Rather than getting into a battle over this, I’ll answer once with what I know and leave it at that.

 

There is some backlash to the cost because in the past it was free to attend, and at least in the case of the first HR that I helped organize, very few donations hit the table to even begin to cover the cost of food that was grilled, along with other items and materials used to create the HR environment.  Subsequent years?  I don’t know because I moved to BigSky Country and circumstances haven’t yet worked in my favor to be able to make it down there.  I stated last week that if those who are complaining only knew what it cost to put one of these events on, attitudes might change a bit, but so far they haven’t.

 

The other backlash as I understand it is due to the fact that this is no longer a Geocacher ONLY event.  It was opened up to the masses, presumably for reasons I can understand, but don’t necessarily agree with.  Posting on craigslist and azcentral the event information is counter-productive to sentiments regarding the event, which has always been about cachers.  Rather than keeping it at the caliber it has always been at, perhaps it could have been scaled back instead, or simply not posted to those sites that turned this into a perceived commercial cache.  While opening it up to the masses is a way to bring new cachers into the fold, I don’t agree with the way it was done.

 

But seriously though.  The folks taking (in some cases repeated) shots really need to grow up and perhaps take the time to understand why there is now a cost to attend, whereas in the past there was not.

 

Personally, I think mistakes were made on both sides of this.  First, by turning it ‘commercial’ by publishing information about outside of gc.com, and then those who reverted back to 4^th grade immaturity in their stabs at the turn of events.

 

Unless there are some changes (not sure what or how exactly), I suspect that this year will be the final HR. 

 

 

Brian

Team A.I.

 

 

I received an email from a friend saying they were glad to see that Team Evil Fish helped Tamo get a listing for Halloween RadioActive.

 I then asked what they were referring to and they said ..

 IamHungryFish: Geolizing Event #17 by Team Evil Fish GC16FHA is the listed cache for people to get a 'smiley' for attending Halloween RadioActive.

 I had to inform them that the event by evil fish is over 27 miles away as a crow flies and begins 2 hours after the HRA event.

 Now I am seeing all sorts of logs on the cache within a business called Someburros'  is getting all sorts of notes that seem to be taking an attack at the Halloween RadioActive event. Am I missing some joke by Phoenix cachers down here in the southern parts? Or do people really think the HRA gatherings are that much of a waste of time?

 I am asking because we (my family) are putting in a lot of time again this year to ensure everyone has fun and we are trying to 'out do' what we have done in the past. Is this really something that geocachers are upset about?

 Maybe I am just confused, but logs such as:
'Oh great! A real event. I will be there with WhirledCache.'
and
' Wow, you sure this isn't a typo? You know, it's funny, I didn't see a $20 admission charge here. I don't even need to 'pre-register'. Or would that be 'FREE-register'? Well, I happen to be FREE that day, and since you are considerate enough to make this a FREE event for the Geocaching Community, I'll feel FREE to show up!
Looking forward to a REAL Halloween Event!
Thanks, Evil(FREE)Fish!'

 seem to be pretty direct attacks on Tamo for all the work he and his family put into this.

Is this what geocaching is now about? I keep hearing about how friendly and supportive the geocaching community is but then we see things like this and have to wonder what happened that we are not hearing about. Would any of the Phoenix cachers care to let others know what is happening?

Thank you
-Dirk/ShadowAce