4000 character log limit

[+EscapeFromFlatland]

I cannot accurately describe, in detail, my caching experience with only 4000 characters per log.

[+The A-Team]

I cannot accurately describe, in detail, my caching experience with only 4000 characters per log.

Split the log and use a note in addition to your "Found it" log. I've seen this countless times.

[+EscapeFromFlatland]

but BadgeGen won't recognize that as one log.

Oh, my first world pains.

[+The A-Team]

but BadgeGen won't recognize that as one log.

Oh, my first world pains.

Are you trying to write some giant logs just to bump up your log-length average? That doesn't seem right to me. If you have a story to tell, then go for it. If you're just trying to make your logs long only for this reason, then don't. Mega logs are painful if being viewed on a GPS or smartphone. Or I may be reading too much into what you said.

[+CanadianRockies]

Your average log is 61 words long. Your longest is 562 words (2,969 characters). I wouldn't worry too much about the restriction.

 

If you have a very long log you wish to make, then you can continue it as a Write Note log, as others have suggested.

Edited May 30, 2012 by CanadianRockies

[+EscapeFromFlatland]

You can delete out the large logs on GSAK before you send the waypoints to your GPS.

[+JesandTodd]

Yes, lets make another change to the system to accommodate one cacher's stats.

[+EscapeFromFlatland]

Your average log is 61 words long. Your longest is 562 words (2,969 characters). I wouldn't worry too much about the restriction.

 

This morning I hit the 4000 character limit. Took 15 tries to edit the log down.

Edited May 30, 2012 by bramasoleiowa

[+CanadianRockies]

Your average log is 61 words long. Your longest is 562 words (2,969 characters). I wouldn't worry too much about the restriction.

 

This morning I hit the 4000 character limit. Took 15 tries to edit the log down.

If you have a very long log you wish to make, then you can continue it as a Write Note log, as others have suggested.

[+EscapeFromFlatland]

On a slightly related note: I think I'm going to start copy-n-pasting sections of text from the works of William Shakespeare for my logs on LPCs and guard rail caches.

[+EscapeFromFlatland]

Yes, lets make another change to the system to accommodate one cacher's stats.

 

yes, please.

[+JesandTodd]

Yawn...

[+Viajero Perdido]

I would have written a shorter letter, but I did not have the time.

 

- Blaise Pascal

[+captnemo]

TFTT

[+Cardinal Red]

I cannot accurately describe, in detail, my caching experience with only 4000 characters per log.

I just had to take a look at this epic cache log that was unfairly constrained due to the evil 4000 character log limit. What I found was a very respectable chronicle of six days of whirlwind travel to attend GeoWoodstock. Posted only once it could have served as a summary of the experience. However it was then repeated over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over. Yes, that epic 4000 character story was copied and pasted on eleven different cache finds with only a very brief personalized addition to the beginning of each. This means that eleven individual good cache logs could have easily survived a 400 character limit. I hope it's not all about the numbers, but BadgeGen will count every one of those identical characters all eleven times. On a side note, I did notice that logging finds to the correct date is not a concern. Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie.

[cezanne]

I just had to take a look at this epic cache log that was unfairly constrained due to the evil 4000 character log limit.

 

There exist caches where the standard log is longer than 4000 characters. Of course it is possible to split up the logs and I often have to use that method, but still I'd prefer if there were no limit on the length - as it makes reading and referring other people to a log much easier. However, as has been discussed in previous threads on the topic, for technical reasons, the length limit will stay. So the only workaround is splitting up.

 

Cezanne

[+SwineFlew]

Keep it simple and short. Its more interesting to read. I always skip those long logs. They arent interesting to read. Sorry if I hurt your feelings.

[cezanne]

Keep it simple and short. Its more interesting to read. I always skip those long logs. They arent interesting to read. Sorry if I hurt your feelings.

 

I guess it depends on the cache. Think of a long distance hiking cache where people spend several days to finish the cache.

The logs that are simple and short for such caches are the ones I do not regard as interesting at all while I typically enjoy those that report on what happened on each day. For example, I occasionally read the logs for this cache

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=9e649f3d-7a10-43d8-ad2f-6db609c1a574

and I enjoy reading the logs of people who walked along the route very much.

(Most of the short logs are notes by people mentioning their interest into the tour.)

 

 

Cezanne

Edited May 30, 2012 by cezanne

[4wheelin_fool]

Are you planning to have your logs going to be like the FTF ones on this cache? Edited May 30, 2012 by 4wheelin_fool

[+doug_hollyNKC]

Are you planning to have your logs going to be like the FTF ones on this cache?

 

Wow! I think at a minimum I would of deleted the 3 additional pages of notes. That is just plain dumb.

[+The A-Team]

Are you planning to have your logs going to be like the FTF ones on this cache?

Just under 13000 characters! That's a perfect example of a massive log that adds absolutely nothing to the cache. The majority of it is just non-sensical rambling and does nothing but clutter up the cache page.

[cezanne]

That's a perfect example of a massive log that adds absolutely nothing to the cache.

 

There are also tons of short logs that do not add to the cache they belong to. Why just look at the bad examples?

The Munich Venice cache I linked to above has about 600 people watching the cache and many more cachers who follow the logs (e.g. myself).

It has 17 favourite points making up a 94% favourite rate. For such caches the short logs are the ones which are not appropriate at all

and the number of watchers shows that people enjoy reading the long longs.

 

Cezanne

Edited May 30, 2012 by cezanne

[+frinklabs]

There are instances where the 4000 character limit is reached, but not because of an overly-verbose log.

 

Here's an example where I couldn't write my normally-verbose log entry because the bulk of the log was HTML code containing a list of caches qualifying for the challenge:

 

http://coord.info/GL80BHCH

 

I'd like to see the limit increase, or only apply to visible, non-HTML characters.

[+SwineFlew]

Are you planning to have your logs going to be like the FTF ones on this cache?

Get this, thats the last cache the FTFer logged. Not sure if I should laugh or what!!!

[+Cardinal Red]

Are you planning to have your logs going to be like the FTF ones on this cache?

Get this, thats the last cache the FTFer logged. Not sure if I should laugh or what!!!

My understanding is that over time, logs written by this cacher have been deleted, so I don't think the current profile shows the complete history. But it does indicate he did drop by the site three weeks ago. I had read that log before. Every word of it. I would be honored to have oregone write a log to one of my caches, but he didn't indicate that he loves Pennsylvania. I looked for an overview of creative writing and came up with this: "Creative writing is anything where the purpose is to express thoughts, feelings and emotions rather than to simply convey information". I'll take original thoughts, feelings and emotions over mundane crappy logs any day. There is zero creativity in TFTC, and precious little in copy/paste.

[+EscapeFromFlatland]

Keep it simple and short. Its more interesting to read. I always skip those long logs. They arent interesting to read. Sorry if I hurt your feelings.

 

 

too long, didn't read

[+EscapeFromFlatland]

On a side note, I did notice that logging finds to the correct date is not a concern.

 

Which ones were off on their day?

[+Lady Loki]

I find it interesting that there's another very active thread about logs that are too short. What's the happy medium?

[+NeecesandNephews]

I find it interesting that there's another very active thread about logs that are too short. What's the happy medium?

 

Some how I doubt that is just a coincidence There is always one in every crowd.

[+The_Incredibles_]

Keep it simple and short. Its more interesting to read. I always skip those long logs. They arent interesting to read. Sorry if I hurt your feelings.

 

That was blunt, but I have to agree. While I do enjoy reading logs, very much so, if a log is that long, honestly, I will read the beginning, the end, maybe some middle bits, but not the whole thing.

[+The_Incredibles_]

Whoops. Nevermind.

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?wp=GC13JRC

[+The A-Team]

Whoops. Nevermind.

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?wp=GC13JRC

Yeah, but if all these others understood the significance of completing a 1dan multi, they'd probably be fine with your long log! That's one heck of a cache!

[+The_Incredibles_]

Whoops. Nevermind.

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?wp=GC13JRC

Yeah, but if all these others understood the significance of completing a 1dan multi, they'd probably be fine with your long log! That's one heck of a cache!

 

True! It was so good, I wish I could get my memory erased so I could do it again!

[+knowname]

You were discussing this topic 4 years ago, but i still face that problem.

 

I just completed a cache series, where i wrote a single (long) log in the bonus cache.

Of course i could split everything up and post it to each Cache of the series, but this

hinders the flow of reading and doesn't tell the story right.

 

One of the new things is that it is possible to format your Log in Markdown-style.

I have to admit that unformatted logs are a pain to read, but if its formatted well even

long logs are readable.

 

Maybe geocaching could offer an option to truncate logs to a certain size, to prevent

long logs trashing the GPS devices.

[+cerberus1]

You were discussing this topic 4 years ago, but i still face that problem.

I just completed a cache series, where i wrote a single (long) log in the bonus cache.

Of course i could split everything up and post it to each Cache of the series, but this hinders the flow of reading and doesn't tell the story right.

I think it tells the story (for the CO and you) just fine.

Whenever I did a series, I usually ended each cache with " ... and on to (whatever the name/#) ", until my slightly longer log at the final/bonus.

(To me) it tells the story from start to finish, and in the correct order.

Edited September 16, 2016 by cerberus1

[+J Grouchy]

I cannot accurately describe, in detail, my caching experience with only 4000 characters per log.

I just had to take a look at this epic cache log that was unfairly constrained due to the evil 4000 character log limit. What I found was a very respectable chronicle of six days of whirlwind travel to attend GeoWoodstock. Posted only once it could have served as a summary of the experience. However it was then repeated over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over. Yes, that epic 4000 character story was copied and pasted on eleven different cache finds with only a very brief personalized addition to the beginning of each. This means that eleven individual good cache logs could have easily survived a 400 character limit. I hope it's not all about the numbers, but BadgeGen will count every one of those identical characters all eleven times. On a side note, I did notice that logging finds to the correct date is not a concern. Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie.

 

This.

 

Write a blog if you want to talk about your whole experience. Write a succinct and useful log for each individual cache.