Baby geocaching account - is it possible?

[+xSilence8x]

Hello,

recently I have noticed that there is a baby geocaching account, who logged my caches/events. The logs look like "I found this cache with my parents lying in a baby carriage" or "I visited this event sleeping in my baby carriage". This baby geocacher also logs and finds Wherigo, virtual, letterbox and mystery caches. I dont think it is OK that the baby solves mystery caches etc...We all know it is not possible that it could solve these things. Moreover this baby geocacher organized one community celebration event. 

I have read terms of use of geocaching. I know that for young children parents can manage their geocaching account. But in this case it is a baby of age <1 year old.. It is all right? 

[+cerberus1]

I understand what you're saying, but there's a lot of folks who created accounts for their kids.  

Many families here created accounts for their kids so if/when they're grown, they'll automatically have all caches logged in order.

Some use a trackable, and visit it to each cache the child was present, so the child has a record of what caches they were at, if interested.

One nearby has an account of a child since riding in a carrier every day Mom's out.  She's outside with Mom in fresh air.

We all know that baby isn't writing logs, but the logs with picks are adorable.  Probably gives Mom a fun extra thing to do too.

Folks these days need fun things to do.  Lockdowns n stuff are making some bonkers.  If this helps some, who cares ?   

[+niraD]

33 minutes ago, xSilence8x said:

I have read terms of use of geocaching. I know that for young children parents can manage their geocaching account. But in this case it is a baby of age <1 year old.. It is all right? 

Why wouldn't it be? Are you under the impression that the baby's parents are not complying with the "parents or guardians must own and manage their accounts" clause of the terms of use?

[+CAVinoGal]

8 minutes ago, cerberus1 said:

there's a lot of folks who created accounts for their kids.  

My son and his wife met while geocaching, and they now have three children.  Each child got an account on the day they were born, and caches are logged on the kids' accounts as well as the parents when they visit caches together.  True, they didn't actually solve all those puzzle caches, but they were present for the find, and their name is on the logsheet, sometimes we even have photos as proof, cache container in hand!  (Some adults cache this way as well, just tagging along when someone else solved the puzzle, or is leading the way on a multi or Wherigo, but everyone gets their signature in the log).

 

When their kids grow up they can decide what to do with all the finds - Mom and Dad write creative and memorable logs of the experiences, good times with "Grandma and Grandpa" when we've all gone on a cache outing, they are fun to read, and they are only claiming those caches where the kids were actually present.  I don't see anything wrong with that, and they have fun with it too.

[+Wacka]

I knew a couple who met while caching. They kept their own  geonames and when their two kids were born, were given their own geonames on the day of their births. The older child is  now a teenager and they still use their  givengeonames.

[+MartyBartfast]

1 hour ago, xSilence8x said:

It is all right? 

yes it's fine.

[+kunarion]

1 hour ago, xSilence8x said:

Hello,

recently I have noticed that there is a baby geocaching account, who logged my caches/events. The logs look like "I found this cache with my parents lying in a baby carriage" or "I visited this event sleeping in my baby carriage". This baby geocacher also logs and finds Wherigo, virtual, letterbox and mystery caches. I dont think it is OK that the baby solves mystery caches etc...We all know it is not possible that it could solve these things. Moreover this baby geocacher organized one community celebration event. 

I have read terms of use of geocaching. I know that for young children parents can manage their geocaching account. But in this case it is a baby of age <1 year old.. It is all right? 

 

Is this the part you read?

 

1. Minors. Because of the nature of the game, which requires a cellular data plan or GPS device and the ability to travel to geocache locations, our services are not directed toward anyone under the age of 16. Although individuals under 16 are welcome to geocache, their parents or guardians must own and manage their accounts. You must be 18 or older to post in the Geocaching Forums.

   If you are under the age of 18 but at least 16, you may only use our services with the consent of a parent or legal guardian who agrees to be bound by this Agreement.

   If you are a parent or guardian and discover that your child under the age of 16 has an account not created and managed by you, then you may alert us via email and request that we delete that child’s personal information.

 

It seems pretty sensible, and I think it addresses your question.  If you have a concern where you've noticed the baby is accessing Geocaching services without parental approval, especially if that is creating problems, contact Groundspeak for guidance.

 

 

 

[+TeamRabbitRun]

It's more interesting than logging your history through a personal Trackable Item!

 

You just have to remember to not show the Tracking Code in any pictures you post.

[+TeamRabbitRun]

I'd examine the logs for systemic mis-spellings, peanut butter and consistent use of 'baby-talk'.

If no real evidence exists that the baby is the one doing the typing, then it's probably OK.

 

On the other hand, I once had a GF who talked like a two-year-old all the time, so maybe it's not indicative of anything.

[+baer2006]

1 hour ago, Wacka said:

and when their two kids were born, were given their own geonames on the day of their births.

I also know caching couples who did this. In fact it's not uncommon at all, and at some time it was a running joke here that sooner or later a couple will create a "baby account" (and start to log finds) on the day the pregnancy test shows a positive .

[+GeoElmo6000]

2 hours ago, xSilence8x said:

I dont think it is OK that the baby solves mystery caches etc...We all know it is not possible that it could solve these things.

 

If the only people logging finds on mystery caches were the ones who solved them, there'd be a lot less mystery cache find logs out there.  I'm not talking about geocachers who find cache solutions on Facebook pages, I just mean a lot of times one person in a group will solve the cache and others will tag along and log it with them.

 

 

Edited October 16, 2020 by GeoElmo6000

[+kunarion]

12 minutes ago, GeoElmo6000 said:

 

If the only people logging finds on mystery caches were the ones who solved them, there'd be a lot less mystery cache find logs out there.  I'm not talking about geocachers who find cache solutions on Facebook pages, I just mean a lot of times one person in a group will solve the cache and others will tag along and log it with them.

 

 

 

I really feel dumb if the mystery caches are being solved by babies less than one year old.

[+dennistubaplayer]

I think that geocaching was created for everyone. I realize that some geocaches are more serious than others, but geocaching was designed to get people outside, no matter the age. However, I can understand the frusturation of seeing a baby log a found on a puzzle or creating a community celebration.

[+niraD]

7 hours ago, xSilence8x said:

I dont think it is OK that the baby solves mystery caches etc...

Solving the puzzle personally isn't a requirement for logging puzzle/mystery caches as Found.

[+dprovan]

I think it's a cute idea. I particularly appreciate it when done as if the baby is the geocacher of the family so there's no duplicate log by the parent. When it's exclusively "me, too" logs, it's gets boring quick. Happily, it appears to be boring for the parents, too, since of the cases I've seen, the accounts are used enthusiastically for a few caches, but pretty soon, they stop. Often they're used for special circumstances, like having the kid "host" an event or planting a cache with some kind of kid theme.

 

Not as common these days, but back when I started 10 years ago, a few people had accounts for their dogs, and my impression was similar. Since I haven't seen this for a while, GS might not allow dog accounts anymore.

 

The bottom line is that I don't mind people doing this if they feel like it, and, in practice, I haven't run into any cases where it caused a problem.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

First there were power trails, then the cache health score, and now babies geocaching?

 

that's it! I quit!

[+JL_HSTRE]

Accounts belonging to minors probably shouldn't be hosting events since in most cases they literally can't host events (and even a teenager hosting an event seems a little questionable from an appropriateness standpoint). Ditto for accounts for pets.

 

While I understand the idea of logging a separate account for your kid, it seems silly to start doing so before the child is old enough to actually participate in the activity and have some memory of the experience. When I was 3 years old I went on a cross-country trip, but I don't count anywhere I went on that trip among the places I have visited in my life because I have zero memory of being there. That said, it's somewhat arbitrary and not something I would vote to restrict the way I would prohibit minor accounts from hosting events. 

[+niraD]

3 minutes ago, JL_HSTRE said:

Accounts belonging to minors probably shouldn't be hosting events since in most cases they literally can't host events (and even a teenager hosting an event seems a little questionable from an appropriateness standpoint). Ditto for accounts for pets.

 

While I understand the idea of logging a separate account for your kid, it seems silly to start doing so before the child is old enough to actually participate in the activity and have some memory of the experience. When I was 3 years old I went on a cross-country trip, but I don't count anywhere I went on that trip among the places I have visited in my life because I have zero memory of being there. That said, it's somewhat arbitrary and not something I would vote to restrict the way I would prohibit minor accounts from hosting events. 

If a parent can "own and manage" a minor's account for the purpose of finding caches and logging finds online, then why can't a parent "own and manage" a minor's account for the purpose of hosting an event?

[+hzoi]

I thought about creating a separate account for our daughter, but I didn't. Instead I have a trackable that I dip in all the caches my daughter has visited. If she wants to create her own account when she's old enough, then we've got a record of what caches she can log, and we'll go through logging them after the fact. If she doesn't, then such is life.

 

I don't have an issue with folks setting up accounts for this, as long as the kids are still under adult supervision when their parents deem them "old enough" to log themselves (which from my experience is still well before the age specified in the terms of use).

Edited October 28, 2020 by hzoi

[+mustakorppi]

I’ve been wondering about that rule... what is the manage in ”must own and manage their accounts” intended to mean specifically?
 

How does ”the nature of the game, which requires a cellular data plan or GPS device and the ability to travel to geocache locations” lead to a requirement to manage the account, in whichever way you choose to define it? Operating a GPS device or travelling are not account activities.

 

How does ”the nature of the game, which requires a cellular data plan or GPS device and the ability to travel to geocache locations” lead to a minimum age of 16? Something to do with getting a driver’s license in certain US states? 

 

Edited October 29, 2020 by mustakorppi

[+K13]

Minimum age is more likely related to USA internet usage standards for minors that were in place at the time the website was created.

[+p0cy]

I even know a dog account.

It was funny to read the logs written from the dog point of view :-)

[+HunterandSamuel]

On 10/16/2020 at 11:32 AM, xSilence8x said:

I have read terms of use of geocaching. I know that for young children parents can manage their geocaching account. But in this case it is a baby of age <1 year old.. It is all right? 

 

 

Great question. I know as a kid I would not want my parents to open an account in my name and list all THEIR finds. If my parent did this, I would, when 18 years of age, open my own personal account and find my own geocaches. Parents control their kids for 18 long years, time to cut the apron strings and let them do geocaching with their own account and own screen-name that they themselves picked. Just my humble opinion. 

[+The Jester]

On 10/30/2020 at 11:45 AM, HunterandSamuel said:

 

 

Great question. I know as a kid I would not want my parents to open an account in my name and list all THEIR finds. If my parent did this, I would, when 18 years of age, open my own personal account and find my own geocaches. Parents control their kids for 18 long years, time to cut the apron strings and let them do geocaching with their own account and own screen-name that they themselves picked. Just my humble opinion. 

From what I've seen around here (we don't have kids, so I have no direct knowledge of how the children would react), the families work together to come up with names for the children's account, and they only log caches that the child was at.  I've seen it where the child upon reaching 'cachehood' changed their user name but kept the finds done while under parental 'control'.

[+cerberus1]

11 hours ago, The Jester said:

From what I've seen around here (we don't have kids, so I have no direct knowledge of how the children would react), the families work together to come up with names for the children's account, and they only log caches that the child was at.  I've seen it where the child upon reaching 'cachehood' changed their user name but kept the finds done while under parental 'control'.

 

Yep.  All "family accounts" we know only list the kids who were with them in this hobby.  

Many younger folks, more game oriented,  appreciate the fact their parents did that.   

We include pics of kids n families when out, and some have fun seeing themselves when they were toddlers in this hobby. 

Edited November 1, 2020 by cerberus1
Removed notice of many extra posts.    :D

[+IceColdUK]

I run accounts for my two kids ... aged 28 and 25! ... as well as my wife, my sister, her three sons, and my sister-in-law.  (Most see very little action.)

 

I’m afraid this says rather more about me than them!