What do you think of the online race entry process?
Great - No Problems
Good
OK
Needs Improvement
Bad - Paper Forms are Better
What do you think of the online race entry process?
I voted "good" instead of "great, no problems" because I somehow managed to get stuck in some loop where I had to individually reconfirm all my data or quit the entry process. I might have somehow wandered into setting up my boat profile, not my intention, but man there are allot of questions! Besides that, beats looking for a stamp!
Synthia
Ride, captain ride upon your mystery ship. Be amazed at the friends you have here on your trip.
Ride, captain ride upon your mystery ship. On your way to a world that others might have missed.
~ Blues Image
I think I got stuck in the same loop as Synthia and had to answer all the questions one at a time over again. So if I am all signed up I say "if it works it works."
CAL Twenty-Nine
I'm actually pretty unhappy with the new online registration system. I received 3 emails this morning from passport.compete-at saying my registration is incomplete. And it's amazing how much information they want about me. My passport number? The date of my last tetanus shot? Whether I have a history of psychiatric problems?
This is really pretty intrusive. Is this really necessary to sail a race in the Bay?
Maybe my days of sailing with the SSS are over...
www
WWW, please choose a response in the poll as well as adding your comments, so that we can get a clear picture of people's feelings.
I agree with you that many of the questions are too intrusive, and I've been lobbying Regatta Manager to revise their software so as to allow us to eliminate some of those fields or at least make them optional.
I'm very dissatisfied with the registration system as it stands now. In my dealings with Regatta Manager, I'm getting a clear picture that they regard their system as a pretty good one-size-fits-all design. They need to be convinced that it is sorely lacking in flexibility and customizability. IMHO.
Hopefully future versions of their software will be improved in this respect. In the meantime, please have patience and stick with SSS.
Max
race chair
Sorry for the cranky post, Max. I muddled through it, and I think I'm registered for the race now. Still need a new PHRF certificate, and, of course, to renew my SSS membership.
A couple of things about the registration site, fwiw:
- I think the loop people are getting stuck in is just the way the site handles an invalid login attempt. It just loops back to the login screen, without any message about why.
- On the registration form, at least half of the intrusive questions disappear when you click the "only sailboat racing" box.
See you on the water,
www
WWW, thanks for the feedback and your patience. As you probably know, SSS dosen't have an office, staff, big budget, etc. We do have a few folks who seem to step up when we need them and, somehow, we put on some pretty good races. I don't know who you are and maybe you're one of the people who has stepped up. If so, thank you for that also.
We're hoping that the on-line registrations will be a big improvement over the paper system. There were big problems with paper too. Unfortunately, we don't have the budget to get a customized system but should be able to get Regatta Manager to work for us. Also, unfortunately, we start our season with the biggest race of the year and don't have a lot of time between the skippers meeting and the gun. We hope that getting boats registered and memberships tallied beforehand will take some of the excitement out of the event for the race committee and board and actually make things easier for the racers.
See you on the water,
Bill Merrick
I sympathize with the effort to "online-ize" the registration process. However, I'm not willing to give this internet company that I know nothing about, all my personal information. So as it stands right now, I'm not registered for the 3BF, and that's pretty frustrating.
1968 Selmer Series 9 B-flat and A clarinets
1962 Buesher "Aristocrat" tenor saxophone
Piper One Design 24, Hull #35; "Alpha"
In reading the 2009 SSS Standing Sailing Instructions it appears that you can still enter via paper forms at the skippers meeting or mail. I thought I had heard that you could only enter via the web but was relieved when I saw in writing that we could still enter in person at the skippers meeting with a paper entry form.
Hey, I'm crew on Velocious, owned by George McKay. George registered for the race, so the boat is in there, do I have to register as crew?
1968 Selmer Series 9 B-flat and A clarinets
1962 Buesher "Aristocrat" tenor saxophone
Piper One Design 24, Hull #35; "Alpha"