[Az-Geocaching] Madonna(s) of the Trail - the cache owner replies

[Team Cache-Quest]

Brett:

Thanks for your efforts on this cache.  I was unaware of these monuments. It
looks interesting and I'm looking forward to visiting.

Jerry
Cache-Quest


----- Original Message -----
From: "Brett Duvall" <brettd@kc.rr.com>
To: <listserv@azgeocaching.com>
Sent: Saturday, July 13, 2002 2:04 AM
Subject: [Az-Geocaching] Madonna(s) of the Trail - the cache owner replies


> First, let me apologize if I am posting incorrectly to your discussion
> group.  I was able to subscribe OK, but have seen nothing to let me post a
> reply to the existing thread.  I will also apologize that this email is
> getting lengthy.  I will keep it as short as possible.
>
> Yes, I am the dirty dog many of you seem to have decided to hate in one
day.
> I will try to explain, then you can go ahead and shoot me.  My goal was to
> point out a series of monuments that many might otherwise miss.  I will
try
> to group your criticisms and answer them the best I can.
>
> criticism #1) The only thing you get out of the virtual cache is a
> certificate.
> >> No, the certificate may be nice to some, but it means very little.  It
is
> only there to give a geocacher a warm fuzzy.  What I intended for the
> geocacher to get from these monuments was some knowledge that a group of
> people in our history used their optimism, faith, stamina and
determination
> to take a 1-way trip into the unknown and make that place their new home.
> Their sacrifice was so great that others decided to spend their money and
> time to memorialize it.  If all a cacher sees in a virtual cache is +1 to
> their cache-found count, then I feel truly sorry for them - they have
missed
> the boat.
>
> criticism #2) Anyone can easily cheat to get credit
> >> Yes, currently they can be easily cheated - I am sorry.  Initially,
there
> was only one cache and the picture had the N.S.D.A.R. wiped off.  I put
the
> "un-modified" picture there because I was offending members of the DAR,
who
> paid for all these statues in the 1920's.
> >> I WILL make these caches acceptable in their individual communities,
> including yours.  I have already made a modification that requests cachers
> to email me with information to verify their find in Arizona.  I have
> extended this to California, and when my information is complete, will do
> this to the rest of the caches as well.  If you have any other
suggestions,
> I will give them every consideration.
> >>I don't wish to upset any of you, and will do what I can to make the
> caches fit into your community.  I personally do not feel that a
cache-found
> count tells us anything about a geocacher, however.  Someone in an urban
> area can spend a couple hours finding 10 caches in the park nextdoor,
while
> someone in a rural area might have to drive a couple hours just to look
for
> one.   I am sure that there are thousands of caches I could cheat if I
want
> to, but I would only be cheating myself.  I view geocaching as an outdoor
> activity and not a competitive sport.  I do respect your wishes, however.
I
> will fix all the caches so that the cacher can post a picture or email me.
> I will police all the sites, to the best of my ability and remove logs as
> necessity demands.  I will also change the background picture to remove
the
> Madonna from Lexington.  Maybe I will change it to something I wish for
all
> of you to see real soon.
>
> criticism #3) I haven't visited the sites myself and have given credit to
> others for finding the statues for me... without thier GPSr's.
> >> Now, this one pisses me off, because you are attacking someone in your
> own community for helping me create a cache site for YOU.  I took a
landmark
> that meant something to me (in Missouri) and made a cache site out of it.
> When I found out that there were several of them, I was thrilled and
thought
> everyone should have the chance to understand them (those who want to
know,
> that is).  I wanted to set up these caches, which span 12 states and
several
> thousand miles, for everyone's benefit - not just mine.  I don't want and
> won't get any Wizzo button for creating these sites.  I just want to feel
> that I did something good.  I don't have the time or money to travel the
> country, so I decided to contact other cachers.  I asked each of them to
> take the information I got online and locate the statues for me.  My
> response has been fantastic, and I have met several very nice people.  I
> wanted to give them credit for finding the cache site, so I wrote it into
> the description.  You can gripe at me for not driving 10,000+ miles to
find
> all the coordinates myself and I will simply smile and apologize, but
don't
> attack those who happily gave their time to help me.  And don't say they
> didn't find the cache, because each of them has found the cache site, and
> used their GPSr.  (In New Mexico's case, the search required them to find
a
> park that no longer exists, and a statue that was moved from the original
> location with very little information).
>
> Maybe I got a little verbose here, but let me summarize by reiterating:  I
> will make this cache acceptable to your community.  I will make the effort
> to address your concerns, just as I will do with the other communities.
> Your criticisms are very helpful, even when they are barbed.  I
appreciate,
> especially, those who contacted me so I could deal with your concerns. I
do
> value my own integrity and care how my geocaching efforts are perceived.
>
> I wish you all the best,
> Brett Duvall
> (brettd on geocaching.com)
> (talons@kc.rr.com)
>
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