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For anyone that doesn't get weekly Groundspeak notifications (is there anyone that doesn't?), here is their note reguarding this subject:
Important Geocache Placement Reminder
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This week, a marketing campaign for a television show was mistaken for a terrorist threat and the city of Boston, USA was temporarily shut down. For geocachers worldwide, this raises the issue of proper cache placement.
Please make sure to avoid placing a geocache in any location where it might be confused with something dangerous.
Important things to consider when placing or maintaining your geocache:
1. Make sure that your geocache can easily be identified as a geocache.
2. Use a clear container, if possible, so that the contents are easily identified.
3. Identify your container as a geocache by marking the outside of the container or attaching an Official Geocache sticker.
4. Make sure that you have permission from the landowner to place your cache on their property.
Please take the time to ensure that your cache is appropriately placed and contributes to the positive experience of others.
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..."
I have been approached by police officers on several occasions asking about my suspicious behavior while I was out geocaching. They asked to see identification, not 'did I have permission' from the owner. Somehow I don't think the question of permission factored into the Portsmouth incidents or the recent Boston Terror fiasco, which btw: resulted in one felony charge of placing a hoax device and one charge of disorderly conduct.
If you look closely at what is happening here, there is a paradigm shift from "intent" to "result" that I find very disturbing. While I do believe geocachers are responsible for being aware and taking precautions against serious misunderstandings by the public, the burden of proof for criminal activity used to be based upon proof beyond a reasonable doubt of intent to harm. The worst thing that could happen to someone who failed to see how a reasonable person might react was a charge of negligence. But Now! how irrational people over-react to something that looks out of place is a criminal act?
I don't know about y'all'all, but I take exception to being held responsible for something over which I have no control. What next, should the reviewer charged as an accomplice? What about all the people who visited the cache and didn't report it to the police, are they guilty of "placing" the "device" as well or are they simply accessory after the fact? It is unlikely anyone will be able to come up with a set of rules that will prevent all possible misunderstandings.
The Adventure
Continues . . . .
- Zoltarus
I'm not sure how many people are watching the cache activity in the Southern NH area. Since they are in my catchman area for notifications from GC.com, I have noticed some significant activity - quite a few caches are being archived and/or reviewed by the owner to revisit whether it meets the placement criteria.
~ Beach Comber ~
Yes, it looks like quite a few are gone. I hope this make Geocaching stronger in the long run.