There have been many negative consequences of developing EarthCaches for all to enjoy. So, the simple solution is just enjoy the personal journeys, like those posted in Four-Legged Angels.
ARCHIVED (not published) EARTHCACHES
Allegany State Park Bear Caves / Allegany State Park Sculpting Thunder Rocks
Allegany State Park Stone Tower / Allegany State Park Topography
Allegany State Park Drylands/Wetlands / Allegany State Park Geology Meets Landscaping
Allegany State Park Scenic Journey / Carter Caves State Park Box Canyon Trail
Earth Mother’s Paintbrush / Pit/Mound Topographic Adventure
Learning Adventure series (15) … Balance / Coal / Sand / Volcanoes …
EarthCache Mystery series (12) … EarthCache Mystery I / EarthCache Mystery II / …
LEARNING ADVENTURES
1 Fossil Casts N 41° 50.469 W 078° 38.664 / 4 Fossil Specimens N 41° 50.459 W 078° 38.664 / 2 Rocks N 41° 50.469 W 078° 38.673 / 5 Geodes N 41° 50.459 W 078° 38.673 / 3 Balance N 41° 50.469 W 078° 38.655 / 6 Coal N 41° 50.459 W 078° 38.655 / 7 Volcanoes N 41° 50.449 W 078° 38.664 / 8 Sand N 41° 50.449 W 078° 38.673 / 9 Microfossils N 41° 50.449 W 078° 38.655 / 10 Minerals I N 41° 50.439 W 078° 38.664 / 11 Minerals II N 41° 50.439 W 078° 38.673 / 12 Gems N 41° 50.439 W 078° 38.655 / 13 Crystals N 41° 50.429′ W 78° 38.664′ / 14 Stratigraphy N 41° 50.429′ W 78° 38.673′ / 15 Topography N 41° 50.429′ W 78° 38.655′
The following is why 200+ EarthCaches were archived.
HIDING EARTHCACHES
Sending email/response to both HQ -and- one of my earliest reviewers, since unable to find contact info for GeoawareHQ.
A Geoaware Reviewer may have a different perspective that would benefit both of us.
My first EarthCache (06/26/2008) was reviewed/published by geoaware, the creator of EarthCaches.
Kindly allow me to address one of the misunderstandings that led to my suspension.
I have the utmost respect for the time each reviewer spends getting caches published. However, it is so frustrating to spend countless hours developing EarthCaches only to wait weeks to have them reviewed, and then not published because they need more work. This sentiment was voiced by many in the forum posts.
I began months prior to the mega and was sure the caches met all the guidelines. The month of the mega they were reviewed and disabled. There were still others for the mega that were awaiting review. All suggestions were excellent, but some I don’t feel were necessary to get the cache published. In addition, there were suggestions I just could not comply with. Consequently, in frustration, I archived those caches. Regretted doing that, but believe HQ had been contacted and I lost my reviewer.
Here is one example … SP Allegany Sculpting Thunder Rocks https://coord.info/GCAG1WX … There are two questions. The first one is based on information reading the cache page. The second one is based on discovery, so all cachers could choose the time spent and terrain difficulty they are comfortable with. The pics on the cache page show our discoveries when I visited with my caching partner. Current health concerns for both of us prevent returning to the rocks to comply with what was needed to get the cache published. All the guidelines were followed and know it was publishable as submitted.
RESPONSE TO EMAIL (Copied below)
I love developing EarthCaches, which is why I am 5th worldwide. I have received nearly 3,000 favorite points (I only “hide” EarthCaches) ranking me high worldwide for favorite points received. This attests to the value/quality of these caches. They bring joy to so many as evidenced by the hundreds of positive logs. Also of note is that every one of my 241 EarthCaches have at least one favorite point.
I respectfully ask that HQ contacts me to chat and clear up the misunderstandings that have led to the things stated in the email.
Let me work with a reviewer to revise the current EarthCaches, which would entail creating additional ones at the sites. This would require lifting the suspension and restrictions. A Geoaware suggested questions be placed at the top of the page at the First International EarthCache Event September 2012. Changed all my cache pages then, and continue to put questions at the top of the page. I have enjoyed working with each of my reviewers. Several published the majority of submissions without needing any revisions. These were reviewed/published within two weeks (not months), and were the simpler caches that are in compliance with the current guidelines.
I try to be honest and kind in all I do, caching and otherwise. I send a thank you when awarded a favorite point. I also respond to interesting things in logs. I only delete logs where none of the requirements are met. If I were to delete finds where only some of the requirements were met, I would be deleting the majority of logs.
If you no longer want me as a developer, perhaps you may wish to archive and lock all my caches, except Fossil Learning Adventure and Rock Learning Adventure. These are needed to earn the trackable EarthCache coin pictured on my profile page.
Alternatively, grandfather my EarthCaches so the requirements remain as is.
Whatever you decide, I will simply continue to enjoy EarthCaches that other cachers publish.
Respectfully yours,
Elaine (rainbowtree)
COPY OF EMAIL (May 20, 2024)
Hello rainbowtree,
Greetings from Geocaching HQ.
For some time now, there have been issues with caches you have submitted and had reviewed, specifically related to EarthCaches. Over time you have been restricted to a certain number of caches published per month to help guide you to a sustainable level. The review process has also been a struggle over time, and it is increasingly difficult for reviewers to help you get your caches to a publishable state.
Given these issues have persisted over time and your caches consistently do not meet guidelines, effective immediately, we are suspending your geocache hiding privileges for 6 months.
This suspension applies to you personally in every way. During the suspension period you may not submit geocaches (including events) for publication using your personal account, a team account, or any other account including the accounts of others. Nor will you be permitted to adopt any geocache listings. You may continue to use Geocaching.com’s services to find geocaches and enjoy the game in all other ways besides hiding caches. Your cooperation with this suspension is required.
We expect you to use the suspension period to personally review the hiding guidelines and expectations for the review process. There are many resources available to help guide you toward successful EarthCache placements, including a recent Inside Geocaching HQ podcast and blog post. At the end of the suspension period, you must contact us and let us know what improvements you’ve made to your current number of geocaches, and present a plan for how you will manage your hides and cache submissions in the future if the suspension were to be removed. Geocaching HQ will then evaluate your existing published caches as well as your personal behavior during the suspension. If you have met the expectations, we will consider lifting your hiding suspension.
Your hiding suspension remains in effect unless you have completed the plan listed above and it is approved by Geocaching HQ. We will notify your local reviewers of the terms of this hiding suspension.
Best regards,
Geocaching HQ Admin
PLANNING TO SEND DEC 2024
Would sincerely like the opportunity to at least share the EarthCache series (mega and coin) that are already developed. I have nearly 3,000 favorite points which attests to the quality of my EarthCaches. If the suspension is lifted, kindly ask the reviewers to also follow the guidelines. This is echoed in multiple forum posts. Please give me a call so we can directly discuss the following to avoid any further misunderstandings …
(Already doing all that is required and more per the following!!!)
1. “improvements made to your current number of geocaches”
Kept caches with high percentage of favorite points / Reduced number of questions on selected caches by making them optional awaiting publication of additional caches / Updated all archived logs / Continue responding to requests by honest cachers to log archived EarthCaches / Others receive message concerning the deletion.
2. “a plan for how you will manage your hides and cache submissions in the future”.
Am actively monitoring cache pages and logs / Sending message when requirements not completed / Answering questions asked / Commenting on outstanding logs / Giving a Thank You for favorite points.
Only addition is to ask reviewer to publish when guidelines are met and make suggestions in a note after publication.
Wishful Thinking – Sure wish the reviewer that published 99% of my EarthCaches without needing revisions did not resign due to personal reasons.
How much is enough?!
Appears cyber bullying and cheating is allowed. However, kind and honest cachers have had negative experiences. Some of mine are as follows, and the reason I no longer create EarthCaches for others to enjoy.
1. Abusive logs allowed, but had to delete my responses stating the truth.
2. Accused of negative responses by reviewers. Contacted all and no problems.
3. Accused of cheating without contacting me for the truth. Proved accusations were false.
4. Accused of not following the guidelines. Interesting that one reviewer passed 99% of the submissions whereas another reviewer rejected 99% of the submissions.
5. Put on restrictions “for the good of the caching community”. Looks like thousands of favorite points and positive logs don’t count.
6. Suspended from developing any more EarthCaches. No contact regarding a misunderstanding.
7. Required to change all my current EarthCaches (well over a hundered) to be in compliance with the new guidelines. All others worldwide are grandfathered in. I previously changed all my published EarthCaches twice when guidelines changed. Choosing not to change them a third time. Instead, simply archiving them.
Hmmm – How much is enough?!
So, the consequences of my suspension are as follows:
-I am no longer allowed to spend hundreds of hours to create quality EarthCaches that benefit the caching community as evidenced by the thousands of positive logs and favorite points.
-I no longer have to wait months for caches to be reviewed instead of 7-14 days.
-I am no longer frustrated to have 99% of my submissions rejected because they need more work (guidelines were followed). Interesting that one reviewer passed 99% of the submissions whereas another reviewer rejected 99% of the submissions.
Hmmm – Seems lemons to lemonade!
The following is my response to a cacher who chose to rant rather than complete the requirements. Same minimal cut-n-paste log to multiple accounts. Simply asked to answer the one question that was not applicable to the entire group -and- add the one picture that was taken to each of the logs.
CACHER (part of the rant)
“Congratulations on winning the 2024 Geocaching Jackass of the Year Award. If you have pissed off enough people that it has caused you to archive over 200 earthcaches, I have to wonder just how many people have read your response, uninstalled the app and never played again? Which begs the question, would Geocaching be better off if you archived the rest of them?”
LAST RESPONSE
The majority are honest and respectful as evidenced by the hundreds of positive logs and nearly 3,000 favorite points. Just got tired of the few bad apples, so kept only the top favorites. I find it is those bad apples that do the most ranting.
Btw looked up the following …
Q. Is it against geocaching rules for one person to log other peoples accounts?
A. “Yes, it is against geocaching rules for one person to log other people’s accounts.”
Play the game anyway you choose, but perhaps think of being respectful rather than ranting.
Something to think about …
“Which begs the question, would Geocaching be better off if you archived the rest of them?”
Answer – Would Geocaching be better off eliminating the bad apples?
CHALLENGES … Thank you Len and all cache owners who have aided me in my personal quest to collect challenges -and- walk down memory lane for 400 days.
Love challenge caches. When gathering firewood you are twice warmed…. First cutting the wood, and then enjoying the warmth of the fire. Challenge caches are like gathering firewood because they offer twice the joy…. First finding the cache, and then reviewing caches/statistics to log. Thank you for the cache, the challenge, and the adventure.
Challenges 1 … Challenges 2 … Challenges 3 … Challenges 4 … Geoart
203 UNITED STATES / SUMMARY 1 / SUMMARY 2 / SUMMARY 3
Good luck! I am happily unfamiliar with the
Intricacies of the power structures in EarthCaching, but judging from the email you received, I think that they should be turning a judgemental eye on themselves.
Anyone considering becoming involved in EarthCaching should think long and hard before doing so. It seems to me that what should be a joyful exchange of information had been polluted by bureaucratic conformity.