FTF Caches

[AZcachemeister]

How do you know how many FTF's a person gets?

 

A fair question.

Ask them. Only the person claiming the FTFs will know how many they have claimed.

You will notice that the Geocaching.com stats don't include an FTF entry.

The stat generation sites are configured to look for the 'FTF' in your log, but if you entered 'I was just three minutes too late for the FTF.' in your log, those sites would add that cache into your FTF total (unless you manually exclude that cache).

 

Alternatively you could peruse the logs for every cache 'they' found and come to your own conclusions. You may find caches where nobody seems to have been FTF, and others where the claim to the title is hotly debated in post-FTF notes.

 

It can be a fun side-game, but in the end it's about as important as who found the most caches on any Thursday afternoon between 1400 and 1500 Hrs. (local time, of course)

 

I may have to start a thread about that, if someone else doesn't do it first.

[+Groovy Laura]

[Thanks I was just curious how the original poster knows that the guy had over 400 FTF's. If they were actually counting and reviewing all the logs they sure have a lot of time on their hands.

[AZcachemeister]

[Thanks I was just curious how the original poster knows that the guy had over 400 FTF's. If they were actually counting and reviewing all the logs they sure have a lot of time on their hands.

 

Some of the FTF hounds will include something like 'Thanks for FTF #XXX' in their logs.

 

Once again, it's just a 'claim', as in I can claim to be the King of Iceland if I like, but nobody is going to take that seriously.

[+cerberus1]

[Thanks I was just curious how the original poster knows that the guy had over 400 FTF's. If they were actually counting and reviewing all the logs they sure have a lot of time on their hands.

 

Some of the FTF hounds will include something like 'Thanks for FTF #XXX' in their logs.

 

Once again, it's just a 'claim', as in I can claim to be the King of Iceland if I like, but nobody is going to take that seriously.

 

Since weeks after joining, every log we've written has the time we found the hide. If we were FTF on that hide, it also has the FTF total right next to the time. Easy to figure if one was to be anal enough to look.

[+Groovy Laura]

i am looking for that on mine and not seeing the time and FTF except where i typed it. help

[+cerberus1]

i am looking for that on mine and not seeing the time and FTF except where i typed it. help

 

This is what we do in addition to our log.

One of the latest:

 

Found it 03/02/2012 -

1730 -FTF(324) - Went home to get into warmer clothes, grab a coffee (and a five hour energy), then headed out again (yeah, I live that close).

[+Groovy Laura]

where is that exactly on the log? when you view your own log or can others see it? sorry to be dense

[+cerberus1]

where is that exactly on the log? when you view your own log or can others see it? sorry to be dense

 

Click on our name above the avatar. That puts you onto our profile page. You can look at pics, statistics... whatever the CO allows to be seen, including cache hides/finds. Play. It's okay.

 

For example, you managed to get another JBGRUG off your list today.

[+Groovy Laura]

i see all those things but not the FTF stats

[

[AZcachemeister]

i see all those things but not the FTF stats

[

 

Because it doesn't exist.

 

P.S. I am the King of Iceland!

[+sduck]

Can u do that?! That can't be possible. I just went to my first event and you can't actually log it till your there and sign the log. I assume your joshing, since I'm a newbie.

 

I was kidding. I'm never serious.

[+Groovy Laura]

i give up

[+Snoogans]

We have a man here in WV that sits in front of his computer and watches for FTF Caches to be placed.

He then runs out and finds them all he has 400 FTF believe it or not. I have as well as my wife hasbeen caching for 1 year now. And have never found a FTF . But we came close twice 2nd on one and 4th on another.

I do not appreciate any one hogging FTF and tearing up cache logs where he was not first to find.

 

My question is when is Groundspeak gonna step up and eliminate that kind of FTF folks.

 

What say you folks about this matter.

 

I say all of your assumptions fail to light my torch or make me want to grab for my pitchfork.

 

No one is entitled to FTF.

 

Ya think your FTF Hog would wanna buy some of these?:

 

[+Mudfrog]

i give up

 

Ftf stats do not show up automatically in your logs. This is something that you have to keep up with yourself. The best way to keep up with your own ftfs is to physically type "ftf" somewhere in your online log for caches you got first to find on. Some people keep a running total on them by typing something like "ftf (253)" in their log entry but that would be too hard to keep up with for me.

 

What works in my case is to just make sure and type in "ftf" somewhere in my online log on caches i get first to find on. This way i can use another program such as gsak and filter for that word (ftf) to get a total. Like was said earlier, you have to make sure you don't post something like "got beat by the ftf by 10 minutes" in a log or else that cache will show up in the total as well.

[+DanOCan]

My question is when is Groundspeak gonna step up and eliminate that kind of FTF folks.

 

What say you folks about this matter.

It's not Groundspeak's problem to solve -- cachers created this notion that the FTF is somehow special and deserves extra attention.

 

Bottom line is this: If you aren't enjoying the FTF competition in your area then don't participate in it. The only one creating this pressure is you. You are in total control over whether or not the FTF game is worth stressing over. As has been said in these forums many times, "If you aren't having fun you're doing it wrong."

 

I gave up chasing FTFs a long time ago. I still get the occassional one and will record it as such, but I realized it was nothing to lose sleep over.

[+addisonbr]

i give up

Hey Laura. I agree, it's a little confusing, especially for newcomers, and especially because FTF's can be a hot-button issue for some. (Some really enjoy that part of the game, others think it's bad for geocaching, many fall somewhere in between).

 

For those who like to keep track of their own FTFs, there are a couple of common ways to do that. As a premium member, all of these methods should be available to you.

 

One is by using a stat service - either a program like GSAK or a web service like mygeocachingprofile.com (those are just two examples). GSAK has a field you can check that indicates that you consider yourself the FTF on that cache. mygeocachingprofile.com allows you to enter the waypoints for caches you consider yourself to be FTF on. They can then turn around and provide FTF-related stats based on your indications - your total FTFs, your most FTFs in one day, your best streak of FTFs by day or month, and so on.

 

Sometimes these stat services can be set to read keywords in your log, and automatically tally those caches as your FTFs. But that can be a little buggy. For example, as AZcachemeister says, if you have the program set to look for "FTF" in your log, and you type "I just missed the FTF", it will count that cache as an FTF for you. I think it's probably simpler just to check the box or enter the waypoint on your own.

 

Another way that I find to be a little easier is simply to create a bookmark list for your FTFs. If you find a cache and consider yourself to be the FTF, you can create a bookmark list (called 'My FTFs' or whatever) and just add that cache to the list. That allows you to keep a running total of your total FTFs without all that much effort. WARNING - you should avoid making it a public list. In other words, don't set the bookmark list to publish itself to the individual cache pages. "I want to share this list with others" is fine, but I'd stay away from "Make this list public (show on bookmarked listings)". It can rub folks the wrong way.

 

The net result of all of this is that the geocaching.com web site does not currently track FTFs for people automatically. But with PQs and third-party stat services, or with bookmark lists, there are some ways to keep track. To get that information about another cacher you'd probably have to either check their profile (assuming that they both keep track of the number, and that they advertise it there), or simply ask them.

[+Katmomof3]

I have one friend who uses his favorite points to keep track of his FTF.

[+Mudfrog]

I know we've veered off topic some but i did want to add one more thing.

 

Sometimes these stat services can be set to read keywords in your log, and automatically tally those caches as your FTFs. But that can be a little buggy. For example, as AZcachemeister says, if you have the program set to look for "FTF" in your log, and you type "I just missed the FTF", it will count that cache as an FTF for you. I think it's probably simpler just to check the box or enter the waypoint on your own.

 

 

What works for me and your mileage may vary.

 

In gsak it doesn't really matter since i choose to filter for just the letters "ftf". But i believe there are other programs that automatically look for both, "ftf" and "first to find", in logs. To be on the safe side, if i do want to "Congratulate someone on getting a ftf" or want to say something like "missed the ftf by that much", i purposely mispell the word "first". For instance, i might say something like, "Congratulations to (cacher's name) for getting the firs to find or, "missed the firs to find by that much".

[+FunnyNose]

One good way to increase your FTF count is to create a couple Sock Puppet accounts. Place caches under your sock puppet account and then go out and FTF them.

[+VeeRich]

Besides the ripping of the logs I don't see a problem here.

 

Besides, I'm not that impressed by FTFs. The most impressive are the FTF after 3 years or FTF after 10 DNFs.

 

Good luck anyways.

[+SwineFlew]

One good way to increase your FTF count is to create a couple Sock Puppet accounts. Place caches under your sock puppet account and then go out and FTF them.

There's someone doing that north of here or have his friends write his SN on the log before they are published.

 

People are laughing at him when he said he got so so many FTFs.

[+FunnyNose]

One good way to increase your FTF count is to create a couple Sock Puppet accounts. Place caches under your sock puppet account and then go out and FTF them.

There's someone doing that north of here or have his friends write his SN on the log before they are published.

 

People are laughing at him when he said he got so so many FTFs.

 

I only put that out as a hypothetical suggestion. I didn’t think anyone would have such low ethical standards that they would actually do that.

[+Scubasonic]

[Thanks I was just curious how the original poster knows that the guy had over 400 FTF's. If they were actually counting and reviewing all the logs they sure have a lot of time on their hands.

 

Maybe the FTF hound has GSAK as this 3rd party software does track FTFs

[+DragonsWest]

One good way to increase your FTF count is to create a couple Sock Puppet accounts. Place caches under your sock puppet account and then go out and FTF them.

There's someone doing that north of here or have his friends write his SN on the log before they are published.

 

People are laughing at him when he said he got so so many FTFs.

 

I only put that out as a hypothetical suggestion. I didn’t think anyone would have such low ethical standards that they would actually do that.

The game means different things to different people. To some it's all about the numbers and to a few it's all about specific numbers. Let your conscience be your guide. (And if you have a bad conscience, you'll certainly hear about it.)

[+Bear and Ragged]

.

Edited April 9, 2012 by Bear and Ragged