Sometimes newbies say the darndest things!

[+lee737]

Two in a row too!

By the way, access to the track was along a 4wd vehicular path....

[+Jayeffel]

You can sometimes recognize a newbie by the log entry , your examples show that evidence. These are a bit extreme though since one knows about tradables, the other wants access to very easy.  I did not check their find history ( could not if I desired) but do notice that between then there are five logged finds. 

 

To be fair, most of our find logs will show better logs as we gather more caches. We read other logs and see what is written and follow the pattern,  maybe we are not aware of this. 

 

Maybe the first few caches they found were GR or LPC , not usually very hard to locate.

 

What I see very often are caches logged as found but the log entry says something like "it was not there but I think I know where it was". And checking the cacher you see very few logged caches.  And a lot of NM or NA logs are submitted by those with very few logged finds. 

 

 

[+Mudfrog]

I've seen a couple or three come in that went something like this,

 

Quote

Searched but did not find. Cache is missing. Needs maintenance.

 

Not necessarily from a new cacher but a good indication that it is.

Edited February 27, 2022 by Mudfrog
added quote box

[+cerberus1]

We used to get numerous logs from newbs saying, "No pen in cache", even though this hobby never required one in a cache.

 - We thought it was a nice touch, yet every time we did maintenance, all pencils and sharpeners would be gone.  

A regular for us was the notes in logs (and NMs) that the "Log is full", to find the other side of the paper untouched. Notepad pages too.    

Like Lee's examples, we'd get even long-time players saying there's not much swag for the size of the container (ammo cans).

 - Many don't understand trade, I guess.    "Take" has replaced it for some time...

[+Lostboy1966]

On 2/28/2022 at 12:22 PM, cerberus1 said:

- Many don't understand trade, I guess.    "Take" has replaced it for some time...

Ain't that the truth. I launch new hides with a generous supply of kid-friendly baubles, and on return for maintenance they are almost always empty. 🤷‍♂️

[+GeoElmo6000]

1 hour ago, Lostboy1966 said:

Ain't that the truth. I launch new hides with a generous supply of kid-friendly baubles, and on return for maintenance they are almost always empty. 🤷‍♂️

 

I've given up with that.  I'll throw some trackables in a new cache but I don't bother with swag anymore.  

[+Lostboy1966]

13 minutes ago, GeoElmo6000 said:

I'll throw some trackables in a new cache

Which also disappear. I just purchased some new TB tags for the first time in more than a decade, and I'll let them loose on the assumption they will go dark eventually. Such is life.

[+GeoElmo6000]

6 minutes ago, Lostboy1966 said:

Which also disappear. I just purchased some new TB tags for the first time in more than a decade, and I'll let them loose on the assumption they will go dark eventually. Such is life.

 

I use trackables I'm moving from other caches.  I don't create new trackables for the reason you state; I don't need to add to my list of missing trackables.  :-)

[+Max and 99]

It happens so often these days I am astounded. 0 finds account, never visited the website, didn't find the cache so it needs archived.

It was found by someone else today.

[+dimwit61]

I love it when they ask me why there are no tradables in a micro. 

[+lee737]

I've noted the reverse with swag here - I'll put some in a new cache, and 2 years later check on it and its all still there.....

 

[+barefootjeff]

18 minutes ago, lee737 said:

I've noted the reverse with swag here - I'll put some in a new cache, and 2 years later check on it and its all still there.....

 

 

With quite a few of mine, the swag has accumulated over the years, including in my National Park caches where swag and trackables aren't allowed.

[+Ry Dawg]

Messaging that the cache is too hard for them to find, instead of logging a DNF - or simply ignoring it 

[Darwin473]

On 3/6/2022 at 7:58 AM, Lostboy1966 said:

...and I'll let them loose on the assumption they will go dark eventually.

 

That's how I think, except that I skip the "let it go missing" step and go straight to the "release a proxy" step right from the get go. Keep the nice, funky, rare, or otherwise TB safe at home, send out something else with the TB code on it. Get the best of both worlds - keep a nice TB and have the code roaming the world. And when it goes missing, create and release another proxy!

[+OCamera]

On 2/27/2022 at 12:00 PM, Mudfrog said:

Quote

 

On 2/27/2022 at 12:00 PM, Mudfrog said:

Searched but did not find. Cache is missing. Needs maintenance.

 

I've had something similar happen, but in my case, this new cacher said, "I looked everywhere and didn't find it.  Therefore it's missing." and then, flagged it for maintenance.  He did this 3 different times on 3 different caches.  Each and every time, I ran out and checked on it and the geocaches were still there.  I ended up messaging him and explaining to him that just because he didn't find it doesn't mean it's missing; and it's customary to log a "did not find" and not a "needs maintenance" for a geocache he didn't find unless it needed maintenance, i.e. broken container, no log book, etc.  He finally starts logging DNF's but as it turned out, the cache he logged a DNF on was actually missing.  LOL!

 

[+humboldt flier]

On 3/5/2022 at 5:34 PM, dimwit61 said:

I love it when they ask me why there are no tradables in a micro. 

Nearly blew my coffee through my nose while laughing over the above comment. Took me back to a note from a few weeks ago.

 

Some newbie commented that there was no prize in the container so they "bagged" the little metal thing from the log sheet.  

 

GRRRRRRRR ... MIND YOU ... THE CACHE WAS A BUTTON NANO!!!!

 

The little metal thing!!!!   >>> THAT, dear cacher, is a component of the log sheet to assist your twitty little self in removing the log sheet and or re-rolling the log sheet.

 

 

 

 

[+Jayeffel]

7 hours ago, humboldt flier said:

The little metal thing!!!!   >>> THAT, dear cacher, is a component of the log sheet to assist your twitty little self in removing the log sheet and or re-rolling the log sheet.

 

I think I may write to one who does that and  try to tactfully explain things.

Edited March 21, 2022 by Jayeffel

[MRC1925T]

I had a new cacher ask for a hint on one of my caches awhile ago.  I told him, "Magnetic" and he said, "What's that?"

[+niraD]

22 minutes ago, MRC1925T said:

I had a new cacher ask for a hint on one of my caches awhile ago.  I told him, "Magnetic" and he said, "What's that?"

You could have tried "zntargvp" instead...

[+pixelteer425]

2 hours ago, MRC1925T said:

I had a new cacher ask for a hint on one of my caches awhile ago.  I told him, "Magnetic" and he said, "What's that?"

Sounds like they’re an Insane Clown Posse fan

[+Jayeffel]

Just saw a DNF by a cacher with 8 finds shown-

"Didn't find it on 2/26/2022

Looked for 20-30 mins and nothing. Probably muggled

[+lee737]

Another one - this one a zero find newbie....

At least they posted a DNF, but messaged us with  "Don't think this cache is here any more any chance you could check and update?"

 

I physically checked it (didn't bother me as I was keen to see how it was going in the rain we've been having), let them know, with an extra hint.... and ..... crickets......    

 

[+Ragnemalm]

Many funny logs, but let me remind you: Newcomers are valuable, and they are inexperienced, so please respond in a helpful and polite way.

 

Not least, newbies will often misuse NM, DNF and NA. They are just selections to them. And they will log found on a cache they have seen but not reached. I always reply as nice as I can and explain the rules as needed.

 

I got a "standard newbie" log yesterday: Found it but had no pen. No photlolog, just "Found it". Hm, not quite how it is supposed to work.

[+lee737]

1 hour ago, Ragnemalm said:

Newcomers are valuable, and they are inexperienced, so please respond in a helpful and polite way.

Of course.... and in my area, there is a lack of active players, I could count on one hand new players who've kept playing to over a few hundred finds in the past few years. We are always polite, and very accommodating - the rudeness comes from the newbies usually....

[+Goldenwattle]

On 3/22/2022 at 2:26 PM, MRC1925T said:

I had a new cacher ask for a hint on one of my caches awhile ago.  I told him, "Magnetic" and he said, "What's that?"

It's the phone generation. It brings in the simple people.

[+thebruce0]

On 3/5/2022 at 10:47 PM, lee737 said:

I've noted the reverse with swag here - I'll put some in a new cache, and 2 years later check on it and its all still there.....

 

That happens all too often here, as most of my local community is out for the adventure, the find counts... You almost have to put swag only in larger urban caches where new folk are starting out. Any cache that's not "newbie friendly" and has swag pretty much has no cycle of items, just a cycle of wet moistness

 

 

10 hours ago, Goldenwattle said:

It's the phone generation. It brings in the simple people.

 

Hey now... let's not start with stereotypes by device type.

 

 

 

Found it: "Saw it, couldn't reach it. Caches should be findable by everyone!"  grrrrrr, no. Climb that tree, or get someone else to.