Need some advice

[+candlestick]

Hey! I've only been playing the game for about a year and a half and have some hides out that seem to be doing well. I have been toying with the idea of putting out a traditional geocache that is aimed for new cachers. The idea was to make it a series called "intro to geocaching" and will touch on different topics like signing the log, attributes, trading items, trackables, etc. I think if Im tactful about the write up, this could be a helpful cache for people just joining or who want to show their friends, basically just a name on the map that will catch their eye. However, I do not want this to come across as derogatory or like I am attacking other geocachers for not "doing something right" which really should NOT be the focus of the game. Since people can pretty much teach themselves about geocaching by going on the website I thought adding a link on the page that will highlight main ideas and just bring more attention to geocaching etiquette would help. Let me know what you think about this, whether it's a bad idea, or if you have anything you think could be done differently.

[+iamlongball]

Any time you can get more people involved in an activity, a hobby, or a lifestyle, I think you should do it. Besides, regardless of how hard the cache is to find, or what kind of cache it is, I think most people just like the adventure. I am not an "Experienced geocacher" but I think its a good idea.

[+narcissa]

Watch out for that pesky agenda guideline, and be mindful of trying to pass off arbitrary personal preferences as "etiquette."

 

Also, people don't read cache pages for traditionals, so that's a poor way to convey information.

Edited January 20, 2017 by narcissa

[cezanne]

Since people can pretty much teach themselves about geocaching by going on the website I thought adding a link on the page that will highlight main ideas and just bring more attention to geocaching etiquette would help. Let me know what you think about this, whether it's a bad idea, or if you have anything you think could be done differently.

 

Personally, I think an event might be more suitable for that purpose but if you intend to make new cachers aware of the etiquette, you could consider setting up a single puzzle cache.

 

Other than that I rather would think that hiding caches at show nice locations that are worth to be visited in their own right is something which is of utmost importance also when it comes to newcomers. It's unfortunate when some of them only encounter lame urban micros and so either lose interest soon or will start hiding such caches too.

 

Of course the above is only my biased opinion.

[+Touchstone]

Since people can pretty much teach themselves about geocaching by going on the website I thought adding a link on the page that will highlight main ideas and just bring more attention to geocaching etiquette would help. Let me know what you think about this, whether it's a bad idea, or if you have anything you think could be done differently.

 

Personally, I think an event might be more suitable for that purpose but if you intend to make new cachers aware of the etiquette, you could consider setting up a single puzzle cache.

 

Other than that I rather would think that hiding caches at show nice locations that are worth to be visited in their own right is something which is of utmost importance also when it comes to newcomers. It's unfortunate when some of them only encounter lame urban micros and so either lose interest soon or will start hiding such caches too.

 

Of course the above is only my biased opinion.

 

+1 for the Event suggestion. Also has the benefit of building a local community of cachers and making new friends.

[+TeamRabbitRun]

Since people can pretty much teach themselves about geocaching by going on the website I thought adding a link on the page that will highlight main ideas and just bring more attention to geocaching etiquette would help. Let me know what you think about this, whether it's a bad idea, or if you have anything you think could be done differently.

 

Personally, I think an event might be more suitable for that purpose but if you intend to make new cachers aware of the etiquette, you could consider setting up a single puzzle cache.

 

Other than that I rather would think that hiding caches at show nice locations that are worth to be visited in their own right is something which is of utmost importance also when it comes to newcomers. It's unfortunate when some of them only encounter lame urban micros and so either lose interest soon or will start hiding such caches too.

 

Of course the above is only my biased opinion.

 

+1 for the Event suggestion. Also has the benefit of building a local community of cachers and making new friends.

 

No, I don't think an Event is right here. I don't think the OP wants to hold a single meeting and then it's over; he wants to put out caches that'll help instruct over time.

 

I think this is a great idea - a labeled "Beginner Series". Narcissa was right about people not reading cache descriptions for trads, BUT,

 

• 
   
  
• The targeted audience for these just MIGHT! Well, maybe not incidental phone cachers, but potential serious players might be more inclined to.
  
• Whatever you'd put on the cache page, you could ALSO put in the cache! Like, a label that says "This cache concentrated on logging...", and a blurb about logging, or replacement, or the difference between notes, DNFs, NMs, etc.
   
  

 

So, go for it! Those that will stop and read them, will absolutely gain from it.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

Watch out for that pesky agenda guideline, and be mindful of trying to pass off arbitrary personal preferences as "etiquette."

 

Also, people don't read cache pages for traditionals, so that's a poor way to convey information.

 

Perhaps not everyone reads the description on the cache page listing for traditionals, but currently that's the best way we've got to convey information about a geocache. The fact that not everyone is going to read it isn't a good reason to exclude it entirely.

 

 

[+dprovan]

A couple ideas. First, it'll work better if you don't play it as if you're the ultimate authority, so instead of touting your opinions, center each cache on a quote from the guidelines. Second, if you celebrate the topic instead of lecturing about it, anyone that doesn't need the lecture -- or thinks they don't need the lecture -- can still get something out of it.

 

But I don't expect your idea to cause any problems, and it's as good a topic as any for a cache series.

[+TeamRabbitRun]

A couple ideas. First, it'll work better if you don't play it as if you're the ultimate authority, so instead of touting your opinions, center each cache on a quote from the guidelines. Second, if you celebrate the topic instead of lecturing about it, anyone that doesn't need the lecture -- or thinks they don't need the lecture -- can still get something out of it.

 

But I don't expect your idea to cause any problems, and it's as good a topic as any for a cache series.

 

Good points.

[Pup Patrol]

Hey! I've only been playing the game for about a year and a half and have some hides out that seem to be doing well. I have been toying with the idea of putting out a traditional geocache that is aimed for new cachers. The idea was to make it a series called "intro to geocaching" and will touch on different topics like signing the log, attributes, trading items, trackables, etc. I think if Im tactful about the write up, this could be a helpful cache for people just joining or who want to show their friends, basically just a name on the map that will catch their eye. However, I do not want this to come across as derogatory or like I am attacking other geocachers for not "doing something right" which really should NOT be the focus of the game. Since people can pretty much teach themselves about geocaching by going on the website I thought adding a link on the page that will highlight main ideas and just bring more attention to geocaching etiquette would help. Let me know what you think about this, whether it's a bad idea, or if you have anything you think could be done differently.

 

"Etiquette" as described in the Guidelines or the Help Center, not your personal opinion would be most helpful to new cachers.

 

Links to the Guidelines and to the Help Center would be recommended, as far as I'm concerned.

 

B.

[+niraD]

A local county parks department uses a particular trail that is full of caches for its introduction to geocaching classes. All the caches are different, so the newcomers get a good introduction to a variety of styles, and then they're back at the trailhead by lunchtime.

 

Something like that could be helpful in your area, if there is a trail that isn't already saturated. The addition would be that each cache description could refer to (or "celebrate") a particular beginner's topic.

 

I'd recommend linking to the Geocaching 101 page, except that it's structured in a way that prevents people from linking to specific topics. But maybe some of the secondary pages or Help Center pages that the Geocaching 101 page links to would work.

[cezanne]

A local county parks department uses a particular trail that is full of caches for its introduction to geocaching classes. All the caches are different, so the newcomers get a good introduction to a variety of styles, and then they're back at the trailhead by lunchtime.

 

That makes more sense to me. If the caches differ just in the topic of etiquette that should be brought across, then I still think that a single cache would be the best solution. While different cache styles are something that is better taught in a practical manner, things like how to treat trackables are not really best treated via cache descriptions in my opinion.