What is the etiquette on FTF for an earthcache.

[+Team Luvbassn]

Sorry, geocaching.com was slow and I did not get to log this, here it is again.

 

I was in the Caribbean and there was an earthcache which no one had found, I thought. I logged it as a FTF and three days later someone logged in and said they had found it the morning before I found it. Shouldn't EC's be first to log?

[cezanne]

Sorry, geocaching.com was slow and I did not get to log this, here it is again.

 

I was in the Caribbean and there was an earthcache which no one had found, I thought. I logged it as a FTF and three days later someone logged in and said they had found it the morning before I found it. Shouldn't EC's be first to log?

 

I think the term FTF is meaningless for Earth caches anyway as Earth caches are not about searching and finding. Moreover, being the first is no achievement anyway and even less for Earth caches as in many cases it is possible to log an Earthcache if one has been at the location before the Earth cache showed up.

 

As your question is related:

Do you really think that someone should be urged to come up with a log with the wrong date (different from the date of his visit) just because it takes him a few days to provide the answers and the required photograph? If I am travelling it might take quite some time until I manage to log an Earthcache. I will of course, however, use the date of my visit for my log. I do not care at all if I was first, second, seventh, 105-th etc at the location.

 

Of course, there is no proof for being the first visitor at an Earth cache location - so the only etiquette I could think of is telling the truth.

 

Cezanne

[+Konnarock Kid & Marge]

Sorry, geocaching.com was slow and I did not get to log this, here it is again.

 

I was in the Caribbean and there was an earthcache which no one had found, I thought. I logged it as a FTF and three days later someone logged in and said they had found it the morning before I found it. Shouldn't EC's be first to log?

 

I think the term FTF is meaningless for Earth caches anyway as Earth caches are not about searching and finding. Moreover, being the first is no achievement anyway and even less for Earth caches as in many cases it is possible to log an Earthcache if one has been at the location before the Earth cache showed up.

 

As your question is related:

Do you really think that someone should be urged to come up with a log with the wrong date (different from the date of his visit) just because it takes him a few days to provide the answers and the required photograph? If I am travelling it might take quite some time until I manage to log an Earthcache. I will of course, however, use the date of my visit for my log. I do not care at all if I was first, second, seventh, 105-th etc at the location.

 

Of course, there is no proof for being the first visitor at an Earth cache location - so the only etiquette I could think of is telling the truth.

 

Cezanne

 

Without getting philosophical about it, FTF is being the FIRST to physically find a cache. It has meaning to finding any cache! Since there is no paper log with an EC, it is strictly the honor system. This happens all the time with traditional caches. Someone finds and because of a variety of reasons cannot be timely with the on-line log. The only thing different, the first to log online already knows they were not FTF i.e. physical (paper) log

We always put the time of day on a potential FTF online log. Of course, that doesn't mean someone couldn't put an earlier time but so what? It's only a FTF. They can be fun to go after but being bothered about a near miss isn't worth it.

 

P.S. Of course, God was first to find all ECs!

Edited February 7, 2010 by Konnarock Kid & Marge

[+Team Luvbassn]

Sorry, geocaching.com was slow and I did not get to log this, here it is again.

 

I was in the Caribbean and there was an earthcache which no one had found, I thought. I logged it as a FTF and three days later someone logged in and said they had found it the morning before I found it. Shouldn't EC's be first to log?

Without getting philosophical about it, FTF is being the FIRST to physically find a cache. It has meaning to finding any cache! Since there is no paper log with an EC, it is strictly the honor system. This happens all the time with traditional caches. Someone finds and because of a variety of reasons cannot be timely with the on-line log. The only thing different, the first to log online already knows they were not FTF i.e. physical (paper) log

We always put the time of day on a potential FTF online log. Of course, that doesn't mean someone couldn't put an earlier time but so what? It's only a FTF. They can be fun to go after but being bothered about a near miss isn't worth it.

 

P.S. Of course, God was first to find all ECs!

I guess I opened a can of worms. Sure did not mean to offend anyone by wanting my numbers to be correct. I am through with this thread.

[+Cardinal Red]

I guess I opened a can of worms. Sure did not mean to offend anyone by wanting my numbers to be correct. I am through with this thread.

If you expect total agreement with your point of view on this Forum you will be disappointed every time. Not all of us approach FTF with the same state of mind. I wish FTF only stood for Fun To Find instead of Fanatical To be First. Some of us just don't care. Others will only see treachery in a predated Earthcache log. Count it any way you like. I think I was the first person to sign a physical log three to five times, but I can't be bothered to be sure which.

 

Now I will share something else you might not like. Just because an Earthcache is a nice place to visit doesn't make it a Geocache. Just be glad I don't own Groundspeak. I would solve your Earthcache logging problem immediately. No caches without physical logs, no problem.

[+narcissa]

On physical caches, FTF goes to the first person or group to find the cache, not the first to log it online. Why would this be different for an Earthcache? Visiting the site is the most important part.

[+geodarts]

There was one time when my daughter and I were the first to visit an earthcache but had no computer access to log it online until three of four days later. It happens. Personally I avoid the problem by never using the three initials even if the log I sign is blank or no one else has been to a particular spot.

 

The abbreviation is only what you want it to be. Although I kind of hope that earthcache logs - and page descriptions - could stay clear of that kind of congratulations, it probably is a losing cause within the larger caching community.

Edited February 15, 2010 by Erickson

[+Sioneva]

 

P.S. Of course, God was first to find all ECs!

 

Nah, he CREATED all ECs... so he can't log 'em now!

[+Konnarock Kid & Marge]

 

P.S. Of course, God was first to find all ECs!

 

Nah, he CREATED all ECs... so he can't log 'em now!

 

I love it! I'll be watching for His/Her logs on our ECs! Do you think GS would back me up if I deleted any?

[+geodarts]

I love it! I'll be watching for His/Her logs on our ECs! Do you think GS would back me up if I deleted any?

 

I would be careful about deleting a log from a Higher Power.

[+Titus1919]

As far as I am conserned all of my finds are FTF. (First Time Found by me)

[+Konnarock Kid & Marge]

I love it! I'll be watching for His/Her logs on our ECs! Do you think GS would back me up if I deleted any?

 

I would be careful about deleting a log from a Higher Power.

 

You're right. My God, pardon the pun, what was I thinking of?

[GermanSailor]

Geocaching is just a game, a hobby and something nice. To much worries about FTFs, stats, numbers, milestone caches, take the fun out of geocaching.

 

In my opinion, it absolutely doesn't matter who got a FTF! But if it's important to you, that's good for you. But I'm afraid, nobody outside the geocaching community cares about FTFs.

 

 

GermanSailor