Geo-checkers….when did they first show up?

[Trekkin and Birdin]

Does anyone know when the notion of things like “geochecker,” “evince” or other programs included on cache pages first arose? I don’t recall really seeing them so much in the first year or so we were doing this (2006) but we also probably weren’t doing many puzzles early on. I remember seeing some that had things like “if your north coordinates are correct, the numbers will add up to 24” (checksum, I think those are called) but not a dedicated geochecker.

In conversation recently, we were talking about whether all puzzle caches need them. I don’t think a well done puzzle needs them, but of course there are exceptions. I’ve solved many a puzzle that once I had the solve, there was just no need to even check. And if we went out boldly in pursuit and discovered we’d been overconfident in our solve…..that’s part of the game.

[sandlanders]

We started in the fall of 2007, and I think the first puzzles we tried had geocheckers. I remember running across one that had a check sum, and I thought that was out of the ordinary, so checkers must have gained popularity before we got into the game.

[hack1of2]

I’m glad there are coordinate checkers out there. Otherwise what might happen is one might go to the incorrect coordinates and trespass on someone’s land and that could reflect poorly on the geocaching community. It’s perhaps more of an issue in cities. Worse yet they could get attacked by a dog or shot for being in the wrong place.

[BeccaDay]

I agree. I once did a field puzzle that I miscalculated. The coordinates seemed to be right in someone’s backyard but up against some woods. I didn’t know the area if it was a park or not. I walked around in the woods a bit but felt really awkward. Finally I backtracked and realized my error, the puzzles wording had been a little ambiguous. I was really wishing there was a checker on that one!

Oh the woes of the short geocacher!

[Trekkin and Birdin]

Field solves can be a bit more…puzzling that way. Those I solve at home, I can check the maps ahead of time if I have any question about my solve and if it makes sense. There have been those that, when on site it seemed like a bad solve after all. We can walk away from those…can’t get them all anyway.

I still contend that a well done puzzle should leave no doubt as to the accuracy of your solve, in the majority of cases. EskoClimber near Duluth rarely puts one on his, and when I figure them out, I just know I got the right coordinates. I put them on ours, simply because of complaints, but almost all of ours don’t need one, either.

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