Lost 20+ in my Found count?

[+teellbee]

Not a newbie, but I don't know all the ins and outs either.... maybe I'm a middlebie?

 

Anyhoo, a few months ago, I was surprised to see my Found cache count seemed to be down by 20+ caches. I wondered if I didn't just have a bad memory of the total. Some time later, my spouse asked me what happened to the Found count as he also noticed the drop. So, it wasn't just me.

 

One thought... though it doesn't add up... Poking around, I did see where the owner of a series of caches we'd found had been banned and his caches "crossed out". I could not tell if that accounted for my discrepancy. So I checked the cacher (who has just a few caches) we were with the day we found those 20+ caches and could see it did not affect his total. Also, later, the banned cachers was re-instated, and the crossed out caches were available again. But, after reinstatement, my Found total did not go back up.

 

So, dunno...

 

I'd like to understand this or know how to look into it, if possible. It's not ~super~ important to me as I don't really cache for the numbers (I like the fun of discovering a cool spot or a clever hide). But, still....

 

Any ideas? Has this kind of discrepancy been noted by anyone else?

 

Teellbee

[4wheelin_fool]

Not a newbie, but I don't know all the ins and outs either.... maybe I'm a middlebie?

 

Anyhoo, a few months ago, I was surprised to see my Found cache count seemed to be down by 20+ caches. I wondered if I didn't just have a bad memory of the total. Some time later, my spouse asked me what happened to the Found count as he also noticed the drop. So, it wasn't just me.

 

One thought... though it doesn't add up... Poking around, I did see where the owner of a series of caches we'd found had been banned and his caches "crossed out". I could not tell if that accounted for my discrepancy. So I checked the cacher (who has just a few caches) we were with the day we found those 20+ caches and could see it did not affect his total. Also, later, the banned cachers was re-instated, and the crossed out caches were available again. But, after reinstatement, my Found total did not go back up.

 

So, dunno...

 

I'd like to understand this or know how to look into it, if possible. It's not ~super~ important to me as I don't really cache for the numbers (I like the fun of discovering a cool spot or a clever hide). But, still....

 

Any ideas? Has this kind of discrepancy been noted by anyone else?

 

Teellbee

The crossed out caches would have still counted in your finds. If you had finds deleted by that person, or anyone else, you should have recieved a deletion notice, such as if you accidentally double logged a few. Edited September 1, 2013 by 4wheelin_fool

[+TriciaG]

Crossed out (either archived or disabled) caches do not affect the found count. They're archived, not deleted, just for that reason - to not mess with the finders' numbers.

[Pup Patrol]

Looking at your current statistics, it looks like you've log "found it" more than once for the same GC code(s):

 

teellbee has found 368 caches (366 distinct) since 01/19/2008.

 

Maybe a cache owner noticed your duplicate logs, and deleted the extra ones.

 

But, any log deletion by a cache owner would trigger a system-generated email get sent to you.

 

Help Center → Hiding a Geocache → Geocache Ownership: A Long-Term Relationship → Log Deletion

3.9. Log Deletion

http://support.Groundspeak.com/index.php?pg=kb.page&id=204

 

B.

[+kunarion]

I'd like to understand this or know how to look into it

Do you have a previous "My Finds" Pocket Query to compare? Is there a cache you've found this summer, that's not in your found list?

 

Is it possible there were double posts, due to a glitch? If so, maybe the system cleaned up duplicate logs with no notice. Send an email to contact@geocaching.com.

 

Are you receiving email from "geocaching.com" when you log a cache? You could post a log note on a cache, just to be sure you get the notifications in email.

Edited September 1, 2013 by kunarion

[Pup Patrol]

I'd like to understand this or know how to look into it

Do you have a previous "My Finds" Pocket Query to compare? Is there a cache you've found this summer, that's not in your found list?

 

Is it possible there were double posts, due to a glitch? If so, maybe the system cleaned up duplicate logs with no notice. Send an email to contact@geocaching.com.

 

Yes, that's another possibility. There was a time not too long ago that logs were being posted on cache pages numerous times, due to some weird glitch.

 

Are you receiving email from "geocaching.com" when you log a cache? You could post a log note on a cache, just to be sure you get the notifications in email.

 

I've never gotten emails from Groundspeak when I post logs on caches.

 

 

B.

Edited September 1, 2013 by Pup Patrol

[+sdkonkle]

I found that you have made made duplicate logs on two caches (GCPHD2 & GC3EPYM). My guess is that you may have made others that a cache owner deleted the duplicates on.

[+kunarion]

Are you receiving email from "geocaching.com" when you log a cache? You could post a log note on a cache, just to be sure you get the notifications in email.

 

I've never gotten emails from Groundspeak when I post logs on caches.

The OP could post it on their own cache (then delete the log if you like). That will send a notification. If you receive that, I'd expect you'll receive notices of cache owners deleting logs. So that could rule out an email issue.

Edited September 1, 2013 by kunarion

[+teellbee]

Looking at your current statistics, it looks like you've log "found it" more than once for the same GC code(s):

 

teellbee has found 368 caches (366 distinct) since 01/19/2008.

 

Maybe a cache owner noticed your duplicate logs, and deleted the extra ones.

 

But, any log deletion by a cache owner would trigger a system-generated email get sent to you.

 

Help Center → Hiding a Geocache → Geocache Ownership: A Long-Term Relationship → Log Deletion

3.9. Log Deletion

http://support.Groundspeak.com/index.php?pg=kb.page&id=204

B.

Well, that's a thought. Hmmm... FWIW, I have not knowingly logged duplicates, nor have I received system generated email indicating such deletions. I may have inadvertently double logged a couple or may have double posted early on before I figured out how to post a Note, though.

[+teellbee]

I'd like to understand this or know how to look into it

Do you have a previous "My Finds" Pocket Query to compare? Is there a cache you've found this summer, that's not in your found list?

 

>>>No, it never occurred to me to run such a Pocket Query as I could get similar info from my Account Info

Is it possible there were double posts, due to a glitch? If so, maybe the system cleaned up duplicate logs with no notice. Send an email to contact@geocaching.com.

 

>>>Not impossible, but I'm not thinking that's too likely either. I only cache a few at a time every few months, and the incremental increases have always been inline with my expectations based on my activity.

 

Are you receiving email from "geocaching.com" when you log a cache? You could post a log note on a cache, just to be sure you get the notifications in email.

>>>No, I don't put a Watch tag on every cache I find. I will put them on some DNFs or on some particularly interesting caches. I did not know there might be a system setting to generate an email for posting logs. Is there?

 

 

Just for the sake of curiosity, perhaps I do a My Finds Pocket Query to see what it looks like.

 

Thanks for your thoughts.

[+teellbee]

I found that you have made made duplicate logs on two caches (GCPHD2 & GC3EPYM). My guess is that you may have made others that a cache owner deleted the duplicates on.

 

Not impossible, but I don't think I've done that a lot. I wondered if DH (my partner) may have also been logging finds; but I looked and those two were my errors. I just deleted the two dups. Still, not enough to account for the difference of 20+. and, If there is supposed to be a notification when those are deleted by CO's or the system, I have not gotten them. So, dunno.

[+teellbee]

Crossed out (either archived or disabled) caches do not affect the found count. They're archived, not deleted, just for that reason - to not mess with the finders' numbers.

Yeah, that is what I would have expected and it looked like they were still there; but it was the only "anomaly" about that time that I could find. So I just wondered if it could have triggered a glitch. Not that it affected my fellow cacher's tally, so it did not add up that it would have affected mine.

[+teellbee]

Thanks for your thoughts, everyone. As mentioned, I don't really do this for the numbers, but for the hope that a geocache will take me to a cool place, have a good story, or fun container.

 

The sense that there was a slug of missing tallies just felt like an itch . Your thoughts are helping me put it to rest. Thanks!