Some thoughts after two years

[+mikemtn]

I guess this would my Geocaching essay. When I first discovered geocaching in August 2001 it was a completely different thing than it is now. I was working out of town and saw an article in the paper and went to Wally World and bought a GPS 12 so I would be ready to go caching when I was home Sunday. I got up Saturday morning and drove 35 miles (to the closest cache to me at the time) and couldn’t find it. My first try and I’d failed. I was walking back to my truck thinking I would learn more about the GPS and try again the next Saturday. As I was walking out of the woods somebody on the trail told me that they were closing the park and this would be the last day it would be open. Dang, I went to my truck and studied the GPS manual for a while and went back and found it. Thought I’d have a heart attack my heart was thumping so when I spotted it. They closed the park the next day and BentTwigs archived the cache. I don’t even remember the name of the cache.

 

The next weekend I forget how far I had to drive to find one but for a few weeks I would try to only find one cache per weekend so they would last longer. There was another active Cacher in my immediate area that had been Caching for a while and I think with less than 100 finds he was close to the top finder in Tennessee.

 

Back then Dan’s Stats Site had a lot more information than it did in its last couple of years. I guess he had to trim it to the bare bones stats to keep from using Geocaching.com too much. It was a lot more interesting back then. I guess that was the good old days.

 

And the forums. They were a place to go to talk about Geocaching. Not for starting fires and trying to tell Jeremy how to run his site like more than a few try to do now. I can go back a couple of years in the forums and there’s hardly a name that is still posting today. A few but a very few. I guess most of them are still playing the game, it’s just the forums are not much of a fun place anymore.

 

I guess my thoughts are that Geocaching was a lot more fun and challenging back when there were maybe 50 caches within 100 miles from me than now when there’s probably five or six hundred that I mostly have little or no interest in looking for. Back in the good old days Geocaching was pretty much a 4 step game. 1. Fill box with goodies. 2. Hide box. 3. Find box.

4. Log find on Geocaching.com. Now you see a Yellow Jeep and log a find. I don’t think so. I do believe that Virtual Caches have a place in the caching world. I know that in the beginning of virtuals I would have quit Geocaching before logging one but after developing a knee that sometimes will barely get me to my car I can see the value in Virtual Caches.

 

I really can’t understand how anybody can quit the game because of a disagreement with Jeremy and the admins. There has been a couple of times that I’ve thought that Jeremy could have done something differently but I would never have dreamed of going to the forums and bashing them. I don’t think that we’ve ever been promised anything for our money. I did have the privilege of meeting Jeremy and Elias and a few other pretty famous Geocachers in New Orleans and they were a mighty nice bunch of people. I think they do a pretty good job of trying to please all the people all the time. Maybe that’s not a good way to run a site.

 

Anyway, it’s a good thing I’m not a writer or I could have thought of a few more pages while I’m reminiscing. I’ll shut up now. Thanks Jeremy and Admins.

[+Breaktrack]

I understand completely. (We disagree about virts, but hey, can't have everything...lol).

 

"Trade up, trade even, or don't trade!!!" My philosophy of life.

[+seneca]

quote:

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Originally posted by mikemtn:

Now you see a Yellow Jeep and log a find....

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Oh how I too long for those good ol' days, when without leaving your computer, you could dream up a "Yellow Jeep" locationless cache (that one was placed 1 1/2 years ago) and it would have been approved. Sure has gone downhill since then....

 

I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me.

[+Searching_ut]

I agree with the thanks to Jeremy and the Admins. Any time you get two or more people together, you'll have differences of opinions from time to time. Trying to keep something resembling harmony in those situations can be a challange at times. I personally don't have the personality to put up with trying to be the "hold it all together person", but I have a lot of respect for those that can do it.

 

As for the idea that Vitruals = easy. Hmmmm, one of my all time favorite, and toughest to reach caches was a virtual. GC1BF0 I don't know that it's a cache I'd try with bad knees, a fear of heights, or bones that break easily when your feet go out from under you. You get the adventure of a trail hike through broadleaf trees, pines along a stream, a clear water lake at the timberline, another alpine lake above timberline, and a couple miles of alpine rock scrambling to include about 100 yards of interesting ridgeline that takes about 20 minutes to work your way along. Unfortuantely/fortunately, it's in a wilderness area where physical caches aren't allowed.

 

[This message was edited by Searching_ut on August 16, 2003 at 01:40 PM.]

[+Doc-Dean]

I think people forget its a game sometimes. It supposed to be fun and relaxing. I, for one, appreciate all the effort that has gone into making geocaching what it is and maintaing a place where we can all get together and moan and groan of what we like and don't like.

 

Now where is that Yellow Jeep? Its on my list of 'To Find' Free your mind and the rest will follow

[+briansnat]

I started about the same time. The forums were a nicer place because fewer people = fewer jerks. But fewer people also = fewer caches and fewer people to find your cache.

 

quote:

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I really can’t understand how anybody can quit the game because of a disagreement with Jeremy and the admins.

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I agree. I think the people who have done this were basically bored with the sport anyway and figured they'd go out in a blaze. Either that, or they where people crying for attention and just wanted people to beg them to stay.

 

"Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, he'll sit in a boat and drink beer all day" - Dave Barry

[+clearpath]

Here are some thoughts after TWO months ...

 

Whoa dude, these ticks are freak'n everywhere... Okay, I know that cache is over there in the thickest, thorniest, most insect infested place I have ever seen. Do I ...1)dive in there and retrieve it or 2) do I wait and come back in November.

 

Come on people lighten up! You act like this 'Geocaching' has been around since Lewis and Clark navigated the Missouri River. Five years ago it didn't even exist. So stop with the stupid reminiscing crap, I could reminisce about what I did 10 minutes ago, but who would care? Only my mom.

[+Brian - Team A.I.]

quote:

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Originally posted by clearpath:

Here are some thoughts after TWO months ...

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Dude, your calculator is off by about 6 months. You signed up here January 20, 2003.

 

Brian

Team A.I.

[+flask]

i can't claim to have been here in the good old days. i'm old enough to see how small things grow and change and sometimes things get better, and sometimes they don't.

 

ebb and flow are part of the life cylce, and it's interesting to watch the life cycle of a game. an really good game.

 

what do you think it would have been like to be there at (or close to) the dawn of soccer?

 

and i'd like to echo the sentiment of gratitude for the people who make it work. i appreciate your trouble.

 

-====)) -))))))))))))

presta schrader

[+Doc-Dean]

quote:

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Originally posted by flask:

[snip]... what do you think it would have been like to be there at (or close to) the dawn of soccer?

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Three words you never expect to see strung together, 'dawn of soccer' !

 

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Free your mind and the rest will follow

[+JoGPS]

Agree with BrianSnat am I getting soft…………….JOE

[BassoonPilot]

Things have changed a great deal. When I started almost two years ago, caches were few and far between. My impression is that the average cache placement back then had quite a bit more thought put into it than the average new placement today. Of course, there are just as many excellent caches being placed in excellent locations now as there were back then; there are just so many more caches being placed.

 

Two years ago, writing anything even remotely critical in the online logs was considered an insult to the cache owner. It was considered rude, ungrateful behavior even to suggest that the ratings or coordinates were inaccurate ... it was expected that such matters would be handled via private e-mail.

 

Yup, things have changed a great deal ... and not necessarily for the better or the worse.

[The 2 Dogs]

When I fist started caching here in Australia. (two and half years ago) there were only 5 caches in existence. I had already owned a GPS for 2 years prior to that and it was just sitting on the shelf gathering dust mostly. So was the operator come to think of it. Caching turned our lives upside down and we soon developed an insatiable appetite to not only hunt for, but to hide caches as well. Well this week our state has just celebrated our 500th placement and our team has placed 100 of those.

 

The sport in it's raw form attracts people to participate, even virtuals have there place, but what I believe turns people off caching is complicated puzzle/math/multi caches and having to jump through hoops so to speak, just to work out the co-ords. This I believe is the reason why recently there has been very few newcomers in Australia. When visitors log on to see what the sport is all about, they are greeted with 1 third of all caches being complex multi's and the whole things just seems too hard to them. KEEP THE GAME SIMPLE I SAY.

 

Still today after hundreds of finds, we get our greatest enjoyment out of simple go find the stash hunts. Vituals that require going to a FIXED location or area are ok but lets keep the multi/puzzlers in check. The sports simplicity is the attraction so lets keep it that way.

[+El Diablo]

quote:

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Originally posted by The 2 Dogs:

 

The sport in it's raw form attracts people to participate, even virtuals have there place, but what I believe turns people off caching is complicated puzzle/math/multi caches and having to jump through hoops so to speak, just to work out the co-ords. This I believe is the reason why recently there has been very few newcomers in Australia. When visitors log on to see what the sport is all about, they are greeted with 1 third of all caches being complex multi's and the whole things just seems too hard to them. KEEP THE GAME SIMPLE I SAY.

 

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I can see a lot of validity in that point. 2 years ago when I first started, caches were few and far between. I placed the first multiple cache in the area and it was a big hit. I later became infamous at placing complicated and challenging caches...hence my name El Diablo.

 

At that time these caches were unheard of and a refreshing change from what we used to call the drive up cache. However, today these are so common place that the drive up caches are the rarity. At a cache event today a veteran cacher made the statement that it would be nice just to simply find a box in the woods again.

 

El Diablo

 

Everything you do in life...will impact someone,for better or for worse.

http://www.geo-hikingstick.com

[+BeachBuddies]

quote:

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Originally posted by The 2 Dogs:

... what I believe turns people off caching is complicated puzzle/math/multi caches ...

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I totally disagree. While I enjoy almost any type of cache, some of my favorites are puzzle caches. My last three hides have been puzzle caches. I did this in order to contribute to what is without a doubt my favorite hobby. I understand that some people don't like them, and will never do them. That's fine. But I've received some nice compliments on these. Creating a good puzzle cache can be quite difficult and time consuming.

 

There are plenty of non-puzzle, non-multi, 1/1 caches in our area. But there are only a few dozen good puzzle caches. I guess if (as you say) one-third of the caches in your area are puzzle or multi, I can see your point; that's a bit high percentage-wise. I certainly don't think all (or most) caches should be puzzles. But I wish we had more around here

 

-BeachBuddies

 

ps. Here are a couple of my favorites:

 

SIGH-4

Confession?

 

and some I have not solved yet:

 

Blood & Guts in Virginia

Deadfall

Cannon Fire

 

and a couple of my own:

 

Michael Gordon Elementary

Solitary Confinement

[+makaio]

When I started 3 years ago (9/00), I'd hit the site daily anticipating a new cache to be placed...anywhere. As soon as it showed up I was out the door. At one time, some of us could say we'd been to almost every cache that existed. Buxley's maps only showed a handful of dots, scattered about the Pacific Northwest. Didn't take long for that to change. It's nice to see such growth, but like any community, growth brings the bad with the good. Still, I think the good far outweighs the bad and this activity will be around for years to come.

 

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Matt

K7MTO

[+GOT GPS?]

I had alot of fun in the early days of caching too. I started in July '01, and the stinking SEPT 11 thing happened 2.5 months later. Some how caching seemed less fun after. Cronic Fatigue really makes it a big challenge now. I consider the early days as being before the Trade Towers were knocked down. Almost 2 years since that happened.

[+bigredmed]

quote:

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Originally posted by El Diablo:

quote:

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Originally posted by The 2 Dogs:

 

The sport in it's raw form attracts people to participate, even virtuals have there place, but what I believe turns people off caching is complicated puzzle/math/multi caches and having to jump through hoops so to speak, just to work out the co-ords. This I believe is the reason why recently there has been very few newcomers in Australia. When visitors log on to see what the sport is all about, they are greeted with 1 third of all caches being complex multi's and the whole things just seems too hard to them. KEEP THE GAME SIMPLE I SAY.

 

---

 

I can see a lot of validity in that point. 2 years ago when I first started, caches were few and far between. I placed the first multiple cache in the area and it was a big hit. I later became infamous at placing complicated and challenging caches...hence my name El Diablo.

 

At that time these caches were unheard of and a refreshing change from what we used to call the drive up cache. However, today these are so common place that the drive up caches are the rarity. At a cache event today a veteran cacher made the statement that it would be nice just to simply find a box in the woods again.

 

---

 

The multis that are several real caches that link to each other or to a bonus cache are rare. Usually its a math problem that is so specific as to need to worry about whether your 1/1000's of a minute are accurate. These do get wearisome. We have a cache between Omaha and Lincoln that links to a bonus cache that you can hunt or not. This kind of multi needs to become more common.

 

Say what you will about trading and geotrash in the caches, its the reward that brings new people back. The box of trinkets is less important as you get going, but not so to a new player.

 

If new people run out and find garbage or look at caches near their home and find a bunch of silly virts and ultra-complex multis, they will find something else to do with their time and money.

 

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nebraskache/

[+BeachBuddies]

quote:

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Originally posted by bigredmed:

Say what you will about trading and geotrash in the caches, its the reward that brings new people back. The box of trinkets is less important as you get going, but not so to a new player.

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The reward?? Certainly not in my case, or for any of my friends who cache. It's certainly fun finding the trinkets and sometimes trading, but I've never found anything in a cache that I really wanted to keep. I think the toys are great for kids, and I do think it helps get and keep them interested.

 

But I think the fun of caching is the challenge of finding the cache. And puzzle caches enhance the challenge (for me). But, to each his own. I'm glad there's a mix of different types of caches and cachers.

 

-BB