Spoilers In Logs & Pictures...

[indianalee]

Hi all...

I have a question for ya... I have been having an issue with people

posting TOO MUCH information in their logs and pictures. While in the cache description, I warn people that haven't done the cache yet that there are

spoilers, I know lots have read the posts and seen the pics before they search for the cache. This gives away LOTS of surprises!!! I mean, yeah.... I like to read all about the times that they had and all that, but HEY!, some of it is a bit overboard. For an example, check out the last few posts and pics for Tube Torcher... (ONLY IF YOUR NOT INTERESTED IN SPOILING YOUR TRIP!!!) I'm talking about stuff like mentioning "stage 1 this happened, stage 2 this happened, stage 3 this happened..." & using terms and wording that gives the hunter everything that they are suppost to find out on their own... SO... my question is: How does one go about enforcing the NO SPOILER rule that the cache owner is requesting??? Any and all comments are welcome!!! THANKS!!! Indianalee

[+jeff35080]

How does one go about enforcing the NO SPOILER rule that the cache owner is requesting???

 

About all you can do is encrypt their logs, delete them or ask the person who logged it to edit their logs to remove spoilers. Happy geocaching!

[+wimseyguy]

I agree IL. As a TT veteran with it on my watch list, I cringe every time I read one of those. Although it does say above the logs on the cache page-"warning spoilers may be in the logs or links", that shouldn't give carte blanche to finders to give details like they do. All I can say is email the offenders and ask them to edit their logs to be less specific with the details, while still giving the sense of great accomplishment that a find on this cache deserves. You do have the right as the cache owner to encrypt, and even delete offending logs, but that is an extreme step, which I hope you do not need to take.

[+sbell111]

Would you prefer if everyone logged 'TNLN TFTC'?

[+AtoZ]

Well I just simply ask them to change there log, if they don't then I'll delete it. Sometimes people think they are being cute and trying to give hints but it is NOT up to them it is you cache. If they don't then just delete it. There are many thing that I don't what people to know about my caches. But I would, and do, ask and then if they say no, no one has as of yet, then I would just delete there log.

IT IS YOUR CACHE and you have put a lot ofwork into it.

cheers

[+wimseyguy]

Would you prefer if everyone logged 'TNLN TFTC'?

That would be the opposite extreme, and appropriate for a routine lamppost micro perhaps. Tube Torcher is one of those really special caches (199 watchers today!). It will inspire detailed logs of your escapades and adventures, but that shouldn't give you the right to post the kind of stage by stage details that have been posted recently. In fact the cache page deliberatly does not detail the number of stages, but some of these logs do. I agree with the OP that it's gotten out of hand.

I don't think I found too many of your (sbell111) caches during my two visits to your area; nope just a few of the PGuards, but how would you feel if major spoiler logs were being posted on your more difficult and detailed hides?

[+sbell111]

I'm sorry that you didn't look for either of my multis. Others have enjoyed them, but they take some planning and it is much easier to grab micros in my area.

 

I realize that TT is a great cache. I am one of the people watching it. I also agree that overly informative logs are not good. The 'solution', however, is as old as the game itself.

 

Encrypt any log that is 'on-the-bubble'. I would ask anyone who left a clear and obvious spoiler to change his log and remove any pics that give too much help (or shows graffiti, but that's a different thread ). If they fail to change their logs, the owner must decide whether its appropriate to delete and live with the consequences.

[+fishingfools]

I have politely asked people to edit their logs and or pics if the are give-a-wyas or contain the info needed for a virt.. Folks have been good about it, never had a problem.

[+WARedBear]

Warning.  Spoilers may be included in the descriptions or links.

Every cache page has this warning above the logs. It is up to the cacher if they want to read the logs, view the pictures, and decrypt the hints. They have the choice to take the cache as stated or spoil the adventure and have someone point it out. I personnally do not read the logs, decrypt the hint or look at pictures first. I like the hunt for what it was designed for. What I hate (personal preference) is where the hider tells you exactly where the cache is located in the cache description. I looked for one last Saturday that stated...

10 feet from power pole and 4 feet from large

rock at the base of an elderberry bush, tucked

in beside an old moss covered cottonwood stump.

This plastic container is about the size of a

soda can and is full of geo-stuff and a log book.

That bugs me more than spoilers in the logs. I don't have a choice to read/or not to read. It is part of the cache description.

I don't think it is right for logs to be deleted because they don't meet "our" standards. I think you are deleting the cachers personal experience. I enjoy reading the cachers logs and the fun they had or the difficulties in finding the cache.

[+nittany dave]

I have politely asked people to edit their logs and or pics if the are give-a-wyas or contain the info needed for a virt.. Folks have been good about it, never had a problem.

I have done the same and usually had a good response.

 

Also, I feel that TT is one of those special caches that should not have spoilers in the logs or pictures. When you've finished TT, there is plenty to write about without giving away number of stages or posting pictures showing exactly what you'll be doing.

[+StarBrand]

Ask is all you can do.....

 

I encrypt logs that give away too much at my caches and have asked for a picture or 2 to be removed (all have complied). I personally would never delete a log that "gave away" too much information without first encrypting it and asking the logger to edit and giving time to do so. I firmly believe that MOST such cases are entirely accidently and arise from people honestly wanting to share the experience.

[+Old Joe Clark]

SPOIL is the key word here. I just looked at the cache page again and I see things that will certainly spoil some of the fun for future hunters. Hope you get it resolved IndianaLee.

 

edited to add: If you find anything I need to remove in my logs, please let me know! ojc

Edited March 18, 2005 by Old Joe Clark

[+The red-haired witch]

If the owner doesn't mind that some people can get the cache more easily after reading the logs, I think encryption is the way to go, rather than deletion. That way, people who don`t want spoilers don`t risk seeing them and people who are just reading for fun (logs of caches they don`t intend to try, for example, or have already done) can get all the details of the hunt.

 

Tube Torcher has interesting logs and, as I`ll almost certainly never manage to go there, I don`t mind reading spoilers. I do find that the March 11th logs complaining of a snowstorm are pretty funny. What snow storm? I don`t see snow and the ground is not even white on the pictures. I`m guessing what they call a snowstorm in North Carolina is called "a few melting flurries" where I live.

[CoyoteRed]

What is unfortunate is the fact when a log is submitted it is shot off to all of the watchers. There nothing that can be done to get those back.

 

All you can really do is to politely ask the loggers to edit out portions of their logs. If not, then encrypt or delete it. It's drastic, but what can you do, alway them to take away from the hunt for others?

 

I'd have to say, some of those pix are flat out spoilers. Might as well have posted the final coordinates.

[+briansnat]

The few times blatant spoilers were left in my cache logs, I nicely asked the logger to change the log. In each instance they did.

 

Ecryption really isn't a good option. I'm sure it actually entices some people, who otherwise may have ignored to logs, decrypt it to see what it says.

[+Team Perks]

Ecryption really isn't a good option. I'm sure it actually entices some people, who otherwise may have ignored to logs,  decrypt it to see what it says.

That's exactly what I do--if I see an entire log that's encrypted, I immediately have to know what sort of juicy information is in there that warrants the mystery...

[JohnX]

I don't think it is right for logs to be deleted because they don't meet "our" standards. I think you are deleting the cachers personal experience. I enjoy reading the cachers logs and the fun they had or the difficulties in finding the cache.

I have asked several cachers to edit posts to my caches. In one case, someone hinted it would be nice to swim in the reservoir right near a cache. The other two described run-ins with local law enforcement about the poor choice of parking spaces. I emailed the cachers and asked them to edit this information out of the logs. All complied. I did this because of a problem with a cache I placed that nearly got geocaching banned from hundreds of acres of really nice property in Dartmouth, MA. It took two meetings with the land managers to resolve the situation. I do not want any hint of possible problems with my caches in the logs when undecided land managers read them. I then edited my cache pages with more specific parking information and warnings when parks close.

 

I encrypted one log that gave cute and obvious spoiler information about a cache I spent a lot of time on. If I ask a finder to edit their log and give them good reason and they don't, I will have no problem deleting the log entirely.

[+TetrAmigos]

Ecryption really isn't a good option. I'm sure it actually entices some people, who otherwise may have ignored to logs,  decrypt it to see what it says.

That's exactly what I do--if I see an entire log that's encrypted, I immediately have to know what sort of juicy information is in there that warrants the mystery...

I second that.

[+flask]

i've never had anyone refuse to edit spoilers out of their logs.

 

in case it should happen, there's always the delete option.

[+JohnnyVegas]

I had some one do a 3 part multi of mine and they included all the information required find the final stage of the cache in there log and they even posted photos of all the hints with links to web sites that also included all the information to do the cache. I just deleted the log and told them to post a proper one. No I did not email them before I deleted their log, if they are that stupid why would I want to e-mail them first.

 

They did send me a nasty e-mail explaining all the work they had to put into there log, that one with all the spoilers, seb site links and photos of the hints. To them they did not see a problem with posting spoilers.

 

I have seen other cases in which cachers have posted spoilers and when I have

e-mailed them it has taken several days to have them make the changes.

 

As far a encryting a log, give me a braek, it is still a spoiler and I delete spolilers from all my caches.

[+Night Stalker]

I had a cache owner request that I edit one of my logs. As the cacher I thought I was telling a good story and did not realize that my log included information that would be considered a spoiler. Once I was asked I changed my log immediately. Sometimes us dummies don't realize we are giving to much away in our log.

 

[+NCParrotheads]

I went back and re-read my log for Tube Torcher. I decide it was "borderline" so I edited it a little. Hopefully it is now more appropriate.

[+Jamie Z]

The other two described run-ins with local law enforcement about the poor choice of parking spaces. I emailed the cachers and asked them to edit this information out of the logs. All complied.

These are not spoilers, nor do I think it was appropriate to ask that this information be removed from a log.

 

If I have a "run-in" with law enforcement, I'm probably going to tell about it in my log. I don't understand why you want to hide someone's experience.

 

This very sort of thing happened to me recently. I was on a cache hunt where the closest parking to the cache coordinates (~100 feet) put me in the parking lot of a government building. I stepped out of my car and took a picture of a directory sign on the building.

 

In my log, I mentioned that the cache was awfully close to a government building (the cache was actually hidden in the space between the hedges and the building) and uploaded the photo with a caption reading "View from my parking space."

 

The owner insisted that I delete the image because the offices listed on the directory were down the hall, and not in the portion of the building where the cache was hidden.

 

Again, my cache logs are simply a description of my experience. If there aren't spoilers, how can you ask someone to alter their experience?

 

To be more on topic, my big pet peeve is people who use the information included in the hint in their logs. Such as "We finally found the pine tree and then saw the cache." when the hint says something like "At the base of the pine tree."

 

I don't think anything can be done about it. I've asked a small number of people to remove spoilers from logs, and all have complied. The older a cache is though, the less worried I am about spoilers.

 

The reasons I think people do this are a combination of not thinking (I've been known to mindlessly write a spoiler in my log, only to notice it myself later, or have the owner point it out to me) and it seems some people like to "help" those cachers who come after them, as if the object of the game is to make it easier for someone to find the cache.

 

Jamie

[Shoobie & the Sand Crabs]

How does one go about enforcing the NO SPOILER rule that the cache owner is requesting???

 

About all you can do is encrypt their logs, delete them or ask the person who logged it to edit their logs to remove spoilers. Happy geocaching!

yes you dhould do this this delete the log then e-mail the cacher and tell them to redo it with out the spoilers

[+Ltljon]

Like Wimseguy I've cringed a lot lately reading those logs. Why spoil it for future finders? I guess some people feel like they're helping them out but I bet no one wants help! Sorta defeats the purpose of "finding".

 

I had a similar log left on one of mine a while back but just shook my head & left it.

 

I'd ask for an edit but wouldn't it be nice if we could edit logs on our own caches?

[+diverhank]

Like Wimseguy I've cringed a lot lately reading those logs. Why spoil it for future finders? I guess some people feel like they're helping them out but I bet no one wants help! Sorta defeats the purpose of "finding".

 

I'm not for putting spoilers in the log but if a cacher is worried about having his/her experience spoiled...then why read the log? One can always read them after having found it, not before.

 

I must confess I used to read the log before setting out and looked for clues... That was until one guy put a totally bogus hint in his log for a fairly easy multi that set me back a good half hour . I still do read the logs for hints if I get stuck but learned to take them with a big grain of salt.

[+treasure_hunter]

You can delete or permanently encrypt their logs.