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I have noticed, while glancing through cache listings in my area, that some users choose to only allow premium members to see their cache listings. Is there a reason why someone would only want premium members to see their listing? Is there a perk to it? Maybe trying to keep the 'integrity' of the listing for those who are willing to pay for the access to it?

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Is there a reason why someone would only want premium members to see their listing?

One reason would be if my previous caches had been raided. In that case I might make a cache PMO, so not everyone can sign up for free and see its location.

 

There's also an interesting audit feature, so you can monitor visits to the cache page. That way you know if anyone is interested at all (even without cache logs).

Edited by kunarion
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One reason would be if my previous caches had been raided. In that case I might make a cache PMO, so not everyone can sign up for free and see its location.

There are ways.

There's also an interesting audit feature, so you can monitor visits to the cache page. That way you know if anyone is interested at all (even without cache logs).

And that is all one knows.

 

There are other reasons, plenty of them and a lot legitimate.

Heck I'm tempted to start a PMOC and challenge nonPMs to find it without the help of a PM account for a double smiley.

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There's also an interesting audit feature, so you can monitor visits to the cache page. That way you know if anyone is interested at all (even without cache logs).

 

That makes sense.

I haven't found any particular value to setting up my own cache as PMO, and I've been a Premium Member for a couple of years. Another reason, reducing the number of finds (thus making a cache easier to maintain -- or keeping the quality higher), I've deliberately done that on one of mine, without making it PMO.

Edited by kunarion
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Really three PMO discussions on page 1?

 

I had my Golden Ammo can for 1000 find stolen. I moved it to a very different location, and made it PMO to cut down on the visitors to the area (which is more fragile than the last). Less visitors also means less likely to go missing.

 

The last couple of puzzles I made PMO so I could see who was working on them. Honestly I looked at the audit log a couple times the first week, but not much since then.

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I have noticed, while glancing through cache listings in my area, that some users choose to only allow premium members to see their cache listings. Is there a reason why someone would only want premium members to see their listing? Is there a perk to it? Maybe trying to keep the 'integrity' of the listing for those who are willing to pay for the access to it?

 

this has been discussed to death

 

a forum search would have answered your question

 

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?app=core&module=search&search_in=forums

 

search term : Premium

Match: Search titles only

Search in section: Forums

Display results: As a topic list

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I have noticed, while glancing through cache listings in my area, that some users choose to only allow premium members to see their cache listings. Is there a reason why someone would only want premium members to see their listing? Is there a perk to it? Maybe trying to keep the 'integrity' of the listing for those who are willing to pay for the access to it?

It's a feature that was added many many years ago as a result of cache pirates. Back then you didn't even have to have an account to see the coordinates of a cache, and anyone could browse the cache pages and go find them anonymously. These idiots would go find caches in an area just to destroy them, because they thought it was fun. They also liked seeing their work talked about in the forums.

 

So one of the tools that was developed to try to reduce the damage done by the cache pirates was the PMOC. The idea was that someone just interested in destroying caches wouldn't pay money to the company in order to get information about a few caches when there were so many other caches to see for free. It pretty much worked, and the areas where a pirate was working would get lots of PMOC caches and the pirates would lose interest.

 

It was never a profit generating thing. Cachers over the years have made up reasons as to why the PMOC exists (revenue, elitism, to give back to the community, etc) and these reasons were repeated enough to eventually be taken as the truth.

 

The reasons, in my opinion, why it's still around (since other developments have reduced it's effectiveness against pirates to nearly zero) are for posterity (it's not hurting much so why take it away?) and because it would take some programming effort that could better be used elsewhere. There's a lot of improvements to the site each month but maybe someday they'll get around to removing it.

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I have noticed, while glancing through cache listings in my area, that some users choose to only allow premium members to see their cache listings. Is there a reason why someone would only want premium members to see their listing? Is there a perk to it? Maybe trying to keep the 'integrity' of the listing for those who are willing to pay for the access to it?

It's a feature that was added many many years ago as a result of cache pirates. Back then you didn't even have to have an account to see the coordinates of a cache, and anyone could browse the cache pages and go find them anonymously. These idiots would go find caches in an area just to destroy them, because they thought it was fun. They also liked seeing their work talked about in the forums.

 

So one of the tools that was developed to try to reduce the damage done by the cache pirates was the PMOC. The idea was that someone just interested in destroying caches wouldn't pay money to the company in order to get information about a few caches when there were so many other caches to see for free. It pretty much worked, and the areas where a pirate was working would get lots of PMOC caches and the pirates would lose interest.

 

It was never a profit generating thing. Cachers over the years have made up reasons as to why the PMOC exists (revenue, elitism, to give back to the community, etc) and these reasons were repeated enough to eventually be taken as the truth.

 

The reasons, in my opinion, why it's still around (since other developments have reduced it's effectiveness against pirates to nearly zero) are for posterity (it's not hurting much so why take it away?) and because it would take some programming effort that could better be used elsewhere. There's a lot of improvements to the site each month but maybe someday they'll get around to removing it.

 

I agree with this post 100%. Very well stated. Just don't go emailing me, asking me why I looked at your cache page. Sorry, couldn't resist. :grin:

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I have noticed, while glancing through cache listings in my area, that some users choose to only allow premium members to see their cache listings. Is there a reason why someone would only want premium members to see their listing? Is there a perk to it? Maybe trying to keep the 'integrity' of the listing for those who are willing to pay for the access to it?

It's a feature that was added many many years ago as a result of cache pirates. Back then you didn't even have to have an account to see the coordinates of a cache, and anyone could browse the cache pages and go find them anonymously. These idiots would go find caches in an area just to destroy them, because they thought it was fun. They also liked seeing their work talked about in the forums.

 

So one of the tools that was developed to try to reduce the damage done by the cache pirates was the PMOC. The idea was that someone just interested in destroying caches wouldn't pay money to the company in order to get information about a few caches when there were so many other caches to see for free. It pretty much worked, and the areas where a pirate was working would get lots of PMOC caches and the pirates would lose interest.

 

It was never a profit generating thing. Cachers over the years have made up reasons as to why the PMOC exists (revenue, elitism, to give back to the community, etc) and these reasons were repeated enough to eventually be taken as the truth.

 

The reasons, in my opinion, why it's still around (since other developments have reduced it's effectiveness against pirates to nearly zero) are for posterity (it's not hurting much so why take it away?) and because it would take some programming effort that could better be used elsewhere. There's a lot of improvements to the site each month but maybe someday they'll get around to removing it.

 

I had another comment, but I suppose I'll use another post here. Mushtang's post explains the historical reasons for the MOC's flawlesly. but the most frequent reason I see stated by people who make MOC's (most notably people who make all their caches MOC's) is "rewarding people for supporting the website". Why is that? Anyone? It's just one of a dozen or more of enhanced features for paying members, and the enhanced features for paying members model is all over the internet, and has been before this website even existed. So what if that particular extra feature was eliminated? Would it matter?

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I became a PM for only one reason and it is not the PMO cache. It is to support this site so the hobby can thrive. It cost money to run and maintain this site. So if PM decide to make their hide a PMO cache IC no problem with it as there are plenty of hides that are not PMO.

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I have two urban PMO caches. They are PMO because they are special to me and I don't want the 13yr old kid that joined today and downloaded the app to thier smartphone, making a big scene at my GZs. One is irreplaceable, and the other one is very near my house.

 

All of my mountain trail caches are open to anyone that wants to take the time and energy to find them.

 

Both of my PMO caches have links on them so that basic members in a group can log them. All they need is the premium member to share the link. If a basic member found the cache with her father, I would never delete it. I am not an elitist. I am not trying to "support" Groundspeak. I am simply trying to protect my caches.

 

Out of my 164 placed caches, six could been considered urban, all that are left are my two PMO caches. One was placed on 12/10/06, the other on 9/26/08. One had to be replaced and repaired because of rain damage, and the other had to be replaced because the finder accidentally dropped it on the wrong side of a fence.

 

My other four urban caches were in quiet, low muggle spots, yet disappeared after a few months. Replacing them, just had them again disappear within a week, so they were archived. (no sense supplying a thief)

 

I know that this is entirely anecdotal evidence, but my experience is that PMO has been totally effective to the security of my two PMO.

 

I would hope that GS does not get rid of it as was suggested in a prior reply.

 

[edit Their, There, They're, Duh]

Edited by Don_J
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Really three PMO discussions on page 1?

 

...

 

this has been discussed to death

 

a forum search would have answered your question

 

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?app=core&module=search&search_in=forums

 

search term : Premium

Match: Search titles only

Search in section: Forums

Display results: As a topic list

 

I wish there was an emoticon for:

*smashes head on desk*

Edited by Redfist
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<snip>

Both of my PMO caches have links on them so that basic members in a group can log them. All they need is the premium member to share the link. If a basic member found the cache with her father, I would never delete it. I am not an elitist. I am not trying to "support" Groundspeak. I am simply trying to protect my caches.

<snip>

 

That is the hard way. All they need is the GC#, which is easy enough to find via map or the from the PM. Then go to www.geocachingadmin.com/ or express logger pop the GC# number in the appropriate box, click the log button and they land on the log page.

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I have noticed, while glancing through cache listings in my area, that some users choose to only allow premium members to see their cache listings. Is there a reason why someone would only want premium members to see their listing? Is there a perk to it? Maybe trying to keep the 'integrity' of the listing for those who are willing to pay for the access to it?

I see PMO caches here that are cross-listed to another listing service that is free and they are not PMO. They can be downloaded from the other site and logged on this site. Confusing at the least.

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All of the PM only caches I've found (and that's not a great many) were more elaborate in their design. It appeared the cache owners spent a lot more time creating them and thus, possibly, making them more meaningful or valuable to them. I'm not so sure, however, that Premium Members who find them are going to be more respectful of them. I hope they are but I hope anyone finding any cache treats it with respect.

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