Geocaching statistics updated

[Guest Moun10Bike]

I've updated the charts and statistics on my cache site (http://www.switchbacks.com/geocaching2.html). As always, please let me know if you see any errors.

 

I will probably be switching to Wednesday updates rather than Monday updates, as there is still a lot cache listing and logging activity from the weekends that carries into the early part of the week.

 

Enjoy!

 

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Jon (Moun10Bike)

27H/77F/3C/2S/2X

N 47° 36.649', W 122° 3.616'

www.switchbacks.com/geocaching.html

 

[This message has been edited by Moun10Bike (edited 14 August 2001).]

[Guest Nemesis]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Moun10Bike:

I've updated the charts and statistics on my cache site

---

 

They look great!

 

Maybe you could include cache density too (i.e., caches per 1000 square km)?

 

Cheers,

Donovan.

[Guest Nemesis]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Moun10Bike:

I've updated the charts and statistics on my cache site

---

 

They look great!

 

Maybe you could include cache density too (i.e., caches per 1000 square km)?

 

Cheers,

Donovan.

[Guest Moun10Bike]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Nemesis:

Maybe you could include cache density too (i.e., caches per 1000 square km)?

---

 

Hmmm, that's a good idea, and one that should be fairly easy for me to add. I'll look into doing that for next week's update!

 

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Jon (Moun10Bike)

27H/77F/3C/2S/2X

N 47° 36.649', W 122° 3.616'

www.switchbacks.com/geocaching.html

[Guest EyezOfTheWorld]

Kilometers or miles? Both? Here in the U.S., for the most part, kilometers generally aren't used (except for Canadians who go to Florida in the winter.)

[Guest Moun10Bike]

quote:

---

Originally posted by EyezOfTheWorld:

Kilometers or miles?

---

 

Probably miles -- I believe that the almanac that I use for populations lists areas in square miles.

 

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Jon (Moun10Bike)

27H/77F/3C/2S/2X

N 47° 36.649', W 122° 3.616'

www.switchbacks.com/geocaching.html

[Guest Nemesis]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Moun10Bike:

...I'll look into doing that for next week's update!

---

 

Cool!

 

Cheers,

Donovan.

 

[This message has been edited by Nemesis (edited 14 August 2001).]

[Guest Nemesis]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Moun10Bike:

...I'll look into doing that for next week's update!

---

 

Cool!

 

Cheers,

Donovan.

 

[This message has been edited by Nemesis (edited 14 August 2001).]

[Guest Nemesis]

quote:

---

Originally posted by EyezOfTheWorld:

Kilometers or miles

---

 

Does it matter? I think the ranking is all that we are really interested in.

 

Cheers,

Donovan.

[Guest Nemesis]

quote:

---

Originally posted by EyezOfTheWorld:

Kilometers or miles

---

 

Does it matter? I think the ranking is all that we are really interested in.

 

Cheers,

Donovan.

[Guest Moun10Bike]

Okay, I've updated the site and added the cache density charts. Kind of tough for the larger nations to compete with those small island nations in this regard!

 

Once again, the site is http://www.switchbacks.com/geocaching2.html.

 

Enjoy!

 

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

Jon (Moun10Bike)

27H/77F/3C/2S/2X

N 47° 36.649', W 122° 3.616'

www.switchbacks.com/geocaching.html

 

[This message has been edited by Moun10Bike (edited 15 August 2001).]

[Guest Moun10Bike]

Okay, I've updated the site and added the cache density charts. Kind of tough for the larger nations to compete with those small island nations in this regard!

 

Once again, the site is http://www.switchbacks.com/geocaching2.html.

 

Enjoy!

 

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

Jon (Moun10Bike)

27H/77F/3C/2S/2X

N 47° 36.649', W 122° 3.616'

www.switchbacks.com/geocaching.html

 

[This message has been edited by Moun10Bike (edited 15 August 2001).]

[Guest Nemesis]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Moun10Bike:

..I've...added the cache density charts.

---

 

That was quick! They look great too.

 

Regards,

Donovan.

[Guest Nemesis]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Moun10Bike:

..I've...added the cache density charts.

---

 

That was quick! They look great too.

 

Regards,

Donovan.

[Guest Markwell]

Here's one to add to the top cacher list (or maybe an additional list): Frequency of Finds. Put a minimum number of cache finds on the query to begin with (abritrary - 4?) and then take their Days/Finds or Finds/Days where the "Days" = number of days their login has been registered at geocaching.com

 

Mine is pretty low: 23 found, I registered on 3/13/2001 (I think) which puts my (on 8/16) at 156 days. My day:find ratio is 6.78 which means I find a cache approximate 1 per every 7 days or 0.147 caches per day. In fact, maybe change that "caches per day" and make it "caches per week" (multiply times 7), which makes mine 1.032 caches per week.

 

Can you tell I'm a weekend warrior?

 

I think this statistic (once you eliminate those with less than 4 caches found) shows more accurately the active cachers.

 

Why elminate low numbers of finds? Skewed data. You may find two caches and log them both on the day that you've registered. Does that necessarily mean that you've found two per day? Technically yes, but since I'm suggesting showing active cachers over a long period, those results are skewed.

 

[This message has been edited by Markwell (edited 16 August 2001).]

[Guest Moun10Bike]

l" TARGET=_blank>www.switchbacks.com/geocaching.html

[Guest Markwell]

I just assumed that it was a date the record was added in the SQL database. It may just be a field that we can't all see.

 

If you are gleening the information from Jeremy's main database, maybe that information just need to be included in your export.

 

I'm speaking as a person who knows absolutely nothing about this particular database, but at least a little something about databases in general. Jeremy - do you have an "Add Date" field in the database that could help this statistic out?

[Guest jeremy]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Moun10Bike:

That could be interesting as well. Do you know how to determine the date when a person registered?

---

 

Yes. I have that info in the database. Once I complete the geocacher profile page you can see it.

 

If you visit the forums (still beta) at http://www.geocaching.com/forum and click on a username you'll see their profile. It says "member since xx" - that will be the right date.

 

All names will have that link shortly.

 

Jeremy

[Guest Moun10Bike]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Markwell:

If you are gleening the information from Jeremy's main database, maybe that information just need to be included in your export.

---

 

I wish it was that sophisticated! This is a completely manual job! As caches are posted to the site, I help review them and as I am doing that, I list them one-by-one in an Excel spreadsheet that I've kept since just about day 1. Yep, it's really that laborious, and yep, I'm really that crazy!

 

Anyone have any info to help me automate this that wouldn't slam the website too hard?

 

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

Jon (Moun10Bike)

27H/77F/3C/2S/2X

N 47° 36.649', W 122° 3.616'

www.switchbacks.com/geocaching.html

[Guest Moun10Bike]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Markwell:

If you are gleening the information from Jeremy's main database, maybe that information just need to be included in your export.

---

 

I wish it was that sophisticated! This is a completely manual job! As caches are posted to the site, I help review them and as I am doing that, I list them one-by-one in an Excel spreadsheet that I've kept since just about day 1. Yep, it's really that laborious, and yep, I'm really that crazy!

 

Anyone have any info to help me automate this that wouldn't slam the website too hard?

 

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

Jon (Moun10Bike)

27H/77F/3C/2S/2X

N 47° 36.649', W 122° 3.616'

www.switchbacks.com/geocaching.html

[Guest jeremy]

I can help you out. Lets talk offline.

[Guest leskowitz]

Very interesting stats. It would cool to view the top hiders, this may encourage people to hide more hense help the cause.

 

I am more of a hider not a finder.

[Guest Moun10Bike]

quote:

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Originally posted by leskowitz:

It would cool to view the top hiders

---

 

I've wanted to avoid listing top hiders because I worry that it may lead to some posting tons of "junk" caches just to get onto the list.

 

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Jon (Moun10Bike)

28H/81F/3C/2S/2X

N 47° 36.649', W 122° 3.616'

www.switchbacks.com/geocaching.html

[Guest ClayJar]

Okay, so let's see...

 

How about a "Cacher's Choice Awards" show? Completely unofficial, pointless, and with prizes valued at a bit less than a page from a non-Rite In The Rain log book.

 

I nominate "Just Ducky" in Tennessee for the "Highest Tick Density" category, and "Pearl" in Louisiana for the "Overbrush Unlimited" difficulty improvement category, since it seems to be far more difficult to find than when it was planted.

[Guest cache_ninja]

if people hide "junk" in crappy areas, it'll be noted in the cache logs and noone will visit their caches. i think these people will be a relative few, and the benefits of encouraging more people to hide outweigh this i think. there are 8 million people here in NYC dammit, i just keep hiding till i have something to look for(not much over the last year). of course, i like hiding, gives me another reason to explore new places, look for neat spots..but still, i dont think you should hold off on the cache hiding list. not becuase im potentially on it, really i could care less, but becuase there should be equal premium placed on hiding and finding. i'd much rather commend someone "right on!" for hiding 15 awesome caches than running around and finding 100 easy ones that people have spent time placing etc. then again, this is not a competition to me at all, i see these question onf the forum about a "legit" "found" log and "what to do if? etc" and it all seems so silly...but people do seem to care about "counting" for some reason, so i think hiding should be up there in importance since geocaching isnt always about the hunt, its also about finding and sharing that spot you found..

 

feh.

 

[This message has been edited by cache_ninja (edited 20 August 2001).]

[Guest celts]

quote:

---

Originally posted by jeremy:

It says "member since xx" - that will be the right date.

 

Jeremy

---

 

When I click on MY profile, it shows that I registered with Groundspeak for the forums on July 16th. HOWEVER, I registered on geocaching.com about 3 weeks before that and was already hiding caches. So which date will you use?

[Guest jeremy]

quote:

---

Originally posted by celts:

HOWEVER, I registered on geocaching.com about 3 weeks before that and was already hiding caches. So which date will you use?

---

 

Indeed you did. Here's your profile -

http://www.geocaching.com/forum/pop_profile.asp?mode=display&id=12198

 

We're referring to the new forums, not this one.

 

Jeremy

[Guest celts]

quote:

---

Originally posted by jeremy:

Indeed you did. Here's your profile -

http://www.geocaching.com/forum/pop_profile.asp?mode=display&id=12198

 

We're referring to the new forums, not this one.Jeremy

---

 

OH MY GOODNESS!!!! All my dreams ARE coming true!!!!

 

 

[This message has been edited by celts (edited 21 August 2001).]

[Guest celts]

quote:

---

Originally posted by jeremy:

Indeed you did. Here's your profile -

http://www.geocaching.com/forum/pop_profile.asp?mode=display&id=12198

 

We're referring to the new forums, not this one.Jeremy

---

 

OH MY GOODNESS!!!! All my dreams ARE coming true!!!!

 

 

[This message has been edited by celts (edited 21 August 2001).]

[Guest Moun10Bike]

Okay, I've gone through the cache listings and come up with the list of top hiders below. This is where I need help. I know that I've missed people (for that I apologize!), so if you know someone who should be on the list, please send me a note or post a message here. I will have this list on my website later in the week.

 

cache_ninja 43

Hillwilly 39

Moun10Bike 28

Nemesis 28

Ron Streeter 24

KF Quad Explorer 21

Bufford 17

EraSeek 16

Anton 14

Gimpy 14

leaper64 14

lucien 14

Quinnow 14

bunkerdave 12

jaw2925 12

codyc 11

Hounddog 11

Lawnboy 11

Florian 10

kkbean 10

Team Chaos 10

 

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

Jon (Moun10Bike)

28H/81F

N 47° 36.649', W 122° 3.616'

www.switchbacks.com/geocaching.html

 

[This message has been edited by Moun10Bike (edited 21 August 2001).]

[Guest faithwalker]

We have Jose Gaspar down here in Fl. with 10 also, search by zip-34666

 

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...Cache Responsible and may all your birds be in view... ...Faithwalker & DaMama...

[Guest leskowitz]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Moun10Bike:

Okay, I've gone through the cache listings and come up with the list of top hiders below. This is where I need help. I know that I've missed people (for that I apologize!), so if you know someone who should be on the list, please send me a note or post a message here. I will have this list on my website later in the week.

 

cache_ninja 43

 

 

---

 

cache_ninja you are my hero. Do you work for a living? I have a long ways to go.

[Guest Nemesis]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Moun10Bike:

I've...come up with the list of top hiders...

---

 

Wow! I'm third equal (with 28 hidden). I didn't even expect to be in the top ten. Well, it's not a race, but I recall that I had the most for a while back in November 2000 with only four hidden (and only around 150 cahes world wide!). This sport is really growing!

 

Cheers,

Donovan.

[Guest Nemesis]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Moun10Bike:

I've...come up with the list of top hiders...

---

 

Wow! I'm third equal (with 28 hidden). I didn't even expect to be in the top ten. Well, it's not a race, but I recall that I had the most for a while back in November 2000 with only four hidden (and only around 150 cahes world wide!). This sport is really growing!

 

Cheers,

Donovan.

[Guest Peter Scholtz]

I've hidden 12.

 

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

Peter Scholtz

www.biometrics.co.za

[Guest Moun10Bike]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Peter Scholtz:

I've hidden 12.

---

 

Sorry for missing you, Peter! I've added you to the spreadsheet.

 

I've been informed of several "misses" and will keep updating the list until I get it right! In the meantime, the list I had as of first thing this morning is now posted on my statistics page at switchbacks.com.

 

I'm still working on this week's charts. I am still having to do everything manually and was gone all weekend, so I'm a bit behind. I hope to have those updated by tomorrow morning.

 

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

Jon (Moun10Bike)

28H/81F

N 47° 36.649', W 122° 3.616'

www.switchbacks.com/geocaching.html

[Guest Moun10Bike]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Peter Scholtz:

I've hidden 12.

---

 

Sorry for missing you, Peter! I've added you to the spreadsheet.

 

I've been informed of several "misses" and will keep updating the list until I get it right! In the meantime, the list I had as of first thing this morning is now posted on my statistics page at switchbacks.com.

 

I'm still working on this week's charts. I am still having to do everything manually and was gone all weekend, so I'm a bit behind. I hope to have those updated by tomorrow morning.

 

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

Jon (Moun10Bike)

28H/81F

N 47° 36.649', W 122° 3.616'

www.switchbacks.com/geocaching.html

[Guest yrium]

BR> "View Of The Badlands" by Tuna

(California) last found 8/3/2001 2.5/2.5 [details]

 

3/18/2001

"Petroglyph Peak" by Tuna

(California) last found 8/11/2001 3/3 [details]

 

2/10/2001

"Golf Ball Hill" by Tuna

(California) last found 8/18/2001 1.5/1.5 [details]

 

1/31/2001

"Hill Of The Skull" by Tuna

(California) last found 8/14/2001 2.5/2 [details]

 

1/28/2001

"The Mountain Of Moonlit Rocks" by Tuna

(California) last found 8/14/2001 3/3 [details]

 

1/20/2001

"Mt Israel " by Tuna

(California) last found 8/21/2001 2.5/2.5 [details]

 

1/7/2001

"San Diego Ocean View" by Tuna

(California) last found 8/18/2001

[Guest Moun10Bike]

quote:

---

Originally posted by yrium:

Our Local cache hiding hero here in San Diego is Tuna with 11 hidden.

---

 

Okay, I've added Tuna to the list. Who else have I missed?

 

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Jon (Moun10Bike)

28H/81F

N 47° 36.649', W 122° 3.616'

www.switchbacks.com/geocaching.html

[Guest Markwell]

Does that list of hides only include the currently active caches? And how would you distinguish between archived caches that were once good and now defunct due to some Act of God, and the caches that never should have been posted?

 

Example, I posted a cache twice when I was having trouble with response from the site. The solution was to archive the erroneous duplicate, but if I look at "my cache page" it shows I have 7 caches hidden. One was an event cache that I helped sponsor, one was a lame cache that I archived after about 3 weeks, and one was the erroneous double listing.

 

If I do a search on caches hidden by Markwell it shows an event cache and four real caches - my current "active" list.

 

I'm not sure what a resolution would be to this, but I just love thinking up scenarios that put a fly in the ointment .

[Guest Markwell]

Does that list of hides only include the currently active caches? And how would you distinguish between archived caches that were once good and now defunct due to some Act of God, and the caches that never should have been posted?

 

Example, I posted a cache twice when I was having trouble with response from the site. The solution was to archive the erroneous duplicate, but if I look at "my cache page" it shows I have 7 caches hidden. One was an event cache that I helped sponsor, one was a lame cache that I archived after about 3 weeks, and one was the erroneous double listing.

 

If I do a search on caches hidden by Markwell it shows an event cache and four real caches - my current "active" list.

 

I'm not sure what a resolution would be to this, but I just love thinking up scenarios that put a fly in the ointment .

[Guest Jerrold21]

I am getting close to this list with 10, I have several caches ready to hide, just waiting to find some good spots for them. These are great STATS, Thanks Moun10Bike. JERRY

[Guest Moun10Bike]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Markwell:

Does that list of hides only include the currently active caches?

---

 

YES!! I would go crazy trying to keep track of the non-active ones!

 

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

Jon (Moun10Bike)

28H/84F

N 47° 36.649', W 122° 3.616'

www.switchbacks.com/geocaching.html

[Guest Moun10Bike]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Markwell:

Does that list of hides only include the currently active caches?

---

 

YES!! I would go crazy trying to keep track of the non-active ones!

 

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

Jon (Moun10Bike)

28H/84F

N 47° 36.649', W 122° 3.616'

www.switchbacks.com/geocaching.html

[Guest cache_ninja]

speaking of which, how do you see archived caches on the site? ive never seen any..

i think i'd have 47 or so if you counted those but really im just curious how to see them anyway, so people know, for instance, that maybe some places are prone to being plundered frequently(ie there was once a cache there, it might seem like a good spot, but its not etc)...

 

thanks

 

c/n

[Guest cache_ninja]

speaking of which, how do you see archived caches on the site? ive never seen any..

i think i'd have 47 or so if you counted those but really im just curious how to see them anyway, so people know, for instance, that maybe some places are prone to being plundered frequently(ie there was once a cache there, it might seem like a good spot, but its not etc)...

 

thanks

 

c/n

[Guest Moun10Bike]

quote:

---

Originally posted by cache_ninja:

how do you see archived caches on the site?

---

 

I've wondered that, too. I've sent mail to Jeremy, so hopefully will have an answer soon.

 

By the way, I've updated the charts and info on my stats page. Once again, let me know if you see any errors.

 

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

Jon (Moun10Bike)

28H/84F

N 47° 36.649', W 122° 3.616'

www.switchbacks.com/geocaching.html

[Guest leskowitz]

How cool, I opened up a cache of worms. I am at 7 now, I think I am going to do 40 virtual caches to be the top dog. I can virtual cache my house, the stop sign, there are so many possibilities.

 

Those stupid things should not count by the way. Sorry, I am not virtual kind of guy. I like the real thing.

 

Mark my words, I will on the list soon and this hommie don't do trash caches. I do good ones. I archived my first one because it sucked. I am doing a sweet theme tommorrow. It will be a Houston classic. See upcoming post.

[Guest Gliderguy]

Maybe instead of top hiders by number of caches, list the people with the most number of hits on their caches. This would help weed out junk caches. Maybe even do it as a time average:

 

Hits per year per cache to indicate quality (or at least popularity).

 

Total hits per year total on all caches by that hider to indicate quantity....

 

this would automatically weed out archived caches and most junk caches.

 

Of course, to go this sophisticated you would have to be importing data directly from jeremy!

 

[This message has been edited by Gliderguy (edited 25 August 2001).]

[Guest Markwell]

>Hits per year per cache to indicate quality (or at least popularity).

 

Total hits per year total on all caches by that hider to indicate quantity....

---

 

Two things: quantity of hits doesn't mean a cache is good or even popular. It just means that it's been hit. You never know how good a cache is until you go out and search for it. But even if it's terrible, you still log it as found. We've got a cache around my neighborhood that gets hit all the time, but in my opinion is the worst cache I've ever visited.

 

I'll take three caches in my area, two of which are GREAT and this other one. On the two great ones: Cache A= 8 hits in 72 days (0.1111 rating); Cache B= 27 hits in 324 days (0.08333 rating). The lousy cache= 11 hits in 38 days (rating 0.289473). The worst cache has the highest rating.

 

Also - since caching has only been around for a year and three months, might want to stick to "per day" or "per week" instead of "per year."