Stickers Instead Of Signature

[+Genius Loci]

I don't care how other people sign, stamp or sticker my own cache logbooks, but I do care about how I sign theirs. For me, the act of signing that log occurs at my moment of victory, and I mean to relish it, not rush through it!

 

When I first heard about geocaching, I knew I was gonna like it. So, I spent some time designing a custom logo before I went out to hunt my first cache. With the exception of about 3 or 4 caches (where I didn't have a sticker or my custom rubber stamp with me) it's been on the logsheet of every cache I've ever found.

 

But, I also like to sign my name (even though it's printed on the logo of my stamp or sticker). So I always do that, too. For me personally, it just don't feel "complete" without both.

 

I've also had some time now to think about why I go cachin', and I figure that fer me, it runs deep in the genes... the same genes that keep the old wolf out in all sorts of weather, marking his territory. That's one reason I stamp and I sign; and I like that idea about blood. I might have to add that, too... 'cause I'm afraid that markin' my Finds after the fashion of wolves might be going just a little too far... - Genius Loci ('the Guardian Spirit of a Place')

[+mrking]

The rules for finding a physical cache seem pretty simple to me. You find the cache, you sign the log, and you can count a find.

 

However, recently it seems that there are some people, mainly number-punchers, who cannot be bothered to take the 30 seconds or so it would require to actually sign the log themselves, and instead slap a pre-printed sticker with their name onto the log sheet.

 

Seems to me that this doesn't qualify for a "Found it!" log.

 

Discuss.

 

I think that the inevitable excuses about illegible handwriting are only excuses: that dog don't hunt for me. The real reason people do it is purely for numbers. 30 seconds to log a cache times 100 caches is nearly an hour in a cache-marathon day.

I don't know... as long as they have prooved they found it by putting something in the log book, what does it matter. Seriously - it's a game, not a ritual dictated by rules and regs. geez. Relax a little.

[+Wheelygood]

I like to write a little something about the hide or the getting there not just put a mark/sticker in the book. I'm one of the local FTF hounds so I'm usually out of breath when I get the log in my hands, add the panting to my terrible hand writing and that first page becomes pretty ugly. I'd like to see the log books have a spell check feature that would be helpful for me. I've used address label size stickers but they tend to get beat up in the pack or pocket, they didn't stick well to some types of paper and they didn't look that good. Stamps are fine with a few hand written words, I have a nice blue ribbon 1st stamp that looks good.

[+LSUFan]

Stickers: Fine

Stamps: Fine

Signature: Fine

An "X" smeared from the cachers blood: Fine

 

I'm really not worried about how they tell me they were there.

I believe I have used all of these in signing logs. Whatever way a person sees fit to sign a log is acceptable in my book (or logbooks).

[+The Blind Acorn]

I never thought of this being an issue. I recently created my own label, using my AVATAR and was pretty proud of it. I will usually slap the sticker in there, date it and if the cache is worth commenting on, I will jot a note in the log book. I don't care if people use stickers, stamps or whatever, just as long as they are caching!!!

 

[+Ladybug Kids]

Having said all that - my sticker is not just a sticker I slap on and run away - it has my avatar and my name but I write the cache number (find), the date and time, and then under that some kind of note as appropriate.  At least you can read who I am.

 

...

 

further, stickers don't run, smear, or bleed through the paper.  They are easy to read and spot.

The Ladybug Kid's sticker has our avatar on it and enough room to record what we took, what we left and the date. We also take time to write about the hunt if there was something fun about it such as almost fell through the river ice, fell through the river ice, waded uphill through waist-deep snow, saw one moose, saw two meese (mise? mooses?), froze our batteries (and other things) in -15 F weather, etc.

 

We created the sticker to have something more permanent and personal in the log book than the large number of loose business-sized calling cards we were seeing in some caches.

[+cachew nut]

I used to have a stamp, actually I still have it here somewhere. I sort of stopped using it since it is bulky to bring along and takes up too much space on a log sheet. Works great on logbooks but rather useless for logsheets.

 

I hardly ever write about the cache in the logs, just my name, date and time. If it's a small logsheet then maybe only the name. When I used the stamp, I always penciled in the date and time , so it wasn't about time savings.

 

I see a lot of stickers being used in my area, I think it's ok. I think they hog more space than needed on logsheets, but if I run across a full logsheet then I write on the blank spots of the stickers.

 

One line stickers would probably work best on logsheets. I should look for my stamp and throw it in my pack for those larger logbooks.

 

[+Moose Mob]

I started using stickers after a couple of 3-4 mile hikes, 2000 ft elevation caches in 110 desert sun. The logs were not looking good. I thought they made a great trademark, so I continue to use them. I will also use them on mad caching run days where I am too busy and have 130 more caches to find before lunchtime, if I ever get to that point.

 

My online logs are just as boring as my stickers and the signature pin I leave behind (looks like my Avatar).

[Mr. TSP]

If signing the log is required to count as a find then what happens if the logbook disappears? Do all those finds now become null and void.

 

Personally, I started using stickers because trying to write something while standing in the middle of the woods swatting at the gazillions of mosquitos devouring me with nothing firm or flat to write on while trying to come up with something profound to write is too much work. I usually take a few stickers with me with the date already filled out. Also, there have been many caches that I have found that were micros without a pen or pencil (of course I ALWAYS forget to bring one).

 

However if its a micro log I can quickly jot down my name and be done with it. I usually try to write up a nice account of my visit to the cache on the cache's web page.

 

Stickers, I vote yeah!

[+paul2tele]

I have stickers, but I don't use them all the time.

 

Reasons I use stickers:

- I have them with me

- my fingers are cold

- it's raining out and the logbook is getting wet

- there's not a lot of room on the page, and I can write the date an time on them

- it adds color to the logbook

 

Typically I'll write something, close with "Thanks", and use the sticker as the signature if the log will handle it.

 

Reasons I don't use stickers:

- I forgot them

- it's a really small micro and there's only room for an 8point font scribble per line

- I forgot them

 

I like seeing other people's stickers and stamps, which led me to print my own.

[+fizzymagic]

Do you really have nothing better to complain about? 

Amen

Thank you. I won the bet.

 

I bet another geocacher that I could post about something entirely inconsequentiall, and that within 4 hours there would be at least 4 posts attacking me for "being a whiner" or the equivalent. Thanks to folks like you, who cannot pass up an opportunity to belittle another cacher even if you have nothing to add to a thread, I won the bet.

 

Apparently, some people actually find the subject interesting, so I will leave the thread active for a while.

 

As for my conclusions about human nature.... well, I'll leave that to you to decide. I am heartened to see that most people who responded did so sincerely.

[+Moose Mob]

WTG Fizzy!

 

You know, I enjoy coming here to chat with the good people that do want to have sincere conversations, even these on these "inconsequential" topics.

 

What were the winnings, and will you share the loot with those that helped you win?

[+WRITE SHOP ROBERT]

I made myself some stickers, but can't seem to quit writing in the book anyway, I just like both I guess.

[+fly46]

You know, if you're worried about people actually signing the log book themselves, then do all the logs signed by one person in the group for everybody not count? Every time JoGPS has shouted "Sign my name" to the person holding the log book, should we delete those now? How about numbers runs where the person holding the log sheet puts down everyone's names there? Should we go delete every time I wrote "serenity now" in a log book for them or they wrote "fly46" for me?

 

No wonder some people don't have fun. After the big issues are delt with, people get nitpickey.

[+Tharagleb]

Well, Flask signs all my logs for me when we cache together... hmmm, maybe I should expend a little effort and go by a stamp! Actually I was thinking I ought to at least sign the log myself from now on. I just am not that imaginative and usually can't think of much to write except "Nice walk in the woods on an [adjective] day, it was a little [adjective] but not too bad. TFTC!" That's what most of my logs say...

[+Always & Forever 5]

Geez! Some people get bent out of shape over the smallest things! I happen to have stickers with our pics on them, and I use them and write in the log both. Where in the world does it say you must handwrite a log to count as a find??? Didn't I "find" the cache to place my sticker on the log?

 

When people begin to worry about the tiny issues like this, you know the fun of the game is gone for them... pretty sad, actually.

[+sbell111]

...I bet another geocacher that I could post about something entirely inconsequentiall, and that within 4 hours there would be at least 4 posts attacking me for "being a whiner" or the equivalent. Thanks to folks like you, who cannot pass up an opportunity to belittle another cacher even if you have nothing to add to a thread, I won the bet. ...

Don't you think that you rigged the bet?

 

... However, recently it seems that there are some people, mainly number-punchers, who cannot be bothered to take the 30 seconds or so it would require to actually sign the log themselves, and instead slap a pre-printed sticker with their name onto the log sheet. ...

 

I think that the inevitable excuses about illegible handwriting are only excuses: that dog don't hunt for me. The real reason people do it is purely for numbers. 30 seconds to log a cache times 100 caches is nearly an hour in a cache-marathon day.

 

Didn't you set people up to be hostile? I actually think they might have been kind of soft on you.

[+fizzymagic]

No wonder some people don't have fun. After the big issues are delt with, people get nitpickey.

Even after I revealed the purpose of the thread, some people cannot stop with the personal attacks. Pretty interesting, I would say. You might want to consider a long look in the mirror.