What is going on

[+TeaMash]

I've come back to geocache after a hiatus, and my goodness what had gone on? Nobody seems to put meaningful information in the description and the hints just tell you exactly where it is, where the challenge in that, have we dumbed it down too much. And nobody seems to spend the time getting a good GPS reading either.

[+cerberus1]

If I can stop laughing....I kinda agree.    But I think it started with many insisting on parking coordinates first.  

 - Now it's geocheckers on all puzzles so "you don't waste your time" if incorrect.   

We simply skip the (to us) non descript pieces of carp, and continue to find the ones that got us interested in the hobby.

We may have to travel a bit more now,  but well worth it.  Good luck.   

[+colleda]

It has evolved in a way that would even confuse Darwin.

[+EnCeeGee]

Surely the whole point of geocaching is that every one can play the game their own way. Some people might like a challenge, others, maybe elderly, disabled or plain lazy prefer a more dumbed down version. If I'm out with my friends we will climb trees, swim in rivers, etc because we are stupid (or adventurous!), if I'm out with the wife we will go for a pleasant stroll in the countryside and collect the dumbed down ones with good hints.

But what is a challenge? Trying to find a nanno, with no hint, in the town centre could be considered a challenge, but who wants to crawl around on their hands and knees in the middle of the High St looking like a complete pillock? Maybe a challenge is more physical but, as already said, not everybody can do that. Some people may consider a challenge to be collecting 200 caches in a day, when obviously the dumbed down caches would be preferred.

 

As regards geocheckers on puzzles; I would NEVER try and find a puzzle cache if I had not had the coords confirmed in some way. If there is no checker I would politely ask the CO to confirm my answer, if I did not get a reply (or confirm with a previous finder) I would simply ignore that cache.

What is the point of looking for something if you have no idea if you're in the right place? I might just as well not waste my time and just go for a nice walk and forget about geocaching.

This is just my view, other people may consider it a challenge to look for something that could be a couple of miles down the road!

 

Isn't it good to have many different styles of caches to attract as many different and diverse cachers as possible?

[+TeaMash]

Ha ha, all fair points, I just didn't expect some of the hints to be, well, exact descriptions of the hiding place. I always seemed to be little teasers, however I have to concede points given above especially after introducing Scouts to geocaching who need very specific direction ;-)

Edited April 30, 2018 by TeaMash
Spelling

[+thehoomer]

To be honest I think that a hint should be a hint and not a ‘puzzle’ to the caches location. If I’m out in the field and I have been looking for a cache for a long time, I may then resort to the hint. I don’t then want to have to embark on translating Latin or some such thing. I don’t believe that hints should be puzzles in their own right, leave the puzzling to the actual cache. Also, if a cache is difficult to find and the hint is equally difficult to decipher, the area tends to get trashed. Still, horses for courses I suppose.