How/When do you log challenges?

Question

Hi folks

Recently we were wondering about on which date we should log a signed challenge online.

Since challenges may be logged even before meeting them we also do it now and then. E.g. if we are about to reach it or if the challenge is very far away from home. We then put a WN online, telling the owner that we signed the logbook but do not meet the challenge.

But what do you think what date is reasonable to log it online after fullfilling it? We recently saw some chachers changing there original WN from signing day into a found it and writing a new WN saying the did so. Others - and that's what we did by now - are simply logging it on that day they fullfill it.

I think both behaviours can be indecated as reasonable, so we decided to asked the community here about your opinion

Happy hunting
Team Just-T

Answer 1

I'm logging challenges where I write in the log first and qualify later on the date when I qualify since that's the first date when I'm qualified to log.

Answer 2

I also do it like that. Sometimes when I am in the area of an unfulfilled challenge I sign the log and write a note stating that this is a provisional signature because I do not yet fulfil the challenge.

Once I fulfil the challenge I then put a "found it" (with the date I fulfil the challenge), but referring back to the provisional note indicating when the physical log took place.

The guidelines for a challenge require that you can claim it as found only if you have signed the logbook AND fulfilled the challenge. Therefore, for me it is obvious, that I only can log it as found once I fulfil the challenge (and on that date). (There is a certain downside to it, however: obviously this distorts slightly the overall distance covered – because it adds the distance to the challenge from the cache with which I fulfilled the challenge –, but this cannot be avoided [unless you never sign the logbook of a challenge provisionally] and overall seems more or less neglibible, as it is only very ocasionally that I sign a challenge provisionally.)

Answer 3

I usually don't log a challenge cache until I am qualified for the challenge. For the few I've signed the log for before qualifying, I left a note the date I signed the paper log, but my "found it" log will be the date I qualified for it.

Answer 4

All the challenge caches we have found so far have been fulfilled before we found them. However, we were in the area of one particular challenge cache when we were caching with a friend who qualified (and we don't qualify yet). So we signed the log and entered a 'Write Note' on the cache page, and we intend to log it only when we qualify, and on that date.

We will use the qualified date as the log date and refer back to our 'Write Note' date in the log. If we use the actually signed date, it will alter our statistics and some of our milestones.

Comments

It would be the other way around. If you write a new log with the old log date, that will change your subsequent milestones.

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Yes, indeed - we realised the error and have changed the text!

Answer 5

I do the same as GCZ team - do a WN when first found (missed that on some earlier occasions as I did not know unfortunately!) and then do the log once I qualify, with the date I reach the qual, making ref to the earlier log. If I am not mistaken this is also pinkunicorn's way of doing it.

Answer 6

As said by most of the other writers: You can write a Note when you reach discover the Cache and you can log the cache when you fullfil the  conditions: So log date is the date when you fullfil the conditions:
Here is teh official textfrom Geocache. com from the help site:

Cachers may sign a challenge cache's physical log at any time. However, the challenge cache may be logged as found online only after the log is signed and the challenge tasks have been met and documented.

Answer 7

We operate the same as yourselves. We write a "WN" on the day we sign the log book and then on the day we qualify we claim the "Found It"

Answer 8

Either date is fine

Answer 9

I have a very simple approach - if I don't meet the requirements for a challenge cache, I don't go out and don't sign that cache's logbook. In case I would be in a team of cachers that go out on a caching day and happen to look for a challenge cache where I personally don't qualify, the same, I would just not put my name in that logbook and come back once I qualify for it.

There are plenty other caches to log meanwhile and in this way I am not bothered by these existential questions about when and how to log what and how it would affect my statistics, making them more or less "true".

P.S. I know I'm not exactly answering the question because to me, both of the presented answers how to log these caches seem wrong in some way.

Example 1. You made a note 2 years ago and now, after filling the requirements, you are turning that WN on that old date on the into a find - that would mess up your find counter on all caches logged in that 2 year period and shift your milestones.

Example 2. You made a note 2 years ago and now, after filling the requirements, you are logging a new FI log with a current date - but your name is not in the logbook and you have not visited the cache since those two years ago. Maybe the cache is lost and archived, maybe it has changed location. Anyhow, you have not found a current version of the cache but you are logging a current FI log, also seems not quite right to me.

P.P.S. Some may say - "But what about those challenge cache locations that I may have never get a chance to visit again in my life?" - For me that doesn't look like a valid problem as well - there will be lots and lots of other chaches from the 3 million I will never visit in my life. Moreover, there will be lots of DNFd caches I will never have a chance to find later.

Answer 10

If I found challenge cache and I have fullfilled all conditions of challenge, then I of course log FI. If I don't fullfill the conditions I write just note and when is mission completed I change this WN to FI log, so the date remains. Lot of owners allows to log challenges as WN followed with changing type of this log. Only one problem for me is to remember all challenges I logged with WN [:)]

Answer 11

Like many others I always go with the following - if I have qualified at the point of finding then that will be a 'found' on that date

If I don't qualify then a WN to show I have signed the log - I will log a 'found' on the date I qualify
my rationale behind the two dates is that

for the earlier date I did not meet the criteria for qualifying
logging 'found' before you qualify is not allowed and this is essentially what you are doing if you change a WN to a found as on that date you didn't qualify

On the whole I will try and ensure I have qualified before I find  - but there are a few that I spot when I am in a location that I am unlikely to be in again so will sign the log and work towards meeting the criteria after.

Answer 12

Ahh, another strange challenge-cache ruling... :)
I haven't logged any challenge yet where I don't meet the requirements. Keeping it simple :p

Answer 13

to log found it caches challenge must fill as I indicate on my cache page the two conditions to find and sign the physical logbook + meet the conditions of the challenge ... I propose in the trick to make a whrite note when we verdi the verifier, but I authorize to sign the logbook then fill the challenge and logging only once completed ... the date according to the guidelines on logbook is optional so let's keep only the requirement of the two conditions signature and auditor ... in my opinion

traduit par google du francais :

pour loguer found it des caches challenge il faut remplir comme je l'indique sur ma page de cache les deux conditions de trouver et signer le logbook physique + remplir les conditions du challenge ... je propose dans l'astuce de faire une whrite note quand on verdi le vérificateur, mais j'autorise a signer le logbook puis remplir le challenge et ne logguer qu'une fois rempli ... la date selon les guidelines sur logbook est optionnelle donc ne gardons que l'exigence des deux conditions signature et vérificateur ... a mon avis

Answer 14

So many different opinions!

I see no problem to write a note when signing the physical log book,
logging a "found it" with that date when fullfilling the challenge requirements.

I never used it for myself, but already prepared this when my kids
were with me logging a challenge.

At the end I recommend the challenge cache owners should write
within cache description how they accept logging their cache! So
every cacher knows how to handle it.

Best regards

TaCacheI