Geocaching survey

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Mr.Yuck
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Re: Geocaching survey

Post by Mr.Yuck » Fri Nov 25, 2016 10:21 pm

fesphd17 wrote:I'm waiting for permission for the geocaching.com forums. Article 10 of their guidelines prohibits posting surveys in the forums.

I've posted on several area association forums and facebook pages. Several geocaching e-newsletters have agreed to send it out with their December newsletters.

Tell me more about Reddit? Is it a group of geocachers there?

Dianna
Yes, a pretty active community, but it's rather world wide, much more so than the Geocaching.com forums, which are pretty dominated by North American posters. http://www.reddit.com/r/geocaching

And by world wide, I mean in Countries where Geocaching is popular. In addition to North America, Most of Europe, Australia and New Zealand. It's popular in a few other places, but I haven't seen any representation there. I still haven't taken the survey btw, I will. :D
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fesphd17
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Re: Geocaching survey

Post by fesphd17 » Sat Nov 26, 2016 1:16 pm

I am - can I list those same caches here or do they need to be different?

(sorry for the delayed reply - I spent all day yesterday traveling)

Bon Echo
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Re: Geocaching survey

Post by Bon Echo » Sat Nov 26, 2016 2:14 pm

fesphd17 wrote:I am - can I list those same caches here or do they need to be different?

(sorry for the delayed reply - I spent all day yesterday traveling)
You can...but (my personal opinion is) please don't or keep it to a few. There's little use having the same geocache listed on two sites (and of course there's always exceptions or some times when it makes sense. Full disclosure: I do have a few cross-listed but it's like 5 cross-listed out of 73 hides, the rest being unique OCNA-only.

Here is what the OCNA site says when you are listing a cache:
http://www.opencaching.us/newcache.php wrote:Are you cross-listing your cache? We do not forbid cross-listing but ask that you limit the number of cross-listed caches you submit. If you are crosslisting a cache be sure to fill in the appropriate Cross-Listing ID field(s) with the waypoint number (ie, GCxxxx, TCxxxx, Nxxxx, or GExxxx) on the next page. If you're listing your cache exclusively on OpenCaching NA, please be sure to select the OCNA ONLY attribute.

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KnowsOpie
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Re: Geocaching survey

Post by KnowsOpie » Sat Nov 26, 2016 8:51 pm

fesphd17 it's great to know that you are an active geocacher too. I think as a cache owner we get to see what cache impact is and how careful other geocachers are.

Because of Scorched Earth cachers tearing GZ apart I have made most of my hides PMO only except for a few in one State Park that requests they be for all basic members and listed only on Geocaching.com's site.

I do have some geocaches on National Forest property that don't get many visits or cause any cache impact so far. ;)
Nutty as a Squirrel Turd

fesphd17
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Re: Geocaching survey

Post by fesphd17 » Sun Nov 27, 2016 11:04 am

Thank you for all the great information. I will post the survey on REDDIT. I will also post cache hides here. I have my preliminary exams coming up the end of this month and then more in January so my life is pretty much exam studying until then.

Funny that you mentioned Scorched Earth cachers - that's what I saw a couple of my caches that were placed for my study when I checked in them yesterday. I am very lucky that I have access to the university research forest. I had a small cache placed in a decaying stump and it's mostly level with the ground now. I also had one placed at the bottom of an embankment but you can clearly see the trail that goes around -- the embankment has been used to go straight to the cache. These are just the caches that are close to the parking area/trailhead -- the ones with the significant uphill hikes look great. These will be in place through all the seasons so I can see how the vegetation trampling chances with growth.

You are such great help here!
Dianna

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TermiteHunter
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Re: Geocaching survey

Post by TermiteHunter » Mon Nov 28, 2016 12:36 am

May I post a link to this survey in our local forum? Charlotte NC

fesphd17
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Re: Geocaching survey

Post by fesphd17 » Mon Nov 28, 2016 1:20 pm

Yes! Please post in any local forums. Thanks so much!

Bon Echo
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Re: Geocaching survey

Post by Bon Echo » Mon Nov 28, 2016 5:36 pm

Survey complete and shared on Facebook (Central Ontario Geocachers FB group).

It seems to me that most active geocachers (which I will define as player that find at least 5 caches per week) will tell you they are NOT in it for the numbers, but from where I stand I would say most of the active geocaches are driven by numbers more than anything. It's one of the reasons they stick to one site, because finding caches here will not add to their numbers. I am convinced of this, and I would bet my house than if groundspeak changed their system to no longer show find numbers or stats, that within a year most will stop caching (ignoring of course other mechanisms such as project-gc). Yet any conversations in FB groups about numbers and they all say that they are not in it for the numbers. But then 850 roadside caches get published in Ontario in one day and gets what everyone is talking about?

Anyway, I have to wonder if the same phenomena (at least the one I believe to exist) will also be a factor in this survey. Who is going to answer that they willingly damage the environment to get a cache, and yet it is happening. And here is where I respectfully disagree with Manville, because using a PMO is not going to reduce the damage - it's the caching-for-numbers PMs that are causing the damage. Don't understand me here - it's not a few bad players doing the damage, it's the steady stream of players and the cumulative impacts of each. At least that's what I've seen to be the common case. For example, there's been many times where a cache is hidden in a tree and I can tell exactly what tree based on all the wear on the bark from multiple cachers climbing the same tree.
These are just the caches that are close to the parking area/trailhead -- the ones with the significant uphill hikes look great.
this just supports what I said above - it's about "who" finds the cache so much as "how many" - put it further away and less will visit and there will be less damage.

Obviously a PhD dissertation will go far beyond a introspective survey. I'm keen to learn more about your research, particularly in terms of real measures of impacts. Do you have any publications yet on this topic, or online posters/presentations? Thanks.

Bon Echo

Mr.Yuck
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Re: Geocaching survey

Post by Mr.Yuck » Mon Nov 28, 2016 8:39 pm

fesphd17 wrote:Thank you for all the great information. I will post the survey on REDDIT. I will also post cache hides here. I have my preliminary exams coming up the end of this month and then more in January so my life is pretty much exam studying until then.
Dianna
Took a little heat over there, eh? Not a lot, but some. :D
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Bon Echo
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Re: Geocaching survey

Post by Bon Echo » Mon Nov 28, 2016 10:21 pm

Mr.Yuck wrote:
fesphd17 wrote:Thank you for all the great information. I will post the survey on REDDIT. I will also post cache hides here. I have my preliminary exams coming up the end of this month and then more in January so my life is pretty much exam studying until then.
Dianna
Took a little heat over there, eh? Not a lot, but some. :D
You know I've never looked at REDDIT until now, but your post made me curious. So, it's basically the same attitude and love-to-argues that you can already get all-you-can-eat on groundspeaks forums? No thanks.

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