Official rule changes

Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 10:29 pm

Since some people are getting antsy, here are the changes:

1. Minor maintenance points are gone.
2. Complete replacement points are still available, but require cache owner approval.
3. Caches not found for more than 2 years are worth triple points. In addition, the rule that a cache has to be unfound for 1 year (or 2 years) at the time of the creation of the list will be removed (since no one seemed to understand this anyway.) This means that if you find a cache which hasn't been found within the last year, even if it reached that status after the list was established, you still get the double (or triple) points. The old rule was just confusing to everyone.
4. Any cache rescue is worth 10 points. There will be a new section on the reporting page where you can select any cache active on the Cache Rescue page.

The list of caches for January is going to be a little late (as I forgot to start pulling queries early enough). In case you don't know, I need to pull 19 pocket queries to build the Wisconsin cache database, and I was just enjoying the holidays and it slipped my mind to start pulling queries. I'm thinking it will be public by by 1/2. In any case, you can bet that any cache not found since 6/30/08 will be on the list, and any cache found after 7/31/08 will NOT be on the list. At this point, I'm not sure where the line will end up, but there are a lot of caches not found since August which cannot be on the list because the list would be too large.

Thanks,

Dave

PS: I don't think I archived any of Gotta Run's caches, but maybe I should, just for fun. And, what makes you think I am ONLY an apprentice?

Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 10:51 pm

LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!!

Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 11:57 pm

Woah! Dave a Sith Lord, Yikes Follow his new rules or else........

Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 9:05 pm

Let it be known that....Ecoranger's grant permission to replace any of our caches that appear to have gone missing. THANKS! Laughing

Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 10:22 pm

ecorangers wrote:

Let it be known that....Ecoranger's grant permission to replace any of our caches that appear to have gone missing. THANKS! Laughing

Ditto, from Zuma.

zuma

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

Negative from gotta run.

Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 8:29 am

Permission to do maintenance on any of mine.

I think it's a good .... routine. It catches caches which are missing, or have other problems, which are not reported in logs. That is, there are no logs about what ever the problem is. Still need to find a way to encourage cachers to log DNFs.

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

marc_54140 wrote:

Permission to do maintenance on any of mine.
... It catches caches which....have other problems,

A bit O.T. for this thread, but maintenance (logs, pencils, more swag, whatnot) is a lot different than replacement.

There are several reasons why we don't want others to replace a gotta run cache that "appears to have gone missing"--it's the opportunity to fix underlying problems with a better hide; move the cache to a better/less muggle-prone location; upgrade the container of a "legacy" hide, etc.

And most important--the cache is not always missing! We've responded to several "cache is gone" logs where, in fact, the cache was right where it was supposed to be.

And I seem to recall on the "Penultimate"--finding both the original AND an LCG replacement cache.

These are the reasons why we believe replacement should fall to the owner. But that discussion perhaps belongs somewhere else, or has already been had.

WGA Member Joined: 2007-02-03 Posts: 2182

I don't have a real strong opinion on the blanket permission that some geocachers are giving to replace missing caches. However I do have a strong opinion on giving back to the geocaching community which has become a cacth phrase of the Ecorangers whom I've become great friends with. Without them and Marc and Zuma and GR8EYES to name a few there wouldn't be the number of caches for the rest of us to hunt that there are. While it is the cache owners resposibility to maintain their hides as I approach nearly 100 caches hidden this becomes a little more difficult. So my outlook is that if someone else can help out some of these great contributers there is nothing wrong with that. All of these geocachers are also in the small group out of the thousands that hold events and volunteer in many other ways. So thanks to all of you and I hope someday other cachers will feel this way about me too.

Mister Greenthumb (Bill)

Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2009 9:39 am

Rules 11a and 11e...not fair! wink

Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2009 12:41 pm

Hey now, no whining about rules that do not permit whining....

Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2009 3:53 pm

Team Deejay wrote:

Since some people are getting antsy, here are the changes:

4. Any cache rescue is worth 10 points. There will be a new section on the reporting page where you can select any cache active on the Cache Rescue page.

As a relative but having lots of fun with the LCG I have a question. I did a cache rescue mission today on a cache today and was surprised that it's only 10 points. My assumption (let not get all balled up about this word) was that the 10 points were in addition to any legimate points I could earn.

I've searched the forums a bit and can find other references, but not anything that describes why it can't be a "double dip" situation (like TB's or long unfound caches). Just a thought from someone new to the game that has an inquiring mind.

I'm not complaining because I netted an ammo box that's in great shape (if the owner doesn't ask for it back)

Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2009 4:00 pm

You mean, like can you claim that you found it first (since it was still there and findable) and get LCG points for that, and then did the rescue mission to remove the "geotrash"?

Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2009 7:23 pm

I see your point.
But I think the cache you are rescuing is Archived, and no longer in play. If I haven't found it previously, I post a smiley with a LTF on the log. (Last To Find) I rescued one today that I found last year, but posted a Note, and the LTF on the log. No smiley; just the Rescue.
If you rescue one that you haven't found, post the Found It log, and take the smiley and the 10 points. If different, I'm sure our Moderator will correct me!

Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2009 8:06 pm

Like CodeJunkie, I couldn't find where this was specifically addressed. Found this:
12b. A cache can only be "DNFed" while active. If the owner or reviewers disable or archive the cache, it is out of play.
Does the second part refer only to the DNF in the preceding statement, or to all actions regarding archived and disabled caches?

I've seen lots of "Found It" logs on archived caches (as well as disabled ones), but that's for GC/smiley purposes, not LCG purposes.

The ways to score in section 5 of the rules appear to be mutually exclusive, but that is not specifically stated.

Maybe something to firm up for the 2010 season???? Is it too soon to start thinking about Year 3 of the LCG?