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newbie log question


psoord

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Hi to all, my wife and I are new to GC and we absolutely love it. We have a question about logs. . Is there a specific etiquette to follow? We see a lot that say for example ..good find TFTC. Is that acceptable or is more detail needed?

We are a out 2 weeks in and loving it :)

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First, welcome aboard! Glad to hear you are enjoying it so far. ?

 

It is not REQUIRED, per se, to write anything. The site and the app do not let you leave the comment area blank, but you can satisfy that requirement by simply typing "TFTC" or "Found It", or simply even "."

 

Having said that, it's generally considered good etiquette to as least say a little something. Write about who was with you, or what the weather was like, or anything else. Just a sentence or two would be appreciated by most CO's. It's really the only "reward" they get for the work they put into creating hides.

 

I liken it to attending a fancy dinner party at a friend's house, then as soon as you finish eating just abruptly getting up, muttering "Thanks", and walking out. Most folks would consider that pretty rude (even though technically you did say "thanks"....

Edited by Chief301
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First, welcome aboard! Glad to hear you are enjoying it so far. ?

 

It is not REQUIRED, per se, to write anything. The site and the app do not let you leave the comment area blank, but you can satisfy that requirement by simply typing "TFTC" or "Found It", or simply even "."

 

 

Really?

 

I've recently gotten two blank logs on one of my caches.huh.gifGC4WV0F

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If we were supposed to put just TFTC then we wouldn't have the option to put anything else. The fact that we are allowed to write decent/different/not just TFTC logs, is all I need to know I should write something.

 

 

First, welcome aboard! Glad to hear you are enjoying it so far. ?

 

It is not REQUIRED, per se, to write anything. The site and the app do not let you leave the comment area blank, but you can satisfy that requirement by simply typing "TFTC" or "Found It", or simply even "."

 

 

Really?

 

I've recently gotten two blank logs on one of my caches.huh.gifGC4WV0F

 

If I get any log like that, it'll get deleted. After all the cacher hasn't said they found the cache....

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The Help Center article How does it work? tells you to post an online log to "share your experience". So, what would you like to share about your experience?

 

I know some cache owners use the logs to gauge whether their caches are having the intended effect. If they get too many "found it" or "TFTC" logs, then they start to consider that the cache isn't worth keeping around, because people aren't really enjoying it.

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If I get any log like that, it'll get deleted. After all the cacher hasn't said they found the cache....

They did. It's in the log type. I believe Groundspeak would restore their log if they challenge it.

 

Anyway why does TFTC mean they found the cache? I thank the CO for the cache even in my DNF logs.

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First, welcome aboard! Glad to hear you are enjoying it so far. ?

 

It is not REQUIRED, per se, to write anything. The site and the app do not let you leave the comment area blank, but you can satisfy that requirement by simply typing "TFTC" or "Found It", or simply even "."

 

 

Really?

 

I've recently gotten two blank logs on one of my caches.huh.gifGC4WV0F

 

I didn't think they'd let you...to be honest, I've never tried to leave a blank log so I'm really not sure. Doesn't the app require it though?

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Also make your comment about the specific cache. What's frustrating is the copy n paste logs that people write about their day and plop it into every cache log for that day..."Out power caching with the GCGang. We started at the downtown IGA and ended 50 miles away at Kettle Creek bridge. We found 52 caches today, yours was one of them. Thanks." Instead perhaps, "Nice forest find. We saw a couple of deer on the way to your cache. The cache and contents were in great shape. The logbook is getting full there's half a page left. Thanks for the fun and adventure."

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Also make your comment about the specific cache. What's frustrating is the copy n paste logs that people write about their day and plop it into every cache log for that day..."Out power caching with the GCGang. We started at the downtown IGA and ended 50 miles away at Kettle Creek bridge. We found 52 caches today, yours was one of them. Thanks." Instead perhaps, "Nice forest find. We saw a couple of deer on the way to your cache. The cache and contents were in great shape. The logbook is getting full there's half a page left. Thanks for the fun and adventure."

 

I'd still rather receive the detailed cut n paste about their whole day than another "TFTC" ?

 

Or worse still, yet another "That's one more find for me! Thanks so much for hiding this Geocache!"

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I'd still rather receive the detailed cut n paste about their whole day than another "TFTC"

Not me, whether on my cache or someone else's cache. I want information about the cache. The first time I see the cut&paste about the whole day, well, OK, I don't mind reading about someone's trip to the cache. But by the 5th time reading the same cut&paste I'm ready to strangle them. And if there are 20 of them...

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I think that the cache owner spent the time, money and effort to hide the cache, the least finders can do is tell the owner they enjoyed their efforts. Some people aren't writers. If you're in that category then a sentence or two will do. But if the cache was especially fun or interesting I think most cache owners appreciate more detailed logs.

 

As someone mentioned, logs and knowing finders enjoyed the cache are the only reward cache owners receive for hiding a cache. I think most cache owners appreciated longer logs, so if you are inclined to write more, go for it.

 

Sadly the art of writing logs seems to be a lost one. When I look at my older caches (some dating to 2001) many of the early logs were lengthy, a paragraph or two at least. The very same caches today see single sentence logs and sometimes a simple "found it" or "TFTC"

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When I look at my older caches (some dating to 2001) many of the early logs were lengthy, a paragraph or two at least. The very same caches today see single sentence logs and sometimes a simple "found it" or "TFTC"

You have fewer caches to find back in the stone age of geocaching, so you have more time to spend on writing logs :ph34r:

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Also make your comment about the specific cache. What's frustrating is the copy n paste logs that people write about their day and plop it into every cache log for that day..."Out power caching with the GCGang. We started at the downtown IGA and ended 50 miles away at Kettle Creek bridge. We found 52 caches today, yours was one of them. Thanks." Instead perhaps, "Nice forest find. We saw a couple of deer on the way to your cache. The cache and contents were in great shape. The logbook is getting full there's half a page left. Thanks for the fun and adventure."

 

That is a nice thought but the expectation that someone who finds 52 caches in a day will write individual logs is pretty unrealistic. It is more likely that there was not much to distinguish any of them from the rest of the pack. When I hop on the bike and get 20-30 in a day only one or two merit anything other than the pasted days log and I do add to them. Well not actually pasted I guess GSAK'd would be a better expression

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When I look at my older caches (some dating to 2001) many of the early logs were lengthy, a paragraph or two at least. The very same caches today see single sentence logs and sometimes a simple "found it" or "TFTC"

You have fewer caches to find back in the stone age of geocaching, so you have more time to spend on writing logs :ph34r:

Great point. I remember when a five cache day was a lot of work.

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I think that the cache owner spent the time, money and effort to hide the cache, the least finders can do is tell the owner they enjoyed their efforts. Some people aren't writers. If you're in that category then a sentence or two will do. But if the cache was especially fun or interesting I think most cache owners appreciate more detailed logs.

 

As someone mentioned, logs and knowing finders enjoyed the cache are the only reward cache owners receive for hiding a cache. I think most cache owners appreciated longer logs, so if you are inclined to write more, go for it.

 

Sadly the art of writing logs seems to be a lost one. When I look at my older caches (some dating to 2001) many of the early logs were lengthy, a paragraph or two at least. The very same caches today see single sentence logs and sometimes a simple "found it" or "TFTC"

One last comment. Many times it doesn't appear to me the CO put much time, money or effort into the cache. Just dropped something small because he happened to be going by.

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I'd still rather receive the detailed cut n paste about their whole day than another "TFTC" ?

 

 

I don't know, this is a log I got recently that I didn't even finish reading to see if it said anything about our cache. Well I did actually and it didn't. Not saying anything bad about the cacher or how they logged it but still kind of a long read with nothing special about our cache. I would have rather seen something like "That is a crazy big container to hide in such a crowded place"

 

FinGaiGai, fingaru and I found this nice one during our two month trip along the US Westcoast. Many thanks for the Cache!

 

We started with our Ford campervan in San Francisco and drove up North to Bellingham via Bend, Portland, Seattle, took the ferry to Juneau, another one to Sitka (there are the two oldest geocaches of Alaska) and after that we made a short trip to Vancouver BC. On our way we met so many nice folks and saw so many beautiful places like Lake Tahoe Lake, Nevada, the volcanos, Lava Beds, a lot of caves, Lassen National Park, Crater Lake, city of Bend, Mt. Rainier, Mt St. Helens, the waterfalls near by the Columbia River, some whales and the rain forest in Alaska and so many more… On our ride back to San Francisco we took the way directly on the coast: the Highway 101, the Avenue of the Giants and the California 1. And we saw more wonderful things, the dunes and rocks at the Oregon coast, the sealions, the Redwoods and finally the Marine Headlands with the Golden Gate Bridge. That all was absolutely awesome!!!

 

But also the round 300 geocaches, that we made during this time were absolutely wonderful. At our planning phase we created some special pocket queries. Only the oldest or best Traditionals (e.g. GC12, 16 and 17 or Dr. Who and TT 1-3), the very rare Webcam Caches and over 200 Virtual- and Earth Caches. Especially all these caches offered us the most beautiful and interesting sites! Many many thanks for that!!! The follow-up has taken a lot of time. FinGaiGai has made the most of it. Many thanks for that. And many thanks to the owners for the quick approving and clearance! Photos will be uploaded.

 

And again we were confirmed, the oldest Tradis are usually the best Tradis. Therefore, many thanks to the owners for many years maintenance!

 

At the end of our time here in the US, we visiting the GC Headquarter in Seattle and the Must-have Geocaching events: International Film Festival, Block Party and Going APE with the two oldest Caches in Washington: Iron Horse and GCD. In addition we filled up our last three gaps in the Jasmer matrix and logged the Washington Jasmer Challenge Cache in Tacoma. Yeah!!!

 

I want to thank all people that made the whole trip possible: my wonderful wife, my little son, my family and friends in Germany (especially in Berlin and Bavaria) for the great support, our friends in Oakland and Juneau for the beautiful time over there, Escape Camper Van for the coolest van ever and last but not least all the US Cache Owner and Groundspeak for creating the best hobby ever: Geocaching!!!

 

What i like most aubout the US, were the friendly and interested people, the fantastic landscape, the child friendliness, the considerate driving style and the high quality of the caches. We'll be back for sure!

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Also make your comment about the specific cache. What's frustrating is the copy n paste logs that people write about their day and plop it into every cache log for that day..."Out power caching with the GCGang. We started at the downtown IGA and ended 50 miles away at Kettle Creek bridge. We found 52 caches today, yours was one of them. Thanks." Instead perhaps, "Nice forest find. We saw a couple of deer on the way to your cache. The cache and contents were in great shape. The logbook is getting full there's half a page left. Thanks for the fun and adventure."

 

That is a nice thought but the expectation that someone who finds 52 caches in a day will write individual logs is pretty unrealistic. It is more likely that there was not much to distinguish any of them from the rest of the pack. When I hop on the bike and get 20-30 in a day only one or two merit anything other than the pasted days log and I do add to them. Well not actually pasted I guess GSAK'd would be a better expression

 

One of our caches got hit by a group of power cachers and got 35 cut n paste logs that said nothing about our cache (only one person in the group said something about the cache). That cache has 9 favorite votes. Other cachers have said: "Awesome just awesome."; "Enjoyed the quiet hike to GZ and found this unexpected treasure quickly once I got into position. Nice spot for a cache."

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When I look at my older caches (some dating to 2001) many of the early logs were lengthy, a paragraph or two at least. The very same caches today see single sentence logs and sometimes a simple "found it" or "TFTC"

You have fewer caches to find back in the stone age of geocaching, so you have more time to spend on writing logs :ph34r:

 

Sad.

 

But true.

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First, welcome aboard! Glad to hear you are enjoying it so far. ?

 

It is not REQUIRED, per se, to write anything. The site and the app do not let you leave the comment area blank, but you can satisfy that requirement by simply typing "TFTC" or "Found It", or simply even "."

 

 

Really?

 

I've recently gotten two blank logs on one of my caches.huh.gifGC4WV0F

 

There are "other" apps out there that will allow a blank log to be posted.

 

Personally, my advice is to log as much as you can about your experience as the cache and the hunt merits. Sometimes I will simply say something like "Thanks for the quick grab on my way home" or even as little as "Quick grab. TFTC". After all, there is just so much you can say about some hides. Other times I will go on about the animals or landscape I saw ro things that happened along the way.

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