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Why assume that anti-caching = uninformed?


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A common proposition that I see over and over again on these forums is that those who are opposed to geocaching must be somehow uninformed. They must not know what caching is, or have some skewed notion of it.

 

Are we all really so self-righteous that we can't take a rational look at potential harm or damage caused by geocaching?

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It's natural human reaction to denounce anyone that doesn't agree with a subject or point of view.

It's just a sign of not thinking before reacting. Letting the mouth run off before thinking about the scope of the subject.

We are all guilty of it.

 

39197_2700.jpg

I am the result of genetic manipulation of superior Geocacher DNA. Faster, stronger with superior reasoning and logic.

Mokita!

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I'll bite. The thing is, most outdoor activities have some kind of impact. With caching, people have a pretty good idea just where to look to see that impact. Heck, we put the coordinates on the internet. Other activities are harder to nail down. So, by "uninformed" I mean "hypocritical" in situations where several activities with simlar impact have different regulations. If you do impact studies on caching, you will find that it does have impact. But come to the table with "informed" proof that it has more impact than hiking, biking, backcountry camping, etc. Without that, it suggests that cachers will somehow be tempted to leave a trail even if the cache isn't offtrail, while a hiker looking to get that perfect photo of the rare warbling whistler conebeak doodle bird won't be tempted. Chances are, he didn't record the coordinates where he left the trail, and chances are noone would ever know either.

 

eyes.GIF

"Searching with my good eye closed"

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I think there is a general impression among the non-geocaching community that geocachers lack any environmental sensitivity and that the presence of a cache in an area will lead to hundreds of obssesive maniacs tromping about mindlessly wreaking destuction. The question is whether or not geocaching is an acceptable recreational activity, and whether it has any more impact than any other form of resource use.

 

The existence of any given cache may result in a dozen or so people a year travelling to that site , who would otherwise not do so. The fact they most of the visits may occur in the first few weeks of when the cache is placed, can cause alarm if the concerned party thinks that this level of visitation will be sustained over a long period. In this sense the concerned party could be said to be "uninformed" in that they do not understand how visitation to a newly placed cache will rapidly taper off.

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Would Mr. Snazz be so kind as to provide a list of the potential harms caused by geocaching?

 

I concede that the potential for harm exists if the rules are not followed, but I am not sure how much damage is caused when people follow the rules.

 

[This message was edited by solohiker on April 22, 2003 at 10:20 AM.]

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quote:
Originally posted by Mr. Snazz:

A common proposition that I see over and over again on these forums is that those who are opposed to geocaching must be somehow uninformed.

<snip>

Are we all really so self-righteous that we can't take a rational look at potential harm or damage caused by geocaching?


 

Devil's Advocate eh?

 

Saying they are uninformed is more polite than calling them 'Forest Nazis'. If it looks like a duck, then it probably is.

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quote:
Originally posted by solohiker:

Woul Mr. Snazz be so kind as to provide a list of the potential harms caused by geocaching?


 

I think it's an issue of concentrating the land use pattern. Maybe it's because many of my finds have been close to urban areas, but I've certainly come across cache sites that looked like a herd of elephants with crowbars had come through.

 

It's not geocaching that's the problem - it's that many people who are new to the outdoors may not notice that they're trampling on fragile areas. I think a friendly reminder and some well meaning education goes a long way.

 

Look, some people wash their dishes with soap in the nearest creek when they're backpacking (sometimes they just don't know better). That doesn't make backpacking bad for the environment. Education and awareness is the key, but I think most people would agree that there has been *some* impact (both good and bad) by folks who play this game..... the goal should be to make it more good than bad and the CITO events are a good example!

 

[This message was edited by HartClimbs on April 22, 2003 at 10:29 AM.]

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quote:
Originally posted by solohiker:

Would Mr. Snazz be so kind as to provide a list of the potential harms caused by geocaching?


 

I'm not arguing that geocaching is harmful/damaging, I'm merely curious as to why people assume that those who do hold that opinion are uninformed.

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Potential harm or damage?I think not.If anything,I believe that (most)Geocachers can in fact make a possitive impact in some areas.There have been more than a few times that I have left a Cache site with my hands full of beer and pop cans and verious other types of fast food garbage to be deposited at the nearest trash can.What about CITO,and what about thoes neglected cemetaries that Geocachers have brought to the attition of others?As far as the proposition that thoes who are opposed to Geocaching must be somehow uninformed...I believe that they are.As a community,we can do some very good things.It's not like we're hiding Caches next to a Spoted Owl nest.I say educate,I tell anybody who wants to listen, about Geocaching.I love this game and feel good about it.

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quote:
Originally posted by Mr. Snazz:

quote:
Originally posted by solohiker:

Would Mr. Snazz be so kind as to provide a list of the potential harms caused by geocaching?


 

I'm not arguing that geocaching is harmful/damaging, I'm merely curious as to why people assume that those who do hold that opinion are uninformed.


 

This appears to be an example of circular logic.

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quote:
A common proposition that I see over and over again on these forums is that those who are opposed to geocaching must be somehow uninformed. They must not know what caching is, or have some skewed notion of it.

 

Because many of them are and do.

 

"It has been my experience that folks who have no vices have very few virtues" -Abraham Lincoln

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quote:
jonboy wrote:

 

I think there is a general impression among the non-geocaching community that geocachers lack any environmental sensitivity...


 

Here in the UK (I don't know whether it's the same in the States) there seems to be a common misconception that many or all caches are buried in the ground. Media items seem often to introduce the subject as a hunt for hidden treasure. Maybe people equate 'hidden treasure' with 'buried treasure'.

 

Bill

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quote:
Originally posted by Bill D (wwh):

 

Here in the UK (I don't know whether it's the same in the States) there seems to be a common misconception that many or all caches are buried in the ground. Media items seem often to introduce the subject as a hunt for hidden treasure. Maybe people equate 'hidden treasure' with 'buried treasure'.

 

Bill


 

Astute. That's very likely true. Now, what do we do about it? How to state in a short catch-phrase that we're not using picks and shovels?

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quote:
Originally posted by Mr. Snazz:

A common proposition that I see over and over again on these forums is that those who are opposed to geocaching must be somehow uninformed. They must not know what caching is, or have some skewed notion of it.

 

Are we all really so self-righteous that we can't take a rational look at potential harm or damage caused by geocaching?


 

Pretty much yeah. Except that it's not a self righteous thing. I know what I know, know what I don't know and have no idea what you do or don't know. If I assume too much knowledge I will get in more trouble than if I assume you know nothing and build up from there.

 

Besides, most of them are ignorant and have attributed things to Geocaching that are not true.

 

=====================

Wherever you go there you are.

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quote:
Originally posted by Bayberry:

How to state in a short catch-phrase that we're not using picks and shovels?


 

We aren't? Ooops. Guess I can try to sell my shovels and sticks of dynomite on eBay...

icon_biggrin.gif

 

Can you imagine all the holes concentrated in a cache area if we could really bury them--yikes!

 

My answer to the original question is that most muggles that I have seen describing geocaching are way off base. One good assumption deserves another frog.gif

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Along these same lines, I had to archive one of my caches because an individual who lived near it 'couldn't live with all the extra traffic' down his dead-end street (his words), and removed my ammo box.

 

I calculated the extra traffic was 1 car every 3 weeks! icon_confused.gif

 

Obviously, in his mind every single person going down this public road simply must have been going to the cache!

 

What really irks me is that he and his family accidentally found the cache and actually joined this group! Although I see he never went to another site.

 

I have to wonder if now when there's a cache in some area, every little path and trash pile is because of cachers (in some people's mind that is).

 

 

"The hardest thing to find is something that's not there!"

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One of the cheif complaints is the development of herd paths to the cache. While I don't doubt this happens, generally in grassy areas, more often I bet the herd paths were already there.

 

Many geocachers use the path of least resistance when placing a cache. They see a herd path veer off the main trail and follow it, rather than bushwacking through heavy growth. They place their cache somewhere near the end. Then someone comes along, sees a herd path and a cache nearby and blames it on the cache.

 

The reason I believe this is the case, is because I've found a number of caches where I was the either FTF, or among the first few and noticed an already well developed herd path going in the direction of the cache.

 

"It has been my experience that folks who have no vices have very few virtues" -Abraham Lincoln

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The misconception that geocaching involves buried treasure is perpetrated by the media. I did an interview with the Washington Post back in July 2001. I was very clear that caches are not buried. I stressed that to the reporter, so it would not end up in the article. I also did a TV spot for TechTV that aired around the same time. Again, it was stressed that caches are not buried.

 

Many parks associate geocaching with the old guys walking around with metal detectors, making small holes all over the place. Many parks ban metal detectors for that reason.

 

Anti-geocachers are usually not informed about our activity. I have yet to hear of geocaching being banned because of actual, documentable environmental damage.

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