Encourage the Use of the Forums

[+M4RKO]

I really think it's important to encourage geocachers to visit the forums, especially new geocachers. You learn a lot about what is considered to be good geocaching etiquette. For example, when I first started I was following the example of others before me with short logs and TFTC and what not. Then I came to the forum and realized that people used to write a lot more in the log books, and the one line username - date - tftc thing is a recent development and that most cache owners appreciate a longer log. Same goes for the online log, I learned that COs appreciate you telling them a little more than just TFTC, and although I never just posted TFTC, I have made a conscious effort to write more interesting logs.

 

My boyfriend and I recently found a cache but could not open it. Because our goal was to find a cache, he thought we should be able to claim it as a find. But because I've read on the forums that some people DON'T consider it a find until they've signed the log, I don't want to claim it until we can get it open and sign the physical log.

 

I learned that most TB owners don't really care for a lot of "visit" logs unless accompanied by photos and stories. I also learned the importance of keeping TB's tracking numbers out of logs and photos.

 

I'm sure I could go on, but the point is I learned a LOT just by reading a few threads on the forums. It really helps to see what others think about different practices or games within the game. And I'm sure others would benefit as well. Maybe people who claim Finds on caches they didn't actually find wouldn't do it as often if they saw the Found It = Did Not Find It thread. Maybe there would be less throwdown containers if people read through threads where owners complain about people throwing down their trash when a perfectly good cache was still right there.

 

I think one way to encourage people to visit the forums would be through the geocaching newsletter email that is sent out. Just like it links to recently published caches and upcoming events, it could have a little section where it links to a few forum discussions, like the Found it = DNF it thread, or the What Irks You thread. I also think it would help more people find the forums if there was something like the forums homepage "recently added" box on the actual geocaching homepage.

[+niraD]

If information like that is important for new geocachers, then I think it makes more sense to include it in a document like Geocaching 101 and make it easier to find and access the information in that document. The forums have a low signal-to-noise ratio, and I never recommend them to new geocachers when I introduce them to geocaching.

[+larryc43230]

Considering all the angst I see every day on these forums, I would never recommend that a newbie cacher come here for information. Most of my caching friends who have visited the forums have learned to shy away unless they have a specific question to ask.

 

The moderation here is exemplary. Compared to other forums I've hung out at, threads tend to (more or less) stay on topic, and there's a refreshing zero tolerance for potty mouth language. On the other hand, newbies also see too many endless arguments of the how-many-angels-can-dance-on-the-head-of-a-pin variety. We do tend to beat most topics to death.

 

--Larry

[AZcachemeister]

There are enough idiots in here, 'As he looked in the mirror'.

[+tozainamboku]

My boyfriend and I recently found a cache but could not open it. Because our goal was to find a cache, he thought we should be able to claim it as a find. But because I've read on the forums that some people DON'T consider it a find until they've signed the log, I don't want to claim it until we can get it open and sign the physical log.

Apparently you haven't read many of my posts

[+Don_J]

My boyfriend and I recently found a cache but could not open it. Because our goal was to find a cache, he thought we should be able to claim it as a find. But because I've read on the forums that some people DON'T consider it a find until they've signed the log, I don't want to claim it until we can get it open and sign the physical log.

Apparently you haven't read many of my posts

 

I think that this forum has two problems. One is that some here like to apply cold hard rules to everything they do which allows them to skip any critical thinking and having to evaluate a situation and make a decision based on the unique circumstances involved. Above is a perfect example. If I can't open a container and sign the log because it's locked and I don't have the key or am not smart enough to figure out the combo or physical characteristics of the box to open it, I won't log it online as a find. If I can't open the container because the cache owner choose a poor container and it is broken or rusted tight, I will log it as found and advise the CO with a needs maintenance log.

 

The second problem that this forum has is that some members seem to not have the ability to look to the left column and note that someone asking what may seem like a silly question has a post count of one. They then treat that individual as if they were responding to someone that they have been beating dead horses with for the last five years. I think that this is the number one reason why this forum has a reputation for being unfriendly to newcomers. I know a lot of geocachers and most of them are afraid of this place. The rest think we are all crazy.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

My boyfriend and I recently found a cache but could not open it. Because our goal was to find a cache, he thought we should be able to claim it as a find. But because I've read on the forums that some people DON'T consider it a find until they've signed the log, I don't want to claim it until we can get it open and sign the physical log.

Apparently you haven't read many of my posts

 

The second problem that this forum has is that some members seem to not have the ability to look to the left column and note that someone asking what may seem like a silly question has a post count of one. They then treat that individual as if they were responding to someone that they have been beating dead horses with for the last five years. I think that this is the number one reason why this forum has a reputation for being unfriendly to newcomers. I know a lot of geocachers and most of them are afraid of this place. The rest think we are all crazy.

 

To be fair, the Getting Started forum is a lot more user friendly than some of the other sections. The mods of Getting Started are much less tolerant of adversarial posts and the tone is generally much more welcoming and helpful. There are several grizzled veterans that participate in other sections that follow the Getting Started for no other reason than to answer newbie questions and guide geocachers just "getting started" .

 

I've been participating on online forums for 30 years and have always felt that the tone and general behavior in a forum is define by those that regularly participate in that forum. If a forum seems overly harsh, it's probably because those that regularly participate have made it that way. I used to be very active in the Usenet community and recall a couple of groups that covered essentially the same topic. One was all nice and fluffy while the participants in the other wouldn't pull any punches in expressing how they felt. Quite often participants would get into heated debates on one topic but be agreeable on another. Many of the participants of that forum have moved on to other forum platforms and are still a close knit after 25 years of shooting from the hip.

 

 

[+TeamRabbitRun]

In my opinion (A terrible way to start a forum post - I'm already a target!) if a person is both open to learning beyond their first impressions of the hobby AND inclined to wade through the endless *#$& that we type here, they'll get a lot out of these pages.

 

Compliments to the OP for being such a person.

 

The average player wouldn't put up with this for either the education or entertainment aspects. I dig both.

 

The average player develops his or her initial concepts of what this is about, or buys into the 'truths' impressed upon them by an early mentor, and simply runs with them.

 

Searching for an answer to a specific question here would be maddening in many cases if you're not used to this environment.

 

As many people have endlessly pointed out, while this game has many rules, how you apply them is entirely up to you because it's not designed to be competitive. Apples don't always have to equal oranges (Does that saying exist outside of the US?) Because of that, the best thing I get out of spending five minutes or so here every day is the opportunity to read about how others have made sense of the rules to fit the game THEY want to play. Several times I've changed my mind about how I approach some aspect of the game because something I read here made more sense to my fair-o-meter.

[+J Grouchy]

I'd like to encourage Groundspeak to actually use the forums. They might actually learn a little bit about what we like, dislike, want and don't want.

Yeah...that'd be cool.

Edited August 1, 2013 by J Grouchy