Multis And Puzzles

[+Joypa]

I am working on a multi-cache because I like them. Anyway, the first set of clues has a fairly simply mathematical formula so we work it out and go to the spot and....zip. So we fumble around and try different things. What we found is---The cache hider reversed the coordinates! We figure this out and continue. Not too much trouble until we get to the fifth stage. The coordinates are in the middle of a highway! Reversed again? Maybe, but nothing found at the reversed site. There is no clue about reversing coordinates. Is this common? Shouldn't there be some clever clue to give you a hint? Shouldn't this guy check his math? Venting...

[+c88m]

It's quite possible he/she made a mistake , did you contact the owner asking about this ? I know I made a mistake on one of my multis by giving the wrong coordinates , which was easy because I had too many coordinates that I had/was working with at the time . I'm currently working on a puzzle very carefully as to not make that mistake again .

[+Joypa]

Thanks, and yes I did email the cache owner. Currently he is out of town and will return next week. He will probably assist me with any confusion or math errors. My beef is that they should be caught before the cache is approved.

[+IV_Warrior]

My beef is that they should be caught before the cache is approved.

Kinda tough, since the reviewers DON'T go out and find caches BEFORE approving them. Granted, one with coords in the middle of a highway should have raised an eyebrow, but if the spot looks like a normal place for a cache, how's a reviewer supposed to catch an error like this?

[+fizzymagic]

Kinda tough, since the reviewers DON'T go out and find caches BEFORE approving them.

Given that the most visible reviewers on the boards go out of their way to gush about how much they prefer multis to so-called "power trails," that excuse is pretty weak. A reviewer should check all the math for each of the waypoints in a multi to assure that it is functional before approving it.

 

What's particularly galling to me is the hypocrisy involved in the preference for multis, given the constant pious statements we get about about forbidding "vacation caches" because they won't be maintained well enough. In actual fact, the chances of a vacation cache being where it is supposed to be are much higher than those of a multi-cache with more than 3 stages being fully functional. Especially with multis that require long hikes, I would estimate that probably only 10 to 20 percent are in working order in my area.

 

In short: If an approver cannot verify that a multi-cache is set up properly, it should not be approved.

[+IV_Warrior]

Given that the most visible reviewers on the boards go out of their way to gush about how much they prefer multis to so-called "power trails," that excuse is pretty weak.  A reviewer should check all the math for each of the waypoints in a multi to assure that it is functional before approving it.

If the reviewer does the math, and the spot looks like a viable spot for a cache, how are they to know that the placer goofed when marking his waypoint, and the cache is really 200 feet away?

 

I guess you're saying reviewers should go out and find every cache before listing it? Yeah, and people complain about how long it takes to get cache approvals as is........

[+Hoppingcrow]

If the number values to be input into a puzzle cache must be found at one leg of a multi, there's no way a reviewer could check it without physically going to the site. I recently placed a multi/puzzle and had friends try it to be sure my math was correct before submitting it for review.

[+Joypa]

I want to clarify that I was not blaming a reviewer for the problem. It is the cache owner's responsibility to check his math and that, in my opinion, is where the problem lies. I understand that a reviewer can not physically check every submission. Frankly, I am perfectly happy with the current way things get reviewed. My "vent" had to do with a cache owner who was careless. There is not much anybody here can do about that. It's just annoying enough for me to want to vent in the forums.

[Trinity's Crew]

You figured out that the hider reversed the coordinates? Wow, that was either a stroke of luck or amazing detective work. That's why I don't do too many puzzle/multi-caches.

[+Joypa]

Well, when the initial coordinates take you into a lake, you have to try something.

[+Harry Dolphin]

Oh, well. In a perfect world, all would run perfectly. I, for one, am human (actually, I''m a dolphin...) and I do make mistakes. And, surprisingly, I have learnt that others make mistakes too. Oh, well. All part of life.