EC-like caches as unknowns with questions?

[Bon Echo]

Last week we were up in the Northern Bruce Peninsula in Ontario, and magical place with amazing geological formations. I visited a few places that would make (IMO) great earthcaches, but I don’t know that I am too interested in created those on that site. The way I understand it, a virtual cache brings you somewhere interesting – you have a look, maybe find the logging password or snap a photo. An earthcache is about educating, involves more reading and observing and usually there are a number of questions to be answered (sent to the CO). Obviously those interesting geological formations could be the subjects of a virtual, but I feel virtual gets used to readily as it is and often with the weakest of requirements. The last log on an OCNA virtual I looked at had a photo requirement, and the finder snapped a photo while sitting in their car a block or two away – they didn’t even visit the object in question!

I wonder if an “earthcache-like” cache can be published on OCNA, as a “Quiz” or as an “Unknown” type. Obviously them no physical container. Like an earthcache, it would have a lesson and would require answers to be sent. Optionally, the CO could create a log password which they would sent to finders after they meet the requirements (answers sent). In some cases the ansers could be used to form a logging password, but in other cases (like "estimate the depth or length or...", or "why do you thinks...." would work so well.

This same concept could be applied to historical sites where physical caches are not allowed. Most users will probably just make the cache a virtual, but some users (in particular I’m thinking of KnowsOpie) might find this concept appealing. Some have argued that the “earthcache” concept should be extend beyond the limits of geology. I tend to agree with that argument. Here’s a chance to do just that.

So what do you think?

[TermiteHunter]

While not oppossed to the concept I am reluctant to go along with something that involves the need to contact a CO and await a response. Emails change, With the wait that such a cache would likely endure between finds there would likely be problems with missing unresponsive COs.

I am confident that if i set one up, by the time I get a log or at least by the second I would have lost the information for the correct answers. If I were to find one the local member CO would no longer be a cacher and never respond

I just hate to rely on another individual to validate my find

from the brewery on Tapatalk

[TermiteHunter]

More on this now that I am on the desktop,

I generally like the idea of an education in relation to a cache not limited to geology.

My problem is with expecting a CO to still be active and participating when I choose to log one of their caches and the same applies for all members.
I dislike any reliance on another person, even the CO of a cache they listed, to participate in my accomplishments beyond the initial listing.
For a series of questions or the submission of some sort of essay providing a finders own reasoning in accepted scientific norms, I see a problem with providing this to one person in order to gain their favor and awarding a find to another. It is not the CO's acceptance of a finders answers or conclusions that bother me but rather the problem of retention of active cachers, even a CO. Will they still be there and accessable when I log a find years from listing?

GC may get away with this but I see larger problems on a smaller and less active site. While many CO's here are more dedicated to caching at some level and may already be long term participants, they too fade. I have seen too many caches in general from once very and long term active members (on GC) that simply disappear and are unresponsive to emails and logs. Here they would be a larger percentage simply due to the number of members and the typical time between logs. The extended wait times between finds is already long for easy caches and significantly longer for more complex caches such as multis and one that asks for answers to multiple questions be emailed would be long indeed.

An Earth Cache like cache that could be formatted to provide a single password would be more than fine with me. Even one that requires multiple answers that could somehow culminate in a single pass phrase would be acceptable. Using the password function eliminates the third party involvement and allows the cache to outlive the CO making it essentially permanent. I am all for growing the database with caches that will remain long after the CO is no longer a participant.

Oh, and I too have been quilty of the driveby photo snap (once). In my defense it was for my own local forum contest and downtown with zero parking anywhere nearby. The CO since altered his requirements since I pretty much cheated. A good move on his part.

I would have no problem with your choice of listing being a Quiz or Unknown so long as I can claim the find on my own with no intervention by the CO.

I see no restrictions on the topic. Geology, History, or whatever. it makes sense to me. Still a quiz of sorts, just not to determine coordinates and could surely be Unknown if it is really unique.

[Bon Echo]

good points, thanks. I see the potential for issues with emailing answers. I probably won't bother with this right now for the reasons you give "The extended wait times between finds is already long for easy caches and significantly longer for more complex caches such as multis and one that asks for answers to multiple questions be emailed would be long indeed." Traditionals, Virtuals and BIT caches make up about 77% of the active OCNA caches, and without a doubt an even higher percentage of caches found once or more.