Low-effort, reused EarthCaches

[+The A-Team]

I see that one cacher is creating the same set of EarthCaches everywhere they travel. They seem to have a standard set of a dozen or so EarthCache listings that they've developed (though with not much effort or content), and they try to use some of these everywhere they go. The topics are broad enough (e.g. erosion and weathering) that they can usually make half-a-dozen EarthCaches around each spot, and they've done this across many cities and countries.

 

They visited my area recently, and they've just created 5 of these low-effort EarthCaches. I was able to find the same content translated into other languages and used on a number of EarthCaches around the world. They don't put sufficient effort into shoe-horning these into each spot, either. For example, some in China had to be archived before being found because they were in inaccessible areas, and one in my area points out into open water. At first, I was skeptical that they were even visiting the spots beforehand, but they found an EarthCache of mine and they do seem to have been here. They created a smaller number of EarthCaches local to them at first, but then started reusing these all over the place around last August.

 

To me, it seems super lame and they're clearly only doing it to bump up their EarthCache hide numbers, and with the least effort possible. What are the thoughts of others about this? Have you seen similar things before?

 

Edit to add: One argument could be that it brings EarthCaches to areas that might not have many, but there are already 45 EarthCaches around here, so that doesn't work here.

Edited Wednesday at 03:01 AM by The A-Team

[+Viajero Perdido]

Tragedy of the common.  

[+me N u]

Here in the UK we believe there is a cacher using AI generated listings - 750 earthcahes published in the last 18 months (and increasing daily).

 

Of course it could be they are prolific travellers and have time to write the descriptions too.

[+CCFsmile]

Can someone give an example? I browsed the A-Team's area but only found earthcaches by locals. I maybe checked 10 ECs in various places but not seeing the issue. (I am curious since we have a newish non-local EC.)

[geoawareUSA9]

I am willing to bet I know which account this refers to, but if @The A-Team could post a link, that would be helpful.

 

As far as what I think about it, the guidelines require that an earthcache focus on a unique feature, and therefore, so do I. Which is why a German cacher whose handle may or may not start with "Si" does not have any hides in my area of responsibility at the moment.

Edited Thursday at 02:45 AM by geoawareUSA9

[+The A-Team]

8 hours ago, CCFsmile said:

Can someone give an example? I browsed the A-Team's area but only found earthcaches by locals. I maybe checked 10 ECs in various places but not seeing the issue. (I am curious since we have a newish non-local EC.)

 

The 5 EarthCaches were retracted (I don't know why), and so far only one of them has been published again, so there was a lower chance of you hitting it. It doesn't look like they've hidden any in the US yet, so it must not be the owner of the one near you.

 

1 minute ago, geoawareUSA9 said:

I am willing to bet I know which account this refers to, but if @The A-Team could post a link, that would be helpful.

 

The account in question is Silka03. It will be interesting to hear if it's the account you're thinking of, or if there's more than one cacher doing this.

 

As an example, they have a "Gneiss or Granite" listing that they've used on all 9 of the following EarthCaches (and also on one of the retracted ones near me, with a single word changed):

GCB84Y3 Gneiss ou Granite?
GCAXBNY [EC-023] ¿Gneis o Granito?
GCAZV8Z [EC-068] #2 Sous-marin Casabianca -Gneiss/granite?
GCB1W2Y [EC-098] Martyrs Memorial - Gneiss ou granite ?
GCB4J84 [EC-234] Đá phiến hay đá granit?
GCB4NV6 [EC-252] 片麻岩还是花岗岩？
GCB52DX [EC-329] ストーンフレンズ
GCB5356 [EC-345] 花崗岩か片麻岩か？
GCB5991 [EC-354] 東京 - 花崗岩か片麻岩か？

[geoawareUSA9]

Yep, thought so. They submitted some copy/paste ECs in my area. I sent them back to do more homework.

[+sgerbs]

Thankfully, I have not seen anything like what you're describing. Though, it somewhat reminds me of artesian wells or eratics. There is a reason those types of eartcaches are no longer allowed. Cachers just started copying the basic questions whenever they found one and called it good. We will see how HQ responds to what you're describing.