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Thread: GC Members caching with Non-GC Members and logs...

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  1. #1
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    Default GC Members caching with Non-GC Members and logs...

    Here is my question...

    You are out caching with friends...You are a paying GC member; your friends are new to Geocaching and are not paying members yet. You have a list of caches you'd like to do and 2 of them are member’s only caches. What does the non-paying friends do?

    1. Stay in the cache mobile and not participate in the hunt.
    2. Goes on the hunt and does not sign the logbook.
    3. Goes on the hunt, signs the log knowing they cannot log the find.

    What would you do in this situation?
    I said WHAT!!! You just took me the wrong way......

  2. #2
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    #3 - Find the cache, sign the log, hopefully the member mentions bringing them. If they ever become a member, they can log the find online then.

    At this point, however, the non-members would have to hope that the cache owner was ok with them logging it before they were members, and be willing to acceptt hat he might not let them log it. But, they did find it. It would be fine if it were mine.

    What would happen if a non-member found a members only cache by accident, then became a member so he could log it? I'd say this is similar.
    DNFTT! DNFTT! DNFTT!

    "The funniest thing about this particular signature is that by the time you realize it doesn't say anything it's to late to stop reading it..."

  3. #3
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    it wasn't my halifax cache was it? somehow that became a members only cache and I didn't know it until we ran into the hanson road explorers at one of FFJakes caches, which reminds me I need to change it now before i forget...

    but anyways, I agree with dave, let em go with you on the find, they cant log it on the site (it won't let em) cuz they're not members, but maybe it will encourage them to become members
    Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back in the same box.

  4. #4
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    Team Richards, Team Trout and I were just BS'ing in the office and the topic came up. We were not sure how to handle it... We all leaned towards my # 3.
    I said WHAT!!! You just took me the wrong way......

  5. #5

    Thumbs up

    Quote Originally Posted by brdad View Post
    #3 - Find the cache, sign the log, hopefully the member mentions bringing them. If they ever become a member, they can log the find online then.

    At this point, however, the non-members would have to hope that the cache owner was ok with them logging it before they were members, and be willing to acceptt hat he might not let them log it. But, they did find it. It would be fine if it were mine.

    What would happen if a non-member found a members only cache by accident, then became a member so he could log it? I'd say this is similar.
    As an owner of a member only cache I would definitely be fine with this.
    "When I get back I'm bringing a weedwacker and a stun gun!"


  6. #6
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    Personally members only caches are one of the reasons we became members. Not that we have done any yet but its nice to know we can. Hey, lets all take a non member to a really great members only cache and then everyone will want to pay and support the sight. (My 7 yr old wanted to pick a face to add)

  7. #7

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    brdad : Find the cache, sign the log, hopefully the member mentions bringing them. If they ever become a member, they can log the find online then.

    Just in case no one knew this - Non-paying members can add logs to member-only caches. You just need to get to the correct URL to add a log - The main page will block you, but if you skip that, it doesn't care.

    Now, getting the cache ID (not the waypoint name, the "log.aspx?ID=...") takes a bit of effort, but you can derive it easily enough from a nearby waypoint name's ID.

    You can also get the coordinate by a weakness in the Google maps interface, but I won't go into detail on that here.
    Ego non quaero te in nomine Patris, sed in nomine Signali.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by ribnag View Post
    brdad : Find the cache, sign the log, hopefully the member mentions bringing them. If they ever become a member, they can log the find online then.

    Just in case no one knew this - Non-paying members can add logs to member-only caches. You just need to get to the correct URL to add a log - The main page will block you, but if you skip that, it doesn't care.

    Now, getting the cache ID (not the waypoint name, the "log.aspx?ID=...") takes a bit of effort, but you can derive it easily enough from a nearby waypoint name's ID.

    You can also get the coordinate by a weakness in the Google maps interface, but I won't go into detail on that here.
    Well that right there is cheating the system, people pay for the premium memberships not just for the benifits, but to support the website, if it wasn't for the members that supported it the site would be nothing (you think it could support itself off of a couple ads on the front page?) That's like stealing from PBS, you're not just cheating the system, but everyone that supports it.
    Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back in the same box.

  9. #9

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    Hiram357 : Well that right there is cheating the system

    First, I would point out that (despite my rant from a few months ago ), I have signed up as a paying member. After joining Dave and Lee for a few paperless caches, Laura left me no choice but to sign up just for the PQs (yeah, blame the li'l woman - Okay, I wanted it and she conveniently justified it for me ).

    Second - I will agree that using the Google Maps exploit cheats the system (although you can't get the clue itself, just a raw coordinate), but logging a cache you did actually find? Sorry, but when ideas like "membership" start conflicting with "physical reality", I see a problem. As a simple example of this problem, I logged "Hunters Beach Hunt" before it went members-only. Should my find count have gone backward when that cache's availability changed, and then magically leapt forward again when I payed?


    people pay for the premium memberships not just for the benifits, but to support the website

    SOME people. Others look at it and pay for the benefits, but wonder how similar sites (*cough*www.letterboxing.org*cough*) manage to do just fine despite depending 100% on voluntary contributions.


    I really didn't mean to start a political debate, just mentioning that a technological solution to the issue exists. And in my experience, outright solutions beat hypotheticals every time.
    Ego non quaero te in nomine Patris, sed in nomine Signali.

  10. #10
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    The loophole ribnag brought up has been known about by groundspeak for years, and deliberatley left open precisely so that non paying finders can log their finds. It's not cheating, there is alot of documentation of this in the groundspeak forums.

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