I truly don’t understand, sometimes, why people have to “big-time” others.
I’ve been seeing it more and more in geocaching, and I just don’t get it.
Here’s the thing about geocaching — it’s a game. It’s a hobby. It’s not a sport. It’s not a competition. It’s something to get you outside to explore, find a container, sign the log and move on.
It’s simple.
But as the game grows, it brings in many different people. Introverts, extroverts, people in shape, people out of shape, old, young — you name it and they are involved. The way people treat one another, though, sometimes is hard to deal with.
When it comes to geocaching, I try to give people the benefit of the doubt in most aspects. Even if they act higher than others, or something along those lines. I go with the flow. The reality is there are no true “rules” to the hobby, rather guidelines.
That doesn’t stop people from calling others out. It doesn’t matter if it’s a hide they don’t agree with, or the placement, or the coordinates, or the fact they weren’t first, or whatever else — people say things in online forums, or at events, or to other geocachers that basically call others out.
It’s one thing if you are venting to a friend. It’s another if you are in a situation where you are just spouting off.
It seems to be happening more and more, too.
Online logs that are harsh and critical to people. Or going into Facebook groups and calling people out. Or slamming new geocachers because of how they play the game. There are also blatant things against real-life rules (like going after a cache outside of listed hours etc.) and then gloating about it.
Again, the game is played so many different ways by so many people — so why rain on somebody else’s parade?
And, again, I try and give people the benefit of the doubt, but it’s been harder recently. It’s so frustrating to see people get upset or concerned with how somebody treated them, or how some other cachers may have just flat-out bashed a placement or find log.
How does that help the game?
It doesn’t.
I just wonder if people think before they post things, or call people out. I know more than a few people who I’ve talked to and explained the community isn’t all like that and how they should give the game another shot.
Just like anything else, there are positives and negatives in geocaching. I still think there are more positives. And I have my own theories why some (not all) people get really into it and all competitive (such as wondering if they ever played competitive sports etc.), but it is what it is.
The game is still fun. And I still like to go out and cache. But some of the other aspects are just too much sometimes.
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