Greetings All- I have hidden a handful of caches and have many (most of the ones I've found) on my watch list. I am seeing a trend which concerns me.

As of late, more finders are posting logs which mention:
- plain-text details of the encrypted cache page hint (e.g., 'Found the cache before I saw the ___' (and ___ is mentioned in the encrypted hint)
- items/areas they examined during their search and then determined that the cache wasn't there
- items/areas where the cache is actually hidden
- specific actions taken to find the cache (on one of my caches, I specifically ask that finders <u>not</u> post details about how they were able to get the cache, to leave it a mystery for future finders)

I seem to recall reading that it's proper to log info about the hunt, funny/interesting things that happened, condition of the cache, etc. But is it proper to log, 'Well, I checked out the fallen tree, but the cache wasn't there; I searched a little more and the rest is 'water under the bridge'.'???

When I see logs like these on my caches, I generally permanently encrypt the log.

What do you do when you find logs on your caches that 'tell too much'?

Do you contact the cacher?
(Since people get pretty defensive these days) What do you say?
If you don't encrypt/delete those logs, do you think that makes the hunt easier for future cachers? If so, do you downrate the cache difficulty accordingly?

Thanks for the ear, er, eye (or the poke in the eye)- AndymanD

IMHO, an easy cache is an easy cache and if it's not hidden too aggressively, most people are going to find it whether the last finders left additional clues or not. On the other hand, if a cache is rated "1" or "2" Difficulty and I can't find it after 10 or 20 minutes, I'll look at the clues more closely. If I give up that day and come back another time and still can't find it, I'd like more clues. If I have to come back a THIRD time, I'd like the hider to tell me where he hid the d@@n thing. Nothing is more frustrating to me than to make 2 or 3 trips to a cache and not be able to find it and log it. Bottom line, if I've given it a reasonable amount of effort and can't find it, I appreciate any clues that will help me. From a hider's perspective (yours) if I've gone through the trouble to make a hide challenging, then I wouldn't want that challenge jeopardized by blatant remarks from the last finders about where exactly to locate it. I think you have the right to encrypt the remarks, or contact the responsible cacher and ask if they'll change their log

In my opinion as a newbie (which shouldn't be counted as much as the veterans), I don't mind the extra hints in finder's logs. Before I go to hunt a cache, I print the cache page along with all the logs. I don't read the hint or the logs before hunting for the cache, but after searching for a while, I'll read the hint from the hider. If still no luck, I'll start reading through the logs to see if I can get some help there.

If I had more free time, I probably wouldn't even take the logs with me on the initial hunt, but it is still nice to know that if I get stumped there might be a little hint in the logs that would help.

In summary, spoilers in the logs are ok, you don't have to read them if you don't want to, however, I do feel the logger should encrypt them.

On occasion, I have had too much info posted to logs (as I'm sure everyone has). Like you, I immediately encrypt the log. I then contact the finder and politely ask that they edit their log to remove the offending part of their log and explain that it gives too much info away. If they do not respond or change the log in a week or two, I have deleted their log.
BTW, this has only happened 3 times before and only 1 log was deleted. The other 2 were apologetic and promptly made changes.
But then again, it's all up to the cache owner how he/she wants to handle it.

Having been one of the offending posters at least once, I was contacted by the cache owner and asked to modify my log to not say what I said. I did change the log, and all was well. Personally, I think you have every right to encrypt the log, as well as to contact the person who logged the cache and ask them to change the log.

On the other hand, in many cases, I like to search for extra hints among the logs. I'll even occasionally try to put clever hints into my logs for the particularly difficult hunts. If I do put them in, however, I make sure to make them as obtuse as possible so as to not spoil the fun.

I know this is an old thread but I found it rather interesting. I know I am still fairly new to this but I have a thought on this. Joey and I were discussing it yesterday as a matter-a-fact. I make a point to NEVER read the logs before I go on the 'hunt'. I read them only after finding or in the case of burning up when I am nearing my wits end and searching for clues. I very well maybe guilty of putting too much info in my own log post.

K

SweedKris
Macon, Georgia
www.members.cox.net/sweedkris
Caching while we wait for baby German (edd 07-01-04)

I recently had to edit a log for a found cache that the owner objected to as overly revealing. The whole thing was very civil, but my log, IMHO, was oblique enough to not be a total give away, but at the same time allowed future seekers to avoid physical pitfalls that were the aim of the hider. Namely, deliberatly & unnecessarily leading the innocent geocacher thru bush, briar & bramble when the cache really is pretty much a drive-up. I quickly edited my log as requested... But this was a case where I had made my second 70mile round trip armed with decoded clues, all the previous finders logs, and first hand hints, in other words, all the usual information I need to find caches.
Agreeing with Andyman that 'dead-give-away' posts are just wrong, but the posted logs are there for the seekers as well as for owner. I rarely leave home without 'em. I'm not afraid to admit that there have been several hunts where I've actually needed to use them!
As geocaching hiding spots become harder to come by, the geocaches hidden naturally become harder to find. Any 'edge' I can get when seeking a geocache, I'll take, especially on the notoriously difficult ones... & I appreciate reading a log that tantalizes, enhances,improves, or encourages my hunt.
I'm a geocacher, not a masochist!! -JB

IMO, spoilers ought to be encrypted. That's why the encryption tool is available. (JB, I don't know which cache you're referencing, but if the cache is rated accurately, maybe the hider intentionally wanted folks to take the tough way there? OTOH, if it's a 1/1 and you're supposed to body-surf through brambles and briars, then it would appear to be misrated, but that's a whole 'nother Oprah.)

Should a finder want to log that he/she hunted and hunted until they spotted the cache next to the whatever, why not encrypt the 'whatever' part of their log?

Or better yet, do they really need to tell all future cachers that they spotted the cache next to the 'whatever'? Just tell us that you spotted the cache and we'll all be oh, so proud!

Cache hiders can provide encrypted hints-by-stage (ref: most of the caches I've hidden) to lessen the likelihood that cachers will end up on a wild goose chase and have to read every log and cross their fingers that someone intentionally or unintentionally left behind a spoiler in the logs, encrypted or not.

To sum up, I'd rather spoilers be encrypted so I can choose to use them or not. Unencrypted spoilers in the logs don't really give me that choice, unless I put a piece of duct tape on the lower part of my monitor and PDA screen.

-AndymanD