earth caches

[+T-BearNose39]

if you get some answers wrong, do you still get credit for the "find"

[RuideAlmeida]

4 minutes ago, T-BearNose39 said:

if you get some answers wrong, do you still get credit for the "find"

 

That's an owner's decision... but usually no, you won't.

[Keystone]

I moved this thread from the General Geocaching Topics forum section.

[+Mausebiber]

The correct procedure would be, that the owner is contacting you and asking what went wrong and trying to find the correct answer together with you.

[+Max and 99]

2 hours ago, T-BearNose39 said:

if you get some answers wrong, do you still get credit for the "find"

There's no min percentage right = find. 

It's up to the CO.

I haven't done many Earth Caches, but the owners have always been really happy to work with me if I don't understand something. 

[+The_Jumping_Pig]

4 hours ago, T-BearNose39 said:

if you get some answers wrong, do you still get credit for the "find"

I've found over 60 earthcaches in multiple countries. I am no geology expert; I am certain I have gotten questions wrong. However, I've never had an earthcache log deleted for having the answers be incorrect.

 

Yes, I've had earthcache logs deleted before, but they have all been because of avoidable errors: answers not sending due to bad internet connection, forgetting to upload a photo with the log. But I've always been able to resolve it with the CO. 

[+Goldenwattle]

I've never had an answer for an Earthcache rejected. I do my best, even when unsure of what I've written. Often the CO will come in and give the correct answer if you get one wrong, but have shown you have really tried. I was told by one CO, that my answers were better then average. Some COs though never reply.

 

I never used to do Earthcaches, because they reminded me of school exams, and that was a turn off. However since I qualified and found a challenge caches that requires 400 Earthcache finds (I have qualified for all the other things for it), I have been targeting them. Also increasing Virtual finds too, in case I need that for a challenge. I used to ignore them too. Still have about 100 Earthcaches to find. I have though discovered some fascinating places by doing Earthcaches. Some take you to something 'boring'; 'oh dear, another bit of granite', but others let you discover really interesting things. Even inside buildings, such as fossils in floors. LOL, I now look for fossils in marble/limestone floors & walls, even when it's not an Earthcache.

Some places it's easier to get Earthcache finds than other. I have found there are more Earthcaches in Europe to find than here in Australia for instance.

[+me N u]

If the "wrong" answers are an honest attempt, we would never delete a log, we do try and reply to all those who send answers with our version what we were looking for.

 

We do delete logs if no attempt is made to answer or we get messages along the lines of "we were in the country, didn't visit the site but can we log a find?"

[geoawareUSA9]

18 hours ago, RuideAlmeida said:

18 hours ago, T-BearNose39 said:

if you get some answers wrong, do you still get credit for the "find"

 

That's an owner's decision... but usually no, you won't.

 

Not to throw a fellow volunteer under the bus, but this is not accurate.

 

Earthcaches are supposed to be educational. GSA guideline #2:

 

Quote

2. EarthCaches must be educational. They should provide accurate but non-technical explanations of what visitors will experience at the site. The cache page, including the description and logging tasks, must assume only a basic knowledge of geology.

 

I don't know about the schools anyone else attended, but I don't recall the quizzes or tests I took over my academic life required me to score 100% to pass, not even the bar exam.

 

There are basically two situations where a cache owner should be deleting an earthcache find: either the finder never complied with the answer or photo requirement to begin with, or the answers are so far off that it's obvious the cacher never visited.

 

In other words,

 

2 hours ago, me N u said:

If the "wrong" answers are an honest attempt, we would never delete a log, we do try and reply to all those who send answers with our version what we were looking for.

 

We do delete logs if no attempt is made to answer or we get messages along the lines of "we were in the country, didn't visit the site but can we log a find?"

 

this is the way to handle it as a cache owner.

 

16 hours ago, Max and 99 said:

It's up to the CO.

 

It's actually not. EC finders are require to send in logging answers. Nowhere in the Groundspeak (hiding) (logging) or GSA guidelines does it require those answers to be 100% accurate.

 

If a CO is deleting finds because answers are not 100% in compliance with what they expect, the cacher whose find was deleted can, and should, appeal that deletion through the Help Center.

Edited September 8 by geoawareUSA9
Edited to add guideline links

[+cerberus1]

I'm a dyslexic old fart.  We found a little over 20 ECs, and I know I didn't get all the information correct.

A few times we had an ECO email offer additional info, but we were "close enough", like horseshoes n hand grenades...

[+CAVinoGal]

We've done a little over 40 Earthcaches - some more difficult than others.  Never had any logs deleted, and I try to answer as best I can.  We visit the coordinates, make our observations, take photos as needed to figure things out later or as required by the owner, and then I usually am tasked with sending answers for both hubby and me.  If we are unsure, I usually say so, and try to explain our confusion.

 

Sometimes a CO will reply that we got it right, or not.  Sometimes a "thanks for visiting" but no indication if answers were right or wrong.  Most often, there's no response, and our logs are all still there, so I'm not sure if I really learned anything or not!