Logging your own cache as "Found"

[+Primary Evidence]

Recently I've come across a cache or two where the owner had logged it as "Found" themselves...thus boosting their numbers.

Curiously, I attempted to log my own cache as found and succeeded, I then deleted the log as it was only a test.

 

Just curious if there's any guidelines regarding owners logging their own caches as found?

 

Cheers

[+The Blorenges]

No, there's no rule/guideline that says cache owners must not log finds on their own caches but it's generally considered "not the done thing", a rather silly practice.

 

MrsB

[+Isonzo Karst]

Knowledge Books Article, 3.6. Logging My Own Cache

[+Team Microdot]

Being bad form doesn't deter everyone though - a cacher in the next county recently logged finds on over 150 of their own caches in order to satisfy a challenge to find 200 caches in a single day

[+Mudfrog]

Being bad form doesn't deter everyone though - a cacher in the next county recently logged finds on over 150 of their own caches in order to satisfy a challenge to find 200 caches in a single day

 

I'm sure there are a few who try to do this covertly as possible because they know that it's wrong. But from my observations, there are probably just as many who somehow believe this is perfectly ok. I sure can't figure out how they arive at this kind of thinking.

[+stijnhommes]

If someone was to adopt my caches, I'd have no problem logging them as found, but right now, it just sounds silly to do a thing like that.

[+J Grouchy]

There's a guy around here that has been logging his own as found:

 

Trying to get 100 finds before I move. Every one helps.

 

...until I called him out on one I found:

 

Gorgeous park. Found the cache with little trouble. Ants have taken up residence in the outer container, but I managed to sign the log anyway. TFTC

 

Btw...kinda poor form to be claiming a find on your own cache. Just sayin'...

 

EDIT: yeah...actually, he's still doing it. lame.

Edited August 1, 2013 by J Grouchy

[+Ma & Pa]

I know someone who told me he logs his own caches when he has to go find them to do maintenance. I didn't discuss it further, but I know what he means cause I often have problem finding my own too.

 

. I have met a few very young enthusiastic newby cachers who have logged one of their own. I didn't mention it to them either.

Edited August 1, 2013 by Ma & Pa

[+jdpc3]

Is it weird or "bad form" if I were to place a cache...say in honor of a birthday...and then have son/hubby go and find it. Then "we" could log it as found??

Just wondering.

[+J Grouchy]

Is it weird or "bad form" if I were to place a cache...say in honor of a birthday...and then have son/hubby go and find it. Then "we" could log it as found??

Just wondering.

 

My wife has logged a couple of mine as found. I never really showed her where they were, so I figured she found 'em so that was fair game.

She hasn't really gotten into caching, though...so she has no interest in numbers anyway.

[+niraD]

Is it weird or "bad form" if I were to place a cache...say in honor of a birthday...and then have son/hubby go and find it. Then "we" could log it as found??

That's one of the exceptions some people allow to the rule. With group accounts, it can make sense for one person to hide and list the cache, and for another person using the same account to find it and post an online "Found it!" log. Other possible exceptions include grandfathered traveling caches (which have been rehidden by someone other than the CO) and challenge caches (when the hide itself is considered secondary to completing the challenge).

 

Of course, not everyone accepts even these exceptions...

[+CanadianRockies]

Is it weird or "bad form" if I were to place a cache...say in honor of a birthday...and then have son/hubby go and find it. Then "we" could log it as found??

Just wondering.

My wife has found a cache that I hid. She then logged it on the account she has for her solo finds rather than on our joint account. I personally think it would look cheesy to have a find show up on the same account that hid it. And one less smiley isn't a big deal, so why look cheesy?

[+cerberus1]

Is it weird or "bad form" if I were to place a cache...say in honor of a birthday...and then have son/hubby go and find it. Then "we" could log it as found??

Just wondering.

My wife has found a cache that I hid. She then logged it on the account she has for her solo finds rather than on our joint account. I personally think it would look cheesy to have a find show up on the same account that hid it. And one less smiley isn't a big deal, so why look cheesy?

Similar, my other 2/3rds lugged a 50 cal ammo can on the AT for my birthday a few years ago and used the account she has for coins and "5" hides.

- Gotta give her credit, she hiked it twice.

 

But she has a "5" hide that I actually placed {and occasionaly maintain}.

I'd think it cheesy to claim that one as a find, even though it's under her account.

[JASTA 11]

 

My wife has logged a couple of mine as found. I never really showed her where they were, so I figured she found 'em so that was fair game.

She hasn't really gotten into caching, though...so she has no interest in numbers anyway.

 

Cool.

 

So she shouldn't complain when you delete them.

[+ArcherDragoon]

I have logged one of my own...but it was after I adopted it from someone moving out of the area...and I had to go out and find it in order to replace it (container was in bad shape).

[+Team Firenze]

There are a specific few who do that around me. I actually might have to contact them shortly. They log all of there own cache hides. Sometime as a response to the FTF finders and sometimes when they archive it.

 

The bigger problem I have is they recently changed one of their caches from like a 2.5/2.5 to a 5/5. I assume to fulfill some challenge. I only found one real 5/5 and I kind of don't like the fact that now it shows 2 in my stats but one is fake.

[+CanadianRockies]

The bigger problem I have is they recently changed one of their caches from like a 2.5/2.5 to a 5/5. I assume to fulfill some challenge. I only found one real 5/5 and I kind of don't like the fact that now it shows 2 in my stats but one is fake.

We have over 30 5/5 finds, none of which are truly 5/5. But it doesn't bother me too much, since many of our other cache finds have inaccurate D/T ratings as well.

[+Team Firenze]

The bigger problem I have is they recently changed one of their caches from like a 2.5/2.5 to a 5/5. I assume to fulfill some challenge. I only found one real 5/5 and I kind of don't like the fact that now it shows 2 in my stats but one is fake.

We have over 30 5/5 finds, none of which are truly 5/5. But it doesn't bother me too much, since many of our other cache finds have inaccurate D/T ratings as well.

 

If it was close to a 5/5 I wouldn't care. This wasn't even close and was obviously changed for a reason. I guess it is part and parcel of the the kind of cachers that log their own caches. They can play the game any way they want and if I want to I can just delete my log from the cache.

[+Bowlr]

So, all I gotta do is to change my hides difficulty/terrain rating to what I need to fill the grid, log as found, then archive em...Hmmm..sounds like a plan..

Edited August 2, 2013 by Bowlr

[tomowens]

The real question is whether or not the cache owners are signing the log books before claiming the find in the GS database.

 

For me, it doesn't have any effect on how I play the game or how much I enjoy it.

[+TL&MinBHIL]

I've noticed a guy that's cached around here who likes to toss out "throw-downs" when he can't find a cache, then counts his own throw-downs as a find. He has nearly 15,000 finds, but it makes me wonder how many of them are ones he threw out himself.

[JASTA 11]

There used to be someone who posted around here with the tag line:

 

"Logging a find on your own cache is like wearing a toupee. You think it makes you look better, but everyone is really laughing at you."

 

I've accepted that I'm losing my hair.

[+popokiiti]

An excuse I saw from a cache owner was "I spend about $40 on some of my caches." Even the film can LPCs and the beer bottle cap with a nano glued to it? No, I don't think it should be possible to log your own cache. However, each to their own. If I logged mine it would increase my find count by a whopping one whole smiley! But I would sign the log......

Chuckle quietly to yourself, and move on to the next cache.

Edited August 3, 2013 by popokiiti

[+AneMae]

Logging ones own caches:

 

1. There is NOTHING wrong with it.

2. "Bad Form" says who? Think i would let the lackeys decide what is right and wrong for me. never.

3. I have logged all my own caches, and I am proud of it. No "excuses" necessary

 

This is you game, you are free to play it your way. Try to avoid the psychological programming from GS or the forums.

 

I do what I want- KCCO

[+DragonsWest]

There have been times where a cache I have hidden has migrated so much even I have difficulty finding it. I should claim a find for these visits

[+tozainamboku]

There have been times where a cache I have hidden has migrated so much even I have difficulty finding it. I should claim a find for these visits

There are times when a cache I have hidden has migrated so much that even I have DNF'd it. But no worry, I just leave a throwdown replacement and let the cachers who come after deal with there being two caches at GZ.

[+Kacher82]

The bigger problem I have is they recently changed one of their caches from like a 2.5/2.5 to a 5/5. I assume to fulfill some challenge. I only found one real 5/5 and I kind of don't like the fact that now it shows 2 in my stats but one is fake.

We have over 30 5/5 finds, none of which are truly 5/5. But it doesn't bother me too much, since many of our other cache finds have inaccurate D/T ratings as well.

 

If it was close to a 5/5 I wouldn't care. This wasn't even close and was obviously changed for a reason. I guess it is part and parcel of the the kind of cachers that log their own caches. They can play the game any way they want and if I want to I can just delete my log from the cache.

At the first event I attended, one of the door prizes was the privilege of choosing the D/T rating for the event. It's now the only 4.5/4.5 event I have attended. I had to drive an hour and a half to get there, but it wasn't hard to find.

[Mr.Yuck]

Logging ones own caches:

 

1. There is NOTHING wrong with it.

2. "Bad Form" says who? Think i would let the lackeys decide what is right and wrong for me. never.

3. I have logged all my own caches, and I am proud of it. No "excuses" necessary

 

This is you game, you are free to play it your way. Try to avoid the psychological programming from GS or the forums.

 

I do what I want- KCCO

 

Yeah, but I remember when you did it in response to one of these threads, and you're just plain old being goofy. By the way, you only have one left.

[+AneMae]

Yes Mr. Yuck, one left- it is kind of sentimental to me being my first. Although as you know the other ones I had out there were the most brilliant caches around here-especially when compared to the L.L., which are probably some of the worst caches out of the 2 million on the globe. As I recall you had said you would pour gasoline all over yourself and set yourself ablaze before doing another Loop cache.

 

Anyway, I like you, come on out here find my cache and then maybe we can do some caching and be goofy together.

[JASTA 11]

Logging ones own caches:

 

1. There is NOTHING wrong with it.

2. "Bad Form" says who? Think i would let the lackeys decide what is right and wrong for me. never.

3. I have logged all my own caches, and I am proud of it. No "excuses" necessary

 

This is you game, you are free to play it your way. Try to avoid the psychological programming from GS or the forums.

 

I do what I want- KCCO

 

You weren't kidding about logging finds on your caches.

 

No one disputes being able to play the game the way one wants to.

 

But could you explain your reasoning? Why do you do it?

 

Inquiring minds want to know...

[+The_Incredibles_]

Just because you CAN do something, doesn't mean you SHOULD.

[+MSalisbury]

Just because you CAN do something, doesn't mean you SHOULD.

 

+1 The Incredibles

 

I don't understand why in the world you would want to log your own cache as a "Find" - presumably you know where it was hidden, there's not a whole lot of challenge to find it is there?

 

Play the game the way that you want to, I guess. Personally I'm not THAT hungry for another coupla smilies. It's not about the numbers, rigth?

[+Gustav129]

There's a guy around here that has been logging his own as found:

 

Trying to get 100 finds before I move. Every one helps.

 

...until I called him out on one I found:

 

Gorgeous park. Found the cache with little trouble. Ants have taken up residence in the outer container, but I managed to sign the log anyway. TFTC

 

Btw...kinda poor form to be claiming a find on your own cache. Just sayin'...

 

EDIT: yeah...actually, he's still doing it. lame.

 

Does it really matter when he's archiving them very soon in a few weeks, and it's only 9 of them? So many people "cheat" in the game, but who cares? They can play it the way they want to. He's new to the game also...

Edited August 7, 2013 by gustav129

[+Essap]

How about logging a find that "I was with X when he hid the cache". This is also not finding the cache. We have one local cacher with probsbly over a thousand "finds" claimed this way. Seems in bad form, but I guess we each play the game in our own way.

Edited August 7, 2013 by Essap

[Mr.Yuck]

How about logging a find that "I was with X when he hid the cache". This is also not finding the cache. We have one local cacher with probsbly over a thousand "finds" claimed this way. Seems in bad form, but I guess we each play the game in our own way.

 

That is unheard of in my area, but apparently "heard of" in other area's, from what I've been told. I find it cheesy as heck, but I don't think the Geocaching Police are going to come and take them away, or anything.

 

One could easily put caches they helped hide on their ignore list. And you can even still put a cache on your watchlist that you are ignoring. I should know, I hid two caches with a sock puppet account in like 2006 or 2007, and did this. I do admit, a rather casual Geocacher probably wouldn't know about these facts.

[+WarNinjas]

I wish we could log our own as found. We like to put out some harder caches and a bunch of 5 terrain but when I look at our terrain it is low so our caches would definitely help! We did the work to get there! Just kidding of course!

[+Don_J]

Logging ones own caches:

 

1. There is NOTHING wrong with it.

2. "Bad Form" says who? Think i would let the lackeys decide what is right and wrong for me. never.

3. I have logged all my own caches, and I am proud of it. No "excuses" necessary

 

This is you game, you are free to play it your way. Try to avoid the psychological programming from GS or the forums.

 

I do what I want- KCCO

 

You weren't kidding about logging finds on your caches.

 

No one disputes being able to play the game the way one wants to.

 

But could you explain your reasoning? Why do you do it?

 

Inquiring minds want to know...

 

He did it because someone on the forum told him that he shouldn't do it.

[+OZ2CPU]

people do silly things all the time, just dont mean you need to copy the silly and do it your self,

even if it is not illegal,

 

logging your own event as attended, is what some people do,

sinc they did offcourse also attend,

that is NOT the same things, as finding your own caches, since you hide them

you know where they are, so finding.. dont really match, t is not a find

but a pick up, or a performed maintenance..

[+-CJ-]

Never had a thought of logging my own cache as found. For what reason? I actually didn't find it, I hid it.

 

Let people "play the game they like", see the example of our Russian community. A cache seeker comes to a cache location, spends half an hour searching, finds nothing, logs this cache as found. "I was here and honestly made an attempt". CO: "But you didn't find it!". Seeker: "Not so important. It's my style of playing". CO: "OK, no big deal". After a couple of years the same CO discovers that many people log his caches as found without actually finding them. "This is how we play geocaching".

 

On the other hand, I'm not sure about how to suggest people to log caches they assisted me to hide. They actually didn't find them. However they are not COs too. For the majority of people in these forums it is not so important because you guys have thousands of finds and even more you can find next years. So I think you may pay no attention to the lack of 10-15 of "finds" of geocaches that you actually helped to place. In our area there are still very few geocaches so it's pity if one cannot neither own nor find a new cache. In such circumstances some people choose even not to come to geocaching events. They prefer to visit the caches that were placed at the events afterwards - when they can log them as found without any hesitations. Is it really good to lack people at events for such reason? I bet it's not.

 

Just the same with geocaches I help to restore. I come to the GZ and discover that the cache is missing. Then I call the CO, explain the situation in details, he agrees that the cache is not there, I suggest my assistance, he says "wow, thank you, it's very kind of you", I replace the container, logbook, pencil, souvenirs, trackables... and cannot log this cache as found. Why? I actually didn't find the cache, I restored it. I noticed that some people here prefer to pass by and not help to restore a muggled geocache even if they pass by the GZ every day. They just wait until CO restores it so they can go there after him and get their smiley without any hesitations.

[+OZ2CPU]

CO discovers that many people log his caches as found without actually finding them. "This is how we play geocaching".

 

you can not.. or should not, change the rules compleetly agains the guidelines set by Groundspeak..

 

http://www.geocaching.com/about/guidelines.aspx

 

specially this line apply to ALL people, ALL over the world:

 

Physical caches can be logged online as "Found" once the physical log has been signed.

 

however people just leave a throwdown, sign that one, very close to "your" kind of game,

at least you folks are honost not finders :-)

[+-CJ-]

OZ2CPU, to make my words clear, when I was talking about "our Russian community" I meant not geocaching.com players but the Russian geocaching website which is rather different. The reason for me to drop my opinion here is to mention that the Russian site has already run into troubles with that "different style of playing". Some things that are considered "individual style of playing" here have already grown up widescale somewhere in the world. It's like virtual geocaches banned at this website in 2005. Would you like to know what would happen if they have never been banned? I can show you because I have this example "at hand".

 

So, it's not "my" or my kind of game. It's a kind of game played at another geocaching website which could serve as an example. When people say "why cannot I mark my own cache as found" I always remember how people said "why cannot I mark that muggled cache as found" first, and finally "why cannot I mark that unfound cache as found - hey, I've already sent you a photolog", etc.

[+tozainamboku]

CO discovers that many people log his caches as found without actually finding them. "This is how we play geocaching".

 

you can not.. or should not, change the rules compleetly agains the guidelines set by Groundspeak..

 

http://www.geocaching.com/about/guidelines.aspx

 

specially this line apply to ALL people, ALL over the world:

 

Physical caches can be logged online as "Found" once the physical log has been signed.

 

however people just leave a throwdown, sign that one, very close to "your" kind of game,

at least you folks are honost not finders :-)

I think you make too much of that guideline. That guideline did not exist until ALR were eliminated in April 2009. It essentially was to point out that cache owners could not have additional requirements for posting a log online (challenge caches were exempted). However TPTB decided that cache owners who wanted could continue to check the physical logs and delete online logs if the physical log was not signed. There is no rule saying that an online found log is "cheating" if you don't sign the the log. Most cache owners don't check the physical log and even if they do they don't go deleting online logs that appear to be legitimate.

 

The online find is not a score. To quote Jeremy

Bickering over the rules of a cache "find" was never the intent of Geocaching.com. There's no prize, no leaderboard, and no trophy, so there's no reason to get your knickers in a twist about anyone else's definition of a find.

 

IMO, this extends to people who choose the use online find logs on their own caches. This may be cheesy, but in some instances - used by teams or used humorously when you had trouble finding your cache when doing maintenance - it may be reasonable. True there are some people who log all their caches as found. Can't tell if these are people who think the find count is a score and do it just to get a higher count, or if they are obsessed with seeing only smiley faces on the map, or if they want to force these caches to show up in their My Finds pocket query, or some other reason.

Edited August 7, 2013 by tozainamboku

[+bflentje]

this extends to people who choose the use online find logs on their own caches. This may be cheesy, but in some instances - used by teams or used humorously when you had trouble finding your cache when doing maintenance - it may be reasonable. True there are some people who log all their caches as found. Can't tell if these are people who think the find count is a score and do it just to get a higher count, or if they are obsessed with seeing only smiley faces on the map, or if they want to force these caches to show up in their My Finds pocket query, or some other reason.

 

Back when I first started, everyone I knew was logging Found It's on the temp hides at events. In order to get my event count back in order but to keep my overall find count correct (for milestones), I deleted the multiple finds on the events and then logged a single personally owned but archived cache about 70 times. To this day it bothers me but I am leaving it as is. I am about 95% pure today but back then I just didn't know better.

[+The A-Team]

...

2. "Bad Form" says who? Think i would let the lackeys decide what is right and wrong for me. never.

...

It isn't just the Help Center that thinks it's bad form. If you did a survey of a bunch of cachers, you'd most likely find that a very high majority never log their own caches as found.

[+BCandMsKitty]

We do it from time to time, and probably will again. MsKitty is almost never with me when I hide a cache, and I don't usually describe where it is, other than the vicinity. Sometimes, if we're in the area, she wants to try to find it. When she does .... with NO input or help from me ..., she feels she would like to get credit for a find. YOU tell her she's being cheesy! I sure don't want to! :o

 

As for it looking cheesy to others ... that's their problem.

Edited August 8, 2013 by BC & MsKitty

[+Manville Possum]

Waymarkers do it all the time on their own waymarks, but I fail to see the point.

[+Team Hugs]

I've seen two "exceptions" to the "rule" regarding not logging your own cache:

 

1. Challenge caches. For some challenge caches that required the logger to achieve a particular caching feat after the date of publication, I've seen the owner log the cache when he achieved the same feat (but never, of course, as the FTF). I suspect I won't see that as much, now that Groundspeak has changed the rules on challenge caches so that forbidding qualifiying finds prior to the publication date is no longer allowed ... usually the cache owner is asked to demonstrate that a given caching feat is feasible, often by reference to their own stats.

 

2. There are some "mystery spot" two-stage caches in our area. The coordinates take you to a container in a forest setting which contains a clue for finding the cache; when you find the cache, you're supposed to hide the cache in a different location and update the clue in the central cache. For those caches, the owner can certainly find the cache and log the find, since he wouldn't know where the cache is after the initial placement. (Actually, this style of cache permits multiple finds --- even FTFs --- for anyone.)

 

But I suspect that these are both exceptions that prove the rule, rather than contradict it.

[Mr.Yuck]

Waymarkers do it all the time on their own waymarks, but I fail to see the point.

 

Predating Waymarking as I do, I seem to remember it being hammered out in their own forums in 2005 that it was generally accepted as being OK to log your own Waymarks as visited. That was when they had a mild amount of interest, and people actually did Waymarking though.

 

Just kidding, I just logged about 8 today, although I back-dated them almost 2 weeks. And a few of them were the same thing in multiple categories. I suspect if you have like 6 visits on your Waymark since 2007, you don't care about that either.

[JASTA 11]

We do it from time to time, and probably will again. MsKitty is almost never with me when I hide a cache, and I don't usually describe where it is, other than the vicinity. Sometimes, if we're in the area, she wants to try to find it. When she does .... with NO input or help from me ..., she feels she would like to get credit for a find. YOU tell her she's being cheesy! I sure don't want to! :o

 

As for it looking cheesy to others ... that's their problem.

 

Dear Ms Kitty: It's cheesy.

 

 

2. There are some "mystery spot" two-stage caches in our area. The coordinates take you to a container in a forest setting which contains a clue for finding the cache; when you find the cache, you're supposed to hide the cache in a different location and update the clue in the central cache. For those caches, the owner can certainly find the cache and log the find, since he wouldn't know where the cache is after the initial placement. (Actually, this style of cache permits multiple finds --- even FTFs --- for anyone.)

 

Moving the cache? Is that allowed without being reviewed?

 

Waymarkers do it all the time on their own waymarks, but I fail to see the point.

 

Predating Waymarking as I do, I seem to remember it being hammered out in their own forums in 2005 that it was generally accepted as being OK to log your own Waymarks as visited. That was when they had a mild amount of interest, and people actually did Waymarking though.

 

Just kidding, I just logged about 8 today, although I back-dated them almost 2 weeks. And a few of them were the same thing in multiple categories. I suspect if you have like 6 visits on your Waymark since 2007, you don't care about that either.

 

The cheesy-ness applies to waymarks too.

[+elrojo14]

I did log one of my caches as found.

 

http://coord.info/GC1VZT0

 

I saved the location for a find, but hadn't gotten around to getting the container out there. Some other cachers came along and planted a cache there and I was notified someone was looking to plant a cache in my saved spot. I went out and found their cache and just made it mine and published it. They were cool with it.

 

And then I have found my wife's caches that I have helped plant, but I have actually gone out to check on them and signed the log.

 

Generally on my own caches. It doesn't seem right.