What Irks you most?

January 11, 2018

On ‎1‎/‎9‎/‎2018 at 4:25 PM, niraD said:

Huh... I thought their policy was that cache pages should not be used as a discussion forum, which is what it sounds like was happening. Caches have been archived because the CO didn't/couldn't delete Note logs when the cache page was being used as a discussion forum.

...except people weren't really discussing anything.

January 11, 2018

On ‎12‎/‎3‎/‎2017 at 9:00 AM, L0ne.R said:

I have seen examples in some areas of caches with multiple NAs being ignored, even multiple reviewer notes going on for months even years. Those caches are old pre-2005 and it seems some reviewers don't want to be the guy that archives an old cache.

Years? Really?

Honestly, I wouldn't want to be that guy either. There are Virtual Caches in my area that belong to CO's who haven't Cached in years, and haven't logged into the website in years as well. Their cache description requires Cachers to send them emails to claim a find. There isn't an active CO to maintain the cache page or the logs. If someone posted a NA on those Virtuals based on non-existent COs , I don't think I'd like to be the reviewer to archive said caches.

5.7k · January 11, 2018

38 minutes ago, SeattleWayne said:

Honestly, I wouldn't want to be that guy either. There are Virtual Caches in my area that belong to CO's who haven't Cached in years, and haven't logged into the website in years as well. Their cache description requires Cachers to send them emails to claim a find. There isn't an active CO to maintain the cache page or the logs. If someone posted a NA on those Virtuals based on non-existent COs , I don't think I'd like to be the reviewer to archive said caches.

I'd feel worse being the cacher that posted an NA on one of these old community caches. Imagine if we as cache owners had to check in once a year or our hides would be set in motion for archival due to inactivity. I love these old community caches too, but maybe a shelf life on cache placements would make the game more interesting and create more active members.

5.8k · January 11, 2018

1 hour ago, SeattleWayne said:

If someone posted a NA on those Virtuals based on non-existent COs , I don't think I'd like to be the reviewer to archive said caches.

It happens. Owner inactivity is by far the leading cause for archiving a virtual. For example, I knew that the days were numbered for 16,000,000 Bricks before I even visited Dry Tortuga National Park, which is why I was so keen to get our two earthcaches approved out there. That CO hadn't been around since 2007.

4.6k · January 11, 2018

2 hours ago, Manville Possum said:

3 hours ago, SeattleWayne said:

Honestly, I wouldn't want to be that guy either. There are Virtual Caches in my area that belong to CO's who haven't Cached in years, and haven't logged into the website in years as well. Their cache description requires Cachers to send them emails to claim a find. There isn't an active CO to maintain the cache page or the logs. If someone posted a NA on those Virtuals based on non-existent COs , I don't think I'd like to be the reviewer to archive said caches.

I'd feel worse being the cacher that posted an NA on one of these old community caches. Imagine if we as cache owners had to check in once a year or our hides would be set in motion for archival due to inactivity. I love these old community caches too, but maybe a shelf life on cache placements would make the game more interesting and create more active members.

Seems overly sentimental.

5.7k · January 11, 2018

13 minutes ago, Team Microdot said:

Seems overly sentimental.

No, not sentimental. I was thinking about a recent archival where a noob posted NA on a community cache from 2002 and slowly it was archived due to no response from a inactive CO. I would have hated to have been that noob because of some comments on the cache page and social media. That's all I meant by not wanting to be THAT cacher that upsets the local geocaching community by causin' the death of an oldie.

4.6k · January 11, 2018

10 minutes ago, Manville Possum said:

No, not sentimental. I was thinking about a recent archival where a noob posted NA on a community cache from 2002 and slowly it was archived due to no response from a inactive CO. I would have hated to have been that noob because of some comments on the cache page and social media. That's all I meant by not wanting to be THAT cacher that upsets the local geocaching community by causin' the death of an oldie.

In which case, thank [insert name of chosen deity here] for noobs unfettered by overly sentimental nonsense and shame on those posting presumably offensive comments on the cache page and social media.

4.6k · January 11, 2018

2 hours ago, hzoi said:

It happens. Owner inactivity is by far the leading cause for archiving a virtual. For example, I knew that the days were numbered for 16,000,000 Bricks before I even visited Dry Tortuga National Park, which is why I was so keen to get our two earthcaches approved out there. That CO hadn't been around since 2007.

Glad I found that one (2008), don't remember if the CO replied but I did send answers. (It was my 128th find.

January 12, 2018

3 hours ago, Team Microdot said:

Seems overly sentimental.

:rolleyes:

3 hours ago, Manville Possum said:

No, not sentimental. I was thinking about a recent archival where a noob posted NA on a community cache from 2002 and slowly it was archived due to no response from a inactive CO. I would have hated to have been that noob because of some comments on the cache page and social media. That's all I meant by not wanting to be THAT cacher that upsets the local geocaching community by causin' the death of an oldie.

That's unfortunate.

10.1k · January 14, 2018

And, sometimes, I just wonder... Went looking for some P&Gs recently. Bitter cold wind chill. Two by the same CO were obviously throwdowns. Did not match the photos from three years ago, One had a frozen log. CO has three finds from a few years back. And 103 owned caches. 74 of which have been archived, A power trail that had been hidden, and archived twice. Hidden and archived. Now a fourth power trail in the same place! I had considered going for it, but now I doubt that I would want to try it. What gives here??? Why is this permitted? A few other caches archived and rehidden.

January 15, 2018

On 5/26/2013 at 9:11 AM, 4wheelin_fool said:

Here's one: Morons who hide ammo cans on mountaintops.

First off, they are such a pain to get to. Do you think I have the friggen energy to climb all the way up there? What is wrong with the parking lot at the bottom? Second, being able to look out for several miles can make one dizzy, causing vertigo. Do you even care about the welfare of your fellow cachers? Thirdly, they very rarely need maintenance. This condition breeds lazy owners. A nice film can will draw water on a consistent basis, giving attentive owners a chance to show that they care. They also stimulate other cachers into performing maintenance, showing that they care also. Plus, why hide an ammo can anywhere, when a micro will do? </rant>

LOL!

January 15, 2018

Happy Meal Toys

7.5k · January 16, 2018

3 hours ago, SUV2003 said:

Happy Meal Toys

This makes me want to pitch a fit. Uggggghhhhh Happy Meal Toys, they are so irritating. Found this bobblehead HMT in a cache:

Edited January 16, 2018 by L0ne.R

3.5k · January 16, 2018

On 1/11/2018 at 9:29 AM, SeattleWayne said:

On 1/9/2018 at 4:25 PM, niraD said:

Huh... I thought their policy was that cache pages should not be used as a discussion forum, which is what it sounds like was happening. Caches have been archived because the CO didn't/couldn't delete Note logs when the cache page was being used as a discussion forum.

...except people weren't really discussing anything.

People weren't discussing anything, but also their logs had nothing to do with the specific cache that the WN logs were posted to. Most of those WN's were posted by cachers that weren't even in the same country as the cache on those days (12/31 and 1/1).

That's very odd that it was the Bedazzling View HQ GT cache that received the WN logs. I don't see such WN's on other caches in that GT series, unless they've been deleted. Why did all those cachers choose that cache to post WN's? If they really wanted to send a message of thanks to HQ, then wouldn't the actual GC HQ cache have been a better choice?

4.5k · January 16, 2018

5 hours ago, SUV2003 said:

Happy Meal Toys

Don't mind Happy Meal toys at all, as long as they're in the plastic and/or, in good condition. It's the broken, dirty, junky ones that i dislike coming across.

January 16, 2018

5 hours ago, noncentric said:

Why did all those cachers choose that cache to post WN's?

Because its GC-code was shown on both 12/31 and 1/1 souvenirs. :anicute:

I can't believe HQ choose a random number. For some reason, they wanted cachers paying attention to have a look at this cache.

January 16, 2018

18 hours ago, noncentric said:

People weren't discussing anything, but also their logs had nothing to do with the specific cache that the WN logs were posted to. Most of those WN's were posted by cachers that weren't even in the same country as the cache on those days (12/31 and 1/1).

That's very odd that it was the Bedazzling View HQ GT cache that received the WN logs. I don't see such WN's on other caches in that GT series, unless they've been deleted. Why did all those cachers choose that cache to post WN's? If they really wanted to send a message of thanks to HQ, then wouldn't the actual GC HQ cache have been a better choice?

Yeah, it's some kind of weird geocaching conspiracy.

January 16, 2018

On ‎1‎/‎13‎/‎2018 at 4:12 PM, Harry Dolphin said:

And, sometimes, I just wonder... Went looking for some P&Gs recently. Bitter cold wind chill. Two by the same CO were obviously throwdowns. Did not match the photos from three years ago, One had a frozen log. CO has three finds from a few years back. And 103 owned caches. 74 of which have been archived, A power trail that had been hidden, and archived twice. Hidden and archived. Now a fourth power trail in the same place! I had considered going for it, but now I doubt that I would want to try it. What gives here??? Why is this permitted? A few other caches archived and rehidden.

What exactly are you saying shouldn't be permitted?

14k · January 16, 2018

19 minutes ago, SeattleWayne said:

On 1/13/2018 at 7:12 PM, Harry Dolphin said:

And, sometimes, I just wonder... Went looking for some P&Gs recently. Bitter cold wind chill. Two by the same CO were obviously throwdowns. Did not match the photos from three years ago, One had a frozen log. CO has three finds from a few years back. And 103 owned caches. 74 of which have been archived, A power trail that had been hidden, and archived twice. Hidden and archived. Now a fourth power trail in the same place! I had considered going for it, but now I doubt that I would want to try it. What gives here??? Why is this permitted? A few other caches archived and rehidden.

What exactly are you saying shouldn't be permitted?

Just a guess, but a history of placing power trails without any sort of maintenance might be a justification for denying the cache owner the right to create new caches.

January 17, 2018

22 hours ago, NYPaddleCacher said:

Just a guess, but a history of placing power trails without any sort of maintenance might be a justification for denying the cache owner the right to create new caches.

You had also mentioned throw downs so I wasn't exactly sure.

14k · January 17, 2018

1 hour ago, SeattleWayne said:

You had also mentioned throw downs so I wasn't exactly sure.

It was Harry Dolphin that mentioned throwdowns. I'm not exactly sure what the official GS policy is on throwdowns, for caches with names other than Mingo. Personally, I think that a CO that allows other caches to drop a throwdown if they can't find the cache isn't maintaining their caches. I suspect that most reviewers wouldn't consider a blanket permission to throw down a replacement if the cache can't be found to be a valid maintenance plan.

15.4k · January 17, 2018

32 minutes ago, NYPaddleCacher said:

I'm not exactly sure what the official GS policy is on throwdowns

The closest thing to an official policy seems to be the Help Center article Respond to "throwdowns" (which is part of the Ownership after publication section).

3.5k · January 19, 2018

On 1/15/2018 at 9:42 PM, Tungstène said:

On 1/15/2018 at 4:41 PM, noncentric said:

Why did all those cachers choose that cache to post WN's?

Because its GC-code was shown on both 12/31 and 1/1 souvenirs.

I can't believe HQ choose a random number. For some reason, they wanted cachers paying attention to have a look at this cache.

Ah, I hadn't even noticed this. Thanks!

January 19, 2018

On ‎1‎/‎17‎/‎2018 at 10:55 AM, NYPaddleCacher said:

It was Harry Dolphin that mentioned throwdowns. I'm not exactly sure what the official GS policy is on throwdowns, for caches with names other than Mingo. Personally, I think that a CO that allows other caches to drop a throwdown if they can't find the cache isn't maintaining their caches. I suspect that most reviewers wouldn't consider a blanket permission to throw down a replacement if the cache can't be found to be a valid maintenance plan.

Oh, gotcha.

I've briefly skimmed the thrown down policy, and the phrase they used was "not encouraged" if I remember correctly.

January 26, 2018

Quite happy to place a cache but not very happy to maintain a cache.

Temporarily Disable Listing

20/01/2018

This one will remain disabled for the foreseeable. I am quite offended this cache has been left on full view by cachers and as a result has now gone missing, which means I will have to make a hundred mile drive to replace a film pot at the base of a tree. I try to introduce church micros to the lake district and this is how I am repaid.

4.6k · January 26, 2018

13 minutes ago, me N u said:

Quite happy to place a cache but not very happy to maintain a cache.

Temporarily Disable Listing

20/01/2018

This one will remain disabled for the foreseeable. I am quite offended this cache has been left on full view by cachers and as a result has now gone missing, which means I will have to make a hundred mile drive to replace a film pot at the base of a tree. I try to introduce church micros to the lake district and this is how I am repaid.

1. This is why typically I don't place caches outside a comfortable maintenance radius.

2. Are you sure it was left in full view by cachers? Rain or wind could have caused it to leave its hide - anything really.

3. No church micros exist anywhere in the Lake District? Anywhere? They must do - they are EVERYWHERE

4. A film pot at the base of a tree could easily have been mistaken for litter and cleared away.

5. Maybe just archive it and save yourself 100 mile drive?

4.5k · January 26, 2018

I am quite offended this cache has been left on full view by cachers and as a result has now gone missing, which means I will have to make a hundred mile drive to replace a film pot at the base of a tree.

Okay, now I'm irked by people who automatically blame cachers for moving a cache so small a squirrel could run off with it. A film pot, for zark's sake.

Really now. Wildlife is a huge disruptor of caches. In my experience, anything up to, but usually not including an ammo can, can and will be checked out, chewed, and maybe dragged around by wildlife.

1.7k · January 26, 2018

On ‎1‎/‎15‎/‎2018 at 7:33 PM, L0ne.R said:

This makes me want to pitch a fit. Uggggghhhhh Happy Meal Toys, they are so irritating. Found this bobblehead HMT in a cache:

Honestly, I would LOVE to find a Sherman bobblehead.

1.7k · January 26, 2018

1 hour ago, me N u said:

Quite happy to place a cache but not very happy to maintain a cache.

Temporarily Disable Listing

20/01/2018

This one will remain disabled for the foreseeable. I am quite offended this cache has been left on full view by cachers and as a result has now gone missing, which means I will have to make a hundred mile drive to replace a film pot at the base of a tree. I try to introduce church micros to the lake district and this is how I am repaid.

"This is how I am repaid."

Really? You're bitching about having to maintain your caches? What did you sign up for?

Don't put out a cache 100 miles away!

Don't put out a cache you're not willing to maintain given your life situation!

AND, what irks me is the use of the word "repaid".

7.5k · January 26, 2018

27 minutes ago, TeamRabbitRun said:

Honestly, I would LOVE to find a Sherman bobblehead.

I was excited when I found it in one of my caches. Didn't realize it was a McToy until I did some googling. I've still got it 2 years later.

7.5k · January 26, 2018

27 minutes ago, TeamRabbitRun said:

1 hour ago, me N u said:

Quite happy to place a cache but not very happy to maintain a cache.

Temporarily Disable Listing

20/01/2018

This one will remain disabled for the foreseeable. I am quite offended this cache has been left on full view by cachers and as a result has now gone missing, which means I will have to make a hundred mile drive to replace a film pot at the base of a tree. I try to introduce church micros to the lake district and this is how I am repaid.

"This is how I am repaid."

Really? You're bitching about having to maintain your caches? What did you sign up for?

Don't put out a cache 100 miles away!

Don't put out a cache you're not willing to maintain given your life situation!

AND, what irks me is the use of the word "repaid".

Wow. :mellow:

If this is what an owner posted after I posted an NM/NA, I'd write a note log with a copy n paste of the guidelines:

Quote

https://www.geocaching.com/help/index.php?pg=kb.chapter&id=38&pgid=204

6.4. Maintenance expectations

To make sure your geocache is in good health, monitor the logs and visit the cache site periodically. Unmaintained caches may be archived.

Here is a list of your responsibilities as a cache owner:

Choose an appropriate container that is watertight.

Replace broken or missing containers.

Clean out your cache if contents become wet.

Replace full or wet logbooks.

Temporarily disable your cache if it’s not accessible due to weather or seasonal changes.

Mark trackables as missing if they are listed in the inventory but no longer are in the cache.

Delete inappropriate logs.

Update coordinates if cache location has changed.

After you maintain your cache, make sure to remove the "Needs Maintenance" icon.

Unfortunately, there are too many owners that feel this way.

4.6k · January 26, 2018

1 hour ago, L0ne.R said:

Wow.

If this is what an owner posted after I posted an NM/NA, I'd write a note log with a copy n paste of the guidelines:

Unfortunately there are one or two people who think the guidelines don't apply to them / think they deserve special treatment.

January 27, 2018

I hate searching for ever for a micro in the woods . I hate caches placed on streets with cars and muggles constantly walking by. I hate people that hide caches with out any thought of where or how they are placing it, they are more interested in saying " hey I hid 100 caches" they just want the numbers, I hate people placing caches in areas that they wont visit for another year when they are on vacation, then expect me to keep an eye on it. when I hide a cache people actually enjoy looking for it and they always find it.

January 28, 2018

What irks me the most?

Cachers who hand out the login details to their geocaching account so their friends can help themselves, not only to their own puzzle solutions, but to the solutions to all the puzzles they have the coordinates for, thus rendering the hard work of the puzzle setter a waste of time by turning their puzzles into traditionals. :mad:

4.6k · January 29, 2018

Just noticed a highly favorited caches was archived by HQ because it was not available long enough (Halloween themed and thus only available at Halloween).

The listing is locked, I guess TPTB anticipated "some activity" from cachers who still had this cache on their to do list

15.4k · January 29, 2018

55 minutes ago, on4bam said:

Just noticed a highly favorited caches was archived by HQ because it was not available long enough (Halloween themed and thus only available at Halloween).

FWIW, there is a Halloween-themed cache around here that is available all year. That avoids conflicts with the guidelines prohibiting temporary caches.

2.7k · January 29, 2018

My memory irks me. After finding a cache I check the details of the next including checking the hint. 99% of the time, by the time I get to the next cache I've forgotten what the hint was.

4.6k · January 30, 2018

9 hours ago, niraD said:

FWIW, there is a Halloween-themed cache around here that is available all year. That avoids conflicts with the guidelines prohibiting temporary caches.

That's not the point. It seems the CO organizes special activities while the cache is (was) available, hence the high favorite percentage of 86% .

15.4k · January 30, 2018

1 hour ago, on4bam said:

That's not the point. It seems the CO organizes special activities while the cache is (was) available, hence the high favorite percentage of 86% .

So is the point that "special activities" make a temporary cache okay? Or is the point that high favorite percentages make a temporary cache okay? Or is the point something else?

4.6k · January 30, 2018

2 hours ago, niraD said:

So is the point that "special activities" make a temporary cache okay? Or is the point that high favorite percentages make a temporary cache okay? Or is the point something else?

The point is that this once again may be a reason why CO's give up on placing caches. I've seen a few CO's archiving most if not all their caches hinting that "guideline issues" are the reason. "Fed up with nitpicking" is not unheard from.

OTOH, micro's behind an utility pole never seem to have issues (not counting "disappeared, wet,..." and other NM logs).

February 6, 2018

An irk of mine is the GPS Arbiters. The people who, because they've spent £$€1,000,000 on a Gremlin Ibex 340Z, feel free to put "coords were out by 6m" etc etc in their logs (A couple of people local to me make a real habit of it). Who's to say that their gadget is more accurate than someone else's older / cheaper unit or (whisper it) smartphone?

Occasionally if I sense coords are a bit off, or if on satellite view (ye, I've seen the current thread about accuracy of these) the icon is pointing to the middle of the path, I'll put "found, wooded side of the track" or similar but I try not to comment on inaccuracy unless multiple people have commented on inaccuracy, supplied alternative coords etc and CO has done nothing - even then I'll put "I got coords ending 234, 876) or similar.

4.6k · February 6, 2018

43 minutes ago, Oxford Stone said:

I try not to comment on inaccuracy unless multiple people have commented on inaccuracy,

If everybody does that nobody would comment... :rolleyes:

7.1k · February 6, 2018

15 minutes ago, on4bam said:

51 minutes ago, Oxford Stone said:

I try not to comment on inaccuracy unless multiple people have commented on inaccuracy,

If everybody does that nobody would comment...

I would rarely say coordinates are inaccurate, well except for one case that was 100 metres out, but I'll often comment on what my GPSr was doing, like for example, "my GPSr had it about 8 metres north of where it was" or "my GPSr was jumping around all over the place" as that might be helpful to others. If others post similar comments, perhaps it's something the CO could look at, but if they don't, it just means I have a crappy GPSr.

February 6, 2018

As we all know, GPS jumps around under trees - and you just know the hint will be Base of Tree...

4.6k · February 15, 2018

After this week's batch of PQs to update my GSAK database it was time to update the caches that no longer were in the PQs because they got archived. There's an ever increasing amount of caches that get archived after a short time.

Today's update were just 5 PQs containing caches place July 19th 2017 and later. 68 caches were archived of which a series of 31 published December 27th (not even two months ago), a series of 18 published August 24th 2017, a series of 8 published September 15th.

The reason? The series published Dec. 27th has, according to the archive log, been plagued by stolen and destroyed caches, The one published Aug 24th has "time for something new" in the archive log and the series of 8 has 2 "problem caches".

I noticed this trend for a while now, "old" caches seem to be available for many years but "recent" caches (last 2-3 years) are archived a lot faster.

2.7k · February 19, 2018

It irks me when solving a mystery where there is a calculation, involving multiplication and division, and the CO has not used brackets to indicate the order of calculation. Did they not hear of BODMAS when in school? Would a reviewer ever pick up on that?

22.1k · February 20, 2018

February 20, 2018

All formulas should be written in reverse Polish notation.

February 23, 2018

My battery dying just before getting to the last of a series

March 6, 2018

Numerous things irk me.

But the words I would describe two particularly troublesome local cachers I unfortunately share an area with aren't allowed to be mentioned on this forum

Oh if only there was a cacher blocking button like on Facebook

What Irks you most?

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6.4. Maintenance expectations