A motto to follow when placing caches

[Happy Chappies]

One other little oddball point which is a bit of a hobby horse of mine...

We're talking a lot here about the role of the owner/builder. Fair 'nuff. But the role of the finder is not without relevance either. Even the most mundane cache can become a good (or at least ok) experience if you approach it with the right mindset - Open to an experience, looking for the good, eyes open to the unexpected, making the most of the activity, and so on. While that's not an excuse for blah caches, it is a reflection that our mindset can improve our experience even when we can't do much about the cache quality. I've had some finds recently which, judgementally, were a tad dull. But without too much work you can still enjoy the overall experience

But that's probably a discussion for another topic: "A motto to follow when finding caches"

[chillibutts]

Over the last 6 mths or so, I have developed a simple philosophy with respect to my hides...

I just try to give people a smile when they get to gz/find the cache. Simple as that!

[lemmykc]

Over the last 6 mths or so, I have developed a simple philosophy with respect to my hides...

I just try to give people a smile when they get to gz/find the cache. Simple as that!

Another good motto

[Sky Dog]

I just try to give people a smile when they get to gz/find the cache. Simple as that!

I like it!

[The Tardis Trio]

Over the last 6 mths or so, I have developed a simple philosophy with respect to my hides...
I just try to give people a smile when they get to gz/find the cache. Simple as that!

And you certainly succeeded with your new ant cache (GC33EX5). I wasn't expecting that at GZ

[Hoojar]

As a bit of a tagent here, I think we have to be careful about using favourite points as the sole, or even primary determiner of quality - Remembering that favourite points is a combination of both quality, popularity and number of finds.

And sometimes a favourite point can be awarded to the cache for reasons that had nothing at all to do with the hider. For example, you might favourite your 1,000th cache, or your first cache. Or the first 'nemesis' cache that you finally cracked. Or your first <insert any number of things here>. Or you might meet another cacher. Or any number of thousands of things that had nothing at all to do with the hider.

I for one have given out many favourite points to caches that in themselves are ordinary, below ordinary and even quite crap! But I had a great time at them, and therefore deemed them favourite worthy.

[Team Wibble]

Over the last 6 mths or so, I have developed a simple philosophy with respect to my hides...

I just try to give people a smile when they get to gz/find the cache. Simple as that!

I follow a similar philosophy, I want people to either smile, giggle, or say "wow" when they get to either GZ or see the cache.

I also consider the favourite points and whether I would give one to my own cache if I found it. The favourite points system may not be perfect, but I find it very useful when determining which caches are worth seeking out.

[Philipp]

I for one have given out many favourite points to caches that in themselves are ordinary, below ordinary and even quite crap! But I had a great time at them, and therefore deemed them favourite worthy.

Well I don't do that. If the cache itself isn't above and beyond it doesn't get a point or a star even if I had a good time.

[Laighside Legends]

I just try to give people a smile when they get to gz/find the cache. Simple as that!

... and I try to smile as I think "How the hell am I going to get that without anyone noticing?"

[noikmeister]

I voted no because the purpose of a voting system is to highlight something special. Some caches are enjoyable, but are they favourites? Just because something isn't a favourite doesn't make it crap. If all the caches I found were favourites then none would be. It's a bit of a circular argument, but there it is.

My caching motto is really around first hides and it is this: If there were an award for "Best first hide" (and sometimes there is) try to win it. From there you generally have a strong footing from which to hide decent caches.

[nutwood]

This thread makes an interesting read. It leaves me wondering what actually makes a good cache? Is it the cleverness of the hide; "who'd have thought you could make a fake speed camera with a log book in it?", or is it the fascinating location that you'd never have known about without following the GPS. Perhaps the challenge of finding some really sadistic hide? Perhaps a day or so's enjoyable walking in the bush?
I'm new to this game and curious to know what fires up the weary and battered souls of those who've been finding plastic boxes for the best part of a decade.

[caughtatwork]

Sometimes it's not the cache, it's the journey.

[Richary]

Sometimes it's not the cache, it's the journey.

For me the journey is the most important part. Give me 1 or 2 good bushwalk caches in a day and I prefer those over many drive bys. Though often I have to take the easy suburban ones to keep the numbers ticking over.

I enjoy every find as a find.But after 3300+ I don't remember them all. The ones I do remember were ones that took me somewhere special or were a challenge. Ask me about a boring drive by I found 2 years ago and I couldn't tell you. Ask about a good walk somewhere and I will. Or a real nice muli that took me to a nice place.

Probably my fave ever was in Paris - a multi around a .great cemetery. With the end a virtual - send the answer and log. It took me 3 visits over the week but I loved every minute of it. All for one smiley

[team waldron]

I agree,
There are a few of us in Adelaide who are becoming self admitted cache snobs (and a few of those who wouldn't admit it, ) and between ourselves we have discussed raising the standards because quite frankly we are tired of crap caches.

Please define "crap cache".

[Yurt]

I agree,
There are a few of us in Adelaide who are becoming self admitted cache snobs (and a few of those who wouldn't admit it, ) and between ourselves we have discussed raising the standards because quite frankly we are tired of crap caches.

Please define "crap cache".

For mine, an uncamoed, magnet-less Eclipse tin with a wet lump of Post-it notes inside thrown under a rubbish strewn bush...

But that's just me!