Two questions on Caching etiquette

[+Surferjo]

I am the owner of a cache in a park very close to my home. When I take a Coin or TB from another cache I will usually drop it off in my cache at night when I walk my dog. It’s a very easy cache to get to and they don’t seem to stay there very long but I’m just wondering if this is somewhat bad form?

 

I don’t cache as much in the summer months due to PI, ticks, chiggers, etc. My own cache is just a way to get them back out into the world rather than sitting on my desk for 2-3 weeks.

 

Question 2

 

If I am the STF (Second to find) on a cache, is it rude to log it on the cache page before the actual FTF person?

 

I was the STF yesterday morning and wanted to log it when i got home but the FTF person hadn't yet. I decided to air on the side of caution and wait until the FTF logged.

 

Thanks

 

Surferjo

[Dj Storm]

Coins and travel bugs are meant to travel. By dropping them in your cache (in any cache, actually) you are helping them. As long as you put them back in circulation fast, and your cache is found often, that's nothing wrong with it.

Some coins and TB's have special goals, look and decide if you can help them better by placing them in another cache. If you cannot help them, place them in whichever cache you feel, maybe the next cacher can help them towards their goal.

 

If you're STF, you can wait a few hours/days for the FTF to log their visit, especially if the cache is a remote one (they might be in vacation and without 24/7 internet connection). If it's an urban hide with many finders the day it was published, wait less (a couple of hours or so), then log it. The FTF-er might wait and trick cachers to think the FTF is up for grabs.

[+TripCyclone]

I am the owner of a cache in a park very close to my home. When I take a Coin or TB from another cache I will usually drop it off in my cache at night when I walk my dog. It’s a very easy cache to get to and they don’t seem to stay there very long but I’m just wondering if this is somewhat bad form?

 

I don’t cache as much in the summer months due to PI, ticks, chiggers, etc. My own cache is just a way to get them back out into the world rather than sitting on my desk for 2-3 weeks.

 

Question 2

 

If I am the STF (Second to find) on a cache, is it rude to log it on the cache page before the actual FTF person?

 

I was the STF yesterday morning and wanted to log it when i got home but the FTF person hadn't yet. I decided to air on the side of caution and wait until the FTF logged.

 

Thanks

 

Surferjo

 

I don't see a problem with you dropping the coins in your own cache provided they are getting picked up again. If it's been three weeks and people are visiting and passing it up, then try moving it along to another cache. The occasional coin dropped in isn't a bad thing.

 

Now, if you were hording a dozen coins to drop in all at once, then I'd say maybe you should spread them out among several caches instead.

 

With regards to STF...I don't think it's rude to log before the FTF. The person who got FTF might be out for a day of caching, which means you'll be waiting all day. FTF means that it was found first, not that it has to be logged first. While some people have fun by saying "FTL" (First to log), it really isn't the same thing as a FTF so don't worry about it. I doubt the FTF cares if you logged it before them as long as you aren't trying to claim FTF from them.

[+whistler & co.]

If you're STF, you can wait a few hours/days for the FTF to log their visit, especially if the cache is a remote one (they might be in vacation and without 24/7 internet connection). If it's an urban hide with many finders the day it was published, wait less (a couple of hours or so), then log it. The FTF-er might wait and trick cachers to think the FTF is up for grabs.

 

Which is incredibly inconsiderate and rude! If a person can't log the FTF right away due to being on the road, heading straight to work after making the find, or another legitimate reason, fine. But a person who deliberately waits on logging in order to "trick" people sounds like the type of person who thinks it's fun to put on a hideous mask and jump out of the shrubbery to make 2 year olds dressed as Winnie-the-Pooh scream and cry on Halloween!

 

If you are STF and are in the position to log online first, simply start your log out with "Not FTF, but first to log." or "Logging first, but not FTF." Or even "Not FTF, that honor goes to (insert name of cacher)."

[+chrisrayn]

If you're STF, you can wait a few hours/days for the FTF to log their visit, especially if the cache is a remote one (they might be in vacation and without 24/7 internet connection). If it's an urban hide with many finders the day it was published, wait less (a couple of hours or so), then log it. The FTF-er might wait and trick cachers to think the FTF is up for grabs.

 

Which is incredibly inconsiderate and rude! If a person can't log the FTF right away due to being on the road, heading straight to work after making the find, or another legitimate reason, fine. But a person who deliberately waits on logging in order to "trick" people sounds like the type of person who thinks it's fun to put on a hideous mask and jump out of the shrubbery to make 2 year olds dressed as Winnie-the-Pooh scream and cry on Halloween!

 

If you are STF and are in the position to log online first, simply start your log out with "Not FTF, but first to log." or "Logging first, but not FTF." Or even "Not FTF, that honor goes to (insert name of cacher)."

 

Yeah, see, I feel the same way. I just recently listened to an older "Cachers of the Round Table" or "Geocaching Podcast", can't remember which, and they said that sometimes it's polite to the cache owner to wait a couple days before logging your FTF so that people won't stop hunting it immediately.

 

I completely disagree. That's pretty rude...and honestly, it shouldn't be a cache owner's goal to have as many people as possible log it when it's first released. The best thing we can hope for, as cache owners, is that the FTF happens within a week (especially if you're in a small town like me), and that people log their finds right when they get them.

 

I want the FTF to log as fast as freaking possible on my caches. I don't want my cache to be a source of irritation for any people from the Dallas area who drove all the way out to Commerce to nab a couple of FTFs. Now, I could be immature and say, "Well, if they are irritated, that's their problem! This game isn't about numbers or FTFs, it's about making the grab!"

 

See, that just isn't true. The game is something different to everyone, and we can't get mad when the game isn't what we want it to be for every John or Jane Q. Cacher.

[+Too Tall John]

That's pretty rude...and honestly, it shouldn't be a cache owner's goal to have as many people as possible log it when it's first released...

See, that just isn't true. A wise person once told me "The game is something different to everyone, and we can't get mad when the game isn't what we want it to be for every John or Jane Q. Cacher."

 

Wait, that was you. So, are we getting mad and calling people rude, or are we letting people play the way they want? I'm confused...

[+paulbarratt]

I'd have to echo the other replies with regard to the bugs....you need to make sure that they are free to travel so filling your cache may not be the best idea. If they do stay put for a bit just move them on snd always have a look at the mission.

 

I refuse to wait til the FTF log appears because if I'm ready to log then I shouldn't have to wait. I just state that I'm not FTF but just FTL.

[+mfamilee]

If you are STF and are in the position to log online first, simply start your log out with "Not FTF, but first to log." or "Logging first, but not FTF." Or even "Not FTF, that honor goes to (insert name of cacher)."

I totally agree with this & see it done all the time.

[+chrisrayn]

That's pretty rude...and honestly, it shouldn't be a cache owner's goal to have as many people as possible log it when it's first released...

See, that just isn't true. A wise person once told me "The game is something different to everyone, and we can't get mad when the game isn't what we want it to be for every John or Jane Q. Cacher."

 

Wait, that was you. So, are we getting mad and calling people rude, or are we letting people play the way they want? I'm confused...

 

Idk...I see what you're saying...I just don't like manipulating when an FTF is logged to seduce more people to come to a cache. Just seems...dishonest, I guess. I'd prefer a cache log be as accurate a representation of actual timelines as possible.

 

Now, I understand that some people are on a trip and won't be near a computer for a week or something along those lines, and that's unavoidable. But not logging an FTF to get more people to come seems dishonest.

 

I don't care what people find valuable in the game, but I don't like dishonesty or inaccuracy in anything out there, not just geocaching.

 

What if all the coords were like 50 feet off? What if people wrote misleading information on all of their cache pages to keep people from finding their caches? What if the hints were actually lies instead of good hints?

 

I don't like any of these practices...I don't think that's a "game," I think it's...idk...just not fair.

[+ecanderson]

I am the owner of a cache in a park very close to my home. When I take a Coin or TB from another cache I will usually drop it off in my cache at night when I walk my dog. It's a very easy cache to get to and they don't seem to stay there very long but I'm just wondering if this is somewhat bad form?

Not a problem, providing your cache tends to keep them moving, and you've already noted that this is the case. I do the same thing, especially with bugs and coins that I run across that have been 'stuck' for a while. I'm fortunate that I have a cache located in a very good spot for people traveling to Estes Park, and we get a LOT of that traffic through the course of a year.

 

If I am the STF (Second to find) on a cache, is it rude to log it on the cache page before the actual FTF person?

There's no telling how long it will take someone to log a cache, and when they do log an FTF, you can bet they'll make note of it in the log entry. The order in which the caches are logged is irrelevant. Just be sure you note that your find was the STF and go ahead and log it. Happens all the time.

 

Frankly, I try to avoid this in the first place. On those rare few occasions where I've been FTF on a cache, I will use my lame cell phone and the geocaching.com WAP site and at least put in a temporary log (perhaps to be cleaned up later on a PC for things like capitalization and whatnot) indicating the the FTF is a done deal. This also avoids having the local FTF hounds disrupting their day for no particular reason.

[+hydnsek]

If you are STF and are in the position to log online first, simply start your log out with "Not FTF, but first to log." or "Logging first, but not FTF." Or even "Not FTF, that honor goes to (insert name of cacher)."

I totally agree with this & see it done all the time.

Double ditto.

[AZcachemeister]

As for the TBs, those who's mission is just to travel, no problem!

As for those TBs whose mission is to 'travel east', but you are taking them west...not so good! HOWEVER, there is no accounting for the serendipitous possibility that your move might somehow eventually put that TB into the hands of someone who will fulfill the mission and make someone very happy.

 

As for the FTF issue:

Typically each finder logs their find as soon as possible. If they know they weren't the FTF, they will so state in the log.

IN CERTAIN CASES, where the FTF cacher is fairly certain they know who (besides themselves) might be trying for the FTF, the actual FTF cacher might delay their log just to tease their friends. We all take it in stride, and nobody gets bent out-of-shape over it.

It's not like I'm winning a new car for the FTF!

[+Trekkin' and birdin']

It's not like I'm winning a new car for the FTF!

 

Maybe THAT'S why the other half of my team loves them? He thinks he can win a car?

 

Others have offered sage advice here, both the TB question and the FTF question.

[+fegan]

Bugs are meant to move. Any way you can move them is better than them sitting on your desk.

 

Log what you find when you want...don't worry about FTF not being logged yet. I've often logged an STF and put in my log FTL (First To Log). I don't expect people to wait for me to log my FTF when I get one...and I don't care who logs on-line first, it's the name on the top of the physical log that matters for FTF.

[+Col. Flagg]

Yes drop the bug. I like when my stuff moves around even if its not quite toward the goal.

 

I really don't care about who logs what first. If I log first and I am not FTF my log reflects this, I'm not trying to trick anyone, I actually have a FTF where someone else logged it first. The only reason I was upset is because they did think they were first to find and they weren't. I know that I was first to find and to do the owners of the cache and that's all that matters.

 

Though now I might want to rush home and claim my FTL if I can't claim FTF.......just kidding.

[+Chef Scott]

I find some of your answers quite interesting. The site doesn't keep track of FTFs for a reason. They just don't matter. I personally don't care and don't make it a practice to write whether I am FTF, STF or 300th TF in my logs. It just isn't important. I don't have a phone that allows me access the internet or a reliable computer. I log things when I can but it certainly isn't 20 minutes after I find it. Some cachers are so picky or unfair about what they consider a FTF that it isn't fun anyway. They decide who they want the FTF to be. Soooooo, as some of you clearly have noted, you play the game your way and I will play it mine.

 

[+Unkle Fester]

If you are STF and are in the position to log online first, simply start your log out with "Not FTF, but first to log." or "Logging first, but not FTF." Or even "Not FTF, that honor goes to (insert name of cacher)."

I totally agree with this & see it done all the time.

Double ditto.

Odd, I only see it once per cache, at most.

[+smstext]

dont see a problem with logging STF if FTF hasnt logged it, just put that you were beaten by the FTF.

 

When im out caching and i pick up TB's i usually drop them off in my cache which ive renamed to include TB hotel on it as its a popular cache they tend to move on from here quickly and if ive picked up tb's from hardly visited caches then i feel moving them to mine im helping them move on unless the mission is to go opporsite way to my cache. However i look at it this way if its been in a cache for months and not been picked up, then going the opporsite way for 10 miles might be the thing it needs to then go the correct way 50 miles.

[YotaCacher]

I am the owner of a cache in a park very close to my home. When I take a Coin or TB from another cache I will usually drop it off in my cache at night when I walk my dog. It’s a very easy cache to get to and they don’t seem to stay there very long but I’m just wondering if this is somewhat bad form?

 

I don’t cache as much in the summer months due to PI, ticks, chiggers, etc. My own cache is just a way to get them back out into the world rather than sitting on my desk for 2-3 weeks.

 

Question 2

 

If I am the STF (Second to find) on a cache, is it rude to log it on the cache page before the actual FTF person?

 

I was the STF yesterday morning and wanted to log it when i got home but the FTF person hadn't yet. I decided to air on the side of caution and wait until the FTF logged.

 

Thanks

 

Surferjo

 

That is a good question. In the case of "Todosio Canyon" cache I would say that the ghost cacher had plenty of time to log his find prior to the STF. It is interesting what the STF actually logged though.

 

Around my parts of the country the FTF states so in his/her online log. So, it does not matter who post online first, (except for the posting date which, For those who are chasing CP's on DeepSouthWest does matter). All online logs on the FTF date will have the points equally devided. So, in effect if you find a cache I have FTF'd on the same day and log it you get half the points weather you post online before or after me.

 

In short, as long as you dont claim FTF in your online log it doesn;t matter. At least in my neck of the woods.

 

Good luck and enjoy the hunt.

Edited September 16, 2009 by trogers12

[+flask]

go ahead and log it.

 

don't bother yourself with log order or with announcing who the FTF was.

 

if it's important enough to the FF, they'll blow their own horn plenty loud.

[+Team A & M]

We see a lot of STF logs first here, and no one cares. As long as the FTF logs and notes that he/she was the FTF, it's not a big deal.

[+Renegade Knight]

...If I am the STF (Second to find) on a cache, is it rude to log it on the cache page before the actual FTF person? ...

 

Oh heck no. It's a sub game and a little way to one up the real FTF.

 

"Second to find but first to log, neener neener neennnnerrrr!"

Edited September 16, 2009 by Renegade Knight

[+simpjkee]

Answer #1: That is absolutely fine. However, before doing so I would check to see what the goal of the TB is. For example, if you picked up a TB that said "Don't place me in a park", then it prolly wouldnt be a good idea to place it there. If you place it in your cache because your not willing to help the TB achieve its goal, then it may be wise to just not pick it up. 95% of the time, what you're doing is totally cool though and the owners appreciate you moving it.

 

Answer #2: Don't worry about FTF. Log your find when you want. I typically log my finds as soon as I can regardless of other finders. The cache owner will appreciate it.