Anybody taking August off?

4.4k · July 25, 2013

I'm kind of put off from logging caches in August if I'm going to get a whole pile of "souvenirs" for simply finding a cache on a specific date. Is that really what's going to happen? Just glanced at my current box of souvenirs: they reflect a bunch of places I visited: provinces and states mostly. Travel takes time and effort, and is the stuff that memories are made of.

August 13 (to choose a random date) is not the stuff that memories are made of. I mean, unless something dramatic happened to you on that date. It's just a date. My cache log for an Aug 13 cache can serve as the souvenir.

Does anybody else think that flooding the souvenir page with date-souvenirs is totally watering down the whole concept?

Is anybody planning a break in August, or planning to log all of August as found in September?

3.7k · July 25, 2013

Not cache for a whole month? :blink:

Yes, I think the souvenirs for August are silly and I don't want them to clutter my souvenir page.

However, I don't think it's physically possible for me to stop caching for 1 month. :blink:

4.4k · July 25, 2013

I didn't suggest actually giving up caching (well, I guess I did), but it's an option. Log 'em all Sept 1, log 'em as notes, find 'em but don't log online at all, ...

Edited July 25, 2013 by Viajero Perdido

6.5k · July 25, 2013

I rarely look at the souvenirs tab, I'm not going to change my caching ways just because there is a silly promo next month. I plan to find caches, and log them accordingly. My memories are in my logs and pictures.

July 25, 2013

Nope.

The only one I want is the International Geocaching day souvenir for August 17th.

The rest I don't care if I get them or not.

Edited July 25, 2013 by BlackRose67

July 25, 2013

Actually, I am finding myself doing the opposite. I have been intentionally not caching the final days of July to save them for August. Yes, I know that will sound dumb to some (if not most), but it's a great excuse for actually just being too lazy to go out caching :laughing:

3.7k · July 25, 2013

I didn't suggest actually giving up caching (well, I guess I did), but it's an option. Log 'em all Sept 1, log 'em as notes, find 'em but don't log online at all, ...

Don't think I could mess with my dates like that. It would also screw up my bar charts and line graph, which is very important to me.

July 25, 2013

I'm caching less lately because of the heat, but I'm not going to change my caching habits because of the souvenirs. I'll accept the ones I get and if at all possible I'd like to get August 18 for my collection.

7.3k · July 25, 2013

I LOVE souvenirs, but this bizarre August campaign is disappointing. I'm not happy that there are countries that don't have souvenirs, yet Groundspeak found the time and resources to create this blitz.

Souvenirs for random days of a certain month makes no sense to me.

I'm going to go for the International Geocaching Day souvenir (August 17th).

http://support.Groundspeak.com/index.php?pg=kb.page&id=342

And maybe one for August 15th, as that's our anniversary.

If time and energy allow, I was thinking of trying for August 1st and 31st, as well.

But trying for one for each day of the month for no particular reason? No, no interest in that.

B.

July 25, 2013

I like the state ones and 12/12/12 (my birthday) but I don't get the one a day for a month. Clutter. A friend and I had 10 new ones published on July 4th which have had slow traffic on them.

At an event last week I heard people say they are waiting for August to make the finds so my guess is some cachers are excited about it.

3.7k · July 25, 2013

I always forget about souvenirs until you people bring the subject up again! As for "clutter"...seeing some of the insane amount of junk people put in their profiles, how are a few extra souvenirs really a problem?

July 25, 2013

I don't really see a problem with them. I'm not planning on going for the 31 day streak just to get them. But I also won't be bothered by them if I do in fact go geocaching in August (which is most certainly going to happen). I am specifically interested in geocaching on the International Day of Geocaching, as well as August 14th (my birthday). But other than those specific days, I plan on going Geocaching whenever I feel like it. :anibad:

1.6k · July 25, 2013

Of course, they did it on the coolest days of the year here in the Northeast US.

Edited July 25, 2013 by ras_oscar

2.6k · July 25, 2013

I am not going to try for every day, but I won't skip August either. I will cache the same as if the souvenirs weren't there.

I'll definitely try and find one on the 8th, 9th, 14th, and 27th - as I am working on a calendar challenge and need those days. And I'm going to an event on the 2nd.

1.6k · July 25, 2013

Don't have any plans to get caches in Aug just for the souvenirs. I'll probably pickup IGD on the 18th. I need to save any/all of the local caches that I haven't found to fill my calendar this winter. Only have 18 days to fill.

I'm not very good with streaks, as I'm always too busy to have time. Unless we go kayaking or something and caches are nearbye...certainly.

1.6k · July 25, 2013

Don't have any plans to get caches in Aug just for the souvenirs. I'll probably pickup IGD on the 18th. I need to save any/all of the local caches that I haven't found to fill my calendar this winter. Only have 18 days to fill.

I'm not very good with streaks, as I'm always too busy to have time. Unless we go kayaking or something and caches are nearbye...certainly.

4.1k · July 25, 2013

I have never liked souvenirs that are given whether I want them or not. But Groundspeak has not deterred me from caching in certain states or finding certain caches just because they think I need a souvenir. I don't suppose I'll let them deter me if I happen to find a cache in August.

July 25, 2013

Not taking August off and we will likely engage the month long streak just to get out caching together everyday.

Travel takes time and effort, and is the stuff that memories are made of.

"Souvenirs" may be encouragement and motivation for some cachers to get out and write some new adventures and make some new memories...

August 13 (to choose a random date) is not the stuff that memories are made of. I mean, unless something dramatic happened to you on that date. It's just a date.

True and that goes for just about every cache find/log (even if you travel) and have a souvenir already. However, if you do not go caching you won't have the chance for "something dramatic" happening...(at least w.r.t. caching ;-)

6k · July 25, 2013

We have souvenirs? I never noticed.

7.3k · July 25, 2013

I'm caching less lately because of the heat, but I'm not going to change my caching habits because of the souvenirs. I'll accept the ones I get and if at all possible I'd like to get August 18 for my collection.

Don't have any plans to get caches in Aug just for the souvenirs. I'll probably pickup IGD on the 18th. I need to save any/all of the local caches that I haven't found to fill my calendar this winter. Only have 18 days to fill.

I'm not very good with streaks, as I'm always too busy to have time. Unless we go kayaking or something and caches are nearbye...certainly.

Y'all better check your calendars again, if you want that IGD souvenir.

It's August 17th this year, not the 18th.

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=313662

B.

2.3k · July 25, 2013

I am not going to try for every day, but I won't skip August either. I will cache the same as if the souvenirs weren't there.

I'll definitely try and find one on the 8th, 9th, 14th, and 27th - as I am working on a calendar challenge and need those days. And I'm going to an event on the 2nd.

^ ^ ^ ^

This.

Except that the dates I need are the 1st, 5th, 19th, and 25th. And I probably won't be attending any events.

--Larry

2k · July 25, 2013

I may not care for the idea of 31 souvenirs for August, but I would never consider not logging any caches or finding any caches in August because of it. If one hates souvenirs, fine, whatever, but I do not understand why folks who do not like them could not just ignore that tab, anymore than ignoring a lamp post nano at Walmart 2 miles away with the ignore button.

2.2k · July 25, 2013

I won't change my caching habits for August, but I do think this campaign is evidence that souvenirs have jumped the shark.

2.7k · July 25, 2013

Yes, I will be taking August off in protest of this lame marketing tool. I had already stated so, and have notified my friends. I will match my stubbornness against GC stupidity any day. There won't be any winner, but I refuse to play their silly game since they give me no option to opt out.

I logged my July 13th caches on July 14th, but I won't do that for an entire month. I just won't cache. I know they don't care. I have no objection to August cache maintenance though, unless they offer a souvenir for that too.

This doesn't have to make sense to anyone else. It only has to make sense to me. At least Events won't be a problem. I don't log them anyhow.

3.3k · July 25, 2013

Actually, I am finding myself doing the opposite. I have been intentionally not caching the final days of July to save them for August. Yes, I know that will sound dumb to some (if not most), but it's a great excuse for actually just being too lazy to go out caching

I'm wondering how many logs I can write on bogus dates before anyone realises which ones were really found on that date and which were not. If we're going to be handing this garbage out like candy might as well grab the candy jar with both hands. It's not as if it can devalue the souvenirs any more than they already are.

3.6k · July 25, 2013

Yea... its Jeremy's pet and hes changing the pet's diet again. :laughing:

Lets make better mistakes.

14k · July 25, 2013

We have souvenirs? I never noticed.

A facetious response, to be sure, since you've been around the forum long enough to know about souvenirs.

If you're the kind of cacher that doesn't like is is completely indifferent to the existence of souvenirs then the awarding of a souvenir for every day you log a cache in August is not an issue. You're not going to look at your souvenirs tab anyway so it really doesn't matter if GS adds souvenirs to that tab or they don't.

Similarly, if you're the kind of cacher that loves souvenirs and will gladly take any and all souvenirs that GS is going to award than the topic of this thread isn't relevant either. It's all good because you'll get a souvenir for every day you go out and lift up a lamp post skirt

However, if you're the kind of cacher that is making a distinction between a souvenir that means something to you (as is the case for the several people that have mentioned liking the country and other regional souvenirs) and souvenirs for doing nothing different that you've done any other day of the year, then the 31 days of souvenirs in August might be an issue.

In my case, I'm not going to take August off from geocaching because I'm going to be visiting at least 2 States (and most likely 3) in which I've not yet found a geocache and I would like to add those 2-3 souvenirs to the collection of 23 other souvenirs I have for U.S. States (and six country based souvenirs). However, I don't want a souvenir for every day that I find a cache in August. That would be like putting a bumper sticker on my car for every day I drive it in August.

I am also considering just posting a note for caches I find in August (to let the CO know one of their caches was found), posting "Found It" logs (with a found date in September) and then deleting the notes (or not).

In the feature suggestions forums some have suggested giving users the ability to delete specific souvenirs from their profile or to be able "accept/reject" a souvenir that has been awarded. That would address the concerns of all three types of cachers I described above, except for the fringe element that dislikes the notion of souvenirs so much they don't want to see GS spending any time at all on them.

July 25, 2013

I'd never let something this silly prevent me from caching.

Later, (if I think of it) I will probably email the support center and politely ask them to remove all of the August souvenirs at their leisure. They've been helpful in the past, removing a couple that I didn't actually earn. I don't see why they wouldn't be willing to remove the August souvispam also.

Edited July 25, 2013 by JJnTJ

14k · July 25, 2013

I may not care for the idea of 31 souvenirs for August, but I would never consider not logging any caches or finding any caches in August because of it. If one hates souvenirs, fine, whatever, but I do not understand why folks who do not like them could not just ignore that tab, anymore than ignoring a lamp post nano at Walmart 2 miles away with the ignore button.

It's because some cachers are able to tell the difference between a Walmart two miles from home and the Great Wall Of China on the other side of the world. I've got a couple of souvenirs that I bought while at the Great Wall of China but I'm not going to buy any souvenirs the next time I go to a Walmart.

4.4k · July 25, 2013

This might work for me:

Write note 13 Aug 13

Found blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah

blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah

Found it 31 Jul 13

Actually found on Aug 13. Don't want August souvenir, long story.

3.6k · July 25, 2013

This might work for me:

Write note 13 Aug 13

Found blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah

blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah

Found it 31 Jul 13

Actually found on Aug 13. Don't want August souvenir, long story.

love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

14k · July 25, 2013

It's not as if it can devalue the souvenirs any more than they already are.

Since souvenirs have no monetary value, the value of souvenirs is entirely subjective. For some, souvenirs have no value of any kind. For others, souvenirs may have some aesthetic value which enhances the game for that person. More importantly, for some, different types of souvenirs may have different levels of aesthetic value. The souvenirs for finding caches in Japan and South Africa have more meaning to me that the souvenir for finding a cache on 12/12/12. A souvenir for finding a cache on August 13 has no value whatsoever to me, but it might to someone who has a wedding anniversary on August 13. I have not suggested that Groundspeak should refrain from releasing souvenirs for every day in August (even though I think it's a really dumb idea) but I *would* like the option of having them show up in my profile.

July 25, 2013

I sure didn't ask for these souvenirs, and I would have preferred they apply their resources toward more country souvenirs, but since they've offered them, I'll take them. I'm planning to go for a month-long streak. That will fill in all the August dates I don't have yet, and upgrade the "daily cacher" badge on my profile page. I know this won't make sense to some, but I'm caching the way I choose to.

2.8k · July 25, 2013

And here I thought you all were taking the month of August off from work so you'd be able to grab all 31 souvenirs.

I suggest the next leap year, 2016, be the official year of Geocaching with 366 new souvenirs.

Edited July 25, 2013 by Roman!

July 25, 2013

I suggest the next leap year, 2016, be the official year of Geocaching with 366 new souvenirs.

Now that's getting a bit excessive. Hopefully by then we'll have the option of accepting or declining new souvenirs.

1.2k · July 25, 2013

I will be logging all mine August 1832. Yep, you can do that.

July 25, 2013

I will be logging all mine August 1832. Yep, you can do that.

That would really mess up the record.

July 25, 2013

I generally like the souvenirs...I don't even know why. lol But I think a souvenir a day for a month is excessive. I like the whole, get out geocaching thing, and if you find a geocache every day this month, you get one souvenir saying you did so. That's cool. I'd be more willing to do that. I don't really have a choice either way though, we are moving next month, over 2000mi away. lol It's not gonna happen every day. We fly out the 19th, so I'm really gonna try and get out there on International geocaching day, at least.

3.6k · July 26, 2013

And here I thought you all were taking the month of August off from work so you'd be able to grab all 31 souvenirs.

I suggest the next leap year, 2016, be the official year of Geocaching with 366 new souvenirs.

:laughing:

3.6k · July 26, 2013

I suggest the next leap year, 2016, be the official year of Geocaching with 366 new souvenirs.

Now that's getting a bit excessive. Hopefully by then we'll have the option of accepting or declining new souvenirs.

Knowing Roman! Hes being sarcastic. <_<

If GS is really doing that, it would be best to have something very clean looking and not just pile in the page. Or, a check box to turn it OFF!

7.9k · July 26, 2013

As of today I am in day 452 of what should hopefully be at least a 500 day streak to qualify for a local challenge.

No, I will not be taking August off from Geocaching.

The souvenirs are silly.

They have always been silly.

It is silly to take them so seriously.

Groundspeak have now provided proof of how silly they really are.

It would be silly to actually stop geocaching to avoid being 'awarded' a silly collection of pixels on your profile.

July 26, 2013

As of today I am in day 452 of what should hopefully be at least a 500 day streak to qualify for a local challenge.

No, I will not be taking August off from Geocaching.

The souvenirs are silly.

They have always been silly.

It is silly to take them so seriously.

Groundspeak have now provided proof of how silly they really are.

It would be silly to actually stop geocaching to avoid being 'awarded' a silly collection of pixels on your profile.

Agree 100%, except I'm not closing in on a 500 day streak. My longest streak is 140 days. Souvenirs are just pixels, nothing more.

14k · July 26, 2013

As of today I am in day 452 of what should hopefully be at least a 500 day streak to qualify for a local challenge.

No, I will not be taking August off from Geocaching.

The souvenirs are silly.

They have always been silly.

It is silly to take them so seriously.

Groundspeak have now provided proof of how silly they really are.

It would be silly to actually stop geocaching to avoid being 'awarded' a silly collection of pixels on your profile.

Challenges are silly.

They have always been silly

It is silly to take them so seriously.

The FTF game is silly.

It has always been silly.

It is silly to take it so seriously.

Power trails are silly...

Sorry, but you don't get to decide which aspects of this game are silly for me, or for anyone else but yourself.

This thread is not about all souvenirs. It is not about whether you or anyone else likes or dislikes souvenirs in general. It's about a specific set of souvenirs and to belittle those that attribute value to one kind of souvenir but not the specific set being discussed here (and in about 4-5 other threads) is offensive.

July 26, 2013

I suggest the next leap year, 2016, be the official year of Geocaching with 366 new souvenirs.

Now that's getting a bit excessive. Hopefully by then we'll have the option of accepting or declining new souvenirs.

Knowing Roman! Hes being sarcastic.

If GS is really doing that, it would be best to have something very clean looking and not just pile in the page. Or, a check box to turn it OFF!

I could sense the sarcasm. <_<

7.9k · July 26, 2013

As of today I am in day 452 of what should hopefully be at least a 500 day streak to qualify for a local challenge.

No, I will not be taking August off from Geocaching.

The souvenirs are silly.

They have always been silly.

It is silly to take them so seriously.

Groundspeak have now provided proof of how silly they really are.

It would be silly to actually stop geocaching to avoid being 'awarded' a silly collection of pixels on your profile.

Challenges are silly.

They have always been silly

It is silly to take them so seriously.

The FTF game is silly.

It has always been silly.

It is silly to take it so seriously.

Power trails are silly...

Sorry, but you don't get to decide which aspects of this game are silly for me, or for anyone else but yourself.

This thread is not about all souvenirs. It is not about whether you or anyone else likes or dislikes souvenirs in general. It's about a specific set of souvenirs and to belittle those that attribute value to one kind of souvenir but not the specific set being discussed here (and in about 4-5 other threads) is offensive.

I'm sorry you are offended.

I did not decide to have 31 souvenirs for the month of August.

1.3k · July 26, 2013

I have not decided how I will play in August. I suspect I will play as I usually do, when I'm invited by friends or when the mood strikes.

14k · July 26, 2013

As of today I am in day 452 of what should hopefully be at least a 500 day streak to qualify for a local challenge.

No, I will not be taking August off from Geocaching.

The souvenirs are silly.

They have always been silly.

It is silly to take them so seriously.

Groundspeak have now provided proof of how silly they really are.

It would be silly to actually stop geocaching to avoid being 'awarded' a silly collection of pixels on your profile.

Challenges are silly.

They have always been silly

It is silly to take them so seriously.

The FTF game is silly.

It has always been silly.

It is silly to take it so seriously.

Power trails are silly...

Sorry, but you don't get to decide which aspects of this game are silly for me, or for anyone else but yourself.

This thread is not about all souvenirs. It is not about whether you or anyone else likes or dislikes souvenirs in general. It's about a specific set of souvenirs and to belittle those that attribute value to one kind of souvenir but not the specific set being discussed here (and in about 4-5 other threads) is offensive.

I'm sorry you are offended.

I did not decide to have 31 souvenirs for the month of August.

But you did decide to call those that might like to collect souvenirs for countries, states, or significant events "silly".

6k · July 26, 2013

We have souvenirs? I never noticed.

A facetious response, to be sure, since you've been around the forum long enough to know about souvenirs.

If you're the kind of cacher that doesn't like is is completely indifferent to the existence of souvenirs then the awarding of a souvenir for every day you log a cache in August is not an issue. You're not going to look at your souvenirs tab anyway so it really doesn't matter if GS adds souvenirs to that tab or they don't.

Similarly, if you're the kind of cacher that loves souvenirs and will gladly take any and all souvenirs that GS is going to award than the topic of this thread isn't relevant either. It's all good because you'll get a souvenir for every day you go out and lift up a lamp post skirt

However, if you're the kind of cacher that is making a distinction between a souvenir that means something to you (as is the case for the several people that have mentioned liking the country and other regional souvenirs) and souvenirs for doing nothing different that you've done any other day of the year, then the 31 days of souvenirs in August might be an issue.

In my case, I'm not going to take August off from geocaching because I'm going to be visiting at least 2 States (and most likely 3) in which I've not yet found a geocache and I would like to add those 2-3 souvenirs to the collection of 23 other souvenirs I have for U.S. States (and six country based souvenirs). However, I don't want a souvenir for every day that I find a cache in August. That would be like putting a bumper sticker on my car for every day I drive it in August.

I am also considering just posting a note for caches I find in August (to let the CO know one of their caches was found), posting "Found It" logs (with a found date in September) and then deleting the notes (or not).

In the feature suggestions forums some have suggested giving users the ability to delete specific souvenirs from their profile or to be able "accept/reject" a souvenir that has been awarded. That would address the concerns of all three types of cachers I described above, except for the fringe element that dislikes the notion of souvenirs so much they don't want to see GS spending any time at all on them.

It appears you take these forums way to serious.

7.9k · July 26, 2013

As of today I am in day 452 of what should hopefully be at least a 500 day streak to qualify for a local challenge.

No, I will not be taking August off from Geocaching.

The souvenirs are silly.

They have always been silly.

It is silly to take them so seriously.

Groundspeak have now provided proof of how silly they really are.

It would be silly to actually stop geocaching to avoid being 'awarded' a silly collection of pixels on your profile.

Challenges are silly.

They have always been silly

It is silly to take them so seriously.

The FTF game is silly.

It has always been silly.

It is silly to take it so seriously.

Power trails are silly...

Sorry, but you don't get to decide which aspects of this game are silly for me, or for anyone else but yourself.

This thread is not about all souvenirs. It is not about whether you or anyone else likes or dislikes souvenirs in general. It's about a specific set of souvenirs and to belittle those that attribute value to one kind of souvenir but not the specific set being discussed here (and in about 4-5 other threads) is offensive.

I'm sorry you are offended.

I did not decide to have 31 souvenirs for the month of August.

But you did decide to call those that might like to collect souvenirs for countries, states, or significant events "silly".

I don't think I did...but I do think it is silly to stop Geocaching for a whole month to avoid a collection of them that have a perceived 'lesser value' than the others.

I don't think the August souvies are any less valuable than the others.

I earned a souvie based on the criteria that Groundspeak determined...big whoop.

You are certainly free to disagree, and to adjust your caching habits accordingly.

Five years ago there were no souvies and everyone was happy with that...now that they exist, there needs to be a huge controversy? :unsure:

8k · July 26, 2013

As of today I am in day 452 of what should hopefully be at least a 500 day streak to qualify for a local challenge.

No, I will not be taking August off from Geocaching.

The souvenirs are silly.

They have always been silly.

It is silly to take them so seriously.

Groundspeak have now provided proof of how silly they really are.

It would be silly to actually stop geocaching to avoid being 'awarded' a silly collection of pixels on your profile.

Challenges are silly.

They have always been silly

It is silly to take them so seriously.

The FTF game is silly.

It has always been silly.

It is silly to take it so seriously.

Power trails are silly...

Sorry, but you don't get to decide which aspects of this game are silly for me, or for anyone else but yourself.

This thread is not about all souvenirs. It is not about whether you or anyone else likes or dislikes souvenirs in general. It's about a specific set of souvenirs and to belittle those that attribute value to one kind of souvenir but not the specific set being discussed here (and in about 4-5 other threads) is offensive.

No I won't decide which aspects you consider silly. But I will consider it silly that you are making such a fuss over a few pictures that appear in your geocaching profile. Unless you have a really slow dial up line, you will still be able to look at the souvenirs you got for caching in a foreign country. I suspect the August souvenirs will all have a similar look and you will be able to scroll right past them.

There is way too much effort being expended by people in the forums just because Groundspeak added something to their profile. Frankly I didn't want souvenirs at all, or statistics. I'd like to be able to specify which tabs are displayed in the first place, let alone get to decide what goes on them. But I haven't canceled my premium membership or stopped geocaching over it.

Where were you when I posted that I didn't want the leap day souvenir? I just got a lot of people laughing at me or questioning if I was serious. So I'm not surprised you are getting the same kind of response. I ended up logging the caches I found that day. Letting souvenirs affect whether you geocache or not is just plain silly.

Anybody taking August off?

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