Those Badges and those Darned logs!

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Alansee
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Re: Those Badges and those Darned logs!

Post by Alansee » 14 September 12 4:42 pm

.
I should point out that there are longer logs that I DO like. In my early days of caching I was quite taken with the quality of logs that maccamob produced. They would always say something nice about the cache experience, (and continue to do so) and that inspired me to try to do the same. If there is something to say then please say it in whatever fashion you want.

Those logs are not my beef.

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Re: Those Badges and those Darned logs!

Post by Alansee » 14 September 12 4:58 pm

Big Matt and Shell wrote:Gee you're a hard crowd to please.

If there isn't a thread on too short logs, then there is one on too long logs. At the end of the day it's up to the finder to write about their journey as they see fit. If you want to read them, do so, of not just let them go. Life is too short to worry about if someone tells you what they had for dinner before finding your cache.

My 2 cents anyway...

Somewhere between "TFTC" and a 120 word piece of irrelevance that is cut and pasted 20 times, lies a whole range of possible logs, of varying lengths, that contribute significantly to our great pastime. I think that it is appropriate to discuss the issue, in the interests of us all. It is surely one of the best ways that we can improve the experience for all.

And Matt, you obviously never scour previous logs for just a slight hint on a cache that you can't find? You know, the ones that go "great camo" "found after I spread the search a bit", that can change your search approach for the better. Or maybe "glad I was caching with a tall person", "found easily once I changed my approach". Not blatant give-aways, but things that a cacher learns to look for.

A cache found is so much nicer than a DNF.

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Re: Those Badges and those Darned logs!

Post by Big Matt and Shell » 14 September 12 5:32 pm

Not any more Alan, they are all TFTC these days... :mrgreen: In all seriousness even most of those long boilerplate logs will usually have a bit of a cache specific comment on them. I also store 30 logs to the GPS. I can normally find one that helps me out.

Have a good weekend, I hope you find a cache or two. I know I wont.

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Richary
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Re: Those Badges and those Darned logs!

Post by Richary » 14 September 12 9:59 pm

Due to work travel I found 2 caches in Hobart yesterday near the airport and one at Mildura this morning. All 3 had reasonable length logs that included why I was in the area, as well as a bit of a story about my walk to the cache from the airport terminal. Not all of the caches would have deserved or got such a long log had they been a similar hide/find close to home (where 2 out of 3 would almost have been drive bys).

Why write more then - because the only reason I could get the cache was because of that particular trip, and it also shows (if anyone cares) why I went all the way to Mildura and only logged one find during the visit. As well as the fact I made the effort to walk 1km or so each direction for the finds rather than park the car next door and grab it like most people would have.

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Re: Those Badges and those Darned logs!

Post by TwoDrews » 15 September 12 1:36 am

I reckon I know who the OP is talking about, and that crew's logs bug me too. Even more now if it's true that the reason for them is to earn a badge...I feel like I'm being played.

On a personal note, the length of my logs usually corresponds to the quality of the cache. If the CO has put some effort in, then I'll reciprocate by putting some effort into my log. I refuse to wax lyrical over an eclipse tin thrown under a bush but I've been known to go overboard with praise for a genuinely creative hide.

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Re: Those Badges and those Darned logs!

Post by LouiseAnn » 15 September 12 9:25 am

I had one of the long logs on one of my caches that has had very good feed back from most finds and I was ver annoyed to see that they only bothered to an two words that were specifically about my cache.

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Re: Those Badges and those Darned logs!

Post by TwoDrews » 15 September 12 9:58 am

LouiseAnn wrote:I had one of the long logs on one of my caches that has had very good feed back from most finds and I was ver annoyed to see that they only bothered to an two words that were specifically about my cache.
Shows a lack of respect IMO. The logs are all about "them". They take and don't give back...

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Re: Those Badges and those Darned logs!

Post by lemmykc » 15 September 12 11:05 am

I would think that this is a pretty good equation representation of what most of these people go through:

RoF + W + QL ≠ T

Rate of Finds + Work + Quality Logs ≠ Enough time.

I know for a fact that many of these logs are put in place because these users do not have any time to write good logs. They may find 50 every time they go out (on average) and to do a quality log for all would take way too long. At least they tell you about the circumstances of the find at a minimum. I don't think people really care about that badge too much.

From my perspective, I am a 14yo Year 9 student and I have exams coming up. Quite frankly, I don't have time to log all of my caches immediately: especially not to write quality logs. Of course I could go through them all and write 'Easy Find TFTC' but what is the point in that?

I always think that your log average should not have to drop because of helpless circumstances. By this I mean if you don't have time to do a big long log, then it shouldn't really have to drop. It is a bit unfair. Another example is when you find a cache which was literally a drive-by. There isn't much to say about them.

I try to write the longest logs possible for most caches (subject to waffling, etc.) in which case I generally get at least 100 words without doing the copy and paste thing. However the instances in which I cannot write as long a log as I like, my log average would be subject to dropping which I find a bit unfair and thus I like to include a copy and paste thing.

I have written some very long logs about my full experience on some caches that have gone for 700 words. More likely is 400 words. I am all for quality logs, but then again, I don't think they are the most important thing in the universe that time that could be better spent with family or friends during a long busy work week must be sacrificed. I mean come on people, it's a game. It isn't the most important thing in the world.

I better stop now at the risk of this post being called a 'waffle' ](*,) #-o ](*,) #-o ](*,) #-o #-o :( :evil:

:-" :-" :-" :-" :-" :-" :-"

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Richary
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Re: Those Badges and those Darned logs!

Post by Richary » 15 September 12 11:55 pm

I agree TwoDrews - a good cache generally gets a longer log than a crap cache. If you ever see may just write "Easy find, thanks" which I have once or twice it is an indication that I may not have gained much enjoyment from the smiley.

I also agree lemmykc, it is nice to try and write something long, but sometimes life gets in the way. In the early days I did a 50+ cache run up through the Flinders Ranges with no remote internet access over a week. Of course now you could probably pick up 200+ on the same loop. But even with 50 it was hard to remember everything memorable about the find after a week and write as much as I would have liked, despite taking memory jogging notes for the ones I found. For the NZ mega trip (12 nights) I expect a lot of finds, and I will probably have net access for the trip so will be write up something decent each evening. But if for some reason I don't have net, after 2 weeks the ones that weren't outstanding will start to fade into the memory banks.

Personally, I am annoyed at a cache I have put effort into and get a very short found log. I haven't had the huge cut & paste story of the day ones yet, but would probably be equally annoyed - though I may not realise that is what it was unless they found several of mine in the one trip.

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Re: Those Badges and those Darned logs!

Post by gmj3191 » 16 September 12 12:04 pm

Hey Richary - I was up there a couple of weeks ago and enjoyed your Back Road to Arkaroola cache http://coord.info/GCH2CF
It's holding up pretty well.
Hope my log wasn't to waffly :D

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Re: Those Badges and those Darned logs!

Post by rhinogeo » 16 September 12 12:40 pm

TwoDrews wrote:On a personal note, the length of my logs usually corresponds to the quality of the cache. If the CO has put some effort in, then I'll reciprocate by putting some effort into my log. I refuse to wax lyrical over an eclipse tin thrown under a bush but I've been known to go overboard with praise for a genuinely creative hide.
I do the same. if the CO has gone to little effort other than finding a spot >161m from the nearest cache and casually tossed a cache (from their bag of poorly prepared eclipse tins) out of the car window the subsequent brevity of my log will invariably follow the "if I've got nothing nice to say, it's best not to say anything" principle :|

I wasn't aware of this verbosity badge but it does explain some of the long logs I've noticed in recent times :shock:

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Re: Those Badges and those Darned logs!

Post by Geodes » 17 September 12 1:56 pm

TwoDrews wrote:I reckon I know who the OP is talking about, and that crew's logs bug me too. Even more now if it's true that the reason for them is to earn a badge...I feel like I'm being played.
I reckon I know the crew in question too. A while back, I had a big day caching around Hastings and, unfortunately, one of the crew had had a similar day a week before - so every time I wanted to check on past logs for a cache, I had to go through a mass of (identical) drivel about various useless facets of his day (the 'hot toastie' he had for lunch still sticks in my memory). This became so annoying that I resolved to delete all the Crew's logs from my GSAK database so I wouldn't have to suffer this again.

I don't really mind if there's a certain amount of 're-use' of a log for caches by different owners, but bear in mind that if a lot of the caches you do on a day are by the same CO then they really don't need to re-read a summary of your day 20 times over.

PS It doesn't matter all that much if you're scanning logs on a computer, but these very long and totally useless cut and paste jobs really are annoying when you're trying to scroll through on a GPSr.

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Re: Those Badges and those Darned logs!

Post by EuDes » 17 September 12 2:30 pm

... but these very long and totally useless cut and paste jobs really are annoying when you're trying to scroll through on a GPSr.
Hear, hear. =D> \:D/

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Re: Those Badges and those Darned logs!

Post by covert » 08 October 12 11:39 am

EuDes wrote:
... but these very long and totally useless cut and paste jobs really are annoying when you're trying to scroll through on a GPSr.
Hear, hear. =D> \:D/
Where is the like button ? I am not finding it as bad on the big Montana screen but the Origon's little screen just scrolled and scrolled with nothing relevant to the cache. Those large logs are becoming noise like the banner advert's. You know they are there but pay no attention to them and scroll to the next log.

I have been guilty of those types of logs in the past but knowing how cache owners and cachers feel about it I will try my best to know do them again. I like to write a decent log if I had a decent story. I have had some great logs and span a story over a few different caches for the day.

There is not a lot one can give back to a CO besides a good log. Taking the time to write a good one for a cache that has had some effort put into it is important.

These days I am more blunt when it is a cache I did not enjoy and my log will be short not caring for any badges or word counts. Even using "TFTC" on some occasions....

"Eclipse Tin :(" .... (tm)

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Re: Those Badges and those Darned logs!

Post by Hoojar » 08 October 12 11:56 am

I too am not a fan of big copy and paste logs.

Whilst going through my statistics the other day I discovered that my average log length is 35 words, and the average log length on my hidden caches is 36. So whilst I consider myself to be a 'short' logger, I guess in terms of my caching surrounds I am actually average! Can anyone generate (without imploding a computer) a statistic on the average log length on all caches active in Australia?

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