FTF's: Overrated?

2.6k · February 24, 2013

A chance of having a mini event at GZ.

I hear this one a lot. I've been caching for six years and have somewhere between 15 and 20 FTS and probably about the same number of 2TF, and as much as I've always enjoyed meeting other geocachers out in the field it's never happened to me for any of those FTF or 2TF caches. I suppose this might be more common if you happen to live in an area which has a large regular group of FTF hounds but given the vast diversity of geocaching communities (and in most places there really isn't much of a semblance of a community) it only a benefit enjoyed in some areas. Yes, the chances of meeting another cache while searching for a recently published cache are greater, but for many it's like the increased odds of winning the lottery by buying two tickets instead of one.

This wasn't a FTF, but my first find, (date Feb.17 2001 GC146)

As I was signing the log 5 more cachers came up on the cache, at that time there were only about 75 cachers in all of Southern California. Just thought I'd toss that in

February 24, 2013

I don't care about being FTF (though it happened that I did some FTFs without any specific intention).

I would agree that FTF may mean something only when there's some challenge, when the task demands some specific physical or intellectual resources from a person. When it's about "I monitor new geocaches more often than you" or "You work in the morning and I can go for a cache hunt" it looks childish I think. If one lives next to a newly published geocache and I live at the other end of the city and he boasts that he managed to log a FTF almost immediately after it appeared on the net - should I respect him more? I'd say: "Dude, go climb the ridge and grab a couple of unvisited caches at the Polar Urals I placed last year, and we shall celebrate your FTFs together!"

Edited February 24, 2013 by -CJ-

14k · February 24, 2013

A chance of having a mini event at GZ.

I hear this one a lot. I've been caching for six years and have somewhere between 15 and 20 FTS and probably about the same number of 2TF, and as much as I've always enjoyed meeting other geocachers out in the field it's never happened to me for any of those FTF or 2TF caches. I suppose this might be more common if you happen to live in an area which has a large regular group of FTF hounds but given the vast diversity of geocaching communities (and in most places there really isn't much of a semblance of a community) it only a benefit enjoyed in some areas. Yes, the chances of meeting another cache while searching for a recently published cache are greater, but for many it's like the increased odds of winning the lottery by buying two tickets instead of one.

This wasn't a FTF, but my first find, (date Feb.17 2001 GC146)

As I was signing the log 5 more cachers came up on the cache, at that time there were only about 75 cachers in all of Southern California. Just thought I'd toss that in

I've encountered other geocacher quite a few times while out in the field as well. During my first years geocaching, while finding the second stage of a two part multi, the owner of the cache came out of his house for a chat (it was located at the edge of his property) and gave me some suggestions for some others to look for nearby. As I got to the next one there were two other cachers in the process of signing the log and as we were chatting, another vehicle pulled up wit 3 other geocachers. About an hour later, after finding another cache, I met a couple of more cachers walking in on the trail to the cache, and then a short drive away along a seasonal dirt road I came upon another vehicle stopped at an "intersection" with the passenger looking at their GPS to decide which way to go. This was all in a fairly rural area with a lot of state forest land and there were no FTFs to be had by anyone in the area. It was quite unusual to meet so many other cachers as there really aren't a log of other geocachers in the area. It was just one of those beautiful spring days and everyone wanted to get outside.

February 24, 2013

I'm nearing 2 years since my last FTF. It kind of makes me want to get an FTF, but there are several cachers in the area that are addicted to FTFs, so it's not a pressing issue for me.

I'm using the winter snow cover to plan a multi that takes you to 12 cemeteries across half the county, ala The Day Of The Dead.

We'll see who FTFs it.

February 24, 2013

I like trying for a FTF because:

There is a very good chance the cache is there.

Sometimes there will be a spontaneous GZ party. I like to meet other cachers and swap stories and hints with them. I like to work with other people when hunting for a hard one; for me, fairly new to this hobby, it is a good learning experience to see what other people think to check out.

There is no geo-trail or disturbed area yet, so finding the cache is a better challenge.

It gets me outside early in the morning and exercising (almost all of my (not many) FTFs have been reached by bicycle).

February 24, 2013

I think being last to find is kind of cool as well

38.2k · February 24, 2013

I'll let others beta test the cache for me.

February 24, 2013

I haven't got a FTF yet, but I wish to be as the first one at newly published cache's location one day - and not only for fun, it would also fulfill my hunger for challenge. Would I feel pride? Oh Yes

February 24, 2013

The same reasons you geocache. It makes a person feel good at a level that a hobby should. It really doesn't need to be more complicated than that.

FTF and geocaching are not the same thing.

They are both a part of the same hobby; they are one and the same for me. I also didn't say they were the same, but that they can be done for the same reasons.

its not part of the game geocaching does not promote ftf

February 24, 2013

I like trying for a FTF because:

There is a very good chance the cache is there.

Sometimes there will be a spontaneous GZ party. I like to meet other cachers and swap stories and hints with them. I like to work with other people when hunting for a hard one; for me, fairly new to this hobby, it is a good learning experience to see what other people think to check out.

There is no geo-trail or disturbed area yet, so finding the cache is a better challenge.

It gets me outside early in the morning and exercising (almost all of my (not many) FTFs have been reached by bicycle).

thats another reason why i do not do first to finds..a lot of people in my area do that we were going to go out with our new geocaching friend to a spot and when we got there we found that there was a few people abuot 5 or 6 just sitting around the cache drinking coffee we read the log later and they had been there for about 45 minutes to an hour

February 24, 2013

The same reasons you geocache. It makes a person feel good at a level that a hobby should. It really doesn't need to be more complicated than that.

FTF and geocaching are not the same thing.

They are both a part of the same hobby; they are one and the same for me. I also didn't say they were the same, but that they can be done for the same reasons.

its not part of the game geocaching does not promote ftf

Of course it is...whether promoted or not, every cache has a FTF (assuming someone has found it)

2.8k · February 24, 2013

The same reasons you geocache. It makes a person feel good at a level that a hobby should. It really doesn't need to be more complicated than that.

FTF and geocaching are not the same thing.

They are both a part of the same hobby; they are one and the same for me. I also didn't say they were the same, but that they can be done for the same reasons.

its not part of the game geocaching does not promote ftf

Really?

A: Every cache has an FTF unless it hasn't been found.

B: This!

February 24, 2013

The same reasons you geocache. It makes a person feel good at a level that a hobby should. It really doesn't need to be more complicated than that.

FTF and geocaching are not the same thing.

They are both a part of the same hobby; they are one and the same for me. I also didn't say they were the same, but that they can be done for the same reasons.

its not part of the game geocaching does not promote ftf

Of course it is...whether promoted or not, every cache has a FTF (assuming someone has found it)

im glad someone goes there for the first time but i try not to promote it. makes some geocachers go crazzyyy

8k · February 24, 2013

FTF and geocaching are not the same thing.

They are both a part of the same hobby; they are one and the same for me. I also didn't say they were the same, but that they can be done for the same reasons.

its not part of the game geocaching does not promote ftf

I see there have been several answers already but I'll add.

Groundspeak does in fact promote FTF by selling coins and other trinkets. The term FTF is found in the official acronym list.

What Groundspeak doesn't do is promote a FTF statistic. The only way on the site to record a FTF is to put it in your log. There is no official definition to deal with issues such as beta testing and the like.

Each cache does indeed have a first person to find it. Many cache owners hide a cache and, second only to waiting for the Published log, waiting for that first Found It log is one of the most anticipated emails for a new cache owner to receive.

:mmraspberry: People cache for different reasons and different people enjoy different aspects of the game. Just as some people like to get the first scoop of ice cream from a newly opened container, some get extra enjoyment from being the first to sign the log in a new cache. Others are like the King and prefer the royal food taster takes the first scoop (just in case the ice cream is poisoned).

February 24, 2013

The same reasons you geocache. It makes a person feel good at a level that a hobby should. It really doesn't need to be more complicated than that.

FTF and geocaching are not the same thing.

They are both a part of the same hobby; they are one and the same for me. I also didn't say they were the same, but that they can be done for the same reasons.

its not part of the game geocaching does not promote ftf

Of course it is...whether promoted or not, every cache has a FTF (assuming someone has found it)

im glad someone goes there for the first time but i try not to promote it. makes some geocachers go crazzyyy

Yet your own cache appears to promote FTF as the listing starts with a big congratulations to the person who got ftf.

February 24, 2013

The same reasons you geocache. It makes a person feel good at a level that a hobby should. It really doesn't need to be more complicated than that.

FTF and geocaching are not the same thing.

They are both a part of the same hobby; they are one and the same for me. I also didn't say they were the same, but that they can be done for the same reasons.

its not part of the game geocaching does not promote ftf

Really?

A: Every cache has an FTF unless it hasn't been found.

B: This!

Bwahahahaahahahahaahahahhaaaaa!!

Just getting back up to speed on this thread and this killed me. What better way to promote something than to sell swag with your mascot on it?!? Yup FTFs are definitely not promoted by Groundspeak or GC.com!

1.3k · February 25, 2013

Lol, you no what they say about opinions? Them and belly buttons have one big thing in common.

You totally sound like the muggles in my family when I explain Geocaching. So what do you get? What is the reward? Why do you do it?

The same reasons you geocache. It makes a person feel good at a level that a hobby should. It really doesn't need to be more complicated than that. Whether or not it is an official aspect of our game doesn't matter, it is an active portion for many of your fellow geocachers.

Maybe the best explanation I've read on the topic.

1.3k · February 25, 2013

I'll let others beta test the cache for me.

I actually enjoy what you refer to as beta testing the geocache. I've had plenty of old-fashioned fun finding geocaches that are several hundred feet to several miles from the posted coordinates.

Edited February 25, 2013 by TerraViators

1.3k · February 25, 2013

its not part of the game geocaching does not promote ftf

It's absolutely part of the game. Groundspeak doesn't promote it but perhaps other listing sites promote it...I don't know. But there are many nuances of geocaching that have become an unofficial part of the game.

February 25, 2013

'.....after a few FTF's you can earn a bit of respect.....'

Maybe from others playing the FTF game, but most likely, bagging an FTF is so important to some cachers that they will just be aggravated by you.

From the rest of us, largely we will just think you are bats. Like the way the rest of the world regards geocachers as a whole.

But with so many trails full of film cannisters every 528 feet, a whole bunch of FTFs is pretty simple if you get to the first one first isn't it. Surely that devalues the satisfaction of the following 20 (or however many there are) doesn't it?

PP

Edited February 25, 2013 by Pink Paisley

February 25, 2013

And as it happens, if I have been in the position of having been 2TF I will hold off on logging on line (or simply write a note so that nobody rushes out in vain) so that the FTFing geocacher gets their day in the limelight.

But I have seen instances where FTFin cachers have not logged for hours and then there have been grumbles that they didn't and the 2TFers have been disapointed and hinted that the FTFer has held off on purpose.

All a bit niggly.

PP.

Edited February 25, 2013 by Pink Paisley

3.8k · February 25, 2013

I enjoy FTF's but don't ever lose sleep over it, ever. What I find amazing is those that claim to not care about FTF's have the most to say about it. Just an observation..

February 25, 2013

Years ago when a good share of the caches contained trade items a FTF gave you first crack to make trades. With most of the caches nowadays being pill bottles or bison tubes it takes that advantage away, so if I get a FTF I'll take it, but I'm not going out in the middle of the night to get one.

Even better in those days was that any cache that required a bit of effort would sit unclaimed for days or even weeks. There were fewer cachers to go after them and fewer for whom FTF mattered. There's nothing as grueling as putting out your cache and waiting weeks for a find. So cache owners started putting in FTF prizes $$ in the cache to encourage a visitor.

This eventually led to people thinking that a FTF prize or recognition of the FTF was something every cache should do and likely part of the reason that FTF became part of the lexicon of geocaching. It started with people who just wanted to see someone log their cache. Back then anyone who logged a FTF was greatly appreaciated.

My first cache was unfound for 3 weeks.

id rather wait weeks than promote something that just causes junk

February 25, 2013

The same reasons you geocache. It makes a person feel good at a level that a hobby should. It really doesn't need to be more complicated than that.

FTF and geocaching are not the same thing.

They are both a part of the same hobby; they are one and the same for me. I also didn't say they were the same, but that they can be done for the same reasons.

its not part of the game geocaching does not promote ftf

Of course it is...whether promoted or not, every cache has a FTF (assuming someone has found it)

im glad someone goes there for the first time but i try not to promote it. makes some geocachers go crazzyyy

Yet your own cache appears to promote FTF as the listing starts with a big congratulations to the person who got ftf.

lol i said i try not to promote first to finds and there was a big argument with the first to find on that cache. so instead of arguing about it i dealt with it in a calm cool manner instead of receiving emails of are you insane and why did you even put out a cache if you dont promote first to find so we put it there as a chuckle that we couldnt believe so many people freaked out so..

¸

a prime example of why i dont promote it is we had a cache published right beside our house like i could throw a stick at it and hit it. we went to go down there not even five minutes after it was posted and there was somebody already there so we kinda were like wow...

Edited February 25, 2013 by Off Grid

February 26, 2013

I'm pushing 2000 finds and maybe 2 were FTFs. I really don't try. Just happened a couple of times. My caching buddy however has notifications set up on his phone and goes nuts over getting FTFs. The only thing I envy him is that he has met a lot of fellow cachers in the process of all the FTFers showing up to try to be first.

February 26, 2013

I know when we first tried for our FTF i realized, my self more than Mermaid that it becomes addictive to find more!! You find yourself constantly watching that post to make sure no one else found it before you can go out and find it :}

February 26, 2013

I've lurked several forums about FTF's and talked to some cachers who can't resist going after FTF's, but still don't see what's so special about being the first to find. There's no real statistic on your GC profile (unless you use third party stat counters) to show them and really the only prize you get is bragging rights, possibly a dollar if the CO has one in his/her wallet.

In my opinion, rushing out to be the first one to find a cache doesn't make any sense, especially if you have to go 20 to 30 miles. So the question is, for all of you FTF hounds or people who believe they're important, what drives you to get the FTF? Is it about the numbers? pride? lack of anything else to do? I'm just curious...

We each play the game our own way. If being FTF is your thing, more power to ya!

2.8k · February 27, 2013

I've lurked several forums about FTF's and talked to some cachers who can't resist going after FTF's, but still don't see what's so special about being the first to find. There's no real statistic on your GC profile (unless you use third party stat counters) to show them and really the only prize you get is bragging rights, possibly a dollar if the CO has one in his/her wallet.

In my opinion, rushing out to be the first one to find a cache doesn't make any sense, especially if you have to go 20 to 30 miles. So the question is, for all of you FTF hounds or people who believe they're important, what drives you to get the FTF? Is it about the numbers? pride? lack of anything else to do? I'm just curious...

We each play the game our own way. If being FTF is your thing, more power to ya!

Actually for the most part in the real world it does work like that but here on the forums it was, is and always will be bash anyone and everyone that does it differently than you do.

1.1k · February 27, 2013

Holy smokes! Eighteen new caches just published within the last 5 minutes...just as the work day is ending and a nice slushy rain/snow is coming down. Should we go?...na, it will be fun to watch these tonight as the FTF game materializes though.

February 27, 2013

I think it really just comes down to what's important to you, and what part(s) of the whole world of geocaching interests and excites you the most, and where you want to challenge yourself.

I definitely wanted to get a FTF after I had been caching for a bit - and definitely took part in the rush to get a few. After that, though, I found other parts of geocaching that intrigued me more and wanted to challenge myself in. I like finding caches that haven't been found in a long time. I enjoy bending my mind with puzzle caches - getting first to solve (when applicable) is more fun for me than first to find.

Right now I'm working on getting my average D/T up - I'd like for them to both be over 2, but I know it'll take me awhile to get there, but it's been fun for me to watch them slowly (so slowly) creep upward.

I can't fault anyone for doing what they love, as long as it's not to the detriment (or at the expense of) others.

1.1k · February 27, 2013

Right now I'm working on getting my average D/T up - I'd like for them to both be over 2, but I know it'll take me awhile to get there, but it's been fun for me to watch them slowly (so slowly) creep upward.

I's doable. Ours was a natural outcome of ignoring parking lots. We still stop by one now and then if the FAV points peak our interest.

1.5k · February 27, 2013

This isn't the norm, but I want to tell you about an amazing FTF that a good friend got.

The cache was in the parking lot of a classic car restoration near here, placed by an employee of the firm. They had a FTF prize in it of a 2 year subscription to the company's Classic Auto Auctions catalog ($400 per year to buy!)

Now, that`s an amazing FTF prize in itself, but this friend happens to go to Arizona every year for most of the winter, and just happened to see in the catalog that there was an auction in Arizona in Feb. So he calls the lady that put the cache out, and inquired about getting into the auction. Ordinarily, you need to purchase the catalog, and pay an additional fee to get in, but she got them and another local caching couple (who also spends the winter in Arizona) on the guest list!

Apparently it was quite an experience to see all the old cars, and rub elbows with people that were bidding 2, or 2.5 million with the lift of a card!

There was one auto that went for 8 million!

I actually was on the computer when the notification came up, and probably could have gone out and gotten it (I live about 2 miles from the cache)! Actually, though, although the catalogs would have been neat, I couldn`t have taken advantage of the auction and all!

Talk about a great FTF prize!

Now back to the regular programing

1.1k · February 27, 2013

Way to bring my parking lot post back in topic. That's a pretty cool story.

1.5k · February 27, 2013

Way to bring my parking lot post back in topic. That's a pretty cool story.

:lol: The cache is actually in a split rail fence along the side of the parking lot.

1.1k · February 28, 2013

Holy smokes! Eighteen new caches just published within the last 5 minutes...just as the work day is ending and a nice slushy rain/snow is coming down. Should we go?...na, it will be fun to watch these tonight as the FTF game materializes though.

Interesting...While watching these caches tonight, I noticed that a cacher listed the time of their FTF at 4:13. My notification hit my e-mail at 5:15. I wonder why my e-mail is so delayed.

February 28, 2013

Holy smokes! Eighteen new caches just published within the last 5 minutes...just as the work day is ending and a nice slushy rain/snow is coming down. Should we go?...na, it will be fun to watch these tonight as the FTF game materializes though.

Interesting...While watching these caches tonight, I noticed that a cacher listed the time of their FTF at 4:13. My notification hit my e-mail at 5:15. I wonder why my e-mail is so delayed.

My email was super-delayed today as well. I put out a cache yesterday that was logged as found early this morning (around 7:30 am, I'm guessing, since it was found while I was driving to work), but I didn't get the email notification until 2:40 this afternoon.

February 28, 2013

I like FTFs when they mean something. I finally did a FTF just a couple years back. I did it because:

My first ever First to Find

First Day of the year

First day (debut) of the series

First of the day

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=327100e0-c7b6-4dbe-b70d-3f238d476794

My second and final was purely by mistake. I apparently, technically found it before it was placed, the hider scoped the spot, had the coordinates, submitted the cache, and it was published, but snow had fallen the night before (yes, I snow cache), and was delayed getting to the site before I got there (I was just ready to go before dawn, and the snow makes it real easy to cache at night). Luckily while I was still searching, the cache owner arrived. He explained the deal, and I said, cool..."I'll go over here and shut my eyes" while he hid the cache. Well, it wasn't long...the snow (footprints) made it somewhat easy to find after they hid it, but I had created my own mess of footprints already...so it wasn't super easy).

The fact I can tell a story is the point for me. Just rushing out to the car and driving like made to get 30 FTFs isn't for me. While I am not telling people not to, but I say....why is it that you feel the need to get the FTF. There are probably good reasons, and bad reasons. And some can't even explain it. I kinda feel that it may be a shallow victory in those cases. But just a perspective/opinion.

FTF's: Overrated?

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