Post by TermiteHunter on Apr 28, 2021 22:34:09 GMT -5
How, what and when to log
So you found or didn't find a cache, now what?
You log it of course.
Found it: While you will find the typical "TFTC" (thanks for the cache) or the like in logs, that is not the best you can do.
The CO (Cache Owner) really wants to see more.
Tell a story if there is one. What did you encounter in your search? Did you like /dislike something ?
The log need not be long but consider what the CO did here. Was it a simple easy to hide and find cache? Or was it more involved?
I tend to provide a better, longer log for something that was well done in hide style, a great location or crafting of the container.
Those that took less effort to hide get a proportional log in most cases.
DO NOT include specifics as to where you found it. That ruins the hunt for the next if they see your log and it may be deleted by the CO for revealing too much.
DNF's : Log them. You will appreciate it later. It might even earn you entry into our DNF Club on the GCGC.
They let the CO know that there may be a problem with the cache. Is it missing, coordinates off or something else?
Some are more difficult to find and deserve a DNF when you try. They earned it with their effort.
Do you log all attempts? I don't but I do have a standard rule. The first three attempts get a DNF log. After that I may make more attempts but I tend to see if others are able to find it first (it is always a "walked right up to it, easy find" type log)
For those later attempts I will group them with a log saying I came back x number of times before logging this DNF or Find.
Needs Archive: Carefull here. This is a bit of a bomb. Don't use it unless you are sure that this cache should go. The area is no longer woods but now a housing development. Give them a chance to repair or replace if that is an option for them.
Reviewers are alerted to these logs and will be watching the cache.
Needs Maintinence: You found it and something is wrong. It's full of water, the parts are scattered, the container is damaged in some way, there is no container and you only found a log in a baggie...These are times that you will want to add a Needs Maintinence type log. When you do this the CO is alerted in a stronger way than simply stating it in your log. The site is also notified that something is wrong which begins a process in which the cache may eventually be archived if repairs are not made. Don't use it too lightly if the repair is minor like a missing log or it is damp. Reserve this for when the cache is really in need of some attention by the CO. Most will submit their find log followed by a NM log. Explain what the problem is so the CO (and the site) will know what may be involved in repair.
Comment / Note logs: Use this for exactly that, comments. Not really something you should use often but maybe you had found a cache and later see that the area has changed (construction is one) and you want to alert the CO that their cache may be in danger of removal. That's a good time to use it.
Now you have already logged a cache but you messed it up. You logged a find when it should have been a DNF. Logs are editable. Go back to your log and edit it. You can change the text of your log as well as the log type.
Do not go back and add another log with the correct information. It makes no sense when others see a Found log followed by a DNF log by the same person and it causes your find count to be in error.
You can also delete a log.
You logged a find on "The best cache ever" but really didn't find it
To correct it simply delete the Found log and enter a new DNF log. You can even set the date of your new DNF log to an earlier date for accuracy
I will often log in the field with a phone and sometimes I am brief. I return home and will edit a log that I made earlier to correct those phone typos and provide more information about my search or the cache providing a better log for the CO.
As a CO I dislike those cut and paste logs by travelers and the super brief logs with "found it" and TFTC".
I usually put more into them than that and expect the same from the finder.
If the cache is nothing more than a numbers game or a boring same as I have seen before a hundred times it might get a log that reflects that.
If they appeared to have done something unique or challenged me in some way I will reflect that in my log
In the end what you want is an accurate picture of your geocaching history with an accurate find count and a history of your DNF's while providing the CO with something if they earned it.
If yours is out of whack and you just started, now is the time to correct those inaccurate logs.
It gets harder after you have more and more finds.
Strive for an accurate history. Log everything found or not.