The steady decline of the quality of geocaching....

zactyl · Post by **zactyl** » 15 November 08 4:48 am

scotty&lochie wrote:It's all good, don't let politics ruin it. mentioning that point, how come some people only list on GCA and not GC ?

They're a new species of cacher!

A bit of an overview here:
http://wiki.geocaching.com.au/wiki/GCA_vs_GC
You might want to consider adapting, 1 in 4 caches in your state are listed on Geocaching Australia...

pirate 63 · Post by **pirate 63** » 15 November 08 6:21 pm

aaarrgh!

i just wanna be a pirate!!

Abodi · Post by **Abodi** » 18 November 08 9:28 am

Hi my name is Samuel and i'm a new cacher, looked for three, and found one.

Being new it's easy to get excited and want to put stuff out there. I personally won't because i have no good places to put one. But i can understand the eagerness.

I don't know if anyone has done it before, but why don't some of the senior/more prolific cache hiders, write a series of guides on how to do a good cache (in their opinion) and have the guide go through from planning to execution.

It may mean it's a spoiler for the 1 particular cache. but it would set a benchmark or point of reference to say hey thats what i shoudl be striving to do. it would then also be very easy to point people to. and heck sticky it so newbies will hopefully look at it.

I can't see why when there seems so much emphesis on the decline geocaching, that a few people couldn't spend a few hours (maybe more) to really help the community.

I know I myself would be very keen to read such a thing.

any thoughts?

pprass · Post by **pprass** » 18 November 08 9:54 am

Abodi wrote:Hi my name is Samuel and i'm a new cacher....... but why don't some of the senior/more prolific cache hiders, write a series of guides on how to do a good cache (in their opinion) and have the guide go through from planning to execution.

Welcome Samuel and we hope your "find" to "do not find" ratio picks up - it sure did for us when we started and we got a big kick out of it.

Regarding a guide on how to place a cache, have a look at this excellent link if you haven't already done so: http://wiki.geocaching.com.au/wiki/Hiding_a_cache

The wiki also has a lot of other information that will get you upto speed in no time.

Post by **caughtatwork** » 18 November 08 10:01 am

There are also a whole bunch of cachers near you who have agreed to be "Gurus / Guides" to help you along the way.

http://geocaching.com.au/search/gurus/au/qld.gmap

They live to help. Click on their name and give one of them a call or email.

Abodi · Post by **Abodi** » 18 November 08 10:19 am

Thanks guys for being so welcoming, checking out those links now.

I have indeed read that wiki of hiding caches, my idea was more of specific examples, plenty of pictures helpful ideas.
Examples of reasoning behind the things associated with that particular cache.

It would show newbies better caches, without the need/ability to actually find it. and again show insight behind it.

pprass · Post by **pprass** » 18 November 08 11:49 am

The best way to get that sort of insight is to go to caching events whenever you can - seek out cachers that have been around and ask them questions - specifically whether or not the standard of caching has declined over the years

.
Also there is Spindoc Bob's Geotalk where a number of cachers have been interviewed - a great way to learn how people think and why they go caching.
It's all there and laid out for people to take advantage of.

Richary · Post by **Richary** » 18 November 08 9:41 pm

Welcome abodi

I don't feel there is any need to rush out and place a cache after finding one or even 10. Unless you have some really magical spot you want to get "dibs" on. There has been debate in the past about whether people should have to have a certain number of finds before they can hide.

Don't rush it, as you find more you will find hides you like and ones you don't. You will find cache pages that give the history of an area, and ones that just indicate it is a clever (or boring) hide in an area with no other redeeming features. After a while you will decide what style of caches you enjoyed and which you didn't. And will decide to place one accordingly.

Also don't feel you have to place one in any rush to be part of the community. While I placed my first after maybe 20 finds or so back when I lived in Adelaide there weren't as many there then. Since I moved to Sydney I probably found a couple of hundred before I bothered placing one, as the place is fairly saturated so there is no point in just finding a park that doesn't have one yet.

I have so far aimed for historical spots that hadn't been claimed but were worth visiting (or a great park that for some reason didn't have one but also had a bit of history). Not that I am ruling out placing a devious micro if I find the right spot.

I realise you want to give something back, but wait until you find the type of cache you really enjoy, then try to place one in the same vein.

Puddler · Post by **Puddler** » 19 November 08 10:06 am

Phew! That was a marathon read!

One question;
What is a quality (good) swap?

Damo. · Post by **Damo.** » 19 November 08 10:43 am

Puddler wrote:Phew! That was a marathon read!

One question;
What is a quality (good) swap?

I'd suggest it is something that you might find in a cache and think to yourself "I'd like to take that."
In the past I have put DVDs, LED torches, kids puzzles, ink stampsets, bracelets. Places like $2 shops often have some good nick-nacks.

mundoo · Post by **mundoo** » 19 November 08 8:48 pm

Abodi wrote:I have indeed read that wiki of hiding caches, my idea was more of specific examples, plenty of pictures helpful ideas.
Examples of reasoning behind the things associated with that particular cache.
It would show newbies better caches, without the need/ability to actually find it. and again show insight behind it.

One of the most helpful resources I came across was a video podcast called Lets Go Caching, specifically episodes

Show 0005 This is part one of how to make a geocache.
Show 0006 This is part two of how to make a geocache.

penguin · Post by **penguin** » 19 November 08 9:02 pm

Links for some the episodes that Mundoo refers to:

Episode 5 (5A & 5B):
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=WNSIHZNP1wU
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=xYtNeebcqzA

The only problem is that I couldn't watch any more than 10-20 seconds of them saying KASHing.

Sweet Jesus I hate KASHing!

The Spindoctors · Post by **The Spindoctors** » 19 November 08 9:37 pm

Maybe Geotalk needs to redub it.

Here goes another weekend.

mundoo · Post by **mundoo** » 19 November 08 9:52 pm

Spindoc Bob wrote: Maybe Geotalk needs to redub it.

Maybe Geotalk could do an Australian version

tronador · Post by **tronador** » 19 November 08 10:56 pm

penguin wrote:Links for some the episodes that Mundoo refers to:

Episode 5 (5A & 5B):
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=WNSIHZNP1wU
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=xYtNeebcqzA

The only problem is that I couldn't watch any more than 10-20 seconds of them saying KASHing.

Sweet Jesus I hate KASHing!

LOL

Bushwacking

through grass????? looks like someones front lawn.
They haven't seen real scrub

I couldn't stop laughing.

Geocaching Australia

The steady decline of the quality of geocaching....

Do you think the quality of geocaches is going down with the quantity of caches going up?

Hi i'm a newcacher,

Re: Hi i'm a newcacher,