Why is my FTF total so low weeks after I went through and added [FTF] or {FTF} to the logs?

Question

I have over 50 FTFs. But for the longest time only three of them were counted in the stats. I learned that this was the case because I had not used [FTF] or {FTF} in their logs.

<tangent> This begs the question:  why did it detect those three at all? </tangent>

Anyway, I learned about the [FTF] or {FTF} log trick three weeks ago and went through the FTF checker, identified my FTFs and edited their logs accordingly. Since then, the total has ratcheted up by one or two (even between weekly refreshes - which I don't understand) every few days. I was waiting to pose this question to see if the whole lot of them would come in after last week's weekly refresh, but it only crept up to 12. I wasn't sure why there were about 40 outstanding FTFs with {FTF} leading off the first line of the found it log. I thought maybe I could speed things along by adding another {FTF} at the end of each log just to make sure, but that hasn't changed anything after this morning's refresh. It's only up to 16 now.

Yes, I could make a bookmark list, but this is supposed to be a more automatic way because I can add the special [FTF] notation in the field. The FTF I found last night is one of the 16 on my stats page this morning, in fact.

And yes, I am not yet a paying member. I'm playing with the system to see if I want to use it as my primary stats tool. I know I only get a once-weekly refresh, but I'm assuming my refresh is of the same quality I'd get if I was paying and getting it once per day. I'm considering this a test drive.

Thanks!

actualsize  aka Dan

Answer 1

The reason is that changes in logs take a long time to detect. It is a result of how groundspeeks API is design. If I am not mistaken a change in a log is detected once a new found log on that cache or when the cache is refresh (30 days, active 90 days archived) se the FAQ

http://project-gc.com/Home/FAQ#c419123e784204e2ab0b002db5c6cae4

 

But you can force a refresh of your finds yourself. 

Use "Support" / "Self-support"/"Refresh found geocaches"

 to refresh all your finsd. It will take approximate 3 days ( the documentation says 5000 caches refreshd per day an you hace 14969 finds)

If a find is update the FTF should appar on the FTF list when you reload it so you dont have to wait for the profile stats

http://project-gc.com/Profile/FTFList?profile_name=actualsize&submit=Filter

 

Also lock att the missing FTF function where you can se your logs of possible FTFs

http://project-gc.com/Profile/ForgottenFTF?profile_name=actualsize&submit=Filter

Comments

Extracted all GC codes from your Forgotten FTF list.
Added them to a VGPS and build a GPX and refreshed all caches on the list
Your FTF count has grown from 16 to 50
Look at the logs on the forgotten FTF if there are any incorrect logs. If there still are use the self support to refresh your finds

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Target (or anyone with the knowledge on this), I have an additional question on this. I see a difference in how fast FTF's are reported in the Profile Stats / BadgeGen tab and Profile Stats / FTF tab. The former is usually much quicker (like days faster) in picking up FTFs than the latter. Why is that? Are two different procedures used to populate the pages?

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I have no idea of the details in the profile stats creation and if the badges are run separately.
The reason for the non answer is if you like up to date info use some other PGC stat except Profile state. Everything else is created on the fly with the latest data the PGC has (DT loop has som delay explained on the page an i think it is the only one)
For FTF the FTF List  linked below. It is using everything that is detected and updated when you load it. In som places pgc uses the groundspeek notification and the delay from posting a log and it is on pgc is a few seconds

http://project-gc.com/Profile/FTFList?profile_name=NLBokkie&submit=Filter

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Everything in Profile stats should use the same data, including FTF tab and BadgeGen.
The process of creating the profile stats starts with taking a few snapshots in the database, so that all future calculations are done with the same data.
I am not saying it can't happen like you have experienced, but if it did, I am fairly sure it's a super rare case, and I would be extremely surprised if you see it more than once or regularly.

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Thanks Target. I already made sure I'd tagged them all by running Forgotten FTF, so that's been handled. Basically, it sounds like it will work itself out in 30 days (90 days if the cache in question is archived) or as soon as someone else posts a log on any of those caches, whichever comes first. Still 16 at the moment; I don't yet see evidence on this end that my count has changed--that's probably the weekly update at work. But at least now I understand the mechanism. Thanks!

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Your profile stats had not been updated and will show the old value
but the FTF list at http://project-gc.com/Profile/FTFList?profile_name=actualsize&submit=Filter is updated
They are updated now and you have 51 FTF