Logging Etiquette

[DudleyGrunt]

I've been seeing an increase in one word logs on caches (not necessarily on OCUS, so far) and after seeing the following Tweet from Mr. Yuck (@TWUGeocaching), I've begun adding the following to my cache pages. I think it is worded well and should only offend the easily offended (or the guilty, who choose not to accept advice). Some newer cachers, may just not think about it, but if they start seeing this, hopefully, it will get them to consider more descriptive and helpful logs.

Logging etiquette? Stumbled on http://coord.info/GC1YT47 in Southern Manitoba. Looks like the CO has that on all their cache

Logging Etiquette: Geocache hiders sometimes go through a great deal of planning to place their caches. As a result, they'd like to hear your feedback on whether you liked or disliked any aspect of the hide, or if you feel that some cache maintenance is required. Single word, acronym, or emoticon logs may be easier when you have a lot of caches to log, but it doesn't tell the hider or other finders anything about your adventure (or lack thereof) in finding the cache. Please keep this in mind when entering your log.

If you agree and would like to spread the word on what consititues good logging etiquette, you can add the following HTML to your cache pages. Be sure to add it under the HTML editing tab.

<p style="border: 1px solid black; padding: 15px;"><b>Logging Etiquette:</b> Geocache hiders sometimes go through a great deal of planning to place their caches. As a result, they'd like to hear your feedback on whether you liked or disliked any aspect of the hide, or if you feel that some cache maintenance is required. Single word, acronym, or emoticon logs may be easier when you have a lot of caches to log, but it doesn't tell the hider or other finders anything about your adventure (or lack thereof) in finding the cache. Please keep this in mind when entering your log.</p>

[Mr.Yuck]

Nice work getting permission to copy that, DudleyGrunt! I think it's very articulate, and polite. And of course I couldn't agree more. I'd take one very slight issue with it though, it's not people who have a bunch of caches to log that drop acronym, emoticon, or single word logs on caches at Geocaching.com, it's generally all new geocachers!! I'd attribute it mainly to people finding geocaches with their smartphones, but that doesn't explain why they appear to be doing it en masse. I know I certainly never thought of dropping a TFTC only log on a cache when I started, way back when.

[DudleyGrunt]

Yeah, you may be right. My guess is that most experienced cachers who are logging a lot of caches (after the face, not from the smart phone) will be more likely to copy / paste their logs.

[Sabrefan7]

OOO Thanks! I put it on one of my ache pages Looks good Thanks DG!

[Coffee Peddlers]

I've logged a couple from my blackberry and once I got home and in front of my computer went and edited the 2 logs to put a proper log.

With that said, my girlfriends first hand full of logs were simply emoicons, when I asked her what she was doing she said she had no idea what to write. After explaining it to her she got the idea and all is good.

I know I have been guilty of the "short" log's. Sometimes there just isn't anything to say (park and grabs) so now I avoid caches that look like they are walk ups or park n grabs.

[Mr.Yuck]

I've logged a couple from my blackberry and once I got home and in front of my computer went and edited the 2 logs to put a proper log.

With that said, my girlfriends first hand full of logs were simply emoicons, when I asked her what she was doing she said she had no idea what to write. After explaining it to her she got the idea and all is good.

I know I have been guilty of the "short" log's. Sometimes there just isn't anything to say (park and grabs) so now I avoid caches that look like they are walk ups or park n grabs.

Yeah, that comes up a lot when this issue is discussed elsewhere. Not much to write on park-n-grabs, and I agree. Personally, I don't do most of those type of caches. It could be said that they "deserve" short logs. I don't know though man, no one was dropping emoticon logs on caches in like 2005. Why are so many new cachers doing this? And only very recently, in the last 2 years or less?

[Coffee Peddlers]

Speaking for myself, I almost read over the GC.com website start to finish sorta speak and read a bit on the forum before buying my gps and finding my first cache. As geocaching becomes more main stream you will find these sort of things. People just buying a gps or even worse now with almost everyone having gps units in their vehicles. You will find a lot of people with 10 or so finds and they will loose interest and move on to something else. I think these will be the people that will leave the emoticon's, those that are "fly by night" cachers and do not take the time to really research and look at what geocaching is all about.

[Mr.Yuck]

Speaking for myself, I almost read over the GC.com website start to finish sorta speak and read a bit on the forum before buying my gps and finding my first cache. As geocaching becomes more main stream you will find these sort of things. People just buying a gps or even worse now with almost everyone having gps units in their vehicles. You will find a lot of people with 10 or so finds and they will loose interest and move on to something else. I think these will be the people that will leave the emoticon's, those that are "fly by night" cachers and do not take the time to really research and look at what geocaching is all about.

I do agree with this 100%, and you hit the nail on the head. I have seen a handful of these n00b "TFTC" loggers though, that appear to be in the game for the long run, and are still logging like that. For example, I got TFTC only logs on 2 or 3 of my (pretty good) caches in late December from a 500 find account who joined in the summer of 2010. Oh well, maybe they'll go to a few events and meet some other Geocachers, and eventually figure out most established Geocachers aren't posting online logs like that. The majority of these loggers, yep, they're going to disappear. Despite the fact that Geocaching App icon is staring them in the face on the screen of their Blackberry, Iphone or Droid every day.

[DudleyGrunt]

...maybe they'll go to a few events and meet some other Geocachers...

That's my best advice to new cachers. That and join and participate their local forums.

[glorkar]

I think maybe my first two logs were nothing special. After I had a chance to read some other logs, I realized that I really enjoyed the ones that told a story involving the find. That's when I started to write pretty detailed stuff.
I'm not a fan of receiving short logs either. But it's just one of those things that I've come to accept.