Cache Auditing

[+JPreto]

Well, reading in the forum about Throwdowns (a subject that really interests me) something came up: CACHE AUDIT!

 

This is very interesting also because is actually being a "LOG COP" on your own caches which is something that Groundspeak appeals every owner to do:

 

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

 

LOG DELETION - OWNERS

It is one of your maintenance duties as the geocache owner to monitor quality control of posts to the geocache page. To this end, you have the power to delete logs.

 

When I go geocaching in my area (São Paulo - Brazil) if I am nearby any of my caches I go and check if the cache is there and if the physical logs correspond to the virtual ones. Most of the times it does!!!

 

But I am new to geocaching (only a member since July 2013) and only started placing caches in January 2014 so I never did a routine check on all of them, just do it when I go by because of a NM request or after many DNFs even if it doesn´t have a NM.

 

So I have 2 questions:

 

1) If the cache was FOUND by the last logged visitor and it should be nothing wrong with the cache how frequent should you visit it to warrant that the cache is ok and ready to find?

 

2) If you see some supposed bogus logs will you check if they are physically done in the cache or not?

 

Thanks!!!

[4wheelin_fool]

I wont delete fake finds, but I may upload pictures of the logbook.

[+SwineFlew]

As a CO, I dont delete fake find, I just laugh at them and let them know via email. If they wanna claim a find, thats fine with me, but I will laugh at them and wonder what planet they live on

Edited May 9, 2014 by SwineFlew

[+cerberus1]

1) If the cache was FOUND by the last logged visitor and it should be nothing wrong with the cache how frequent should you visit it to warrant that the cache is ok and ready to find?

 

2) If you see some supposed bogus logs will you check if they are physically done in the cache or not?

Assuming the cache was actually found by the last visitor, we have a few that we check maybe three times a year. More if logs state problems.

We do have three that I haven't personally checked in two years.

- One is close enough to another's hides that he checks while passing, one is near another's home and he regularly brings newbies to the hide and one is only found maybe once a year.

All ammo cans.

 

We didn't see bogus logs on our hides until around '09.

I'm not gonna speculate...

We do check time-to-time, often when notified by another that a faker's moving through the area.

- The reason why in another thread we stated we want to keep our logs if by some rare chance they're full or damaged.

[+Manville Possum]

My caches are PMO, and if I don't see where a user signed the log I just look around until I find the throwdown they left.

Really, PMO made many problems go away. Even owner maintaince.

[+K13]

As I see it, the rules state the CO is responsible to delete false finds. I check the physical log against the on-line log. if there are any names on the paper that do not match the on-line log, I presume that the on-line user signed with his real name. I have not deleted a find......yet.

[+NanCycle]

A few weeks ago there was a log on one of my puzzle caches from someone who claimed to be "just passing through." I looked up their account and noticed that this was the only cache they logged in Colorado and wondered "why this one?" It's not close to a major highway or anything, and it is a puzzle, so it just looked kind of suspicious. I think maybe they chose it for its name, as part of an alphabet challenge. Maybe. Anyway, when I was in the area I checked the cache log sheet and they had not signed it. So I deleted their log. Usually I do not audit the logs, but this one just raised all the red flags.

[+worstcaster]

I don't take the time to match the logbook to the online finds. If someone wants to pretend they found a cache just to get their numbers up, pity them for they are sad inside. Here are some other things people can pretend they did to impress other people who don't care about them.

 

1) Catching a giant fish.

 

2) Becoming the king of England.

 

3) Getting a girlfriend.

 

4) Owning their own company.

 

5) Winning an award.

[+Harry Dolphin]

So I have 2 questions:

 

1) If the cache was FOUND by the last logged visitor and it should be nothing wrong with the cache how frequent should you visit it to warrant that the cache is ok and ready to find?

 

2) If you see some supposed bogus logs will you check if they are physically done in the cache or not?

 

Thanks!!!

 

I don't check my caches very often. Some I haven't checked in eight years!

(Still have not decided what to do about the locals who never seem to carry a pen/pencil with them... But that's a different question...)

If I see bizarre 'supposed bogus logs', I have been known to check. I've noted these examples in other threads. I have two caches that are about two miles apart. Driving time: at least an hour. Usually more. No one ever logs those two on the same day! You either explore one area, or t'other. Did not sign either. (This cacher was outed for logging thousands of drive-bys.)

The other was also a drive-by logger. Came through the area when it was basically closed due to a blizzard. Drove his tractor-trailer down an unmaintained road closed for a few weeks. Made a twelve-mile U-turn on the interstate to log caches on both sides. (Including driving his tractor-trailer into rest areas where they were prohibited. And were closed due to the blizzard anyway!) Oddly enough, he didn't sign any of the caches buried by the blizzard.

I usually only check the bizarre finds. (And, on occasion have been surprised.) But, a lot of my caches have quite a hike. So, no, I do not check them often.

[+briansnat]

1. If I have no reason to believe there are issues with the cache I'm in no hurry to check on it. If I happen to be in the area I will, but I have a few caches I haven't seen in several years. They still get occasional finds and still seem to be in good shape. Some day I may visit them, but it's not a priority.

 

2. I don't audit the cache logs as a practice, but if I know a log is bogus I will delete it.

[+NeverSummer]

1. If I have no reason to believe there are issues with the cache I'm in no hurry to check on it. If I happen to be in the area I will, but I have a few caches I haven't seen in several years. They still get occasional finds and still seem to be in good shape. Some day I may visit them, but it's not a priority.

 

2. I don't audit the cache logs as a practice, but if I know a log is bogus I will delete it.

Yes.

 

Sometimes a log just doesn't sit right, so on my next visit to the cache I do an audit and see how everything looks. Then email the logger asking what happened (may have been a problem getting pen to paper, but the container was found, e.g.). IF I can tell that the person is armchair logging or doesn't know what they are doing, I'll delete. But this ends up being a super small percentage of my time.

[+Crow-T-Robot]

If I find a name in the physical logbook but they haven't logged the find online, you better believe I go and erase their name from the logbook!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[+Crow-T-Robot]

As far as checking up on my caches, I usually try to get out after the snow melts and do a spring cleaning on my caches and, if the budget allows, drop off new swag if the cache is getting a little light.

[+The_Incredibles_]

I used to, but found there were almost always *more* signatures on the physical log than logged online.

 

Other than that, if I see something really obvious, I will delete the log. Haven't had to yet, although there were some suspicious logs on one of my caches. There was 1 DNF, followed by 2 Found logs. Normally this would not be suspicious, but on this particular cache, it was. There's really only 1 possible hidey-hole and the DNF person says they searched it pretty thoroughly. Of course, the cache being missing, there was no way to prove their names weren't on the log. I could have questioned them via email, but was too lazy to bother.

[+biggles1024]

I have deleted 3 bogus logs. All were quite difficult caches to either find the co-ords or find the actual cache. I don't think it's fair to those who actually find a cache and sign the physical log to leave bogus finds on the cache page.

 

I check my caches every couple of months. All are in bushland or Flora and Fauna reserves. Both are really nice places to spend some time so I go there just to walk around and relax. Checking my caches gives me an excuse to get out of the house. Mowing the lawn can wait.

[+colleda]

WE generally only check our caches if there is log indicating something is amiss. It doesn't necessarily have to have a NM. As ours are close by, there quite a few we can visually check for placement as we cycle by. We have deleted a few bogus logs, almost all were new free app users and a also couple of multiple logs by newbies. Have had a few with "Greetings from Germany" and the logs were signed!

[+NJSquirrel]

If I find a name in the physical logbook but they haven't logged the find online, you better believe I go and erase their name from the logbook!

 

Its interesting that you say this. I did a cache not more than 2 weeks ago and found a name in the physical log that wasn't online. It was a person's full name and one I didn't recognize as a geocacher. I can only assume a hiker trekked by and stumpled upon the container and logged in. I thought it was kinda cool that the muggle did this and wondered if they ever inquired about geocaching. I have my doubts though, since the container was a micro and no geocaching note was inside.

 

The ony reason I noticed the name was that this was a cache that hadn't been found in over 6 months and qualified for a challenge, but this muggle hiker spoiled it and found it only a week before I happened upon it