First cache - a Virtual Cache

[bkaysimon]

I am very new to Geocaching (hello to you all!) and "placed" my first cache, which is a virtual cache to an old cemetery that has areally old closed bridge over a river right across the road. It's a very historical type find, a really pretty area and the bridge is just too cool and too out-of-the-way to not take notice of. I enjoy taking in local history. Anyway, tonight I received an e-mail from someone that was a little rude I thought and simply stated "Don't you know that no one loooks for virtual caches?" (which is not true - after just a few days my virtual has its first find and I have logged one as well)

 

so my question I guess would be, do most geocachers tend to ignore virtuals or do I just need to ignore this person?

[+MountainMudbug]

Ignore this person.

 

They are entitled to their opinion (however rude and uninvited it may be) but don't let them change your mind.

 

If you've found someplace that you feel is worth sharing, by all means please share it - there are plenty of us out here who will appreciate it and enjoy it

[+smithdw]

I like virtuals about as much as physical caches. Most of the time I'm really impressed with the item/location/whatever the virtual is pointing out. I have learned a lot about the history of the area (a whole lot more than I learned in school, some 20 years or more ago).

 

Ignore the person.

 

If they don't like virts, so be it. Almost everyone around here that I know of will try to get to ANY type of cache, although some don't like the locationless types too much. I like those too, it's fun trying to find something that matches up with the requirements (or logging it before anyone else does).

[+briansnat]

The real question is how did you get a virtual approved? That's rare these days!

 

And yes, ignore the person. Some geocachers won't do virtuals, but they're in the minority.

They aren't my favorite, so I won't go out of my way to find one, but if I happen to be in the area

I'll look for a virt.

 

"It has been my experience that folks who have no vices have very few virtues" -Abraham Lincoln

[+MiTuCats]

quote:

---

Originally posted by BrianSnat:

The real question is how did you get a virtual approved? That's rare these days!

---

 

Our first cache (only one so far) was a virtual and was approved quickly and with no questions asked. Approval might depend partly on the region, the approver, the density of caches in the area, the uniqueness of the virtual and a variety of other issues.

 

The second cache we found was a virtual and we've gone to several since, enjoying every one. The opportunity to learn something is as important to us as finding tupperware and ammo cans. Others disagree, that's their right and privilege and I would never try to dissuade them. However, that shouldn't stop anyone from placing or visiting a virtual.

 

Therefore, don't feel bad, ignore the person and keep on caching.

 

With apologies to Markwell, see the following thread for a variety of opinions on this topic, from both sides of the fence.

http://ubbx.Groundspeak.com/6/ubb.x?a=tpc&s=5726007311&f=4016058331&m=74360461&r=16360461#16360461

 

"Roads? Where we're going we don't need .... roads" --Dr. Emmett L. Brown

[+BigJon]

I haven't found a Virtual one yet but plan to soon. I have been really in the mood to do some bush wacking so when it gets a bit hotter I'll be looking for the virtual ones.

 

Ignore the person.

 

To each his own.

 

[HamsterMom & Hamsters of War]

We have only done 9 caches and have found regular, micro, virtual and this past weekend, our first multi. Because one of our team is disabled - sometimes he can hike, other times he can't, we enjoyed the virtual.

We placed our first cache - it is a virtual and people are saying they never knew that the item they need to find was there. We were surprised when we saw that there was no cache there already - that is one reason we put it in. It is a great cache for someone in a wheelchair/stroller and people who work downtown can catch it on their lunch break. My point is that to keep geocaching a family thing, there needs to be all kinds of caches as well as a variety of difficulties so everyone can participate. Don't get offended because someone didn't like the fact that you placed a virtual - it probably isn't his thing but could be just what someone else wants!

 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

Hamsters - buy 2 get 10 free!

Draykoh, Yorik, Senyth, Harry, Hermione, Ron, Rubeus, Minerva, Ginny, Jumper, Pounce, Lenny, Squiggy, Micro-Sprite, Midgey and our much loved Boru (RIP)

[Team Cthulhu]

The first cache I placed was a virtual-its been a success so far! I would agree with the other posters-Ignore the person who sent that email to you. For them to assume that their own opinion is held by evey other geocacher in the world is a bit conceited, to say the least!

[+Brian - Team A.I.]

I have 5 caches placed, with 2 of them being virtuals. One is to the Fallen Officer Memorial for DPS officers in the State of Arizona at my work headquarters, and the other is for an officer memorial on the side of the highway where he was gunned down during a traffic stop. Of all the finds I've had on both of them, I have been thanked by the cacher for taking them to these places, especially the memorial at the HQ. To me, they are very special, and I could care less if a cacher thinks they are too good for virtuals. Those that do visit have at the very least, a mild emotional experience as they themselves pay tribute to the officers listed on the plaques. I would love to travel the state and create virtuals of each of the fallen officer memorials, so that each officer at some point in time is honored by a visit to their respective memorials.

 

Brian

Team A.I.

[+flask]

many of us enjoy virtuals, and at the same time make apologies for them. they just aren't stylish, and people who ought to know better feel they have a right to heap scorn. i like boxes. i also like the odd virtual; it makes a nice break in the day.

 

i also UNAPOLOGETICALLY enjoy the even less stylish locationless. and i liked moving caches, before they were grounded.

 

to email you and inform you that you are unstylish is simply rude. not only should you ignore this person, but you should begin to wear plaid with stripes and button-down oxford shirts with your bell bottoms. be proud. be brave.

 

it doesn't matter if you get to camp at one or at six. dinner is still at six.

[BalloonChasers]

I agree with MountainMudbug. Ignore them. We visited this virtual last summer and we still talk about it. Read the logs for yourself.

 

Echo

 

This was just as much fun as finding a traditional cache or maybe more.

 

"Dream no small dreams, they have no magic."

[+chaosmanor]

I don't know where that goofball got off the train, but I think he missed his station! I find a good virtual tour to be as least as much fun as a box, both to find and to set up. I've done five virtuals, and have two more "in the loop"; I've gotten nothing but wonderful comments on them, whereas two of my physical caches are off-line (vandalized or worse), two others get lots of negative comments amongst the positives, and only two (our very first and our most recent) have gotten nothing but high praise. But all of the virtuals - from a tour of a local zoo to a stop at an archeological dig - have gotten many "Thanks for showing me this; I never knew it was here" comments, which is very gratifying. Don't let the occasional bonehead deter you from setting up a virtual! Make it interesting, move the finder around a little if that is appropriate, make them think, and most geocachers will come and thank you for showing them something new.

 

So many caches; so few pairs of decent shoes

[+Renegade Knight]

Virtual are fine I do them along with traditional caches when geocacing.

 

It's multi caches I avoid when I'm not near where I live.

 

=====================

Wherever you go there you are.

[WolfPack2099]

I actually love doing virtuals, especially if it's in an area I'm unfamiliar with. It's really neat to see interesting local sites... anything historical is a big plus in my book! In Las Vegas, there are tons of virtuals, most of them leading to the Nevada Historical markers.... fun and educational!

[+drat19]

I'll add my 2 cents and say that I love both chasing and placing virtuals to break things up from those occasionally-rigorous hikes through the woods.

 

Case in point: Before virtuals started getting harder to get approved, a bunch of cachers in the Ft. Worth TX area placed a whole bunch of virtuals all over town, and when I was in the area on business a while back, I spent most every evening after work chasing them. It was GREAT...I learned so much about the history of the area and found places I never would have if I'd just stayed in the office and gone back to my hotel every night.

 

I've also placed a group of multi-stage virtuals in the area of my hometown, Biloxi, MS, and so far I've gotten universally positive reviews from those who have chased them, enjoying the scenery and the history of the area. To make it a challenge, I have folks solve a puzzle at each stage in order to derive the coords for the next stage, and so on. I really enjoyed placing it and working out the puzzles for folks to solve (search on zip 39530 if you're interested), and my finders have indicated their appreciation as well. It's all good.

 

I understand the rationale for limiting virtuals (for one thing, if one is placed less than 0.1 mile from a possible spot for a physical cache, that ends up "closing off" that area for said physical), and I understand why some cachers feel the sport is only about chasing a physical "thing", but obviously there are enough of us who feel that virtuals are just as much a part of this sport, that you should give that critic's comments the attention you feel they deserve (sarcasm intended).

 

-Dave R. in Biloxi

[+catcher24]

I agree with everyone else in this thread. There are no virtuals in my immediate area, but I look forward to getting to an area with virtuals and finding them. As many above have mentioned, it is great to find out some local history and color when in an area. I look for "off the beaten track" things to see when in an area, and looking for virtuals prior to travelling to an area would make it that much easier to find some unusual local things to see. Don't pay attention to the individual; keep the virtual there and add some more if you can. BTW, I want to know how Flask discovered my wardrobe!

 

Catcher24

"You see, you spend a good deal of your life gripping a baseball and in the end it turns out that it was the other way around all the time." Jim Bouton

 

[This message was edited by catcher24 on May 15, 2003 at 04:49 PM.]

[+Moses]

I've found a few caches that were virtuals and have a couple myself, but now we have been told by the geocaching gods (approvers) that unless it's some kind of unique place that might be damaged by placing a traditional cache then a virtual will not be approved. As my last virtual that was turned down, the approver said " who wants to take someone new to the game to nothing but a bunch of historical markers." I like learning about the history of an area, especially if I've never been there before. Also I cache with all types of people and some aren't able to hike 2 or 3 miles in the woods to find a cache. That's why we need to have a variety of cache types for everyone to enjoy the game. Just enjoy playing and if you find something of interest that others might like post it, then hope you find an approver that don't mind virtuals.

[+Eswau]

I'm heading out in the morning to do at least two virtuals. I've got a 16 month old daughter and a 7 month pregnant wife. Sometimes a virtual or parking lot 1/1 is all we can do as a group.

 

Eswau

[+Kordite]

My first (and, so far, only) cache was a webcam virtual. I admit that it wasn't terribly interisting but I suppose it go approved because it was a webcam and not just a "find-the-plaque" type of ache. It was a start. I am planning something more ambitous as my experience expands.

 

An apparently recurring thread is the general tendancy of cache items to degrade from high ticket items to McToys and junk. Everyone says they are in this for the hunt and that the treasure at the end is merely a bonus but I don't care how you rationalize it, when you open a cache after a hard search and find garbage, the taste of victory is soured.

 

The marvelous advantage of a virtual cache is that it cannot suffer in that way. Most descriptions pretty much tell you up front what you're going to find so there's no reason to be disappointed.

 

I also have just discovered Locationless Caches. Well, I knew that they existed but hadn't looked at any. Well, I went through the list and noticed that I had already been to at least 9 caches already. I had digital photos and coordinates collected for geosnapper.com photo albums. What I didn't have was the photo of me and my GPS at the site necessary to actually log the site. I'll be going back when my digital camera comes back from the shop.