since the CO relies on other cachers to replace missing caches.

 

That is sad..

[Boomhawr]

Right now it's Garmin's Birdseye that irks me. Think I wasted my money. Have to load up tiny areas at a time, and each area is taking over an hour to load. Over 6 little areas so far just to cover the lake.

 

Now I find that I can only fit 9 areas in the GPS memory, so I have to get a memory card. Grrr.

Edited December 24, 2015 by Boomhawr

[Shootinstar1960]

Others who pack the container with business cards. There's usually precious little space, and yet folks think this is a good way to advertise for their business.

[Shootinstar1960]

I absolutely HATE when I'm 2 miles into the woods on hiking trails and there is precious caching space wasted on micros. You could successfully hide a car in some of the places I hike, yet I repeatedly find my self searching for incredibly long periods of time for a film container. Put some thought into your cache and make it truly worthwhile for those who are willing to make the journey to it.

 

 

I totally agree. I've searched for some micros in the woods battling mosquitos, briars, and heaven knows what, only to come back empty handed. I've often said to myself "do they want me to find them, or not".

[+Dread_Pirate_Bruce]

I absolutely HATE when I'm 2 miles into the woods on hiking trails and there is precious caching space wasted on micros. You could successfully hide a car in some of the places I hike, yet I repeatedly find my self searching for incredibly long periods of time for a film container. Put some thought into your cache and make it truly worthwhile for those who are willing to make the journey to it.

 

 

I totally agree. I've searched for some micros in the woods battling mosquitos, briars, and heaven knows what, only to come back empty handed. I've often said to myself "do they want me to find them, or not".

 

I agree somewhat. While a large cache might be successfully hidden, carrying a large cache that far might not be practical.

 

If my goal is to take you somewhere special and I can successfully hide a big cache I will. But, if my goal is to make your hike a bit more fun by providing periodic distractions or to encourage people to hike a given trail, I'll likely hide several smaller caches since smaller caches are easier to carry. I'll rarely make a cache harder to find than is necessary to keep it from being muggled.

[+Dread_Pirate_Bruce]

What irks me: I was on a trail through the mountains that is heavily populated with caches. I did not read descriptions or logs for all of the ones I was hoping to find. I found several. Then there was one I couldn't find. At that point, I pulled up the description and past logs. It turns out the cache was missing; the cache owner had left the area; the last logged attempt to find the cache was 6 months before; and the CO had posted a log note asking that someone replace the cache. I posted a NA because it did not appear likely it would be replaced. I reasoned that the only way it would be replaced was if (1) someone made a special trip after discovering the cache was gone, (2) someone read logs for a lot of caches before going on a hike, thereby discovering the cache was missing, or (3) someone had a spare container. Since that had not happened in 6 months, I figured it wouldn't.

 

The CO archived the cache and chastised my for the NA.

[Boomhawr]

I absolutely HATE when I'm 2 miles into the woods on hiking trails and there is precious caching space wasted on micros. You could successfully hide a car in some of the places I hike, yet I repeatedly find my self searching for incredibly long periods of time for a film container. Put some thought into your cache and make it truly worthwhile for those who are willing to make the journey to it.

 

 

I totally agree. I've searched for some micros in the woods battling mosquitos, briars, and heaven knows what, only to come back empty handed. I've often said to myself "do they want me to find them, or not".

 

I agree somewhat. While a large cache might be successfully hidden, carrying a large cache that far might not be practical.

 

It doesn't have to be ammo can caches. Just maybe half the size of boot or so. You can fit several of those in a day pack, and hike them out there. Light plastic containers, with out a lot of "swag" and stuff when you first set them out don't way much. Maybe FTF coins or something in each. But, yeah, those tiny little micros, like the ones no bigger than the end of my pinky, are ridiculous out in the woods.

[+dprovan]

I posted a NA because it did not appear likely it would be replaced. I reasoned that the only way it would be replaced was if (1) someone made a special trip after discovering the cache was gone, (2) someone read logs for a lot of caches before going on a hike, thereby discovering the cache was missing, or (3) someone had a spare container. Since that had not happened in 6 months, I figured it wouldn't.

 

The CO archived the cache and chastised my for the NA.

Don't be irked, just move on: the CO confirmed your suggestion that the cache should be archived by archiving the cache, and then chastised you for...what? Being right? Some people don't get it. Don't worry about it. The right thing happened because of your actions. Good job.

[Boomhawr]

Hiked 4 miles to get to a cache that had a TB listed on it's inventory just to get the travel bug, and it wasn't there. (then it started raining on me on the way back). Someone "discovered it" a few MONTHS ago, but didn't log a "took" or relocate it.

[+KatnissRue]

I hate it when someone publishes a cache series of all pill bottles

 

There's a series nearby, two-hundred-somewhat caches along a county highway. All are listed as small. Most, if not all, are micros: MKH, pill bottles &c. Many are throw downs, since the CO relies on other cachers to replace missing caches.

Because of people like this, I made it my goal to not make a boring cache series. I have a series of six right now, each with a different container and setting. A silver lining I guess...

[+SwineFlew]

Right now it's Garmin's Birdseye that irks me. Think I wasted my money. Have to load up tiny areas at a time, and each area is taking over an hour to load. Over 6 little areas so far just to cover the lake.

 

Now I find that I can only fit 9 areas in the GPS memory, so I have to get a memory card. Grrr.

They are handy for off the trail caches. I know a group that did the trail of the gods, they downloaded the birdseye of the whole part. They said it was very handly. Took alot of guess work out.

[+Viajero Perdido]

<aside>

Right now it's Garmin's Birdseye that irks me. Think I wasted my money.

I know an app for phone caching that does the equivalent, loads up satellite images, in your choice of two different ways. Both for free, and quick too. (Well, the app is a few bucks, that's all.)

</aside>

 

It irks me when I take effort to move a trackable very close to its goal (I dropped a Japan-bound TB in Korea, country next door), then somebody grabs it and takes it home to Europe. So much for close to the goal. I'd even written JAPAN on masking tape I attached to the tag...

 

I think I just gave up on TBs once and for all.

Edited December 26, 2015 by Viajero Perdido

[Boomhawr]

<aside>

Right now it's Garmin's Birdseye that irks me. Think I wasted my money.

I know an app for phone caching that does the equivalent, loads up satellite images, in your choice of two different ways. Both for free, and quick too. (Well, the app is a few bucks, that's all.)

</aside>

 

 

oh, thanks. What app is that?

[+Viajero Perdido]

See my signature. There are two add-ons of interest: map tweak and satellite images.

 

On sale right now too. Enjoy.

 

<on-topic>

It irks me when a hide requires you to be in an awkward spot, in a muggle-rich area, and you can't see the muggles coming until BUSTED. How can you even use stealth? Bring a spotter?

</on-topic>

Edited December 27, 2015 by Viajero Perdido

[+The Rat]

This thread is so long that I'm sure the majority of things that irk me have been mentioned, so I'll mention something that very well might not have been mentioned: poorly written cache pages, and by that I mean ones with bad grammar and spelling or are sloppy or careless about facts. When geocaching was new around here, circa 2002, if someone had a misspelling on a cache page, someone (me, for example) would mention that in a log or note, or might email the CO, who would be expected to edit the cache page properly. People still do that on rare occasion, especially if it's a puzzle and the edit is important to the solution, but for the most part that is now considered bad form. If people are too lazy to use a spell-checker and are semi-literate, that's now OK because "it's just for fun." That's the same mindset that gives every player on the kid's soccer team a trophy and every student gets an A, at least if a parent goes in and complains. I'm sure inaccurate coordinates must have been mentioned, but there are other kinds of inaccuracy or sloppiness that are irksome. For example, the other day we were looking for a cache where the hint said the cache was on the right side of the trail. The trail was a loop! "Right" depends on whether you choose to do it clockwise or counterclockwise.

Edited December 27, 2015 by The Rat

[Boomhawr]

The Rat, you mean like this? "For others devices is suitable set up navigate to the center of zone (if this is allowed by setting)."

[+orienteeer]

i don't use a phone, i copy GC codes from my computer to my GPSr. but i've had this happen 3 times in the past year: i locate a cache, sign the log, then come home to post my find. what??? the cache is no longer on the site??? no indicator saying it's been archived or disabled, just no longer on the map! what's up with that?

You should still be able to get to it via a direct link: http://coord.info/[insert GC code here]

Very, VERY rarely are cache listings entirely removed from the website, so they should still be around.

[+orienteeer]

ok, i'll try it. thanks!

[+TriciaG]

This doesn't irk me "most," but it IS a minor irk. Here's the Retrieve log from a TB I'm watching:

 

[^] [^] [^] Happy Holidays from your trackable!

Thanks from [GCName], Platinum EarthCache Master, 1700+ hides, and the Hosts of 40+ Geocaching Events, logged 19,700+ trackables. Happy travels!

And We Geocached/Smiled/Lived/Loved/Logged/and Laughter Happily Ever~after [^][^] 44,400+Finds

That irked me a bit, because there's NO info about the trackable or the cache. I went to the cache page to see what they had logged there. So far, they haven't logged the cache the TB was retrieved from. (Their cache logs from that day were all in a neighboring state, though.) Their other cache logs are all generic, aside from posting about TB drops/retrievals/swaps. At least they do that much.

[+cerberus1]

This doesn't irk me "most," but it IS a minor irk. Here's the Retrieve log from a TB I'm watching:

 

[^] [^] [^] Happy Holidays from your trackable!

Thanks from [GCName], Platinum EarthCache Master, 1700+ hides, and the Hosts of 40+ Geocaching Events, logged 19,700+ trackables. Happy travels!

And We Geocached/Smiled/Lived/Loved/Logged/and Laughter Happily Ever~after [^][^] 44,400+Finds

That irked me a bit, because there's NO info about the trackable or the cache. I went to the cache page to see what they had logged there. So far, they haven't logged the cache the TB was retrieved from. (Their cache logs from that day were all in a neighboring state, though.) Their other cache logs are all generic, aside from posting about TB drops/retrievals/swaps. At least they do that much.

 

Weird to see others with the same type. Thought the (few) in my area were rare... Guess not.

I usually go by logs for info on whether the cache is worth the trip, but with logs of only their stats with rankings (and links to look...) , they don't help anyone else much.

- They often leave selfies too with a huge pic of them, blocking out all but a sliver visable of what was referenced.

[+LFC4eva]

What irks me most?..

 

Well, today it is geo-snobbery..

 

Experienced geocachers who have placed tens, if not hundreds of poorly placed geocaches over the years and then have the cheek to call similar placements by newbies "grotty"

 

Newbies learn from experience and if all they are finding is "grotty" caches.. then they won't know any better. Instead of griping, get off your high horse and lead by example!

[+Lost In Europe]

What irks me as a cache owner?

 

When a newbie logs a “Needs Maintenance” or “Needs Archived” just because they couldn’t find it. BUT the cache is there and it’s fine. There needs to be a minimum number of finds before someone can use these log types…

 

OR

 

Cachers writes “Logbook is so wet that I couldn’t use it” BUT the logbook is a Rite in the Rain notebook. Hmmmmm

 

OR

 

Cachers writes, “Cache is completely wet inside.” Really?! It’s a pelican box; all you have to do is close it and like magic it will stay dry....

 

OK, I feel better now that I got that off my chest…

[+ArtieD]

This doesn't irk me "most," but it IS a minor irk. Here's the Retrieve log from a TB I'm watching:

 

[^] [^] [^] Happy Holidays from your trackable!

Thanks from [GCName], Platinum EarthCache Master, 1700+ hides, and the Hosts of 40+ Geocaching Events, logged 19,700+ trackables. Happy travels!

And We Geocached/Smiled/Lived/Loved/Logged/and Laughter Happily Ever~after [^][^] 44,400+Finds

That irked me a bit, because there's NO info about the trackable or the cache. I went to the cache page to see what they had logged there. So far, they haven't logged the cache the TB was retrieved from. (Their cache logs from that day were all in a neighboring state, though.) Their other cache logs are all generic, aside from posting about TB drops/retrievals/swaps. At least they do that much.

 

I tend to have disdain for anyone who feels the need to advertise like that.

[+NatiBuckeye]

Cincinnati area is full of parks and beautiful areas of interest. Yet, when you pull up the map the highest concentration areas are shopping malls. Doesn't that completely defeat the purpose? I will fully support well hidden urban caches. However a light post in a Wendys parking lot...

[+funkymunkyzone]

What irks me is

...

4-Cachers complaining about puzzle caches, challenge caches etc,

If you don't like them or don't want to put time into them just ignore them.

5-Power Trails, LPC, Guardrails

...

Oh that made me lol

[+Team Microdot]

What irks me most?..

 

Well, today it is geo-snobbery..

 

Experienced geocachers who have placed tens, if not hundreds of poorly placed geocaches over the years and then have the cheek to call similar placements by newbies "grotty"

 

I wonder if they are the same sorts of people who, realising full well that they are publishing a pointless cache in pointless location, write on the cache page that negative logs will be deleted?

[+hzoi]

Cincinnati area is full of parks and beautiful areas of interest. Yet, when you pull up the map the highest concentration areas are shopping malls. Doesn't that completely defeat the purpose? I will fully support well hidden urban caches. However a light post in a Wendys parking lot...

Look on the bright side -- that means all the more good places for you to hide caches, then.

[+The Magna Defender]

What irks me most?..

 

Well, today it is geo-snobbery..

 

Experienced geocachers who have placed tens, if not hundreds of poorly placed geocaches over the years and then have the cheek to call similar placements by newbies "grotty"

 

I wonder if they are the same sorts of people who, realising full well that they are publishing a pointless cache in pointless location, write on the cache page that negative logs will be deleted?

 

What irks me most?

 

Hypocrisy.

[+Team Microdot]

What irks me most?..

 

Well, today it is geo-snobbery..

 

Experienced geocachers who have placed tens, if not hundreds of poorly placed geocaches over the years and then have the cheek to call similar placements by newbies "grotty"

 

I wonder if they are the same sorts of people who, realising full well that they are publishing a pointless cache in pointless location, write on the cache page that negative logs will be deleted?

 

What irks me most?

 

Hypocrisy.

 

My point exactly

 

Criticising particular caches while owning the same type of cache yourself is pretty poor.

 

Writing those negative logs while simultaneously threatening to delete negative logs on your own caches at the same time is hypocrisy.

 

Glad I'm not alone in thinking this way

[+RadioactiveToad]

What would you consider a Deadly Sin in geocaching? What irks you most? I'm compiling a list for an event...

When a cache hasn't been published but the cache owner tells a geocaching friend where it is and they score the ftf before the reviewer gets to it.

That's pretty annoying to me.

[+dprovan]

When a cache hasn't been published but the cache owner tells a geocaching friend where it is and they score the ftf before the reviewer gets to it.

That's pretty annoying to me.

Doesn't bother me. If I suspect that's what happened and I'm the first to find it after it's published, I'll just claim FTF anyway. It doesn't matter to me if someone else thinks they deserve it.

[+funkymunkyzone]

Finding a cache on Jan 1st 2016 but having the website tell me I can't post a log "that far into the future".

[+on4bam]

Finding a cache on Jan 1st 2016 but having the website tell me I can't post a log "that far into the future".

 

That's just proof GC is living in the past

[+Twentse Mug]

Demanding extensive logs on a cache as a cache-owner but writing copy-paste logs ("tx to all cache-owners") themselves.

[+The Rat]

The Rat, you mean like this? "For others devices is suitable set up navigate to the center of zone (if this is allowed by setting)."

That's a good one, Boomhawr. Actually I would probably give that one a pass as someone for whom English is a second (or third or fourth) language. I was thinking more like this (fake) one:

My intrest was peeked by the history of this cemetary and I desided to hide a cache here. The cache is a film cannister behind a big bolder. Its' in plane site but has good camoflodge. Don't loose it. It took me two trys to get it to stay they're.

 

Italics added for the grammatically challenged.

[+kunarion]

Its' in plane site but has good camoflodge. Don't loose it.

I once dabbled in web site programming, and online scripts have typos, grammatical errors, and even casual cursing (uncool for a church site I worked on). A few times, I offered to correct the language in exchange for a free script. Nobody took me up on the offer. They are certain their ESL is flawless.

 

The high difficulty level puzzles, with errors on the cache page, wreak havoc for me. One never-found cache had a list of items numbered as "#1, #2, #3, #4, ##5, #6". Aha! "##5" must mean it's not a numbered list as I originally thought! So I worked on that for a long time -- what could the extra symbol mean? Then I asked the Cache Owner, who replied that it is a typo. In fact there was no need to have "#" at the beginning of each number.

 

So I now scan that CO's puzzles, and if it looks like there's an mistake, there's an mistake. That puzzle goes to the bottom of the pile.

Edited January 1, 2016 by kunarion

[Boomhawr]

So I now scan that CO's puzzles, and if it looks like there's an mistake, there's an mistake. That puzzle goes to the bottom of the pile.

 

Now, I'm no gramer teacher, but I'm pretty sure it should be A mistake, not AN mistake. So my question is: Typo or sarcasm?

[+Traditional Bill]

This doesn't irk me "most," but it IS a minor irk. Here's the Retrieve log from a TB I'm watching:

 

[^] [^] [^] Happy Holidays from your trackable!

Thanks from [GCName], Platinum EarthCache Master, 1700+ hides, and the Hosts of 40+ Geocaching Events, logged 19,700+ trackables. Happy travels!

And We Geocached/Smiled/Lived/Loved/Logged/and Laughter Happily Ever~after [^][^] 44,400+Finds

That irked me a bit, because there's NO info about the trackable or the cache. I went to the cache page to see what they had logged there. So far, they haven't logged the cache the TB was retrieved from. (Their cache logs from that day were all in a neighboring state, though.) Their other cache logs are all generic, aside from posting about TB drops/retrievals/swaps. At least they do that much.

 

I tend to have disdain for anyone who feels the need to advertise like that.

 

Me too. People who feel the need to gloat about their high numbers and/or stats in their logs are particularly irksome to me. Like those copy and paste logs that say something to the effect of "Your cache has become find #13,573 in the caching history of (power cacher). That's 200 finds for today with 0 DNFs. Thanks to all of the COs for placing and maintaining these smilies for all to find!". Hate those logs.

 

There's a cacher who used to cache in my local area who would post needs maintenance logs whenever he couldn't find a cache with the log almost always ending with "Cachers want to find caches....Not look for them! Caches that can be found are good caches!"

 

Thankfully, he doesn't cache around here anymore.

 

*Edited for a typo

Edited January 1, 2016 by Traditional Bill

[Boomhawr]

hmm. well, I post the number the find is, but it's more for myself, and just to not have the comments box blank. BUT, I don't think you can really call a piddly little 50 caches "gloating". Not how I intended it to come across. But I see your point.

[+kunarion]

So I now scan that CO's puzzles, and if it looks like there's an mistake, there's an mistake. That puzzle goes to the bottom of the pile.

 

Now, I'm no gramer teacher, but I'm pretty sure it should be A mistake, not AN mistake. So my question is: Typo or sarcasm?

Great catch! My post seemed to be a little wordy, so I cut-and-pasted, and where there once was a word starting with a vowel, it started with a consonant. So now, yeah, it's an mistake .

 

My cache pages require plenty of polishing after posting. I'll see something like "an mistake" in the text, and fix it. Maybe introduce a new mistake. Eventually, I'm happy with the corrections. They didn't affect the cache, except to make the description easier to understand. I don't profess to be perfect, but I also don't expect others to find the mistakes. I fix them as I find them (on my caches). If it's a difficult puzzle, that's especially important. Many CO's don't update, nor correct, their cache pages. If you've tried that, you know fixing a cache page is a tedious process. But it must be done.

 

Also, I review my Forum posts, to see if I expressed my intent, and will often correct a wayward word -- if it has not been quoted already.

Edited January 1, 2016 by kunarion

[+on4bam]

I'm no gramer teacher,

 

English isn't my first language nor my second but I believe you

[Boomhawr]

I'm no gramer teacher,

 

English isn't my first language nor my second but I believe you

 

So ya see what I did there then?

 

Hey, I gadiated 8th grade. I know what I'm talking about.

[+vw_k]

This has probably been mentioned before but cachers who don't log DNFs! How are people supposed to know if there is a potential problem with the cache? I have DNFed caches whose last logs were "found it" several months previously but the caches on the trail either side of them have been found plenty of times in the past month. This makes me think that people have searched for it but not DNFed it, so a cache has been missing for months without the owner being alerted to the problem! Of course this means the net cacher to come along will be wasting their time looking for it too.

[+on4bam]

This has probably been mentioned before but cachers who don't log DNFs!

 

It's worse when they log founds on caches that have disappeared.