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Who Has Guts To Log The 'not Founds' ??


jupilli

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Hi all readers there,

I wonder how many of the GCs are really Loging all the 'NOT FOUND' trials they are doing ?? I am a newbie and this might be the reason to place this kind of a question in the Forum.

I joined this 'community' 3rd feb 2004, have made my first trial to find a traditional cache and failed, which I think may be quite normal on wintertime in Finland. After that I have been studying the logs more carefully, and I suspect that the GCachers are either not getting up from their beds at all, or are not reporting their NOTFOUNDS at all !!

Pls, indicate that I am all the way WRONG !!!

PS: The experience with the NOTFOUND Cache was JUST GREAT !! I'll keep on trying.

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I do log my DNFs (Did Not Finds). I asked a similar question back when the polls still worked. Almost everyone answered they do log DNFs, but in my experience many people still don't do it despite they say otherwise.

 

Some thoughts of mine about DNFs:

 

What is a DNF? To some people it occurs when they hit the GOTO button on their GPSr and they don't sign the log, no matter the reason. To me it is when I get to the cache site, but can't find it, and return home without signing the log. If I have to leave home at a earlier stage (e.g. during a hunt for a multicache), I just log a note saying I didn't have time to get to the final spot. Some people would log that a DNF too.

 

DNFs are useful information for the cache owner and the future hunters that there might be something wrong with the cache. Maybe it won't be a good idea to go for search that kind of a cache if you have very little time. I once thought I'd go for a quick find after work, but I ended up searching it for couple of hours, because the coordinates were accidentally 1 km off! I still found it. B) But if the previous hunter (there was one) had logged their DNF, I wouldn't have gone there that day to waste time and stain my work clothes.

 

Sometimes people say that if they don't find a cache but they still think the cache is there, they dont' log a DNF, because it might discourage the future cachers from going to search it. Well, that's when the owner should be alarmed and possibly have the cache checked. If someone is discouraged from going to search a cache, maybe theyreally shouldn't go hunting then? I don't care about previous DNFs. If I don't find either, the owner gets yet another message that the cache is difficult and something might be wrong, even if I still thought that the container is still somewhere there.

 

DNFs are part of my geocaching history. I'd feel stupid if I wasn't recording it. Some people use their DNFs as kind of a ToDo list: after they have found the cache, they'll delete the old DNFs. I would never do it, because like Jupilli said, it was my geocaching experience!

 

DNFs are also part of cache's history. I'd hate to see if someone deleted their DNFs from one of my caches. OF course, there's nothing I can do about it , and it's their business to decide about their DNF logs.

 

Finally, by saying all that I don't mean it's some kind of a law everyone should obey. It's just my style, and my thoughts about the matter. Anyway, it's fun to see that logging a DNF seem to be some kind of an annoyance, and people really seem to do it much more seldom than it actually happens. :unsure:

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Normally do we log them if)

 

A) We are at the cachesite and really can't find it.

 

:unsure: We think it is gone or something else is wrong.

 

But we don't log them DNF if we didn't make it all the way to the cache site...

 

Normally a DNF means for us as cache owners that people are having a trouble finding it. I would be upset if someone did a DNF and then it turned out that they didn't left the car. A DNF because of "It was too long to walk" is not correct.

But a DNF for a reason like "We searched for 30 minutes without finding it." or "I was here with X who found this cache 3 months ago, but we didn't find it where X found it last time. It must be gone!" is correct.

 

A have heard about cachers who doesn't log DNF at all, and that is wrong, because IF the cache is gone, then will not the next cacher who tries to find the cache know it! But at the same way, a DNF-log can stop other cachers from searching for the cache, even if it is there...

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Hedberg, very good points. You seem to log DNF quite with the same principles as I do.

But at the same way, a DNF-log can stop other cachers from searching for the cache, even if it is there...
That tells more about the searchers than the one who logged a DNF, right? :unsure: Edited by Divine
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I agree with Hedberg's points. So far, I have 57 (?) founds and 4 not-founds, which are a pain in my...mmm... tail. I do log my not founds if I have made an effort to find the cache. If i'm being kept away from the assumed hiding place by geomuggles, I consider the place too dangerous or things like that, I don't log the cache at all. Instead, I return later.

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I usually log not founds in my personal caching log on my web page, but don't bother to copy them over. Therefore I expect to log them here when I some day improve my logging software so that it logs to both places at once.

 

And yes, I do the logging with a WAP phone :)

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I usually log not founds in my personal caching log on my web page, but don't bother to copy them over. Therefore I expect to log them here when I some day improve my logging software so that it logs to both places at once.

It's really helpful to log those DNF's every time. If a cache owner gets a couple of them that's a huge signal to run out to the cache and check on it. No DNF's then it is probably still there.

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It's really helpful to log those DNF's every time.  If a cache owner gets a couple of them that's a huge signal to run out to the cache and check on it.  No DNF's then it is probably still there.

Heips,

this was something I was waiting for. How are you normaly following your Caches if not by following the logs ?? I think three DNFs in a row should wake up the owner, four should mean a quick visit when possible unless someone clears the state by logging a success. Or if you know that it is a especially hard one.

I am not sure how this should be taken on wintertime, I assume most Caches are hidden in a 'cave', which normaly will be covered by snow. ;)

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I always log a DNF. There was one recently that I was the first to post a DNF log and shortly afterwards there were three or four more. And a big dead space in between the last found and my DNF. That makes me think that there were a number of people that looked and could not find but failed to post so. Especialy since it was in a very popular area. It turned out to be missing and was archived. But how many people went out of their way to look for it because nobody wanted to post their DNFs and alert a possible problem.

 

I had a DNF today. I was in the right spot for the last leg of a multi and it was supposed to be right there but I could not find it. I came home and posted my DNF. I then looked at the hiders profile for the heck of it and it turned out that he was a new cacher and only had one find to his name. I think a cacher should at least find a few before hiding one. Get a feel for it. See how others hide theirs, etc. After seeing that, there is no telling how he hid his cache :D .

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I log our "not founds" but I log it only first time per cache. Couple of times we haven't found the cache with only two trials and it would feel stupid to log lots of "not founds". Then when we finally find the cache, I tell in my log how many times we had to search for it.

 

-Laura-

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The first time I visit a cache and despite HARD try have to leave empty handed, THEN I log a DNF. Like this one:

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...8-085E643E8EE3}

 

The cache was found the same day by another cacher: And they stated that it was EASY B)

 

So if that wasn't shame, I do not know of a better way to reveal a "bad day out caching"... :rolleyes:

 

If you have REALLY tried your best, then it's OK to log a DNF. But please at least get out of the car... B)

Edited by buda
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OK folks, I've got SOME updates and I can make some conclusions !! Maybe I will build one of my own caches outside of the window which I can watch in my job, and start taking picts of all 'strange wonderers' around it !!

Am I getting nasty or just old ??!!

Anyway, it will be time to close this if it does not raise any more interest.

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Maybe I will build one of my own caches outside of the window which I can watch in my job, and start taking picts of all 'strange wonderers' around it !! 

Am I getting nasty or just old ??!!

Actually, I've had a similar idea. Great minds think alike. :lol: Although, I won't probably ever carry out the idea. Could be fun anyway. :lol:
Anyway, it will be time to close this if it does not raise any more interest.

Well, one point I forgot to say: The more there are DNFs in a row, the sweeter is the feeling when you go and find the cache! :lol: DNFs don't prevent me going to search caches, if I'm determined to go and the other conditions are good (like I have time & proper equipment & the weather is reasonably good etc).

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Idea from the international forum: my annual find percentage:

 

2002 - 11 finds, 2 DNFs -> 85%

2003 - 242 finds, 13 DNFs -> 95%

2004 - 33 finds, 2 DNFs -> 94%

 

I'm mentioning it in this thread, since I wouldn't be able to calculate it if I hadn't logged all my Did Not Finds.

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