logging event temporary caches

[Linus4Cache]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Cathunter:
…Some caches will be visited more that others, but I don’t see that as a factor in deciding to place one or not…

---

(Didn’t I just say that? LOL!)

My apologies for the off-topic post.

Not as off-topic as you think…

[GrouseTales]

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.

This doesn’t mean that you cant log temporary caches. It means that you cant organize an event just to get credit for caching as a group. It’s meant to elmininate the: “hey, everyone meet here at noon and then we will carpool over to a bunch of different caches and hunt them as a team” type of “event”.

At the first few events we left a permanant cache in the park to commemorate our event. It seemed a fun thing to do for the first couple events. We’ve since got away from doing that.

I don’t think it’s fair to the park or the approvers to have 20 permanant caches, each with their own cache page. This causes WAY too much work for the volunteer approvers. It also floods the park with caches. When we ask for permission to hold our events, it reassures the manager to know that the park will be clean when we leave. We tell them that you won’t even know we were there. I would have a hard time asking permission to leave 20 caches in the park after the event is over. I don’t think it’s fair to the park to leave all this crap behind. If they are willing to let us hold our events, we should leave the park cleaner then the way we found it.

I’m also not in favor of Geocaching.com changing the rules to allow temporary caches with their own cache pages. This would place a HUGE load on the volunteer approvers. Mass release dates requires the volunteer approver to review all the caches and then keep them in his/her queue until a specific date. I like to keep my slate clean and not have 30 caches in my queue waiting to be approved. It places a lot of work on a distant person that may not even get to attend the event.

Looks like you still have two choices. One log that you attended, or a multiple “attended” logs to mark each temporary cache you found.

For now the choice is yours…

[This message has been edited by GrouseTales (edited 12-08-2004).]

[Cathunter]

quote:

---

Originally posted by GrouseTales:
I’m also not in favor of Geocaching.com changing the rules to allow temporary caches with their own cache pages. This would place a HUGE load on the volunteer approvers. Mass release dates requires the volunteer approver to review all the caches and then keep them in his/her queue until a specific date.

---

As it stands, there is no need for an approver to review a temporary cache. This will be avoided by making temp cache pages only available by linking from the main event page. It will be up to the event owner to input the exact time and date each temp cache “goes live”. Another option will be to instantly post the page, so that the event holders can bring individual pages on line while on location at the event. This will allow for flexibility in scheduling as the event progresses. With the new WAP interface and more wirespread wireless access now available, more and more people are logging finds as they go.

[abcdmCachers]

Here’s my $.02 if anyone is interested: I felt funny logging temporaries for the few events we’ve attended, but I did it anyway because that seemed to be the norm (at least in our area). Here are my thoughts:

– Yes, most of the temporary caches are challenging, of high quality, and meet or exceed standards for permanent caches, but there are a few important differences:
1) It’s hard not to see people at the cache as you are approaching. Even if we stand back 100 or 200 feet waiting for them to finish, it’s too late, the cache is no longer as challenging. We’ve even had people watch us as we start our search and give us clues, like “think magnet” or “turn around”. Arrggh, thanks for the help, but you just ruined the hunt!
2) Along the same lines, sometimes there are 3 or 4 teams simultaneously searching for the same cache. Only 1 person actually finds it, but everyone gets credit. I’m not saying it’s wrong for people to log a find (they walked the walk and did the search), rather it’s just another reason event temporaries are a different breed.
3) Like it or not, part of the challenge of caching is just getting to the general area. Who hasn’t parked on the wrong side of a river or a fence? (Remember SOM Illinois? Easy, just 20 feet from the road, until you get there – doh!) Having all caches in the same general area reduces their difficulty IMO.

– For the statistics lovers, being able to log event tempoaries causes 2 problems:
1) Not everyone logs them, making apples to apples comparison of stats more difficult.
2) It obscures what I think is an interesting statistic – how many events have you attended? This to me seems like such an obvious thing, yet I haven’t heard anyone mention it yet. Does anyone else think this would be an interesting statistic? Seems at least as interesting as how many letterbox combo’s you’ve found.

One solution that many people propose, let everyone do their own thing, whatever they feel comfortable with, doesn’t solve either of these statistical issues and in fact, makes them worse.

I think the ideal would be if groundspeak added a new log type to event caches called “found temporary”. These would count in people’s total count, but not under the event caches, rather under a new “temporary” category for caches. Problem solved, no more controversy, no more questions on how to log events. What do others think?

To me the fun of events is talking with people and putting faces to the names. Sometimes I think having so many temporaries takes away from this because people are out hunting, but that’s a separate topic I think.

Thanks for reading,
Doug (D of ABCDM)

[EnergySaver]

“abcdmCachers”, I liked all your comments.
Aside from the various opinons from the “value” of temp. caches, you have an excellent point about the stats of event attendance being “smushed” by multi-logging (this of course could open the storm of caring or not caring about stats, but lets not go there) … but still an excellent point, it would be cool if GC had a choice of “Found Temp”, to me that would settle any room for argument and make both sides of the opinion happy, would it not.

I too share your opinion about temps being hard to sneak up on alone, with all the extra cachers on the sidelines. Your right, in that way there a different animal. This brings up a new question in need of opinions … since it’s off subject, I will post a new subject of “Opinion Poll – Dividing the Troops”.

[rpaske]

Gosh. Who knew? http://www.geocaching.com/about/calendar.asp

[Author]

Posts