I started geocaching in 2008. This was before the boom, but after the game had been around for a while. Though I wish I had come into the game a lot earlier, I was happy with the time I got into it.
The game itself really is marvelous.
Think about it – somebody hides something in the woods (or elsewhere) and gives you the chance to go find it by posting coordinates on a website. You get the coordinates, put them in your GPS and go find said container. Inside might be some swag where you could trade but, at worst, you sign the log with your trail name and then go back and log it online, if you wish.
It’s a nice, simple game to get you outside and enjoying nature.
But when things grow and expand and such, it’s not always for the better.
In the time that I’ve been involved with geocaching, I’ve seen it get to a level where the rage is smartphones to cache with (I admit, yes, I cache with my iPhone, but I also use my GPS), and where it’s grown to massive numbers.
When I started, it was usually bigger containers and some adventures. Now, micro containers are the main thing, and it seems like more people start and stop geocaching faster than it takes some people to find their first 10 caches.
But what really happens when all of this occurs is the clashing of personalities.
It’s way better to get out and actually find a geocache than worry about how others play the game.
Our area has had its ups and downs when it comes to geocaching. There are times when it seems like people can and can’t get along and that’s normal – we’re all humans, after all. But I would hope most differences can be put aside over time. I would think we all at least know how to be cordial with one another, or so it would seem.
But as things grow in the world of technology, so do the things people use each day (social media etc.), which means there’s more forums for games such as geocaching. There are groups and all set up for different aspects of the game.
And that’s where it gets dicey.
You see, geocaching is a game. There are NO winners and losers. There are NO prizes for the most finds or hides. There are NO paychecks. There are also NO true rules, rather guidelines set up by the main group running this game – geocaching.com.
So, in turn, that means there’s NO way to cheat.
It’s always been said that individuals geocache the way they see fit. Are there some “rules” that are basic? Absolutely. Find the cache. Sign the log. Replaced the cache.
Those three are pretty dead-on.
That becomes different when doing things like virtuals and Earthcaches etc., because there are no physical containers and logs. Instead, there are other requirements, like photos, answering questions etc.
The issue here is those who don’t actually do the things they are supposed to, or “cheat” to log geocaches.
Why do that, some may ask? After all, the main point of geocaching is to get you out for an adventure and take you somewhere cool.
And I agree with that. In fact, I can say if it wasn’t for geocaching, I wouldn’t have seen or gone to many places I’ve been to because of the game. State parks, different states, and things like that. I’ve found fantastic places to eat while out and about. I’ve had the chance to meet a lot of people. It’s been great.
But I don’t worry about what they do when it comes to finds.
Here’s the reality – I love statistics and numbers (remember, I’m a baseball guy), so I love seeing stats and stuff for geocaching. I like knowing how many finds I have, how many I didn’t, how many of this kind etc. I like knowing what my best day is, how many miles I’ve traveled and where I’ve cached.
Love all that.
But I love it for me – not anybody else. I don’t care if people have more finds than me. I could care less if they have more FTFs, been to more states or countries, or have placed more. In fact, good for them because hopefully that means they’ve had the chance to see more!
But, in all reality, it doesn’t matter. Why? Because I won’t get anything in the end if I am “competing.”
So I don’t care if somebody wants to “cheat.”
Recently, I saw a post in one of these Facebook groups ridiculing a couple of Europeans who were apparently vacationing in America. They logged a virtual where they had to climb a mountain and posted photos. The photos were obviously photoshopped and didn’t look convincing at all.
The venom that followed was crazy.
Cheaters! All of their finds were now “in question” according to this jury.
Who cares?
If somebody feels the need to spend the time it takes to try and make a photo look convincing just to log a virtual, then whatever. It’s up to the cache owner (if they are still active) to deal with it, not a bunch of people on Facebook thinking they are the morality police.
I can somewhat see the point by some people who have made that hike. I get it. They did the work and earned that smiley, while the others didn’t (so we think. Maybe they did it, forgot to take a photo and thought they needed to do this? Probably not, but we never know). But some people, who had never made the hike were up in arms. Is it really worth posting the photo all over to ridicule them?
I didn’t see the dates these people who had the pitch forks started geocaching, but it makes me wonder.
The new generation of geocachers are quicker to judge, at least in my dealings. But it’s society now. See something you don’t like? Call people out on Facebook (or some other spot).
Look, I get the argument on both sides. Is it annoying that people do this? Sure. But in the end, it really does nothing. Ignore it and move on. Well, the only time I would agree with this is when there’s a cache with several DNFs over a larger period of time and all of a sudden somebody finds it with an “easy” or something like that. If they are in a situation where they are armchair logging, then in the end that could have an affect on somebody else’s game as they might go try and find it and it might not be there. In that case, I am with others in that it’s an issue because it could make somebody else’s experience negative.
And heck, I’ve matched signatures in the logs of my caches with online logs sometimes … they don’t always match. But I try and give the benefit of the doubt and laugh it off.
In the end, one thing we have to remember is geocaching is a game. It’s not a competition. It’s definitely not a sport as many call it. It’s a game. A hobby. Something people should enjoy doing. If you are worrying too much about how others play the game then you aren’t playing the game well enough yourself. Go find some geocaches. If others want to be “cheap” and armchair things, many will know they are doing it. But it’s just a game. Do it your way and know you are doing it right.
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I can see both sides of the coin, but I don’t think this is a game. It’s a hobby. In a game, there are winners and losers. A hobby, I believe, there are all winners. You get out of it what you put into it. Some people are casual geocachers, while others are more intense. I feel I’m in the middle, although others would say I’m more intense.
But there are still things that get under my skin. I had a person log one of my caches. “Hey, we were in the area, we found your cache, TFTC.” The only thing is, they didn’t find my cache. They didn’t find it, so instead of logging a DNF, they threw down another container and logged a find. They didn’t even say they threw down another container, they just did it and then played it off like they’d found the real deal.
The only reason I caught on was their new cache was found three days later by someone else and he mentioned that there were only two names in the logbook. That made me suspicious since the cache had been found many times. I went out and found two caches, my original and the throw down cache not 10 feet away. I asked the second guy to go out and find the real cache, which he did. I deleted the other two logs and wrote an email to them explaining why I did so.
If I were to allow people to log finds on my caches when they didn’t find them, then that reflects on my integrity as a cacher.
Once I was on a power trail where there was a cache every 528 feet for miles and miles. This was 5 years ago at least, before there were many power trails around. My friend and i had found some of the caches and had encountered a group from Arizona doing the trail the opposite way we were doing it. My friend and I talked with them a little bit, then moved on. We left that particular trail for some other caching, then came back later on to find some more on side trails.
This is where it got confusing. We encountered caches that we hadn’t found, but now had our names on the log book. WTF? Well, we shortly figured out what was going on. The group from Arizona was leapfrogging, or throwing down a cache and picking up the old one to save time. The cache then got moved on to the next spot, or somewhere down the road where it got thrown down in a cache spot and the next cache was picked up. Saves time for numbers runners. I understand why this is done, but at the same time I don’t necessarily agree with it.
So here I am, out in the middle of nowhere, finding caches with my name already on the log sheet. What about the cache that I actually found? Now, it no longer has my name on the log sheet. That reflects on my integrity as a cacher, because my name on the log sheet says I found it. If I log it online and then someone comes along later and finds a cache, by my name isn’t on the log sheet, then they might believe I’m a cheater. Granted, these are special circumstances, but I’m not sure this is right for the hobby. When someone else’s way of playing the hobby causes people to look askance at someone else in how they play the hobby, then it’s probably wrong. Can you tell you struck a nerve here?
I also think that the app has caused major problems with the hobby. I love the app. Like today, I went out and found a cache that wasn’t in my GPSr, because I had an old PQ in the machine. The app helped me out today. But the app is also making it incredibly easy for people to get involved. I get that, but at the same time, I think geocaching should have some rules in place for this.
Too many times, people discover geocaching. WOW!! THIS IS NEAT!!! I’M GOING TO HIDE A CACHE!!!
And then they hide a cache in a not so nice area, or they hide a cache that is going to be easily muggled. You get my drift. I believe that cachers need to have some experience finding caches before they go out and hide one. I think it would be easy for Geocaching.com to instill blocks in the system that would not allow a geocacher to hide a cache until they had at least 100 finds, OR had six months of caching under their belt. With either criteria, I think that would weed out a lot of the cachers who go out once, hide a crappy hide, and then disappear never to be found again. 6 months shows you have staying power. 100 finds shows you have staying power.
Will it happen? Nah. But I can dream.
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Had to think about this one a little bit. This is the beauty of actually discussing on a blog post – seeing all sides. There are some things I fully agree with you about, others I’ll disagree.
As for what to label it – I firmly can get on with the hobby. But it is a game. Not all games have winners and losers. Though only part of the definition of the word would show that, I think “game” has become a bit more than win/lose. That being said, I’m not against the idea of it being a hobby – as long as we don’t want it to be called a sport.
I think the game aspect, as I see it, is there are elements of a game in it. There are FTF hounds or those who try and get more finds than the next person etc. There is an act of competition, even though not everybody will do it. But I’m good with hobby as that’s usually what I list it as when I tell people the things I do.
As for the person who did the drop down cache, I’m with you. That would firmly bother me, especially if they didn’t say anything. In fact, this is a blog post I have been working on for down the line. It’s something that is a bit ridiculous, to be honest. People are way too worried about logging a DNF. I also think you handled it the right way. I’d have been especially peeved if I went back and found the original was actually there. Yes, in that case I’d delete a log.
Your example about the power trail, I think, is more of a testament to the direction the game has gone. As the years go by and technology gets bigger and bigger, the game – or hobby – is much easier to play or access. Therefore, people see somebody encourage something on one trail (ET trail, for example), and they think it’s OK everywhere. Do I think it’s right? Not one bit. But the reality is, integrity isn’t coming into question because, honestly, you found the caches in question. Because somebody decided to do something silly doesn’t mean you didn’t find it. You can’t go back to every cache to see that somebody didn’t mess with a signature.
There’s way too much good about the hobby to worry about a few negatives, which was an overall thought I was trying to convey. I like caching. But I don’t have the time or energy to worry about how others do, which is why I am baffled when others do.
Here’s an overall thought – I know I try and cache the “right way.” I’m sure there are times when I did things others would find to be against some unwritten rule or ethic. It happens. But I don’t feel like I lose integrity points for a hobby that, honestly, should be about getting out for an adventure. You yourself said it’s a hobby, not a game, so if that’s the fact – how much does integrity truly come into play? Play the game – or hobby – the way that seems right and be good with it.
My big case for the above post wasn’t whether or not people delete logs or how one plays the game or hobby, it was more about whether or not other geocachers should worry about other logs. I’ve always thought owners are the ones to make the decisions whether or not a log stays. Me not going out and matching up signatures to the online logs doesn’t put my integrity as a cache owner into question, I don’t think. I maintain my caches and hope people enjoy them.
Example – What if somebody found a cache on a rainy day and the page you signed ended up being ripped out and messy. So said cacher decides to CITO it. The owner comes out the next day and sees you aren’t in there and deletes the log. Is that fair? Would you be upset with the owner if they deleted your log? After all, your name wouldn’t be in it – but it wouldn’t be because you didn’t sign it. It would be because of some other cacher. Your integrity isn’t blemished, as far as I’m concerned, because what’s the point of lying?
Those who armchair, or lie, or “cheat,” are missing out on something much bigger. They are missing out on the adventure of going to a spot and seeing what it’s all about. I could spend time photoshopping myself into photos for a cache, too, but why? I want to have the adventure myself. I DNF many caches – be it a 1/1 or a 5/5.
In the end, my hope is to have fun. I’ve been in the competitive stage before and it got annoying because I worried about others. Not anymore. I cache my way. I hope those who do find my hides consider them to be decent adventures and enjoy them. For those who armchair them (as long as it’s not after a string of DNFs), I say… whatever, you missed the chance at an adventure.
As for the prerequisites to hide a cache, I see both sides. Problem is, what if the 100 finds somebody has are all lamp post skirts and guardrail hides. Or if somebody was a member for six months, but only has three finds because they signed up and then forgot about it and came back. Any prerequisite put on hiding a cache can be skirted around somehow and won’t guarantee anything better. I will agree, though, that it would deter the person who signs up, makes one find, and decides they need to hide 15 all in the first two days as a member.
There’s so many ways to look at all of these topics, which is why the hobby is so great left as it is – different voices and opinions make it great.
I think it’s probably similar to anything that used happen within a fairly small community and is now a zillion times more accessible, thanks mainly to the internet. I imagine it used to be, if you got into geocaching, you had a friend or knew someone who did and that person kinda “coached” you, both showing you how it works and explaining the “rules” or etiquette associated with it. Now it’s so much easier to start geocaching without going through those “gatekeepers.”
I read something similar about tattoo artists recently, actually — it used to that the needles and ink used were expensive and hard to get, so if you wanted to be a tattoo artist, you pretty much had to find an artist and be an apprentice until you learned both the technical parts of the craft and these unspoken rules about how to be a member of that community. Now a lot of long-time artists are upset because they feel newer artists, who may be super talented, aren’t upholding the community’s standards in other ways.
So I think you have a really healthy attitude about it, because you’re not letting other people’s actions ruin your enjoyment of it. On the other hand, I kinda get why people get upset because those who are “cheating” could be making the whole community look bad.
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You are correct about people being able to “skirt” the law by only finding 100 lamp skirt hides (did you see what I did there?), but I think you did agree that it would weed out the ones who find one, then hide 15 right away and never come back.
And, there will always be lamp skirt hides. Heck, the first one I found took me three tries, because I didn’t know those damn things lifted up.
And here’s to the good ol’ days. When I started caching, everything was at least a half mile on a trail. There were no micros. Yeah, I get it, it’s changed. Some for the good (paperless caching is wonderful), some for the bad. And I get the game aspect too.
And I see your point about deleting logs and about the throw down caches along power trails. I’ve done one power trail with a group and we tried to do it correctly. Every body stopped, but no everyone got out of the car. There was no need to do so. We had a lot of fun. The rules are different along those things.
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I would agree for sure that if you had XXX amount of finds, it would weed out the 15 finds/hides and disappear. No doubt. But also, it doesn’t necessarily mean they will hide something good. And look, I like a good park and grab at times, just like I’d like a nice and scenic hike. But I also try to realize that the game evolves and changes, be it for better or worse (such as somebody hiding a micro in the woods).
Any power trail I do, I’ll do it the “right” way, but that’s me. I realize some people want inflated numbers and that’s fine, too.
And this statement isn’t for everybody, but I’ve found that a bunch of people I’ve met who are uber competitive in geocaching are ones who may not have played sports when they were younger. This is their competitive thing. I get that. But when it interferes with others enjoyment, then one needs to step back. BUT, if they do their thing and it doesn’t interfere with me having fun, then I shrug and say have at it.
It’s very true that the community used to be smaller and it used to be more of a “secret” and now it’s grown amazingly big. And people are getting in without understanding the whole aspect of the game, for sure. There’s no doubt about it. And mentors or gatekeepers are highly important, if people use them.
That’s interesting about tattoo artists. I would think having an apprenticeship would be a good thing in that field. To learn how it all works, rather than just doing the art. There’s standards, for sure.
I try and keep a good attitude with it because it’s the only way I know how. I understand, too, why people get mad. But sometimes it’s worth just shrugging and moving along and knowing the game treats you well and have fun with it.
The mentor part is the key. We have a local cacher who seemed to think I was his mentor for a little bit. The problem was, he’d make a decision, then ask me whether he did right or wrong. Well, by that time, the proverbial shit had already hit the fan. The other problem was he’d ask questions, I’d give him straightforward answers and if he didn’t like them, he’d just do it his way anyway. Very frustrating to say the least.
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