We have had the experience of logging one "No Find". We posted the "No
Find" on the internet log site and then advised the cache owner by
e-mail of some specific facts regarding our search, so that he/she could
determine whether the cache was actually missing or we had just missed
finding it. The cache owner promptly visited the site and determined
that the cache was missing. He/she responsibly alerted the geocaching
community and disabled the cache until he was able to replace it, which
he did in a very short period of time.
In my view there are two kinds of "No Finds": 1.The cache actually
exists and isn't found 2.The cache has been stolen, lost etc. and no
amount of hunting is going to find it.
In the case of number 2., reporting this kind of "No Find" actually
renders a service to the geocaching community for reasons that I assume
are obvious. Therefore, I would actually classify this type of "No Find"
as a pseudo "No Find" in the sense that there was nothing to find in the
first place. I find that I am a little uncomfortable recording a "No
Find" for a cache that is impossible to find because it doesn't exist.
Once it has been verified that the cache doesn't exist, then it is my
view that the person who reported it should be entitled to delete the
"No Find" from his/her log.
However, I also believe that there is some historical and practical
value attached to maintaining an accurate search log. For that reason,
the log history would record that on a particular date the cache was
found to be missing and subsequently disabled and/or archived or
replaced. This would only occur, if the owner verified that the cache
was actually missing.
I recognize that these are really minor points on the relative scale of
priority issues, but maybe they are worth considering in the interest of
establishing that there is a real distinction between the two types of
"No Finds" cited above. On the other hand, maybe everybody is happy with
the current protocol and feels that, in this case, making this
distinction with a difference would serve no useful purpose.
Either way, we have enjoyed geocaching and thank all those in the
geocaching community who make possible such an enjoyable pastime.
Team Seeking
Pat & Jan Thompson
Team Seeking
Pat Thompson
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