How to annoy your geocache reviewer
This is not meant to be a "how to" but look at how to avoid annoying your reviewer. Some of the things that people do have no effect on me being annoyed, other things drive me insane. Remember that if you place one cache to be reviewed, that you are only one of 10-60 that are there for me to look at in a single day.
The annoying list - the top 10 for me
10 - You Cheat
I used to like to do puzzle caches, they were fun, and it was great to be able to say, "Yep I found that horribly evil cache and solved the puzzle" When people found out that I was the reviewer I got a few messages second hand where people accused me of cheating to solve the puzzle. lt is soo hard, and I am so dumb, that I could not solve it on my own.
This took much of the fun of solving a puzzle away from me. I have a number of them that i have solved, and I just drive by them. Someday I will visit them, but I don't know when.
Another variation is that I told someone where the cache was. I have never told anyone and don't plan that I ever will. I have been offered money, and steaks, all in jest at events for answers, but I have never given them out.
9 - I was driving through Utah from Florida, and thought this spot looked good for a cache.
Oh crap, how do I deal with this. When I ask about maintenance often I will get the following answer "I will just archive it when there are problems" That is when I know I am in trouble. That is not how the system works, and why we don't want a vacation caches. It is actually a non-maintenance plan.
I have had a few situations where it was even worse. Here is a nice exchange
"Yes I will have TomDick&Harry maintain it for me" - them
"Sorry you are within 528' of another cache" -me
"I can't move it, i live a long ways away, please list it, I will not let it happen again." them
"Why can't the person that will be maintaining it for you? - me
"They dont live near there either." - Them
"Sorry, if no one is nearby to move it then you obviously have no maintainer" - me
how can it be worse?
"But I have three travel bugs in there, they will be lost forever." - Them
>>Facepalm<<
8 - I have 20/30/40+ caches to list tomorrow morning - Here they are
It does not happen often but once and a while I get a pile of caches that the cache owner need to be listed for an event, or something special. Usually that "something special" is within 12 hours. Note to cacher: It takes time, and you are one cacher out of a dozen or more. Why should others wait because of you. Give it some time, plan ahead.
I have also had a cache that needed to be listed by a certain date. Event caches are that way, or a cache for an event or a birthday, or anniversary. Too often people don't check their emails when there were problems. One sent me mean emails when I had not listed their cache, and they had not noticed until right before. They had not seen my email with problems, did not check if it was listed, and never addressed problems, until it was too late to hit the deadline.
You may also consider your event. Some like to wait until two weeks before to pop it on the schedule. Then if I take the weekend to get back to reviewing, then there is a problem with the cache page, you can be too late to get it listed.
7 - I must be the reviewers best friend - At all costs
Don't call me, phone me, appear on my doorstep (except to find the cache there). I like people, and I like caching. Yet there are boundaries. When I am teaching my scouts I dont want my scouts be caching time, or church to be caching time, shopping for grocieries to be caching time, or my family time to be caching.. wait, actually i do want that last one.
Don't become my friend on every social media, and interject caching into everything. Sometimes a picture of me and my Dog is just that, for fun. If I am at dinner, don't ask my if that is a cache container at my plate (it is a glass). If I am showing a picture of a scout troop, it is most likely not a cache run. I enjoy talking caching when it is appropriate. I also like photography, and really enjoy when they naturally go together. However it is creepy when you turn everything into caching.
Don't read every log I ever made, check every geocaching.com photo, or just follow me around town. Restraining orders are a pain to get.
6 - Get mad about hidden waypoints, or premium caches, or saturation
I did not place the multi-cache that fills the entire park, or make it a premium cache that you were not aware was there. I did not place your cache 300' from one that is clearly marked. I feel bad when that happens, I really do. Especially to new people. (I do however laugh mercilessly if it happens to Cold1) However there are rules in place. I like to review. If I just listed everything I got I would not be revieweing for long, groundspeak would find someone else.
5 - A long list of coords to check
Ok, you may not know this. But when I need to check coords for hidden waypoints for others I have to make a cache page. I go through the process like you. It may not take time to do 1 or 2. But twenty is a pain in the butt. Think of how long it takes for youj to make a cache page. I do not have some magic program that makes them for me. Hmmmmm there is an idea. This may not seem obvious, but it does annoy me.
Simple way to fix a test cache page is to label it that you are checking coords. In the additional waypoints that you can add all the other coords that you want to check. It makes it very simple for me.
4 - The commercial or agenda cache
I don't want to go into the argument of if they are ok or not. Everyone has an agendas are dear to peoples hearts. Caches about breast cancer, veterans, Senator Charles, President Willy, puppy farms, gun control, or abortion are all troubled. I don't like arguing the point. Sometimes I support your agenda, but it is not the place.
Note: Some get mad if the cache is accused of being an egenda, and we ask you to remove some text to make it ok. Usually that anger makes it clear that it is an agenda. For most non agenda caches, asking a needed change would not cause people to get upset.
3 - Complaining about powertrails, micros, hard caches, dangerous, etc.
I dont approve caches, I publish them. I dont determine that power trails are cool, though I do enjoy them. If you hate those go to the forums and start the argument. Note the forum schedule for new complaint threads:
- Monday - Micros
- Tuesday - Reviewers suck
- Wednesday - Power Trails
- Thursday - Groundspeak sucks
- Friday - Someone Deleted my Log or stole my travel bug
- Saturday - your choice
- Sunday - Bring back virtuals
If a cache is by a dumpster, dont go find it. If the cache is by a stockyard, or rendering plant and the area smells bad, then drive away. If it is on a cliff, under a rattlesnake, or hiddeen under broken glass and crack needles, avoid it. I am not forcing you to get the cache. Complaining to me does little good.
2 - Offensive language
Calling me a whore, slut, or other language that is far more offensive does not make me love you more. I am not more likely to take your side on that argument, or another argument in the future. When I archive your cache because it has been ignored, disabled for eight months, or post a warning note, it does you no good to get mad.
Sometimes I do make a mistake, or jump the gun on an archival. A friendly email may make me see it from another angle, and angry email just makes me move on to the next email. Or perhaps I am just testing you to see if you are paying attention, yes, I am sure that is it.
1 - The "I am the only person in the world" syndrome.
Reviewers do not take the job because one person is so great in their area they cannot wait to see their caches and publish them. If you treat me like trash that is doing this all for you, thenI will ignore you. If you are a pain in the butt, I will look at your last.
When 30 caches come up I go through them one at a time. If I see issues I come back to them. If I am on my phone publishing, I will come back to problem caches later when I am at home. If I am in a hurry, I will list the caches that are simple and easy. That clears out my queue a little bit, and give people something to hunt for.
The goal is to do the first review of caches in 72 hours. You may see others listed, and yours may have issues. Look at it closer. It is also possible that I may have also only reviewed 30 out of 100. Yours is still on the way.
If you have issues, you drop to the bottom of the pile. If I find that there are problems, I leave a note. Typcially the next day I open and go through new caches first, then go through the emails, and caches on hold. Don't whine, complain, email hourly, text, call, IM, and post on my wall every few minutes. I go through those that have had issues one at a time. Usually oldest to newest.
Please email me to remind me if it has taken a while. It can get buried. Just don't bombard me.
What people think annoys me that does not
Some people think these bug me. They usually don't.
Take it to appeals
Does not bother me. They make the rules, they can bend/break them. Not me. They say it is ok, then it is ok. I sometimes point people to appeals, most of the time with no luck. I think they believe I am offended by the idea.
Gentle Reminders
I have gone on vacations, walked away for a few days, been buried, forgot to click "watch" on a cache and see your notes. A simple email does not bother me, and helps me get going.
Pointing out Mistakes
I have had people point to me caches where there are issues. Things that slip by me. Sometimes they are not serious enough for me to archive, other times they are. Thanks for letting me know.
-updated for fun- 5/16/13