logging event temporary caches

[rpaske]

So, what is the general accepted way to log geocache event temporary caches? Before the new ‘attended event’ we used to log each temporary geocache at an event as a find.

[rpaske]

quote:

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Originally posted by rpaske:
So, what is the general accepted way to log geocache event temporary caches? Before the new ‘attended event’ we used to log each temporary geocache at an event as a find.

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Following is a quote regarding event caches from Geocaching.com. Bold print is mine.

Event caches are gatherings for geocachers by geocachers to discuss geocaching. After the event has passed, the event cache is archived. While a music concert, a garage sale, a ham radio field day or an orienteering event might be of interest to a large percentage of geocachers, such events are not suitable for submission as event caches because the primary focus of these events is not geocaching and the primary attendees are not geocachers. In addition, an event cache should not be set up for the sole purpose of drawing together cachers for an organized hunt of another cache or caches. Such group hunts are best organized using the forums or an email distribution list.

For geocaching events that involve several components, such as a day-long group cache hunt that also involves a seminar and dinner, only a single event cache covering all components should be submitted.

So, does this mean that the temprary caches set up for the “green and GOld event are [B}NOT[/B] to be logged.

[This message has been edited by rpaske (edited 12-05-2004).]

[Cheesehead Dave]

If you’re concerned about stats, “Attended” still adds one to your find count, so you could theoretically log multiple “attended”s for each temporary cache found.

[rpaske]

quote:

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Originally posted by Cheesehead Dave:
If you’re concerned about stats, “Attended” still adds one to your find count, so you could theoretically log multiple “attended”s for each temporary cache found.

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Is that the official word?

Here is how the short discussion went at geocaching.com. http://forums.groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=83355&hl=

[This message has been edited by rpaske (edited 12-05-2004).]

[greyhounder]

My take on the “official” WGA word is — do whatever you would like to do for events.

Myself, I’ve decided just to claim the one find (attended) for the event as of this November. Just a personal decision.

But I think our temporary hides are very good. If other geocachers could attend our events and see for themselves, I think many of their opinions of event temporaries would change drastically.

Bec

[kbraband]

I agree. Log ’em all if you want to. You earned them. Personally, I also stopped logging all the found temps separately at events. However, I have no problem with those who do log them.

[Todd Bloomingdale]

I personally think that every person deserves the right to log each temp find. I mean, come on… If the caches are as good or better then some actual cache hides, why not deserve another find under your belt. People put in sweat and cuts and bruises to get caches why not get to log it..

This is just my opinion.

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“Be safe and Keep on Searchin”

[houseofbrew]

Although there’s always the argument of “leaving a wake of caches behind after an event”….I like that chicago events put up new caches with their own pages in celebration of an event. This allows people to find those clever caches days/weeks afterwards. If you can’t make it to an event because of scheduling conflicts, you can still hunt those creative caches the week after. It seems that the general gc.com concensus is “you should”/”you should not”/”let everyone play the game how they want”.

Personally, when I look back at my found list, I rarely open an event cache, and read through my “found it”/”attended logs” to remember the temps that I found. I do however, enjoy “watching” some of the new caches that were placed for an event. I seem to remember more of the “cache page caches” than I do the “temp caches”.

I would love to see less temp finds in some upcoming events. I don’t think temp finds are bad, nor should they be removed from events. I like variety. I think that there’s so much effort that goes into temporary hides some times, that it’s a shame they don’t have their own cache page.

[EnergySaver]

regarding planting new “regular” caches and release them on a day of an event … that would be cool when it would work … but I think of the upcoming event I’m hosting with EcoRangers … there’s no way the park would agree to us sticking 30+ new REGULAR caches in the park, yet they are very excited about having 30+ temporary caches and are practically begging me to make them harder (ie they’re really getting into this). On a semi-related issues, I have toyed with the idea of “releasing” maybe one “regular” cache in the park that day … but I’m leaning towards NOT doing so … because in theory, it seems to me everyone will visit it that day, but then it will not receive much activity after the event, since logically most of the semi-nearby cachers will have already found it … who’s left, for the most part, to find it?

[Ootek]

We’ve discussed this after attending our first event last summer, trying to determine the right thing to do. For ourselves, we’ve decided to log any of the caches we find on our own or in a group so long as we actively participate in the hunt. We won’t log those caches that we happen across as others are logging it since we didn’t actively join in finding it.

The Fugawi

[Linus4Cache]

quote:

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Originally posted by EnergySaver:
regarding planting new “regular” caches and release them on a day of an event … that would be cool when it would work …

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This does work…they do it at all of the Chicagoland events. You could contact someone like Genius Loci to find out how they do it. I would imagine it’s just a matter of getting together with the approver.

quote:

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Originally posted by EnergySaver:
On a semi-related issues, I have toyed with the idea of “releasing” maybe one “regular” cache in the park that day … but I’m leaning towards NOT doing so … because in theory, it seems to me everyone will visit it that day, but then it will not receive much activity after the event, since logically most of the semi-nearby cachers will have already found it … who’s left, for the most part, to find it?

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This statement really bothers me! What would caching be if people only hid them for those in the immediate area? I don’t think that a cache should be hidden with thoughts of who, or how many will find it. I think it should be hidden to bring people to a place that you enjoy. To show a place you’ve discovered to someone who may not otherwise have seen it. You never know when one person will visit your cache and be touched by it’s placement. No one can say what means something to someone else. To not place a cache because no one will go there…well that’s just silly!

[EnergySaver]

To clarify my statements …

I understand how I could get the geocaching.com approvals … it would just never fly in the rural settings specific to the area we’re having the event in. As an example, there are two regular caches in the area now, both with approval from the DNR, but at the most we’d be lucky to talk them into maybe 1 more permanent (which I’m likely to only do if I retire the current 1 I have there now). We are “guests” on the land where the event is held, guests for the day, not for a year or two.

Regarding my assumption that after an event not many people are left to find a cache in the future. I just think the reality is that that in my rural area, that I’m “fooling myself” to think after 40 or 50 cachers have found a cache in 1 day, that it will receive more than 1 or 2 visits in the year that follows. I guess it depends on the area, I have caches in the area now that are considered “popular” but have logged about 15 finds in their first 6 months. We just don’t have the traffic up in my area. Besides this point of mine is meaningless, if the property owners don’t want permanent caches. To put it in perspective, the DNR rep plans on walking my hide locations with me, so he knows where I put them and so he knows they’re gone after its over … I consider him a fair man, with excellent input and I respect his wishes and I’m just happier than a plump beanie baby that he’s giving us free run of the property for a day.

Any geocacher that knows me and my hides, knows that I will “leave no tree unturned” with regards to hiding new caches. I’d rather spend a whole weekend planning and hiding a new cache, than go out finding caches. Last month I found a great spot, planned a 5-step multi, with an elaborate theme that show cased a cool area; then I went back to plant the hides to find the area so over-run with paintballers that I feared for my families safety … I aborted the whole darn plan, for the good of geocachers, was not an easy end result for me to take.

[This message has been edited by EnergySaver (edited 12-07-2004).]

[Cathunter]

Understanding this particular cache might not apply due to the situation with permission or other area caches but I would re-think the idea that “all the cachers” are going to find a cache at the event and therefore it is somehow not a good permanent cache.

Consider that only a very small percentage of WI cachers will attend any one event.

The majority of WI cachers have NEVER attended an event cache.

Over half of the cachers in WI are not participating WGA members.

Some caches will be visited more that others, but I don’t see that as a factor in deciding to place one or not. Check out some of the caches in the mountains, or down on one of the keys off Florida. They might only get a visitor or two a year, but I cannot see that it makes them a bad choice for placement.

Maybe you just don’t have any interest in a cache that has few visitors… everyone plays the game for their own reason, thats ok too.

I would choose the lesser visited cache over another any day.

My apologies for the off-topic post.

[This message has been edited by Cathunter (edited 12-07-2004).]

[Ray]

There are several witnesses that saw you “attending” the temporary caches at the event Randy. You need to fess-up, admit you where there! Log the temp caches.

[This message has been edited by Trudy & the beast (edited 12-07-2004).]

[rpaske]

quote:

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Originally posted by Trudy & the beast:
There are several witnesses that saw you “attending” the temporary caches at the event Randy. You need to fess-up, admit you where there! Log the temp caches.

[This message has been edited by Trudy & the beast (edited 12-07-2004).]

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Yes, It’s true. I attended many more of the temporary geocache findings than I actually found. But then, I also visited with more attendees than then finders. Thus, my logs for the temporary geocaches reflect an attendance to the find, rather than the find. So, is this the final word?

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