Log a find w/o finding it!

[+tree_cop]

Why would anyone log a find without finding the cache?

[azog]

Probably for the same reason some people like to destroy caches, if gives them a feeling of power?

 

Honestly, I don't know why anyone would do so, other than to articifially bloat the numbers so they can be "macho" about finding more than you.

 

Apperently there was several incidents of phoney cachers logging finds, to create a sense of persona. But it's fairly easy to verify.

 

"Wan't" and "differen't" are not words.

[+Jamie Z]

I can't imagine why anyone would do that either, and we've had probably a dozen different threads devoted to the topic, and everyone seems to agree that a find and a no-find a fairly easy to figure out, but some people still get it wrong.

 

On one of my caches, a cacher claimed a find when he stated quite clearly in his log that he didn't find the cache.

 

I nervously wrote a polite email asking the cacher to change their log to a note or a no-find. I'm not trying to be the cache police, but if you claim a find on my cache, you had better found it. Anyway, the guy was real nice about it and changed it within about five minutes of me sending the email.

 

I subsequently added the statement "Note: You must find the cache container and sign the logbook to log this as a find."

 

On my other cache (which I've adopted) there are a number of no-finds logged as finds. I won't go back and ask those folks to change their logs, but now that I've adopted it, I plan to raise the integrity of the logs on the cache page.

 

Jamie

[+briansnat]

Sometimes it's out of ignorance, other times it is just someone who is out to pad their find numbers. I've heard of people logging finds on their own caches each time they go out do do some cache maintenance.

 

"Life is a daring adventure, or it is nothing" - Helen Keller

[mw25]

People that do this do make me mad. Especially the people that log their own cache as being found everytime they post a note to the page. IMO, a good way to get your number of found caches up is to do some locationless caches. A lot of them are usually pretty easy to do.

[+LarsThorwald]

I've found new cachers - those with two finds who are now placing their first cache - inadvertantly logging their own cache as a find when they post it. I don't think this is intentional. I've yet to find someone obviously padding...

 

Charlie

 

"One should never begin a journey by heading in the wrong direction."

[+leatherman]

quote:

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Originally posted by LarsThorwald:

inadvertantly logging their own cache as a find when they post it. I don't think this is intentional. I've yet to find someone obviously padding...

---

 

I could see the mistake back when the "found the cache" field was default. However now that you have choose the Found or Note there shouldn't be any mistakes. I've seen a guy that is finding his own and he has over 90 finds and 8 hides.

 

Hmm

 

Preperation, the first law to survival.

[+makaio]

IMO, find counts don't mean anything to anyone except the person to whom they belong, so if someone wants to pad their numbers, so be it. They're only fooling themselves and it's hardly anything worth worrying about.

 

Personally, I'd prefer the counts be kept private or done away with completely as the point is to have fun, not to find more than the next guy.

 

btw, leatherman, it's PrepAration

 

-

[BassoonPilot]

quote:

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Originally posted by BrianSnat:

... I've heard of people logging finds on their own caches each time they go out do do some cache maintenance.

---

 

That's what we need ... a new forum area reserved for "geocaching urban legends."

[RainbowTVP]

As a newbie... I like looking at other's log finds- some times it has been handy:

 

When someone says coordinates are off, or a cahce was hard to find, the number of finds they have makes a difference to me as to judging whether it is because it really is off/difficult or they are inexperienced...

 

I like to look at the log finds of people near me who seem to like the same types of caches I like- it helps me decide which ones I want to try next...

 

Why someone would want to log a find they haven't found is beyond me- but there are lots of people out there I just don't get...

 

I wouldn't worry about ferreting them out, though, because deceptive people like this tend to show their true character eventually, and I trust that most people are perceptive enough to figure them out...

 

Tara P

 

Tara P

[+LarsThorwald]

quote:

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That's what we need ... a new forum area reserved for "geocaching urban legends."

---

 

I like this!

 

Charlie

 

"One should never begin a journey by heading in the wrong direction."

[DisQuoi]

quote:

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Originally posted by makaio:

IMO, find counts don't mean anything to anyone except the person to whom they belong, so if someone wants to pad their numbers, so be it. They're only fooling themselves and it's hardly anything worth worrying about.

 

Personally, I'd prefer the counts be kept private or done away with completely as the point is to have fun, not to find more than the next guy.

---

 

This has been my statement in the other threads of the same topic. Except that I wouldn't assume that they're fooling themselves so much as you're fooling yourself if you are comparing your count to someone else's numbers. For those who actually get "mad", you need anger management therapy. I would also warn you against assuming that they're padding anything. Maybe you have pad envy?

 

I say, find a friend ... buy him lunch ... between bites, agree on some rules and make a friendly competition between your selves. But don't expect anyone else to mant to play with you.

 

There's no way you can "get this wrong". If it's your cache, you can feel free to make the rules for that cache. I have a cache that I placed that requires alot of effort prior to finding the metal box in the woods. To me, if you solve the cache location and can demonstrate that you were at the right place, I will allow a "find" even if the box of unnecessary plastic objects is missing. If you feel that signing a log book is the only challenge of your cache, make that the requirement. If you maintain a cache on the peak of Mount Everest, I say log it as a "find" every time you replenish the count of mini-yo-yos from the dollar store.

[+makaio]

quote:

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As a newbie... I like looking at other's log finds- some times it has been handy:

---

 

Having been doing this for just under 2 years now, there's not alot of folks around who've been doing it longer (although there are many who have more finds, as I do this casually). Hence, when I was a newbie there weren't many caches around so nobody had large find counts and we all had essentially the same experience level. Not having come into the sport at a time when there were exisitng 'veterans', I suppose your points never crossed my mind, but they are well taken and certainly valid.

 

-

[+Seay me]

quote:

---

Originally posted by RainbowTVP:

As a newbie... I like looking at other's log finds- some times it has been handy:

 

When someone says coordinates are off, or a cahce was hard to find, the number of finds they have makes a difference to me as to judging whether it is because it really is off/difficult or they are inexperienced...

 

I like to look at the log finds of people near me who seem to like the same types of caches I like- it helps me decide which ones I want to try next...

 

Why someone would want to log a find they haven't found is beyond me- but there are lots of people out there I just don't get...

 

I wouldn't worry about ferreting them out, though, because deceptive people like this tend to show their true character eventually, and I trust that most people are perceptive enough to figure them out...

 

Tara P

 

Tara P

---

 

I don't think makaio meant to lose the written logs, just the number of finds for cachers.

 

Ilike to read the logs but could really care less about who found how many.

[+mrcpu]

I'd personally like to see a simple password protection added to caches if the owner wishes. It would be as simple as creating a password field in the cache record in the database, adding a text entry for it on the "log a find" page and checking against it when the find is submitted.

 

The cache owner could chose to write the secret word inside the box or on the log book. Of course people could "cheat" by telling others the password but that would be somewhat limited.

 

Rob

Mobile Cache Command

[+jhwf44]

I do like the password idea. It's like when logging a travel bug, how you have to know teh 6 digit number on the tag, to make a log. There should be this number inside the cache, so to make an "I found it" log, they have to have the number.

 

jhwf4