Something to think about

I'm not sending this out into the forums to get responses...I just want to give some of you folks something to think about.

I'm not a person who can get online with a group of people and chat, it is just too hard for me to keep up with a conversation. And I've posted stuff to threads when I thought my thought/opinion had not yet been expressed. But I've tried not to be too vocal.

Well, this time, I just can't do it anymore.

The posts I've seen to many threads in the last several months and especially in the last few weeks have been overwhelmingly negative.

Always there are people complaining about something, trash in the caches, caches that have been trashed, atv's - dangerous or not, hunters - dangerous or not, the coin, the State of Maine and, of course, the infamous micro's.

(sorry to the teachers/writers out there about all the comma's)

We all need to be gratefull. Gratefull we're alive, gratefull we live in Maine, gratefull for our familes, gratefull we can afford to geocache, gratefull we can afford to eat, gratefull when the sun shines, gratefull the mail comes, gratefull someone thanks us for doing a good job, gratefull for......

We ALL need to work to the betterment of society, but YOU need to take the first step and not wait for someone else to do it. Everyone and everything has something to teach us if we will only listen.

Maybe your lesson is there can be 2 opinions about something and their both right. Maybe your lesson is that you can't make everyone happy, no matter how hard you try. Maybe your lesson is you have to work harder to keep the environment clean. Maybe your lesson is to listen. Maybe your lesson is to trust others.

That's for you to figure out. But all the complaining dosen't get anyone anywhere unless you also take action and make the situation better.


Diana

Well Said! I too have noticed that tempers seem to be flaring lately and that is not a good thing to have in a group that seems to be focused on having a good time and enjoying the sport we all share. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and this is the place to voice that opinion. I think what we are seeing take place is a harmless posting of opinions that may be taken the wrong way and turns into a mess.
I represent 88 firefighters in the city of Bangor and over 800 statewide and deal with emails everyday. Quite often what is typed is not interpreted as is it is meant to be. I recently dealt with a case where an employee was put into the HOT seat for a simple email response that was mis-interpreted. I have seen cases where people have wanted to "quit" an organization they belonged to just because of how they interpreted an email.
I seem to be rambling on and I guess maybe I am, but my message is simple
"Be careful how you read any message, if you take offense to it reread it and see if you see a different message being presented" and don't take it personal until such time you can prove it to be personal.
I may be sticking my nose in where it doesn't belong but of the people that I have met in this sport I have yet to meet one I didn't like. We are all here to have a good time. If someone says something that you may take the wrong way, PM them and see what they really mean.:)

Happy Caching
Ronnie & Emily

OK this is very much off topic, but my mom passed away last night at the age of 91 yrs and 11 mos, and I choose to celebrate her life, she touched everyone she met and as I type this there is a few tears are flowing, but in the end she was lucid and knew that her body was failing her and passed as she wished, in her home with loved ones at her side. any complaints i might have pale in comparison. life life fully and when I get my magellen back from repair I will be posting a few finds, thanks for your indulgence, Lem

was supposed to be live life fully

Quote:

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Originally Posted by FFFarmer

I think what we are seeing take place is a harmless posting of opinions that may be taken the wrong way and turns into a mess.


Quite often what is typed is not interpreted as is it is meant to be.

"Be careful how you read any message, if you take offense to it reread it and see if you see a different message being presented" and don't take it personal until such time you can prove it to be personal.

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(Original message snipped for brevity)

Actually, those of us who have been around for a while have seen the above sentiments expressed more than once! LOL!

The membership of this forum is growing daily and we're getting a lot of newcomers - most with little or no geocaching experience. I suggest that newcomers go back through the threads and read some of the discussions about cache etiquette, etc. I believe that there might have been something there about "express your opinion - everyone has one - but don't criticize the opions of others" (which I admit that I - being one of the more vocal members of this forum - have been guilty of in tha past.)

IMHO...



:D :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mainemuel

OK this is very much off topic, but my mom passed away last night at the age of 91 yrs and 11 mos, and I choose to celebrate her life, she touched everyone she met and as I type this there is a few tears are flowing, but in the end she was lucid and knew that her body was failing her and passed as she wished, in her home with loved ones at her side. any complaints i might have pale in comparison. life life fully and when I get my magellen back from repair I will be posting a few finds, thanks for your indulgence, Lem

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Our condolences for your families loss.

Sadie, Emma, Carmen and Steve

Thank you, ty

for your Mother Lem. My Mom is getting up there in age as well and I cherish her every time I see or speak to her. God Bless

thank you, I might not see every post thanks to all

lem, i am really sorry about your mom. it sounds like she had a full life and that you have a lot of wonderful memories. it's hard losing someone, especially a parent. my thoughts are with you.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by FFFarmer

I recently dealt with a case where an employee was put into the HOT seat for a simple email response that was mis-interpreted.

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Hmmm . . . I wonder who that could be. :)

Not to disagree, but I don't see a whole lot of negativity here (OK, maybe some). In fact, this forum is one of the more pleasant sites I visit as the folks here are very agreeable and don't beat each other up or have to get warnings from the Administator.

Most of the discussions I have seen have in some cases been heated and in a case or two a few folks might have got a bit uncivil, but I think most of them have all stepped back, analyzed their thoughts and the posts and realized that what they did may have been a bit over-the-top.

In fact, some of the more enjoyable threads I've read have been the pros- and cons- of ATVs or hunting vs. anti-hunting. I think it's always a good idea to try to see all sides and views of an issue and contribute to the conversation if you can make an intelligent remark without "beating" up on another.

I will say though that it does seem as though some folks have been a bit on edge lately . . . I've noticed this in other forums as well . . . maybe it's the change of seasons, maybe it's the change in members, maybe it's simply people are stressing out a bit more now that summer is over.

I also have to agree with FFFarmer . . . and not just because he is our fearless Union President . . . folks can misinterpret e-mails and posts in threads because conveying the nuances and true emotions in words is not always an easy thing to do. Folks can misinterpret the written word.

That said . . . how about seeing some more "kinder and gentler" posts. It is always easier to tear down than to build. It is always easier to complain about a problem than to remedy the problem. It is always easier to be negative than positive . . .. but that is the way of the Dark Side Luke . . . I mean Gentle Geocachers. Remember: Life is shorter than you think. Live it well. Live it fully. Trust me. The life you're accustomed to living can change in an instant.

I am a fairly new member and what I noticed about the postings during my first month (August) was that everyone was willing to help each other out and I loved the playful bantering. I was convinced that I had a whole lot of friends out there who I never had the privilege to meet in person. For this I am grateful. Barbara

Having spent the last ten years Sysoping 80+ technical support newsgroups - I guarantee you this place is the model of civility and friendship!!! This is nothing compared to watching and moderating a group of architects, engineers and geeks from all over the world fight about anything. I've learned all I know about geocaching from this site and have enjoyed the spirited discussions on a wide array of topics. How boring if everyone agreed all the time. I think why this site doesn't degenerate into the type of sites we often see is that we know we will/could meet face to face. :rolleyes:

Anne

:) "AMEN" Wudeater and Wife

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Wudeater and Wife

Always there are people complaining about something, trash in the caches, caches that have been trashed, atv's - dangerous or not, hunters - dangerous or not, the coin, the State of Maine and, of course, the infamous micro's.

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I too have noticed a bit of hostility here lately. Perhaps if the Rule of the Three C's were used, some of the posts would be more productive. How does it work you ask?

Don't Condemn, Criticize or Complain.

That's it!
Instead offer a positive suggestion or solution to the problem at hand. :)

I think sometimes we complain most about things that we care deeply about. when our emotions are involved reason comes in second. All I can say is that if we live what we feel to be right and try to accept others, we can deal with things in a way so as to set an example for our children. Isn't that whats realy important. Just because someone else is doing things that is wrong we dont want to lower ourselves to thier level.
On a day to day level its hard but thats what i strive to do, and you know my 14 yr old son seems to thinking about things a little before he acts. THERE IS HOPE FOR US. good luck all and some days life gets to me but thats life , tomorrow is a new day and we will prevail. -- lem

I should add that I feel my life is better for being involved in this site in even the smallest part thanks to all for being there for support

When I first started visiting this site I was looking for some insight to the types of caches placed in Maine. I was researching, trying to find the "right" caches to hunt on my limited time to Geocache while on vacation. I read many of the old threads, chatted a bit and e mailed some with specific questions. If I had found a site of constant positive agreement, my impression would have been that this site was formed by a clique of cachers to pat each other on the back and I would have abandon the thought of getting any help here. Instead I found a diverse group of cachers willing to challenge each other in a friendly manner. Your comments, differences of opinion and general sharing of information helped me greatly. I had NO disappointments! (Well, except that I didn't have more time for geocaching) Thanks for this site and for sharing your opinions- positive and negative.

I've read all the posts in this thread as they were added, and I can't even remember who got mad at who and why....I think the fact that I can't remember is a GOOD thing. It tells me that whoever it was or whatever it was couldn't have been THAT bad!! (Either that or I'm just getting OLD)
:confused: :) :)

Renegade Knight Posted on Geocaching.com forum The Hunt/The Unusual: Oct 24 2003, 01:06 AM

"There is a cache, that had a good view, just like the other 15 caches in the general vicinity. The spot sucked and is plunder bait. There was nothing special about the container, other than it didn’t quite seal right. The hike was through cheat grass which gets in your socks and shoelaces and is a real pain in the butt to get out. This cache stands out and I will remember it as a cut above most of the 500 or so I’ve found. Yes there are lame caches out there. But far and away what you get out of a cache experience is what you bring to it. Everything negative I said above is true from an anal retentive analytical standpoint, and yet this is what I saw as I went after this cache.

The cache itself was placed by a pre-school age child on an outing with this father. The son wanted to place a cache. He chose the toys that went into the cache himself. Each one exactly what he wanted to share with the world. When they went out to place it he hiked through the cheat grass which would be twice the nuisance for him as for me and which became part of his gift in that cache. While hiking and being guided by his muse he looked for the perfect spot. Soon he finally found exactly what he was looking for. Not just any spot, but his spot, the one that called to him. I can picture the certainty with which he knew this, and I can feel the power that he felt in knowing this decision was his and his alone. A moment of triumph in a world we know will soon enough crash reality down about his young shoulders. But that future world holds no power over him now. This is his moment. Every rock used to hide the cache was chosen specially for the job and had a place that fit perfectly in his mind. When he walked away it was a job well done.

And so it was."

i'm glad that you posted that, tat. we never can know what anyone is thinking when they place a cache. i think we all have our reasons for the spots we choose. mine are places that are dear to me because of the history of them (walks and picnics with my granddaughters, the twinkies; the many afternoons i took my sons swimming at oak point - and the afternoon i had to go back and wade out to find michael's wallet because his driver's permit was in it; places i've been to for years; places i always wanted to go but never could seem to get there; and places shown to me by dear friends). i know that some of my choices have been questioned and that is okay. i cannot and do not expect others to know what was in my heart at the moment i placed the caches. conversely, i have no idea what was going on with others when i visit their caches. i try to always leave each cache i visit with a positive thought, or rather, 2 positive thoughts. one, that i found the cache (or even that i didn't but i tried). two, that i made the effort, reached the goal and that i did something good for myself. i also want to thank pooh and friends for the "rule of the three Cs." i know that it is so much easier to condemn, criticize and complain than to find the positive, to compliment, to praise. i have that rule on my computers at work and at home. i have always tried to live by it but it is nice to have the reminder.