Allow Favorite Points for Geocaching Events

[+Matekarlo]

Hello fellow geocachers,

 

I’d like to propose a feature that I believe would enhance the event experience: allowing Favorite Points to be awarded to geocaching events.

Currently, Favorite Points can only be given to traditional caches, but events often offer just as much—if not more—value to the community. Here are some reasons why this change would be beneficial:

Why Events Deserve Favorite Points

✅ Recognizing Effort: Event hosts put in significant time and effort to organize high-quality gatherings, from CITO events to Mega events and creative meetups. A Favorite Point system would acknowledge their work;

✅ Highlighting Exceptional Events: Some events stand out due to unique locations, engaging activities, or special themes. Being able to favorite them would help geocachers identify must-attend events in the future;

✅ Encouraging Quality Events: Just like with physical caches, a system that rewards great events would incentivize hosts to create more engaging and memorable experiences for the community;

✅ Improving Event Discovery: If events could be sorted or filtered based on Favorite Points, it would help geocachers decide which ones to attend, especially in areas with multiple options.

Potential Implementation

• Attendees could award a Favorite Point after logging their attendance.

• Events could have a separate Favorite Point counter to avoid affecting traditional cache ratings.

 

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this! Would you like to see Favorite Points for events? Let’s discuss!

 

Happy caching!
Matekarlo

[RuideAlmeida]

Considering that a good amount of Favorite points are a way to say that a given cache is a good choice to look for... and that any Event has a very limited "lifespan", the option you are suggesting makes no sense to me, being even counterintuitive. "What a good Event it was, so sad that nobody else can enjoy it!"  

Edited March 24 by RuideAlmeida

[+Matekarlo]

6 minutes ago, RuideAlmeida said:

Considering that a good amount of Favorite points are a away to say that a given cache is a good choice to look for... and that any Event has a very limited "lifespan", the option you are suggesting makes no sense to me, being even counterintuitive. "What a good Event it was, so sad that nobody else can enjoy it!"  

I agree with you about the duration, but the people who attended the event can leave favorites if they liked it. It just seems logical, considering the time the person spent at the event. Even if someone attended, they might not give a favorite, but if they enjoyed the time spent at the event, why not? This could be a separate system from the actual geocaches.

[+Smitherington]

But events are archived automatically a month after the event. Who would see that an archived event was highly favorited? Would the favorites accumulated show up on future events by the same CO as a notation of some sort?

[+Matekarlo]

5 minutes ago, Smitherington said:

But events are archived automatically a month after the event. Who would see that an archived event was highly favorited? Would the favorites accumulated show up on future events by the same CO as a notation of some sort?

You're right to raise this concern. If events are archived automatically after a month, it could be difficult for future attendees to see how popular or highly favored past events were. Ideally, there could be a system where the favorites accumulated on past events are displayed as some form of feedback or recognition for the organizer, even if the event is archived.

 

To address your question: One possible solution would be for the favorites to show up on the organizer's profile or future events they create. This way, even if the past event is archived, the organizer’s reputation and their past success in creating highly favored events could still be visible to others. It could appear as a kind of “badge” or notation that acknowledges the positive reception of their previous events.

 

As for creating a separate system for people-created events and tracking their attendance, that’s a great idea. It could help build a sense of community and accountability, where individuals can give recognition to the organizers who really put in the effort. I understand how this would be valuable for attendees like myself, who want to show appreciation for the hard work behind an event.

[RuideAlmeida]

4 minutes ago, Matekarlo said:

I understand how this would be valuable for attendees like myself, who want to show appreciation for the hard work behind an event.

 

You can use the Great Story or Helpful on the owner log. Or suggest another icon for Great Event, by instance.

[+arisoft]

8 hours ago, Matekarlo said:

I understand how this would be valuable for attendees like myself, who want to show appreciation for the hard work behind an event.

 

What is wrong with the original way to show appreciation? May be you want the appreciation to be more precious than the ordinary way?

 

Writing a good long log is absolutely more precious that pressing quickly a button.

Edited March 24 by arisoft

[+HHL]

1 hour ago, Matekarlo said:

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this! Would you like to see Favorite Points for events? Let’s discuss!

Definitely: No.

Favorite points aren't an award for a good cache/event, but rather a recommendation. However, this is unnecessary after an event has ended.

[+MartyBartfast]

I'm another in the "No thanks" camp.

 

Recognizing Effort:   Why not just thank the organiser in person and/or in your attended log.

 

Highlighting Exceptional Events:  If an exceptional event had a lot of FPs in the past were they awarded for the location, the organiser, the activities, the food or the beer? As there's no way to know it doesn't necessarily tell us much about what another event is going to be like if some of those criteria are different

 

Encouraging Quality Events: This might be be true, but I need convincing.

 

Improving Event Discovery: I don't see how this would be so. Are you suggesting that if someone is thinking of attending an event then they would search for past events with many FPs and then try find  one in the same location or by the same organiser, or with the same side games, but ignore all the other events? I really don't think many people would do that, I think that most people would still choose the events to attend based on whether it's conveniently local or  whether the theme (e.g. pub event, or picnic, or just meeting at monument to say hello to some visiting tourists) suits them.

[+Bear and Ragged]

A good cache deserves a good log. Write it!

 

No "TFTE" as in Thanks For The Event.

[+x7Kevin]

I agree with what others have said and I also worry about it causing conflicts. I imagine there would be some event hosts who would be upset each time they didn't get a favourite. If there was no limit then cachers would likely just give a favourite to every event to avoid hurting someone's feelings. Would you get one favourite for every five events attended? Every ten? Events are all so different so then how could you really compare them. 

 

Another issue with rewarding or 'marking' good event hosts with some type of symbol or number on their profile is that this could create an even bigger barrier for people who have never hosted an event before. I think people should primarily judge events based on the event page and not on previous events that person has hosted. If you host a lot of great events in your community you would just develop a reputation for that and then the favourites are not going to do anything anyways. 

[+barefootguru]

Some cachers remove their previously bestowed favourites from caches which have since been archived too.

[+kunarion]

On my Total Eclipse Event, one cacher did post the wish that "Favorites" could be posted.  People loved that Event! 

... but the next total eclipse is in 2078, so you better hang onto them Favorite Points...

 

One thing I'd suggest for persons creating an Event, is to come up with a catchy name and use it every time in the Cache Name.  I see Events like that, monthly and yearly, (or just whenever they pop up) and watch for them. And these tend to be highlighted in various places online, even in Geocaching.com's Blog. Cachers can then find great Events, and plan to attend.  But even the best Events can be in a different place, and totally change the theme and activities, and therefore not be the same experience next time.  So you can't necessarily go by how cool it was this time.

 

I set up a "Hulaween" Event in October, and 2 or 3 people showed up, and just by word of mouth, everyone knew that nobody shows up, so the following year, they still didn't go.  OK, bad example.  But it kind of fits the suggestion in a way.  

 

Edited March 25 by kunarion

[+bflentje]

I've hosted many events where attendees wished a favorite could be awarded. That's cool and I appreciate that. But my ego isn't big enough where I needed an official process of being awarded an actual favorite. And I certainly would not have the nerve to beg for favorites if it did exist.

[+kunarion]

4 minutes ago, bflentje said:

I've hosted many events where attendees wished a favorite could be awarded. That's cool and I appreciate that. But my ego isn't big enough where I needed an official process of being awarded an actual favorite. And I certainly would not have the nerve to beg for favorites if it did exist.

 

There are Megas and Gigas where hundreds or thousands attend.  At least those seem to be doing OK without a "Favorites" count.

 

So they must be doing stuff on Social Media, email, pre-Event Events, and just telling people.  You'd need the large numbers of attendees before a Favorites idea could work, and at that point, people already know it's the Event to go to.  And what about that awesome Event called "Hulaween"?  It's the best, let's all get the word out.

 

 

[+cerberus1]

On 3/24/2025 at 9:57 AM, Matekarlo said:

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this! Would you like to see Favorite Points for events? Let’s discuss!

I've been to a couple hundred events.  If you look at my profile, it says 60-something IIRC. 

My pic might be there somewhere, and we still have a ton of kid toys to get rid of, so folks know one of us was there...

Some events are the same people meeting the same weekday each month, and I don't need a 'smiley' for that, they're friends.

EOs know by now it's nothing personal.  I don't log caches that were a piece of 'stuff' anymore either. 

I know a few EOs that would love to have FPs on their events, maybe to be added to their event total stats ...

[+Max and 99]

Heads up from a different discussion. 

 

[+Max and 99]

It seems to be gone now.