Jump to content

Proposing a FTF "Expanded Service" for $10/year

quadcity007

By quadcity007
in Website

Followers 1

Recommended Posts

quadcity007

+quadcity007

Posted
Posted (edited)

I've been geocaching for just a short time now, however, it is readily apparent to me that there is a significant number of geocachers who thrive on completing a "First To Find" (FTF). Because of this demand, I think there is a market for the web site to offer an "expanded service" which provides the following benefits for an extra $10 a year:

  1. Early notification (2 hours?) of New caches (via email and SMS)
  2. Members would get a graphical symbol next to their name indicating their status

Members who greatly value obtaining a FTF would be drawn to this because of the significant notification advantage. For the rest of the population who could care less about obtaining a FTF, the lag time in notification would not make a difference.

 

Furthermore, if you are on a budget you could target a specific month - say June - to achieve your FTF. In that case, you could go with the monthly option of $3 a month.

 

Now, this is just a proposal. I'm not affiliated with the site by any means. In fact, I don't even know if this idea was proposed in the past. What I am trying to do is discover what the general population feels about this. Why? Because I think the site can use those extra funds to make improvements to the website and increase the general population's knowledge of geocaching.

 

Remember, the ultimate goal is to provide those who subscribe to the expanded service with an advantage of learning first when a cache is made available. It will not provide them with any additional information. They'll just get the same information sooner.

Edited by quadcity007
Link to comment
baloo&bd

+baloo&bd

Posted
Posted

Remember, the ultimate goal is to provide those who subscribe to the expanded service with an advantage of learning first when a cache is made available. It will not provide them with any additional information. They'll just get the same information sooner.

 

Why? With instant-notify, they get what you are requesting now. FTF is not something the Groundspeak rcognizes, just a game within the game some have chosen to pursue.

Link to comment
ReadyOrNot

+ReadyOrNot

Posted
Posted (edited)

So you want me to pay for something I'm already getting as a Premium Member?

 

I'm assuming the OP wants to remove the functionality from the normal premium membership and expand membership to include another tier for an additional fee to receive notifications before everyone else.

 

I wouldn't do it, because FTF's for me are more of a rarity than anything else. If all the stars align, I'll go out and grab one, but it wouldn't be worth spending more money for it.

Edited by ReadyOrNot
Link to comment
ReadyOrNot

+ReadyOrNot

Posted
Posted

I enjoy the competition of being the FTF for a new hide, so I would not support this idea. For me, the thrill is beating everyone else to it! Excluding even more people through special advantages only cheapens the victory.

 

Your advantage is already special. You are only competing with premium members as it stands right now. I agree though, no need to cheapen the victory even more.

Link to comment
TrailGators

+TrailGators

Posted
Posted

It would reduce the amount of competition you have. True FTFers thrive on competition and beating everyone to the cache. :o

As it stands now, its already a two tier system. Without the premium membership, you've got a snowballs chance of getting a FTF.
When I said "everyone," I meant everyone that supports the site! ;)
Link to comment
Isonzo Karst

+Isonzo Karst

Posted
Posted

I'm okay with an idea for more $ for more services (platinum membership) but not this particular idea. As mostly reformed MEFF hound, the idea of narrowing the competition is NOT attractive.

 

it would reduce the amount of competition you have. True FTFers thrive on competition and beating everyone to the cache
Link to comment
Thrak

+Thrak

Posted
Posted

I think it's an idiotic idea. When I started caching I had an extremely low chance of a FTF. I actually got my first FTF in Montana and I live in California! I learned that, if I wanted a FTF, I had to be willing to work for it. If you are wiling to drive 20 miles to cache on a poison oak infested hillside or along a poison oak infested river when a cache is published at 10:30 PM and you have to get up by 6:00 AM for work then you too can get a bunch of FTF logs. That's how I do it. I got home at about 11:45 last night and had to log caches before going to bed. The alarm went off at 5:50 this morning.

 

I've had poison oak on my arms, face, neck, and nether regions (had to pee) from going for FTF logs. I don't get my notice before others do. When I run into another cacher on a FTF run it's great. Running into them and gabbing a bit at the cache site is far better than the FTF.

 

It's still a challenge to get one in this area. A local guy who is retired (and apparently doesn't sleep or care about the cost of gas) gets most of them. I've managed to accumulate 152 though. It just takes a certain stupidity and determination. :o

Link to comment
Guyute1210

Guyute1210

Posted
Posted (edited)

It would reduce the amount of competition you have. True FTFers thrive on competition and beating everyone to the cache. ;)

 

As it stands now, its already a two tier system. Without the premium membership, you've got a snowballs chance of getting a FTF.

Not true...We got our first FTF 6 days after we started caching, and have had more FTF's before we got our PM than after we did... :o

 

OT: I would never pay more for something I already get for my 30 quid.

Edited by Guyute1210
Link to comment
ReadyOrNot

+ReadyOrNot

Posted
Posted

It would reduce the amount of competition you have. True FTFers thrive on competition and beating everyone to the cache. ;)

 

As it stands now, its already a two tier system. Without the premium membership, you've got a snowballs chance of getting a FTF.

Not true...We got our first FTF 6 days after we started caching, and have had more FTF's before we got our PM than after we did... :o

 

Must not be much competition out there if it takes 6 days for the first find. Are you out in the boonies?

Link to comment
Guyute1210

Guyute1210

Posted
Posted

It would reduce the amount of competition you have. True FTFers thrive on competition and beating everyone to the cache. ;)

 

As it stands now, its already a two tier system. Without the premium membership, you've got a snowballs chance of getting a FTF.

Not true...We got our first FTF 6 days after we started caching, and have had more FTF's before we got our PM than after we did... :o

 

Must not be much competition out there if it takes 6 days for the first find. Are you out in the boonies?

 

Not our first find, our first FTF...we just happened to be logging when one came up...we did live out in the boonies where most of my caches sat for 2-3 weeks before being found...

Link to comment
whistler & co.

+whistler & co.

Posted
Posted

So you want me to pay for something I'm already getting as a Premium Member?

 

Wow...YOUR premium membership includes instant notifications? Mine, oddly enough, stopped including that service with any regularity several weeks ago. In fact, several of us here in northeast PA have NOT been getting new cache notifications with any consistency at all.

 

And before someone asks: yes, all expected protocols for receving instant notifications are in place, emails are not being sent to the spam folder, the affected parties all have different email services, etc. Some of the new cache notices I receive, yet our friends do not, and vice versa. It's very annoying, not just because of the FTF aspect, but because now I have to manually search for new caches to make sure I didn't miss any.

Link to comment
Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
Followers 1
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...