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Logging finds without going


Guest EraSeek

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Guest EraSeek

Each cacher can decide for themselves, but, in my book the game does not start until the cache is logged. If I've been there 100 times before I won't claim the find until I go there again AFTER the cache has been placed on the site. This certainly must apply for physical caches and SHOULD apply for virtual caches. Next topic: should you log a find if you can't find the cache and think it is gone? A tougher question. You might ask youself why do you want to log a find you haven't found. Perhaps a reward for the effort. I think the answer is, with the permission of the cache placer or it is confirmed to be missing. What do you think? Remember to keep it light, it's a game, not survival of the fittest.

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Guest Iron Chef

quote:
Originally posted by EraSeek:

Next topic: should you log a find if you can't find the cache and think it is gone?


 

I take it you mean logging it with a smile and not an un-smiley face. I personally, if I can't find a cache, log it as an unsmiley face or a note. It is still a chance to share my unique adventures with others. There are more options that just the smiley face. And even when people use the smiley face for situations where they shouldnt really be using it, I could honestly care less. It is the responsibility of the cache owner to decide which logs are valid and whether or not to do anything about the people who are just logging it to increase their stats (deleting of other players logs should only happen after checking the cache's logbook of course). I personally would never log a cache as a smiley if I hadn't signed in the book at the actual site.

 

------------------

-Iron Chef

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

agefive.com/geocache/ ~ Fe-26

Lets Drive Fast and Eat Cheese!

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Guest makaio

Personally, I don't log a find unless I've physically been to the location AND found the cache. In the case of virtual caches, I'm with you - it's not a find unless you return after the cache has been posted. For example...

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=3762

 

I've been to this location dozens of times in my life, but now that I'm in Oregon, I won't log it as a find unless/until I return east, make a trip into D.C., and get within a few feet of the caches' posted coords.

 

In some cases, such as my Dinah's Kitchen cache...

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=3265

 

I've explicitly noted that folks can log it as a find if they reach the area and spot the cache, but don't want to risk attempting to climb out to it (a fall could be injurious or fatal).

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Guest tslack2000

In my opinion, a cache should not be logged virtually (with a smiley) unless it has been SIGNED physically. As a matter of fact, most of the time I write in the virtual log just what I've written in the log book. (Maybe sometimes adding a story or experience to the virtual log.) If I didn't find the cache, but I was out there looking really hard, it's not a smiley face log, because I didn't find the cache and sign the log! When I fail to find the cache I always log the virtual log with a frowny face (Didn't Find It) for a couple of reasons:

  • It helps the person who placed the cache to know if anything is out of the ordinary. If five people log a icon_frown.gif , there is a good chance that something is up with this particualr cache. This gives the cacher the opportunity to go to the cache site and check up on it.
  • I don't necessarily consider the icon_frown.gif to be a sign that I'm not good at Geocaching. When I log a icon_frown.gif it shows the effort that I've put in to find it. Many times fellow cachers have had the same type of experiences and find it interesting to see that someone else couldn't find it as well.
  • It's the honest truth, so I log it.

 

What's not the truth is when you act as if you found the cache (which I believe includes signing the log, as I mentioned) when you really only looked for it. If that's the way people are going to be that's their business. I could care less, especially since it doesn't effect my game whatsoever.

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Guest tslack2000

In my opinion, a cache should not be logged virtually (with a smiley) unless it has been SIGNED physically. As a matter of fact, most of the time I write in the virtual log just what I've written in the log book. (Maybe sometimes adding a story or experience to the virtual log.) If I didn't find the cache, but I was out there looking really hard, it's not a smiley face log, because I didn't find the cache and sign the log! When I fail to find the cache I always log the virtual log with a frowny face (Didn't Find It) for a couple of reasons:

  • It helps the person who placed the cache to know if anything is out of the ordinary. If five people log a icon_frown.gif , there is a good chance that something is up with this particualr cache. This gives the cacher the opportunity to go to the cache site and check up on it.
  • I don't necessarily consider the icon_frown.gif to be a sign that I'm not good at Geocaching. When I log a icon_frown.gif it shows the effort that I've put in to find it. Many times fellow cachers have had the same type of experiences and find it interesting to see that someone else couldn't find it as well.
  • It's the honest truth, so I log it.

 

What's not the truth is when you act as if you found the cache (which I believe includes signing the log, as I mentioned) when you really only looked for it. If that's the way people are going to be that's their business. I could care less, especially since it doesn't effect my game whatsoever.

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Guest Elwood

I agree with tslack2000, if i go to a cache location but dont find the container i still log my experience with a frown on the cache page, just so the owner and others know an attempt was made.if the cache owner doesnt want any frowns on his cache page he is free to remove them, but i am interested in all attempts to log my caches, successful or not.

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Guest EraSeek

Yes. Let me clarify. It is and always should be up to the person logging to decide for themselves, but I would just like to establish a few ethical rules of the road for them to consider. Some times the temptation is there, but I would never log a FIND (smilely face, (this gives you higher stats)) unless I actually found it after the date it was placed, actually found it, and /or had premission from the placer as in the case of a dangerous situation as mentioned in an above post. I always post a frown when I can't find it, and a note to inform people about the cache if I check back on it. I would never, as a cache placer, delete any post by others on my page unless it was simply inappropriate, ie. swearing, extremely bad attitude or manners. I wouldn't even delete finds that I didn't think were. That's up to them. Most people who do that I think are simply new to the game and haven't found their rules of the road yet. That's what I'm trying to help with here.

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Guest rusty

What's that old saying... charachter isn't what you do when people are watching, it's what you do when nobody is watching. I only log finds if I actually sign the log, my widow can log the one I just missed. I usually only log a frown face after my 2nd try or if I really think there could be a problem with the cache. I logged a frown for a 1st try today for one that was very well hidden in a swamp and I just wasn't prepared for the challange. My log was just a note to the hider that he had done a good job.

 

Rusty...

 

[This message has been edited by rusty (edited 22 July 2001).]

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Guest mfratto

quote:
Originally posted by Iron Chef:

I personally, if I can't find a cache, log it as an unsmiley face or a note. It is still a chance to share my unique adventures with others. There are more options that just the smiley face.


 

This seems to say it all -- there are options for most siutations. We went to a site and spent 2 hours just getting halfway to the cache, then back -- it was a serious uphill grade, but it was also a winding path that would take at least 4 hours of time to cover -- we didn't have the time, and thought some of the physical details we wanted to share deserved to be shared, and considering the effort and time we expended, I wanted to write something, and left a note -- which doesn't register as a "find" but allows you to share info, and say "I was there." I think that is okay. I would hope people wouldn't say they found something when they didn't but it takes all kinds...

 

Mauri, of Mauri and Mike

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Guest PharoaH

I don't think there's too many "fake finds" going on, or maybe I'm just naive. I think more than likely that there are people out there who don't log the "not founds". To me, the whole experience of hunting a cache is my reward. Of the 3 or 4 that we haven't found for one reason or another, we have logged each as so. Its just really simple: You log it with what you did

 

[This message has been edited by PharoaH (edited 23 July 2001).]

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Guest bunkerdave

I am with PharoaH. I truly hope there are not people logging finds for caches they have not physically logged. (Signed). I have never visited a virtual cache. Not that I wouldn't. There just aren't that many in Utah.

 

I can't say I am surprised to see yet another case of unethical behavior creeping into our sport. It seems to be growing lately. I can do nothing except be the best I know how to be, and maybe complain once in awhile about the perpetrators, hoping they will mend their ways.

 

Lastly, I am curious as to the purpose of logging caches you have not visited? or of logging as found caches that you attempted, but failed to locate. I have one cache on my "found list" that I did not sign, and there was - I felt - a good reason for doing so. When I arrived, the entire area had been bulldozed to may way for yet another housing development in the area. For awhile I left it as not found, but after several other seekers logged likewise, I went ahead and logged it as found, since I had gotten as close as possible, and had actually visited the area. If the same were to happen now, I don't think I would do the same; I would just leave it as not found. This was when I was just beginning, and I have learned much since then.

 

I have always tried to be an honest and ethical cacher. I hope that those who know me consider me as such. In spite of my numbers, I realize that the thrill is in the hunt. I enjoy hunting caches, and I have recently changed direction to hunt the level 4 and 5 caches rather than just go fro pure numbers. If I am in an area, I will find a cache that is nearby, but I have found that the harder caches are simply more interesting.

 

To each his own, but at the very least, if you take something, leave something of COMPARABLE VALUE. "Not ROCKS," as I am known to say. icon_smile.gif

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Guest bunkerdave

I am with PharoaH. I truly hope there are not people logging finds for caches they have not physically logged. (Signed). I have never visited a virtual cache. Not that I wouldn't. There just aren't that many in Utah.

 

I can't say I am surprised to see yet another case of unethical behavior creeping into our sport. It seems to be growing lately. I can do nothing except be the best I know how to be, and maybe complain once in awhile about the perpetrators, hoping they will mend their ways.

 

Lastly, I am curious as to the purpose of logging caches you have not visited? or of logging as found caches that you attempted, but failed to locate. I have one cache on my "found list" that I did not sign, and there was - I felt - a good reason for doing so. When I arrived, the entire area had been bulldozed to may way for yet another housing development in the area. For awhile I left it as not found, but after several other seekers logged likewise, I went ahead and logged it as found, since I had gotten as close as possible, and had actually visited the area. If the same were to happen now, I don't think I would do the same; I would just leave it as not found. This was when I was just beginning, and I have learned much since then.

 

I have always tried to be an honest and ethical cacher. I hope that those who know me consider me as such. In spite of my numbers, I realize that the thrill is in the hunt. I enjoy hunting caches, and I have recently changed direction to hunt the level 4 and 5 caches rather than just go fro pure numbers. If I am in an area, I will find a cache that is nearby, but I have found that the harder caches are simply more interesting.

 

To each his own, but at the very least, if you take something, leave something of COMPARABLE VALUE. "Not ROCKS," as I am known to say. icon_smile.gif

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Guest hgmonaro

The one and only cache I've chased got away from me the 1st attempt. It has multi-part clues to find the actual cache and I had trouble locating one clue. One of the other clues had the documentation from the 1st clue in it. I thought that maybe someone was playing 'funny buggers' and it had been compromised I posted a query (no smiley) and the placer geocacher e-mailed me with enough info to alay my fears and go back to try again for a successful find. I then went back and posted the 'find' with smiley.

 

Since the chase of the cache is half the fun (at least!) I think things like this add to the cache setters enjoyment, I know I'd like to see similar history on my caches when I get to placing one. If you go to lots of effort with locations and clues you want to know someone had some difficultly or not so that you know to make them harder or easier in the future.

 

<>

 

[This message has been edited by hgmonaro (edited 23 July 2001).]

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