Geocaching Australia

If you received a log where the only text is: I may be totally irrational, but I guess I feel insulted.

I've sent an email to the finder, thanking them for finding the cache, and stating that I'm looking forward to reading their log.

However: the log still remains as posted, and quite a few of their last finds (over a long period) have exactly the same text.

I'm really tempted to just delete it in a couple of weeks, and follow up with another email explaining why.

I've seen quite a few of these pop up too. I understand it could be an issue with whatever app they are using but being the cynic that I am I dare say its laziness. Hopefully they come back and actually write something.

It seems that this is the way that they will do business unless we can nip it in the bud early. After their first two finds they have logged the same way for over a month except when the phone went flat and on appearances they will write no more.

I would be reluctant to delete the log even though its the quickest way to get attention. A polite e-mail may be in order.

I have noticed groundspeak has begun to use the cache data for their own purposes lately ie phone apps and preloaded GPS units. More muggles will come and cache. Hopefully the ones that really don't want to participate will leave quickly.

The default in the SMS logging text in Geobeagle is "TFTC!"

I don't log via SMS. The urge to make my already short enough logs even shorter would annoy me, not to mention likely get me lynched by the cache owners! (I couldn't fault them for that!)

Ian and Penny I know how you feel and have sent similar emails without response. To be honest I have given up.

The TFTC TNLNSL logs are almost better than this at least they could sort of say thanks...

Hi Ian and Penny, I got one of them on our caches recently, my first thought was .wow how rude cant even put a TFTC notice in it. Then actually I just forgot about it. Its a bit sad I do love reading about the adventures of cachers and when we cache (with mobile devices) its actually easy to write a note and put in a picture at the same time.

Mine was just a newbie I sent an email, so maybe after a while they will get the message and start writing a short thank you.

Wells Inc
Happy caching

I've seen it quite a bit lately (both varieties mentioned above). I just assumed iPhone cachers were about. As someone who has hit the 4,000 character limit in the past I find it sad. Perhaps when the same people have placed a few caches and start to tire of receiving "nothing" logs they will expound a bit more in their own.

If the log only says "sent from my mobile device" they haven't actually stated they have found it, except by ticking that box. Delete it and if they don't like it they will hopefully get the email about it when they are online and can write more if they want to relog it.

The worst that can happen is they whinge to groundspeak and you get an email telling you not to delete valid logs.

Richary wrote:If the log only says "sent from my mobile device" they haven't actually stated they have found it.....

That's a good point actually However they could argue that they signed the log book and that is the most important criteria.
Ha! Wouldn't it be funny if they wrote a fantastic 3 paragraph log in the log book each time:lol:

Like Matt said - we have on occasions just about given up contacting these people as the "tide" seems to be overwhelming - and as mentioned you rarely get a response in any case. We now more often congratulate cachers who have written informative and amusing logs and encourage them to keep going - much more satisfying correspondence.

We will continue to contact "micro log" cachers as we don't want them to think that no one is observing them and we want them to realise that there is a minimum standard that we would like to uphold - and this discussion is doing exactly just that - telling others what we like as a minimum standard in logs.

pprass wrote:We will continue to contact "micro log" cachers as we don't want them to think that no one is observing them and we want them to realise that there is a minimum standard that we would like to uphold - and this discussion is doing exactly just that - telling others what we like as a minimum standard in logs.

And because you are good with words, what do you say to these !@#$

ian-and-penny wrote:And because you are good with words, what do you say to these !@#$

Ha! - now that is sucking me in isn't it

Here is an example that worked very well and I received an apologetic reply and the micro log expanded:

G'day "micro log writer",
I see you did our such'n'such cache and judging by your scant log it appears that you did not enjoy the experience and sadly did not appreciate the effort that we put in to create this cache. The area that we placed the cache is quite spectacular and beautiful and we were hoping that cachers would comment on what they saw, or at least comment on the hiding method which took ages to create and maybe bring a smile to their faces. Sorry that we wasted your time.
Regards
from disappointed and heart broken

I have several friends that have just taken up caching using only their iPhones and the GC app....I've explained to them what happens if they don't write an actual note when logging finds through the app and how cacher owners appreciate comments about the hide or the location...

Like others I have been getting these too.

I have taken the tack of writing them a nice email if they are newbies, as they usually are. Something along the lines of -

Dear xxxx re your log for xxxxxxxxx.

"Congratulations on finding the cache. However your log was extremely short and as the feedback on logs can be extremely useful, could you please include a bit more of your experience in your logs? Even just the condition of the container would help."

You can just copy and paste this of course.

I do it because I really think that it is worth the effort - feedback about the cache really IS important.

I do a similar thing for those who say "couldn't sign the log as I didn't have a pencil with me". If they then don't sign it within a couple of weeks then I delete their log. It is in the rules to sign the log, and on everyone of my relevant cache pages to take a pen(cil).

I usually write fairly lengthy logs but I sometimes I feel like writing a micro log for a micro cache.
Sticking a piece of paper in an eclipse tin and sticking it under a bush represents a puny investment compared to buying an ammo can,
painting it, possibly inserting a sistema box inside it to protect the log book and then constructing an informative or interesting cache page designed to
introduce the cacher to some interesting or historical place or event.

gmj3191 wrote:I usually write fairly lengthy logs but I sometimes I feel like writing a micro log for a micro cache.
Sticking a piece of paper in an eclipse tin and sticking it under a bush represents a puny investment compared to buying an ammo can,
painting it, possibly inserting a sistema box inside it to protect the log book and then constructing an informative or interesting cache page designed to
introduce the cacher to some interesting or historical place or event.

After finding around 6 of these in a row on the weekend all by the same team, and none of them really memorable I wrote micro logs... you should've read what I wrote in my comment on my gpsr