Discovering a TB

[+DBBOND007]

This may seem like a stupid question but I'm fairy new to Geocaching and I'm allowed to ask stupid questions....lol. Anyways, I know how to discover a bug. My question is, what does it really do for you? I see no stats in my profile for discoveries not like when you find a cache and get a smiley. So what's the big deal? 

[+VAVAPAM]

It is added to your TB count under "Trackables Moved/Discovered".

ETA: on your Profile

Edited September 25, 2019 by VAVAPAM

[+VAVAPAM]

[+cerberus1]

14 minutes ago, DBBOND007 said:

This may seem like a stupid question but I'm fairy new to Geocaching and I'm allowed to ask stupid questions....lol. Anyways, I know how to discover a bug.

My question is, what does it really do for you?

I see no stats in my profile for discoveries not like when you find a cache and get a smiley. So what's the big deal? 

 

I don't feel "Discover" does anything for me, but could mean everything to a Trackable Owner. 

I'm not caching lately like I used to.  The majority of my logs now are Discovered.

My Discover log will tell the TO if their trackable's in the cache it's supposed to be in and  its condition. 

In my Discover I'll tell you the name of the  %#&@  hoarder who just dumped your Trackable from a box of 60 others on a table,  at an event too.

Odd to me, but many TOs don't want to read the helpful information they receive in Discover logs...

 

The "Discover" log simply adds to your "moved/Discovered" count  It is a "count", and if you look at third-party sites, it's a big deal for some. 

 - Why so many figure ways to "collect" numbers with photos snatched from websites, and numbers generators. 

[+VAVAPAM]

1 minute ago, cerberus1 said:

 

I don't feel "Discover" does anything for me, but could mean everything to a Trackable Owner. 

I'm not caching lately like I used to.  The majority of my logs now are Discovered.

My Discover log will tell the TO if their trackable's in the cache it's supposed to be in and  its condition. 

In my Discover I'll tell you the name of the  %#&@  hoarder who just dumped your Trackable from a box of 60 others on a table,  at an event too.

 

As a TO who does read Discover logs, I appreciate details like this.  Thanks!

[+CAVinoGal]

1 hour ago, DBBOND007 said:

I know how to discover a bug. My question is, what does it really do for you? I see no stats in my profile for discoveries not like when you find a cache and get a smiley. So what's the big deal? 

 

1 hour ago, cerberus1 said:

My Discover log will tell the TO if their trackable's in the cache it's supposed to be in and  its condition. 

 

1 hour ago, VAVAPAM said:

As a TO who does read Discover logs, I appreciate details like this. 

 

I, too, enjoy reading the Discover logs of my TB's that are traveling about.  And although I don't log a lot of Discovers, when I do, I will usually mention where I saw the TB (at an event, in a cache or TB hotel, etc).

 

Most of the Discovers I DO log are personal items, or persons, a T-shirt, a car sticker.  I have a set of TB earrings (Signal!) and an I <3 Geocaching trackable patch that go with me to events and caches for Discovers and visits.  It's not a big deal, to me, but it is a fun side game.  Some folks at events LOVE to Discover everything they can, and I'm happy to provide a couple more things for them to discover.  

[+KE5BM]

I've been systematically deleting dozens of "virtual discoveries" of my three trackers since I turned them on.  One of them hasn't made it into a cache yet...probably will in the next 24 hours.  I'm getting very aggravated with the virtual discoveries as it's nothing more than a picture on the internet and a couple of the logs have clearly mentioned that they're chasing an award of some kind.  In my mind, that is clearly cheating.  As I understand it, a discovery is when you open a cache, find a tracker that you have no intention of moving along but you want to log it for the owner so they know it is still alive and well.  Sitting at your computer, looking at a picture of a tracker from another country is NOT caching.  Just my $0.02.

[+The A-Team]

28 minutes ago, KE5BM said:

I've been systematically deleting dozens of "virtual discoveries" of my three trackers since I turned them on.  One of them hasn't made it into a cache yet...probably will in the next 24 hours.  I'm getting very aggravated with the virtual discoveries as it's nothing more than a picture on the internet and a couple of the logs have clearly mentioned that they're chasing an award of some kind.

 

They're able to do this because the secret code for each of your trackables is visible on their listings (in two places on one of them). You should edit the photo names to not include the code, and edit or remove the photo of the one where the code is visible. Otherwise, you're basically inviting people to log your trackables without ever seeing them in person.

[+cerberus1]

1 hour ago, KE5BM said:

I've been systematically deleting dozens of "virtual discoveries" of my three trackers since I turned them on.  One of them hasn't made it into a cache yet...probably will in the next 24 hours.  I'm getting very aggravated with the virtual discoveries as it's nothing more than a picture on the internet and a couple of the logs have clearly mentioned that they're chasing an award of some kind.  In my mind, that is clearly cheating.  As I understand it, a discovery is when you open a cache, find a tracker that you have no intention of moving along but you want to log it for the owner so they know it is still alive and well.  Sitting at your computer, looking at a picture of a tracker from another country is NOT caching.  Just my $0.02.

 

Agree with The A-Team,  this is something you did. 

 If you are going to show photos with the tracking code clearly visible, and use the tracking code as the photo name, you're going to have "Discovers". 

There are some who allow their trackables to be Discovered "virtually". 

Seeing it presented as you have it, I'd assume you allow it too.  I often log virtual Discovers with notice where I saw it, JIC an owner made a mistake.  .

[+KE5BM]

I appreciate the insight from both of you.  I was unaware that "virtually" discovering a cache would even be a thought.  I'll try to edit the photos accordingly.  Either way, I feel it's in very bad taste to do so...ESPECIALLY when they clearly claim to be chasing a challenge as one did in a log I just deleted moments ago.

 

Also, thank you to both of you for taking the time to look into my trackers to see what exactly was going on with them before you replied, that way I knew exactly what to fix.

Edited November 23, 2019 by KE5BM
Additional Info

[+cerberus1]

11 hours ago, KE5BM said:

  I was unaware that "virtually" discovering a cache would even be a thought.  I'll try to edit the photos accordingly. 

Either way, I feel it's in very bad taste to do so...ESPECIALLY when they clearly claim to be chasing a challenge as one did in a log I just deleted moments ago.

 

For examples of "virtual" trackable codes,  simply google "geocaching trackable codes".     

Many were the same , unknowingly using that pic on the trackable's page, others may be from a finder who didn't know (or care).

The internet doesn't forget...

I don't think about stats, so sometimes I'll log those I find, JIC the owner didn't really intend for it to be that way.

 - If they then delete my "Discover" I'm fine with that, knowing the TO is at least keeping track. 

The site does allow "virtual" Discovers (it's your property), and in the Help Center says, "Virtual trackables with virtual logs are not encouraged. It is up to the trackable owner to state if they allow this."  

I feel if someone spotted a trackable's code because the TO placed it there, it's "fair game".

 

 ... And not the same as those who create "random numbers generators" to have a code hit.  Apparently a big thing in some countries...

The other 2/3rds gave a list of coin codes (over 200) to save time with fellow collectors once at a mega event in '08. 

Sounds like a helpful thing.

She later found those codes were shared/posted with others, and her "helpful" list still has a few each year logging coins she's had in her possession since acquired. 

[+Max and 99]

I get a lot of TB codes in the mail from another activity, and ignore almost all of them.  My Discover count would be 10 times whatever it is now, if I wanted it to be.