So many missing trackables

[+Robester0]

Here in Maine, I've only been doing this for a little over a week, but have visited at least four caches that listed trackables inside, yet they were not there.   Is this normally because someone hasn't logged the activity, or is it more likely that someone just simply took without logging, whether it's a geocacher or muggle?   I have also placed my own trackables thinking they would be nice to watch move along, and in the last week all have been picked up but only one has been dropped anywhere.  The others simply show with the person that picked them up still.  

What is the normal etiquette, and as the trackable originator, is it acceptable to contact the last known 'taker' and ask what gives?

[+CAVinoGal]

4 hours ago, Robester0 said:

Here in Maine, I've only been doing this for a little over a week ...  in the last week all have been picked up but only one has been dropped anywhere.  The others simply show with the person that picked them up still.  

What is the normal etiquette, and as the trackable originator, is it acceptable to contact the last known 'taker' and ask what gives?

Welcome to the hobby!  A week is not so long for someone to hold on to a trackable, waiting for a suitable cache to drop it into.  In my area, most of the caches are micros, and pill bottles, not room enough to leave a trackable.  So finding a good cache to drop a trackable into is a challenge.  Also, I'm holding a few as I am traveling cross country shortly and willtake them with me to place 3000 miles from where I retrieved them, in keeping with their goal.  I did note that when I retrieved them so the TO is aware they might not move right away.

 

 

[+cerberus1]

4 hours ago, Robester0 said:

Here in Maine, I've only been doing this for a little over a week, but have visited at least four caches that listed trackables inside, yet they were not there.   Is this normally because someone hasn't logged the activity, or is it more likely that someone just simply took without logging, whether it's a geocacher or muggle?   I have also placed my own trackables thinking they would be nice to watch move along, and in the last week all have been picked up but only one has been dropped anywhere.  The others simply show with the person that picked them up still.  

What is the normal etiquette, and as the trackable originator, is it acceptable to contact the last known 'taker' and ask what gives?

Here is the Help Center area for Trackables, and maybe some answers there.  

So far we've known of theft by both cachers and muggles, many misplaced (little kid thinks it's a toy and gone, in the car seat, etc.), but most issues are just folks careless with logging.

In our area, the biggest problem now is hoarders, who  sock them away for some unknown reason (maybe we don't wanna know...) , are accumulating them to stuff full  a cache they're  placing (one, a 4/4 has 7 or 8  trackables in it  belonging to others, with only two people finding it so far in a year - they didn't take 'em...), those who accumulate a bunch, only to dump them in a pile at an event , and vacation grabbers who'll swipe  a bag full for whatever destination they're headed (though some of them at least contact a TO who's still active first). 

I agree with CAVinoGAL,  a week's nada today with pill bottles the norm in many areas.  As long as each logged them, so you sorta know where it is you're good for a while. Three weeks or better and not even a "Visit" log, I'd probably send a "Thanks for taking care of my trackable, hopefully you find a nice spot for it  "  note.

[+Robester0]

Thanks for the responses, do you think same on geocoins?  I bought a beautiful 2017 International Geocaching Day coin and had every intent to drop it somewhere this past Saturday, but kind of figured someone would just take it and keep it... and if someone's going to keep it, I'll do that. It's a beautiful coin!   Patience, is what I'm hearing... appreciate the feedback!

[+DIGGEMUP]

Hi, if I was you I would name the coin as your personal geocoin & log its visits to caches you find. I have a personal travel bug that has covered over 50,000 miles, you will be surprised at the distance you travel in search of Tupperware.

[+cerberus1]

11 hours ago, Robester0 said:

Thanks for the responses, do you think same on geocoins?  I bought a beautiful 2017 International Geocaching Day coin and had every intent to drop it somewhere this past Saturday, but kind of figured someone would just take it and keep it... and if someone's going to keep it, I'll do that. It's a beautiful coin!   Patience, is what I'm hearing... appreciate the feedback!

I personally wouldn't release any coins I really liked today.  I'd google "geocoin proxy" and send out a copy of it. 

Think about it.  You bought a beautiful coin ...  and never see it again.

[+Robester0]

Thanks everyone for the tips, truly appreciate the advice of the pros!  I am disenchanted by what appears to be trackables missing in general, and being taken but not yet logged somewhere.  So I hope in the next week my dropped trackables appear in a cache.   I also moved someone's trackable, staying true to the mission, and that trackable is no longer in the cache where I dropped it but not logged as such.   Very disappointing, and yes, I know it could be muggles not geocachers, but still, the goal gets missed and I'm less likely to move or provide my own going forward and that takes some of the fun out of this.

[+schmittfamily]

My theory is the reason so many trackables go missing, get mislogged, etc is because Groundspeak is providing no incentives for people to treat trackables with any respect.   Literally the only stat that appears on any geocachers profile is a total of the trackables that that person has logged.    Discovering a trackable counts the same as completing a trackable's mission with a series of interesting stories and pictures.    The page where you can get a single list of every trackable you own isn't even attached to your trackable page.  Forget about trying to sort your trackables by latest activity or miles.  A couple years ago Groundspeak did a poll about what type of pictures people post to their gallery and pictures of trackables wasn't even an option on the poll - that is how little they think of them.      

The only two incentives I see for people to move trackables is the occasional thank you note from a trackable owner and their own interest in trackables.  The reality is the only real motivation to log trackables correctly is to not get hassled.  

Until Groundspeak gets their act together and adds some incentives and usable trackable features (*see below list) - trackables will continue to be treated badly.

 

Suggestions for some trackable features:

1. Ability to list your own trackables on one table with the option to sort by: recent activity, distance traveled, and current distance from home (based on last log location).  Maybe the same option for trackables that you have moved/discovered.   

2. Allow users to favorite trackable logs.    

3. A trackable section on the statistic page in the user profile.   Possible statistics to track: trackables moved, trackables discovered, average move distance, average time held, favorite points, percentage of logs with pictures or 50+ words, percentage of logs with steps >10 miles, etc.   Basically statistics that would reward good behavior.      

4. It would be nice if there was a way to translate trackable activity into a number that represents how much that activity contributed towards the trackable's goal.   That way you could sort your own trackables by how well they are doing towards their goal.  Also that could be tracked on each person's profile.    

[+cerberus1]

Trackable  stats  is what got this crazy virtual "Discover" madness going (and a couple challenge caches...). 

 - They're at least only on third-party stat sites for now.

I'd like trackables on this site to remain free of any stat nonsense, thanks.      

[+cerberus1]

Currently, one can't favorite a Geocache log (and I hope it stays that way). 

Why would the site decide to favorite trackable logs, when they're merely a "side-game" of this hobby?

[+schmittfamily]

26 minutes ago, cerberus1 said:

Why would the site decide to favorite trackable logs, when they're merely a "side-game" of this hobby?

The thought was it would be a way to get people to  post quality trackable logs.   

Ask yourself - why is the last trackable picture you posted all the way back in 2014?

[+cerberus1]

12 minutes ago, schmittfamily said:

The thought was it would be a way to get people to  post quality trackable logs.   

Ask yourself - why is the last trackable picture you posted all the way back in 2014?

Okay, guess I don't get it ...  Many haven't seen high standards in cache logs these days, I really don't see that happening with trackables.  

The last picture we took of a trackable at a certain location was one who asked for one.

We don't play the "visit" part of trackables, instead moving them along cache-to-cache.

 - But someone holding another person's  trackable and "visiting" caches, sometimes for months on end ... a picture could at least show they still have it...

Lately,  my short time with trackables is spent figuring what to do to correct them ... By emails, I think the TOs are happy about that. 

[+schmittfamily]

I would like to make myself clear on my main point.

My opinion is right now the only incentives to post good trackable logs in line with the trackable owners goal is:

1. The occasional thank you note

2. Because a person wants to

I would like to see Groundspeak add some better incentives because my opinion is those two incentives are not sufficient as evidenced by the many lost trackables.  

[+cerberus1]

7 minutes ago, schmittfamily said:

I would like to make myself clear on my main point.

My opinion is right now the only incentives to post good trackable logs in line with the trackable owners goal is:

1. The occasional thank you note

2. Because a person wants to

I would like to see Groundspeak add some better incentives because my opinion is those two incentives are not sufficient as evidenced by the many lost trackables.  

Please correct me if wrong, but there's no incentive needed if a person wants to post a decent log.   

So everyone somehow needs some form of payment just to write a decent log?  That's sad...

What do good trackable logs have to do with lost trackables?    They're swiped, misplaced, or hoarded ... which has nothing to do with a person's log...

[+noncentric]

On 8/22/2017 at 7:40 AM, schmittfamily said:

1. Ability to list your own trackables on one table with the option to sort by: recent activity, distance traveled, and current distance from home (based on last log location).  Maybe the same option for trackables that you have moved/discovered.

Is this not already available by selecting "Owned Trackables" from the Dashboard?

 

I agree with cerberus1 that creating stats for trackables would not be helpful in promoting better handling of trackables.

[+schmittfamily]

I always use the trackable tab on the profile page so that is what I was referencing. 

I actually never noticed that feature on the dashboard page until this thread.  It looks like they may have removed the listing of moved/discovered trackables on the new dashboard.  The dashboard page is not as useful because that only lets you look at you.   If I wanted to go check out another users trackable movement habits I would have to use the profile page.   

 

[+CAVinoGal]

On 8/22/2017 at 1:39 PM, cerberus1 said:

Please correct me if wrong, but there's no incentive needed if a person wants to post a decent log.   
...
What do good trackable logs have to do with lost trackables?    They're swiped, misplaced, or hoarded ... which has nothing to do with a person's log...

Exactly;  Those who "swipe, misplace, or hoard" trackables are not going to log, regardless of any "incentive".  Those, like me, who WILL log the trackable activity, visit caches of interest, and log with photos, etc, will likely do so, incentive or not.

I'm new to this, but it seems to me that if you are going to pick up a trackable, you take on some responsibility for that trackable.  I've enjoyed trying to fulfill the goals of the trackables I m carrying, and trading, and dropping, and visiting to different caches.  I've left a few on the East Coast, and I'm taking some new ones back to the West Coast.  When it's no longer enjoyable to move them around, I'll no longer pick them up.

 I realize not all cachers are as conscientious about trackables as I am.  If they were, then this discussion wouldn't exist!!

[+noncentric]

On 08/25/2017 at 9:07 AM, schmittfamily said:

It looks like they may have removed the listing of moved/discovered trackables on the new dashboard.  The dashboard page is not as useful because that only lets you look at you.   If I wanted to go check out another users trackable movement habits I would have to use the profile page.

 I'm confused. Where on the old dashboard page is the "listing of moved/discovered trackables"?

Also, doesn't the old dashboard page also only let you look at you?  I'm not sure why it would be expected to have it show another users TB movement habits.

[+hzoi]

21 hours ago, noncentric said:

On 8/25/2017 at 0:07 PM, schmittfamily said:

It looks like they may have removed the listing of moved/discovered trackables on the new dashboard.  The dashboard page is not as useful because that only lets you look at you.   If I wanted to go check out another users trackable movement habits I would have to use the profile page.

 I'm confused. Where on the old dashboard page is the "listing of moved/discovered trackables"?

Also, doesn't the old dashboard page also only let you look at you?  I'm not sure why it would be expected to have it show another users TB movement habits.

I'm guessing this refers to the "Your friends" feed on the new dashboard, but if so, it's not fully accurate -- I can see picked up, dropped off, marked missing, and note logs.  I don't see visited logs, though -- even my own, unless I change the view to my activity only.  And I couldn't tell you whether it's not showing discovered logs or there just aren't any in my friends' feed to show.