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'didn't Find' Question


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Ok, so this is a 2-part question!

 

First - if I don't find a cache, I log a 'didn't find'. Now I go back out a couple weeks later and still don't find it - do I log another 'didn't find it' or a note?

 

The twist in this one is that I actually found the cache last October/November - in fact it was my first find ever! (and I signed the log) I was really excited, but things (work) conspired against me as far as getting it logged here. So when thing settled down a bit, I figured I'd head back out to the cache to drop off a travel bug before logging it as an actual find (2 months after the fact).

 

Lo and behold - I couldn't find it on the second trip. Now, I know what the cache container looks like from finding it before (the hardest part for me - to know what I am looking for). I found it in about 10 minutes the first time (and it was my first find), but couldn't find it in 30 minutes the second time.

 

OK, I went out again this weekend - I STILL can't find the thing. This is very frustrating to me! But (now for the question) - do I log a second 'didn't find' or just a note (I logged the note, but I didn't know if that was right). BTW - someone did find it about a week before my attempt #2, but no logs since except mine.

 

Now the second question, which I am just curious about. I checked out the cache owner's profile and it says 'active user', but that the last visit made was last June. What is an 'active' user? - Does this mean the owner hasn't logged on since June? And does my 'didn't find' get emailed to the owner - or is the owner just notified a log has been made and must log in to the site to see the actual log? I am just wondering - I am new to this (even though I joined months ago, my work kept me much too busy last year for me to have a life).

 

Thanks!

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Usually the best logs are those that say "Not Found". In your situaltion, you should log your original "find" on the correct date. You should also post a not found for your two subsequent trips to place the travel bug. Explain what happened on the travel bug's page also, "I guess this bug doesn't want to visit this cache because i can't seem to find it when he's with me". I'd say you could write a pretty good story for this cache.

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The 'Active User' you refer to - I assume you mean in the geocacher's status on their user profile.

There are only two things I have ever seen there - Active & Premium (like yours). The premium meaning you've paid some money to the website.

 

More important than the active/premium is their last visit date. If it is from last June, you can pretty much assume that they are no longer interested in Geocaching. (I am going to guess their stats is 2 or 3 finds, and 1 hide - that seems pretty common for people that come and go)

Any caches they placed in the ground are going to slowly turn to rot and be unmaintained, unless some other local cacher does the good samaritan act and adopts it.

 

I hope this answer the second part of your question.

 

GPC

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I always log something when I visist a cache. Even the DNFs are valuable bits of info. for the owner as well as future finders. As mentioned above, you can go back and pre-date the date field and log your find. Then, you can do the same thing for either 'a note' or a 'DNF'. However, in your case, its looks as if you have a legitmate find and (2) DNFs.

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"Active user" just means that the account owner has properly validated their account, and used it up until the "last visit shown" date. And, that e-mails sent by the GC.com mail bot do not bounce when sent to the e-mail address provided by the account owner.

 

If you see "User not validated" or "Inactive user" or "Banned user" then that's a problem. They won't receive copies of any e-mails sent by or through the website.

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Thanks for all the replies. I'll fix my logs. Now, I checked out another hide by this cacher (and finally dropped off the travel bug). - I found this one, but the camera inside was out of pictures - so I browsed through the logs for the cache and the last picture was apparently taken in August (and I don't the the hider has logged on since June). I am going to try emailing the owner of the caches. Maybe I can adopt them for maintenance.

 

Thanks again!

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I am going to try emailing the owner of the caches. Maybe I can adopt them for maintenance.

If you're interested in adopting one of those caches, you just email Groundspeak and explain what has happened, and what you wish to do. That's what I did, although my situation was slightly different. You can see an example of this here.

 

It shows up just like any other cache you own, and you suddenly have the ability to edit the page.

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I'll answer part 1 . . .

 

I'll log a DNF on a cache every time I don't find it. I think the most I've logged a DNF on a particular cache was 3 times and it ended up being covered by snow.

 

If I log a DNF on a cache more than once, I'll contact the cache owner to find out if there are any problems with it.

 

That's all I have to say about that.

 

Happy caching and stuff!

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...The twist in this one is that I actually found the cache last October/November ..., but things (work) conspired against me as far as getting it logged here. So when thing settled down a bit, I figured I'd head back out to the cache to drop off a travel bug before logging it as an actual find (2 months after the fact).

 

Lo and behold - I couldn't find it on the second trip. ...

I've been thinking about this some since my first response. I think that I agree with clearpath. You should log a find and two DNFs.

 

The find is a 'no brainer'. You found it, you should log it. Just make sure that you use the date of you original find in your log. I would also explain in your log why you waited so long. I recently logged finds for a couple of virts that I found last May in France. When I had initially found them, I took pictures of the verification info, rather than write it down. Upon my return home, I logged my finds, but hadn't yet developed the pics. A couple of weeks ago, I was looking through some of the pics of the trip and came across the 'verification' pics. This reminded me to log the finds.

 

The DNFs are less black-and-white. Normally when you revisit a previously found cache, you log your visit as a note. This is because you have not made a find because you already know where it is. This results in the cache owner receiving an email of your note. A note email, however, could be overlooked in a busy inbox. Therefore, I think DNFs are the way to go.

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My two cents worth on the question of when to post DNFs is that I started out holding off posting them, as a newbie, because I think it's most likely that I just don't know what to look for or where to look. I think if I posted a DNF every time I was baffled people would have gotten pretty sick of it.

 

Now that I've found a few I have a little better idea of what to expect. Recently I went looking for a puzzle cache where the location I calculated made sense (in a park, not inside private property), fit the description in the hint, didn't have a hundred different possibilities to try, and hadn't been logged one way or the other for a few months.

 

In this case when I didn't find it I thought there was a good chance it was really missing, so I described where I was looking in e-mail to the owner and posted a DNF with fewer details to give others a heads-up.

 

I understand that it's enjoyable to hear stories about people's attempts, and that DNFs can give the owner feedback about possible problems with coordinates or the need for a hint or clarification. But as I say I've been taking it easy posting while I gain more confidence about *why* it's a DNF.

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My two cents worth on the question of when to post DNFs is that I started out holding off posting them, as a newbie, because I think it's most likely that I just don't know what to look for or where to look. I think if I posted a DNF every time I was baffled people would have gotten pretty sick of it.

 

Now that I've found a few I have a little better idea of what to expect. Recently I went looking for a puzzle cache where the location I calculated made sense (in a park, not inside private property), fit the description in the hint, didn't have a hundred different possibilities to try, and hadn't been logged one way or the other for a few months.

 

In this case when I didn't find it I thought there was a good chance it was really missing, so I described where I was looking in e-mail to the owner and posted a DNF with fewer details to give others a heads-up.

 

I understand that it's enjoyable to hear stories about people's attempts, and that DNFs can give the owner feedback about possible problems with coordinates or the need for a hint or clarification. But as I say I've been taking it easy posting while I gain more confidence about *why* it's a DNF.

No shame in a DNF. If you actually made the effort, got to the area, and didn't find it, then DNF it. It doesn't matter that you don't know what you're looking for, as long as you looked, it's either a DNF or a Found It. Once again, there's no shame in a DNF, so log them that way if you actually tried to find them. :D

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It's all a question of why you are here at all. Scores mean nothing to anyone but scorekeepers and statiticians. I admit it. You are a better cacher than I. My stats stink. Almost half of mine are DNF, which means Did Not Fail. The real reason I go is not to find a Tupperware container under a stump in the snow. I log each DNF because it reminds me of the fun that I had that day.

 

The test of the warrior is not from without. It is from within. :unsure:

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Interesting. For the most part I will log a DNF only if I have to email the owner for a hint. If I go to a cache, can't find it, I may or may not log a DNF. If I have to email the owner, I will log it DNF

If you don't find a cache, do you always email the cache owner?

 

If not, you would be doing other cachers and the cache owner a service by logging a DNF, it's nothing to be ashamed of, and you didn't find it.

 

I don't see how an email can change the definition of not finding something.

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Logging your DNF's can be useful for the owner and other cachers as well.

 

If anyone sees several DNF's for the same cache without a find, it is a tipoff that something may be wrong. This way the owner knows he/she should check the cache to be sure it is still there, and other searchers can wait to see if it is found or fixed before searching for it.

 

I post a note if something stops me from completing a search, as happened when I was looking for one located at a restaurant. I don't post a DNF because I did not look very well and plan on returning, but want the owner to know that I tried and why I stopped.

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