Tag Archives: Geocaching

Computers/Technology, Geocaching, Web/Internet

Geocaching Online Logs

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I’ve been pondering an curious question recently – should Geocachers be allowed to read the logs for caches that they have not found? The reason for the question comes from looking at the logs for our Oracle Microcache, which is now reactivated after the hassle last month.

The most recent logs clearly show the issue. First take a look at this log.

Found it, first one ever.
Easy to find without GPS if you read all the logs and know the area, though getting my bike to the location was… tricky.

It’s from somebody who knows the area and has carefully gone through all the previous online logs (which include pictures taken by people near the cache) and worked out where the cache is located and found it without a GPS. Quite impressive in some ways, but missing the point. In comparison, take a look at this not found log.

gutted, as kept getting bad signal on my GPS. Was looking forward to doing this before late night shopping

Then this log that follows it.

Found at about 19:00. Really really enjoyed this one. You urban cachers don’t know what a change urban caching is compared to rural caching!! …

Also, the co-ordinates are very very accurate.

Very many thanks. Great fun. Instead of just thinking about X & Y, also having to think about Z makes a change!

There are a great variety of caches. Sometimes they take you to a new or unique place that you’d otherwise have never seen, other times it is a puzzle, or teaches you something new. In terms of the Oracle Microcache there is nothing unique about the location, and it’s actually just a straight hide – no puzzle involved, however what it does do is teach you something about your GPS. As the not found cacher, and also the person who found it after them discovered, the GPS is lousy at ground level in an urban environment. More than that it is downright misleading at times because thanks to signals reflecting off buildings some units quite often maintain that they have a much more accurate fix than they actually do. Over the years I have had quite experienced cachers tell me that the Oracle Microcache is impossible because of problems with the signal, but as those who find it discover it is really quite straightforward at the location because the co-ordinates are spot on.

I guess it really depends what you get out of caching. In my case I’m not about finding as many caches as I possibly can – I’d much rather do one cache that I enjoy, than a whole load of repetitive caches. Indeed we tend to only cache when we are on holiday now, using it as a way to find new places to visit. If you’re after as many caches as possible, having the logs gives you loads of clues as to a location, and allows you to find a cache really quickly, but in the case of the Oracle Microcache I really think you miss out on part of the fun.

Geocaching

Speechless

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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.

Geocaching

Can Anybody Explain This?

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Queens Oak View 001

As you may know, although we don’t actually go out Geocaching very much at all now (usually only when we’re on holiday), we do still maintain our geocaches, including Queens Oak, our first one hidden up near the Church.

In actual fact it generally needs very little maintenance, so generally I just check to ensure it is still there every few weeks or so – what I don’t generally do is check inside so that I don’t have to fight my way through the brambles to find it. Anyway, I got a log for it last night from someone saying that the logbook was full, to which I replied asking about whether the camera inside the cache was used. The reply came back from the cacher saying that he had made the log book comment on the wrong cache listing, and in fact ours was fine, but that he hadn’t seen a camera. As a result, this morning I went up and took a look.

First off it took a bit of finding, as the cache was actually in the wrong spot, about a metre away from where it should have been. Aside from that it looked undamaged, however taking a look inside, there was no disposable camera.

I checked back through the logs, and the last time somebody actually reported taking a picture with the camera was back in October. Now if it was a brand new camera I’d understand, but I’m just totally bemused as to why somebody would want to take a half used disposable camera, what possible use is a whole load of snapshots of total strangers going to be? Quite apart from the annoyance, there are a whole load of cachers whose pictures are now lost, which is a shame, considering the pretty good results I’ve got from the first three cameras. You can browse through the old snapshots on the cache photo page.