This topic contains 9 replies, has 6 voices, and was last updated by 
Team Black-Cat 14 years, 8 months ago.
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http://www.geosociety.org/earthcache/guidelines.htm
The biggest change is that now all photo requirements must be made optional….there will be very few exceptions. If anyone needs help updating the text on their cache pages let me know and I can help you.
Do not look for me to be creating any more ECs. I haven’t made any since the last round of restrictions went in to effect and with these changes I will not be creating any more in the future either.
So now earthcache photos are considered an ALR?
All EarthCaches must conform to this guideline as photo requests are considered “additional logging requirements” (ALRs) and follow the guidelines set forth by Geocaching.com.
Existing EarthCaches that do not meet this guideline must be updated to comply.What a load of crap. I’m sorry but if EarthCaches were truly meant to “follow the guidelines set forth by Geocaching.com” they would be forced to have an actual cache container and a log to sign.
I’m more convinced than ever that archiving our earthcaches was the right decision. Between the bother of following up on requirements and dealing with complaints about our earthcaches (in this venue nonetheless), it ain’t worth it!
On the Left Side of the Road...I have half a mind to archive my ECs or to post a big “Welcome Armchair Loggers” sign on the top of each cache page. I strongly disagree with this decision…but on the other hand of the 15 caches of mine which have been favorited, 8 are my ECs. So clearly folks do appreciate the effort I made to present these listings and for that reason they will remain.
I’ve never published an earthcache, but have done a few. And I agree with LB7 and GR. What a load of crap.
So now all that’s required is that you contact someone that’s already logged it and tell them you’re missing one little piece of info that you forgot to get and BINGO you get to log all the earthcaches you want? This along with many of the requirements being available online via flikr (sp?), waymarking.com, historical site websites, etc. are going to make many of these armchair loggable.
I’ll admit I wasn’t a big fan of the photo, but new it was the “virtual signature” for lack of a container with a real signature. I accepted it for what it was.
I feel bad for all the creators / owners though because the ones I’ve done have been very informative. Like many puzzles I’ve done they actually teach you something and provide caches that are a good way to get the kids out and experience learning also.
@lostby7 wrote:
I have half a mind to archive my ECs or to post a big “Welcome Armchair Loggers” sign on the top of each cache page. I strongly disagree with this decision…but on the other hand of the 15 caches of mine which have been favorited, 8 are my ECs. So clearly folks do appreciate the effort I made to present these listings and for that reason they will remain.
I think that ECs get favorited a lot because they as a rule have to take you some place worth seeing. I know that caching is different things to different people, but to many people (including myself) caching is about taking me to interesting places. ECs almost always do. But how often is that true of the new breed of guardrail and stop sign caches out there?
As far as the photo requirement goes, for many it was just enough of a nuisance to discourage visiting ECs, hence the lower number of visits to ECs compared to colocated physical caches. So one side effect of getting rid of the photo requirement is more legitimate visitors to ECs.
And as far as cheaters goes, I dont see the point in worrying about them. The number of finds is not a score, and the only one cheated by a bogus log is the one making it.
zuma
I’ve only a couple of EC finds but plan on many more, I echo zuma’s thoughts about being discouraged from hunting them due to the photo requirements as my camera is questionable at times and with the current job market a new one is a luxury… I think that that the percentage of armchair EC loggers is quite small and that they’re only cheating themselves, also any EC Master rank higher than bronze requires the creation of at least one EC so that isn’t much incentive for armchair logging…
@zuma wrote:
And as far as cheaters goes, I dont see the point in worrying about them. The number of finds is not a score, and the only one cheated by a bogus log is the one making it.
zumaI do agree with this, but it was made clear that my obligation as an EC owner was to ensure that finds were legitimate. By watering down the proof of visit requirements, the “policing” of my ECs becomes more difficult. It seems clear now that TPTB no longer really care about the legitimacy of the finds….
Yes, but my point is that they are eliminating photos because they are an ALR.
Well, completing educational tasks and emailing answers to COs are ALRs too!
So, they are picking and choosing how to apply these “guidelines,” which is of course their right as the website owner. But it really illustrates a larger pattern of behavior on the part of groundspeak as it relates to cache owners and cache creativity.
On the Left Side of the Road...This is a bit off topic but I have to wonder how they will bring back Virts without them having the ALR? This could get messy….
@lostby7 wrote:
This is a bit off topic but I have to wonder how they will bring back Virts without them having the ALR? This could get messy….
😯
You funny…
😆
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