FTF - Odd question

[+Fandango739]

What happens (if anything) if the first person who signs the physical log never logs the find on-line? How is it counted?

This is just a 'what if...'...but truly, what if?

[+Keelmann And Cici]

FTF means First to Find, not first to log online. The person who signs first is it.

[+Max and 99]

It happens. They are STILL FTF, whether they log online or not. Their cache find is not "counted" if they don't log online.

[jholly]

Short answer. FTF's don't exist. There is nothing to denote a first to find on this site. It is simply the figment of the finders imagination. In this case the person that does not log on line found the cache before the usual FTF hounds and all the usual FTF hounds can do is bay at the moon.

[+dfx]

Or, the first person to sign the log and log online can claim FTF anyway, even if there was another name in the log before them. It's just as good, because it doesn't matter either way.

[jholly]

Or, the first person to sign the log and log online can claim FTF anyway, even if there was another name in the log before them. It's just as good, because it doesn't matter either way.

Now that can get downright confusing. The first person to sign the log *might* log online a couple weeks from now. But we have an interloper claiming to be FTF when they aren't. But I agree, it does not matter.

[+geodarts]

What happens (if anything) if the first person who signs the physical log never logs the find on-line? How is it counted?

This is just a 'what if...'...but truly, what if?

 

I have had this happen before, but since I never use the three initials, it did not make any difference.

[+Nature Kids]

All those cache logs that we were first to sign, they don't mean nothing?

[+NanCycle]

I was FTF on a cache the other day. Fifth To Find -- just as good as any other FTF (IMO).

[+Great Scott!]

When we place a cache, the CO should just sign the log with a made up name. Date it the day it the cache was placed. Then just play along that someone must have found the cache soon after they placed it. No one would ever get FTF again.

[jholly]

When we place a cache, the CO should just sign the log with a made up name. Date it the day it the cache was placed. Then just play along that someone must have found the cache soon after they placed it. No one would ever get FTF again.

Great idea but I don't think I would want Scubasonic hunting me down

[+Fandango739]

Hmmm...interesting. So logging a find on-line doesn't matter in the end, as long as the logbook is signed.

 

And FTFs don't really matter, because there is no officail way to keep count.

 

But so many people make such a big deal out of their FTF counts....

Yet, someone without scrupples could give completely fictional accounts of about their remarkable FTFs.

 

Hmmm.....

[jholly]

Hmmm...interesting. So logging a find on-line doesn't matter in the end, as long as the logbook is signed.

 

And FTFs don't really matter, because there is no officail way to keep count.

 

But so many people make such a big deal out of their FTF counts....

Yet, someone without scrupples could give completely fictional accounts of about their remarkable FTFs.

 

Hmmm.....

I think you have it essentially correct. And to make matters even more interesting, the order of the logs on GC.com does not matter at all. Most of my FTF's I was like 3rd or 4th to log online.

[+ngrrfan]

I don't know how others play the game in their areas, but it seems that in my area most people have enough integrity to acknowledge that they were second or third to find in their online log so their is no argument about FTF.

[+dfx]

Hmmm...interesting. So logging a find on-line doesn't matter in the end, as long as the logbook is signed.

 

And FTFs don't really matter, because there is no officail way to keep count.

 

But so many people make such a big deal out of their FTF counts....

Yet, someone without scrupples could give completely fictional accounts of about their remarkable FTFs.

 

Hmmm.....

 

To elaborate: FTFs only matter to those people who keep track of them, and then only their own FTFs matter. In other words: if you think you were FTF, you say you're FTF, you put it in your FTF stats and whatever. Now someone else may also think they're FTF on the same cache, and does all the same things. Is that a problem? Not at all! You can both claim to be FTF, and it won't have any effect on the FTF claims of the other cacher. Extend this to all other possible scenarios of FTF "conflicts".

[jholly]

I don't know how others play the game in their areas, but it seems that in my area most people have enough integrity to acknowledge that they were second or third to find in their online log so their is no argument about FTF.

I didn't say there was an argument, I just said I'm not always the first to log online. I generally get my FTF's the first thing in the morning of a caching day and don't do my logging until the evening. I don't feel compelled to rush home and log my FTF's.

Edited September 22, 2011 by jholly

[+tozainamboku]

Or, the first person to sign the log and log online can claim FTF anyway, even if there was another name in the log before them. It's just as good, because it doesn't matter either way.

My guess is that most people who claim FTF do it based on there being no other names in the log book. However, there are so many variations, often regional, for determining FTF. In my region, cachers often sign the log book as "beta finders". This often means they were with the cache owner when the cache was hidden, but it sometimes means that that got the coordinates from the cache owner before the cache was published. The idea is that FTF is still up for grabs and the first to find after the beta finders claim FTF. Generally the beta finders don't log online till after someone else does. Sometimes people are going for a milestone and want their logs in order so they post a Find or a Note for their beta find and indicate that FTF is still up for grabs. In other regions this practice might seem odd.

[+luvvinbird]

I don't know how others play the game in their areas, but it seems that in my area most people have enough integrity to acknowledge that they were second or third to find in their online log so their is no argument about FTF.

Same here. If I seek a FTF and see a name and date before mine, I'll log myself as second to find or third, etc. I think most cachers do the same and, as noted, sometimes the FTF doesn't log for awhile later. That shouldn't prevent the rest of us from being honest with our log entries.