Unreliable NM

[+Pontiac_CZ]

We’ve already discussed situations when a cache is in a bad condition and cachers do not post Needs Maintenance log.

 

Now an opposite case: lately I keep noticing caches that have red wrench/cross flag but after reading recent logs I realize that the owner (or whoever) cares and the cache is actually OK. The CO just ignores or forgets to post the Owner Maintenance type of log.

 

The NM attribute can be a great tool for avoiding caches in a bad shape but it has become sort of unreliable these days.

 

I have just gone through first 10 pages of nearby caches (the “near your home location” link) and examined every cache with a red wrench (there were 48 of them). Those with recent logs not mentioning troubles or even mentioning the cache was OK are in this list:

 

Functional cache (has been continually in NM for:)

Hrbitovni (over a year)

Zamecka zed c.1 (2 months)

Socha Pratelstvi (4 years)

Back to the history Otrokovice #3 (4 years)

Loutkove divadlo (nearly a year)

U jezirek (3 years)

Pomnicek Tomase Bati (0,5 years)

Krizova cesta (1,5 years)

Obec Kudlovice (3 years)

Slovacko na dlani (1,5 years)

Vydechni si (nearly 1 year)

Krizova cesta na Kalvarii (1 year)

Svatopluk Cech (1,5 years)

Slovanske mohyly (3,5 years)

Oddechni si (1,5 years)

Slunecni hodiny (1 month (CO fixed, forgot OM))

Hladina (4,5 years)

Jan Vilimek (1,5 years)

Jan Neruda (0,5 years)

Chlumska studanka (0,5 years)

Spaceship crash (nearly 1 year)

na shledanou (0,5 years)

Mistrice BM (3 months)

 

23 out of 48 “red-wrenched” caches in my neighborhood (that makes 48%, which is surprisingly high!) actually have false NM attribute and distract cachers to find them while they are in a good condition.

 

I have informed COs in the past as to what they could do to get rid off the red cross but I’m just not able to do all the work the site could easily do - to inform owners through some warning on the profile page or even on every page (not only during creation of a new listing).

 

Every CO receives a notification e-mail when someone posts a NM on his cache (among other types of notifications), but that is only one-time action. Such an e-mail soon gets lost under the pile of new e-mails. There are people receiving so many e-mails that thay don’t read those from geocaching.com or set up a mailbox rule filtering all of them out.

 

I’ve talked to a few people about why they still have the NM flag on their cache and they usually answer they simply do not know about it. Yep, it’s that trivial. :-) Some say they read e-mails (often on cell phones), but later when they sign in to gc.com they already have forgotten about their cache in need. And nothing reminds them there.

 

Something should be done about this...

[+StefandD]

Here in The Netherlands the reviewers keep track of NM logs.

 

The CO's are allowed some time to perform maintenance, after that the cache gets a Reviewer Note warning log with instructions how to log a Performed Maintenance.

 

If after a while nothing happens, the cache will be temporary disabled.

 

The last step is that the cache will be archived.

[+on4bam]

Here in The Netherlands the reviewers keep track of NM logs.

 

The CO's are allowed some time to perform maintenance, after that the cache gets a Reviewer Note warning log with instructions how to log a Performed Maintenance.

 

If after a while nothing happens, the cache will be temporary disabled.

 

The last step is that the cache will be archived.

 

Same goes for Belgium.

 

After a while there's a reviewer note, about 4 weeks later there's another note disabling the cache and on the next "run" the cache is archived.

 

Funny thing is that many times there's no reaction by the CO after the notes are posted eventhough they log in to the site on a regular basis and even go out to find caches often. I've seen a few where the CO posts an owner maintenance one day after the caches is archived.

[+L0ne.R]

I think it's an issue everywhere. Might be time for a sweep. When the OM feature was new I remember getting a reviewer note explaining that I needed to post an NM if my cache was checked and fixed. It was educational.

[+Bear and Ragged]

How much of it is - The CO knows about Owner Maintenance Logs removeing the wrench/red cross, but leaves it there, as it keeps the cache off the 'free' app...

[+cerberus1]

How much of it is - The CO knows about Owner Maintenance Logs removeing the wrench/red cross, but leaves it there, as it keeps the cache off the 'free' app...

Luckily haven't had that here, but we've heard of that happening.

Seems odd though for a CO still active.

It makes it look like his cache is a perpetual piece a carp.

[+cerberus1]

I’ve talked to a few people about why they still have the NM flag on their cache and they usually answer they simply do not know about it. Yep, it’s that trivial. :-) Some say they read e-mails (often on cell phones), but later when they sign in to gc.com they already have forgotten about their cache in need. And nothing reminds them there.

 

Something should be done about this...

I remember another thread in this forum section (and you participated in it...), asking for a nag screen, or other means of "reminding" folks to maintain their hides.

Isn't this thread just bringing that up again?

 

Folks get notifications every time any log's written for their cache.

I feel if one "forgets" to do maintenance, or can't keep their cache pages updated, maybe they have more caches hidden than they can reasonably maintain.

[+Mockingbird559]

Around here there are a couple of new cachers who think they are "the gift to caching" (usually with few or no cache hides). They place rather demanding NM or NA logs on caches they can't find it so it must be missing, claiming "couldn't find it, so it must be missing. Owner should repair or archive.". Very often the caches are still there. Often the new cachers have only single digit find counts, claim they are addicted, cache for a day or two, and then they leave the game. Then the cache gets archived, sometimes by the reviewer, sometimes by the owner, without checking on it. Thus...leaving geolitter and losing a perfectly good cache that a newby could not find.

 

Have also seen cachers move far away, leaving their caches active. Then, when there is a dnf they archive it, since they can't check on it. Geolitter still in place.

[+EngPhil]

I remember another thread in this forum section (and you participated in it...), asking for a nag screen, or other means of "reminding" folks to maintain their hides.

Isn't this thread just bringing that up again?

Perhaps we need a sticky red wrench up the top of the Forum listings for issues which still need maintenance, so they don't get forgottten?

[+Pontiac_CZ]

Here in The Netherlands the reviewers keep track of NM logs.

 

The CO's are allowed some time to perform maintenance, after that the cache gets a Reviewer Note warning log with instructions how to log a Performed Maintenance.

 

If after a while nothing happens, the cache will be temporary disabled.

 

The last step is that the cache will be archived.

 

That would be sufficient and actually better than a nag on the website. But the reviewers here in the Czech republic don't do that.