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Text Alerts?

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

  1. royce6229

    royce6229 Well-Known Member

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    That is one of my pet hates, why would anyone not have the sense to put their phone on silent, I had one idiot who was giving a running commentry as the train approached, we nearly all threw him in front of it!!!!!
     
  2. dalrypaul

    dalrypaul Guest

    I've used the scot-rail mobile gen feature for many years, which is a similar thing, but specific to trains running in Scotland and it generally works very well. It does rely on a bit of common sense from the users though to avoid being overloaded with texts. If there's been no info posted on the tour, then obviously you send a text if you have some. If the tour has to stop for water or pathing, then post when it has left (or the first location after if no one has posted before you). Otherwise, I'd only post if the tour was held up, unexpectedly running late, or if no one else had posted on a long section of track. If the tour is running as expected then there's little need to post regular updates. The only exception to this would be if the service was intended for videographers to know exactly when to start their camera rolling, then you'd need updates every few minutes, and for me, I'd soon turn off if that was the case as I don't want my phone going off every 5 or 10 minutes. For most tours, you shouldn't need more than about 10 messages to be informed of how it's running. For a southbound S&C, you might have 1) Left Carlisle, 2) Left Appleby, 3) possibly an Ais Gill area sighting, 4) arrived / left Hellifield, etc. You really don't need additional postings from Griseburn, Stockber, Waitby, Kirkby Stephen, Birkett, Mallerstang, Ais Gill, etc., unless the loco stalls on the climb or some other unexpected occurance happens. Of course, this is just my opinion, and if the kiddies want to post their hellfire, my lordzzz, full bling messages every few seconds, then who am I to stop them, I just wouldn't use the service.
     
  3. Spamcan81

    Spamcan81 Nat Pres stalwart

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    Even that doesn't cure the problem 100%. Any mobile that's switched on, even on silent, can cause RF interference with mics close by - as I found to my cost when recording 60009 thrashing through Hitchin one evening. When doing sound I switch off my mobile.
     
  4. RalphW

    RalphW Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Administrator Friend

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    I think Paul that you have made a very valid point, if everybody just uses a bit of common sense and does not bother to post an update if they have recently received one, then the system will not hit with many from the same place.
    On a tour heading up the WCML for example, one or two saying 'Left Crewe on time' would be fine, but then there would be no need for any more, providing the train was running to time until say Preston. Then a 'Leaving Carnforth' or 'past Oxenholme' would be sufficient for those up to Shap summit, with perhaps one from there just to assist those further north as to timekeeping.
     
  5. Steve from GWR

    Steve from GWR Well-Known Member

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    I imagine that not everyone who is posting will be receiving though, so they won't have a view of what texts have recently been sent.

    For instance tomorrow, once I know the train has left Staines I'll probably stop the service. So if I'm the 50th person in succession to text "just arrived Ascot 10.00" :cell: don't shoot me, because I probably won't know and am just being helpful
     
  6. RalphW

    RalphW Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Administrator Friend

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    I would have thought that the majority posting and not receiving will be those on board. Those at the lineside would be more likely to be receivers rather than posters, and therefore it would be useful if posters add their name or forum ID so that others can see that regular updates from one person, means they are on board and can be left to do the updating.
     
  7. admin

    admin Founder Administrator

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    I am having a think as to how to resolve this.
    I think something like a flood limiter. If the system received more than 2 texts within 1 minute to block the others?
     
  8. Alberta 45562

    Alberta 45562 Part of the furniture

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    I think that would work,because obviously they would all be about the same subject.
     
  9. admin

    admin Founder Administrator

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    Aye thats right, the tour code would be the common theme.
     
  10. royce6229

    royce6229 Well-Known Member

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    Very sound advice, microphones and mobiles dont mix.
     
  11. royce6229

    royce6229 Well-Known Member

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    Quick question, while I was logged onto the railtour live site I clicked onto the phone icon for The saturdays Cheshireman on uksteaminfo, this automaticaly listed on the site as the tour I am watching, I sent a message with stop on it, but it still shows as the tour I am subscribing to?
     
  12. Well done all those folks behind this venture. I am in awe of the technical brains behind all of this. If I may offer one comment. This cropped up during the feedback period following the WSR's live information pilot during a special event last year. It would seem our (WSR) text recipients would prefer to "pull" info rather than have it "pushed" out to them. If such a thing is possible, then the "pull" text needs to contain all those messages, combined into one text, from the time of sending going back n minutes, where "n" is an integer added to the "pull" text sent by the user. That way, I'm advised, the user has abolute control over "when" and a fair degree of control of "what". Of course, the software beimg used by NP may not allow "pull" but if Admin is scripting the software, then it might be worth thinking about...

    Anyway, I am looking forward to using the current system at some stage.

    Well done, again, NP and UKsteam.info

    Steve
     
  13. RalphW

    RalphW Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Administrator Friend

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    You will remain subscribed to that tour so that you can start and stop updates during the day as required. to actually unsubscribe I think you need to click on the 'railtours' button and then leaving the tour code section blank, click on subscribe. That removes the present code leaving you unsubscribed..
     
  14. admin

    admin Founder Administrator

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    Hello,

    Can you post what you put in your STOP text please.
    As it should look like

    Further more, you should of received a text message confirming that you have unsubscribed to to the tour.

    Cheers
     
  15. admin

    admin Founder Administrator

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    Thank you WSR, I have written and built the software from the ground up. So anything could be possible.
    Currently, I am focusing on a live system, however a thought for the future might be if your not subscribed to any tour, you could text NATPRES t0609a update
    as an alternative not a replacement.
     
  16. royce6229

    royce6229 Well-Known Member

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    many thanks ralph, that makes sense.
     
  17. royce6229

    royce6229 Well-Known Member

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    Sent it exactly as you have stated, NATPRES t0612b stop even with upper case, is it case sensitive? Didnt recieve a delivery report either and have checked the number is correct.
     
  18. admin

    admin Founder Administrator

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    try again, I have been working on the system today.
     
  19. admin

    admin Founder Administrator

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    OK, I can see you have just tried, @ 19:49:06
    And it's not taken you off, I might have a bug, looks like a long night for me.
     
  20. admin

    admin Founder Administrator

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    Chris Can you try it in lower case for me please, natpres t0612b stop
    See if that works, I have just tried it like that and it worked.
     

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