[-cheeto-]

@jerrys dad wrote:

If it’s not the way I wanna play we need toc hange it so everyone plays like I do.

I have a hard time believing there are that many geocachers who would enjoy hunting a cache in a tree in front of someone’s house between the sidewalk and the street.

I could care less how other people want to “play” or about making them “play” the way I do.

However, I do care about how the general public and municipalities view geocaching. If the City of Appleton decided this geocaching “thing” was getting out of hand because now they’re being put in trees in front of houses and then decided, no geocache placements in the City Parks that’s a huge step backwards for the game. It only takes one bomb scare or call to the police and an alderman to pick up on this and that could be what could happen.

This thread is about stuff in my backyard (well actually front yards) so I can comment on my opinion, thanks.

I just wish the Groundspeak reviewers (and Groundspeak as a company) could see it this way.

I keep going back to how critical the WI reviewers were of one of my first cache placements when it was disabled pre-publish because it was viewed to be “a parking lot cache” and how I should think about this placement more. There was OPINION there. There was a feeling that the reviewers we’re making sure you were sure about your placement and how it would be viewed by finders.

Somewhere along the way we went from reviewers who we’re critical of stuff like this to reviewers who “hold their nose and hit publish”.

I’m not trying to point fingers at Wizkid and Bec in specific. They do a thankless, time consuming thing for no pay. That’s much more than any of us do (including the WGA BOD) for the activity.

I would just like to see these types of caches be scrutinized to death pre-publish. That’s all.

Make the owner submit pictures of the placement. Ask them if they let ALL homeowners within site of the cache know it’s there and what to expect because it’s there. Ask them if they would like to hunt a cache in some other city in someone else’s front yard. Ask them if they would like to be questioned by city police because someone thinks they’re a pedophile or thief or whatever else. Ask them the same question I was asked when I tried to publish a “parking lot cache” back in 2007.

In some ways, this transition to “play it how you like it” has really taken this game backwards rather than forwards. There’s still an element of what Geocaching has always been about hidden, out there in those county and state parks.

I fell in love with Geocaching because it was hiking, in the woods, and finding some place that couldn’t be found without my GPS.

I can find a tree, in a front yard, between a sidewalk and the street without a GPS. Without any “a ha moments”. Without the challenge of an actual hunt. I drive by these locations every day to work and back. I’m really not interested in stopping.

Thanks but no thanks. There. I’ve said my peace.

[-cheeto-]

@Team Northwoods wrote:

I have a disqualification. Any cacher that hides a micro or smaller and doesn’t leave a hint.

What a great topic for a top 10 list!

[-cheeto-]

@Team Northwoods wrote:

What is the plan for getting us organized to organize the picnic?

There is a picnic committee forum area created for those members added to the committee.

[-cheeto-]

@cheezehead wrote:

Not trying to be snarky here but maybe that should have been taken into consideration before picking the location. Not too many local cachers around them parts. I’d love to help, but that aint local for me.

Thanks for the commentary.

We move around the events to the four different quadrants of the state so that all members get a closer chance at attending and volunteering for WGA events. If you’re lucky enough to have one in your backyard, that’s great. But for most attendees (and most board members) at most WGA events, we all do have to travel to attend. This makes it possible for more members (and more board members) to attend.

While this particular event may not be in Hayward, it’s closer to your neck of the woods right?

If you choose not to volunteer or attend when it gets closer to you, that’s your choice.

It’s sorta like how musical acts choose where to have concerts and how fans choose whether they want to go to a concert that gets close to them.

And now back on topic…

Thanks to those WGA members that live near this event location who have stepped up or are thinking about stepping up to volunteer. It is a very rewarding experience. Hope to see you in the fall!

[-cheeto-]

@beccaday wrote:

How many miles away should they be? We have some hunting land up near there that we could place a bunch of temporary caches but the only ones we’d want permenantly would be one in a guardrail or something right on the road. As much as I’d love to put a whole bunch of caches out there I don’t think our family wants to worry about who is on the property when hunting or just target practice.

FYI – We no longer place temporary caches for WGA events other than night caches and “kid friendly” (i.e. candy) caches.

[-cheeto-]

“I won Groundspeak geocacher of the month and all I got was this lousy t-shirt”

[-cheeto-]

@beccaday wrote:

Very good idea cheeto.

I submitted it to their feedback area… never know!

[-cheeto-]

Now crowns on the otherhand are not overrated….

Geocacher of the month should be crowned!

[-cheeto-]

Hats are overrated…

[-cheeto-]

And that sort of information should be prominent on the report a new cache form by the coordinates fields. Like a “If you want to learn more about getting accurate coordinates for your new geocache, click here” type thing.

[-cheeto-]

Nice article. Thanks for sharing!

[-cheeto-]

2006 Campout Coin:

2007 Coin:

2008 Coin:

[-cheeto-]

If your goal is to have lots of people find your cache then don’t make it premium. If your goal is to have a lot less people find your cache then make it premium.

Premium member caches (like puzzles and multi’s) can cause issues with authorities and land managers who can’t look up the information online. I mention this because it’s fresh in my mind…

It will certainly filter out the smartphone “newbie” crowd as they are the least likely to become premium members. What advantage would they have since they don’t really need to run a pocket query.

[-cheeto-]

@Hardinfam wrote:

The biggest problem with these are the “go getters” who have to have a cache so bad that they make an A$$ of themselves looking for it.

You will never be able to control the actions of those who hunt your caches. This holds true whether it’s an “urban hide” like yours or a cache in a state park where perhaps finders are tearing apart the vegetation. Or finders don’t re-close containers properly or re-hide properly.

If you place a cache, it will be hunted, by many different types of people.

Sometimes, being a cache owner and maintaining means removing, moving, or adjusting a cache hide because finders are not acting in the best of the activity or obeying your wishes (such as using a certain parking area or certain approach).

Just remember, that the (in the know) “neighbors” are not the only one’s who will see people hunt these caches. Visitors, people driving by, people walking by, etc. It is good to hear that you have informed the neighbors. It would be good information to include on the write-ups that you have.

There are many differing opinions here and I haven’t really interpreted any of the comments as “hate”.

Greetings to the WGA forum and thanks for giving back to the activity by placing new geocaches.

[-cheeto-]

@jenhen1 wrote:

There is absolutely no way a cache placed on the easement in front of a homeowner’s property should EVER be approved unless that specific homeowner is the cache placer. (and even that is sketchy)

Well-said and I agree.

[Author]

Posts