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Virts are back on GC

Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2017 12:11 am
by TermiteHunter
ALMOST

Just had a post today on our local GCGC forum from another Admin. He had been invited by GC HQ to publish a new Virtual cache.
Apparently they awarded 4000 with the ability to publish a new Virtual cache on the site.
A test run offered to a select few? A prize to award select members?

I believe he is still a Premium member making few finds of late but still active. His hides are of the creative variety which accumulate favorite points in respectable numbers. My guess is that being an active PM that garners fav points for his hides got him the privilage.
Anyone else get an invitation? Have any additional info?

Re: Virts are back on GC

Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2017 12:12 am
by TermiteHunter
Found this moments later

https://www.geocaching.com/blog/2017/08 ... l-rewards/

Apparently I am not too far off.
I might have been in that list had I not begun archival of nearly all of my GC hides but then I have not been a PM for years now either (I'm sure that was part of the decision making process)

and this
https://forums.geocaching.com/GC/index. ... l-rewards/

Re: Virts are back on GC

Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2017 11:56 am
by Sabrefan7
pretty interesting, Bring back something they vowed to never do along with logging requirements. Are they worried about a down trend?

Re: Virts are back on GC

Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2017 10:12 pm
by TermiteHunter
Sabrefan7 wrote:...along with logging requirements.
Well it is a Virtual and Virtuals had (have) different guidelines to follow.
Guess you could just leave a signed slip of paper on the ground nearby instead if you don't mind littering :oops:

Re: Virts are back on GC

Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2017 8:37 am
by Mr.Yuck
TermiteHunter wrote:Found this moments later

https://www.geocaching.com/blog/2017/08 ... l-rewards/

Apparently I am not too far off.
I might have been in that list had I not begun archival of nearly all of my GC hides but then I have not been a PM for years now either (I'm sure that was part of the decision making process)

and this
https://forums.geocaching.com/GC/index. ... l-rewards/
Been discussing on Reddit, and in an invitation only forum. I have heard of at least two non premium members getting the call. Also a couple of pretty damn inactive people, with only a handful of finds a year for the last few years. Speculation is rampant that it's based on Favorite Points, lack of DNF's, and taking care of any needs maintenance logs that were ever posted. There's probably minimums for years being a member and number of hides. Lowest I've heard of is about 7 hides.

Sabrefan7 in the house! Haven't heard much from you even online lately! As best I know (I don't have Facebook to check the local group, but I did ask someone if they saw any chatter there) NO ONE in the Buffalo area was selected!! Let me know if you know otherwise. Oh, by the way ALL reviewers are automatically selected, and of course our now out of the closet reviewer is from Rochester. And best I know, he's the only one around there!!

Re: Virts are back on GC

Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2017 10:03 pm
by TermiteHunter
You are magical in your prognostications O Great Yucky One.
Nice call on the date of a virtual return of virtuals on GC

I see the fav point , maybe lack of DNF's but not the NM response (unless it just shows attention to detail)
A virt would or at least should never need Maint so it would not be directly needed to make and keep a good Virt.
Time served could be a factor...but who knows what they put into their algorithym.
Anyhting could have been in it. The Virtual cache is supposed to be an award of sorts and what or who they reward is up to them.

I hereby Award every OCNA member with unlimited Virtual cache entries.

Re: Virts are back on GC

Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2017 10:47 pm
by KnowsOpie
Yuck's prediction was likely based on the same algorithm that the GS Lackeys used except Yuck's prediction had nothing to do with the "Buddy System". ;)

Never posting in the forums must have been part of the algorithm, that and and FP's. :mrgreen:

I admit, a few years ago I would have been hurt because I maintain a high standard on my cache listings and I would have wanted to create a virtual listing.
But now, 10 years into this silly mess I couldn't care less about creating any new listings on their site.

I hate to make it sound like I'm trashing this site, which I'm not, but I'm not impressed with what people want published as a virtual listing here, and I don't think they will be any better on GS. I believe they will be mostly a geocacher on site photo required Waymark of sorts at a POI that already exists on their Waymarking server. 8-)

Re: Virts are back on GC

Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2017 10:30 am
by Mr.Yuck
No, because MPH, AKA MP, AKA KO would never diss our site, or the quality of our caches. :D By the way, I'm this far (holding my fingers like 1/32" apart) from becoming a fellow resident of The Commonwealth of Virginia. I'm sorry, but I have to say my prediction was amazing!! I received a few emals, a couple of message center messages, and it was discussed and joked about extensively at a private forum I'm a member of. For anyone else who is amazed, this site takes Pay Pal donations. :shock:

Re: Virts are back on GC

Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2017 11:47 am
by KnowsOpie
It was never intended to be personal but I do call it as I see it and OCNA has improved in the last few years. I see stale data caches being archived now, and someone is actually minding the store. ;)

I logged a few GS virtuals while on vacation about a month ago in GSMNP and really enjoyed them. The logging requirements to three out of four could be found on the Waymarking site, and answers to the fourth were on GoogleEarth.

My geocaching has slowed to almost a halt, I do have a few History Caches and a few 5/5's left but I'm not listing anymore on GS.

I'm still interested in Benchmarking, and getting a little better at finding them. Now, I'm waiting for cold weather and the snakes to hibernate so I can go out and look for a few that have not seen light in over 50 years.

I believe now would be a good time to promote Mr. Yuck in the GS forums to gain more members here. :lol:

Truth, we are cut from a different cloth than that bunch behind the keyboard at GS. They couldn't hang with us even if they wanted to, and OCNA has much more to offer. OCNA has everything except active members. :oops:

Re: Virts are back on GC

Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2017 11:10 pm
by TermiteHunter
Well I see another major flaw in GS's award of virtual caches.
After reading a bit of the geocaching reddit thread I see that Adventure Tom got one.
While he owns (adopted I think) the oldest cache in NC with what has to be top fav point numbers (just 'cause it's still there, sortof) He is NOT responsive to NM logs other than to suggest that the "new guys just can't do it" Promises of checking on a cache and repairs go unanswered for extended periods (well he does post about it but takes little actual action). Yes, he is also inactive as all get out. He stayed at 100 finds for years and only recently attended some event to get one more. He is a member of what we in Charlotte (where Octopus Garden is located) cal the "old gaurd" Thinking the original bunch knew it all and the new types don't have a clue.OG has changed significantly over the years from a large PVC pipe to what is now a small plastic bottle hanging from a tree along a park creek. For me, A real dissapointment to find this once great cache. That one is not my problem.

He also holds another old cache in Charlotte. Laras Tomb. This thing has gone through all kinds of adventures. Constantly missing or moved. At one point it was washed down the creek and found by some cachers that were derided for claiming a find for it after he replaced it. This traditional cache as I last saw it several years ago turned into a hunt for rocks with codes on the bottom leading to the cache (a multi) with a requirement to send him some set of codes (an ALR) all placed well behind a series of Private property / no tresspassing signs. I actually sent a photo of the area with arrows pointing to problems and saw no change (other than the signs have fallen in disrepair over time) for a long time. Wish I still had the thread of issues my local club members had with this cache and AT's responses to their concerns. You can still see his attitude to these problems (before he turned it into a Multi ALR)in the logs. You will have to scroll way back.
Finally it appears that it has changed again as people are finding it and I don't see the ALR any longer. https://coord.info/GCC5B