Geocaching/Munzee Events

[+Cuddlefish]

I'm a geocacher and I do not play Munzee. What I have noticed recently is a trend of "geocaching events" being held concurrently to Munzee events. I can often tell the precise moment the geocaching event becomes the Munzee event too, as people take out their wallets to pay the host as apparently that is their rule. I have never felt like a muggle at a geocaching event until recently...

 

*sigh*

[+Touchstone]

That's a shame people basically use the GC site to piggyback that way. If you felt inclined, you could let the local Reviewer know of the situation. There are a couple of Guideline issues with that arrangement that could be used to squash this sort of thing:

 

Event Caches, like other geocaches, will only be published if they meet the commercial cache guideline.

 

And...

 

If an event is already organized outside of the geocaching community or it will happen without a Geocaching.com listing, it is likely not an Event Cache. Examples include concerts, fairs, sporting and scouting events.

 

You'd probably have to include a link to the other site where the Event scheduling is going on. To be honest, I suspect the issue is a many headed Hydra. The Host could just as easily do the same thing on someone else's Event.

[+Sherminator18]

I don't understand your comment about it becoming a Munzee event when people take out their wallets to pay the host. I play Munzee and that makes absolutely no sense..

[cezanne]

That's a shame people basically use the GC site to piggyback that way. If you felt inclined, you could let the local Reviewer know of the situation. There are a couple of Guideline issues with that arrangement that could be used to squash this sort of thing:

 

Event Caches, like other geocaches, will only be published if they meet the commercial cache guideline.

 

And...

 

If an event is already organized outside of the geocaching community or it will happen without a Geocaching.com listing, it is likely not an Event Cache. Examples include concerts, fairs, sporting and scouting events.

 

 

Have you looked at the listing of the event in question? I do not think that such events do not fulfill the guidelines. They are organized by a geocacher, are open to all geocachers free of charge and the event listing does not mention anything unusual for a geocaching event in the listing.

 

If event organizers has other hobbies too, you can never forbid/avoid that they invite other people to their event too.

It could e.g. happen that someone organizes a geocaching event at the summit of mountain X and also invites his hiking friends (some geocachers too and some muggles). Of course it can get boring for those not interested into hiking if all the talks then are about hiking topics, but that's not forbidden and can never be excluded. GS can only make sure that their event guidelines are fulfilled.

 

Of course it would be a different matter if the event listing in my hiking example were something like "On May 1 a large meeting of hiking club X takes place at the summit of mountain Y. All cachers are invited to join the event."

 

I would consider it as bad style if someone abused the geocaching event of another owner to invite also other groups without the consent of the event organizer, but if the event organizer also invites other people outside of the context of what comprises the official geocaching event per Groundspeak's definition, that's up to them and cannot be dealt with via the event guidelines on gc.com. That's the same than we are told that hikes, paddle tours cannot be part of an official geocaching event but of course could take place in connection with the event (in that case they even can be mentioned in the event listing which of course is not possible in the case mentioned by the OP here, but did not happen there anyway).

[+cerberus1]

Kinda agree with Touchstone on piggybacking.

One in another state we visit used to have info scattered about to a (now defunct) competing site.

Later, items/info of that competing site was presented more than this one, where the event was actually published.

We found that rude.

We haven't attended their events since, but have heard it's now replaced with yet another time-to-time.

Edited January 10, 2017 by cerberus1

[cezanne]

Kinda agree with Touchstone on piggybacking.

One in another state we visit used to have info scattered about to a (now defunct) competing site.

Later, items/info of that competing site was presented more than this one, where the event was actually published.

We found that rude.

We haven't attended their events since, but have heard it's now replaced with yet another time-to-time.

 

Apparently my English is too bad. What did you find rude? What do you mean with time-to-time?

[+Manville Possum]

I don't understand your comment about it becoming a Munzee event when people take out their wallets to pay the host. I play Munzee and that makes absolutely no sense..

 

I don't play Munzee, and I'm confused with that comment as well.

[+cerberus1]

Kinda agree with Touchstone on piggybacking.

One in another state we visit used to have info scattered about to a (now defunct) competing site.

Later, items/info of that competing site was presented more than this one, where the event was actually published.

We found that rude.

We haven't attended their events since, but have heard it's now replaced with yet another time-to-time.

 

Apparently my English is too bad. What did you find rude? What do you mean with time-to-time?

The event, info, and "program" scheduled for that event on the event page were all geared for geocaching.com.

Instead, other than find count totals on this site, the event time was spent marketing the other site .

 

If I wanted to join the "other" site, I would have looked for event listings there...

We considered it a "bait and switch" and left.

 

Someone used this site to drum up attendees, held an event under the appearance of this site, but promoted a competitor when there.

You wouldn't find that rude?

 

"Time-to time" simply means on occasion, not all the time.

[+Touchstone]

The eye witness account and one of the attended logs led me to believe that the OP was correct. I've heard of a few of these two-fer's and my sense is Groundspeak frowns upon these types of things. If not, then why try and hide it?

 

Edit to add, that I also checked the event calendar on the other site as well to confirm my suspicions.

 

I do not think that such events do not fulfill the guidelines.

 

Then you have a very shallow understanding of the Guidelines.

Edited January 10, 2017 by Touchstone

[+Sherminator18]

But if nothing about the other event is mentioned on the gc.com listing is there really anything that can be done about it?

[+Sherminator18]

Also, the only time I have seen this happen was while at GeoWoodstock. That is the only time I have seen a Munzee event held concurrently with a geocaching event.

[+Touchstone]

But if nothing about the other event is mentioned on the gc.com listing is there really anything that can be done about it?

I think the saying, "fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me." , applies to situations like this. If someone is attempting to boost attendance of their side event by using gc.com, chances are it will get reported and discouraged.

[cezanne]

The event, info, and "program" scheduled for that event on the event page were all geared for geocaching.com.

Instead, other than find count totals on this site, the event time was spent marketing the other site .

 

If I wanted to join the "other" site, I would have looked for event listings there...

We considered it a "bait and switch" and left.

 

Someone used this site to drum up attendees, held an event under the appearance of this site, but promoted a competitor when there.

You wouldn't find that rude?

 

I cannot answer that question as without knowing the full context I still find it hard to understand what exactly happened.

After your second post I believe that I understand at least part of what you have an issue with while after the first post I had no clear idea.

 

I use to attend events to meet particular people there I'd like to meet. I know them in advance.

I do not care about caching sites when it comes to events.

 

"Time-to time" simply means on occasion, not all the time.

 

I know the meaning for from time to time, but I still do not understand the meaning of "it's now replaced with yet another time-to-time". What is replaced by what?

[cezanne]

The eye witness account and one of the attended logs led me to believe that the OP was correct. I've heard of a few of these two-fer's and my sense is Groundspeak frowns upon these types of things. If not, then why try and hide it?

 

Edit to add, that I also checked the event calendar on the other site as well to confirm my suspicions.

 

I do not think that such events do not fulfill the guidelines.

 

Then you have a very shallow understanding of the Guidelines.

 

I do not think that this is a matter of how deep one's understanding of the guidelines is.

If your working assumption is that someone is doing this to get more attendance for a side event, then you might argue that there is an issue with the commercial guideline.

 

If one person happens just to be interested into two hobbies and tries to combine two things at the same time and same location, but does not mention any other event on this site, then there is no conflict with the guidelines.

 

If I ever happened to organize an event, I would definitely list it on another geocaching site too (as all my caches) but not to draw any attention to the other site which I would not mention on the event listing on this site.

[+Touchstone]

The eye witness account and one of the attended logs led me to believe that the OP was correct. I've heard of a few of these two-fer's and my sense is Groundspeak frowns upon these types of things. If not, then why try and hide it?

 

Edit to add, that I also checked the event calendar on the other site as well to confirm my suspicions.

 

I do not think that such events do not fulfill the guidelines.

 

Then you have a very shallow understanding of the Guidelines.

 

I do not think that this is a matter of how deep one's understanding of the guidelines is.

If your working assumption is that someone is doing this to get more attendance for a side event, then you might argue that there is an issue with the commercial guideline.

 

If one person happens just to be interested into two hobbies and tries to combine two things at the same time and same location, but does not mention any other event on this site, then there is no conflict with the guidelines.

 

If I ever happened to organize an event, I would definitely list it on another geocaching site too (as all my caches) but not to draw any attention to the other site which I would not mention on the event listing on this site.

Since you are working with erroneous assumptions, it doesn't surprise me that you arrive at an erroneous conclusion.

[cezanne]

 

Since you are working with erroneous assumptions, it doesn't surprise me that you arrive at an erroneous conclusion.

 

In the case of the most recent event the OP attended and where he and someone else mentioned the word muggle, the geocaching event's official time was 10:30-12:00 (3 times as long as the required minimum time) and the munzee event officially started at 12:00. The location was the same and some participants are both geocachers and munzee players. Of course some overlap will happen as some cachers will stay long and some munzee players will show up a bit earlier but in this specific case I cannot see the slightest reason for a guideline issue which in some other cases might exist when certain additional conditions are satisfied.