MnGCA

King Boreas · Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2005 1:22 pm Post subject: "Virtual" travel bugs

There have been a ton of these recently and Grey Wolf and Wild Rice and I have been dropping them all around. Now a couple of my logs have been deleted. When I asked why, I got this:

> --This message was sent through http://www.geocaching.com --

Marsha and Silent Bob · Past MnGCA President Joined: 02 Sep 2003 Posts: 6261

I'm not quite sure I understand. I assume that this TB owner made this a virtual TB and is now not going to allow that?
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Sad state of affairs.

King Boreas · Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2005 1:34 pm Post subject:

King Boreas · Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2005 1:34 pm Post subject:

Marsha and Silent Bob · Past MnGCA President Joined: 02 Sep 2003 Posts: 6261

http://www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?id=181539

It would appear that ALL the log entries on that one have been deleted.
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Sad state of affairs.

pto · Geocacher Joined: 18 Mar 2004 Posts: 136

http://forums.groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=115900

Big uproar over this on the big site- Jeremy's "wifes" bug was involved-

KC0GRN · Past MnGCA Board Joined: 22 Feb 2004 Posts: 1424

I read on the nationals that this lock might also include caches in the future (archived ones I'm guessing would be an obvious one to lock).

just more fun looming on the horizon I suppose. No bother to me though, I'm just out to have fun.

Grey Wolf and Wild Rice · Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2005 11:03 am Post subject:

Two of the TB's KB is referring to were edited back to a non-virtual TB's. All three had specific virtual missions that they did...go to an island and visit a place where Tennis is played. The Tennis one now has the TB serial # and virtual mission removed.

At least we didn't "grab" them from someone!

Marsha and Silent Bob · Past MnGCA President Joined: 02 Sep 2003 Posts: 6261

What did they do? Switch the TB #?
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Sad state of affairs.

Grey Wolf and Wild Rice · Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2005 11:25 am Post subject:

TB name is the same. The owner just edited the cache page and took the tracking number off. I didn't record the TB number associated with the ones in question, so I cannot test it out.

Grey Wolf and Wild Rice · Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2005 11:41 am Post subject:

Jeremy has locked that forum, but my opinion of why TB's and Coins go virual goes like this:

Coins and TB's get lost when a newer cacher (and sometimes seasoned ones) pick them up without logging them GC.com. This occurs for two main reasons.

#1-The serial # on some coins is too small and finders never realized it is a trackable coin. This happened to me when I was with a seasoned cacher (1600 + finds) and we each each retrieved a coin out of a cache. I noticed he never logged his out a couple of days later. There needs to be larger numbers on these GeoCoins.

#2-Regular TB's get lost for many reasons. But I have always thought that the biggest reason is that The text is way too small on the TB goal sheet and too far down on the goal sheet to be noticed. GC.com needs to put the TB's goals higher on the page and in a larger font.

I started a topic in GC forums about making an improvement on the TB goal sheets, but it went nowhere.

Sorry if I got somewhat off topic, but I feel that there are reasons that TB's are lost out there and thus become virtual TB's.

King Boreas · Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2005 12:51 pm Post subject:

FWIW:

When you buy a TB tag, you pay for use of the website, and two dogtags.

I have 90+ travel bugs, and not a single one is permanently "in the possession of the owner" or stuck "virtually" in a cache or in a graveyard. I paid for the use of the website, and daddam it, I'm gonna use it!

If your travel bug is the trophy you won your senior year in football, or the medal you got in track, it'll be near impossible to replace. If it's a Burger King Superman, you should be able to replace it.

I have had good luck with travel bugs that no longer have dogtags. Use a sharpie to write the 6 digit number on the item. Print a bugsheet, and put the number on it. Place it in a ziplock, and put the number on the bag.

15Tango has an excellent cache in Roseville, for resuscitated, rejuvenated, re-incarnated travel bugs. Just because your travel bug, or coin, disappeared, does not mean you can't release a copy.

If you would like assistance, let me know. HEH

Don't let Jeremy win!

eagleyes · Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2005 7:36 pm Post subject:

I have no idea whatr a virtual travel bug is- have been wondering- I have a lot of "clones" ou t and do the same as KB- I have a metal tree tag that I attach with the number inscribed on it- and replacement hitch hiker on it. I have replaced several at least 2 times- what IS a virtual TBUG?
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LIFE IS GOOD;CABIN LIFE IS GREAT

King Boreas · Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2005 8:10 pm Post subject:

eagleyes · Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2005 8:25 pm Post subject:

So I just go and write in any 6-digit number and then every day just pick a cache somewhere in the world and drop it and then pick it up and move it somewhere the next day- all electronic?hmmmmm - I wonder what the bird dog will say when I tell him about this?
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LIFE IS GOOD;CABIN LIFE IS GREAT