Good morning everyone. The cache with the most found logs in Mexico is 'The Mayan Ruins of Tulum' GC29B5. A virtual cache that was placed in November, 2001. It has 3,993 found and 2 DNFs. It also has 565 favorite points. The most found cache in Cuba is 'Cuba Libre' GC5B6F. A traditional cache that was hidden in May, 2002. It has 1,300 found, 124 DNFs and 128 favorite points.
This week I want to look at logging etiquette. The Geocaching Podcast did a show on this very topic back on June 19th, show #568 titled Geocaching Deadly Sins: Logging Etiquette. Hosts Scott Berks (scottberks), Chad Courtney (TAZ427), and Jessie Brown (shortyknits) covered a list of logging faux pas. You can catch their live shows on Wednesday nights, 8:30pm central and the replays on YouTube. I'll be playing the 4th host and adding my personal view on some of the items that was covered on the show as both a finder and a cache owner.
1) TFTC. That's all the log has. Just those letters and nothing more. It doesn't say what the condition of the cache is in. It offers nothing in the way of a hint or a clue for future finders. As an owner, I like to read more from the log than the simple TFTC. As a finder, I've always wrote something. Some caches are not very creative. These would be the guardrail, LPC, or power trail caches. A TFTC log would be appropriate for caches such as these, but not a gadget cache or a high D/T hide. I had met up with one cacher as we were finding some newer caches on Christmas Eve one year. He was using his phone and was logging the caches found online as we were finding them. He was just putting in TFTC. I'm sure no one wants to be standing at ground zero, during the winter or any inclement weather, composing a found it log on their phone. I can understand doing a TFTC there, but go home and edit that log to something more than a TFTC.
2) Didn't have a pen. One of the requirements of finding a geocache is signing the log sheet/book. It is proof that you did find it. As TAZ427 put it on the show; no pen, no picture, no blood = no log. Any seasoned cacher will have multiple pens. I usually have a pen with me at all times and extra pens in my car. That doesn't mean that I won't forget to have a pen with me from time to time. I was pulling into the Bismarck/Mandan area of North Dakota just days after this show aired. I had taken my jacket off and left it in the car before finding the next cache. When I did, guess what I didn't have with me? A pen. It was still in my jacket pocket back in the car. I have heard stories of cachers resorting to using make up or a stick and mud to sign the log sheet. I grabbed a blade of grass and was able to smudge one of the squares green as my mark. I also mentioned this in my online log. Just recently, I found a cache but I couldn't get the container open. I took a picture, sent it to the owner via private message to show that I was indeed there and I did find the cache but couldn't open it. You can't rely on the cache to have a writing utensil inside of it. Some of the larger containers will, but not micros or nanos.
3) Wet logs. I'm sure we all have come across a cache where water got in and everything inside is soaked. The log sheet resembles a pulpy mush that looks like the neighborhood dog chewed on and spit out. It's impossible to sign. A good cacher will have supplies and a repair kit with them. Add a fresh log sheet to the container. The owner will appreciate it. Not everyone has supplies with them. I use to have supplies and have replaced wet or full log sheets. My supply bag was stolen from my car and I no longer travel with extra supplies. This brings us back to the previous point that some hardcore cachers follow. No pen, no picture, no blood = no log. If you didn't sign it, you didn't find it.
4a) Sandbagging. I've never heard of the term but most certainly have heard of the practice that is referred to as sandbagging. The show talked about two different types of sandbagging. One was getting an FTF but not logging it right away, but waiting until someone else finds it after you before logging your find. That's something I've never really paid attention to. There's enough FTF hounds around here that if you are not out the door and speeding towards that newly published cache within minutes of getting the notification, then you can expect to be second to find at best. When you're rushing to a new cache, chances are, you're not refreshing the cache page. You may not see that it's been found already until you arrive. For myself, when I do get an FTF, I will do a quick log saying "FTF at 9:50pm". When I get home, I will edit my log to add more info.
4b) The more common practice of sandbagging is finding caches but not logging them on the day you actually found them. Challenge caches are probably the most abused for this. There's already a debate as to when you can claim a challenge cache as found. The day you found it or the day you qualified that's after the day you found the cache. I know there are some cachers that have found a challenge cache, have qualified for the challenge, but don't log it until they need a find to fill in a gap, be it for a streak or fill in the 366 day cache found calendar. For regular traditional caches, what's to say that someone goes out on a Sunday and finds at least seven caches. They don't date them, just sign their initials. They go home and log each of those finds on a different day of the week. Basically establishing a daily streak of sorts without actually doing a proper streak. To a true geocacher, that's cheating but what is gained by this method of cheating? There's no trophy or reward for finding the most caches or having the longest streak. It's a meaningless victory. For those that have filled in their calendars, actually did a streak, we have that self satisfaction knowing that we actually did it.
5) Couldn't reach it, saw it and took a picture of it. Two things apply here. You didn't physically touch it. My one example that I mentioned in #2, I actually did touch it and tried to open it, but just couldn't for some reason. That is an appropriate time to take a picture and claim it as found as I did. Some will argue that since I didn't sign it, I can't claim it as found. That is up to the cache owner. Some are very good about it. You did show up and did find it so that's good enough. Others are more die hard. Didn't sign it? You didn't find it. That would also be the second point that applies here. Didn't sign it, didn't find it. There are caches that are hidden high up in trees or on a pole. The owner has given it a higher D/T rating for a reason. To spot it from the ground and say you found it defeats the purpose of the higher D/T rating. What you're doing is more in line of a 1.5/1.5 cache rating, instead of a 4/4.
This week I want to look at logging etiquette. The Geocaching Podcast did a show on this very topic back on June 19th, show #568 titled Geocaching Deadly Sins: Logging Etiquette. Hosts Scott Berks (scottberks), Chad Courtney (TAZ427), and Jessie Brown (shortyknits) covered a list of logging faux pas. You can catch their live shows on Wednesday nights, 8:30pm central and the replays on YouTube. I'll be playing the 4th host and adding my personal view on some of the items that was covered on the show as both a finder and a cache owner.
1) TFTC. That's all the log has. Just those letters and nothing more. It doesn't say what the condition of the cache is in. It offers nothing in the way of a hint or a clue for future finders. As an owner, I like to read more from the log than the simple TFTC. As a finder, I've always wrote something. Some caches are not very creative. These would be the guardrail, LPC, or power trail caches. A TFTC log would be appropriate for caches such as these, but not a gadget cache or a high D/T hide. I had met up with one cacher as we were finding some newer caches on Christmas Eve one year. He was using his phone and was logging the caches found online as we were finding them. He was just putting in TFTC. I'm sure no one wants to be standing at ground zero, during the winter or any inclement weather, composing a found it log on their phone. I can understand doing a TFTC there, but go home and edit that log to something more than a TFTC.
(signing the log sheet to show that I did find it)
2) Didn't have a pen. One of the requirements of finding a geocache is signing the log sheet/book. It is proof that you did find it. As TAZ427 put it on the show; no pen, no picture, no blood = no log. Any seasoned cacher will have multiple pens. I usually have a pen with me at all times and extra pens in my car. That doesn't mean that I won't forget to have a pen with me from time to time. I was pulling into the Bismarck/Mandan area of North Dakota just days after this show aired. I had taken my jacket off and left it in the car before finding the next cache. When I did, guess what I didn't have with me? A pen. It was still in my jacket pocket back in the car. I have heard stories of cachers resorting to using make up or a stick and mud to sign the log sheet. I grabbed a blade of grass and was able to smudge one of the squares green as my mark. I also mentioned this in my online log. Just recently, I found a cache but I couldn't get the container open. I took a picture, sent it to the owner via private message to show that I was indeed there and I did find the cache but couldn't open it. You can't rely on the cache to have a writing utensil inside of it. Some of the larger containers will, but not micros or nanos.
(Almost a year had passed since this one was last found before I found it)
3) Wet logs. I'm sure we all have come across a cache where water got in and everything inside is soaked. The log sheet resembles a pulpy mush that looks like the neighborhood dog chewed on and spit out. It's impossible to sign. A good cacher will have supplies and a repair kit with them. Add a fresh log sheet to the container. The owner will appreciate it. Not everyone has supplies with them. I use to have supplies and have replaced wet or full log sheets. My supply bag was stolen from my car and I no longer travel with extra supplies. This brings us back to the previous point that some hardcore cachers follow. No pen, no picture, no blood = no log. If you didn't sign it, you didn't find it.
(This one was a soggy mess. Took a pic to prove I had found it and show that the log sheet was indeed too soggy to sign)
4a) Sandbagging. I've never heard of the term but most certainly have heard of the practice that is referred to as sandbagging. The show talked about two different types of sandbagging. One was getting an FTF but not logging it right away, but waiting until someone else finds it after you before logging your find. That's something I've never really paid attention to. There's enough FTF hounds around here that if you are not out the door and speeding towards that newly published cache within minutes of getting the notification, then you can expect to be second to find at best. When you're rushing to a new cache, chances are, you're not refreshing the cache page. You may not see that it's been found already until you arrive. For myself, when I do get an FTF, I will do a quick log saying "FTF at 9:50pm". When I get home, I will edit my log to add more info.
4b) The more common practice of sandbagging is finding caches but not logging them on the day you actually found them. Challenge caches are probably the most abused for this. There's already a debate as to when you can claim a challenge cache as found. The day you found it or the day you qualified that's after the day you found the cache. I know there are some cachers that have found a challenge cache, have qualified for the challenge, but don't log it until they need a find to fill in a gap, be it for a streak or fill in the 366 day cache found calendar. For regular traditional caches, what's to say that someone goes out on a Sunday and finds at least seven caches. They don't date them, just sign their initials. They go home and log each of those finds on a different day of the week. Basically establishing a daily streak of sorts without actually doing a proper streak. To a true geocacher, that's cheating but what is gained by this method of cheating? There's no trophy or reward for finding the most caches or having the longest streak. It's a meaningless victory. For those that have filled in their calendars, actually did a streak, we have that self satisfaction knowing that we actually did it.
(An FTF for me.)
5) Couldn't reach it, saw it and took a picture of it. Two things apply here. You didn't physically touch it. My one example that I mentioned in #2, I actually did touch it and tried to open it, but just couldn't for some reason. That is an appropriate time to take a picture and claim it as found as I did. Some will argue that since I didn't sign it, I can't claim it as found. That is up to the cache owner. Some are very good about it. You did show up and did find it so that's good enough. Others are more die hard. Didn't sign it? You didn't find it. That would also be the second point that applies here. Didn't sign it, didn't find it. There are caches that are hidden high up in trees or on a pole. The owner has given it a higher D/T rating for a reason. To spot it from the ground and say you found it defeats the purpose of the higher D/T rating. What you're doing is more in line of a 1.5/1.5 cache rating, instead of a 4/4.
(This one has a difficulty rating of 4.)
That's all for this week. Next week will be part 2 and the conclusion to logging etiquette. Until then, be safe, be happy, hug your geo-pets (loved ones will do as well), enjoy life, and most of all, have fun. Peace out.
(Time to curl up.)
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