Earthcache logging date dilemma

[+Cacheism 500]

  Say you visit an Earthcache and complete any research required to fully answer it a different day. When should you log it? Visit day or completion of research day?

 

 If the latter, does this not create a very sneaky way of calendar filling on days you don't want to leave the house?!

[RuideAlmeida]

I would vote for "Visit Day".

[+hzoi]

Day you were there. 

A good earthcache should be teaching you lessons you can answer on the spot through observation, not require homework after the fact.

[+cerberus1]

14 minutes ago, hzoi said:

Day you were there. 

A good earthcache should be teaching you lessons you can answer on the spot through observation, not require homework after the fact.

Yep.  In fact, the Help Center says, "Asking geocachers to research the topic online" is an unacceptable logging task.

[+niraD]

I always log EarthCaches with the date I visited the site, no matter when I post the actual online log.

[+geocat_]

Agree.  Log it the date you went to GZ and completed the learning questions.  Unless you are doing a Mooncache which require travel time back to Earth and, thus, may be logged on the date you return to Earth.  

[+Cacheism 500]

26 minutes ago, geocat_ said:

Agree.  Log it the date you went to GZ and completed the learning questions.  Unless you are doing a Mooncache which require travel time back to Earth and, thus, may be logged on the date you return to Earth.  

  Would we have to then subdivide geocaches into Terracaches, Lunacaches etc.........

[+geocat_]

I'm looking forward to the day Elon Musk places the first MarsCache

[+barefootjeff]

1 hour ago, geocat_ said:

Unless you are doing a Mooncache which require travel time back to Earth and, thus, may be logged on the date you return to Earth. 

I'd still log it on the date I was actually on the moon, but I suppose that raises the question of what time zone the moon is in.

[+The A-Team]

1 hour ago, Cacheism 500 said:

If the latter, does this not create a very sneaky way of calendar filling on days you don't want to leave the house?!

There are a few locals that do exactly this. They'll get the necessary information for EarthCaches or Virtuals, but "save" them and wait to log the find until a more convenient day. It shouldn't come as a surprise that these same people are also working on filling their calendar and/or streaking. Many of us know that their legitimate streaks ended long ago.

Log it for the day you were there.

[+CAVinoGal]

We did some Earthcaches in Yosemite - it only makes sense to me to log them the day we were there, at the EC site, in Yosemite.  We had to think through our answers and the photos we took before submitting but the log reflected the day we were actually in Yosemite, and at the site of EC.

[+hzoi]

On 2/23/2018 at 6:09 PM, barefootjeff said:

I'd still log it on the date I was actually on the moon, but I suppose that raises the question of what time zone the moon is in.

Your post made me curious.  Turns out there's a website for that.  Who knew?

[+hzoi]

On 2/23/2018 at 5:04 PM, cerberus1 said:

Yep.  In fact, the Help Center says, "Asking geocachers to research the topic online" is an unacceptable logging task.

This reminded me that we have a couple older earthcaches that don't comport with this rule -- changed up the logging tasks.  I didn't check 'em all, but I think we're now compliant.

[+J Grouchy]

On 2/23/2018 at 5:04 PM, cerberus1 said:

Yep.  In fact, the Help Center says, "Asking geocachers to research the topic online" is an unacceptable logging task.

Then I'd say that pretty much none of the earthcaches I've logged were "acceptable".  It's why I don't really enjoy ECs...they have all required me to do obscure research and skim through wikipedia articles to answer vague questions about stuff that often isn't even observable at GZ.  

[Keystone]

I moved this thread from the general "Geocaching Topics" forum to here.

[+barefootjeff]

8 hours ago, J Grouchy said:

Then I'd say that pretty much none of the earthcaches I've logged were "acceptable".  It's why I don't really enjoy ECs...they have all required me to do obscure research and skim through wikipedia articles to answer vague questions about stuff that often isn't even observable at GZ.  

When I first submitted my EC, I mentioned in my description something like "an internet search will reveal all manner of theories" and even though completing the EC tasks didn't require actually doing that search, the reviewer objected and, in hindsight, rightly so. Off the top of my head, I don't recall ever having to go looking stuff up to complete any of the ECs I've found, other than to further my own interest - all the required information is in the description or can be inferred at GZ - so maybe the Geoaware reviewers here are a bit more strict on that.

[+hzoi]

19 hours ago, barefootjeff said:

maybe the Geoaware reviewers here are a bit more strict on that.

The guidelines on earthcaches have changed a few times over the years.  Some rules have been made retroactive, like the prohibition against requiring a logging photo (which dates back to January 2011, if I recall correctly).  Others have not, like the requirement to have an earthcache translated into the local language.  I don't know whether this is one of the retroactive changes or not, but either way, I know that enforcement has been reactive, not proactive (or retroactive) -- that is, the rule changes are only enforced when earthcaches are submitted or otherwise brought to the geoawares' attention, but they're not out going through old listings to bring them into compliance.

(As an aside, I am continually bewildered that, even though logging photos now have been against the earthcache rules longer than they ever were allowed, I still come across earthcaches that require them.  It almost always seems like news to the cache owner.)

[+Rapaladude]

On 2/26/2018 at 6:48 AM, J Grouchy said:

Then I'd say that pretty much none of the earthcaches I've logged were "acceptable".  It's why I don't really enjoy ECs...they have all required me to do obscure research and skim through wikipedia articles to answer vague questions about stuff that often isn't even observable at GZ.  

 

I guess I’m lucky and have never seen an EarthCache like this, nor do I own any EarthCaches like that. I’d be curious to see an example as I like to continually update my EarthCache knowledge.

 

 

[+CachedIronSkillet]

On 2/26/2018 at 10:45 AM, Keystone said:

I moved this thread from the general "Geocaching Topics" forum to here.

So when should we consider the thread started? The day the OP started it on the other forum (Feb 23 2018) or the day Keystone moved it to this forum (Feb 26th 2018)?

Edited August 18, 2018 by Schirf