Can we stop “discovering” travel bugs?

[+YakingCampers]

I apologize as I’m sure this has come up before, but I don’t read the forums that often.

I find it annoying that people don’t move travel bugs every time. I found one today that was started in November of 2018, discovered many times, yet it did not TRAVEL at all. A couple of mine have just died in the Discovery zone.

I’m pushing for a ban on Discoveries, unless you are with a group of cachers. But then one of the group must move it along.

Thoughts?

 ?‍♂️?

[+L0ne.R]

I don't mind the kind of discovery that lets me know my TB is still in a cache and that it's in good shape. I especially like a TB discover log that includes a photo. 

But I get how frustrating the more dominant types of discoveries can be. If they did away with discoveries I don't think it would be so bad. 

 

[+Max and 99]

57 minutes ago, YakingCampers said:

I apologize as I’m sure this has come up before, but I don’t read the forums that often.

I find it annoying that people don’t move travel bugs every time. I found one today that was started in November of 2018, discovered many times, yet it did not TRAVEL at all. A couple of mine have just died in the Discovery zone.

I’m pushing for a ban on Discoveries, unless you are with a group of cachers. But then one of the group must move it along.

Thoughts?

 ?‍♂️?

I totally understand where you are coming from. But I'm not sure a ban on Discoveries is the solution. At least with Discovery logs, there MAY be some kind of status on the TB, which can be helpful to the TBO.

[+Goldenwattle]

The type of discoveries I dislike and I found this out the first (and it will be the only) time I did this, was to place my TB on a discovery table at a Mega. The volunteer looking after the table took down the number and placed it on a list on a computer. Then all someone had to do was get that list and discover all the TBs. For weeks discoveries were being made on my TB. Hundreds and hundreds of discoveries. I will never 'lend' my TB to a Mega again and allow it to be added to a list. If I show an individual there the TB and they discover it, fine, but not half the universe. So many that I was tempted to start to delete their logs, but because I placed it there I didn't feel it was right to do this. But if one of my TBs visits another event where  I don't place it on the table, and these discoveries happens in such numbers I might consider deleting those discoveries. Getting a printed list, with hardly a glance at the TBs (as happened) is not something I want. Apparently some other TB owners did delete the discoveries from the Mega I was told.

Edited July 1, 2019 by Goldenwattle
spelling

[+Max and 99]

13 minutes ago, Goldenwattle said:

The type of discoveries I dislike and I found this out the first (and it will be the only) time I did this, was to place my TB on a discovery table at a Mega. The volunteer looking after the table took done the number and placed it on a list on a computer. Then all someone had to do was get that list and discover all the TBs. For weeks discoveries were being made on my TB. Hundreds and hundreds of discoveries. I will never 'lend' my TB to a Mega again and allow it to be added to a list. If I show an individual there the TB and they discover it, fine, but not half the universe. So many that I was tempted to start to delete their logs, but because I placed it there I didn't feel it was right to do this. But if one of my TBs visits another event where  I don't place it on the table, and these discoveries happens in such numbers I might consider deleting those discoveries. Getting a printed list, with hardly a glance at the TBs (as happened) is not something I want. Apparently some other TB owners did delete the discoveries from the Mega I was told.

I agree. This is why some TB owners put the words "DO NOT TAKE TO EVENTS" on their TB page.  Having someone discover your TB from just a computer list is so disappointing.

[+Max and 99]

1 hour ago, YakingCampers said:

I apologize as I’m sure this has come up before, but I don’t read the forums that often.

I find it annoying that people don’t move travel bugs every time. I found one today that was started in November of 2018, discovered many times, yet it did not TRAVEL at all. A couple of mine have just died in the Discovery zone.

I’m pushing for a ban on Discoveries, unless you are with a group of cachers. But then one of the group must move it along.

Thoughts?

 ?‍♂️?

What about TBs that travel, but only with the owner? The only way they can be logged when seen is a Discovery.

[+Goldenwattle]

1 minute ago, Max and 99 said:

What about TBs that travel, but only with the owner? The only way they can be logged when seen is a Discovery.

The TB that travels with me visits the caches I visit, so it gets logs. It was that TB which got flooded with too many discoveries in one place. I don't mind the odd discovery of it and I show it to people for this, but hundreds in one place; not by people picking it up and recording its number, but by getting a list.

Edited July 1, 2019 by Goldenwattle

[+Touchstone]

1 hour ago, YakingCampers said:

I apologize as I’m sure this has come up before, but I don’t read the forums that often.

I find it annoying that people don’t move travel bugs every time. I found one today that was started in November of 2018, discovered many times, yet it did not TRAVEL at all. A couple of mine have just died in the Discovery zone.

I’m pushing for a ban on Discoveries, unless you are with a group of cachers. But then one of the group must move it along.

Thoughts?

 ?‍♂️?

Link to Help Center article that addresses your concern:

 

https://www.geocaching.com/help/index.php?pg=kb.chapter&id=41&pgid=708

[+Max and 99]

8 minutes ago, Goldenwattle said:

The TB that travels with me visits the caches I visit, so it gets logs. It was that TB which got flooded with too many discoveries in one place. I don't mind the odd discovery of it and I show it to people for this, but hundreds in one place; not by people picking it up and recording its number, but by getting a list.

Totally understood.

[+kunarion]

2 hours ago, YakingCampers said:

I’m pushing for a ban on Discoveries

 

You're not pushing very hard.  None of your owned Trackables mentions a restriction on Discover logs.

 

I cannot move every one I find, and certainly can't go around unscrambling logs all the time.  I might opt to make a nice Discover log and leave.  BUT I also don't always see the a TB log restriction until later when editing my cache logs.  I'm not as telepathic as I once was.

 

I found a TB in a cache, and noticed that it was incorrectly logged, and not in that cache's Inventory.  AND there was a requirement on its page to make no Discover logs.  So I honored the request and didn't log that one.  I only logged the other one that was in that cache, with a "group photo" as I usually do when I Discover these, that included my personal coin and the one I was required to not log.  The Owner got not one peep about that TB from me.  Awesome.

 

Edited July 1, 2019 by kunarion

[+kunarion]

1 hour ago, Goldenwattle said:

The type of discoveries I dislike and I found this out the first (and it will be the only) time I did this, was to place my TB on a discovery table at a Mega. The volunteer looking after the table took done the number and placed it on a list on a computer. Then all someone had to do was get that list and discover all the TBs. For weeks discoveries were being made on my TB.

 

That seems completely different from what the OP is complaining about.  The OP's TB is actually in a cache and there's an unmentioned requirement (non-existent on the OP's TB pages) to NOT log Discover AND to take it and I guess that one person carries it around and logs Visits as they go?  If that happens, the OP will be right back in the Forum with a new Thread.

 

Edited July 1, 2019 by kunarion

[+cerberus1]

4 hours ago, YakingCampers said:

I apologize as I’m sure this has come up before, but I don’t read the forums that often.

I find it annoying that people don’t move travel bugs every time. I found one today that was started in November of 2018, discovered many times, yet it did not TRAVEL at all. A couple of mine have just died in the Discovery zone.

I’m pushing for a ban on Discoveries, unless you are with a group of cachers. But then one of the group must move it along.

Thoughts?

A simple search would have given you reading material for weeks...  

I didn't see all the Discovers you're talking about.  Deleting 'em ?  Also didn't see any notice on any trackable pages asking to not Discover them.

 - How would someone know if you don't add it to the trackable's page ?

I don't like "Visit" logs, where someone's holding onto another's property for months or longer, using it as their own personal mileage  counter. 

 - Compared, a Discover log means nada.    

 

I don't cache often.

Rather than get a TO who's worried that I may have taken their Hello Kitty TB, emailing me every-other-day, when I've  had it less than two weeks (it's happened...),  I'll Discover it.

My Discover log will tell you whether it's in the proper cache (many aren't),  what condition it's in,  or whether I found that poop-head that's kept your "missing" trackable to "share" with a bag fulla others at events, and now know that cacher's name .

You delete my Discover, next time I'll remember you don't need my help ...  

[+cerberus1]

3 hours ago, Max and 99 said:

What about TBs that travel, but only with the owner? The only way they can be logged when seen is a Discovery.

 

Yep.  Probably a couple thousand vehicles, not to mention all the "reused" trackable codes on personal items for Discover-only.  

How to make their trackables "Discover-only" is a popular thread too.

[+Goldenwattle]

48 minutes ago, cerberus1 said:

 

Yep.  Probably a couple thousand vehicles, not to mention all the "reused" trackable codes on personal items for Discover-only.  

How to make their trackables "Discover-only" is a popular thread too. 

I found a TB in a cache that was "Discover-only". I found the idea of "Discover-only" weird and off-loaded the TB as soon as I could; putting it in the first cache that was big enough to fit it. If I had known that when I found it, I would have left it there and not logged it.  I like to show with photographs where the TB travels to, and with "Discover-only" this isn't possible. I have also been known to try to fulfil the TB's challenge or get it to the destination requested. With a "Discover-only", I had inclination to try.

[+hzoi]

If people don't want to pick up your travel bugs, removing the option to discover them will just create two logs instead of one: one where they pick up the TB from the cache where they found it, and another where they drop it back into the same cache.  I fail to see how this is a better option than keeping "discover."

[+cerberus1]

7 hours ago, Goldenwattle said:

I found a TB in a cache that was "Discover-only". I found the idea of "Discover-only" weird and off-loaded the TB as soon as I could; putting it in the first cache that was big enough to fit it. If I had known that when I found it, I would have left it there and not logged it.  I like to show with photographs where the TB travels to, and with "Discover-only" this isn't possible. I have also been known to try to fulfil the TB's challenge or get it to the destination requested. With a "Discover-only", I had inclination to try.

 

There used to be a few caches here with trackables attached (glue/epoxy) to be Discovered only.  A couple moving caches had them too.  

 

I don't use a phone, so if the trackable's in the wrong place/not listed in the cache (happens a lot...) or unless a mission statement's with it,  I'd have no clue that it's Discover-only or helping it's goal  until I get home.  

Most trackables I've spotted lately were in caches other-than the one they're supposed to be in. 

I don't mind not knowing.  That's the way it was done for years without phone apps ... though it seems (to me) that logs were much-more accurate than today.

We're seeing younger folks who don't understand that, thinking everyone has a sorta-smartphone and has instant access to everything.   

[+Goldenwattle]

35 minutes ago, cerberus1 said:

I don't use a phone, so if the trackable's in the wrong place/not listed in the cache (happens a lot...) or unless a mission statement's with it,  I'd have no clue that it's Discover-only or helping it's goal  until I get home. 

Exactly. I also use a GPS, not a phone, and I log when I get home; not in the field. Proper logs, not only TFTC or similar that many phone users do.  I once moved a TB that was a game piece out of its area. How was I to know? It was a TB, so I thought I was doing it a favour by moving it. That's what you do with TBs ?. I discovered that night when I read its online page it shouldn't have been moved out of area. I dumped it in the next cache that it would fit it, so not to move it further. Someone came and fetched it.

[+CAVinoGal]

Discover logs have a place and a purpose.  So do Visit logs, and Retrieve and Drop logs.  If Discovers and Visits were used as intended I don't think there would be any issues.  But people don't use them as intended, they get abused, and used in ways that become annoying to cache owners.  Endless visits to every cache found, bogus discovers from passed around lists ... the answer is not to do away with the log types.

 

Do the best you can to log things properly, and realize that once a travel bug is out there "in the wild" - stuff happens.  I have a couple that travel with me that I show to select folks at events to Discover and I visit to show my mileage.  If I turn one loose to travel, I realize it may go missing, it may get bogus logs, it may actually travel!  For my part, I try to look at the mission before I pick one up from a cache to see if I can help it along.  If not, I may discover it just to let the TO know it's still there!

 

I also make laminated business card size info cards with basic info about the TB and it's mission (both my own and those I pick up before I drop them), so those without access to the website can easily determine if they want to pick it up or not.  I just copy the info from the TB's page.

[+Max and 99]

On 7/1/2019 at 9:48 PM, CAVinoGal said:

 

I also make laminated business card size info cards with basic info about the TB and it's mission (both my own and those I pick up before I drop them), so those without access to the website can easily determine if they want to pick it up or not.  I just copy the info from the TB's page.

Fantastic idea! I need to make more effort to create such tags.