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We got a Halloween pathtag from Ferret101 after they caught a fish in Appleton. I do not see it up on the list.
There’s a glitch in the Cache Carnival game which allows a cacher to gain all souvenirs by finding one cache of a certain type! Anyone interested in learning how this can be done?
Is anyone else having an issue with the LCG map? Is this Googlemaps?
Wasn’t a query just limited to 500 caches as well?
A pocket query is limited to 1000 caches I believe. But I believe the LCG list is built with GSAK (maybe I’m wrong), which would have a much higher limit. Somehow a macro could be built, defining the parameters which would put together this list for the game. I wish I knew how to build a macro on GSAK, because I would do it to include all caches which haven’t been found for a year or better.
Wasn’t a query just limited to 500 caches as well?
A pocket query is limited to 1000 caches I believe. But I believe the LCG
John,
I wish I could post my screenshot of the pocket querie of the most recent LCG bookmark list that I loaded into GSAK, but I cannot figure out how to put a picture into this comment area. I will go ahead and try to explain what I found.
I’m not sure if BigJim explained it to you correctly, but what you have written is not correct according to what I have found. On the current bookmarked list, there are 496 lonely caches. 4 of those have been found recently. The next most recently found on the list (GC4DXNT), has not been found since 10/7/2015. That is nearly 3 1/2 years and the remaining 491 caches have been even longer without a “found” log.
When we first started chasing lonely caches (fairly recently compared to many that visit these forums), the most recently found cache on those lists was about 3 years out. And if you look back many years further you will see that, yes, there were caches on the list just a year out. If the trend in the game continues, the most recently found will grow to 4 years, then 5, and so on. And the probability of a quality find without need for maintenance will greatly diminish.
I think if you set that filter in Cachly to show the clock icon at 365 days, you will see that there are many many caches that fall within the definition of lonely cache that do not make the bookmark list and are not available for scoring. I have no idea how many more caches this would add to the game, but I would say at least a couple thousand, if not 5000.
Why would you log an attend for an event that you did not show up for? Especially an event with a low number of attendees. Heck, there are a lot of times that we forget to post an attended log for events that we go to until days and sometimes weeks later. It makes me wonder if we ever attended an event we didn’t get credit for before it was archived…
Bob,
Here is the forum thread we were talking about at the coffee shop the other day. Again, I think an overhaul to the LCG is necessary and I think that possibility is getting even closer with the aid of our friendly apps.
As some of you probably know, Cachly has added a filter that allows the user to set a “lonely cache” icon on the map determined by the number of days the user chooses that should determine the cache to be “lonely”. If we could get the other popular apps and the geocaching website to follow suit, that would make the WGA’s game easier to manage from the front end. Cache submissions would just have to be verified by the LCG admin (which occurs already in the game).
I think the benefits to opening up the game to lonely caches which have not been found for 1 year or more rejuvenating to this organization, it’s website, and just overall cacher activity in general. I mean, let’s face it, the list of the 500 caches in the state which haven’t been found for the longest time is very limiting. Many of these caches are so difficult to get to that most people don’t want to attempt them. And if they are attempted, chances are they are either missing or in need of some kind of maintenance after better than 3 years with no visitors. By using the parameters set forth in a filter on one’s smartphone (say 365 days), thousands more lonely caches become available statewide for scoring in the game. A lot of these would be much easier to get to, which would probably entice more people to go after them. More people going after lonely caches for the game, equals more people visiting the website on a regular basis, which equals a far more involved and informed geocaching community in the state.
I would like the BODs to discuss having a Topic on the WGA web page that lets the members know week-by-week what the Directors are discussing; from Event planning to expenditures. ONLY on the WGA page…not Face Book! We need members to come back to THIS site for info.
I don’t necessarily disagree with you, but this website can be difficult to find information in. There was a brief discussion about committees in one of the recent topics. I asked where to find the information that is suppose to be in the by-laws on committees, but is not found in the information tab of the website. I was directed to find it within the forum posts from years ago. That’s like finding a needle in a haystack for someone that has only been around a few years. And even if you’re a “lifer” on here it would be extremely difficult to try to pull that from one’s memory banks.
Please don’t think this is a post complaining about the website at all, because I enjoy using it, but it is not the most user friendly. And today’s tech world and social networks provide much easier and quicker ways to get the answers one needs.
Perhaps I’m thinking in a slightly different way than others regarding pathtags (and geocoins) as a fundraiser. The WGA creates a new pathtag almost every year anyway. This is nothing new. I’m suggesting that in the future, when creating a pathtag, MARKET IT as a both a fundraiser and as a memento (on the FB page, on the WGA website, on the pathtag page). Currently we’re pretty much marketing pathtags as simply a token for whatever year or event it is commemorating. As shown in the examples from previous posts, simply communicate that one of the reasons for the pathtags is to raise funds to support the organization. Perhaps even offer a quantity discount. It could be $3 each, 10 for $25, 20 for $40, or whatever. If communicated as a way of raising funds, I bet a bunch would pony up the money and buy a batch of them, and in turn drop them into caches to help do their part to promote the WGA. It would be a unique way for those especially not on the board to do what they can do to support the WGA. Have you ever bought a fundraiser raffle ticket to support an event or cause? Often they’re sold as $x each or 5 for $x. You buy more that way. And when the raffle is over you discard the tickets, but with extra pathtags that people buy they could be used as swag to put into caches; they even fit into film containers. :-). So I’m not proposing we go out of our way to produce extra pathtags as a fundraiser, instead what I am suggesting is that when we do produce the next pathtag, put on our marketing hats like so many other geocaching associations have done to increase sales and awareness of their organizations, by mentioning it is a way to raise funds for the organization.
To build off of your “raffle ticket” suggestion a bit…How about using WGA customized trackables for a 50/50 type raffle? Each one of them has a unique identifying number and that number could be used to pick winners of a raffle.
So, for example, the WGA was to create some inexpensive travel tags (cachekinz type) at a price about $5/each. If 200 of these trackables were made and sold individually for $20/each, $4000 would be gained. The trackables could also be offered as 3 for $50, but this would reduce the total profit some. Take the cost of production ($1000) from the total, this would leave $3000 to split between the WGA and the holder of the winning trackable.
Of course, a raffle like this could be set up to include a few winners versus just one winner, but either way it is a very simple fundraiser for the WGA. After the drawing, anyone who purchased the customized raffle tags could send them our their journeys or hold on to them for a personal collection.
If you look in the ANNOUNCEMENTS forum topic, it contains all of the WGA announcements and board minutes going all the way back to the WGA beginnings in 2002. Those WGA board minutes, even from year 2002, are still there. Every February they are/were posted. The 2/22/2009 board minutes have the complete text of all committees. This illustrates why having long-term members on the board can be so important. If every board member serves two years and is then done, I think the WGA can lose touch with its history and experiences with member turnover (even though the history is buried in the board forums). Thank you to all board members that are serving even just one term – I’m thankful for all of you – and I recognize that those that serve multiple terms of office provide a continuity that is valued (at least by me) by me in a unique way!
I appreciate that you have provided an explanation as to where to find a discussion about committees on the forum, but after skimming through 10 of the 118 pages of topics in ANNOUNCEMENTS and not finding what you referred to I gave up. If these committees are set forth in the bylaws, shouldn’t the language regarding them be easily found within the bylaws that are posted under the “INFO CENTER” tab on the web site?
I also agree that long tenured BOD members are very important, but also see the value in what new members can bring. It is important that there is turnover in the leadership of the organization so that it, too, can change with the times. But, that also means that all past documentation and governing works should be transparent and readily available to membership and those stepping into new leadership roles.
Thank you to all that give so much of your time!
PATHTAGS
I like the idea of introducing pathtags for the purpose of raising funds for the organization. They are small enough to fit into most caches that are larger than micro sized. They are a great marketing tool for the WGA. And they are a reasonably priced item to place and share in caches throughout the state.
My reservation is; what kind of funds will they bring in if they are offered along side all other memorabilia at the events? Attendees will be purchasing shirts and hats, geocoins and bison tubes; which could surely add up to one’s budgeted event expenditures very quickly. Where will the purchase of the pathtags fit in there? Maybe it would be best to offer these as an online sale during a certain time period, other than to compete for sales along with all the other goodies at the events?
COMMITTEES
I had no idea that these committees existed. I’ve heard talk of committees being formed for purposes such as those listed above. The post above provides a link to a cache which focuses on the committees set forth in the Bylaws. I then looked through the Bylaws which are provided on this website and found nothing referencing those committees. Maybe I overlooked them somewhere??? Getting more involvement from the members in such things as committees, would be great, but if they have no idea where to find the information the rate of volunteering will remain low.
It was nice to see the replies to the posted questions. With this being an organization covering the entire state, it is nearly impossible for most of us to know or recognize some of the candidates running for the available positions. Thank you to all that took some time to put a few words down on the threads in the forum so we could all get a glimpse into your thoughts and ideas for the game.
Ok, I understand better now what you are saying. Here is my thought on caches that go missing. I personally believe that it is not those that are new to this game that are the ones to blame for missing caches. Most of the time it is a muggle that happens upon it and decides that they will take or destroy it. Another place to put much of the blame would be the creatures that share the environment with the cache container. I think that if the COs put the proper Cache Note in the container, which explains the container and a brief synapses of the game itself, then anyone that is truly there for geocaching will leave the container there and replace it as found.
If a cache goes missing that is truly unfortunate. But it could provide new opportunities to those new to the game which might want to become more involved. It is the COs responsibility to maintain their cache and if that doesn’t happen then it could open up areas for new placements. Fresh containers and ideas that could be fostered by those new faces in the game, which also could mean more smileys on your account in areas where you discovered caches in the past.
I think with more education in schools and scouts ect it opens more of the caches to disappear. Not that educating kids is bad but only a couple are going to move on and enjoy the hunt some are just going to shrug it off and couple will help themselves to the cache. It sucks but do we want to try to get new cachers or try to keep current caches active?
Not sure that I truly understand what you are trying to convey in this paragraph, but my response to your last sentence would be this: If this organization and the individuals that make it up aren’t willing to embrace what new cachers have to bring to the table, it surely will wilt away.
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