What does one include in reviewer notes?

[The Pineberries]

What exactly is useful for a reviewer? Do I write exactly where the caches are?

I'm sorry if this is a noob question, but we are noobs, this is our first hide.

[+dprovan]

Different people have different opinions, but I just open my kimono. I write up anything I can think of so the reviewer knows what he'd know if I took him to see the actual hide. The main things are exactly what the container is and how and where at GZ it is hidden. If it's a puzzle, I explain how to solve the puzzle, at least in general terms. If it's a multi, I explain what's at each stage.

 

My goal is to put all my cards on the table so the reviewer can point out anything I shouldn't do.

 

By the way, I don't consider this a noob question at all. It's very easy to see the reviewer as an adversary, which makes some people say little or nothing to reduce the chances of their cache being rejected, but I see the reviewer as an asset that I want to exploit to the fullest to avoid pitfalls.

[+palmetto]

Here are a couple of standard reviewer requests, explaining what they'd like to see in a reviewer note:

 

In order for the reviewers to more easily determine whether or not your cache submission meets the guidelines for placing a cache, please add a reviewer note to the page describing the area, the type of container used and how it's placed.

For example: "The cache is a film can placed in a hole in the tree in a city park" or "The cache is an ammo box placed under a bridge along a public walking trail."

Also, if the cache is placed on your property please let me know.

 

Rest assured that notes to reviewers will be removed before the caches are published, so no one will see your note but the reviewers.

 

I am a volunteer for Geocaching.com, and I reviewed your cache submission. The cache submission form now requires some basic information from cache owners about their cache. Please describe your cache container in detail, as well as how and where it was hidden and how a visiting geocacher finds and retrieves the cache.

 

Please include these details for all future submissions, by using the "Note to Reviewer" field, in order to reduce delays in listing your cache.

 

What isn't useful, but is often written in the required note: "parking nearby", "fun for kids", "straightforward hide", "ready". And "thanks for the review", sometimes as TFTR ;-) Which is okay of course, but not much help re the listing guidelines.

[+Calypso62]

At a recent Reviewer Forum at a Mega Event, one reviewer said, (as well as any text you want to place in the Reviewer Note), they really like it when the CO adds some photos of the cache container, location and method of hiding. These photos are uploaded to the Reviewer Note and are automatically deleted when the reviewer publishes the cache. The reviewer also said that one particular CO makes a video and submits that with the cache listing. I really like the idea of adding photos and I have begun doing that to my cache submissions.

[+dprovan]

Oh, I forgot to mention (and no one else has mentioned it): the details about the permission for the cache are also needed unless they're specified in the description.

[+NanCycle]

At a recent Reviewer Forum at a Mega Event, one reviewer said, (as well as any text you want to place in the Reviewer Note), they really like it when the CO adds some photos of the cache container, location and method of hiding. These photos are uploaded to the Reviewer Note and are automatically deleted when the reviewer publishes the cache. The reviewer also said that one particular CO makes a video and submits that with the cache listing. I really like the idea of adding photos and I have begun doing that to my cache submissions.

 

I also have begun to add photos to the Note, but just of the general area showing any nearby roads, buildings, fences, etc. And my text usually just says "Hanging on the fence" or "Magnetic under the bridge" or similar.

 

The one that puzzled me as to what to write was the Event I held last August. I finally settled on "Reviewers welcome to attend."

[Pup Patrol]

Help Center → Hiding a Geocache → Review Process: Hiding a Geocache

1.6. Getting Your Geocache Listed Quickly

http://support.Groundspeak.com/index.php?pg=kb.page&id=77

 

relevant snippet:

 

Make sure your geocache page is complete and accurate.

 

1. Use the "Note To Reviewer" wisely. Provide details that may be helpful to the community volunteer reviewer.

 

These automatically go away upon publication of your geocache. The public does not see them.

 

Include any permissions.

 

Include any map anomalies that you have noticed. For example, the map still shows a railroad track but you know that the tracks are gone and it is now a bicycle path.

 

Explain in detail anything that might be confusing.

 

B.

[+BCandMsKitty]

I agree with all of the above, but once in a while, I don't put much more that the minimum required without really describing the hide, or the container. This is because many of my hides are reviewed by the same person, who lives not too far away and caches in our area often. I don't want to spoil the hunt for him.

If more info is required, he will ask, and if I've done something wrong, he'll let me know when he finds it!

[+SageTracey]

I always detail what I have used to obtain my coordinates and how many readings were taken. I recently had a small series published where my reviewer thanked me for the level of detail provided about each of the caches and the hides as it made his/her job easier.

 

So I work on the principal of giving too much information to get published more quickly.

[+DudleyGrunt]

I don't normally have anything special to add, so just say, "Hi," since it is required.

[+WarNinjas]

I don't think it is required anymore. I was making a cache with my daughter the other day and we came to that part and I asked what we should put. She said just hit whatever button it was to by pass it and it did.

[+ecanderson]

All depends upon the reviewer. Some seem to require no additional information, and others will ask for your grandmother's maiden name and the brand of film that was originally in the 35mm container.

 

My recommendation is to include the basics regarding container type and placement, and any permission information that might be required given the location. That will save you a ton of time if your reviewer doesn't need more information than that. If he bounces the submission asking for lots of additional details, it'll take longer, but at least you'll know what to include the next time.

[justintim1999]

For us it's.

 

Cache container

How it's hidden

Name of person who gave permission along with an e-mail or phone #

 

Once you've developed a repoire with your reviewer, getting caches published becomes easier.