Active Caches and Cashers

[Nuclearpuppy8]

Are Geocaches ever removed from the map after either people have reported the geocache destroyed, or the owner has not applied maintenance after a certain period of time? What about the actual Geocachers themselves? Are their accounts deleted after a certain length of time? For example, there is a huge trail of geocaches near me, but all of them either require maintenance badly or are completely gone or destroyed. It's a shame, I would've done the trail, but...

 

Summary: A lot of Geocaches I've visited are gone or extremely damaged. I would like to know when, if ever, these geocaches or their owners would be removed?

 

Thanks for your time,

 

~Nuclearpuppy

[+noncentric]

These Help Center articles may be helpful for you:

I found a geocache that needs maintenance

I found a geocache that needs to be archived

 

If caches are in need of maintenance, then cachers should report those problems. This lets the cache owner (CO) know that they need to fix it. If they don't fix it after a reasonable time, then the cache can be reported with an NA log and that alerts Reviewers.

 

Caches may get 'removed' from the map, but that doesn't mean that the cache listing disappears entirely. If someone found the cache in the past, then they can still see that cache in their list of found caches and the cache page itself can be opened to read the history of the cache. That cache listing will include a link to the cache owner, whose profile will still be available even if that cacher isn't active on the site anymore.

[+coachstahly]

 

Summary: A lot of Geocaches I've visited are gone or extremely damaged. I would like to know when, if ever, these geocaches or their owners would be removed?

 

Thanks for your time,

 

~Nuclearpuppy

The owners can't get removed but you can start the process to get the caches removed, thanks to the post above. File those NM logs and don't worry about what others think. You're doing your part to help clean up caches so that the experience can be better for the next cacher to visit either a cleaned up old cache or a brand new cache.

[+SeattleWayne]

I'm not entirely sure what happens to a persons account after prolonged inactivity. But as others have stated, make sure you're logging Needs Maintenance logs, DNFs, and Needs Archived so reviewers can open up those areas for fresh caches.

[+cerberus1]

There's been a few threads started, with a person saying they cached with their folks as a child, and had their own account.

They now have kids of their own who'd like to play outdoors, but can't remember account name spelling, passwords, etc.

 

We know many who, either in illness or family issues ("life getting in the way" ), left this "hobby" to return years later.

 

Caches have a chain of events through logs, that have been in place before we started, that notifies cache Owners when they need maintenance (NM), or should be archived (NA) when efforts to maintain aren't met.

If folks in your area aren't using those tools to remove carpy caches, then lead by example after you find the cache needs it.

[+L0ne.R]

Are Geocaches ever removed from the map after either people have reported the geocache destroyed, or the owner has not applied maintenance after a certain period of time? What about the actual Geocachers themselves? Are their accounts deleted after a certain length of time? For example, there is a huge trail of geocaches near me, but all of them either require maintenance badly or are completely gone or destroyed. It's a shame, I would've done the trail, but...

 

Summary: A lot of Geocaches I've visited are gone or extremely damaged. I would like to know when, if ever, these geocaches or their owners would be removed?

 

Thanks for your time,

 

~Nuclearpuppy

 

File NMs, then follow up with an NA a month later.

If there are already NMs and no OMs, post an NA now.

Explain the situation in your log. Give details, it will help the reviewer.

 

Curious, though. How do you feel about Needs Maintenance logs and Needs Archives logs?

From what I read in the forums, most people who are told about these tools don't like using them.

Would you prefer if reviewers scanned for problem caches and archived them, if cache owners are unresponsive?

[+WearyTraveler]

 

Summary: A lot of Geocaches I've visited are gone or extremely damaged. I would like to know when, if ever, these geocaches or their owners would be removed?

 

Thanks for your time,

 

~Nuclearpuppy

The owners can't get removed but you can start the process to get the caches removed, thanks to the post above. File those NM logs and don't worry about what others think. You're doing your part to help clean up caches so that the experience can be better for the next cacher to visit either a cleaned up old cache or a brand new cache.

 

Exactly - but first go find them, log the find and an NM, ultimately a NA. Once archived, because you already know the locations, you can do the Good Samaritan thing and retrieve the geotrash.

 

That'll remove trash, add a few smileys, and open up your area for new caches... a win for all.

[+WearyTraveler]

 

Curious, though. How do you feel about Needs Maintenance logs and Needs Archives logs?

From what I read in the forums, most people who are told about these tools don't like using them.

Would you prefer if reviewers scanned for problem caches and archived them, if cache owners are unresponsive?

Oh no! You went there!

[+colleda]

Are Geocaches ever removed from the map after either people have reported the geocache destroyed, or the owner has not applied maintenance after a certain period of time? What about the actual Geocachers themselves? Are their accounts deleted after a certain length of time? For example, there is a huge trail of geocaches near me, but all of them either require maintenance badly or are completely gone or destroyed. It's a shame, I would've done the trail, but...

 

Summary: A lot of Geocaches I've visited are gone or extremely damaged. I would like to know when, if ever, these geocaches or their owners would be removed?

 

Thanks for your time,

 

~Nuclearpuppy

I believe that the owner of the caches you are seeing has been inactive for the last 2 years. He/she/they have quite a few caches and it looks like they are going through the natural progression of Needs Maintenance, Needs Archived, Reviewer Disabling, then Archived.

I did notice a throwdown or two mentioned when I looked. The process could take a while but if seekers are proactive and lodge the initial NMs it could speed up the process and open up the area for others.

[+WearyTraveler]

Are Geocaches ever removed from the map after either people have reported the geocache destroyed, or the owner has not applied maintenance after a certain period of time? What about the actual Geocachers themselves? Are their accounts deleted after a certain length of time? For example, there is a huge trail of geocaches near me, but all of them either require maintenance badly or are completely gone or destroyed. It's a shame, I would've done the trail, but...

 

Summary: A lot of Geocaches I've visited are gone or extremely damaged. I would like to know when, if ever, these geocaches or their owners would be removed?

 

Thanks for your time,

 

~Nuclearpuppy

I believe that the owner of the caches you are seeing has been inactive for the last 2 years. He/she/they have quite a few caches and it looks like they are going through the natural progression of Needs Maintenance, Needs Archived, Reviewer Disabling, then Archived.

I did notice a throwdown or two mentioned when I looked. The process could take a while but if seekers are proactive and lodge the initial NMs it could speed up the process and open up the area for others.

 

Exactly - locate them and ease them out of existence...

[+dprovan]

I believe that the owner of the caches you are seeing has been inactive for the last 2 years.

I'm confused. It doesn't look like the OP has cached for a year and a half, so what caches are you looking at?

[+colleda]

I believe that the owner of the caches you are seeing has been inactive for the last 2 years.

I'm confused. It doesn't look like the OP has cached for a year and a half, so what caches are you looking at?

Maybe it seemed like yesterday

The 5 Peaks series and others of the same CO.