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Why "Do not show the Travel Bug number in the photo."?


PastorDIC

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Trust me, people will cheat on anything. I track my dollar bills using www.wheresgeorge.com and the number of bill reports they have to delete each day because people will cheat is outrageous!!! It really does not surprise me that there is juvinile activity with the TB, but it does dissappoint me. Why some people feel the need to destroy something so fun and so innocent is beyond me.

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A fellow cacher told me that he was looking through the first couple pages of the TB gallery over the weekend and found 9 that had the tracking number clearly visible in the pictures. He sent emails to those owners. At 20 pictures / page, that's about 1/4 of them. Scary.

Edited by brad.32
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Although my pictures all show the TB tag (with tracking number obscured), I've realized that there is no real need to even show part of the TB tag.

 

The bug should have one picture on its page that shows the object being tracked (the bug itself). Since it is a obviously travel bug, it should be assumed that the tag is there. Other than the tracking number, the tags are all identical, so why take pictures of them?

 

On any future travel bugs, I'll just leave the tag part out of the picture and focus on the bug itself.

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I take pictures of the travel bug as people would find it (the hitchhiker with part of the metal and instruction tags showing), but you are right, the hitchhiker is the only thing that needs to be in the picture. Showing part of the metal tag gives people a sense of scale though. Everyone who has handled a travel bug knows how big that tag is, so they can judge the size of the hitchhiker from that.

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When I shoot pictures of bug I usually show just the top part of the tag or I clone out the number in photoshop. I agree that people will cheat at anything and unfortunately it is not just juveniles... I have sent notes to a few people telling them that the pics of the bugs show the numbers. I will even fix pics for people if they want me to by email.

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There are a couple guys around here that when they find a bug, they log it into an archived cache, then pass it on to the other so he can log it out, that way both get credit for the bug, although one didn't actually find it and the bugs log miles they didn't really travel.

 

But on the lighter side, at least they are still traveling.

 

I have finally figured out that no matter what others do, I can and will still have fun caching.

 

SS

Caching for the health of it

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Go to the travel bug page and click on "visit log" next to your log entry. Click on "edit image" above the image. Click on the trash can to the upper right of the image to delete the image and then upload the corrected one.

Edited by brad.32
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There are a couple guys around here that when they find a bug, they log it into an archived cache, then pass it on to the other so he can log it out, that way both get credit for the bug, although one didn't actually find it and the bugs log miles they didn't really travel.

Sometimes, when I cache with friends and there is only one bug, we do share the number with one another. Instead of fake-placing it into an archived cache, though, I just "grab" it from my friend. Same result (both get credit for the bug) and no lies! :D

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In regards to seeing the TB number to log a TB, lets just say that it is not even necessary anymore to have the number to log the TB. Last night, I tried the following, based on another thread I read on here. Apparently, (and it DOES work), anyone can simply log a :o NOTE :D on any TB from anywhere without any number known, and have that TB then show up in their stats. I am not sure if this is a glitch in the system as a result of changes made recently by Geocaching staff or not. I think it may be an oversight, as it makes having Travel Bug numbers rather obsolete if anyone can now log a note on any travel bug they happen to see anywhere!

 

On ANOTHER, related note :D:D

 

Personally, I only log TBs that I have actually handled, as I like to take pics of them and do something positive (I hope!) to add to the story of the TB's travels. I do go out specifically to get them from caches I have already done, I do tend to go caching in areas where there are one or two TBs, and I do trade for them at meets, but I have simply made it a personal choice to do this in this manner. If I bring 6 TBs, I'll take 6 TBs, and not the tag numbers of all the other TBs there. I personally don't mind what anyone else does, it is their choice. Just lets call a rose a rose and don't compare stats unless the method of TB procurement is the same for all concerned. Me, I am just into this for the fun of it. I have lots of TBs of my own placed, and I want anyone and everyone to take them, log them, move them around, take pictures, etc. Just please place them back out again! The longer they keep moving, the more eager I'll be to place MORE out there for your hunting pleasure! :D

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In regards to seeing the TB number to log a TB, lets just say that it is not even necessary anymore to have the number to log the TB. Last night, I tried the following, based on another thread I read on here. Apparently, (and it DOES work), anyone can simply log a <_< NOTE :D on any TB from anywhere without any number known, and have that TB then show up in their stats. I am not sure if this is a glitch in the system as a result of changes made recently by Geocaching staff or not. I think it may be an oversight, as it makes having Travel Bug numbers rather obsolete if anyone can now log a note on any travel bug they happen to see anywhere!

 

On ANOTHER, related note :D:D

 

Personally, I only log TBs that I have actually handled, as I like to take pics of them and do something positive (I hope!) to add to the story of the TB's travels. I do go out specifically to get them from caches I have already done, I do tend to go caching in areas where there are one or two TBs, and I do trade for them at meets, but I have simply made it a personal choice to do this in this manner. If I bring 6 TBs, I'll take 6 TBs, and not the tag numbers of all the other TBs there. I personally don't mind what anyone else does, it is their choice. Just lets call a rose a rose and don't compare stats unless the method of TB procurement is the same for all concerned. Me, I am just into this for the fun of it. I have lots of TBs of my own placed, and I want anyone and everyone to take them, log them, move them around, take pictures, etc. Just please place them back out again! The longer they keep moving, the more eager I'll be to place MORE out there for your hunting pleasure! :D

At a recent local event, one cacher from out of state went around with a camera, taking pics of each and every TB tag at the event. He insisted he needed the number to post a note, but had enough experience to know better than that... I'll admit it made me nervous to see him do that...

 

Like the quote above says, I only log TBs that I have actually handled and MOVED from cache to cache.

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At a recent local event, one cacher from out of state went around with a camera, taking pics of each and every TB tag at the event.  He insisted he needed the number to post a note, but had enough experience to know better than that... I'll admit it made me nervous to see him do that...

 

Like the quote above says, I only log TBs that I have actually handled and MOVED from cache to cache.

About the cacher in question, when I've cached with him he takes pictures of every cache container, contents and logboook for his records, and posts notes for every bug he sees. We have several local cachers who have done this for as long as I remember (after some events, bugs will have 3-4 or more 'spotted this bug at...' logs at once), and they all insist that you need a tracking number to make a note. This may have been necessary back in the days of the old TB page code, but I suspect it changed with the introduction of the new page.

 

I personally don't like leaving notes stating that I spotted a bug in a cache. While it doesn't affect the bug count under the items found list in the user profile anymore (it still, however, affects the full list accessible by clicking the bug icon under items found), I just assume that a bug hasn't moved unless reported missing. If I visit a cache that lists having a bug present but the bug is gone, sometimes then I will put a note in my log on the cache page and a note on the bug page.

Edited by DavidMac
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I also do not leave notes on TravelBugs that I have not actually found. I also do not pass bugs to others I am caching with. If I find a bug then I take credit for it...

 

Once I was out with a few people. I let the other people pickup the travelbugs that were found and when it was my turn to take on... I did. We did not relog the bug back into the same cache we just took it out of.

 

But everyone has their own ideas about what caching is supposed to be like and about how they log bugs and caches. Im sure there is things that I do involving caching that other people do not agree with.

 

Happy Numbers!

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the last bug I handled, I do not recall needing the number off the tag. It seems the number is only an alternate ID to search for it (instead of the TB#### number).

 

Or it might only apply when "taking" a bug. Otherwise, placing the bug in a cache does not require the number. When you log the cache, you merely checkbox that you left the bug there.

 

Next time someone grabs a bug, can they verify that they don't need the tag number?

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the last bug I handled, I do not recall needing the number off the tag.  It seems the number is only an alternate ID to search for it (instead of the TB#### number).

 

Or it might only apply when "taking" a bug.  Otherwise, placing the bug in a cache does not require the number.  When you log the cache, you merely checkbox that you left the bug there.

 

Next time someone grabs a bug, can they verify that they don't need the tag number?

You are correct....the "secret number" (stamped into the tag) is only needed to "grab" the bug. Dropping (placing) or posting a note does not require the number.

 

Some of us keep a record of these numbers, just in case we need to re-grab and place a bug to correct the bugs history. As an example: when the bug is "grabbed" by the next finder before you get a chance to "place" it into the cache.

 

I have been making a habit of attaching a note to the bug asking the next finder to WAIT until I have "placed" it, BEFORE they "grab". This seems to be working well so far.

Edited by jbhooker3
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I have been making a habit of attaching a note to the bug asking the next finder to WAIT until I have "placed" it, BEFORE they "grab". This seems to be working well so far.

That's a very good point there. My last camping trip, I had 6 bugs that were going with me, only one was mine. I created little tear-off tags with a similar message as this.

 

"Thanks for taking this bug. I placed this bug while camping and will not have access to a computer until (date). Please do not log this bug until after (date) so I may be able to properly log the bugs after I get home. Thank you."

 

Two of the bugs needed that tag as they were picked up within hours of me placing them in a cache. Neither cacher entered them until after I had entered them on the travel bug page.

 

Something that worked! :huh:

Edited by Webfoot
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A fellow cacher told me that he was looking through the first couple pages of the TB gallery over the weekend and found 9 that had the tracking number clearly visible in the pictures.

I've been having fun occasionally going through the TB Gallery, downloading any TB pics with the the tracking numbers showing.

 

Then I modify the pics so that the numbers do not show anymore, then Posting A Note on the bug's page donating the edited image to the TB owner to use (or ignore) however they wish.

 

As a kind of signature style, I have been finishing each photo with a hopefully nice vignette effect.

 

So if you see a round or oval TB pic with soft edges... ;)

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Isn't it just as easy to take the picture with the other side of the tag showing? Then you have the tag to show scale ...

Exactly.

 

When I attach the instruction tag onto my bugs' I use a key ring and not the chain and make sure the tracking number side of the tag faces the instruction tag, so it's more difficult to take a picture with the tracking number showing.

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<_< Thanks for the TB tag picture info. I am fairly new to Geocacheing and have sent one of 8 TB's in motion and am guilty of showing the TB's #. I will remove the photo and fix the problem. I have several other new ones to launch and am a little nervous they are "TOO NICE" after reading the horror stories of MIA TB's. People are unreal. Thanks again all who gave valuable info. Steelheader13
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Having read through this thread, and posted pictures of my two bugs without their numbers visible (photoshopped them out), I'm tempted to repost the pictures with the numbers in again, just to see how quickly they fly off around the world!

 

This is of course only amusing when you realise that TBG3A6 & TBG7J0 are attached to my keys and my GPSr respectively, and I can't be bothered to use them as tracking devices either, I just like them as keyrings!

 

It'd be interesting to see who 'grabs' them off me! :o

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I've never put travel bug tracking numbers in my logs, specifically for this reason, but I often will put the travel bug's page number (TB followed by four digits). I do this so that anyone reading the log can easily identify the TB I either picked up or dropped off at that particular cache that day. The logging system for the TB cannot be accessed with this number.

You wouldn't believe the number of (rather snooty) e-mails I get from fellow cachers who don't take time to think, and just assume I have posted the six-digit TB tracking number!!!

- hamgran

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A fellow cacher told me that he was looking through the first couple pages of the TB gallery over the weekend and found 9 that had the tracking number clearly visible in the pictures. He sent emails to those owners. At 20 pictures / page, that's about 1/4 of them. Scary.

I really don't need people like that emailing me. My TB had the number showing and someone logged my TB just to prove a point. It didn't help, it didn't make the world better, and I took care of the "problem" mostly so I don't get emails or logs like that anymore.

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A fellow cacher told me that he was looking through the first couple pages of the TB gallery over the weekend and found 9 that had the tracking number clearly visible in the pictures. He sent emails to those owners. At 20 pictures / page, that's about 1/4 of them. Scary.

I really don't need people like that emailing me. My TB had the number showing and someone logged my TB just to prove a point. It didn't help, it didn't make the world better, and I took care of the "problem" mostly so I don't get emails or logs like that anymore.

 

I sent this e-mail to a rookie cacher (3 finds) today. I thought I was trying to help show someone why you shouldn't post bug #'s in logs, I had no idea some people take offense to this! :P After re-reading the e-mail, I think I sounded a bit "pompous" and even felt like I falsely portrayed myself as an "official" of ground speak! :lol: I only included the ground speak; geocaching reference to show the person that my e-mail wasn't spam!! I did the same thing this person did when I found my first TB and was sent an e-mail by a more experienced cacher and was told the same thing I sent. I thanked him and immediately corrected the problem!! :D I was in no way offended and appreciated the advice!

 

I wasn't in any way trying to be "snooty" or anything like that...I thought I was helping a rookie learn the ropes! I also should have put "some" in front of "people will cheat"...makes it sound like all of us are cheaters, which are DEFIDENTALLY, not the case! Man...Ever wish you could edit an e-mail after you send it???? Whatta you folks think? Is an apology in order? I was just trying to help! :D:D:D

 

Spzzmoose

 

This is Spzzmoose from ground speak (geocaching). I just wanted to point out to you that you should never list a travel bugs Id# in a log. People will use it and cheat and it screws up the bugs "travel record". I know your new at the game so I thought I'd pass along this friendly suggestion to edit your log at the "**************" cache. If you visit the travel bug forum at the website, there is a thread going on right now that might give you some more info.

 

Thanks!

 

Spzzmoose

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This is what we did just a few days ago and had excellent results within an hour!

E-mail messages:

 

Dan,

 

All is well here in Australia. Hope all is well there.

 

Thanks for letting us know about the ID numbers, we had no idea. Anyway I have edited the photos and all should now be ok.

 

Hope vagrant is enjoying his worldwide trip.

 

thanks again

 

Peter and Wendy

 

<Kfam>...com wrote:

 

--This message was sent through the Geocaching.com web site--

 

Greetings McAisters!

We hope that all is well with you and your's!

 

Last April, you found our Vagrant Fungus travel bug. Thank you so very much for showing it around your neighborhood and promptly allowing it to travel again. It has been doing very well and is currently someplace in England!

 

Thank you also for taking time to shoot and post the great pictures of it with it's relatives.

..However,

We have a very friendly and hopefully minor request that we would appreciate your help with.

As can be found anywhere, there are those few that derive pleasure by antagonizing others. Unfortunately, Geocaching is not immune to those few. There have been instances where these ne'er do wells peruse the travel bug pages, looking for the ID number posted in the pictures. Once armed with that number, they happily log whatever they want to the unsuspecting traveller.

It has become a common preventative practice to not show the ID number in the pictures posted to the travel bugs' logs.

Two of the pictures that you have posted show these numbers.

With your help, we can perhaps avoid this sort of trouble happening to the Vagrant Fungus Among Us. We have edited copies of these two pictures and would gladly e-mail them to you for reposting, if you don't mind doing that for us.

Simply reply with your e-mail address and we will send them your way.

We certainly hope that you understand our concerns and are not offended by this request.

 

Happy Caching and Cheers!

 

Dan @ Kfam

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We made a similar mistake with the first couple of TBs we picked up. I didn't realize that the TB# (TBXXXX) and tracking number (XXXXXX) were two different things and that the tracking number should be 'protected'. So in my stupidity (or lack of knowlege, really), when posting our log for the cache where we removed the TBs, I provided the tracking number.

 

Unfortunately, the TBs were picked up at TB Hotel a short distance from our house, moments before leaving on our trip. My husband walked in the house with the TBs, we logged the cache note and 'retrieved' the TBs, logged off the computer, locked the door and drove off.

 

Four days later, we do a couple of caches where we were visiting, and make a visit to the local library to log our finds and 'drop' the TBs. We find a 4 day old email from one of the TB owners, explaining the mistake we had made by posting the tracking number in the cache log. I can't remember, but I believe he was very polite. He could have been screaming at me and calling me names and it wouldn't have mattered - I was too busy feeling like a total idiot to EVER be offended by his email!

 

In our defense, we picked up the TBs at the last minute as an after thought - we hadn't ever picked any up because we thought to take one you had to leave one. So no time before leaving home to research logging TBs. Then, at the library, we were having a hard time dealing with the POS computer, not to mention trying to do it quickly before getting booted off at the end of our time limit. Since cache pages were taking 3-4 minutes to load, I was having a hard enough time trying to log finds and TBs, and really couldn't take the time to try to research logging the TBs correctly. Had I know before there were two different numbers related to TBs, I would have researched it in detail at home on our own computer before we traveled! I fixed the logs, but not before two TBs tracking numbers were on a cache page for 4 days.

 

I quickly learned how to do things, and am glad to see that leaving a note on the TBs works when you are traveling and won't be near a computer for a few days. I've often worried about that, and thought of leaving a note with them. I was under the impression that so many take TBs without even reading their goals, that I doubt they would read my sticky note!

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With my first TB I actually proudly posted that I had collected TB number XXXXX etc.

I had no idea that people would cheat!

I very soon received a polite email explaining about TB etiquette. I apologised for my naivety and immediately edited the log.

 

The other problem mentioned was logging the TB.

If I go away from home it may be a couple of weeks before I can log on to record my finds and placements. Getting to a computer each day is not really an option when travelling in remote areas of Australia.

I have no real answer for this. If someone picks up a TB I have placed and logs that fact, then when I try to log that I have found it, it is no longer in the cache - if you see what I mean.

It has not happened to me yet, but I suppose I could always log it as "Grab it from somewhere else"????

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PastorDIC

I once found what I thought to be a TB it had a tag number even though it was on a metal disc. I thought it had gotten lost or something. When I looked at the picture it was not even the original TB but had its number. I then emailed where it had come from and found to my horror that it was one of suspected TB tampering. Someone had copiedd the tag number and sent out there on TB with the Tb tracking number. This created for the real TB false milage and two TB's now traveling the world with the same cache page. I emailed the owner and indeed the real tb was in a cache so I destroyed the fake tag and recycled the fake to a cache without a Tag. This would not be possible if those numbers are left out of the pictures. Please do not do this. When ever I see one I nicely email the owner and explain why. So that there TB is not pirated in any way.

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You know, I came across this long-running thread while researching travel bugs in general, getting ready to cast my own upon the waters. I found one TB by happenstance at my very first ammo-can cache, and in the excitement of it all, I happily posted a picture prominently showing the TB code.

 

I have now gone into the logs, and posted updated "iPhoto'd" images that erase the number.

 

It did get me to thinking, though - all the info about geocaching that you come across as a new member paints an idyllic picture of an essentially altruistic sport. As a complete newbie then (and a learning newbie now), you get sort of caught up in the joy and wonder of this "hidden world" all around us, and it's natural to take lots of pics, write lots of details in the logs, and nowhere in the intro material to logging or travel bugs does it really highlight the "secret code" nature of that TB code (or, if it does, it was nowhere near prominent enough to jump out and bite me).

 

I've seen plenty of comments that are balanced about this subject, but also a few that are pretty harsh on the newbies. Having spent some time reading the forums now, I see that geocaching has its own internal politics, cranks and pranksters (and probably crackers and hackers too), which make certain things (like hiding the TB code) necessary. Upon a little reflection, I'm not surprised, but as someone who still has a bit of that wide-eyed innocence adhering to the tattered remains of my newbie jacket, I thought I should mention that it might be a good idea to make mention of the "secret" nature of the TB code in a more prominent fashion than it is now - and to make such mention somewhere where a first-timer will naturally go to when they find that first travel bug!

 

In the meantime, here's one more person who has learned the lesson of hiding the code, and it appears that I have erased the traces of my last sin before the TB started being logged around the world....

 

..Chris..

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As yet another newbie cacher (yanc?), I also have learned my lesson as a result of this thread and have edited/replaced the photo I posted of my first TB found. The tracking # which was visible is now blurred out.

 

I may be new to caching but I don't want to spoil the game by making mistakes such as this one. Now I'm wondering if I've done anything else wrong in my logs. Perhaps a FAQ for newbies including what not to do would be useful.

 

Thanks anyway for this forum and all the experienced cachers on here who are happy to help us neocachers out.

 

BTW, I didn't just get my first two TBs yesterday, I caught the geocaching bug! :o

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I've never put travel bug tracking numbers in my logs, specifically for this reason, but I often will put the travel bug's page number (TB followed by four digits). I do this so that anyone reading the log can easily identify the TB I either picked up or dropped off at that particular cache that day. The logging system for the TB cannot be accessed with this number.

You wouldn't believe the number of (rather snooty) e-mails I get from fellow cachers who don't take time to think, and just assume I have posted the six-digit TB tracking number!!!

- hamgran

Its kinda funny, but I have a cache that requires you to find a certain TB to get the coordinates off of it for the cache. When I submitted the cache, the reviewer initially didn't approve it because I listed the TBXXXX number on the cache page. They had confused it with the tag number, and once I pointed this out all was fine.

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When I was a newbie, I accidentally posted an image of the TB tag with the tracking number showing, but luckily, the image was removed by a GC admin with a note posted saying why it was done.

 

I still post images of TBs with tags, but always the side without the tracking numbers.

 

I've also seen many people (and not just newbies) post TB's tracking number in the logs, since they don't know, or have forgotten the real name of the TBs when they drop them off or pick them up. (A good reason why a separate Mission Tag should be attached, a topic for another thread)

 

We'll have to deal with this manual way of remembering/entering codes to keep the TB's visits and mileage as legitimate as possible, until we come up with a more high-tech solution. Many cell phones in Japan have barcode readers built-in now, and maybe in the future, we can leverage that to obtain tracking numbers from TB tags.

Edited by budd-rdc
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I have been making a habit of attaching a note to the bug asking the next finder to WAIT until I have "placed" it, BEFORE they "grab". This seems to be working well so far.

That's a very good point there. My last camping trip, I had 6 bugs that were going with me, only one was mine. I created little tear-off tags with a similar message as this.

 

"Thanks for taking this bug. I placed this bug while camping and will not have access to a computer until (date). Please do not log this bug until after (date) so I may be able to properly log the bugs after I get home. Thank you."

 

Two of the bugs needed that tag as they were picked up within hours of me placing them in a cache. Neither cacher entered them until after I had entered them on the travel bug page.

 

Something that worked! :)

I really like your idea of the tear off tag! More cachers should adopt this idea. I believe it would take a lot of confusion out of the TB game! good for you, Webfoot!!!!

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