How Do You Deal With...

[+nfa]

Hi,

 

In the recent past, but especially since the L&O show, I've had some people I work with and/or know socially come up and ask me about geocaching. They often have some pretty serious misconceptions about geocaching...filling the woods with broken tupperware, digging holes in playgrounds and parks everywhere, etc.

 

I've explained geocaching, tried to debunk misconcatpions, and offered to take people caching to ee for themselves...

 

I was wondering what similar experiences you've had, and how you dealt with it.

 

nfa-jamie

[+briansnat]

They often have some pretty serious misconceptions about geocaching...filling the woods with broken tupperware, digging holes in playgrounds and parks everywhere, etc.

 

I explain why it isn't true.

[Jeremy]

Well, often I work with reporters. My favorite tactic is for them to ask a leading question and pause...

 

...

 

Pausing is intended to make the receiver of the pause feel uncomfortable and fill in the gaps by becoming chatty. This is a fun tactic reporters use to engage the interviewee into saying things that may be misconstrued. If you are ever interviewed make sure to remember this popular tactic.

 

That aside I just answer truthfully and talk up the positive aspects of the community. Parents reconnecting with their children, folks getting away from the computer or television to enjoy the outdoors, and CITO.

[+Jamie Z]

In the recent past, but especially since the L&O show, I've had some people I work with and/or know socially come up and ask me about geocaching.  They often have some pretty serious misconceptions about geocaching...filling the woods with broken tupperware, digging holes in playgrounds and parks everywhere, etc.

In four years of caching, I've never had this happen. Even since Law and Order. The worst anyone has ever said to me is that it sounded kinda boring, or geeky. Nobody has ever derided geocaching as unsafe, intrusive, or harmful to the environment.

 

Jamie

[davwil]

Well, often I work with reporters. My favorite tactic is for them to ask a leading question and pause...

 

...

 

Pausing is intended to make the receiver of the pause feel uncomfortable and fill in the gaps by becoming chatty. This is a fun tactic reporters use to engage the interviewee into saying things that may be misconstrued. If you are ever interviewed make sure to remember this popular tactic.

 

That aside I just answer truthfully and talk up the positive aspects of the community. Parents reconnecting with their children, folks getting away from the computer or television to enjoy the outdoors, and CITO.

Hi Jeremy

 

I'm afraid that I may "Sink my own boat" by saying this.... but, none the less.

 

I have worked in TV news for 25 years and I have learned that (like all other professions) there are good folks and bad folks.... those that know the difference between reality and those that deceive themselves... and others.

 

I have the benefit of being a "tech" but I also work with reporters and copy editors and I have actually been the beneficiary of many 'courses' on management and a whole lotta-other-stuff.

 

It seems to me that you may have been 'burned' by some Reporter.

 

All the best.

Dave

[+Renegade Knight]

I tell the truth. It works pretty well since geocaching is harmless.

[Jeremy]

It seems to me that you may have been 'burned' by some Reporter.

The only time I was ever burned was when I was the recipient of a staged interview that was instigated by a friend of the interviewer who had a general beef about geocaching. They took a quote about impact on geocaching and made it sound like I was badmouthing mountain bikers. It wasn't really a big burn.

 

No, I can figure folks out pretty quickly and was able to sort out many interviewing tactics before I was stung too badly. However it is frustrating when I get my message across in one way and it gets mangled into an incorrect definition (or in many cases, history) of geocaching.

 

One example is I normally attribute geocaching to Dave Ulmer but many reporters don't like hearing "X came up with the idea and Y created a web site and I built geocaching.com in 2000." Normally it comes out as "Jeremy built Geocaching.com" and I get attacked by being untruthful in interviews. But what can you say? It's in print so it must be true.

[+ohgr]

I've only been ribbed mildly about "hiking around looking for little boxes in the woods again?" But most people I've talked to about it think it sounds like fun, I tell them it's Hiking with a purpose.

 

I've left the Geocaching pamphlets in our break room and have had a couple people ask me about it, and have converted a few.

 

I would carry some of the pamphlets in your car/bike/desk at work and hand it to them to read. You shouldn't have to defend your hobby, especially one that tries to be as ecologicaly responsible as geocaching, No Digging, CITO, Tread Lightly, etc etc..

 

Ohgr

[+JMBella]

Always tell the truth, it's the easiest thing to remember.

[nobby.nobbs]

like others the worst i've ever had is a funny look and someone saying that it doesn't sound like something they'd like to do....

 

the pause technique is well recognised form of iterviewing in police. you'd be amazed how often someone will start to speak just because they don't like silence! try it in normal conversation

[+gsmX2]

We've had very favorable responses and interest when we explain geocaching to friends, family and coworkers until...........

 

........we get to the part where we start explaining Travel Bugs. That's were people start to determine that we have gone off the deep end and they just roll their eyes. Rule of Thumb: Never mention Travel Bugs until you've got your friend, family member or coworker out of the trail with a cache or two under their belts.

[+Marcie/Eric]

We've had very favorable responses and interest when we explain geocaching to friends, family and coworkers until...........

 

........we get to the part where we start explaining Travel Bugs. That's were people start to determine that we have gone off the deep end and they just roll their eyes. Rule of Thumb: Never mention Travel Bugs until you've got your friend, family member or coworker out of the trail with a cache or two under their belts.

Good point. I took my cousin caching for his first time (he's a skeptic of anything that doesn't involve beer) and I made the mistake of picking out a TB hotel for the little hunt I took him on (the only on I hadn't found in the area where parking was free). When we found it, he wanted to take something, as i'd explained the trading aspect before. I told him they were travel bugs, and that we don't take them unless we can help them on their journey, which of course I didn't know.

 

I mentioned before somewhere else. My cousins first response was negative, as it didn't involve women, beer, pot, or cigarettes. & we had to walk to get to it.

 

Once he saw my PDA and GPS and saw the tech aspect, I think he was impressed. & I let him find the cache. That always helps.

[+Team Rowdy]

We try to explain but we usually get a .......

 

"Huh............................................................................................................................................"

 

And the bit about TB...yep.

[+DaveA]

the pause technique is well recognised form of iterviewing in police. you'd be amazed how often someone will start to speak just because they don't like silence! try it in normal conversation

Since we are discussing the pause technique, I thought I would mention it's use it car sales at a dealership I once worked at. The philosophy was to present the final purchase price after trade in and then shut up.

 

If the customer didn't like the price, ask "well, how close to this number are you willing to go?" and shut up.

 

It was kind of funny, the sales staff specialized in making customers uncomfortable with the pause. The belief was whomever spoke first would lose the negotiations.

 

As to the original topic, I have never heard anyone I know spout off a misconception about geocaching.

 

The Law and Order episode was the first time I saw such ignorance displayed. I mean I know lots of people who have never heard of caching, but none that have heard of it and think it involves digging holes.

[+halley-peabody]

It might be a good idea to carry around some written information. I've seen the brochures and cards that are available, and those would be good to show to friends and family. What the current materials aren't as good for are the press. As a couple people have pointed out, dealing with the press can be touchy because they are looking for the shortest, simplest statement (if they are unbiased), or for something that can be easily misconstrued or twisted (if they are biased against). To that end I would suggest that someone come up with a press release or brochure that delivers the basics of geocaching and a short history in the most concise and straightforward way possible.

[+cudlecub]

I've not faced any negative comments about geocaching. If I ever did I would explain what it is and invite to find some caches with me.

[+RockyRaab]

Most "news" is as close to reality as that L&O show was to geocaching.

 

No matter what you say in an interview, the editing crew will cut, chop and re-arrange the order of questions and answers until they can present the worst possible (to you) viewpoint. They NEVER let facts get in the way of sensationalism.

 

You cannot believe this until you read or see a "news" report about some event or situation in which you personally know the real facts. Nothing you see or read will be remotely like reality.

 

To those who doubt those claims, allow me to introduce myself. I was an Air Force media spokesman for almost 15 years, a NASA spokesman at Kennedy Space Center, and one of two spokesmen for Thiokol Corporation. I have been interveiwed on camera, tape and print more than 5,000 times. I represented Thiokol (solid rocket booster maker) after the Challenger explosion. Think about that.

 

I personally believe that "news" and "investigative" reporters are lower on the lifeform list than liability lawyers or child molesters. (With apologies to anyone here who has to work with such scum.)

 

Back on topic: I've found that the "rolleyes" reaction to geocaching goes away if you take them out and let them find one on their own. Instant smile - and conversion.