Didn't have a pen.

[+Goldenwattle]

1 hour ago, XHawk said:

Yesterday, I had a log come in on a cache of mine that said "he didn't have a pen, but the log was nice and dry". This didn't sound valid to me so I sent a PM right away asking him to describe the cache or the area at gz so I could let the log stand. Nothing happened after 24 hours, so I deleted it. About an hour ago he responds with correct info, but now doesn't want a find since I deleted his "honest find". And claims it says more about me than him. 

 

Just following the geocaching guidelines about signing logs.

Maybe I was too hasty deleting it, but in this 'instantly happening' world where caches are logged from phones, I thought I allowed enough time for a response.

I usually give a week, or maybe even a fortnight. Although saying that, I once gave someone three months (because I went on holidays) to change their find to a DNF, a note, or delete. After three months and I returned from holidays, I deleted the find. Did I get a rude email telling me how impatient I was! They reckoned they planned to return and sign the log. Of course they had to find the cache first, which they hadn't in the first place; mistaking a dropped lunch box for my cache. Easy thing would have been for them to change it to DNF/note/delete the log,  and log a find when they did return, find the actual cache and a sign the log. Anyway, their rude message made it so much easier for me to delete their log. After their rudeness I didn't feel any remorse doing so. Their rude message saw to that.

[+Goldenwattle]

1 hour ago, XHawk said:

where caches are logged from phones

Me, absolutely don't log from a phone, as I like to write decent logs, not just TFTC/Thanks/Good, as many phone users do. Also I often include photographs for the TBs travelling with me, after I have fixed up the photographs in PhotoShop. Can't do that with a phone. Also, I don't live for my phone, and only about a year or two ago bothered to get data, as before that I couldn't justify the expense of data, which wasn't cheap. (Several times the cost of phone and text messages only.) Only when the price of data came down did I bother to turn on data. I use a GPS, which over the years I used it, has been MUCH cheaper than using data on a phone, despite the initial high cost. Also, the GPS is quicker and easier to use. I log on a home computer.

[+Former Hawkeye]

It would have been nice for that cacher to PM XHawk with details about find FIRST if a pen is forgot or does not work.  I have sent a photo when  I was unable a non locking cache (it was stuck) and I did not want to break it (thus I couldn't sign the log).  The CO went and did maintenance on the cache and put my name on the sheet since I alerted them to the problem.  That was much appreciated. 

 

I have in the past allowed a find without a pen if the cacher lets me know about a problem.  I feel it is up to cacher to provide that EXTRA information to the hider and it should not be up to the CO to do the extra.

[+Goldenwattle]

11 minutes ago, Former Hawkeye said:

It would have been nice for that cacher to PM XHawk with details about find FIRST if a pen is forgot or does not work.  I have sent a photo when  I was unable a non locking cache (it was stuck) and I did not want to break it (thus I couldn't sign the log).  The CO went and did maintenance on the cache and put my name on the sheet since I alerted them to the problem.  That was much appreciated. 

 

I have in the past allowed a find without a pen if the cacher lets me know about a problem.  I feel it is up to cacher to provide that EXTRA information to the hider and it should not be up to the CO to do the extra.

I once had a CO write my name on a log after I alerted them to a problem too, and had visited GZ twice.

I agree, if the finder can't sign, they should provide information to the hider; not just say forgot their pen and log a find. They should contact the CO, explain the situation, with good descriptions of the cache and log, and wait for permission, (or refusal, although that would be mean), before logging. I have done that a couple of times and both times got permission to log. If the CO ignored my message after I sent good information, I might eventually log (after a couple of weeks or so), but I give the CO a chance to reply first. It's polite.

[+dprovan]

11 hours ago, XHawk said:

Yesterday, I had a log come in on a cache of mine that said "he didn't have a pen, but the log was nice and dry". This didn't sound valid to me so I sent a PM right away asking him to describe the cache or the area at gz so I could let the log stand. Nothing happened after 24 hours, so I deleted it. About an hour ago he responds with correct info, but now doesn't want a find since I deleted his "honest find". And claims it says more about me than him. 

 

Just following the geocaching guidelines about signing logs.

Maybe I was too hasty deleting it, but in this 'instantly happening' world where caches are logged from phones, I thought I allowed enough time for a response.

I don't worry about cases like that unless there's something else suspicious. It would never occur to me that someone would lie about not having a pen for my one cache, but if I saw that he'd claimed a string of finds that day with the same cut&paste log about not having a pen, I'd starting wondering if he was armchair logging. Otherwise I'd just shrug.

 

But it's OK if you wanted confirmation, and I don't mind you asking. Yeah, I'd say just one day isn't a reasonable response time. I'd be thinking more a week, and it would probably take me even longer to remember I was waiting. But maybe a day would have been OK if you'd worded your delete better. I'd send him a note apologizing for deleting his log and inviting him to relog it once he gets a chance to describe the container. From the reaction you describe, it sounds as if he felt like you were calling him a liar and a cheat, so you might want to review your actions to see why he got what I'm presuming is a false impression of your feelings.

[+Wet_Ground]

On ‎7‎/‎16‎/‎2019 at 12:26 AM, XHawk said:

but in this 'instantly happening' world where caches are logged from phones, I thought I allowed enough time for a response.

I very rarely log from a phone so my log probably would have been deleted in 24 hours and I am sure I'm the only one out there who logs their caches from a lap top or computer not a phone. 

[+bflentje]

On 7/15/2019 at 11:26 PM, XHawk said:

Yesterday, I had a log come in on a cache of mine that said "he didn't have a pen, but the log was nice and dry". This didn't sound valid to me so I sent a PM right away asking him to describe the cache or the area at gz so I could let the log stand. Nothing happened after 24 hours, so I deleted it. About an hour ago he responds with correct info, but now doesn't want a find since I deleted his "honest find". And claims it says more about me than him. 

 

24 hours? How generous. Sometimes it takes me twice that to get the PC away from my kids.

[+Harry Dolphin]

I have decided on allowing five days (after I send the e-mail that the webcam photo is required to log my webcam) before deleting the log.  Most cachers post the required webcam photo within two days.  But, I allow five days.  I have probably deleted twenty percent of the logs that think a selfie is enough.  Or no photo at all.  

[+colleda]

I would allow a week minimum but often much longer. I'm old school GPSr user and log on computer at home (except for this later promotion where's I used my phone for logging but not finding). When I've been on vacation I've been places where there's been no wi-fi let alone cell reception.

[+Goldenwattle]

On 7/16/2019 at 2:26 PM, XHawk said:

Nothing happened after 24 hours, so I deleted it

You do realise that's a shorter time than a flight from Sydney to London. Hardly any time. Hate someone to delete a log because I couldn't access my computer, and therefore wasn't receiving emails. Give them at least a week. They might be travelling somewhere without any internet, or away from their computer. Not everyone gets messages on their phone, or even if they do, lives with their phone in their hand.

 

Edited July 19, 2019 by Goldenwattle

[+K13]

3 hours ago, colleda said:

I would allow a week minimum but often much longer. I'm old school GPSr user and log on computer at home (except for this later promotion where's I used my phone for logging but not finding). When I've been on vacation I've been places where there's been no wi-fi let alone cell reception.

In the case of a Webcam, Virtual, or Earthcache, if a person is able to log it, they should be able to submit the required extras at the same time. I'm with the ?, 5 days is generous.

[+XHawk]

I do appreciate the feedback. It does tell me that I definitely should have allowed more time. A week would have been a much better choice. 

[+cerberus1]

2 hours ago, Goldenwattle said:

You do realise that's a shorter time than a flight from Sydney to London. Hardly any time. Hate someone to delete a log because I couldn't access my computer, and therefore wasn't receiving emails. Give them at least a week.

 

 

We were talking about this earlier, so good timing.   

If we cached up your way our last day on vacation,  hopped on a plane,  Sydney to our area would already be beyond  that 24 hours when we landed.  

We always have a couple of pens on us, so not an issue.    Well, unless tsa comes up with something new...

[+Goldenwattle]

2 hours ago, cerberus1 said:

 

We were talking about this earlier, so good timing.   

If we cached up your way our last day on vacation,  hopped on a plane,  Sydney to our area would already be beyond  that 24 hours when we landed.  

We always have a couple of pens on us, so not an issue.    Well, unless tsa comes up with something new...

Longer than 24 hours for me to London from where I live in Canberra. I have to get to Sydney first. I only gave the time for the main part of the journey. At last another other five hours for me with booking in and flight and transferring from domestic to international terminals in Sydney, then going through security, etc.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

6 hours ago, colleda said:

I would allow a week minimum but often much longer. I'm old school GPSr user and log on computer at home (except for this later promotion where's I used my phone for logging but not finding). When I've been on vacation I've been places where there's been no wi-fi let alone cell reception.

So have I.  In one of those places, there was no cell reception, no wi-fi, and electricity provided by a generator was only provided part of the day.  

[+barefootjeff]

7 hours ago, colleda said:

I would allow a week minimum but often much longer. I'm old school GPSr user and log on computer at home (except for this later promotion where's I used my phone for logging but not finding). When I've been on vacation I've been places where there's been no wi-fi let alone cell reception.

 

That sounds a bit like Lord Howe Island (800km off the coast of New South Wales). There's no phone coverage at all on the island (it's listed as one of the island's attractions), my accommodation had satellite wifi but my first time there (2016) it didn't work at all until the morning of my departure and then only very intermittently. All my logging for that first trip was done after I got home. On my second trip (2017) the wifi was more reliable but still not something I could count on.

[+colleda]

I've often had a lack of internet while cruising at sea for days non end. I'll be doing an Atlantic crossing in November that'll be a few days too.

[+on4bam]

11 hours ago, XHawk said:

A week would have been a much better choice. 

At least!

 

[+dprovan]

9 hours ago, barefootjeff said:

That sounds a bit like Lord Howe Island (800km off the coast of New South Wales). There's no phone coverage at all on the island (it's listed as one of the island's attractions), my accommodation had satellite wifi but my first time there (2016) it didn't work at all until the morning of my departure and then only very intermittently. All my logging for that first trip was done after I got home. On my second trip (2017) the wifi was more reliable but still not something I could count on.

All this talk about a lack of connectivity seems off the point to me. If you aren't connected at all, you aren't going to log the cache to begin with, so there's no reason for the CO to be waiting for you to provide the confirming information. And, on the other hand, if you do log, and then are disconnected for a week while you travel home, surely you're not going to be too upset about a CO being a little quick to delete your log, are you? Given he was concerned and raised some questions, it's not really his fault he didn't know you were traveling since the evidence -- your log -- supports the mistaken idea that you are available. I'd just shrug, send the requested information, and expect permission to relog. Why the angst?

[+colleda]

I was out this morning doing a maintenance run when two emails came through on my phone. They were notifications of two finds, by the same cacher, on my Fernleigh Track series. The logs were " No pen nice and quick find TFTC "

Thing is I checked both caches a week ago and the both had a pencil in them and there have been no other logged finds. Also, the finder logged nothing for any of the caches before or after those two (the were consecutive). Looks like a couple of deletions coming up.

[+barefootjeff]

4 minutes ago, colleda said:

Also, the finder logged nothing for any of the caches before or after those two (the were consecutive).

 

Right now it could be because they held elements of the Mystery at the Museum they wanted. On my trip up to Gwandalan on Friday I only did the four caches I needed to complete the level 2 clues even though there were a lot of other caches in the area that I probably passed. I do agree, though, it does look a bit suspicious given there were pencils in the caches.

[+colleda]

1 hour ago, barefootjeff said:

 

Right now it could be because they held elements of the Mystery at the Museum they wanted. On my trip up to Gwandalan on Friday I only did the four caches I needed to complete the level 2 clues even though there were a lot of other caches in the area that I probably passed. I do agree, though, it does look a bit suspicious given there were pencils in the caches.

Another odd thing. The finder last found a cache in Sep 18 and the two they claimed to find today were jewels.

Another odd find. A cacher logged finds my Swansea Bridge cache on 27/7 and a couple of my Bison Trail caches on the same day. The Swansea Bridge cache was a micro, no pencil, and the finder signed it but not the Bison Trails caches. Hmmm. Perhaps they have some explaining to do.