Latest Blogs

Hosted my first Event Cache

railroader921 — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 22:38:40 +0000

I finally have a little time to blog about my first event cache. It was held in Ogden on February 29th 2012.

After finally reaching 1000 finds I wanted to throw a party of my own. I had been to a few great events and I wanted to put my own twist on things. I decided to do a Poker Run but geocaching style. I put out four caches around town: A Traditional, A letterbox, A Multicache and an Unknown Night Cache. Inside each cache I placed poker cards. So, when the cachers found the cache they could take a card, and then I'd give them a card at the event. If you found them all and attended the event you had five cards for your hand and then you played poker for some prizes. By the time of the event I had about 30 finds on each of my caches. So that went really successfully i thought.The night cache had some muggle issues but the other three were very well received.

The event itself went very smoothly. I am glad that i decided early on to change the venue to a large Banquet Room at the Mount Ogden Grill. I originally thought maybe ten or fifteen people would show up. But it turned out to be around 65! The owners of the restaurants are acquaintances of mine, and they were overjoyed to have the house packed on what would have been an otherwise slow Wednesday. I was also very lucky to have Amy from Oakcoins in Kaysville bring some 366 event coins to sell. I had my own event coin for my first event! How cool is that!? After about an hour and half of eating sumptuous Greek food I started handing out prizes to those who had the best hands. I let everyone trade cards with each other so there were a lot of five of a kinds, even five Aces! I had collected a few small trinkets and Oakcoin Amy contributed two gift certificates. The worst hand won a Rubber Chicken! Then, my friend Blairt presented me with a geocoin from his collection. A Pennsylvania 2009 Train Coin! It was super cool. I won too!

The best part about event caches is meeting new people and seeing the people that have been hiding the caches that you have searched for and have been finding the ones that you put out. You instantly have so much in common with each other and have so much to talk about! I could have chatted all night long with everyone! The BEST part about geocaching is the family of friends that you gain when you get into it. Oh, and going out into the woods to find hidden treasure is fun too. LOL

I.S.A.G. - - I SUCK AT GEOCACHING

railroader921 — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 15:37:08 +0000

After listening to an episode of the Podcacher podcast I learned about a facebook group called ISAG, or I SUCK AT GEOCACHING! This heretofore secret (and silly) society started in Florida and is slowly gaining popularity. They have their own facebook group now, and if you are on Facebook I highly recommend that you check this group out. They believe that logging a DNF is just as important as a find, and are very proud of their own geocaching incompetence. After reading some of their DNF logs I really like the ideas they have and wanted to share them with you all. Of course it is all done in the name of fun and they don't take themselves too seriously.

I have pasted some info from their group here:

The History of ISAG

By Ben Goldfarb in I Suck at Geocaching (ISAG) · Edit Doc

It all has to start somewhere, and I have to admit that ISAG had its roots in my lousy caching performance several years ago. In just about every log I posted, I would cop out for taking an hour to find a 1/1 (or not find it) or such similar caching atrocities by inscribing, "...because I suck at Geocaching." As the number of bombastic log entries increased in both the found and DNF columns, I began to think of institutionalizing my incompetence.

I tried it out on my caching partners, basically formulating what would eventually become The Rules on the fly. After 15 minutes of fruitless searching, I would declare a DNF per ISAG Rule #1, which was not yet actually codified. I would let others find caches for me under the guise of my having found them before and not wanting to spoil the fun for those who hadn't. I would feign illness or soreness on long hikes so others would pick up my slack. I confess -- not only did I actually suck, but I worked hard to exacerbate my suckage.

Meanwhile, I observed the habits of other cachers, particularly the ones who took themselves too seriously. I felt that a dose of sardonic humor would make things more fun. ISAG started taking shape in my mind as a loosely bound organization, and with the help of the lovely Jennifla, who will always be my ISAG Princess, I concocted the set of rules ISAGers must live by, posting them in my Geocaching.com profile.

From that point, it was a matter of spreading the word. I found out that most cachers are light hearted people who love to make fun of themselves (and, of course, other cachers). Even the most accomplished cachers admit that from time to time they do suck at Geocaching. However, there are a few who exist in total denial of their suckage, and for them I created the Seven Deadly Sins. Commission of any one of those sins would result in automatic induction into ISAG. Oh, how I loved poking fun at the obdurate sinners!

Then, someone suggested that I create a Facebook group so that ISAGers across the face of the earth could convene and share the laughs. I started out with a small collection of cachers I knew, about 30 or so, who had Facebook presence. We were instantly an international -- well, I won't go as far as to say sensation, but we were international anyway, as my friends Glynn from New Zealand and Barb from British Columbia joined. We even had a large contingent from Pennsylvania, thanks to Jon, Paul, Charlie, and Ringo.

Things happened slowly at first, as our members didn't really know why they were there. I fear that it looked like the Ben and Jenny show at first, as we were doing most of the posting. One day I would post a picture of a burned up ammo can; the next day Jenny would post a picture of a huge bruise on her butt incurred while caching. A day later, I would post a rear view picture of a famous local cacher relieving his bladder on the trail. Things went slowly for quite a while.

To succeed, a critical mass would have to develop, one that would create a self-sustaining reaction that would not rely on my lame posts to draw new people. It took quite a while, but now we have that critical mass. It is you folks who have finally made this a lively and fun place to share stories and laughs. I can sit back and congratulate myself on germinating the idea. There is little need for me to kick the can down the road when it does such a good job of locomoting itself!

As of today we have 72 members, with a burgeoning new collection of them in the State of Texas. I don't see why we can't double that number in the next few months. It's summer, which for many of us is our most active time in the woods and lamp posts. Please spread the word and let's see how much fun we can have here!

Happy ISAGging!

Ben Goldfarb (aka CondoMax, and sometimes CondomAx)

Founder, ISAG

(They actually have 150+ members now)

I have pasted "The Rules" of ISAG from their group here.

The Rules!

By Ben Goldfarb in I Suck at Geocaching (ISAG) ·

If you don't find it in 15 minutes, you ain't going to find it today. Break off the search immediately. Someone else will find it, possibly leaving a sloppy log that gives the location away. Between that and geo-trails developing over time, you might be able to find it after two or three more tries.
Trick your caching partner into believing that you've already found the presently searched for cache and tell him or her that you don't want to spoil their fun by giving them any clues. Once they do the work, then you may sign the log with a large grin, while your partner exclaims our motto, "You suck!"
Never, under any circumstances, ask anyone for a hint. Doing so demonstrates weakness and lack of principle. You demonstrate enough of that by tricking people into finding caches for you.
Always log your DNFs. The vast collection of DNFs you'll amass will convince everyone that you truly do suck at Geocaching. You may even wish to log DNFs for caches for which you haven't even searched because you thought they would be too hard. After all, it's a Did Not Find, not a Did Not Search. However, it's bad form to log DNFs for distant caches you could not have reached while you're thinking you couldn't find them, so just log DNFs for caches you're too lazy to get off your ass and try to find locally. Of course, if you actually do search for them, more often than not the result will be a DNF, anyhow.
It is OK to admit that you've been to a cache site before and not found the cache. This is not the same as asking for a hint; however, helpful and considerate Geocachers who are proud of their own sleuthing abilities will always be glad to drop one.
On long hikes, pretend that you're stiffening up or cramping. That way, your cache-mates will feel sorry for you and, in turn, they will do all the heavy lifting and reaching.
Never bring a pen to sign those pesky nano and micro logs. Complain in your on-line logs that you're getting old and forgetful. You'll be subjected to scorn, but so what?
If another cacher calls for a hint about a cache you own or have found, be cordial and helpful. Ask about his or her spouse and how the Jeep is running. Toward the end of the conversation, make a quip about a cache you think might be hard to find that you know the other cacher has found and on which you've just invoked ISAG Rule #1. The cacher will proudly describe his or her search and what they found. You can then go back and find it on your own. This is not the same as calling for a hint (see ISAG Rule #3) if the other cacher initiated the call and the subject of Geocaching originated at the other end.
Regarding FTFs, should you be so lucky through some odd quirk of fate as to be the first to find a cache that has been sitting there for a while because no one else is interested in it, please restrain the "Woo Hoo" crap. No dances, either. Act like you've been there before. You have! You happened to spot the owner hiding it the other day. That's the only way you could have found the damn thing.
Write long, bombastic log entries and cache descriptions. That way, instead of dazzling them with your brilliance, you'll baffle them with your bullshit.
Finding and logging your own caches or caches you helped hide is permissible only in the following two circumstances: a) You were running late for an appointment with your shrink, so you told a buddy where to hide the cache and then departed, and b) You are a reviewer and you accompany someone hiding a cache but when he or she hides it, you close your eyes, cover them with your hand, and say "No peekies!" Then, it is permissible to come back at a later time and log a find. (Assuming you can find the damn thing. Rule #1 applies here.) (Rev. 6/1/11)
Wait at least six months to do your on-line logs. You're busy, lazy, whatever! Cache owners don't really need to know that you've been there. Your counts are not important. Who cares? On the other hand, log all DNFs proudly and promptly, because your true talents are in this area. Do not let fellow ISAGers down! We want the blind to lead the blind here. (Rev. 6/1/11)
You may log a physical cache that you have not found and have not signed the cache log if ALL of the following are true: 1) you're pretty damn sure you found where the cache was at some point, 2) you call the owner (the later at night, the better) to ask if that sounds right, 3) you politely ask the owner if you may log it because you must be in close proximity to its former location, 4) you grow more insistent when the owner balks, and 5) the owner agrees just to get you off the phone and go back to bed. If officially logged on Geocaching.com, this type of find will hereafter be referred to as a "Rationale Find." (Rev. 6/27/11)

Normally, individual membership is voluntary, based upon the realization of one's personal Geocaching limitations and one's firm commitment to uphold the basic tenets of ISAG conduct delineated above. However, membership shall be automatic and mandatory should the cacher commit one or more of the following egregiously heinous caching offenses, which collectively are known as The Seven Deadly Sins:

Nanotony. Conceiving or causing to exist more than one single, routine, undistinguished in-forest nanocache at any given point in time, as it were.
Pollutiony. Placing one's personal calling card, particularly if it incorporates a mug shot of one's ugly face or a pictorial representation of one's nuclear or extended family, in caches belonging to others so they can rot, get moldy, and attract flies, without obtaining a prior cache pollution permit from the GeoQueen (now retired from Geocaching, so good luck!).
Microloggery. Personally signing or causing to be signed any in-cache field log with a rubber stamped entry lacking creativity and appropriate bombast, unless the demised cache is a letterbox, but even then I'm just sayin'.
Lassitude. Similarly, employing cut-and-paste to replicate a terse, trite on-line log entry amongst all of or a significant proportion of one's finds on a given day, week, month, or century (e.g., "Found while camping at Wekiwa Springs State Park.").
Walmartitude. Casing a strip mall parking lot trying to decide just which light pole base would be the perfect spot for one's new, lame-ass micro. This is ALWAYS an offense.
Travel Buggery. Not bothering to check the goals of a travel bug or GeoCoin before summarily extricating it from a cache and taking it 1,000 miles in the opposite direction of its desired relocation.
Audacity. Formally known as Felonious DOMPing, calling a cache owner for hints when a cache has not yet been found and the offender sucks so badly at Geocaching that he can't find it. This is known as an Assisted FTF, which is functionally equivalent to calling for help when you cannot figure out how to get your wife pregnant and then remaining on the phone while trying out the suggested technique.

Finding Your DNF Count

By Paul Jensen and Ben Goldfarb in I Suck at Geocaching (ISAG) · Edit Doc

One of the great points of pride for all ISAG members is the DNF count. While other, less well rounded Geocachers habitually sweep their DNF count under the rug, ISAGers wear it on their sleeves. However, finding the DNF count easily is not always intuitive. ISAG wants to rectify that by proving a step-by-step procedure so that you, too, can brag about your DNF count at the drop of a hat.

First we'll review the step-by-step procedure, after which we'll give you an easy way to accomplish the same result with one click.

Navigate to http://www.geocaching.com and log into your account
Click on "Your Profile" on the top menu
When the "Your Profile" page comes up, click "Geocaches" on the sub-menu.
A new page will come up. It is titled "Your Geocaching Details". Underneath "Your Geocaching Details" is a list of links following "Show". Click on "Didn't Find It."
The result page will be displayed on a page titled "Your Geocaching Logs (Filtered by Log Type)". This is your list of DNF logs. Later, you might want to bring back fond, old memories by clicking on several entries, but for now, you are interested only in the count of DNFs.
Immediately underneath the page title "Your Geocaching Logs (Filtered by Log Type)" is a number followed by the word "Results". In this author's case, it says "179 Results". This is your DNF count. Wear it with pride!

Thanks to our intrepid reviewer, Crow T. Robot, for suggesting an even easier way to do this. Here's his one-click solution: http://www.geocaching.com/my/logs.aspx?s=1<=3. Click on the link and you will receive the results page described in #6 above.

Happy DNFing!

RANT* Needs maintenance/ Needs archived *RANT!

railroader921 — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 15:34:49 +0000

Let's face it. You old heads went a put a bunch of caches up in the hills and now you got fat and broken and you can't get back up there to repair or replace them! Or you have thousands of hides out there and you can't be bothered. Or you swear you are going back up there but nobody else put a cache for YOU to find up there so you are still waiting for that beautiful fall day to make the hike. WHATEVER!!

I can't believe how many NM/NA logs I have put on caches. Its ridiculous. To me there is absolutely nothing more frustrating than spending twenty or thirty minutes looking for a cache and finally deciding to look at the clue and the logs to find that it has 4 prior DNFs with no response from the owner but his profile shows that he logged on yesterday and found 6 caches last weekend. I also know that there are some really awesome cachers out there that carry small containers with them at all times to replace, even if only temporarily, the logs of missing caches. But then there is a chance of ending up with multiple containers at the GZ.

My point is this: TAKE CARE OF YOUR $%&^*&!! You don't have to disable and check on a cache just cause it gets a DNF but it does not hurt to either write a note on the cache page or contact the cacher who DNFed to see what is up. If you need help with maintenance on a cache than ask for it. Sometimes I try to write an email to a CO before if I am going to hunt for a cache that has not been found in a while, but generally I dont. My PQs filter out the disabled caches (I dont get the luxury of uploading logs on to my GPS) so I assume that a cache will be there when I go look for it. YOU DO YOUR PART AND I WILL DO MINE.

Ok so I am not really that mad about this, and I hope that if youre reading this that my sarcasticly angry tone came through. I love this game and one of my favorite things about it is reading about my friends disappointment and frustration and seeing them jumping up and down cursing at a DNF is truly entertaining. But just like Battleship, a game is not worth playing if the pieces are missing. So if you have a cache that needs attention get it done or let people know so they can help, ok? Nuff Said.

Update: railroader921 blogs on UTAG

railroader921 — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 22:28:53 +0000

Hey All! You probably have seen my posts on facebook. I am kind of a socila media- phile. I get really excited about stuff and getting to post it online seems to be where i can just explode all my excitement. Add to that the fact that my schedule is such that I am often all by myself at home and at odd hours of the day or night, so sites like facebook really give me something to do. One of these things I am addicted to, obviuosly, is geocaching. I started only last February and it has totally consumed me. I love it love it love it. My wife, Tiffany, and 15 year old son, Jaxon, are only what I call "geo-tolerent". They think that Dad has pretty much gone crazy but I am pretty sdure they still think I am harmless. At least for now..... What does your family think of your geocaching predisposition?

Bad eyesight?

UTAG Webmaster — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 03:58:45 +0000

I was asked if I could increase the font size in areas for those old people that can't see very well in their old age. (I can say that because I am getting up there and I am blind in one eye). I know your pain.

I didn't want to go through and have one person like it and have another person think that the default way was better. So, I think we have a solution for everybody.

So here goes. I'm not a technical writer, so I hope you are able to follow my instructions...missing steps and all.

Click your profile picture. That should take you to your wall.

In the upper right corner, there are two buttons. One is edit profile, the other is design profile. Click on design profile.

You now have a profile designer administration section in the upper section of your screen.

Click on the 'advanced' link. And then click on on any of the links and play with the font sizes. It will try and highlight sections in the page to let you know what you are editing. You can always reset things if you start making things look like crap.

Thanks for playing.

-Marcellus

Guests?

marcupio — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 04:21:42 +0000

Taking the night off. No new updates.

Question though, should guests be able to view forum posts, blogs, polls and in some cases profiles?

Who is a guest? An individual not logged in or not a member of the UTAG website.

Out with the old. In with the new.

UTAG Webmaster — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 02:49:51 +0000

I just posted an announcement on the old forum for everybody to start using the new website and forum. So far, so good.

We all know that with a new web site and how big this one has already become, that there will be issues. I have posted known issues in the forum with ways to fix some of them. Other issues, I am working on. Now that the weekend is over, I won't have much time until next week. But, for the most part, everything is working the way that it should.

Something to look forward to though. As many of you already know, I was approved to be a 3rd party Geocaching.com LIVE API programmer a couple of weeks ago. In the next few months, I will be building a module for this website to allow geocaching membership functions. Searching caches, maps, logging caches, stats, etc all within the new website. At that time, I will remove the invite only option for registration because I will be able to authenticate against geocaching.com.

Also, I will be testing in the near future the ability to cross post to twitter and Facebook for those junkies that need their fix.

So, exciting things are happening. I believe with everybody's help we can make this a great site to come together and share our experiences adventures about the great sport geocaching in Utah.

Happy geocaching and Cache On!

-Marcupio

How To Change Your Profile Picture

marcupio — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 03:50:07 +0000

Once you figure out where to start, changing your profile picture is pretty easy. Finding where to start wasn't in any of the obvious places either. It wasn't in my profile where I thought it should be.

So, here's the easy part. Click the ugly picture at the top left right next to your name. That will take you to your profile. You'll notice that the picture gets a little larger. Move your mouse over the picture and you will notice a new link that shows up that allows you to change your profile picture. From there it should be pretty easy.

If you don't like the resized image, you can create the thumbnail yourself.

Cache On!

Changing your profile picture

UTAG Webmaster — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 03:39:02 +0000