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Have you noticed?


Cyclops

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I like the idea as well. It's not as cumbersome as last year. At the present I haven't seen too much of an increase. Since we have a large # of newbies in our area I'm holding a guided tour of one of mine nearby just prior to a rather large local annual event. I hope this will help introduce the concept of ECs?

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Yes, my nephew's EarthCache has doubled its finds in August. From 3 to 6! I'm sure there will be more.

Myself, I went 25 miles to an area I seldom visit for a nice EarthCache. That one has had two other visits this month., Hey! New Jersey is very urban. That was 45 minutes, and $1.35 in tolls! Then off to a LetterBox Hybrid another 25 miles south! $1.50 toll on the Parkway. Now, I just need an event. Might go to a beer fest in Maine...

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It's nice to see people getting out and finding other cache types.

Yep, fun.

- With only six in an entire month, it doesn't feel like it's a chore.

Like last years.

 

And it might prompt some newer cachers to realize that multis and letterboxes and mystery caches aren't necessarily all that difficult to do.

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It's nice to see people getting out and finding other cache types.

Yep, fun.

- With only six in an entire month, it doesn't feel like it's a chore.

Like last years.

 

And it might prompt some newer cachers to realize that multis and letterboxes and mystery caches aren't necessarily all that difficult to do.

 

Or to hide!

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I've had a bit of a run on one of mine, which is nice, though I had to delete a couple of logs because they didn't perform the extremely basic tasks required to log. <_<

 

Yes. My nephew has sent warnings to a group of four finders that answers to the questions are required. No response yet, so the logs will be deleted soon.

 

One of the deleted finders returned and did the task (they just needed to note the elevation, not asking for the moon here). The other one didn't bother.

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I've had a bit of a run on one of mine, which is nice, though I had to delete a couple of logs because they didn't perform the extremely basic tasks required to log. <_<

 

Yes. My nephew has sent warnings to a group of four finders that answers to the questions are required. No response yet, so the logs will be deleted soon.

 

One of the deleted finders returned and did the task (they just needed to note the elevation, not asking for the moon here). The other one didn't bother.

 

It's a fun and fairly easy EarthCache. Old iron mining area, now a county park. Use your magnet and compass to find a piece of magnetite. Describe it, and how it differs from the other boulders in the area. And which way to the iron veins flow?

Is that too much to ask? Only response that came close was: "Wow! The heavy magnet sticks to the rock." Maybe that one will not get deleted...

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One of the deleted finders returned and did the task (they just needed to note the elevation, not asking for the moon here).

Or they simply used an online topo map to estimate the elevation.

That's more acceptable to me than "Used an iPhone, can't get elevation."

My point is that they might not have even visited the EarthCache location (much less returned to it) to obtain the required information. I believe the current guidelines encourage requirements that prove the finder actually visited the site.

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One of the deleted finders returned and did the task (they just needed to note the elevation, not asking for the moon here).

Or they simply used an online topo map to estimate the elevation.

That's more acceptable to me than "Used an iPhone, can't get elevation."

My point is that they might not have even visited the EarthCache location (much less returned to it) to obtain the required information. I believe the current guidelines encourage requirements that prove the finder actually visited the site.

 

Actually, the Earthcache guidelines were specifically changed to take the emphasis away from proof-of-visit.

 

In this particular instance, the elevation request is just one of a handful of tasks I ask for. None of them are particularly strenuous, and none of them are fail-safe at "proving" that someone was there. It's rare that an Earthcache is truly cheat-proof.

 

In this particular case, they gave partial answers and then claimed they couldn't measure elevation on their iPhones. I know dadgum well they can.

 

I know these cachers from events and I have no reason to suspect that they didn't visit the site. They just didn't go prepared to complete the tasks, and that's why I deleted the logs. Visiting the site is not enough.

 

Seeking the correct answer for the elevation after the fact, through any method, is more acceptable to me than not answering it at all. If they honestly can't figure out how to get the elevation on their iPhone or don't want to go back to the site, figuring out the elevation on a topo map at least shows some initiative.

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I know these cachers from events and I have no reason to suspect that they didn't visit the site. They just didn't go prepared to complete the tasks, and that's why I deleted the logs. Visiting the site is not enough.

 

Seeking the correct answer for the elevation after the fact, through any method, is more acceptable to me than not answering it at all. If they honestly can't figure out how to get the elevation on their iPhone or don't want to go back to the site, figuring out the elevation on a topo map at least shows some initiative.

And that in a nutshell is why ALRs disappeared... the value judegment

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I know these cachers from events and I have no reason to suspect that they didn't visit the site. They just didn't go prepared to complete the tasks, and that's why I deleted the logs. Visiting the site is not enough.

 

Seeking the correct answer for the elevation after the fact, through any method, is more acceptable to me than not answering it at all. If they honestly can't figure out how to get the elevation on their iPhone or don't want to go back to the site, figuring out the elevation on a topo map at least shows some initiative.

And that in a nutshell is why ALRs disappeared... the value judegment

 

Dude, we're talking about Earthcaches. Visiting the site is not enough. See item 6.

 

Part of proper Earthcache maintenance involves some degree of judgment about the logging tasks.

 

I'm not particularly strict, but I do ask for something more than "I can't get elevation with an iPhone" as a response.

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I had a small run also.....on one I got a mail saying there was no plaque at GZ containing the info.,.....I replied all the info. needed was on the cache page.

Still no reply but I'll probably let the log stand.

You have an earthcache that's not just about regurgitating information on a sign?

 

YOU MONSTER.

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To get back to the original post....

August is over and I looked at the statistics for my EC's. My most easily visited cache (in downtown Pittsburgh) was averaging one visit per month. It was visited 12 times in August. Definite increase.

I have two caches along local bike trails - one has been visited once/month on average and one was once every two months. Both were visited twice. Possible increase.

Another EC in a local park averaged about once a month. It was visited 3 times. Probable increase.

Two others were visited once, which is about average, and my three hardest were not logged at all.

I think the souvenir process did bump up visits to the EC category.

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