Puzzle cache poll

WGA Member Joined: 2007-11-26 Posts: 3258

15-day poll.

Posted: Tue Feb 16, 2010 3:02 pm

As owner of some pretty tricky puzzles, I prefer that all finders solve the puzzle, or have at least attempted to do so. But I don't hold it against anyone if they're, for example, in a group and log the cache. Besides, to each his/her own.

WGA Member Joined: 2007-02-03 Posts: 2180

I'm kinda middle of the road on this one so I voted other. First of all I'm not big on puzzles even though we have found 140. My idea of geocaching is using the given coordinates to find something hidden in the woods. I checked the 140 that we found and there were about a dozen that we had help on from previous finders or the owner. Two of them were solved by our grand kids. One involved SpongeBob and the other involved texting; both are subjects that we know nothing about. We had no guilt in logging them since our grand kids are frequent caching partners. We have had offers to either tag along on group finds or be given gift coordinates and have turned down both offers. We have probably taken our grand kids along to find 50 of the puzzles that we've solved and I don't think they should feel guilty logging them. They introduced us to geocaching and it's my way of paying them back. Most of the 10 closest unfound caches to home right now are puzzles and we probably will never find them or do we really have that much desire to. It really doesn't bother us that they're out there.

Posted: Tue Feb 16, 2010 3:35 pm

I've signed the log on a few puzzle caches that I haven't solved, but I haven't logged them online yet. Even on a couple that the CO said its OK to do so. If I ever solve them, I'll log online. Some cachers see this as another taboo. All the steps have to be taken, just in a little different sequence.

Posted: Tue Feb 16, 2010 5:11 pm

I just checked, and I own 29 active ? caches. Most of those are field solves, so it is not an issue. 4 are Challenge Caches, and of course I do care that folks meet the requirements of the challenge before logging a find.

That leaves 7 that are actual puzzles, and personally I dont care how folks figure out the coords. If they solve the puzzle, fine. If they get the coords from a friend, that is fine with me too. I am probably in the minority with that view, but as far as I am concerned, play the game the way you want.

Also, from a pragmatic perspective, I am not sure how I would go about verifying foks solved it themselves anyway. I am not about to send finders of puzzle caches a quiz to test if they really solved it or not.

z

Posted: Tue Feb 16, 2010 5:24 pm

I'd imagine that most people would be middle of the road on this issue

Posted: Tue Feb 16, 2010 5:28 pm

zuma wrote:

I am not about to send finders of puzzle caches a quiz to test if they really solved it or not.

That's happened to me once... Confused

Posted: Tue Feb 16, 2010 5:30 pm

I'm a fencesitter on this one, so I entered an "other" vote. In principle, I do understand each of us has our own reasons for playing this game, and to each his own. I like to solve puzzles on my own before looking for the cache itself, defining "on my own" as spending quite a bit of time before asking for small hints if needed. So yeah, after the hours I spent on S4 or some other tough puzzles, it bugs me just a tiny bit to see someone claim those as tagalongs or whatever. But I get over it pretty quickly and move on. All I can ever hope to do is control my own actions and choices. What others do is beyond my reach and I just can't worry about that.

Posted: Tue Feb 16, 2010 6:23 pm

As with my views on temps not being real caches, puzzles that you do not solve should not be logged either.

As we do not usually cache with others, so we solve anything that we find, up to now most have been field solves, except for a few of B-squared in Escanaba that we solved last year, but I did sit down Sunday and solved over 12 and bookmarked 18 more that can be field solved. usually we filter out puzzles on our PQ's so I can add these to the GPS at any time.

Posted: Tue Feb 16, 2010 6:58 pm

Did other, as well. If someone taught me something about solving the puzzle, I will log it, whether it be the CO or another cacher.

I did find one once while caching with a group at the WBCB and got a few e-mails from cachers asking how I found the Final when a WP was missing!

I deleted my own log! Embarassed

Posted: Tue Feb 16, 2010 7:25 pm

zuma wrote:

but as far as I am concerned, play the game the way you want.

z

Trekkin' and Birdin' wrote:

What others do is beyond my reach and I just can't worry about that.

Well said guys....

Posted: Tue Feb 16, 2010 7:44 pm

I answered other. I used to actively work on puzzles and share solves with others as we cached as a team. Sometimes the solves were mine, sometimes theirs, but relatively equal. I have been called out on it, and decided to end that practice. Having my integrity questioned logging puzzle finds took quite a bit of the pleasure away, and quite frankly there are plenty of challenging caches out there that only require that I sign the log book to prove myself. I still do the occasional hard puzzles (the S4s come to mind), but not nearly at the level of interest I previously had.

WGA Member Joined: 2004-05-19 Posts: 730

I admit, I will log a puzzle if I didn't solve it, but only if I put some real effort into trying to solve it. There are some puzzle cache logs that I have signed when I was with a group, but did not log as I didn't even look at the puzzle. For that, I don't deserve the smily.

Personally, I would appreciate that the cacher would have at least made an attempt at trying to solve the puzzle before logging the find. But I can't and won't dictate how people play. I've got more important things to expend my energy on than chastising, manipulating, guilting, shaming, condemning, etc people for logging a cache I may feel they have not rightfully expended the time, energy or brains in actually solving first.

Posted: Tue Feb 16, 2010 8:08 pm

There are rules and requirements dealing with the placement of caches.

There are no rules dealing with the finding of caches.

This poll is interesting, to see how many are on which side of the fence. But the fence does have lots of holes in it .........

Joined: 2009-06-05 Posts: 2119 Location: Menominee, MI

I've always cached solo on puzzle caches. I have only found two puzzles that are not field solves. I took a look at other puzzles and didn't even bother to sit down and try and solve it. I'm not gonna spend 10 hours trying to crack a puzzle. If I can't even begin to figure it out, on my iggy list it goes.

But I will not log caches that I didn't solve. This goes for challenge caches too.