Who's Watching My Caches

[+WxGuesser]

I'm still new to this but and i have placed 3 caches. when i checked them today (online) i noticed that one of them is being watched by 4 people and another by 3. Is there any way for me to findout who is watching the caches?

[+SeventhSon]

No, there is no way of knowing who it is. Seems like a few have an interest in your caches, which is kewl

 

7

[+strikeforce1]

They are probabaly going to go find it soon!

Most will watch a new cache to see if it has problems, before they head out to hunt it.

 

Another reason, by putting a watch on it, they get emailed as soon as someone posts a "find" or a "note" to the page. This is good if they have to work and can't hunt it till later. They can just check their email and they will know if a post has been made to the page. It's good for the FTF hunters, but, if it's not logged right away to the page, you never know if it's been found till you get there! Hope this helps explain it! SF1

[+B&K Whiting]

We watch just to see who, what, where, when, and to see what the "locals" are up too. It's also interesting to see if others enjoyed or had similar experiences as ours. It's also kind of a way to get to know fellow cachers, before you meet them.

[+woody_k]

I have heard one cacher say, (who will remain nameless) that he/she watches all caches he/she found until it is found the next time.

 

Ken

[+mtn-man]

Is there any way for me to findout who is watching the caches?

There is no real way to find out who is watching your caches. The site considers it a privacy issue. As others have said, it is probably someone who has found or is going to look for your cache.

[+art begotti]

if i can steal the subject matter away for a second...

what is watching a cache? if i decide to watch someone's cache, what will happen?

[+mtn-man]

On a cache page on the upper right you have an option to watch a cache. Click that and you will get an email notification when someone posts a log on the cache page. If you get tired of watching the cache you can remove it from your watch lists. Regular users can watch 100 caches. Premium users can watch an unlimited number of caches (but that is a lot of email).

[+Sputnik 57]

If you're curious and they're not shy, try posting a note on the cache page thanking the cachers for "watching" and asking them to e-mail you if they wouldn't mind. Only a small percentage of cachers read the forums, but they should get an e-mail when you post a note (I think) and may intriduce themselves.

[+Renegade Knight]

I think you could use the number watching a cache with the average log length as a meausure of the elusive cache quality factor.

[+Riddlers]

Watching the Original cache you will find a high number. I am one watching that one since I discovered it a while back. While watching it, I saw where it was maintained and I was fortunate to visit the first cache myself this year.

[+CompuCash]

I have heard one cacher say, (who will remain nameless) that he/she watches all caches he/she found until it is found the next time.

 

Ken

do you know for what purpose?

[+CompuCash]

I think you could use the number watching a cache with the average log length as a meausure of the elusive cache quality factor.

ok - but if most of the 'locals' and 'pros' have found and logged the cache. why would someone be watching most of mine and one even has 3 watchers?

 

hmmm.... privacy issue huh? seems to me the privacy is on the wrong foot here - seems the owner should have the right to see who is watching - huh? ya think?

 

---

Edited September 7, 2004 by CompuCash

[+Torry]

Several reasons to watch other peoples caches.

 

-- keeping tabs on a a nearby cache to see who visits.

--- double-checking their own work

-- they REALLY liked the cache

--- saw some problems and want to see if they are fixed

-- dropped of a cool item and want to follow its progress

--- send "neener neener neener" noes to DNF's

-- nosy

--- rookies who don't understand that they AREN'T supposed to do that

-- FTF sending "neener neener neener" notes to the rest

--- marking a nearby cache to raid for TB's

-- all the reasons listed earlier

[+LeslieL]

I'm watching one cache close to home because there are problems with garbage in the area and I want to get help from the service club that's looking after that stretch of highway - gathering data to build a case.

 

I'm watching three others that I haven't found yet to see if I can get more clues to help me next time I give them a try.

 

So there are some of the reasons. I certainly don't mind the cache "owners" knowing that I'm watching, but I know there's a lot of concern about privacy these days and I guess the Geocaching.org people are just being careful.

[+Nighthawk700]

I have heard one cacher say, (who will remain nameless) that he/she watches all caches he/she found until it is found the next time.

 

Ken

do you know for what purpose?

I watched my first few caches to make sure I hid them properly afterwards. If the next person to log it said it was left out in the open, or impossible to find, I would have known I was doing something wrong. Apparently I did okay though.

[+woody_k]

What Nighthawk said was the same reason.

 

I just found a cache that was last found in January so I put it on my watch list to see when will it be found next. After that i'll remove it from my list.

 

Ken

[+FtMgAl]

I have heard one cacher say, (who will remain nameless) that he/she watches all caches he/she found until it is found the next time.

 

Ken

do you know for what purpose?

I watched my first few caches to make sure I hid them properly afterwards. If the next person to log it said it was left out in the open, or impossible to find, I would have known I was doing something wrong. Apparently I did okay though.

I watch all of my finds until the next finder also. If there is a problem with the next finder I try to understand if it was something I did wrong. If there are no finders in the usual amount of time for that cache I revisit it to make sure it is still there. Once someone else logs it then it is their problem.

 

BTW, you won't find me in the watch number. For my purposes an email wouldn't do any good. Either it is found/problem which I will see when I bring it up manually or no one has tried it in which case I wouldn't get any email but I would still need to check it manually to know for sure. In any case I review all unfound past caches every few days (as of today that's only 3). The "All Caches Finds" page from the "User Stats" tab makes it easy since they are sorted by your found date and includes last found. I have a bookmark that takes me directly to that page.

[+Thot]

I'm still new to this but and i have placed 3 caches.  when i checked them today (online) i noticed that one of them is being watched by 4 people and another by 3. 

I scanned the thread, and must have missed what I’d guess is the most common reason people watch caches -- they failed to find it and want to be sure it’s still there. Plus, as someone did mention, maybe pick up some hints from new finders how to find it.

 

The cache I had the hardest time finding has 8 people watching it.

Edited September 7, 2004 by Thot

[+wimseyguy]

For my reasons I'll select one from column Thot (I DNF'd it and want to see if someone else can do better, or gives up a hint in their log), one from column Torry-a really cool one I just want to be reminded of every time someone finds it (the Roman Forum cache for example), and two chef's choice-I watch special caches I'm planning to visit soon, or planning to emulate at some future time. (like the 5/5 I did yesterday) It will now stay on my watch list for reason #Torry.

 

So you are not paranoid-they really ARE watching you.

Looking at my hides-the harder and more creative ones are watched more than the mild ones.

[+littleamerica]

I'll sometimes watch a cache where I've left a travel bug as an indirect way of checking the health of the bug. If several people post finds for the cache without mentioning the bug I can usually change the bug's status to Unknown.

 

Watching a cache to check the health of the cache itself is generally less effective as many cachers have an aversion to logging Did Not Finds (DNFs).

[+Markwell]

I watch the caches within 10 miles of my house just to know who's popping into the area (right now that's 154 caches). I started out watching caches within 50 miles, then went to 20, and now I've settled at 10, and it seems like a reasonable amount of e-mail. Sometimes I'll see a cacher's name that I recognize in the forums. I'll drop an e-mail an say "Hey - saw you were in the area today - sorry I missed you."

 

I also watch caches that I list as part of my top 10%. Some are not local, so I want to know when something is archived, and I also like to hear the experiences of others that are finding caches that I thoroughly enjoyed.

[+Chuy!]

I have about 20 caches on my watch list.

 

Most are DNF's or temporary unavailable. When the owner brings the cache back online he/she usually posts a note the cache is up, and I get the message.

 

2 are on the watchlist because I couldn't find them and am looking to see if other cachers find it.

[+CompuCash]

I have heard one cacher say, (who will remain nameless) that he/she watches all caches he/she found until it is found the next time.

 

Ken

do you know for what purpose?

I watched my first few caches to make sure I hid them properly afterwards. If the next person to log it said it was left out in the open, or impossible to find, I would have known I was doing something wrong. Apparently I did okay though.

I watch all of my finds until the next finder also. If there is a problem with the next finder I try to understand if it was something I did wrong. If there are no finders in the usual amount of time for that cache I revisit it to make sure it is still there. Once someone else logs it then it is their problem.

 

BTW, you won't find me in the watch number. For my purposes an email wouldn't do any good. Either it is found/problem which I will see when I bring it up manually or no one has tried it in which case I wouldn't get any email but I would still need to check it manually to know for sure. In any case I review all unfound past caches every few days (as of today that's only 3). The "All Caches Finds" page from the "User Stats" tab makes it easy since they are sorted by your found date and includes last found. I have a bookmark that takes me directly to that page.

 

don't you know you don't have to watch your own caches? You will always be notified of any notes on your own cache pages.

 

[+Prime Suspect]

hmmm.... privacy issue huh?  seems to me the privacy is on the wrong foot here - seems the owner should have the right to see who is watching - huh?  ya think?

I really don't agree. You weren't around during the "pirate" times, and don't have the historical perspective.

[+wimseyguy]

I really don't agree. You weren't around during the "pirate" times, and don't have the historical perspective.

I mostly agree with PS on this issue, but after reading through those old threads I had this thought-(which I didn't see mentioned earlier):

Just post a note to your own cache:

Hi this is cache owner-I'm just idly curious who the watchers are on my cache. If you aren't as paranoid as I seem to be could you drop me an email identifying yourself and your reason for watching my cache?   

[+Snoogans]

LOL! A local cacher complained about not knowing who was watching her caches. She DEMANDED to know. Most had between 1 and 3 watches on them.

 

The next day all of her caches had AT LEAST 20-30 watches on them.

 

My point is what's the point of wondering? People can and will watch a cache for whatever reason suits them.

 

Whether you think so, or not, your cache is a gift to the geocaching community. People with control issues will get a great deal of heartburn from this sport. There is no shortage of type "A" personalities here.

Edited September 8, 2004 by Snoogans

[+Torry]

... reason #Torry. ...

It finally happened, I've become nothing but a number.

[maddog1404]

I am watching a few caches personally. Some of them I have already found and the other one no-one has found yet