Greedy Geocachers?

February 15, 2016

Oh yeah, we have a couple around here who "Just happen to be in the neighbourhood" at 3 AM, 300 miles from home, in a blinding snowstorm, etc etc.. Whatever. If that's the case, then all the more power to 'em. When somebody starts paying me to be FTF, then I'll worry about it.

2.4k · February 15, 2016

As long as it's a buffet I don't really care how many chicken wings they take.

I wonder though if the FTF prize factors into it at all. Is it the prize that's important to the FTF hounds or the status?

I agree you have to be pretty tuned in and ready to go to be a FTF hound. It takes a little work so their has to be something to it.

February 15, 2016

And you want FTF too? it you don't want to do the work for it? Guess if that guy is greedy, then you're entitled. You get the same notification, so either be "greedy" and go for it at 2am, or be "entitled" and expect people to check with you before they go for FTF.

Ha-ha! The OP will be sorry he posted!

Okay, let's try to help. The OP can email the reviewer and suggest that publication times be varied (not all at night).

In my area the publication time could be day or night, and so no one person or sleep schedule is favored. That keeps it interesting for everyone.

Not a bad idea. Hope the reviewer in our area takes note!

13.7k · February 15, 2016

A new cacher in this area logged his own cache as a find posting "others get to log it and add to their totals so why shouldn't I?"

I've seen that here too. "I've put a lot of time and effort in placing my caches so I log the as found" (CO has 400+ placed caches).

One group near me places caches under a "team" name.

Eventually all the team members "find it" under their caching names.

- Often there's already a couple members names written in the middle of the log when placed (and I'm first or second to find...). :huh:

February 15, 2016

This may not be the right place for this, but here goes. I just recieved a email notice that someone had found a geocache that I am watching. It is an elusive cache that has lots of DNFs but is found occasionally. Well, I was surprised that someone found it in the middle of winter (I am talking about Montana). So I decided to check out the cache page. It showed all the logs including the most recent one. I checked out the cacher's profile just because I was curious. I looked at his/her stats and was amazed and shocked and very skeptical about what I saw:

Best Day

2716 caches in one day on 02/10/2016

Best Month

3441 caches in February of 2016

Best Year

3441 caches in 2016

Now, I don't usually get uptight about things, but this just doesn't seem possible. The biggest thing is that it throws off caches by saying they've been found and really they haven't. Has anyone else seen this happen. Just curious.

3.5k · February 15, 2016

This may not be the right place for this, but here goes. I just recieved a email notice that someone had found a geocache that I am watching. It is an elusive cache that has lots of DNFs but is found occasionally. Well, I was surprised that someone found it in the middle of winter (I am talking about Montana). So I decided to check out the cache page. It showed all the logs including the most recent one. I checked out the cacher's profile just because I was curious. I looked at his/her stats and was amazed and shocked and very skeptical about what I saw:

Best Day

2716 caches in one day on 02/10/2016

Best Month

3441 caches in February of 2016

Best Year

3441 caches in 2016

Now, I don't usually get uptight about things, but this just doesn't seem possible. The biggest thing is that it throws off caches by saying they've been found and really they haven't. Has anyone else seen this happen. Just curious.

There's a thread about this cacher's activities: http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=337320

I agree about it being annoying. They logged a find, which has since been deleted by the CO, on a cache that I had DNF'd. I saw the watchlist notification email and initially thought it had been found, and started wondering how I had missed it when I search for it last month.

Edited February 15, 2016 by noncentric

7.3k · February 16, 2016

This may not be the right place for this, but here goes. I just recieved a email notice that someone had found a geocache that I am watching. It is an elusive cache that has lots of DNFs but is found occasionally. Well, I was surprised that someone found it in the middle of winter (I am talking about Montana). So I decided to check out the cache page. It showed all the logs including the most recent one. I checked out the cacher's profile just because I was curious. I looked at his/her stats and was amazed and shocked and very skeptical about what I saw:

Best Day

2716 caches in one day on 02/10/2016

Best Month

3441 caches in February of 2016

Best Year

3441 caches in 2016

Now, I don't usually get uptight about things, but this just doesn't seem possible. The biggest thing is that it throws off caches by saying they've been found and really they haven't. Has anyone else seen this happen. Just curious.

There's a thread about this cacher's activities: http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=337320

I agree about it being annoying. They logged a find, which has since been deleted by the CO, on a cache that I had DNF'd. I saw the watchlist notification email and initially thought it had been found, and started wondering how I had missed it when I search for it last month.

I've reported that user as a spammer.

But the thread is about FTF'ers, no?

B.

Edited February 16, 2016 by Pup Patrol

February 16, 2016

I received an e-mail notification about a new cache. In less than an hour of it being posted, someone had claimed FTF.

LOL. Speedy little buggers. I guess you gotta have your keys in hand and ready to head out the door with GPS if you want to stand a chance in this area. LOL.

Edited February 16, 2016 by Pinballwiz

4.6k · February 16, 2016

I received an e-mail notification about a new cache. In less than an hour of it being posted, someone had claimed FTF.

Many around here are found within 15-20 minutes. No big deal.

February 17, 2016

I received an e-mail notification about a new cache. In less than an hour of it being posted, someone had claimed FTF.

Many around here are found within 15-20 minutes. No big deal.

It is if you'd like to get FTF once in a while. 15 minutes? That sounds like a challenge! Hahaha.

15.3k · February 17, 2016

15 minutes? That sounds like a challenge! Hahaha.

Okay, so it isn't a challenge that I'm going to accept. But then again, 2 of my 3 FTFs were found days after the caches were published.

3.5k · February 17, 2016

I received an e-mail notification about a new cache. In less than an hour of it being posted, someone had claimed FTF.

Many around here are found within 15-20 minutes. No big deal.

Yep. Same here. A cache being found within 15 minutes of the email notification is not surprising.

February 17, 2016

Yep. Same here. A cache being found within 15 minutes of the email notification is not surprising.

That's faster than the Jimmy John's delivery guy. :laughing:

4.6k · February 17, 2016

Yep. Same here. A cache being found within 15 minutes of the email notification is not surprising.

That's faster than the Jimmy John's delivery guy.

I think my record was 5 minutes. I was visiting the supermarket across the road from GZ when the cache was published.

7.5k · February 17, 2016

Yep. Same here. A cache being found within 15 minutes of the email notification is not surprising.

That's faster than the Jimmy John's delivery guy.

I think my record was 5 minutes. I was visiting the supermarket across the road from GZ when the cache was published.

Mine was about 10 days before publication. A new trail opened up and I was looking for a spot to hide a cache. Found a pill bottle with a fresh logbook, in a stump by a bench.

Edited February 17, 2016 by L0ne.R

March 8, 2016

Yep. Same here. A cache being found within 15 minutes of the email notification is not surprising.

That's faster than the Jimmy John's delivery guy.

I think my record was 5 minutes. I was visiting the supermarket across the road from GZ when the cache was published.

Mine was about 10 days before publication. A new trail opened up and I was looking for a spot to hide a cache. Found a pill bottle with a fresh logbook, in a stump by a bench.

I found my first before even becoming a member. And I've found caches before they were published while looking for locations to place a hide too.

March 8, 2016

I have given up placing caches because of the FTF crew. It is not so much that they are the first to find, it is what I consider disrespectful logs that bear no relation to the cache. For example, FTF at 09:24. And that is it. I even hid an almost impossible to find cache, knowing that the FTF crew would want to find it. I got bombarded with messages as I know them personally about how to find it. I gave up in the end and showed them. So no more hiding caches for me, the FTF has spoiled that side of the game for me.

3.8k · March 8, 2016

I have given up placing caches because of the FTF crew. It is not so much that they are the first to find, it is what I consider disrespectful logs that bear no relation to the cache. For example, FTF at 09:24. And that is it. I even hid an almost impossible to find cache, knowing that the FTF crew would want to find it. I got bombarded with messages as I know them personally about how to find it. I gave up in the end and showed them. So no more hiding caches for me, the FTF has spoiled that side of the game for me.

:rolleyes:

7.5k · March 8, 2016

I have given up placing caches because of the FTF crew. It is not so much that they are the first to find, it is what I consider disrespectful logs that bear no relation to the cache. For example, FTF at 09:24. And that is it. I even hid an almost impossible to find cache, knowing that the FTF crew would want to find it. I got bombarded with messages as I know them personally about how to find it. I gave up in the end and showed them. So no more hiding caches for me, the FTF has spoiled that side of the game for me.

Have you told them that? Why not make everyone laugh by hiding caches that make fun of them?

I have to admit, though, I really don't get your logic. Because the FTFers leave vacuous notes that don't satisfy you, you're going to stop hiding caches so you never, ever have any chance at all of getting any notes that satisfy you? The math doesn't add up. And the only people hurt are the ones you were hiding the caches for to begin with.

4.5k · March 8, 2016

I have given up placing caches because of the FTF crew. It is not so much that they are the first to find, it is what I consider disrespectful logs that bear no relation to the cache. For example, FTF at 09:24. And that is it. I even hid an almost impossible to find cache, knowing that the FTF crew would want to find it. I got bombarded with messages as I know them personally about how to find it. I gave up in the end and showed them. So no more hiding caches for me, the FTF has spoiled that side of the game for me.

Have you told them that? Why not make everyone laugh by hiding caches that make fun of them?

I have to admit, though, I really don't get your logic. Because the FTFers leave vacuous notes that don't satisfy you, you're going to stop hiding caches so you never, ever have any chance at all of getting any notes that satisfy you? The math doesn't add up. And the only people hurt are the ones you were hiding the caches for to begin with.

Yes, and it's a shame that FTFers are the only ones that do this. My own experiences with this are opposite. Most of the FTF logs that come in are better than the follow ups. On getting bombarded with messages, this happens whether it's ftf or not. Well, maybe not as much because of those pesky paf networks. :blink:

The thing is, in this day and time, we won't get many logs that say more than TFTC, found it, or something copied and pasted... The few good ones that come in are always nice though and make it all worth it.

March 8, 2016

I have given up placing caches because of the FTF crew. It is not so much that they are the first to find, it is what I consider disrespectful logs that bear no relation to the cache. For example, FTF at 09:24. And that is it. I even hid an almost impossible to find cache, knowing that the FTF crew would want to find it. I got bombarded with messages as I know them personally about how to find it. I gave up in the end and showed them. So no more hiding caches for me, the FTF has spoiled that side of the game for me.

It's possible that you are only seeing the original log, since that's the one you will get the notification about. Oftentimes a FTFer will create a quick log in the field saying something like "FTF at 9:24" just to let others know that the FTF has been claimed, but then later write up a full log describing the search, etc. You won't get a notification that the log has been edited, so in your mind the log is still the short one, whereas in reality it may be the type of log you want. Give them a couple of days before you feel too disappointed in them.

Although the original log would be better if it said "FTF at 9:24. More details to come" to indicate this situation.

15.3k · March 9, 2016

Although the original log would be better if it said "FTF at 9:24. More details to come" to indicate this situation.

IMHO, the original log would be better if the finder waited until he/she had access to a real keyboard and could enter a real log.

13.7k · March 9, 2016

Although the original log would be better if it said "FTF at 9:24. More details to come" to indicate this situation.
IMHO, the original log would be better if the finder waited until he/she had access to a real keyboard and could enter a real log.

+1

Not sure what it's like in other areas, but mine, that "will follow up later" log never is.

3.5k · March 9, 2016

Although the original log would be better if it said "FTF at 9:24. More details to come" to indicate this situation.
IMHO, the original log would be better if the finder waited until he/she had access to a real keyboard and could enter a real log.

I only have 11 FTF's. In each case, I did the "found, more later" log. I had seen other cachers do that and I surmised that cachers in the area appreciated knowing that the FTF had already been claimed. For each of those logs, I did indeed write a longer Found Log later.

If there wasn't another finder on that date or if my short "found, more later" log wasn't in the correct order for that day, then I'd delete my original short log and enter a 'new' longer log later.
If there was another finder on that date, then I'd just update my original log because I didn't want my log to move up the list.

I occasionally see the short "more later" logs on caches several days after the FTF, but it seems that most cachers actually do add more later. It's tougher to tell now that the 'edited' footnote is gone.

2.7k · March 9, 2016

My solution is instead of a Found It log "FTF - More Later", I use a Write Note log "FTF - Real Log Later". My Found It log is written and posted at my convenience & the CO gets to read my log when the email notification hits his inbox, and the FTF racers are notified that they are on a STF race.

March 10, 2016

K13-

That's a good, simple solution. I hadn't thought of doing it that way. Of course, I haven’t had a lot of opportunities to think of doing that either.

2.7k · March 10, 2016

Thanks. It comes from being a cache owner. There is no notification from Groundspeak when a log is edited, so I had to go back and check my cache pages when someone posts a "FTF - more later" Found It log.

15.3k · March 10, 2016

My solution is instead of a Found It log "FTF - More Later", I use a Write Note log "FTF - Real Log Later". My Found It log is written and posted at my convenience & the CO gets to read my log when the email notification hits his inbox, and the FTF racers are notified that they are on a STF race.

That also keeps you from losing credit towards your next Favorites Point, which happens when you post a "more later" Find log, then delete it and post a real Find log.

3.6k · March 10, 2016

I am not after FTFs as a general rule and I have no problem in the world with people who get them more than others. Its obviously something they enjoy. Greedy is hoarding 400 trackables in the area and not dropping them timely. Greedy is taking all the good swag and leaving pennies in return. Greedy is an adjective outside of Geocaching. Getting FTFs a lot just means they are good at it.

The only thing that would annoy me about FTF hounds was if you met them at a GZ and they were really competitive and unfriendly about finding it first to the point of knocking people over, blocking people from searching a particular spot or willing to share if two people effectively found it together.

Greedy is also taking all the good hiding spots.

7.4k · March 10, 2016

I am not after FTFs as a general rule and I have no problem in the world with people who get them more than others. Its obviously something they enjoy. Greedy is hoarding 400 trackables in the area and not dropping them timely. Greedy is taking all the good swag and leaving pennies in return. Greedy is an adjective outside of Geocaching. Getting FTFs a lot just means they are good at it.

The only thing that would annoy me about FTF hounds was if you met them at a GZ and they were really competitive and unfriendly about finding it first to the point of knocking people over, blocking people from searching a particular spot or willing to share if two people effectively found it together.

Greedy is also taking all the good hiding spots.

Placing caches for others to find is the opposite of greed. Geocaching has been going on for more than 15 years. It only makes sense that by now, the "good hiding spots" in and around cities are taken.

14k · March 10, 2016

I am not after FTFs as a general rule and I have no problem in the world with people who get them more than others. Its obviously something they enjoy. Greedy is hoarding 400 trackables in the area and not dropping them timely. Greedy is taking all the good swag and leaving pennies in return. Greedy is an adjective outside of Geocaching. Getting FTFs a lot just means they are good at it.

The only thing that would annoy me about FTF hounds was if you met them at a GZ and they were really competitive and unfriendly about finding it first to the point of knocking people over, blocking people from searching a particular spot or willing to share if two people effectively found it together.

Greedy is also taking all the good hiding spots.

Placing caches for others to find is the opposite of greed. Geocaching has been going on for more than 15 years. It only makes sense that by now, the "good hiding spots" in and around cities are taken.

That's pretty obvious as there are also a lot of "not so good hiding spots" where people place caches as well.

I don't subscribe to the notion that "more is always better" so I don't consider taking all the good spots to necessarily be the opposite of greed. I have seen plenty of cases of CO's carpet bombing areas, placing caches in spots as close as possible to the nearest physical cache without consideration for whether the spot is "good". As a result, it's not that all the good spots are taken, but more that all the good spots are blocked by cache owners that will greedily take up all the space where others might want to place a cache.

3.8k · March 10, 2016

I am not after FTFs as a general rule and I have no problem in the world with people who get them more than others. Its obviously something they enjoy. Greedy is hoarding 400 trackables in the area and not dropping them timely. Greedy is taking all the good swag and leaving pennies in return. Greedy is an adjective outside of Geocaching. Getting FTFs a lot just means they are good at it.

The only thing that would annoy me about FTF hounds was if you met them at a GZ and they were really competitive and unfriendly about finding it first to the point of knocking people over, blocking people from searching a particular spot or willing to share if two people effectively found it together.

Greedy is also taking all the good hiding spots.

I hear this locally once in a while and I NEVER struggle to find hiding spots. It just takes effort, which many cachers nowadays aren't into.

15.3k · March 11, 2016

Greedy is also taking all the good hiding spots.

Maybe. Maybe not.

Carpet bombing a new park the day it opens? Yeah, that seems pretty greedy.

Gradually filling a park one unique cache at a time over the course of months/years? No, I don't think that's greedy.

March 11, 2016

The FTF crew in my neck of the woods seem like a pretty good group of guys. From what I can tell, they are a bit older (retired) and seem like a very amiable group that has known each other for years. I've never met any of them, but if I didn't have 50+ hour work weeks, I would love to do what they are able to do. Work gets in the way too much of me having fun. <_<

March 11, 2016

Just go find caches. Who cares who finds it first.

I've read this entire thread and, in doing so, feel I have learned quite a bit about cachers. That being said, the above quote perfectly sums up how I feel about the whole FTF game. It's meant to be fun. If it's not fun for you then maybe there's something better suited for your idea of a good time. Don't sweat the little stuff and yeah... this is the little stuff. "No one here gets out alive" jm

Greedy Geocachers?

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