So here I am going through the e-mail, and I get a log for our Oracle Microcache which is an APS film canister hidden in the centre of Reading. Not uncommon as we get a steady stream of visits. Then I actually read it…

I’d overheard a conversation about this cache sometime ago, so got to the area quickly. Found with a little help from a local Geobabe currently in Devon. Fortunatly, I was at a fancy dress party last night dressed as the grim reaper so had a handy sythe to help me 😉

Cache stuffed with random pieces of paper so took the liberty of swapping it out for a fresh 35mm cannister with pencil.

The first paragraph is fine, but the second left me absolutely speechless. It’s always been stuffed full as it’s got four years worth of people signing it, plus various people have left other things in it, however he’s apparently just taken all of that away and replaced it with his own canister – and he didn’t even leave the same sort, he left a 35mm canister instead. Now it’s not uncommon for people to maintain other peoples caches, but it is usual to actually ask them before doing anything, certainly before taking their cache and replacing it with a totally new container.

I’ve got no idea what he’s actually done with what he’s removed – I’d actually like him to put it back if he’s got it, have to see what’s happened. I’ve e-mailed him, and also e-mailed one of the UK admins, so lets see what comes about.

Update: Ok, I’ve calmed down somewhat now. I’ve not heard from the cacher in question, as I’m told he’s actually on his holidays and touring around, using a mobile to produce the logs – which now explains why it was a short log.

Apparently he has kept the cache and is intending to scan in the logs which is nice. I’ve come to the decision, as suggested by some other cachers, to disable the cache for the moment, until I can get up there to check what is there. I shouldn’t think there is anything wrong with the new container as the cacher who changed it over has a load of his own caches, just making sure. I’ve also e-mailed the cacher again to thank him for keeping the logs, and see where we go from here.

I’m loathed to loose the Oracle Microcache as it produces by far the most amusing logs of any of our caches – not many caches that people have resorted to a vacuum cleaner to retrieve…

Update 2: Well I’ve heard back from the cacher – unfortunately not the nicest of e-mails. Sadly he doesn’t seem to understand why I should be upset at the idea that he has totally replaced one of my caches, apparently he’s done it to other peoples caches before and they’ve thanked him. Really it reminds me of just why I am glad not to be an admin on Geocaching.com any more. Trying to deal with peoples different ideas of what is acceptable and not is a real pain at times – it’s not the first time something like this has happened and it won’t be the last. The most notable I can remember from when I was fully active in the community with was one cacher who thought he’d be helpful and have the camera in somebody elses cache developed – it went down badly with both the cache owner and other people in the community – but then others thought he was only trying to be helpful.

I e-mailed again, apologising, trying again to explain why I’m upset by it, and suggesting we draw a line under the incident, to which he replied in fairly terse agreement, to his credit he has also gone and put the original cache back in place. I honestly think that he believes he was doing me a favour, and that he can’t understand why I was upset by what he did. The game is such that aside from cacher meets I’ll be unlikely to meet the guy, and with the few caches I have around, there’s not much chance of our paths crossing, so hopefully that will be an end of it.

The general comment I’ve had from most other cachers is that though I over-reacted a bit, which I accept, it is always good practice to e-mail before doing something significant somebody elses cache. An e-mail saying that the cache container was looking a bit battered and that he had a replacement he could provide would have been fine.

Interestingly as a result of this, the suggestion that has come from other quarters is that I should just draw a line under my whole participation in the game and archive all my remaining caches and be done with it. Certainly it gave me a lot of stress when I was more active, which is partly why I’m in the background now – and with the spectre of litigation against cache owners it certainly seems worth getting out and archiving all my remaining caches too.

Anyway, I’m not going to make any decisions on that just now, since as you can see elsewhere we’ve got somewhat more pressing matters to attend to with the house.