› Forums › Geocaching in Wisconsin › Announcements › ALR Caches Are No Longer Allowed
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zuma.
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04/04/2009 at 1:49 am #1728024
Here’s a thread on the geocaching.com main forums you might want to read: http://forums.groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=218388
ALR (Additional Logging Requirements) caches haven been stricken from geocaching.com. There is no grandfathering. I.E. if you had logging requirements on any of your “mystery” caches, they no longer apply. All finders may log the cache simply by finding it.
A whole new section has been added to the guidelines:
Logging of All Physical Caches
Geocaches can be logged online as Found once the physical log has been signed.If it is appropriate for your cache location or theme, you may ask the cache seeker to accomplish an optional and simple task, either close to the cache site (normally within 0.1 miles or 161 meters) or when writing their online log. For example, wear the goofy hat inside the cache container and upload a photograph. Cache finders can choose whether or not to attempt or accomplish optional tasks. Cache owners may not delete the cache seeker’s log based solely on optional tasks.
This guideline change applies immediately to all logs written from April 4, 2009 and going forward. Older caches with “additional logging requirements” (ALRs) are not grandfathered under the older guideline. If you own an existing cache with mandatory additional logging requirements, we request that you:
Cease deleting logs based on additional logging requirements.
Review your own cache listing to see if the ALR can be made into an optional and simple task, or whether it must be removed altogether.
Adjust your geocache listing by editing the text then contact a reviewer to change the cache type, if appropriate.It seems that “challenge caches” will “stay”. However, all other types of ALR caches will cease to exist as they were.
I have not finished reading the entire forum thread but wanted to pass it on as soon as I saw the posting.
-cheeto-
04/04/2009 at 1:56 am #1905097Interesting. I think that ALRs were a pretty good idea, but it got run amuck with craziness. Currently there are about 40 mystery caches in MPLS that the ALR is only that you be a premium member. Kind of dilutes what a mystery cache is a bit.
I own several ALRs that I thought were fun, for example Eagle Spotting, where ya had to post a photo of an eagle (which is easy in the area of the cache). Anyway, this seems like it had to be taken away because people always dont use good judgement, which is the same reason that virtuals had to go away. I love a great virtual cache, but after seeing a number of lame ones in Vegas, I understand better why they had to take it away.
z
04/04/2009 at 2:02 am #1905098How will this effect Earth Caches????
04/04/2009 at 2:05 am #1905099Wow…took a quick scan of the thread…this is huge.
Could we get a reviewer’s thoughts on this?
(Curious what Marc has to say too…)
On the Left Side of the Road...04/04/2009 at 2:06 am #1905100There is a followup that says Earthcaches and Virtuals are not impacted by the change as they do not have physical caches to find. Nor are Webcams.
04/04/2009 at 2:11 am #1905101This will answer my question and ad to the reason “why” this is being done.
Code word verifications are included in this: they too are an ALR which should not prevent someone who signed the log from claiming that cache as Found.
EarthCaches are not affected by this guideline change. They do not have a physical container. They will continue to require some form of verification.
We have made this change because, over time, the ALRs attached to a rapidly-growing number of caches have devolved to have little or nothing to do with geocaching: the act of finding a unique container/location using latitude and longitude. Many ALRs now only distort the spirit of the game. We regret that a few really cool ideas may be lost as a result, and we apologize to the cache owners concerned. Groundspeak has decided that the number of ALRs which approached and even reached the absurd had grown large enough.
04/04/2009 at 2:13 am #1905102Wow!!! This is sweet!
Marc, what are you going to do with your WSQ900 series???
04/04/2009 at 2:28 am #1905103No grandfathering? That seems harsh. We’ve enjoyed doing Marc’s WSQ900 series and continue to look for photos for these. Where will they draw the line between a “challenge” (like well rounded cacher) and the kind of ALR they want to end, like tell what your favorite superhero is? ?
I might be inclined to drop the well rounded if that’s the case. It dilutes the value for those who log it as intended. Oh well.
04/04/2009 at 2:37 am #1905104I fell short of being a jerk and logging one of marc’s 900 series that I already signed and didn’t have a picture.
I think for Marc’s series we should all act like grown-ups and perform the now “optional task” so that we enjoy those caches as the owner (marc) intended. They’re still a neat idea regardless.
Of course if you follow marc’s puzzle event advice, go ahead and log them now without the pictures. 😛
04/04/2009 at 2:39 am #1905105I might be inclined to drop the well rounded if that’s the case. It dilutes the value for those who log it as intended.
If your well rounded cache is a challenge cache there is no “dilluting”. You can still require the challenge to be completed. At least that’s how I read her post and the guidelines. It does not sound like they intended to “dillute” challenge caches.
However, it sound like adding more challenges will be frowned upon… not that I was going to make anymore anyway.
04/04/2009 at 2:44 am #1905106Yeah, I just read that and it sounds like Well Rounded can stay. We might have to take a look at How Hungry, though. Maybe take the cacher who’s one away from finishing it out to eat and then put the big red line through that puppy. We were going to do a spice of life type one, where you get one of each cache type in one day. Maybe we’ll just let that slide now.
We both agree that for us, we’ll continue to play Marc’s game the way he intended. If the purpose of geocaching is to get you to look at your surroundings, these have done that quite successfully.
04/04/2009 at 2:49 am #1905107I’m just going to flat out archive my EarthCache Tic-Tac-Toe challenge cache. I’m disappointed with the decision but understand it.
04/04/2009 at 3:04 am #1905108@-cheeto- wrote:
Of course if you follow marc’s puzzle event advice, go ahead and log them now without the pictures. 😛
“For me, a find is a find. And that is, after all, the standard definition of finding a cache – find the container. “
On the Left Side of the Road...04/04/2009 at 10:53 am #1905109Wow, I am surprised at this change. Quite a major one, based on how GroundSpeak usually does not like to make changes.
Now, what about my WSQ 900 series?
1. I will change the pages to ask each Team to try and find a photo of the appropriate item. Obviously, it will now have to be optional.
2. Change type of cache? To Traditional if anything. Means a lot of you will loose the Mystery icon on so many finds. Perhaps it is not required.
Heading to Escanaba …. will have something to talk about on the ride.
04/04/2009 at 11:53 am #1905110Here’s the official verbiage for the “challenge” caches:
Challenge caches incorporate special logging requirements and are listed as Mystery/Puzzle caches. Typically they require the seeker to have previously met a reasonable geocaching-related qualification (Waymarking and Wherigo qualify too, of course) such as first finding a cache in every county in your state. If you are thinking of creating such a cache, please include a note to the reviewer demonstrating either that you have met the challenge yourself, or that a substantial number of other geocachers would be able to do so.
So, to use Marc’s caches as an example here, the photo requirements for each individual Mystery cache are now (according to groundspeak), “optional.”
However, the bonus/final/challenge cache to the series, which requires you to find all the other caches in the series, is A-OK.
Same goes for fizzy challenges, Delorme, etc.
Also anything where (like us) you’ve structured a final/bonus cache as an ALR/challenge for practicality sake. That is, rather than require you to (somehow) collect partial coordinates from each of our 91 Shawano Cemetery Challenge caches, you simply find them before finding the bonus.
The stated intent here is to make challenges “geocaching-related.” Performing different tasks that are not geocaching related, now “optional.” Finding other geocaches first is a geocaching task.
I’m not thrilled with this change because it eliminates, or at least dilutes, some great ideas, but it appears to be an instance where some ruined it for all. As usual.
On the Left Side of the Road... -
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