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Text Alerts?

Discussion in 'What's Going On' started by buseng, Jun 7, 2010.

  1. Neil_Scott

    Neil_Scott Part of the furniture

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    Re: Cathedrals Express to Chester Saturday 10 September

    I can understand why people travelling on the train don't want to send in texts as they pass every station or junction when they want to have a relaxing day out with friends and/or family. Likewise at the lineside many places in remote locations don't have mobile reception and the photters/videoers maybe aren't really that bothered about updating a faceless messaging system - they're more likely to tell their friends where the train is if they want to see it later. Finally there's a very small number of people who visit this forum, travel on a railtour or are watching from the lineside.

    It's a nice idea to try and mimic the TRUST reporting system we use on the mainline but it's probably not going to work in the long-term.
     
  2. RalphW

    RalphW Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Administrator Friend

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    Re: Cathedrals Express to Chester Saturday 10 September

    Neil, on the regular Flyer runs that I have been on, if we run to time I send maybe 4 between Crewe and Scarborough, usually, Crewe, leaving both the Denton and Milford water stops and leaving York, hardly an onorous task. The system does not need one from every station those few that I send are enough, I think, to keep those at the lineside sufficiently informed of the trains progress.
    You of course hit one point, those at the lineside who aren't bothered to help other people, a rather selfish attitude, I'm all right, I've seen it and am going home, don't give a damn about anyone further down the line.
     
  3. mickledore

    mickledore New Member

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    Re: Cathedrals Express to Chester Saturday 10 September

    .....
     
  4. mickledore

    mickledore New Member

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    Re: Cathedrals Express to Chester Saturday 10 September

    .....
     
  5. swanny

    swanny Member

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    Re: Cathedrals Express to Chester Saturday 10 September

    There is a thread for this topic somewhere, perhaps a mod could pin it at the top?
     
  6. Neil_Scott

    Neil_Scott Part of the furniture

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    Re: Cathedrals Express to Chester Saturday 10 September

    There was but any criticism of the Railtour Live system was hastily shouted by the List Owner and his Mods...
     
  7. Sheff

    Sheff Resident of Nat Pres

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    Re: Cathedrals Express to Chester Saturday 10 September

    No probs, but I'm not "in charge" , that'd be the Mods. I was just pointing out that the railtour updates debate ought to have its own thread if you want to attract a suitably wide audience. I've tipped off the Mods to take a look and do as they see fit. Cheers.
     
  8. Pete Thornhill

    Pete Thornhill Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Administrator Moderator Friend

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    Re: Cathedrals Express to Chester Saturday 10 September

    Not true Neil.
     
  9. admin

    admin Founder Administrator

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    Re: Cathedrals Express to Chester Saturday 10 September

    I have recorded all criticisms and taken a hard look at some of the valid points. Some are currently in development now, others are on the back burner, some however are just not possible or feasible.
     
  10. admin

    admin Founder Administrator

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    Please this thread for railtour update problems and issues.
     
  11. Neil_Scott

    Neil_Scott Part of the furniture

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    Re: Cathedrals Express to Chester Saturday 10 September

    I made the same points as I did above earlier this year and can only remember Glyn, Ralph and Martin responding, all negatively to my points. If you can provide me with the thread and show I was wrong I will apologise and retract my comments.
     
  12. Neil_Scott

    Neil_Scott Part of the furniture

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    Re: Cathedrals Express to Chester Saturday 10 September

    Sadly this isn't the thread I inferred. It must have been another one about mainline tours earlier this year.
     
  13. Pete Thornhill

    Pete Thornhill Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Administrator Moderator Friend

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    ??? Neil I wasnt pointing you to any thread. I have merged the topic with this thread.
    As for your post, people responding with a different point of view to yourself is something completely different to brushing any critiscism of railtour live under the carpet which is how your post read if I am honest and that is simply not true. All feedback good or bad is taken on board and discussed with a view to improving the service.
     
  14. Neil_Scott

    Neil_Scott Part of the furniture

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    Your service relies on people interacting and co-operating with your aims. I'm not sure how you can get this to happen. I'd like to see some counter-arguments of my criticisms from the other thread.
     
  15. mickledore

    mickledore New Member

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  16. RalphW

    RalphW Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Administrator Friend

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    Originally there were concerns that those logged in to receive text updates could be inundated with loads of updates from many different people all sending in their texts from on board and at the lineside. I don't think this has even happened, OK sometimes there may be two members on the same tour sending them in but that is certainly the exception not the rule and this recent discussion was started by someone not receiving any from the Tornado tour to Chester...
     
  17. Pete Thornhill

    Pete Thornhill Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Administrator Moderator Friend

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    Re: Cathedrals Express to Chester Saturday 10 September

    Exactly as Ralph says above there was a concern that members could receive the same information several times over.
     
  18. dalrypaul

    dalrypaul Guest

    I still really don't see a need for this complex railtour live system. Many I speak to at the lineside (who also have an interest in modern traction) are hooked into the various Yahoo or Google gen groups and are familiar with those systems. It doesn't even cost you anything unless you wish to use an email to SMS service, but even that has free solutions, and the standard version is half the price of railtour-live.

    With increasing numbers of linesiders getting web and email on their phone, it's surely time a 'steam-gen' group was set up (if there isn't one already). If this was instigated by NatPres, then the messages sent there could be forwarded to railtour-live for those who prefer to use that system. Personally, I really can't be bothered to mess around with railtour-live, when there are standard solutions in place that are used all around the rest of the rail 'gen' world.
     
  19. swanny

    swanny Member

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    The final steam tour listed on the 'railtour live' is the Bath Spa trip today. I know the codes are on UKSteam but without the codes being listed on the 'railtour live' website is this service still running?
     
  20. 30910

    30910 Member

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    Oh dear - I'm feeling like a luddite again. I have a simple mobile which sends and receives text messages. I have no access to the internet from it and don't wish to go to the bother/expense of that.

    If I'm out and have a connection I will send an email to NatPres (RTL) but I also "add extra recipients" (a few folk I think may be further up the line) so it's no real hassle to send the same message to friends and RTL. Takes nothing to prepare a draft while waiting for the train and just fill in the time when she's gone. I do it this way to avoid wasting time and to get to the next location. Simples.

    I have been concerned that people may get too many messages so if I know Ralph (or someone) is on a train I tend not to bother. The messages are always suffixed by kk (khankadet) so if anyone has problems with them they can tell me off.

    Of course many locations up in the Pennines just don't have any connection so I can neither send or receive and that's just the place - stuck up on a hill far from anyone else - where news of a delay would be more useful. And I usually only sign in for messages if there appears to be a problem (where the devil is it?) as I find it's part of the fun listening and looking out for signs of the train.

    Just expressing what works for me.

    Chris
     

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