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An Important Message From Lactodorum And Eckington


Lactodorum

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Although I am posting this note, Eckington and I have collaborated closely in its composition. Please consider it posted by both of us.

 

Recent events which you all know about have caused us to reconsider our positions. We have tried to reconcile our personal feelings with the requirements of the moderating and reviewing roles. We thought we had managed to achieve this but it has become apparent from comments made to us that we no longer have the respect and confidence of the wider reviewer community. Therefore we have decided we have no alternative other than to tender our resignations to Groundspeak.

 

We realise this will inconvenience the UK and Ireland Geocaching community whom we have tried to serve over the past couple of years, but we feel we cannot do our job effectively under the current conditions. It is now up to Groundspeak to decide on what to do here. We will try to help manage the transition to minimise the inconvenience caused but as of now we are no longer moderating the UK forum nor reviewing caches in the UK, Ireland and other areas we previously covered.

 

We are more grateful than you can know for all the kind words of support that have been expressed by so many British and Irish cachers. They have meant so much to us both and we are sorry to have let you down. We are also grateful for the support we have received from the authorities at Groundspeak.

 

We will continue to support geocaching by seeking and hiding caches, and hopefully attending events and other gatherings under our usual caching ID's of dodgydaved and The Hornet.

 

Any further views expressed by dodgydaved and The Hornet are to be treated as personal views and in no way represent the views of Groundspeak Inc.

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Thanks for doing an excellent job under some very trying circumstances. I'm sure you have the thanks of everyone in the UK geocaching community.

 

I can fully understand your position on this, but cannot for the life of me understand how TPTB could have let this situation arise.

 

The terms, brewery, up, organiSe and p1ss come to mind.

 

A virtual bottle of finest single malt is on it's way to you both.

 

-

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Oh Dear. :rolleyes::ph34r:

 

I was afraid this might happen.

 

We don't know what the "comments" from other reviewers were, and we don't want to. Some public comments from the weak-minded few which appeared here, were bad enough to make such a decision understandable.

 

My personal thanks to Peter and Dave for their help and encouragement since I took up the hobby, and for their excellent work while doing this difficult job for all of us.

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We fail to understand how you feel you have let anyone down, all we can say is thanks for your excellent work, and we hope you reconsider your resignation, we could not have two better approvers/moderators.

 

hopefully

 

Team Marinor

Bill, Elizabeth, Will & Kirsty.

 

p.s., does anyone know of a trick to find a meriplat that was put away safely by your wife, have been searching for 6 weeks now, much easier to find a lunch box.

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Both of you will be sorely missed as reviewers/approvers and moderators. I see no way at all in which you have let any of us down, but respect your decisions. If I was in your shoes, I would feel lie a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders. It must have been very time consuming to have volunteered these roles, and at least now you can get out and enjoy your caching, and hopefully we can all get back to the same as well.

 

Many many thanks for all the time and effort you have devoted to the UK caching community!

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You both have mine and Lynn's full support in this decision.

Very sad it had to come to this.

Thanks for the help, guidance, moderation and approving of caches and forums.

And because we know it must be there thank you for what has gone on behind closed doors.

and no you have let no one down.

cheers and cache well

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This Is the first time that I have posted about the events of the last few days because I was so upset about it.Istill find it very hard not to say what I really want to say but the censorship of this forum has precluded sensible discussion.Both of you as moderators have the respect of most cachers so for you to feel you have to resign over a mess of somebody elses making will just further inflame the situation.It is with great sadness to see this happen.Now as far as I can see the ball lies elsewhere. Surely somebody somewhere is big enough to use common sense and constructive language . However it is possibly too late.I new neither of you except through your moderation of the forum but you have done a great job and I feel I do not need to tell you how much will be missed. I am sorry this is not a well crafted article but I am still so!!!!!! :DB):rolleyes::ph34r::):D:D:DB)B)B)B)B)

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Dear God... After experiencing this sort of thing in other hobbies we at last thought in geocaching we had a wonderful, "politics free" pastime. Unfortunately it is not to be.

 

This is a real disaster for UK geocaching and we so wish that i) you would both reconsider your decisions and ii) we can ALL get back to geocaching.

Edited by Birders
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it has become apparent from comments made to us that we no longer have the respect and confidence of the wider reviewer community.

:rolleyes: How can this be... haven't they seen how you have handled things 'over here'?

 

You certainly have our respect and our thanks for all your hard work.

 

It is a very sad day indeed, but hopefully you will both have the inclination (now that you have some extra free time) to find even more caches.

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I agree with all the comments above. You guys have given a commitment to the sport way above the call of duty. Whoever has to follow in your track log has some standard to follow!

 

On a selfish note, and bearing in mind why we're in this position, I'm slightly scared about who we might get in your place!!!

 

As for this "we are sorry we have let you down" -I don't know where you get that idea from.

 

Happy caching. It's what its all about!

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:D:D:rolleyes::ph34r::):D

I've just come in so this was a real blow, even if no surprise. Having skimmed what has already been said here I think that most of what I might have said has already been put better.

The UK caching community has been very well served since we had our own approvers/moderators and, with no offence meant to their predecessors, never better than the last two years by Dave and Peter.

I am very grateful for all you have done for us and feel that many would have pulled out quicker after the way you have been treated - you have my total sympathy. Now go and enjoy your own caching, though for the rest of us the future of UK geocaching looks a bit uncertain.

I would have asked you to reconsider but think that in this situation that would be unfair.

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Recent events which you all know about have caused us to reconsider our positions. We have tried to reconcile our personal feelings with the requirements of the moderating and reviewing roles. We thought we had managed to achieve this but it has become apparent from comments made to us that we no longer have the respect and confidence of the wider reviewer community. Therefore we have decided we have no alternative other than to tender our resignations to Groundspeak.

Sorry, but which events are we talking about here?

Things have been so hectic on this board lately I'm losing track..

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As many have said before me it is a sad day for Geocaching.

 

I for one fully respect your decision to resign in fact I am surprised you left it so long given the stick you must have taken over this.

 

I decided not to post on any of the topics over the last few days. Even though I have very strong views on what has happened I thought me adding to the posts could only make things worse. As it turns out the worst has happened anyway and we have lost two very committed approvers/mods.

 

Thank you both for all the time and effort you have spent making Geocaching better for everyone and I hope that whoever ends up taking over from you can live up to your high standards.

 

Dave - The Geckos

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That's extremely bad news.

 

Lacto and Ecky had/have the full confidence of the overwhelming majority of British geocachers, even if they dared not admit it either to themselves or publically.

 

For them to be told "shut up" by the dark side, was disturbing. For them to actually do so was even more disturbing.

 

Geocaching is big enough for all of us to get along and for us to get along with eachother, but this spat is ugly; very ugly. It has brought out the worst in what Murricanes call "the Ugly American".

 

L&E fought very hard for us all and they did not lose. They were merely beaten by superior and unenlightened force. They (L&E) kept backchannels of communication open because they knew that private communication is the best (perhaps the only) way to prevent a disagreement turning into something ugly.

 

Ultimately, they were beaten by the adverse Murricane attitude of "Shut up". That's truly sad. Very sad. It's a victory, if only a temporary victory, of ignorance over enlightenment.

 

Thanks, L&E, for doing your best; and for doing it so well; and for doing it for us all.

 

Cheers, The Forester

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You owe no one on this UK forum an apology! Far from it. In my short geocahing career I think you have both trodden a very difficult path with a careful and considered tread.

You resignations are not un-expected though as you are both gentlemen in the true sense of that word.

I'll refrain from being inflamatory about the cause of the trouble and ask instead in a tongue in cheek manner the following.

 

As retired reviewers you know where all the boxes are buried so can I tag along on your next cache hunt? Please!

Best regards

Alan Gough

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For them to be told "shut up" by the dark side, was disturbing. For them to actually do so was even more disturbing.

 

Geocaching is big enough for all of us to get along and for us to get along with eachother, but this spat is ugly; very ugly. It has brought out the worst in what Murricanes call "the Ugly American".

 

L&E fought very hard for us all and they did not lose. They were merely beaten by superior and unenlightened force. They (L&E) kept backchannels of communication open because they knew that private communication is the best (perhaps the only) way to prevent a disagreement turning into something ugly.

 

Ultimately, they were beaten by the adverse Murricane attitude of "Shut up". That's truly sad. Very sad. It's a victory, if only a temporary victory, of ignorance over enlightenment.

Thanks for clarifying that... pitty indeed, was just about to log my first UK cache :rolleyes:

 

Is there a www.geocaching.co.uk or similar site?

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Quote: Lactodorum

 

Biography:

After over a year at this geocaching lark I decided to try and help out by becoming a UK admin. Is this a good idea? Only time will tell! Anyway be gentle with me and I'll be gentle with you :rolleyes:

 

Look like it wasn't that gentle and time has told it. - I don't know you both but it looks like you have a strong and loyal following, even if it may not lie with the other approvers / moderators.

 

I think there is some good advice above - get back to caching and forever be remembered as doing you bit to make it that little better.

 

The Bronze.

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While I am grateful for all the good wishes expressed to Eckington and myself (remember this was a combined posting) I would like to make it clear that this is NOT a nationalistic plot. It is not America vs UK.

 

I have many friends and some family in America, I have, and will continue to, visit America frequently. Please do not try to paint America as some kind of "evil empire" in this. :rolleyes:

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was just about to log my first UK cache :rolleyes:

Is there a www.geocaching.co.uk or similar site?

I hope that you will log your UK geocache finds/hides right here.

 

Please don't let the forces of darkness kill off our sport/game by their unthinkingness.

 

The "shut up" mentality caused the problem. Shutting up will not cure it.

 

Cheers, The Forester

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was just about to log my first UK cache :rolleyes:

Is there a www.geocaching.co.uk or similar site?

I hope that you will log your UK geocache finds/hides right here.

 

Please don't let the forces of darkness kill off our sport/game by their unthinkingness.

 

The "shut up" mentality caused the problem. Shutting up will not cure it.

 

Cheers, The Forester

Am still in dubio... on the one hand I want to have a central place where people can find all the caches world wide.

On the other hand this forum has given me a bad taste with its attitude...

 

Maybe we should have a www.geocaching.co.uk for a local forum and use GC.com for logging caches... I think that would be a good compromise..

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Copy of post on both GAGB & G:UK:

 

I am sorry to hear that, both of you have worked your guts out for the UK Geocaching community, and we all owe both of you a hell of a lot of pint's. I'd like to take this chance to publicly appoligise to both of you, if anything I have posted on GC, or any cache that I own that you have approved, has caused either of you problems with GC. Time for both of you to relax and get out there and find more lunch boxes, and both of you please remove any comments you have both made in posts about " Letting the UK community down", if anything it is us that have let both of you down!

 

If this post, seems emotional in any way, it's because it is, I personaly feel, that I' should have done more to support both of you!

 

Dave :rolleyes:

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Being relatively new to Geocaching I have not posted on the forum but have been watching recent events. I am extremely sorry that L&E have made this decision however I can understand why they have done it.

 

We have lost two very dedicated approvers / moderators who have given up countless hours so we could enjoy our sport and it will be ours and Geocaching loss.

 

L&E I would like to thank both of you for all the hard work you have put in and if your ever down Horley way let us know we can have a REAL beer.

 

All the best

Andy

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I had stopped posting on these forums for personal reasons of my own, but that doesn't mean that this isn't a SAD, SAD day for British Geocaching :):D:rolleyes: .

Likewise, but I have no hesitation in coming out of my self-imposed ban to say that I appreciate all of the hard work that both of you have put into the Uk geocaching scene, and very much regret that this situation has led to this understandable decision.

 

However, the good side is that at least I now know who you both really are! Well, your geocaching IDs anyway!! :ph34r:

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While I am grateful for all the good wishes expressed to Eckington and myself (remember this was a combined posting) I would like to make it clear that this is NOT a nationalistic plot. It is not America vs UK.

 

I have many friends and some family in America, I have, and will continue to, visit America frequently. Please do not try to paint America as some kind of "evil empire" in this. :)

Hi Guys,

 

I echo what Peter said.

 

Many thanks for all your kind wishes. I'll see you all out there one day, I hope, and call in a few of those virtual pints you have talked about :rolleyes:

 

Cheers, and, as ever, cache Well!

 

Dave :ph34r:

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I'm sorry to hear this too, but to be honest I don't blame you. Hopefully the sport in the uk will continue ok and that you will be able to get out and do some more caching of your own.

Thanks for all your hard work that you have done in the past year and a bit that I've been caching. (and before that too)

 

You will be missed, but to avoid this sounding like an epitaph, fire up those waypoints and get hunting!

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I am honesty sad to see this as well (I don't care if you doubt my sincerity or not).

 

I do hope that if one day the whole truth does come out that the same people that are quick to dish out criticism will be there to offer an apology as well.

 

This is truly a sad time. :rolleyes:

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Peter and Dave, I'm really sorry to hear that you've decided to resign. You've both done an excellent job both as cache reviewers and as moderators, and you both had the full support of myself and I'm sure the great majority of UK cachers. I cannot see that you've let us down in any way at all.

 

This is a very sad day for caching in the UK.

 

Thank you both for all you've done.

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Guys, I am enormously sorry to read of your decision because you earned our respect and trust through your actions and efforts.

 

I have seen your hard work through GAGB, the effort you put into landowner approvals both individually and jointly, and where you have worked to enable the sucess we have seen this year.

 

I hope you can find the real enjoyment of geocaching again soon.

Edited by The Wombles
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