Approving Caches

[startrekncc1701]

I would like to be one of the persons who approves caches. How do I go about doing that. Thanks.

[WH]

Check out this thread.

[+El Diablo]

First...you have to have a lifetime supply of Prozac.

 

El Diablo

[+carleenp]

The cache approvers are chosen by Geocaching.com. I think they are often involved with the local caching community (e.g. active in organizations etc). Some areas have special regulations or a lot of caches and those have specific approvers. So those areas require a good knowledge of the local regulations too. Other areas are sometimes covered by out of state reviewers. I think that GC.com often generally has enough reviewers and add as needed. I suggest that you email Hydee and tell her that you are interested and then you would be considered when and if they need a person in your area. Oh, and they take alot of abuse, so that supply of prozac post was likely correct!

[Keystone]

Keystone's Top 10 Tips for Becoming a Volunteer Reviewer

 

1. Find a lot of caches. The volunteer reviewers have found more than 21,000 among them -- an average of 567 caches each. The more you find, the better sense you have of what's right or wrong about a cache, and who the hiders are in your area.

 

2. Hide a lot of caches. The volunteer reviewers have hidden nearly 1,300 caches among them -- an average of 38 caches each. It helps to have hidden quite a few in order to be a good judge of caches hidden by others.

 

3. Be in the game for awhile. The vast majority of the reviewers started geocaching in summer 2002 or earlier. Understanding how the rules have evolved along with the sport's growth provides a helpful perspective.

 

4. Be active in your local geocaching group. Many reviewers are chosen because they are already recognized as a leader in their area. Group officers work with land managers, organize events and otherwise demonstrate their commitment to the game.

 

5. Attend lots of event caches. Reviewers who know the hiders in their area generally find it easier to deal with people when it is on a personal level.

 

6. Be familiar with any permit requirements developed by land managers in your area. Often, as in my case, a reviewer is selected because new geocaching regulations are introduced, and that person assisted in the process. Show that you are willing to work with land managers and be an ambassador for the sport.

 

7. Don't be obsessed about your find count or being FTF (First to Find). When everyone else is out geocaching, you may be stuck in front of the computer, reviewing the 45 new caches hidden in your state over the weekend. People will accuse you of cheating if you list a cache and then dash out to find it first. I am sure I'd have hundreds more finds if I hadn't volunteered to help Groundspeak.

 

8. Have good interpersonal skills, especially writing skills. We have to ask tough questions and deliver bad news about caches that have potential problems. 99% of the time, this is done by e-mail, which is a rather impersonal means of communication which sometimes leads to misunderstandings.

 

9. Be prepared to commit a LOT of time, giving up a chunk of each day to sit in front of the computer. It is not uncommon for a reviewer to spend 6 hours or more per day on volunteer duties.

 

10. Be flameproof. You will get hate mail on a weekly basis. You will be called vile names in the forums. You'll get glaring looks from the other side of the room at event caches. A volunteer reviewer needs to have a thick skin, deal with the criticism professionally even when not extended the same courtesy, and remember that the vast majority of geocachers think we do a good job.

[+New England n00b]

10. Be flameproof. You will get hate mail on a weekly basis. You will be called vile names in the forums. You'll get glaring looks from the other side of the room at event caches. A volunteer reviewer needs to have a thick skin, deal with the criticism professionally even when not extended the same courtesy, and remember that the vast majority of geocachers think we do a good job.

 

Say it isn't so! You all get flamed? I can hardly believe it!

 

/Sadly, sarcastic. I do believe it.

[kingcach]

Due to the treatment of these poor reviewers, I think they should have an office beside an IRS auditor. They could keep each other company.

[+Criminal]

Criminal’s List of How NOT to Become an Approver.

 

1. Get prominent local cachers arrested, detained, or questioned by police.

 

2. Speak your mind in an intelligent and thoughtful manner regardless of who may disagree

 

3. Agree with Seattle when they are doing it right, disagree when they are doing it wrong

 

4. Support the game, the players, and the administration. In that order.

[+briansnat]

As I've said before, anybody who is stupid enough to want the job, is too stupid to have it.

[+Harrald]

Criminal’s List of How NOT to Become an Approver.

 

1. Get prominent local cachers arrested, detained, or questioned by police.

 

2. Speak your mind in an intelligent and thoughtful manner regardless of who may disagree

 

3. Agree with Seattle when they are doing it right, disagree when they are doing it wrong

 

4. Support the game, the players, and the administration. In that order.

So you have a 50/50 chance of becoming an approver.

[THE JACKS]

Oops! Pandybat posted under my name on accident.

Edited April 1, 2004 by THE JACKS

[+PandyBat]

Sorry Kris. Forgot to log you out first.

 

It would be nice to be an approver. That way you would know where the newest caches were and could go to them first. But I still wouldn't want the job. I would rather spend more time looking for them, than reviewing them. I appreciate the job the approvers do now.

[+Mopar]

It would be nice to be an approver. That way you would know where the newest caches were and could go to them first. But I still wouldn't want the job. I would rather spend more time looking for them, than reviewing them. I appreciate the job the approvers do now.

You musta missed Keystone's #7:

7. Don't be obsessed about your find count or being FTF (First to Find). When everyone else is out geocaching, you may be stuck in front of the computer, reviewing the 45 new caches hidden in your state over the weekend. People will accuse you of cheating if you list a cache and then dash out to find it first. I am sure I'd have hundreds more finds if I hadn't volunteered to help Groundspeak.

[Keystone]

Yep. The last time I was FTF on a cache was August 2003 -- and that was a cache set up near the site of an event, which I traveled 50 miles to attend. Too darn busy to dash out and grab them like I did before volunteering. I think I've reviewed 20 caches today, I lost count exactly.