It's official? FTF recognized by Groundspeak

[+OZ2CPU]

Ya.. when we go FTF hunting, it is some times not alone..

so the first to spot the cache, is not always the same who sign the log first,

simple, a spot is not a get, they can be hard to get or hard to open,

or even if they are found and open, where is the log haha a new trick..

stuff like this happen.

we are like 20-30-40-50 years old in "my" group,

when we team up on events or just on a normal cache night,

it is some times a run and fight game :-) to get it in the hands first,

and this is even if the cache was logged first time many month ago,

we just want as much fun out of every sec we are out together,

and you know what, it is good traning too.

[+jellis]

Place an FTF challenge cache and see if they publish it.

+1

 

There are no less than FIVE FTF based challenge caches in our area. Not sure how they managed to slip through the cracks.

 

GC2JDTJ

GC2JDTG

GC2JDTK

GC2JDTF

GC2JDTH

Probably before they fine tuned the rules. Or the reviewer didn't notice or care.

Not a FTF one but I did hear about a cacher who changed their challenge after the reviewer published it.

[+jellis]

Take a look at the monthly weekly newsletter

 

Fixed it for ya.

 

The newsletter points the reader to the Help Center article, which is titled "1.8. Instant Notifications - Chasing First to Finds" and has been for quite some time.

 

http://support.Groundspeak.com/index.php?pg=kb.page&id=184

 

So, yeah, I think GS has been aware of the existence of the FTF game for a while.

 

Weekly sure feels like Monthly the rate I get the emails about them.

 

Face it, not everyone is going to agree with everything.

Like mulitple event logging

Virtual events

NM & NA

the 5 star D/T ratings

Earthcache photos

Power trails

etc.

They are not set in stone so some think its a big deal and some don't.

It's a game of no winners and no losers.

Yes I know I complain too. It's in me to say what I feel whether it's right or not.

If we all agreed we wouldn't be in the forum that much.

 

But to tell the truth is because I'm bored and I have nothing to do at this time of night but say my 2 cents.

Edited February 11, 2012 by jellis

[+NYPaddleCacher]

3 friends go on a hunt, lets call them A,B,C

 

A found the cache first.

B got the log first and signed it.

C logged it online first.

 

and that is why we say B is the FTF no matter what.

Isn't the whole point of Geocaching to find the cache? It seems pretty clear to me that A is FTF, and that's how it's always worked with any FTF hunt I've been a part of.

I've never seen people grabbing the log from others so they can sign first...

 

Anyway, there will never be an officially sanctioned FTF stat on this website.

 

Now I'm going to go out and get a FTF!

 

My guess is that A spotted it, but couldn't retrieve it for some reason. B did, and signed the log, so A loses.

Clearly only P can determine who is FTF

 

Yeah, but that would require expensive and time-consuming DNA testing.

 

I'm pretty sure that requiring that finders provide a DNA sample would be considered an ALR.

[+Mitragorz]

It's not "provided" if you take it while they're asleep

[+dfx]

All of them were published on the same day, 11/23/2010, by the same reviewer.

 

http://support.Groun...=kb.page&id=206

 

4.14. Challenge Caches

[updated 12/12/2011]

 

As with all caches, each challenge cache is reviewed and published or denied on its own merits. Some grandfathered caches do exist which would not be published today.

 

Sure is a lot of conclusion-jumping going on around here.

 

Good catch. Archive.org has a snapshot of the relevant article from April 27th 2010, citing:

 

Basing a challenge cache solely on some aspects of geocaching, such as FTFs, may severely limit the number of cachers who can achieve the challenge.

 

Which implies that it wasn't verboten back then.

[+Mudfrog]

3 friends go on a hunt, lets call them A,B,C

 

A found the cache first.

B got the log first and signed it.

C logged it online first.

 

I have seen this several times.. that is why the "system" cant handle FTF logs.

and that is why we say B is the FTF no matter what.

there can be only ONE true FTF, if you ask me..

 

I would say that 90 something percent of the time, the person who spotted it first would also be the one to get it first. I mean, if they were that hardcore, then they would grab the cache and log it as fast as they could before anyone else. Not my cup of tea but more power to you if everyone in your group agrees to cache that way.

 

Our group thinks about it another way. Whoever spots it first usually doesn't say anything at first. They step back from the cache then announce that they spotted it. The others in the group can then take turns finding it as well. After everyone gets it, then one person usually signs the log for all of us, putting the name of the person who actually spotted it first ahead of the others. Doesn't mean a thing in the big scheme of things but it works for us.

 

We also claim a ftf (co-ftf) when in a group and are first to find a cache. Yes i know, if you want to get technical about it, a ftf can only really be claimed by the person who actually laid eyes on the cache first. It does give you a good feeling when you are that person but we figure that our group is working as a whole and for us, just makes going out together more fun.

Edited February 11, 2012 by Mudfrog

[+power69]

Take a look at the monthly newsletter and you will find the following article:

 

Does this mean that the FTF "side-game" is officially recognized by Groundspeak? Will this competitive part of the game be added to the website in some way? Oh the possibilities.

actually that just confirms that cellphones get notifies first. so us havenots are at a disadvantage.

FTF isn't worth $60+data charges per month to me.

[+dfx]

actually that just confirms that cellphones get notifies first. so us havenots are at a disadvantage.

FTF isn't worth $60+data charges per month to me.

 

The information provided is wrong. You don't need Internet access for receiving text messages. You need to be on a cell provider that offers an email-to-SMS gateway. Internet access on y our phone has nothing to do with that.

[+Dgwphotos]

actually that just confirms that cellphones get notifies first. so us havenots are at a disadvantage.

FTF isn't worth $60+data charges per month to me.

 

The information provided is wrong. You don't need Internet access for receiving text messages. You need to be on a cell provider that offers an email-to-SMS gateway. Internet access on y our phone has nothing to do with that.

Not exactly. In order to confirm the new email address, you have to visit a web hotlink, so you do need internet. However, I have a fairly cheap prepaid phone that does have internet.

[+Moose Mob]

actually that just confirms that cellphones get notifies first. so us havenots are at a disadvantage.

FTF isn't worth $60+data charges per month to me.

 

The information provided is wrong. You don't need Internet access for receiving text messages. You need to be on a cell provider that offers an email-to-SMS gateway. Internet access on y our phone has nothing to do with that.

Not exactly. In order to confirm the new email address, you have to visit a web hotlink, so you do need internet. However, I have a fairly cheap prepaid phone that does have internet.

I recommend you report this as a bug.

[+dfx]

actually that just confirms that cellphones get notifies first. so us havenots are at a disadvantage.

FTF isn't worth $60+data charges per month to me.

 

The information provided is wrong. You don't need Internet access for receiving text messages. You need to be on a cell provider that offers an email-to-SMS gateway. Internet access on y our phone has nothing to do with that.

Not exactly. In order to confirm the new email address, you have to visit a web hotlink, so you do need internet.

 

Good point. You don't actually have to visit that link from the phone though. If you can get the URL to a PC somehow (in the worst case you can just type it in), it would still work. Another option is not to use the mail2sms address directly, but use an intermediate forwarding address instead. At first the emails go to your desktop, just to confirm the address, then you redirect it to the gateway.

[+Dgwphotos]

actually that just confirms that cellphones get notifies first. so us havenots are at a disadvantage.

FTF isn't worth $60+data charges per month to me.

 

The information provided is wrong. You don't need Internet access for receiving text messages. You need to be on a cell provider that offers an email-to-SMS gateway. Internet access on y our phone has nothing to do with that.

Not exactly. In order to confirm the new email address, you have to visit a web hotlink, so you do need internet.

 

Good point. You don't actually have to visit that link from the phone though. If you can get the URL to a PC somehow (in the worst case you can just type it in), it would still work. Another option is not to use the mail2sms address directly, but use an intermediate forwarding address instead. At first the emails go to your desktop, just to confirm the address, then you redirect it to the gateway.

The only problem with that is in order to get the cache coordinates, you do need to access the cache listing.

[+dfx]

The only problem with that is in order to get the cache coordinates, you do need to access the cache listing.

 

True, but that's not what we're talking about. The article says "Your phone needs to have internet access to receive Instant Notifications by text. Most mobile service providers offer this service, but it may not work on all phones. Your mobile provider’s text messaging rates may apply." That is just not true. I know that the article is in the context of new cache alerts and FTF and all that, but there's other reasons to have instant notifications as well, and you don't need to load a cache page for those.

[+tozainamboku]

The only problem with that is in order to get the cache coordinates, you do need to access the cache listing.

 

True, but that's not what we're talking about. The article says "Your phone needs to have internet access to receive Instant Notifications by text. Most mobile service providers offer this service, but it may not work on all phones. Your mobile provider’s text messaging rates may apply." That is just not true. I know that the article is in the context of new cache alerts and FTF and all that, but there's other reasons to have instant notifications as well, and you don't need to load a cache page for those.

You can use TextMarks to get the coordinate info from your phone (if this still works, I haven't tested it). So you really don't need internet access on your phone at all. But really, who has a mobile phone that doesn't have some sort of internet access these days? (Okay, I know some people get the internet part shut off so they don't end up paying for data connection, but many of these people also block text messages too. If you want a phone just to make calls, then you're probably not going to use it to get FTFs.)

[+Dgwphotos]

The only problem with that is in order to get the cache coordinates, you do need to access the cache listing.

 

True, but that's not what we're talking about. The article says "Your phone needs to have internet access to receive Instant Notifications by text. Most mobile service providers offer this service, but it may not work on all phones. Your mobile provider’s text messaging rates may apply." That is just not true. I know that the article is in the context of new cache alerts and FTF and all that, but there's other reasons to have instant notifications as well, and you don't need to load a cache page for those.

You can use TextMarks to get the coordinate info from your phone (if this still works, I haven't tested it). So you really don't need internet access on your phone at all. But really, who has a mobile phone that doesn't have some sort of internet access these days? (Okay, I know some people get the internet part shut off so they don't end up paying for data connection, but many of these people also block text messages too. If you want a phone just to make calls, then you're probably not going to use it to get FTFs.)

Yes, it does still work. I use it all the time, but forgot that I can have it send general information like cache coordinates (I use it for sending field notes) and hints. My phone is a fairly basic Net10 Prepaid phone, and it does have some internet capability. They also have smart phones for around 35$.

[+Corfman Clan]

Wow those are all against the current guidelines.

Fixed it for ya. IIRC they were perfectly acceptable when they were published.

Actually, they were published after that guideline was published.