Love and Hate
- pprass
- 10000 or more caches found
- Posts: 911
- Joined: 18 December 03 11:52 pm
- Location: Port Macquarie
Love and Hate
Ok - at the risk of being told that I am regurgitating what has been discussed on this Forum before, I want to lay out our opinions on what we love and hate about geocaching.
These opinions usually gather some urge to be publicised after a big caching trip where we see a cross section of caches in a relativley short period of time. I am sure that most experienced cachers would have similar opinions to ours (as per our usual debriefing sessions at events or at random in the field meetings), so maybe I am just wanting to get this off my chest and see what comes out of the woodwork.
In particular I am hoping that some of the less active cachers in the more remote areas take note of opinions such as this so that they can be more aware of what we (the caching community) like and dislike. (a contradiction I know as they are less likely to read the Forum, but it can't hurt, can it )
What we love and hate about geocaching
Love:
1. The excitement of exploring a new location and experiencing wonderful sights, information and scenery.
2. Pouring over maps to work out how to get to interesting locations and being able to navigate a course to minimise effort. (ie walking )
3.The hunt for tricky caches and being surprised by innovative hides.
4.Finding a cache that has been neglected for a long time due to isolation, or some terrain obstacle.
5. The feeling that you are doing something that nobody around you knows about.
6. Meeting other cachers and striking up a conversation as though you have known them all your life.
7. Finding a cache with the minimum of information – ie just reading the cache page, so that it feels like an FTF for us even though it may have been placed years ago.
8. Reading logs from cachers that have had an entertaining time and take the trouble to write a log that has more than 1 sentence (or one anagram for that matter).
Hate:
1. Cache placements in lame locations – garden beds, playgrounds, outside public conveniences, places that have no particular attraction, or the cacher has not written anything interesting on the cache page to warrant a cache placement in that location.
2. Co-ordinates that are more than 10 metres out.
3. Difficulty/Terrain ratings that either over or understate the real conditions.
4. Cachers that don’t follow up on “needs maintenance” logs or ignore multiple DNF logs.
5. Cachers that don’t respond to direct emails asking them to please check a cache that appears to have been muggled.
6. Explicit hints that render the use of a GPS useless.
7. Cachers that find caches that are 20 metres out by obviously looking at the explicit hint and then not providing corrected co-ordinates to help those that don’t dive for the hint before they even leave the house.
8. Receiving logs that say nothing about the cachers experience, or just some inane anagram.
These opinions usually gather some urge to be publicised after a big caching trip where we see a cross section of caches in a relativley short period of time. I am sure that most experienced cachers would have similar opinions to ours (as per our usual debriefing sessions at events or at random in the field meetings), so maybe I am just wanting to get this off my chest and see what comes out of the woodwork.
In particular I am hoping that some of the less active cachers in the more remote areas take note of opinions such as this so that they can be more aware of what we (the caching community) like and dislike. (a contradiction I know as they are less likely to read the Forum, but it can't hurt, can it )
What we love and hate about geocaching
Love:
1. The excitement of exploring a new location and experiencing wonderful sights, information and scenery.
2. Pouring over maps to work out how to get to interesting locations and being able to navigate a course to minimise effort. (ie walking )
3.The hunt for tricky caches and being surprised by innovative hides.
4.Finding a cache that has been neglected for a long time due to isolation, or some terrain obstacle.
5. The feeling that you are doing something that nobody around you knows about.
6. Meeting other cachers and striking up a conversation as though you have known them all your life.
7. Finding a cache with the minimum of information – ie just reading the cache page, so that it feels like an FTF for us even though it may have been placed years ago.
8. Reading logs from cachers that have had an entertaining time and take the trouble to write a log that has more than 1 sentence (or one anagram for that matter).
Hate:
1. Cache placements in lame locations – garden beds, playgrounds, outside public conveniences, places that have no particular attraction, or the cacher has not written anything interesting on the cache page to warrant a cache placement in that location.
2. Co-ordinates that are more than 10 metres out.
3. Difficulty/Terrain ratings that either over or understate the real conditions.
4. Cachers that don’t follow up on “needs maintenance” logs or ignore multiple DNF logs.
5. Cachers that don’t respond to direct emails asking them to please check a cache that appears to have been muggled.
6. Explicit hints that render the use of a GPS useless.
7. Cachers that find caches that are 20 metres out by obviously looking at the explicit hint and then not providing corrected co-ordinates to help those that don’t dive for the hint before they even leave the house.
8. Receiving logs that say nothing about the cachers experience, or just some inane anagram.
- pprass
- 10000 or more caches found
- Posts: 911
- Joined: 18 December 03 11:52 pm
- Location: Port Macquarie
Re: Love and Hate
We have had worseYurt wrote:+1...
- Trigg-A-Nomics
- Posts: 260
- Joined: 18 March 10 10:25 pm
- Location: Adelaide SA
Re: Love and Hate
Do people really hate #6 or is it more to do with the relationship to #7? I try to make my hints cryptic but sometimes I do get more specific when the hide warrants it. To me there's not much worse than your GPS pointing at a bridge and then the hint saying "Bridge".pprass wrote:6. Explicit hints that render the use of a GPS useless.
7. Cachers that find caches that are 20 metres out by obviously looking at the explicit hint and then not providing corrected co-ordinates to help those that don’t dive for the hint before they even leave the house.
- Yurt
- 4500 or more caches found
- Posts: 1509
- Joined: 01 May 09 10:08 pm
- Location: Northern Suburbs, Sydney
Re: Love and Hate
Yes it's one of my pet hates especially when at a difficult hide and looking to previous logs for some assistance and someone (more than one) has just written TFTC. Especially if it was a mystery that you needed the brain of Einstein and the computing power of Deep Thought to solve and then a 5km hike through the wilderness to find a nano in a cave.
Okay that's an extreme but you'd think you'd write more than that in the online log.
I agree with the list in the main but as people can do what they please and the 'guilty' parties are not likely to read the forums it's a case of "whatcha gonna do about it?" sadly.
Okay that's an extreme but you'd think you'd write more than that in the online log.
I agree with the list in the main but as people can do what they please and the 'guilty' parties are not likely to read the forums it's a case of "whatcha gonna do about it?" sadly.
- Map Monkey
- 1050 or more caches found
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- Joined: 08 April 04 3:06 pm
- Location: Banana Republic
- Contact:
Re: Love and Hate
....hate caching acronyms that mean nothing to the cache owner eg GAFF per Hate 8
....love feedback on caches.
mm
....love feedback on caches.
mm
- caughtatwork
- Posts: 17020
- Joined: 17 May 04 12:11 pm
- Location: Melbourne
- Contact:
Re: Love and Hate
http://wiki.geocaching.com.au/wiki/GAFFMap Monkey wrote:....hate caching acronyms that mean nothing to the cache owner eg GAFF per Hate 8
....love feedback on caches.
mm
- the farmers 5
- 4500 or more caches found
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- Location: Wagga Wagga,Riverina,NSW. Home of Australia's ......OZ MEGA WAGGA WAGGA..
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Re: Love and Hate
All those hates are very true and its amazing how many times they actually occur.
A new one to add is number 9/.
Cachers that give away almost the hide spot with a subtle hint of how they got the find.Why do they say it ???
Example: A/ lucky we are not vertically challenged,so we were able to reach it.
B/ Once we looked in the hidey hole ,we discovered the hide.
C/ The magnet really held this one hard.
D/ This item in the garden looked different to the rest.
E/ We were able to reach this from the seat.
Can think of a dozen more too.It always amazes us why teams have to reveal these hints in their finds.
A new one to add is number 9/.
Cachers that give away almost the hide spot with a subtle hint of how they got the find.Why do they say it ???
Example: A/ lucky we are not vertically challenged,so we were able to reach it.
B/ Once we looked in the hidey hole ,we discovered the hide.
C/ The magnet really held this one hard.
D/ This item in the garden looked different to the rest.
E/ We were able to reach this from the seat.
Can think of a dozen more too.It always amazes us why teams have to reveal these hints in their finds.
Re: Love and Hate
"In particular I am hoping that some of the less active cachers in the more remote areas take note of opinions such as this so that they can be more aware of what we (the caching community) like and dislike".
If we are the caching community, what are they?
If we are the caching community, what are they?
Re: Love and Hate
Hints are a very varied thing. Some people hate them, others live by them. Sometimes they're really necessary or important, other times there's no need.
I think it's quite often important to give a hint to avoid too much searching that might damage the area. Or to make it a quicker find in a muggle-prone spot. Personally, if I've been brought to a really interesting or scenic spot or taken on a fun journey when I get to GZ, I don't necessarily need (or want) to spend ages searching for the cache and am quite happy to use the hint.
Only hides that are intended to be especially clever and devious would qualify for no hint in my opinion (and I usually DF them anyway ).
I like hints - to me caching is done for fun, not for frustration. But I accept that everyone has their own reasons and methods.
I think it's quite often important to give a hint to avoid too much searching that might damage the area. Or to make it a quicker find in a muggle-prone spot. Personally, if I've been brought to a really interesting or scenic spot or taken on a fun journey when I get to GZ, I don't necessarily need (or want) to spend ages searching for the cache and am quite happy to use the hint.
Only hides that are intended to be especially clever and devious would qualify for no hint in my opinion (and I usually DF them anyway ).
I like hints - to me caching is done for fun, not for frustration. But I accept that everyone has their own reasons and methods.
- bshwckr
- 500 or more caches logged
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- Location: Cessnock
Re: Love and Hate
Pretty much agree with everything blossom* says here.blossom* wrote:Hints are a very varied thing. Some people hate them, others live by them. Sometimes they're really necessary or important, other times there's no need.
I think it's quite often important to give a hint to avoid too much searching that might damage the area. Or to make it a quicker find in a muggle-prone spot. Personally, if I've been brought to a really interesting or scenic spot or taken on a fun journey when I get to GZ, I don't necessarily need (or want) to spend ages searching for the cache and am quite happy to use the hint.
Only hides that are intended to be especially clever and devious would qualify for no hint in my opinion (and I usually DF them anyway ).
I like hints - to me caching is done for fun, not for frustration. But I accept that everyone has their own reasons and methods.
Also, there is no requirement to look at the hint or the past logs if you prefer not. I usually look as I have no patience. Also, as a lot of my caching is now done with an I phone, I need those hints that do not require a GPS
- pprass
- 10000 or more caches found
- Posts: 911
- Joined: 18 December 03 11:52 pm
- Location: Port Macquarie
Re: Love and Hate
Fair comment - I was trying to distinguish between the more active experienced cachers to the newer less active cachers who may not have been aware of what a good cache entails.Tuena wrote:If we are the caching community, what are they?
- pprass
- 10000 or more caches found
- Posts: 911
- Joined: 18 December 03 11:52 pm
- Location: Port Macquarie
Re: Love and Hate
Where a cacher gives the game away on our more challenging caches I will email them and politely ask them to change the wording. Haven't had anyone refuse yet. On our simpler caches I will let it ride - but not really happy about it.the farmers 5 wrote:...Cachers that give away almost the hide spot with a subtle hint of how they got the find. Why do they say it ???
- pprass
- 10000 or more caches found
- Posts: 911
- Joined: 18 December 03 11:52 pm
- Location: Port Macquarie
Re: Love and Hate
OK - defend mode on.Map Monkey wrote:....hate caching acronyms that mean nothing to the cache owner eg GAFF per Hate 8
If you read my comment properly I said "just" an inane acronym (I mistakenly said anagram btw) eg "TNLNSL" and that's it!
If you have ever received a log from us you will see that we usually write a few words to accompany the GAFF rating and as a matter of fact looking at the caches of yours that we have found the highest no. of words was around 160 and the lowest was around 55 - which I think gave pretty good feedback on those caches.
Last edited by pprass on 02 August 10 10:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- pprass
- 10000 or more caches found
- Posts: 911
- Joined: 18 December 03 11:52 pm
- Location: Port Macquarie
Re: Love and Hate
That's what I do when it is a difficult cache as well. However I believe that we usually give accurate co-ords so that there is no need for a hint on some of our simpler caches.Trigg-A-Nomics wrote:... I try to make my hints cryptic but sometimes I do get more specific when the hide warrants it.