Is It Appropriate To Find Your "owned?"

[+Mr-Horne]

I am a fairly new geocacher and I own several caches around my hometown. If I go out and check on them is it appropriate to log one of my notes as a find?

 

I did on my first few and it does indeed go toward my "found" count. This is an ethical question for everyone. I have been doing it and it does help my found count, but I'm wondering if it's something I should keep doing: seeing as how I know exaclty where they are?

 

What do you think? Is it okay to "find" your own caches? Should the site be programmed so it actually adds them to your total? Is this fair? Am I 'cheating' by adding my own caches to my "found" total.

 

P.S. Don't be too hostile on me if you disagree (this is my 4th forum post and my first time starting a thread) Thank you all.

[Jeremy]

As the founder of the web site I don't care. Of course I also don't think find counts matter much anyway. But logically posting a note saying you found your own cache is a bit strange.

[+Ladybug Kids]

You can document your cache maintenance visits with a "Write Note" posted to the cache log rather than a "Found It." A note will increment the cache visit log without affecting your found cache logs. I use notes to document return visits to caches I've already logged as "found" when I pick up travel bugs or check on placement/condition when a series of DNFs show up for a local cache. That way, the cache isn't "double counted" on my finds.

[Jeremy]

I had assumed that Mr-Horne knew about the "note" log type, but that is indeed how most people post additional updates on their cache listings.

 

The site was built to be flexible about find logs. You can choose whether to use or abuse the feature.

[+Kilted Cacher]

It's your cache, so you can do what you want, that's what is great about this site. I personally will not log my own caches but just 'notes' when I do updates. I also don't log other people's caches more than once, even though I may come across them again.

[+ibycus]

Generally I would say no. Under extreme circumstances, well maybe.

 

Things like the following would justify a find log to me:

 

1. A team account owns the cache, all members logging under the same account, one member wants to go find the cache who wasn't involved in setting it up.

2. Someone moves the cache on you to re-hide it, and you have a tough time finding it.

3. Its a traveling cache

4. In the case of a virtual where you haven't physically visited the cache.

[+Algonquin Bound]

I would certainly feel that you are cheating, but you are only cheating yourself, right? As Jeremy said, it is kind of strange to log a find on a cache that you have hidden. I have some very close friends who do that and I have told them I think it is weird. As Jeremy also said, it isn't about the numbers. Yes, the numbers add up and a little friendly competition amongst regional cachers can be good fun, but surely you would feel guilty in such a situation if 10 of your 30 finds were your own caches. You might have a friendly rivalry with someone in your hometown who has 25 finds, all on other people's caches. Your numbers officially reflect as higher, yet he has found more caches.

 

If numbers are a concern, just focus on the fact that you have HIDDEN 10 caches. That shows on your stats page, too. [8D] Anyway, you're not harming anyone, but you asked for thoughts and those are mine. Happy New Year

[+webscouter.]

I logged some caches that I now own before I owned them.

[+Buddaman]

Well what about a Earthcache? I had one sent it to the GSA.(http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...5a-07acacafdfe5) and it is in my name but I have no control on page maintenance (editing log and what not) so could I log it if I follow the rules on the page?

[Jeremy]

Well what about a Earthcache?

There's no rule and I don't plan on making one, or any, regarding "find it" logs. That is for you and the community to make.

 

(edit: I'm nitpicky)

Edited January 1, 2005 by Jeremy

[+wvcoalcat]

I logged some caches that I now own before I owned them.

Yes, you adopted those few . That's a little different.

 

The geneneral conception is that you play the game as you want. there is no ultimate winner. The biggest question is that how can it be called a "find" if you hid iit.

[+BlueDeuce]

Yeah, sure you can, but why would you want to?

 

If they would allow smileys when I find my car keys, now you're talking!

[+Right Wing Wacko]

In general it is not considered appropriate to log ones own cache, but as stated by others there are no real rules against it.

 

One case that might be an exception would be a CITO event or similar event. You were there... therefore you can log it.

 

I have found logs on three caches that I currently own. Two are caches that I have adopted and had found before I adopted them. The other is a CITO event that I just happened to be the one that posted the page for.

 

Maintenance visits typically only get notes, and then only of there is something to say.

[avroair]

No, you shouldn't log your own cache. You didn't 'find' it. Whenever doing maintenance on my own caches I write a note. If you host an event I do 'attend' it since I was in attendence.

 

Hope this helps.

[+BlueDeuce]

Well, to go against the grain, since I get a count for hosting any event, I don't log an attended.

 

I don't log temp caches.

 

And I've never been to Boston in the fall.

[+Mr-Horne]

Well thank you everyone for your comments. I kinda feel silly now, but hey, I'm just getting into geocaching and thinking about this stuff.

 

I have no "rivalry" with anyone; and I guess you're right, it does seem kinda wierd to log your own caches. So, I think from now on I'm only going to post logs and edit the description itself.

 

Thanks again!

[+TresOkies]

I have logged event caches that I have hosted. When I do maintenance checks, I use a note.

 

I have logged one of my regular caches in an attempt to push DNFs down. The cache hadn't been visited in months, most likely because of two successive DNFs. I logged it as a find after verifying that it truly was there and so did my evil twin. Since then, it's been found twice in a month.

[+Wadcutter]

I would think you'd feel a bit silly if you logged your own cache as a "did not find". Not sure what a person would put in their notes. "Forgot where I hid it and don't remember how I cammoflagued it. Owner refuses to offer assistance."

We ran into some caches in the Rapid City SD area where the cache owner not only logged their own caches as finds but did so numerous times for nearly every cache. Maybe they could log their notes with "This area somehow looks familar."

[+D-cachers]

As most have mentioned, the numbers issue is a personal decision...but...a lot of folks do track their numbers via Keenpeople.com...where there is a rank-order listing based on finds.

 

I would imagine most of the "ranked" cachers might have a thought or two about folks logging their own finds.

 

Almost everyone says "the numbers don't matter"...but almost everyone knows how many they have found...interesting

[+Lemon Fresh Dog]

I use notes for cache maintenance. I suppose that if I had several DNF's on the cache, I might log a maintenance visit as a "found" in order to let people know that it is indeed there. Some folks don't read the notes and the "found" icon following several DNF's would let them know it is still in place.

[+GeoBrowns]

It's easy to edit any errors too. I recently found that I logged a cache as a 'note' instead of a find and went and edited it to reflect the correct icon.

[+Stripes17]

I would think you'd feel a bit silly if you logged your own cache as a "did not find".  Not sure what a person would put in their notes.  "Forgot where I hid it and don't remember how I cammoflagued it. Owner refuses to offer assistance."

 

I have had to use the GPS to find a couple of my hides when doing cache maintenance. Sometimes you just can't remember you hid them!

 

But no, I wouldn't log them as a find.

[+fly46]

I think that I would log a found for a CITO - you work darn hard at one of those events for a smiley...

 

My last CITO event, I was so mad... I'm working my butt off just because it's the right thing to do, and there was a group of people there (the event was hosted by the park service) that was also invited that was from a college... What were they getting? College Credit for Vanderbuilt University. Had I hosted that event, you'd be darn tootin that I'd be giving myself a smiley...

 

As for a regular event, no, don't 'find it' and as for your own cache, log a note when you do maintenance... That way, you have a record to show cachers of when you did maintenance.

[+draconis]

I've logged caches as finds, but only on caches that I have placed with a fellow cacher. He placed them with his account, and I 'found' it to remove it from my cache list. Because I don't 'own' it, I could 'find' it. When I check ona cache, I just post a note.