Geocaching: There Are No Rules
As a participant in a hobby such as geocaching, I have found myself looking around at the various people who play this “game” and have noticed such a wide span of varying opinion when it comes to what people perceive to be the “rules” of geocaching. I found myself looking at this hobby and noticing how it is so fundamentally different than many other ones out there.
For starters, regardless of what people want to say, geocaching technically has no “rules”. It’s not like professional hockey where there are definitive rules in place (with minor differences depending on leagues) and when you break a rule, you are penalized or are deemed to have “cheated”. If an athlete takes steroids, wins their match, and then gets caught, they have “cheated” and thusly are penalized. The rules are definitive and laid out for everyone to know. You can argue the rules all you want, but the rules are the rules and if you want to play that game, you have to abide by them or you aren’t allowed to play.
Geocaching is not so cut and dry. The “rules” by which we follow while participating in this hobby are few and far between. Many view the “guidelines” provided by GC.com as the official rules, but they are merely the listing service.
I provide a very basic example. Puzzle caches. A very common perceived “rule” is that you are not allowed to log a find on a puzzle cache that you did not solve the puzzle for. Since logging is managed by Groundspeak, they have the right to say what can be and can’t be logged. If you read their official write-up about logging, you see nothing about solving puzzles. The same could be said for multi’s and Wherigo caches which have a final location but have other stages to go through to get to the final container. Some in the geocaching community would perceive the logging of a puzzle/multi/Wherigo that you didn’t solve as cheating. Cache owners of these caches might even go as far as to delete the log saying you cheated and can’t log it unless you do it the way you’re supposed to.
How about logging a find on an archived cache? Some cachers say this is cheating as well since the cache is no longer active and therefore you can’t log a find on it. For both this and the previous examples, if I find the physical container and sign my name, I have met the requirements of Groundspeak’s logging so I should be able to log it shouldn’t I? It depends on who you ask. Depending on the personality type, the answer you get back from people will be on both ends of the spectrum. Cacher’s who perceive these grandfathered “guidelines” as the official rules will defend them tooth and nail. Others will say that you’re still finding the container and so it’s still a find.
When all is said and done, the one thing that makes geocaching so unique with regards to how you play is that there are really no definitive rules. Yes, there are the listing guidelines, and yes there are a few specific rules that Groundspeak has laid out but those are for with it’s website only. It does not govern the sport of geocaching as a whole. So who does “manage” the sport? Who sets the rules and who defines how you should play it? Simple: you do.
This game/sport/hobby is unique in that the “rules” are defined by you, not someone else. You follow what you need to as defined by GC/OC/WhateverC to list and log, but then outside of that, how you choose to move forward is entirely up to you. Yes, there are general guidelines that most people follow, but in the end, it’s entirely up to you what you believe to be acceptable and unacceptable actions. You are the one that decides if you should log a find on a puzzle cache you didn’t solve. It is you who decides whether to log your own hides as finds. It is entirely up to you how you wish to play within the realm of geocaching. There will be other players who may perceive some of the actions you take as cheating and others will perceive some of your actions as regular game play. In the world of geocaching, if you were to play it based on the perceived rules of everyone else around you, you would probably never get past 10 finds.
I may not agree with things some cachers do, and I may perceive certain actions to be considered cheating, or in poor sport, but it is not my responsibility to police, or attempt to dictate to someone else how they should play this game. I’m free to debate the topic amongst other cachers. I’m free to discuss my own opinions on the subject. But I am not free to attempt to dictate how someone else should play a game that does not have definitive rules. It is not mine, or anyone else’s responsibility to outwardly tell people they are playing the game wrong or cheating simply because I do not agree with actions they are taking. I might try and offer friendly advice in cases where it might seem appropriate but that is about as far as I believe someone should go.
Instead, it is my responsibility to play the game in a way which I feel is appropriate and comfortable for me. If others don’t like the way I play, that really isn’t my problem. It’s theirs. If others don’t like the t-shirt I wear, or the music I listen to, the car I drive, the place I work, the schools I went to, the food I eat, the friends I have, the relationships I engage in, the political parties I support, or any other things that I choose to do, how is that my problem? It isn’t. It’s no different with geocaching.
People need to realize that not everyone out there shares the same point of view as you do. Just because you see things a certain way does not mean everyone sees it the same. This is true in everything, not just geocaching. So the next time you see a geocacher do something that you perceive to be questionable, take a moment and think about the fact that they are playing the game in the way they perceive it to be played. Not yours.
It’s just a game, all I can do is play.
Great post Zor. It would be interesting if everyone who reads this item would state how they play the game and how they handle certain situations, and give NO criticism of the way others handle those situations. I think everyone does things their own way and most cachers do not feel they are cheating when they do things a little bit differently, and i do not think they are cheating. So maybe they are a little more liberal than other cachers and as a result their finds are inflated by 100 caches. Who cares? I will try to find time to post some of the things we do and dont do.
The claiming of puzzles has always been an area for arguments, as can be seen in many geocaching forums. In Ottawa, there were many lively threads on the forum on this topic. Finally someone stopped the discussion, made a pdf file of the discussion and posted it under the title.
How do you feel about team finds on puzzle caches (when only 1 has solved it)?
Here is the link http://canadascapitalcachers.ca/forum/index.php?board=1.0
Here is what the topic says:
Attached below this post is a copy of the original thread (which was the last of many) concerning this topic. This post is now “sticky” to keep it visible, and locked to keep the topic from resurfacing.
To Summarize:
The GeoPure: If you haven’t found all the tags or solved all the puzzles you can’t claim a find.
The GeoMob: This sure has been a fun hike, sign me in will ya!
(Note that the Geo-Mob is a group that meets for breaakfast every Saturday and then goes out caching together and may find some puzzle caches that not all participants have solved)
I am with Zor, if I find a cache, no matter how I find it, I am signing it. If I was with someone who solved a puzzle, why would I walk up to a cache look at it and then go home to solve a puzzle just to come back. I like geocaching not puzzle solving, I wish they didn’t exist or had their own website, this is a geocaching website that states I must find the cache and sign my name and then log online, mission accomplished, it isn’t a puzzle solving website. I realize it has become a part of the game and I have to live with it. I enjoy finding them and talking about them not sitting at home doing math/suduko/kenken for hours. I also believe that everyone who hides a geocache regardless of the type, wants many people to find it and love getting the find logs regardless of how they did it because once you get the coordinates, it is just a traditional cache that you had to jump through some ridiculous hoops before going out with your GPS. I made a few simple puzzles just to see the process and I did not care how people found them. I have many puzzles around me that I am successfully ignoring but If I have a chance to go find them I will regardless of how I “solved” it 😉
As far as the rest of the “rules” I tend to use common sense.
If I hid it and it is listed under my name why would I log a find on it, if I was there when some one else hid it I would probably log it as what purpose would coming back to something I don’t need a GPS to find. I don’t worry about numbers so what is one more. I logged the ACGA and Cache Up NB caches I hid or helped to hide for the same reason why would I come back to a cache I can find without my GPS and again, I am not trying to win a medal with my numbers so just as well log it and get it out of my PQ or map. It is only a couple of dozen anyway.
I will not replace or throw down a cache I can’t find unless I know the owner very well and I am sure that it is gone or broken. It comes back to logging your own cache in my eyes and is that smiley that important?
I will not log a cache because I found the hook or branch it was on. I didn’t find the cache and sign the log, did I?
I will log a cache if I find broken parts of it or the log is wet or missing.
I will replace a log sheet if I have some on me.
I will remove a cache that is not being maintained by a cacher that no longer plays if it is garbage, broken or mush. If it is still log-able and not hurting the game I will leave it. I will not replace or repair a cache for an irresponsible owner.
I will give someone a hint or answer to a puzzle if they ask me.
If I see something that seems to be dangerous, wrong, obviously against the “rules” (ie hiding in a school yard) I will say something to the owner either in my log or via email.
I will come on here and discuss things maybe even call a spade a spade.
Ultimately I use this rule “Do I feel comfortable logging this find, did I earn it?” To me if I have the coordinates and I went out to the place it is hidden, got out of my truck, walked to it, looked around in circles for a few minutes, found it, and signed the log, IT IS A FIND.
I am not always right but I always mean well to both game and the player that is playing “fair”. I love this game and care about how it is being played and perceived and I feel that if someone is hurting it I may say something about it.
this is _exactly_ how i feel about all of this.
This is how I play:
” I am …. THE LAW”
http://youtu.be/wvJiYrRcfQo
That may be the law, but sometimes rules have to be broken and things done in a different manner
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRgnrsFwenI
I play it as my morels dictate and the guidelines recommend as best possible. I understand some may be offended with something I do and work around those circumstances but common sense is always the bottom line. I will log puzzles if I’m out with a group and such and if I hear the puzzle is a must do I will sign the log and go back and check out the details. I don’t agree with giving people the answers or selling them as we have heard of in the past. I have logged one archived cache but that was because I found the container by accident and it hadn’t been removed yet and I explained it to the CO. Events are a bit of a grey area as some people will show up sign the logbook and leave, to me you have to contribute to the event in some manner if such as having a reasonable level of interaction with others or complying to the purpose of the event. I feel guilty if I just stayed for a second. To each their own though and we learn each others level of acceptability, which helps us guide the effort we put forth
I have gone to events on my coffee or lunch break and only stayed for 5 minutes and logged a find and I have had people come to my events and do the same. There are no rules for time spent at an event just like there are no more additional logging requirements for regular caches. You cannot tell someone they can’t come to your event or force them to do something to get the smiley, I have had events denied because I tried to get the cachers to do something like canoeing or spending the night and it was shot down because you can’t put ANY stipulation on the event at all. You can ask people but you can’t force them.
Thus why I clarified it with what I believe should happen
But as the owner of an event, you can set your own guidelines, not put them on the cache page and then delete the attended logs of people who don’t meet guidelines they weren’t aware existed.
As Rev says, putting conditions on an event for being able to log it will result in the event not being published. What the owner does afterwards with the logs, groundspeak stays out of – same as a regular cache and how the owner maintains any logs on those.
Well, we are somewhat new to this sport, but being that I have called it a ‘sport’ I believe that we should all show good sportsmanship period.
We have logged, fixed (re-tape,re-wire) and replaced more than a few logs. We often carry a pack that contains logs/baggies/duck tape/ and replacement caches for when we check on ours and search for others. If we can’t find a cache – we note it, maybe it’s lost or it’s just a bad day for us.
I appreciate a cacher that has replaced a log and or noted that it’s missing/needs some tlc. Sometimes, working shifts, I don’t get a chance to get to it as quickly as I would like, so I appreciate the hand sometimes.
We currently have 15 caches and are working on more within Salisbury (for August event) and for within the Fundy Trail Parkway (to be placed soon). If you see one of ours that needs repair/replaced –reach out or feel free to assist.
The main thing, I think, is to have fun, get some excercise (gasp) and to meet some new folks.
How many caches are you placing in the Parkway? They contacted us to do a few in there for another coin challenge.
Rev…haven’t counted, but have them ready and have ‘a plan’ reach out via private message if you would like further deets.
Overall, I play this game for my enjoyment.
I believe, and I know some would disagree, that if you show up at an event for 5 minutes, you are there so log it. If you are with a group that finds a puzzle, log it, afterall, you found the cache. This isn’t a puzzle solving game, it is a “treasure hunting game”.
How a puzzle is solved, or a multi is tracked down is really up to the conscience of the individual person.
Putting rules on puzzles like “you must solve it yourself” would be similar (in MY mind) to someone that says on a traditional “you must approach from the North or I delete your log”…
Another point that is sometimes brought up is actually finding caches. I personally do not care if those people logging finds on my caches actually touched it or signed the log – that is their choice. I put them out because I wanted to… not because I have to. I cached with a gentleman once in Fredericton who had a family rule of “no see, no log”. So for every one that I found, I respected that rule and showed it to him… No one said he had to play this way but it was a way for him to enjoy the game.
After all, that is the best part of geocaching, whether finding one cache whenever time allows or being on a power trail finding 100 in a day; it is a game we are playing and it shouldn’t feel like going to work 🙂
i COULD NOT AGREE WITH YOU MORE PERKS. i PLAY THE GAME FOR ENJOYMENt. aS FOR THE PUZZLE FIND WITHOUT SOLVING IT IS THERE award for finding the most geocaches no. Does it really matter. The owner can delete the log but then it might turn into a huge argument. It is a game, no money is won. Just some people finding plastic containers in the woods.
Finding beautiful spots. Think about it do you geocache just to see your numbers rise. I do not mind seeing the smiley faces afterwards I will say though. It is a game and we should play along the set out guidlines or somewhat along them. For the end of my tirade we all play by the way we feel is right. It might not be but, that is were fellow geocachers can tell them of the bad things they are doing and they can realize if 15 people have e-mailed me maybe I am doing something wrong.vWith maitence I had recently asked for help on a puzzle and he sent me the answer and asked me to do amitence, In on doing it. The person is responsible cacher, amintains his current hides and is active. For people such as EB,FW,FN and 1scout, I would not do work on a junk pile. Take out the trash and get rid of it,geo trash gives geocaching a bad name. Now I promise this is the end of my tirade
triple ccc, I have the same geotrash experience with caches by unknown45 and those adopted by Hyper-1s in Bathurst. I won’t go into detail at this time because there is already a documented rant about it on the site from a while back. But if you ever want to talk, PM me and I’ll give the full story.
There is now a bit of an issue of geotrash on Fredericton trails. A very nice man who I had the pleasure of meeting once, he had some clever hides spread out on the trail systems in and around Fredericton. He moved away earlier this year and archived all of his caches without removing them. Some have been adopted, some found when another cacher was placing a new cache nearby, but there is likely over 30+ pieces of trash sitting out on the walking trails surrounding the city now.
It is a bit of personal pride for me to say that I have solved every puzzle cache that I have found. I may have asked for hints in order to solve, or verified my coordinates when I was unsure my answer was correct, but I have never been given the answer to a puzzle cache and used it to find said cache. When someone has taken the time and effort to create a unique puzzle, I feel that if I want to claim that smiley, it is worth my time and effort to try and solve it.
In my case I actually asked for a hint and he gave me the way to solve it all I had to do was use the values and add or subtract them.
Interesting call. I believe it’s much like the rules of golf! You know the rules, but hay, it’s a bad lie so kick the ball to move it to a better spot! Same w/caching, you just bend the rules to suit yourself, after all if it’s cheating your just hurting yourself. Is there a prize for most caches found in an hour, a day, a week or a year…none that I’ve seen! My doubloons worth! ranger out
I have no issues with removing geotrash. If the cacher is “retired” or not active, or is ignoring repeated requests for maintenance, into the trash heap the junk goes.
I happily repair, add a log, or a baggie, to a cache that is in a nice spot, is often found, another wards, one that is enjoyable.
As for puzzles, I am not a fan, though I enjoy an easy one. I have no problem with logging a puzzle cache find if I was with someone who solved the puzzle, or even if I was given the answer. Caching for me is about the fun of finding that container, and the trip to get to it. So if I find the container and sign the log, I’m logging the find. I don’t believe in the sale of answers, but I do support charity.
(I RESPECT a CO’s hard work in composing the puzzle, I’m sometimes wowed at the creativity nevertheless).
I have no problem when logging a find as a group. If six people find a cache, how could they each not log it as found? I also have no issues with logging a find if I’m there when a cache is placed by another cacher. I know where it is at this point, I don’t have to seek it or locate it. So I log the find, but not until others have found it. Why would I have to go back to find a cache whose location I’ve already found?
I have never, nor will I do throwdowns. That’s cowardly, I have more pride than to drop a container where I’ve failed to find a cache. I don’t believe that I’m being helpful by dropping a container in a location that I can only guess.
I truly don’t give a “large rodent’s derriere” whether you log that event or not, why, and why not. If you’re there, log it.
I will help promote geocaching in any way that I can. Some people will tell you that they know my shpiel by heart.
I believe in the respect of others, their ideas, their containers, their series, their challenges, their efforts, and their hard work.
And finally, I believe in common sense. In a sport with few rules like caching, common sense should prevail. If it doesn’t make sense, don’t do it.
Those are the rules that help me enjoy the game, just my rules.
Even if Groundspeak were to set out a very specific set of rules for geocaching it would make no difference. Human nature is human nature.
Within any game, society, religion or organization you will always have people who will not follow the rules or who will break the law and you will have people who will go to the other extreme and constantly complain about and condemn those who don’t. You will have the majority in the middle, who follow the rules for the most part but who also see some grey areas where circumstances may allow some leeway.
The 10 percent who won’t/don’t follow the rules could care less about the rules and do not care what others think of them. They feel that the rules don’t really apply to them and think only of what they can get; numbers, money, fame, power, etc. They eventually end up being outcast and/or labelled trouble makers because of their lack of respect for anyone or anything and for behaviour that may hurt or endanger others’ and/or their property.
The 10 percent at the other extreme follow the rules to the letter and cannot understand why everyone else doesn’t. They cannot accept that people are different and will play, live, believe, and act in ways that are different from those in which they themselves play, live, believe and act. They cannot let things go and ultimately end up taking all the fun out of that which they enjoy. They tend to complain often about how others play, live, believe and act and so they, ultimately, push people away or lose their audience when people get tired of listening to them. They end up being outcast and/or labelled trouble makers because of their inability to let things go and their lack of acceptance of others’ differences. They may very well be “right” but they cannot accept that things will very likely never change.
The 80 percent in between these 2 groups play, live, believe and act in ways that, for the most part, follow the rules but also realize there are times and circumstances in which those rules may be bent or broken. They may occasionally complain about the other 2 groups but they accept that others may play, live, believe and act differently than they themselves do and go on with their own game, life, beliefs and actions. They’re not perfect in any way, shape or form and they have varying degrees of acceptance but they’re usually pretty easy to get along with and just want everyone to get along. That’s not living in a dream world or having your head in the clouds; it’s life.
Play, live, believe and act as you see fit. 🙂
(percentages are for conversational purposes only, not statistical)
The two extremes you speak of are the Perfectionists and the Narcissists. Or are they one and the same?
I am waiting for Gwen’s statistical analysis research before commenting further. 😀
LOL Statistics schmatistics! 🙂
Bottom line is that no set of “rules” is going to be followed any differently than the current “guidelines”.
Play YOUR game YOUR way and allow everyone else to do the same.