NorthWest Arkansas Cachers

A geocacher by the name of David VS Goliath is claiming false finds on caches all over Arkansas. All of the caches that were claimed as found by this person DID NOT have their signature on the log. If you receive a found it notification saying this cacher found your cache you should just delete the find. I wouldn't bother with sending an email. They won't respond.

Whoever it is has also claimed a lot of caches around the Fort Smith area. This armchair logging of caches is unfair to cachers who spend their time and money hunting caches. It also goes against the "creed" of geocachers and should be discouraged through the deletion of logs.

On the same subject, logging the same cache as found more than once is also unfair to cachers who spend their time and money hunting caches.

The point is, Chris, where do you stop? Geocaching really has no rules. In this case, I have no doubt the person didn't find the caches in question, but they're playing the game the way they want to and are hurting nobody.

In this particular case, if the person had written novellas in each online log, nobody would have questioned him.

So, since his "claiming false finds" is only an inconsequential number, what's the beef? Personally, I would rather see one or two of these people come along than EVERYBODY claiming mulitple finds on a cache, claiming temp caches, etc.

While you bring up some good points I think there is a fundamental difference. One of requirements for having your cache published on geocaching.com is that it be some form of container with a logsheet. It further explains under the getting started section that you should "write about your experience in the logbook."

The fundamental difference between claiming event caches and claiming finds on caches you've never visited is that the former is done as a variation of the game and the latter is outright cheating.

Claiming an event cache or pocket cache or even a "found it" log on your own every time you do maintenance at the very least requires you leave the house. It could be argued that the only difference between an temporary cache placed at an event and one found normally is that one is listed on geocaching.com and the other isn't. I'm in no way championing the cause for geocachers who practice this but it's an entirely different creature than just logging caches online without ever hunting them. False logging degrades the basic fundamentals of the game.

While geocaching may not have any "rules" there are most definitely guidelines when it comes to geocaching. Even most Terracaches have confirmation codes to discourage this practice. Allowing behavior like this has resulted in changes being made to the game that not everyone agreed with. The grandfathering of virtuals for one.

We all hide caches in hopes some geocacher will like our listing and decide to hunt our cache. Each cache has some investment in it. It's nothing less than an insult to claim a find on a cache without ever hunting it at all. This practice will spread if it's not confronted and dealt with accordingly. The cacher in question has already had over 50 of their logs deleted. Will this stop them? Probably not. But they will search for other areas with less organized geocachers to plague.

Now, in light of Paris1times recent post at arkgeo regarding the change to the individuals profile page, I have to wonder what people will have to say.

Everybody plays the game their own way. Unless there is an ALR, he's done nothing wrong -- just like the people who log multiple finds have done nothing wrong.

The recent statement on his profile is a load or carp. Check out the caches he's found, just for kicks. He joined in June of this year but somehow was able to find many caches that were archived back in '03 and '04.

Well lets give him the benefit of a doubt. I mean he did say he doesn't often have access to a computer so maybe it took him a few years to log his finds. Kind of weird how he can't get his dates correct due to traveling but he sure remembered those finds so long ago.

This is obviously a sock puppet account created for whatever nefarious reason. But ,as you've said, many people play the game differently. Which is very true. There is no correct way to play this game. It's up to the individual cache owner to decide what is and isn't allowed for their caches. I know of one geocacher who has already emailed this individual asking for at least a description of the cache or anything. All without a reply.

I didn't intend for my post to be a discussion on what is and isn't allowed in this game. I'm nowhere near qualified to decide what is right and wrong. We haven't been playing long enough to be judges. I play my way and I'm fine with others doing it theirs. I do believe that just "armchair" logging is a bad thing. It doesn't reside in that grey area.

I don't doubt that you are probably right. I haven't looked closely enough (nor do I care to) at his logs to even see if its possible that as a trucker he made it to the spots he's claimed caches in.

Since he's really hurting nobody, I am just going to let it go. Everyone needs to make their own choice on how they choose to maintain their own caches, and if deleting logs is what they choose, its their choice.

The thing everyone should remember is that geocaching has no rules, only a few guidelines. Some people choose to not log online. Some pick and choose which caches they log online. Others like micros, some hate them.

To each his own.