Author Topic: SpeedWeek 2014 - the event per se  (Read 261026 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline donpearsall

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 872
    • http://soundappraisal.com
Re: SpeedWeek 2014 - the event per se
« Reply #150 on: August 10, 2014, 10:18:16 PM »
I really do think that the racing organizations should consider the "push" notifications that other time critical events (such as airlines) use.

I just checked the rates and it would have cost 2.5 cents per cell phone called to send everyone an automatic notification. That means that 1000 persons could have been called for $25.00.

All it would have taken is someone in authority to sign onto a website, upload the phone list, and authorize the calls. So simple but would have saved so many time and money and frustration.

Don
550 hp 2003 Suzuki Hayabusa Land Speed Racer

Offline SteveM

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1483
Re: SpeedWeek 2014 - the event per se
« Reply #151 on: August 10, 2014, 10:19:09 PM »
The FB notifications worked great for me, and I really appreciated the timely updates!  Quick reporting allowed my team to adjust our plans and aim to regroup later in the year.

3 of us just returned from out 1,500 mile commute.  For me, the important thing was preserving vacation time away from work, to be used later.

BIG THANKS for all the efforts, SCTA.

Steve.
1/2 of the Rampage Brothers

Offline Bob Drury

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2599
Re: SpeedWeek 2014 - the event per se
« Reply #152 on: August 10, 2014, 11:13:23 PM »
  No but I once saw a Movie called Harold and Maude and it was Great! Well at least I think it was........... that was back in the seventies and I was pretty stone...
er... ah...  eating Oreo,s by the handful at the time.               
                                                                                                    One Run, Goodnight to all.....................
Bob Drury

Offline landsendlynda

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 949
Re: SpeedWeek 2014 - the event per se
« Reply #153 on: August 10, 2014, 11:16:00 PM »
It's easy to criticize when it isn't your neck on the chopping block.  Come on, guys, we're all disappointed and are stinging from the money spent.  My crew was in the same ark as the rest of you, travel planning, vacation time taken, money spent on....everything that might be needed to survive the heat, etc. etc.  The officials worked their Azzes off trying to cope with all that was happening.  There was miscommunication, wrong information, missing details, and speculations running rampant.  Information that was accurate 30 minutes earlier was not only obsolete, but totally wrong!!  Remember when you were in school and the teacher would whisper something in one person's ear that the sky was blue and by the time it had passed to the tenth student's ear the message had changed to unicorns fart fireflies?  Well, guess what.....seems the message venues have improved, but the message got buggered anyway!! This has been a unique experience for all of us (would have like to have this one pass us by), but we're all going to remember it!!  Hmmm, wonder what this elephant is going to be turned into years from now?
Anyway, just wanted to thank all you racers for being to so kind to me and my crew during this crazy "non-Speedweek" adventure!!  You were all AWESOME following the disappointing "Sorry, you can't go there, you have to turn around here."
Thank you all!!  Hope all of you have a safe journey home and......I'll see you on the salt!!

Stay Safe,
Lynda



Volunteer roadblock at Land's End! Yes, you need your stinkin badge! I'm your Dream Keeper, I protect your dream on the asphalt so you can chase your dream on the salt!

Offline vette#128

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 81
Re: SpeedWeek 2014 - the event per se
« Reply #154 on: August 10, 2014, 11:25:11 PM »
I think Rich touched on the concept, but at the end of the day, it's up to all of us to gather information any way we can,and then seperate the fact from the BS. I personally think Facebook sucks, BUT when I found out SCTA was gonna use it for updates I signed on. In my opinion, the 2 updates a day was fabulous because it got to go into the "fact" column instead of the "BS" column...... Plus it was quicker than the SCTA website. And big thanks to you Slim for immediately passing any info on via Landracing. And if you don't have a cell phone or computer, use the SCTA answering machine. All of those options are often better than calling someone in Wendover and receiving the latest rumors (which go into the BS column) Bottom line, I think SCTA did a great job getting the word out in a timely fashion. Let's move on.......
Ed Van Scoy
Four Deuces
(Salt,Dirt & Pavement)

Offline bubruins

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 106
Re: SpeedWeek 2014 - the event per se
« Reply #155 on: August 10, 2014, 11:32:18 PM »
I think an equally valid question is: What would it have been like if there was no communication from the SCTA on Facebook? My guess is that there would have been even worse speculation among friends and less official info going out there.

I personally really liked having updates on Facebook. The only downside for me was that I found myself checking it around the clock for 2 days. The automated text message / call idea is great! I guess we live and we learn. Overall - great job of communication from the SCTA!

Offline Stainless1

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 8948
  • Robert W. P. "Stainless" Steele
Re: SpeedWeek 2014 - the event per se
« Reply #156 on: August 11, 2014, 01:14:43 AM »
I don't use facebook, I can't see providing my personal information to a website so they can sell that info to the applicable target advertisers.... But I mentioned that once already.... But what we did do is have the teammates and friends that participate in that keep an eye on facebook and provide info as soon as they saw it.
We had not traveled very far from Denver when we started getting calls from friends and fellow racers about the cancellation. 
I was shown the fb page... and it had lots of stuff on the page from lots of people.... took a minute to figure out how to ID the official SCTA post, so I left that part to the fb-Er's. 
Yes the communication was way better than in 82-83... or 93-94 ... but it should be, there are a lot more options made available by technology.
What is the take away here...
They did a pretty good job of spreading the word.... hopefully someone can come up with a FOOL PROOF method.... God knows that is what it will take with those of us in this sport....  :roll:
Stainless
Red Hat 228.039, 2001, 65ci, Bockscar Lakester #1000 with a little N2O

Offline Freud

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5419
Re: SpeedWeek 2014 - the event per se
« Reply #157 on: August 11, 2014, 01:28:57 AM »
Compare the Mafia attitude of the West Wendover hotels

with the hospitality of Motel 6 in Old Wendover.

Check the date on the receipt.

FREUD
« Last Edit: August 11, 2014, 01:38:19 AM by Freud »
Since '63

Offline hotrod

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1231
    • Black Horse photo
Re: SpeedWeek 2014 - the event per se
« Reply #158 on: August 11, 2014, 02:02:48 AM »
For those who do not mess with this stuff much, you can easily send text messages to almost all cell phones for free using your email system.

The format is usually something like the following:

address   <phonenumber 10 digit>@abc.xyz.txt

For example with my cell phone carrier I can send my cell phone a text message by composing an email as follows (with my phone number including area code in place of the 5555555555
-------------------------------
To: 5555555555@txt.att.net

subject: subject line of text msg
body text: stuff I want the user to read


---------------------------------

Common text from email addresses are listed on this web page.
http://www.emailtextmessages.com/    <--- list has not been updated recently so may have some old info, but many of these companies still use these addresses (mine does)

******   Test your particular cell phone so you know the proper paging address to have someone use.  *****

It would be best to generate individual emails to each person.
If you put multiple user email addresses in a single email  in the To: or the CC: field, the message header will essentially have a phone book of everyone's cell phone numbers.
Not everyone wants to share their cell phone number with the world.

You can accomplish this by putting all the email addresses to be used to send the text messages in the BCC address field (this hides the recipients from each other) the person only sees an email addressed to themselves not everyone else in the list.
Then you put some email address in the To: field for example your own email address or some alternate email address so you have a record of the pages sent.

For small groups like team members who already know each other's cell phone numbers, sending all the messages as CC: messages would not be a problem and one person with computer access could message the entire crew in a couple minutes for free from any computer that can send email.

If you don't know a persons cell phone carrier, most of the time you can look up their cell number on this web site and get the carrier name for free:
https://www.peoplesmart.com/


All the SCTA or landracing.com or any other group would need to do is request paging addresses from folks that want to be paged with hot updates and build a file to be used to construct the mails.
Some email clients might have a limit on how many addresses can be in the BCC: field but that can be tested or verified with a phone call to tech support.

PS this is also a way to help you find your cell phone when you can't remember where you put it.
Send your self a text message that says "I'm over here dummy" and listen for the chime when the text message comes in (assuming the phone is on).


« Last Edit: August 11, 2014, 02:40:55 AM by hotrod »

Offline sofadriver

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 518
Re: SpeedWeek 2014 - the event per se
« Reply #159 on: August 11, 2014, 02:10:49 AM »
I'm bummed out but, if my lifestyle doesn't kill me, I'll be back next year.
I feel for the folks from Oz, France, England, etc. This was a one-time shot for most of those guys.
Mike in Tacoma

"aww, what the hell - let's just do it".............

Bike #833
100cc A/G, A/F and APS/G (in 2019)

Offline WZ JUNK

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 262
Re: SpeedWeek 2014 - the event per se
« Reply #160 on: August 11, 2014, 07:30:19 AM »
I am a non facebook, non texting person.  I simply had to draw the line and say my time has to be rationed, I am getting slower at my projects and I needed the time for other things.  However, I found that I can access facebook without joining.  I am able to get the scta news without joining facebook.  I just added a link to that page in my favorites along with a whole bunch of other pages I check or keep for reference.  It works for me.   Maybe I am not understanding this discussion but it seems that some of you may not be aware that you can access the scta facebook page without joining facebook.  Of course this means you can read but not post.

John
Crew chief #974 B/BGCC 1953 Studebaker Past Bonneville record holder.

Offline hotrod

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1231
    • Black Horse photo
Re: SpeedWeek 2014 - the event per se
« Reply #161 on: August 11, 2014, 08:11:37 AM »
Good point, if the permissions on the face book page are set to public anyone can see the contents of the page regardless if they have a face book login.

For folks quick reference some links so you can set up quick book marks:

https://www.facebook.com/SCTASouthernCaliforniaTimingAssociation
http://www.scta-bni.org/

SCTA might also consider setting up a twitter account to go along with their face book account.
A lot of people use twitter as a news feed only but never "tweet" and if they follow a twitter account anything posted to that account gets displayed in their news feed as soon as it shows up. I have recently shifted to watching my twitter feed more than logging into various pages, as all the pages I am interested in get displayed in one list that way.

If they set up a twitter account for racing updates only, folks could follow it during the racing event they are interested in and then unfollow it the rest of the time when salt/elmo conditions and updates are not so time critical.
« Last Edit: August 11, 2014, 08:14:36 AM by hotrod »

Offline fastesthonda_jim

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 587
  • Ready to Rock 2003
Re: SpeedWeek 2014 - the event per se
« Reply #162 on: August 11, 2014, 09:09:40 AM »
Hey, hotrod,
Good usable, tech stuff in your posts, so let me, hopefully, return the favor.  I have been doing all sorts of uploads/downloads/e-mails/youtube videos/etc. on the salt for years with no problem.  Rather than wifi (a concept, like Facebook, that both concerns me and that I see no need for) I use an "air card" which is basically a cell phone that plugs into a USB port in my computer.  Yes it does cost some $$ each month, but I go on line anywhere there is a cell connection.
And hey, what about "tethering" (I think that's the right word) your computer to your cell phone?
Knapp
2006 SCTA High Points Champeen
2006 Dirty "2" Wrench Of The Year
Bonneville "2" Club 2003
El Mirage Dirty "2"'s 2006
Bonneville Records: G/GS, F/GS (Boy)  G/FS (Girl)
El Mirage Records: F/BFS, F/FS, F/GS, I/FS, I/GS, K/BGS
FIA Records A, II, 8
Unlimited License
300mph line qualified (305.129 best mile speed)
The older half of San Diego's Fastest Couple
2016 Man of Distinction Award
DLRA 2019 Top Speed of The Meet (309.438 Mile - 323.3 GPS)

Offline hotrod

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1231
    • Black Horse photo
Re: SpeedWeek 2014 - the event per se
« Reply #163 on: August 11, 2014, 09:20:06 AM »
I have seen those mentioned multiple times but every time I went into a store to try and buy one and described what I was looking for, the clerk looked at me like I was from Mars.
I also never could find a listing for them on the web. (that old if you don't know the right search key you get nada problem)

Some RV folks talk about "data cards" but if you search for them by that name you won't find anything.
Nice to know what they are really called, now at least I can see what is available.
A search on amazon for air card at least returns some hits (7 are listed).

That is why I bought the small tablet it allows both wifi and cellular data connections (same thing as an air card).
I wonder if they can be configured to use the same phone number and data plan I am already paying for on the tablet so I can use a real computer ?

Thanks!
« Last Edit: August 11, 2014, 09:31:07 AM by hotrod »

Offline thundersalt

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 928
    • www.americanrvservicecenter.com
Re: SpeedWeek 2014 - the event per se
« Reply #164 on: August 11, 2014, 09:47:24 AM »
"SCTA might consider selling up a Twitter account"

 I think I just heard some heads explode :-D




916 REMR
2017 AA/FRMR Bonneville Record holder 234.663
2018 AA/GRMR El Mirage Record holder 223.108
2020 AA/BGRMR Bonneville Record holder 252.438
2021 AA/BGRMR Bonneville Record holder 262.685
El Mirage 200 MPH Club
Drivers/Owners: Brian & Celia Dean