(New Guy) Expressing My Frustration At The Locals...

5k · July 25, 2013

If you attend a pot luck dinner, and the brownies are kinda dry, do you go tell the person who brought the brownies "Man, your brownies suck! Is that the best you could do?" I'd wager not. You're not paying for the brownies, the person who made them isn't getting paid for making them, so you have no expectation of complete satisfaction. If the brownies aren't to your liking, then don't have the brownies, just politely thank the person for bringing them, and if they bring brownies again next time you can just pass on them if you like. There's plenty other stuff at the dinner to get your fill of. No need to be rude or ungrateful about it, just move on to the next one.

Not picking on the Chief in particular here, but how is the brownie maker supposed to know there may be an issue with their brownies unless someone speaks up?

Expecting too much from others? Gimme a break.

If the cache is sub-par, say so.

Turning the other cheek and looking the other way is exactly the attitude that has allowed the quality of caches to degrade to nothing more than a plastic container from the recycle bin (with a torn-off piece of note paper for a log) jammed into the nearest guardrail.

This whole thread is a prime example of why the 'favorites' system should have been a full-on rating system where the true quality (or lack thereof) of every cache could be shown.

I'm not afraid to say a cache was a disappointment and say why I thought so.

If everyone could get off the namby-pamby milque-toast 'every cache is a gift' attitude and tell it like it is, we would all have some better caches to find...or at least fewer craptastic caches to wade through to get to the good ones.

While I generally agree with you, I don't think telling a new cacher to tell other cachers that their caches suck is good advice. There is a time and a place for that and if you can figure it out, you might actually accomplish something.

5k · July 25, 2013

After seeing the lack of effort

Thanks for any help.

Well, the lack of effort runs both ways. I looked at the map in the area where your two finds are and quickly found a bunch that I would love to find, among a WHOLE LOT OF DUDS. So the question is, why are you looking for crappy caches?

Two guesses:

You're too cheap to spend 30 bucks so you can do it right. (Bookmark lists, PQ's, etc.)

You're too lazy to read cache pages and logs and pick out the good ones anyway.

I grant you there's been an explosion of geotrash placed over the last few years (someone called it "reverse CITO", I love that!)

But there are still great caches out there. If you can't find them, that's your fault.

That's nice. Someone new comes here for advice and you call him cheap and lazy.

6.1k · July 25, 2013

There's plenty of great caches out there, you just haven't found any.

Perhaps you need to hide a few to show them how it's done.

9.3k · July 25, 2013

Those two are the only two that I logged...

That pretty much describes my cache logging practice. I call it the Thumper Method, based on a statement the bunny made during the filming of Bambi; "If you can't say nuthin' nice, don't say nuthin' at all". If I had to guess, I'd say there are about 300 caches which I have located, signed the log and walked away without ever logging them online, because they sucked so bad there was nothing good I could say about them.

There are a few things you can do which will help you not have sucky caches appear on your radar, just know that none of these are fool proof. It's been my experience that the vast majority of what I consider to be crappy caches are listed as micros. Your tastes might vary. I have very little tolerance for caches which I perceive to have been placed for the numbers crowd. Low quality containers, in uninspired P&G locations, with copy/paste cache titles and pages. Locally, these caches are almost exclusively micros. By eliminating micros from your PQs, you save yourself a lot of angst. You might also exclude all caches with a D/T rating of 1.5/1.5 or lower.

You will find you'll have a lot fewer caches available, but those which remain will likely be of better quality.

1.2k · July 25, 2013

You will probably find some COs that fairly consistently hide in a manner and location you will enjoy.

Look for caches with at least 5 Favorites.

Leave constructive criticism on caches you find, but don't get personal or mean. "I liked this cache because the view was great and it was full of swag" or "I didn't like this cache because there was trash everywhere, the smell of the nearby portolets was really bad, and the contents were all wet."

BTW, the OP is a Basic Member and does not see favorite points.

1.2k · July 25, 2013

BTW, the OP is a Basic Member and does not see favorite points.

Yes, we basic members do see favorite points.

1.2k · July 25, 2013

BTW, the OP is a Basic Member and does not see favorite points.

Yes, we basic members do see favorite points.

My mistake.

10.2k · July 25, 2013

BTW, the OP is a Basic Member and does not see favorite points.

Yes, we basic members do see favorite points.

They cannot, however, sort by them. I hid two caches with a sock puppet account in like 2006, and I just tried it. I get a little "become a premium member" popup when I try to sort by them.

In other words, nonaeroterraqueous, if we (premium members) are looking at a list of caches in a search, we can click the blue ribbon near the top, and sort the caches by favorite points. You can even do it for a whole State or Province, if you happen to be looking at them that way. In case you didn't know.

July 25, 2013

Then when you find something different you can appreciate it that much more.

Thank you for all your help. I will keep all that in mind.

July 25, 2013

Don't lose hope. The game that geocaching.com advertises still exist, it's just a little harder to find. Investigate the caches in the National Forests around you, look for trail side caches and not park n' grabs. Pay attention to the cache owner's names and you will soon see who places the types of caches that your family would enjoy, and who doesn't.

Thank You! That's what I was wanting to hear.

July 25, 2013

Start placing better caches and you up the ante. They may just try to meet the challenge.

That would be nice.

July 25, 2013

Amazed you already think all the local caches are humdrum and lame after finding 2 caches.

As I said before, I have found more then two.... those are the only ones I have recorded as found, because they have all been a total let down. Read up on what has been said up to this point and you'll get a better idea on what is going on around here.

Thanks for the help! Feeling quite a bit better on my new found hobby at this point.

July 25, 2013

And to add my 2c worth, I say lead by example. If you have some ideas for great caches, then do them and see what kind of response you get. The best thing that can happen is that you'll end up with some kind of arms race on who can hide the coolest cache in the best spot, and the worst thing that can happen is you get some good logs and personal satisfaction that your caches are amongst, if not clearly, the best in your area.

Thank You! I hope that becomes the case.

July 25, 2013

Turning the other cheek and looking the other way is exactly the attitude that has allowed the quality of caches to degrade to nothing more than a plastic container from the recycle bin (with a torn-off piece of note paper for a log) jammed into the nearest guardrail.

This whole thread is a prime example of why the 'favorites' system should have been a full-on rating system where the true quality (or lack thereof) of every cache could be shown.

I'm not afraid to say a cache was a disappointment and say why I thought so.

If everyone could get off the namby-pamby milque-toast 'every cache is a gift' attitude and tell it like it is, we would all have some better caches to find...or at least fewer craptastic caches to wade through to get to the good ones.

Thanks.... Thanks a lot for telling it the way it is!

I cant understand for the life of me why there isn't more pride going on in these caches that I've ran across. It's pretty much common practice to shame people into doing better where I work, that's just kind of the way I'm programed now. I am learning a lot, thanks a bunch!

1.2k · July 25, 2013

In other words, nonaeroterraqueous, if we (premium members) are looking at a list of caches in a search, we can click the blue ribbon near the top, and sort the caches by favorite points. You can even do it for a whole State or Province, if you happen to be looking at them that way. In case you didn't know.

I did know, but thanks, anyway. Favorite points have little effect on whether or not I will search for a cache, so it still isn't worth the $$$ to me, yet.

July 25, 2013

After seeing the lack of effort

Thanks for any help.

Well, the lack of effort runs both ways. I looked at the map in the area where your two finds are and quickly found a bunch that I would love to find, among a WHOLE LOT OF DUDS. So the question is, why are you looking for crappy caches?

Two guesses:

You're too cheap to spend 30 bucks so you can do it right. (Bookmark lists, PQ's, etc.)

You're too lazy to read cache pages and logs and pick out the good ones anyway.

I grant you there's been an explosion of geotrash placed over the last few years (someone called it "reverse CITO", I love that!)

But there are still great caches out there. If you can't find them, that's your fault.

Thanks for commenting.

At this point in time I'm not really thinking the problem is me. LOL If you would take the time to read everything that has been said up to this point you will understand more. I've learned a lot so far and I'm glad I had the courage to ask and bring this up. Everyone on here is really helping me out a lot.

8k · July 25, 2013

Turning the other cheek and looking the other way is exactly the attitude that has allowed the quality of caches to degrade to nothing more than a plastic container from the recycle bin (with a torn-off piece of note paper for a log) jammed into the nearest guardrail.

This whole thread is a prime example of why the 'favorites' system should have been a full-on rating system where the true quality (or lack thereof) of every cache could be shown.

I'm not afraid to say a cache was a disappointment and say why I thought so.

If everyone could get off the namby-pamby milque-toast 'every cache is a gift' attitude and tell it like it is, we would all have some better caches to find...or at least fewer craptastic caches to wade through to get to the good ones.

Thanks.... Thanks a lot for telling it the way it is!

I cant understand for the life of me why there isn't more pride going on in these caches that I've ran across. It's pretty much common practice to shame people into doing better where I work, that's just kind of the way I'm programed now. I am learning a lot, thanks a bunch!

Some people feel better telling other people they didn't like a particular cache. Depending on how you go about it may get a desired reaction. But more often then not you get ignored or get someone angry because they are hiding exactly what they like to find and they take this a criticism of the way they enjoy geocaching.

There are people who simply enjoy finding caches for whom quantity beats quality. If you start telling them that their choice of location or container reflects on them as individuals - as in "Why don't you take more pride in what you hide?" - they are likely to think much the same of you.

I'll rebut what AZcachemeister is saying. The suggestions have not been to turn the other cheek (I'm not a Christian but I thought that was what Jesus taught) or even "hold your nose". The suggestion is that you take the responsibility to avoid as best you can the caches you don't like. Perhaps you can encourage more people in you area to hide "quality" caches by doing so yourself and by attending events where you can discuss with locals what your expectations are and finding out what their expectations might be. You can try shaming people and maybe it works where you work. But in general, I've found education and encouragement work better.

July 25, 2013

The cache may have been placed because that's where her husband proposed to her...

The cache in the park that was the great let down is placed next to the outdoor toilets.... maybe he did! LOL

July 25, 2013

Usually the spot is better than the cache itself, but who's gonna complain about a really nice spot?

Thanks for the comment. At this point I think we actually might have some fun. I'm just gonna have to make better choices. With as cool as this hobby could be, I just had the idea in my head that the bar was already pretty darn high. Mindless, pointless, stupid caches had me kinda wanting to give up before I even really got started here.

Thanks again for everything! Being new and already wanting to give up.... with all the help I've gotten up to this point, I'm pretty sure I'll find some part of Geocaching to like.

1.8k · July 25, 2013

A few years ago we had a prolific caching family who put out what they referred to as "Goober Caches".

The caches were indeed lame Goobers, however, nearly everyone of them was at an awesome scenic view of the N.W. Calif. Pacific coastline

admittedly, the caches were lame ... the views, however, awesome.

Hoping that you find something awesome.

P.S. The cache outside Fort Bridger, Wyoming was just a film can in some rocks. The tour of the adjacent Fort Bridger awesome.

While at the fort I learned that many Pony Express Riders were early teen orphaned boys. Employed because they would not be missed if they went missing. Goober caches may have merit in some instances.

Hope you can raise the bar in your area. cache on and the best to you.

July 25, 2013

Just remember that at some point in time someone is going to tell you "Your cache sucks. It is really lame. What were you thinking?"

I kinda doubt that, unless someone is just being a smartass! I am going to let my ideas "soak" for a few weeks or months and I do NOT have any current plans to run out the door to gain a bunch of numbers. I am WAY more critical of myself then I am of others. Hopefully the good ideas I have work out.

As for "Favorite Points" weeding out lame caches.... that may or may not help. Just because a cache has few FPs doesn't mean it is lame. It may mean it hasn't been found very often because it is difficult puzzle or long hike.

Favorites.... seeing people posting pictures because its a cool place..... long hike. Really going to have to cut the fat on my searches for sure. Like I have done so far, we do travel a lot so I have the opportunity to move bugs over some land. I still might move around and gather those up a couple weeks leading up to our flight...

Thanks for the comment and the help!

July 25, 2013

You're too cheap to spend 30 bucks so you can do it right. .

That's nice. Someone new comes here for advice and you call him cheap and lazy.

Thanks for speaking up! I am neither lazy, cheap, or poor...LOL so it didn't hurt a bit!

July 25, 2013

There's plenty of great caches out there, you just haven't found any.

Perhaps you need to hide a few to show them how it's done.

I hope so... you aren't the only one who has told me that there are some caches that have a purpose so I haven't totally lost hope here.

From what everyone has told me, having a couple quality caches around here might change things for the better. I plan to let my cache soak for a few weeks before placing it, I want it to be good so I plan to put a lot of thought into it without a huge rush.

Couple more days and I'll be in Vermont, wonder what I'll find and run into over there.

Thanks again for everything!

July 25, 2013

You will find you'll have a lot fewer caches available, but those which remain will likely be of better quality.

Thank You! Great advice and glad I'm not the only one... LOL!

Hope things get better, I was really bummed out at peoples lack of effort.

1.3k · July 25, 2013

I've made some fairly innocuous comments that got some rather nasty replies from COs.

Well, I still might ask, why? Not a lot of harm in that is there?

To a lot of cache owners, when someone asks why a cache exists, it's taken as an insult. No matter the reasons for someone placing a cache, be it a historical spot, awesome view, where they grew up, it was just an open spot on the map, etc., in the end, they placed it because they wanted to. To have someone ask them why they placed a cache, even the lamest of lame caches, is kind of a slap in the face.

As Don suggested, try to build bridges instead of burning them. I've seen enough instances of new cachers that storm onto the scene, are critical of this or that, causing drama wherever they go and it isn't long before the community gets their fill and the newcomer is basically ignored. Come out combative and argumentative and you'll find geocaching to be a very lonely activity. Show up to events and start asking around about how to place really neat caches and you'll find yourself absorbed right into the thick of the community and people will want to find your caches.

2.8k · July 25, 2013

If you attend a pot luck dinner, and the brownies are kinda dry, do you go tell the person who brought the brownies "Man, your brownies suck! Is that the best you could do?" I'd wager not. You're not paying for the brownies, the person who made them isn't getting paid for making them, so you have no expectation of complete satisfaction. If the brownies aren't to your liking, then don't have the brownies, just politely thank the person for bringing them, and if they bring brownies again next time you can just pass on them if you like. There's plenty other stuff at the dinner to get your fill of. No need to be rude or ungrateful about it, just move on to the next one.

Not picking on the Chief in particular here, but how is the brownie maker supposed to know there may be an issue with their brownies unless someone speaks up?

Expecting too much from others? Gimme a break.

If the cache is sub-par, say so.

Turning the other cheek and looking the other way is exactly the attitude that has allowed the quality of caches to degrade to nothing more than a plastic container from the recycle bin (with a torn-off piece of note paper for a log) jammed into the nearest guardrail.

This whole thread is a prime example of why the 'favorites' system should have been a full-on rating system where the true quality (or lack thereof) of every cache could be shown.

I'm not afraid to say a cache was a disappointment and say why I thought so.

If everyone could get off the namby-pamby milque-toast 'every cache is a gift' attitude and tell it like it is, we would all have some better caches to find...or at least fewer craptastic caches to wade through to get to the good ones.

While I generally agree with you, I don't think telling a new cacher to tell other cachers that their caches suck is good advice. There is a time and a place for that and if you can figure it out, you might actually accomplish something.

There's a difference between posting on a cache page about your negative experience and calling out your entire local community on the forums how they suck and should be ashamed, add to that the fact the OP shows only 2 caches as logged, not the best way to start off a caching career IMHO.

July 25, 2013

Perhaps you can encourage more people in you area to hide "quality" caches by doing so yourself....

Thanks for the reply! Think I've had enough Zero Effort Pill Bottle Caches that have been placed without any thought or meaning.

At this point I have high hopes of a better future around here. We shall see I guess. There is lot of room for improvement - that's for sure!

Thanks for your help on everything!

July 25, 2013

....admittedly, the caches were lame ... the views, however, awesome.

Hope you can raise the bar in your area. cache on and the best to you.

Thanks for the comment.

Those caches have a purpose.... besides the TB Hotels I've recorded as found.... it has just been straight crap. Nothing at all I could say that was even close to being nice. Zero Effort with No Purpose... what-so-ever. LOL

Thanks for the hope and the kind words!

July 25, 2013

I've made some fairly innocuous comments that got some rather nasty replies from COs.

Well, I still might ask, why? Not a lot of harm in that is there?

To a lot of cache owners, when someone asks why a cache exists, it's taken as an insult. No matter the reasons for someone placing a cache, be it a historical spot, awesome view, where they grew up, it was just an open spot on the map, etc., in the end, they placed it because they wanted to. To have someone ask them why they placed a cache, even the lamest of lame caches, is kind of a slap in the face.

As Don suggested, try to build bridges instead of burning them. I've seen enough instances of new cachers that storm onto the scene, are critical of this or that, causing drama wherever they go and it isn't long before the community gets their fill and the newcomer is basically ignored. Come out combative and argumentative and you'll find geocaching to be a very lonely activity. Show up to events and start asking around about how to place really neat caches and you'll find yourself absorbed right into the thick of the community and people will want to find your caches.

Thanks for the insight!

My main goal is to have fun with my family. As you can tell from my reaction to what I've saw so far.... the Geocaching Community is the problem around here! LOL

Hope things get better because I really am embarrassed at what I've saw so far.

July 25, 2013

There's a difference between posting on a cache page about your negative experience and calling out your entire local community on the forums how they suck and should be ashamed, add to that the fact the OP shows only 2 caches as logged, not the best way to start off a caching career IMHO.

How do you go about that then?.... Post a negative experience about someones cache. That is the real question at hand here. Thanks a ton for typing that up. That's the heart of my topic here, no one has really been able to tell me exactly what to say.

BTW.... I only show 2 caches as found and logged because all the rest were totally pointless.

Thanks for coming in!

Edited July 25, 2013 by Escape & Evasion

July 25, 2013

Here's my 2 cents... if you want to make geocaching a family event, do it! Who cares what the cache is like as long as you are looking for it as a family. The family time should be important not the cache. We've found some lame ones but the fun is in the day we spent looking for them.

2.8k · July 25, 2013

There's a difference between posting on a cache page about your negative experience and calling out your entire local community on the forums how they suck and should be ashamed, add to that the fact the OP shows only 2 caches as logged, not the best way to start off a caching career IMHO.

How do you go about that then?.... Post a negative experience about someones cache. That is the real question at hand here. Thanks a ton for typing that up. That's the heart of my topic here, no one has really been able to tell me exactly what to say.

BTW.... I only show 2 caches as found and logged because all the rest were totally pointless.

Thanks for coming in!

I'd earn some respect by placing great caches before criticizing a whole communty. Even then I wouldn't make blanket statements like that. You are not going to change anyone that way, you're just going to ostracize yourself from your community.

I manage people for a living and shaming someone into doing better does not work, try constructive crtisism on a cache by cache basis. You can't change the world over night.

Edited July 25, 2013 by Roman!

2.8k · July 25, 2013

Better yet, attend some events and get to know your local cachers and try to find out why they hide the way they do, some may not be able to afford better containers or be able to travel to better places, some may not know any better. Whatever reason you find you can then help them.

There will always be those that just won't care, those you'll never change and will just keep putting out crap but don't condemn your entire community till you understand each of their motivations, then invest your positive energy where it will do the most good.

Edited July 25, 2013 by Roman!

2.6k · July 25, 2013

My thoughts (most of which have been said by others in some way):

1. Prepare. Use the map and read the cache page and logs. If the cache is in an area which looks interesting you are more likely to enjoy it; even if the container is "ordinary". Favorite points also help. Lack of them doesn't mean a bad cache; but a high percentage of FPs indicates a cache which is probably good.

2. Learn. You will likely find patterns amongst local cache owners. You may find you generally enjoy caches by owner X - so seek out more of them. And if you generally dislike the hides from owner Y - avoid them.

3. Provide feedback. But be polite and cautious, also be specific and realistic. Talk about what you liked (if anything) as well as what you didn't like. For example: "I really enjoyed the first part of the route walking along the stream. I would have preferred a different location for the hide though; the dog poo bin was very smelly in the heat". And take into account the location and what the description. If the cache is clearly advertised as a "cache and grab" in a parking lot, then I wouldn't complain about the location being boring. I should have known what I was getting into and I chose to try and find it. Now if it is a multi cache which involves a nice walk in the woods but the final is in a disappointing place then I would comment (e.g. my example above). Or even with the parking lot cache; if the container is poor then yes comment on that.

4. Lead by example: When you start to hide caches, make them ones you would like to find.

3.3k · July 25, 2013

Only been a week or so since I've been at this whole Geocaching thing. (big pause) After seeing the lack of effort to actually be creative, spend a few bucks at the store here, or to make a cache with a... "real purpose"... I am already feeling less then energetic. The plan was to make this a family activity... after what I've saw so far, I'm almost embarrassed to go out as a family.

How much negative reinforcement is allowed?

Thought there was some kinda code where if your only reason for placing a cache.... was JUST to place another cache, don't do it?

Thanks for any help.

Unfortunately it seems Groundspeak are stuck somewhere between "faceless corporation" and "one of the gang". In the early days the idea was to hide caches that took people to interesting areas, where the "burn test" was whether the area was somewhere people might visit even if the cache hadn't been placed. And a lot of the earlier caches I found did take me to places that carried some interest (my first ever cache find was a virtual at a small monument I'd walked past twice daily for months and not even noticed). Now it seems all they care about is having a nice big number so they can say "hey, we've got 2 million caches out there" and don't really care if 1,999,995 of them are soggy film pots behind posts. Which is a shame - there are still some good caches out there if you go off the beaten track but I've found most of the time when I'm in town I don't even bother looking for them any more. If I'm out cycling and happen to notice I'm very close to a cache I may stop and have a quick look for it but I've just lost interest in finding film pots behind signs, keysafes behind signs and nanos on guard rails.

If you live in a big town you'll probably find, from what you've said so far, that you'll get bored with the so-called LUMs (lame urban micros) very quickly. But when you go out of town take a look to see what's out there. There are still some good trails of caches where you'll get a nice walk and the caches will be a bonus.

July 25, 2013

Here's my 2 cents... if you want to make geocaching a family event, do it! Who cares what the cache is like as long as you are looking for it as a family. The family time should be important not the cache. We've found some lame ones but the fun is in the day we spent looking for them.

This is my view point as well. The fun is in the find, some are awesome, some are not, but a find is a find. My daughter and I have a great time hunting!!

9.2k · July 25, 2013

Since you brought it up, anything wrong with straightening up peoples history description in the cache comments?

I have.

Local cacher set a cache near an interesting building.

Admitted they didn't know much about it, and asked for any info.

Found the cache, logged it and added some history of the building.

Cacher added info (and thanks!) to the description.

July 25, 2013

Here is my 2 cents from a noobie like you (47 caches)

I have only been caching for 2 months and quite enjoy it.

Yes there are some caches that made me wonder why anyone wasted their time since they were to easy and not well thought out.

The experience and getting outdoors with my daughter and wife has been the reward. I also found a few places right in my area I might of never visited if I had not been caching.

Give it time. Maybe focus on micro's, puzzle or multi caches, those will trip you up and show how creative some cacher's can be. Don't think everybody hides a fim can and log for many are very clever at this and the more finds you do the more you will see this.

Sometimes I am amazed at the time and thought people go to for this hobby...it makes the experience even better.

Take the other night. I was driving home from dinner with my Wife, Daughter and my Daughter's friend.

I told them about a quick hide right on our way home by our house. I got on the GPS and pulled in the parking lot.

The owner said it was a lame one only for the numbers in an urban area a by the road cache and it was. The cache was just a folded envelope with log made from duct tape painted black tucked under a payphone hid well but not hard.

The fun part was my Daughter found it herself and she was so excited she found her first. The cache was lame but the look on my Daughters face was priceless.

Edited July 25, 2013 by Bassbully

July 25, 2013

As much as I see your frustration, I am one of those newbies who logs all of my visits. I do write TFTC a lot, mainly because I don't have much else to say. Not necessarily because I thought it was a "bad" cache.

Your description of a bad cache does indeed meet the bill for a lot of my finds, but to me the game isn't about the great locations or the great scenery or even the great cache containers. It's about having fun with my friends, like the night me and my boyfriend went to a park to find one that was impossible to find in the dark, but we found anyway. Or the other day when my friends har rehearsal in church for their wedding, and I found one across the street at a bus pole. It's about the memories and fun surrounding the caches that matter. And I must admit I also do it as a collectors thing, I like collecting caches, even though they might be "crappy". The "hunt" is more enjoyable to me than the actual prize, but then again, that's my opinion! I live in the biggest city in my country, and naturally there can't be too many big boxes, we have a lot of micros for that reason.

I also loved the food analogy. You can look at it in a different way, if you are going to go see the next Hobbit movie thats coming out around christmas, and you are a HUGE Tolkien fan, you might have some pretty big expectations to the movie. Now I asume it will be great anyway, but you might find that the director and the actors didn't portray it in quite the matter you wanted to. Does it mean it was a bad movie? Maybe, did you have too high expectations? Maybe that too.

I don't doubt that geocaching was something else before "everyone" got in to it. And I also don't doubt the quality of the game has "gone down" since more people started doing it. It's kinda like a band is cool until everyone knows about it, and you were the guy who liked them for two years before they actually became famous.

I recommend as everyone else you do your preparations according to what you are after. Definetly filter out those micros, and the easier difficulties too. I however enjoy them. They might be simple, they might be "just another count" -but to me, they give me a sense of accomplishment. And also remember, everyone out there might not be able to hike that trail, or climb that wall, and for those, some easy access one matter all the more.

I just placed my first one, and it is the easiest little thing in the world, and close to where I work. I hope it gets approved, but I also hope I don't have to get the "your cache sucked" back because I have a micro/easy. I did it for me, because I'm on #75 right now and I liked them all! People are different, and that's ok too

(PS -sorry for the long post, lots of thoughts on the issue I guess)

2.8k · July 25, 2013

That pretty much describes my cache logging practice. I call it the Thumper Method, based on a statement the bunny made during the filming of Bambi; "If you can't say nuthin' nice, don't say nuthin' at all". If I had to guess, I'd say there are about 300 caches which I have located, signed the log and walked away without ever logging them online, because they sucked so bad there was nothing good I could say about them.

You should always be able to say something good about a cache. See my DNF log for a P&G right next to a McDonald's dumpster.

11.6k · July 25, 2013

BTW.... I only show 2 caches as found and logged because all the rest were totally pointless.

There must be a lot of apathy & angst in your area, with people not logging caches they find, placing caches nobody likes. :rolleyes:

Many cachers love to find a soaking wet pill bottle in a lamp post, and don't like an ammo box in a cool spot in the forest. And sometimes, the container was larger and creative, but neighbormuggles messed with it so much, the Cache Owner changed it to something inexpensive to replace. When I find that pill bottle, I sigh as I try to unfold the soaked piece of paper and try to dry it a little so I can sign it. But I always log something anyway, usually something positive. If it's truly an awful hide, it will work itself out. Too bad you don't log them, that makes things worse.

And, many cachers have seen it all, so your “creative cache” is ordinary to them, so the logs won't be as exciting as you'd hoped. In your area, I fear it will be especially tough.

Edited July 25, 2013 by kunarion

2.4k · July 25, 2013

Since you brought it up, anything wrong with straightening up peoples history description in the cache comments?

I have.

Local cacher set a cache near an interesting building.

Admitted they didn't know much about it, and asked for any info.

Found the cache, logged it and added some history of the building.

Cacher added info (and thanks!) to the description.

Of course, in your case, the CO asked for info.

Anintua - thanks for posting! That's how my husband views it - the container doesn't matter; it's the thrill of the chase. I would be a little more selective if I weren't with him. It's all good.

July 25, 2013

I have placed many caches in interesting places, historical or otherwise. I have put out a Nursery Rhyme series of caches with each container decorated to fit the rhyme. I have made several big enough with good swag for the kids. What do I get in return? TFTC logs, smiley logs. people take swag and leave nothing in return. Etc, etc. I get cut and paste logs that say nothing about the cache to even indicate that they were actually there or appreciated the spot or the container. Do you think I am going to bother to put the effort in the process much longer? Thank goodness for some of the cachers that write nice logs that DO appreciate the time and effort to put out more interesting caches or I wouldn't bother at all anymore. OK I feel better now.

I feel your frustration but it does work both ways. I get tired of looking for pill bottles, magnetic keyholders, nanos and bison tubes too. But when traveling I try to look up the favorite caches in the areas, the virtuals, and the earthcaches as they are usually the more interesting ones. Takes time but well worth the effort. Lots of great caches out there you just have to pick and choose.

11.6k · July 25, 2013

What do I get in return? TFTC logs, smiley logs. people take swag and leave nothing in return. Etc, etc. I get cut and paste logs that say nothing about the cache to even indicate that they were actually there or appreciated the spot or the container.

Yeah, some cache that I thought was great in a great spot, cachers see a dead animal in the road five miles from the cache, and that's all they log about... how gross it was. :rolleyes:

Edited July 25, 2013 by kunarion

10.2k · July 25, 2013

As much as I see your frustration, I am one of those newbies who logs all of my visits. I do write TFTC a lot, mainly because I don't have much else to say. Not necessarily because I thought it was a "bad" cache.

[LOTS OF SNIPPAGE]

I don't doubt that geocaching was something else before "everyone" got in to it. And I also don't doubt the quality of the game has "gone down" since more people started doing it. It's kinda like a band is cool until everyone knows about it, and you were the guy who liked them for two years before they actually became famous.

Just a side note, before "everyone" got into it, no one ever used to write only "Tftc". The guy with the parking log micro with an 8 word cache page might not mind, but even in this day and age of cache pollution, the overwhelming majority of cache owners want to see more than the two word or less logs that are synonomous with the smartphone era of Geocaching.

3.7k · July 25, 2013

Only 1 week and you're already complaining?

If you don't like what you're finding #1 plan ahead better. Read the cache pages ahead of time. If you don't like film cannisters, avoid micros.

#2 quit whining and hide some of your own caches if you think you can do better.

3.7k · July 25, 2013

What do I get in return? TFTC logs, smiley logs. people take swag and leave nothing in return. Etc, etc. I get cut and paste logs that say nothing about the cache to even indicate that they were actually there or appreciated the spot or the container.

Yeah, some cache that I thought was great in a great spot, cachers see a dead animal in the road five miles from the cache, and that's all they log about... how gross it was.

Or the cache is a nice camo and their whole log is a complaint about there being no pen in the cache. :rolleyes:

July 25, 2013

I'd earn some respect by placing great caches before criticizing a whole communty.

Thanks for all your help. You are giving me some great advice.

July 25, 2013

Better yet...

That's all good stuff right there! Hope that happens.

July 25, 2013

My thoughts...

Thanks!

(New Guy) Expressing My Frustration At The Locals...

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