yumitori, on Mar 5 2004, 12:09 PM, said:
How would you fix the problem of unmaintained caches? Please. What solution do you have that will satisfy everyone?
You'd never satisfy
everyone. There will always be those who will be contentious no matter what.
However, I
explored a solution before, but people seem to not like to break paradigms. If game had started off as self limiting and someone wanted to put out a perpetual cache, you'd meet the same resistance.
Here's a solution: Self depleating cache (or a nicer name I'd hope) is one where there is no "owner" only a placer. The placer knows when the cache is placed it belongs to the community at large. Finders trade, don't trade, or take items out of the cache. The idea is to only take, and not replace, items, but people will do what they do. Once all of the items are gone the last person takes the container and log, and requests it to be archived.
To answer the problem of any cache that is designed to not be in an advertised spot be it a self-depleating cache, moving cache, one-time cache, or what have you, the placer leaves a piece of biodegradable flagger's tape for the person who takes the cache to tie on a nearby object. Biodegradable flagger's tape lasts anywhere from a few weeks to a few months in the wild. Problem solved.
What's the prevent someone from looking at a cache, saying it's empty, and taking it? The same thing there is now. Nothing. So someone wants that spot and takes the cache? It's no different than now.
While it might be a bitter pill to allow a foreigner to come and place a cache, it's really no different than a local placing one and abandoning it. At least I'm addressing the root problem--unmaintained caches.
Therefore, all caches placed outside of one's own stomping ground is automatically considered a self-limiting cache. As soon as the cache needs more maintenance than the locals are willing the handle, it's archived. The placer knowing it's a temporary thing accepts it has run it's course. If he wanted it to last longer, he could have used a sturdier container and put in more swag.
See, these problems can be successfully handled without banning something.