Verfying a "Found It"

[Todd300]

@Lacknothing wrote:

I think a litttle more clarification is in order. I don’t know about the rest of you, but when I log my find on my GPSr and upload it to http://www.geocaching.com, the correct date is automatically posted in my field notes. So the reality is that even if I do not get to logging those finds online for awhile, they are still going to have the correct date because the date is automatically posted. The only way the date will change is if I physically change it.

Not everyone has a GPS capable of doing that. While I can mark my finds on my GPS, I still have to enter the GC code manually to log it online. Many other older GPS’es don’t even have the capability to mark finds. I used to have to write down the GC code of every cache I visit when I first started caching with software on a pocket PC and a bluetooth GPS receiver.

So many of you are right in that we cannot control how some chose to play the game. It is what it is as much as it may frustrate some of us. There will always be geocachers who do not “solve the puzzles”, or “fudge dates” to fill fill their grids, or even sign others names. I don’t completely understand that last one, I will admit.

I’ll understand signing other people’s names if part of a group. It happens. I also know of a situation where one cacher forgot to bring tweezers to a nano cache and could not get the log out. Another cacher signed the log for her later on. And puzzle CO’s should expect the coordinates to be given away. Nothing they can do to control that. As for fudging dates to fill a grid, I really don’t care as a CO. If they want to cheat their way to the 365 day challenge cache, more power to them.

However, in the several Survivor games that are happening in the state of Wisconsin, this does become more of an issue, because those who are administrating the Survivor games are trying to keep the game fair for all participants. This can be quite the challenge when geocachers decide to do some of the aforementioned things in an effort to stay in the game. It really does take the fun and fairness out of what should be a game created to bring a little more fun and camraderie to the sport of geocaching. This is disappointing.

In this situation, to keep things fair, it might be necessary for the CO to verify finds as to not put any of the players at a disadvantage. If players want to play by different rules, that really does make it difficult to keep the game fair for all players.

Remember, anyone can log these Survivor caches as finds. For those in the “Survivor Game”, though, there should be a higher standard and level of integrity in logging and playing the game.

To me, geocaching is a hobby. It’s not a game. I don’t rush out for the FTF. I don’t fudge dates. I don’t find puzzle caches if the coordinates were handed to me. I know the location of one puzzle cache in Escanaba, but because I can’t solve the puzzle yet, I did not go out there to find it.

At the same time, I’m not gonna fret too much if someone logs a find on one of my caches and I don’t think they physically found it. Last week, a cacher from upper Michigan said on one of my caches he found it but forgot his pen to sign the log. I looked at his profile and he logged his experiences with well written logs on his other caches so obviously I let it go. I don’t think I’ve ever deleted a log on any of my caches and the only time I’ll do so is if someone posts an obvious spoiler or someone from Germany logs my cache and a cache in San Diego on the same day which is obvious armchair logging. I’ve seen it happen to some local virtual caches.

I have 9 caches, i think. I’m planning more. That’s not too much of a maintenance hassle for me. I just can imagine for someone with over 100 hides trying to verify the “found it” logs on his caches. Good luck with that.

[Team Black-Cat]

@Todd300 wrote:

To me, geocaching is a hobby. It’s not a game.

Ding, ding, ding!
Just a way to pass some time. Games have rules.

[f1rebirds]

I think the best solution to this would be a trail cam. There awesome nowadays, they have no flash (infrared) picture and video. With no flash the cacher would have no idea they were being filmed, could catch somebody caching out of hours or something. The quality is pretty good too; you would certainly be able to identify a cacher’s identity, that is of course as long as we don’t have any masked criminal cachers out and about. And above all everything is time stamped, sometimes temperature stamped too.

I’m sure with a small investment you could save yourself a lot of time, a lot less headaches and get more sleep.

Now this is not fool proof as I had one out on one of my caches and it must have been muggled. I retrieved the camera and went to go view the contents of the SD card and found it had been loaded up with a bunch of porn 😳 ?? I would advise getting one that locks closed and cables locks to the hiding spot … maybe do a better job of hiding the camera than I did too.

F1rebirds 😯

[Smashing Ground]

^^^ Too Funny Firebirds 😆

[CodeJunkie]

I was thinking the same thing Firebirds. Not the fact that things got trashed, but the videos.

I’m an avid hunter and have thought about doing a cache on my private land with a trailcam, but am too cheap to spring for the camera. I’m also a little nervous about the potential liability.

[cheezehead]

@Lacknothing wrote:

I think a litttle more clarification is in order. I don’t know about the rest of you, but when I log my find on my GPSr and upload it to http://www.geocaching.com, the correct date is automatically posted in my field notes. So the reality is that even if I do not get to logging those finds online for awhile, they are still going to have the correct date because the date is automatically posted. The only way the date will change is if I physically change it.

No, that’s not quite right. When you go to make the 1st log, it will show the date that it currently is. If you go back and log caches from the day before, a week ago or a month ago, it will stay that date till you change it back. If doing multiple cache logs.

[BigJim]

@cheezehead wrote:

@Lacknothing wrote:

I think a litttle more clarification is in order. I don’t know about the rest of you, but when I log my find on my GPSr and upload it to http://www.geocaching.com, the correct date is automatically posted in my field notes. So the reality is that even if I do not get to logging those finds online for awhile, they are still going to have the correct date because the date is automatically posted. The only way the date will change is if I physically change it.

No, that’s not quite right. When you go to make the 1st log, it will show the date that it currently is. If you go back and log caches from the day before, a week ago or a month ago, it will stay that date till you change it back. If doing multiple cache logs.

Nope, Lacknothing was talking about logging with field notes. On my GPSr (Delorme PN60) when I mark a cache as “found” it automatically records the find as a field note. I can add text if I want. Then when I upload the field notes I can log my finds with the field notes, which already have the date that I found the cache, even if I don’t log it until later.

All opinions, comments, and useless drivel I post are mine alone and do not reflect the opinions of the WGA BOD.

[cheezehead]

Ok, but I maybe wrong, I would think that most people do it the old fashion way. But again, I very well could be in the minority by doing that way.

[BigJim]

@cheezehead wrote:

Ok, but I maybe wrong, I would think that most people do it the old fashion way. But again, I very well could be in the minority by doing that way.

No, I think you are right, most people probably do log their finds the old fashioned way. If I have only a few caches to log, I usually do too. But if I have a bunch, it is easier to use the field notes.

All opinions, comments, and useless drivel I post are mine alone and do not reflect the opinions of the WGA BOD.

[Muggle B]

geocaching is a hobby and not a game, but this survivor is a game on top of our hobby. Its like musical chairs, except in this case someone is sitting in a chair and putting their hands on the two chairs besides them.

thats not how I learned how to play musical chairs, thats out right cheating.

so on the geocaching side of it I could care less if they want to cheat, they have to live with what they have done/not done, but when we ARE playing a game on top of it you would think they could play fair. But some people have to cheat to win, I guess its the only way they know how to.

[Walkingadventure]

Now I know what’s going on. Gosh, too bad I didn’t make the cut. I miss out on all the fun.

Following the signals from space.

[CodeJunkie]

I was trying to avoid the specific scenario because I’m kind of curious about verifying finds. I know there was another thread about moving a cache to be devious but that certainly isn’t the point here. The scenario I was curious about was validating the intial finds based on color, container type, postion.

I certainly welcome the comments provided and based on them I think I’m going to avoid verification via these methods in the future. This was just an experiment to test the waters and get some feedback along with some discussion.

[Team Deejay]

In response to your question, you are not allowed to use ALRs to verify signatures. You verify signatures by going out and looking at the log. Of course, you can request other info, but you can’t delete logs on that basis.

[jim1830]

How about not signing the log at all? I found a cache the other day, and when I got home and logged it, I noticed the previous log said something like “I was there, but didn’t sign the log, and will sign it in the future.” I made a comment about how that probably shouldn’t be counted as a find – hell, I’m going to find all kinds of caches in the future, should I just go log them all now? – and today got a nasty e-mail saying I shouldn’t be “bashing” people. I thought actually signing the log was kind of a basic requirement for counting it as a find?

[huffinpuffin2]

@Muggle B wrote:

geocaching is a hobby and not a game . . .

Frog says: “Geocaching is a real-world outdoor treasure hunting game.”

You’re still a real winner, though! (nifty fifty mumble grumble……) :LOL:

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