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On the Left Side of the Road...
No, I got OPS’s post, but I still don’t equate common courtesy…”thank you for the candy!”…with epic logs on all our caches. Many people who enjoy writing and telling their stories do so, but everyone at least tells us “tftc.” They are following that same convention of saying “thanks.” Sure, I’d like more, who wouldn’t? But I also give out candy for our enjoyment, and if the kiddies like it too, we all win.
I’ve held my tongue in this whole discussion, but have spent the last week helping my parents pack up their home of 54 years (which was my home during the first part of my life, too), and somehow all the back and forthing about what people say when they log a find seems so minor to me right now. If people expect great logs all the time, it might be best not to place caches. For me, I enjoy the really fun ones and appreciate all the rest.
So…I was led to believe that someone here had candy and they were giving it out for free………
I was wondering if I could have some?
Please?
I’ll write a nice log in return! 😆
Yeah, this game isn’t important in the grand scheme of life, but unlike life you don’t have to play it either. And let’s be honest with ourselves here, TFTC is not saying thanks, it’s pasting something into the box because GC doesn’t allow you to post blank logs. It would be like writing TFTC (thanks for the candy) on the front of your Halloween costume instead of taking the time to say it. Ditto for the same boilerplate text, how you’re an amazing platinum whatever or some pseudo-Latin garbage on every cache. Paste, click, paste, click, paste, click. 🙄
This is why I think the whole comment box should be optional because some comments simply do not improve white space. There are times we don’t have much to say either so we end up with a simple “found it.” If GC didn’t demand text in the comment box, this discussion wouldn’t even exist but I bet people would still be placing caches. The thoughtful finders would be writing thoughtful logs, and no one would be griping about TFTC logs because they simply wouldn’t exist. Again, letterboxing is a prime example of that. Because logs are optional, every comment is at least a sentence and I’ve never seen a “TFTB” log.
As I think I said a few pages back, I just get to the point where I consider the source. As in life, there are numbers of people in this game who you wouldn’t like if you met them and vice versa. Then there are those people who you do like and whose opinions you value. That’s why I just delete logs from the former and relish logs from the latter.
On the Left Side of the Road...Threads like this demonstrate to me why these forums are less and less relevant to the community at large. Frankly I’m tired of hearing all of the complaining around here and elsewhere in the Geocaching community…it’s a game, get over yourselves…
I can understand why so many folks who used to frequent these forums now stay away.
Like writing logs, reading the forums is optional.
I’m over myself.Ah yes, the irony of people complaining about people complaining. Rich indeed.
On the Left Side of the Road...@gotta run wrote:
Ah yes, the irony of people complaining about people complaining. Rich indeed.
I wonder how many levels we can take this to. 8)
I as a cache hider also prefer entertaining logs. However, I realize not everyone does this and I wouldn’t expect it from a P & G. I know that OPS has put a lot of time and research into his hides, which certainly warrant more than a “TFTC.” OPS has taken cachers to places that are (were) special to him and wanted to share the uniqueness of that area with other people. A TFTC was like a slap in the face to him because he felt he was sharing a part of himself with others.
There are cachers who consistently log this way. About a month ago a cacher who logs just a 🙂 asked me for a hint on one of my puzzle caches. I ALWAYS help when people ask for information. In this instance, my response was, “:)” Maybe they will get the message. I found out that this works both ways.
Now go caching!
We all have cache owners whose caches we seek out, because we know they’ll be worth our time and effort. OPS was one of the names on our short list, and I’m sorry to hear the return rate on his logs tipped the scales to “archive.” But there is wisdom in knowing what level of anything we can take, and I give huge kudos to those who know that. We have accepted that for many, the logging part of caching is not their thing, and relish the finders who do enjoy logging. But I do realize that for others it’s tough to look the other way, and that we all have to do what makes us happy. Life is stressful enough. Anything to do with geocaching should be (mostly) fun and an escape, and if that ceases to be the case…..do something else!
OPS, I completely understand your argument and why you feel the way you do. What I will say is don’t let the actions of people you do not know and probably would not even like to be around set the value on what you do. You did not put your caches out for lazy loggers, you put them out for people who appreciate them, and for your friends in the area and beyond.
But, I know it is difficult to not take those things as a reflection on your efforts.
On the Left Side of the Road...Archiving caches just because of a few TFTC’s, cut and pastes, etc. is going a bit too far.
Yes, I realize those type of logs can be annoying for a cache I may spend hours and money on placing.
But I’m not about to go into a hissy fit and pull my caches just because I get a few “TFTC’s”. For each one of those I get, I get several more well written logs by finders.
And by archiving caches for a stupid reason like that, you take away the fun from someone else that may want to find it and end up writing a nice log for it.
As far as I’m concerned, a CO can Archive a cache (or ALL their caches) at anytime, for any reason…even personal reasons. There are “Hiding a Cache” guidelines, as far as publishing and maintaining caches. There are logging guidelines, too. There are excellent Reviewers to oversee these things at the onset of cache placements, but it looks like the general caching public wants to police the fun from there.
My niece was visiting from Oklahoma this weekend. She uses her Smart Phone for geocaching. She finds an average of 1/month, as she usually has her 3 kids in tow. It helps her break up the day and distracts the kids from petty bickering. She is very grateful to COs that place P/G caches for the 4 of them to find. She attended “Quarry Quest” this last weekend and got her first real taste of hiking to a cache! But she had 3 other adults helping tend her kidos, too.
She looks forward to the day when she can have the time to write more meaningful logs.I guess I’m hoping that a CO never Archives all of their caches because of someone like my niece.
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