Author Topic: AUK Finances and Website Project was: AUK Chairman Statement  (Read 119304 times)

FifeingEejit

  • Not Small
Re: New audax.uk site
« Reply #700 on: 20 December, 2018, 07:35:10 pm »
I've lost track of the details but the language used is (I quote) "similar to C#".  That sounds pretty rarified to me, compared with good ol' PHP (as used for the old site and this forum).  So I'm not convinced ownership will help us all that much.

My assumption would be it's C#, if it's .NET.

Aye so would I, though "C# Like" could mean Java complied to the .Net CLR...
I've worked with a couple of "VB.Net Like" languages in the past, fairly easy to pick up if you're actually a capable procedural/OO developer in the first place. 

Watching people who've never done set based programming before trying to understand a RDBMS is somewhere between amusing and cringeworthy, but then so is the term "NoSQL" in relation to non-relational data stores...  .

Have started looking at the job market again as it's been all but confirmed I've been wasting my time the last 3 years listening to the promises of more relevant modern development techniques; I see considerably less adverts for LAMP stack development than I used to with most stuff being this months flavour of front end on top of Java or .Net backends or microservices, Ruby on Rails seems to be another rarity now.

telstarbox

  • Loving the lanes
Re: AUK FINANCES AND WEBSITE PROJECT was: AUK CHAIRMAN STATEMENT
« Reply #701 on: 05 March, 2019, 12:07:39 pm »
I read this guide recently on why the UK Government website doesn't use FAQs:

https://gds.blog.gov.uk/2013/07/25/faqs-why-we-dont-have-them/

The new website has a "New to Audax" guide which is fairly comprehensive (which I don't think was on the old website), a Glossary of A-Z technical terms, and the FAQ page copied over from the old website. Do we still need the FAQ as well as the first two?
2019 🏅 R1000 and B1000

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: AUK FINANCES AND WEBSITE PROJECT was: AUK CHAIRMAN STATEMENT
« Reply #702 on: 05 March, 2019, 12:48:55 pm »
I think FAQs can work well when there is a specific point of information that can be answered in one or two sentences. But regardless of the overall format, the Qs of some of those FAQs are potentially confusing. For instance, "How non-stop is 'non-stop'?" works well when asked face to face but has vagueries and contradictions which are not helpful in writing. After all, everyone knows the word "non-stop"! And the answer given isn't so much about stopping but about time limits. It could be rewritten along the lines of "What breaks are allowed for in the time limit?" or "Do I have to ride at a constant minimum speed?" in order for the question to reflect the information given. (Alternatively the answer could be changed to match the question!)
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: AUK FINANCES AND WEBSITE PROJECT was: AUK CHAIRMAN STATEMENT
« Reply #703 on: 05 March, 2019, 12:59:56 pm »
I think the Government website people have the right idea.  FAQs made sense on newsgroups and mailing lists, as a way of perpetuating well-written answers to common questions, in the days when newbies had the time and inclination to actually read them properly.  They naturally transferred to the Web, which made them easier to access, but they're fundamentally for the convenience of writers and people willing to read aimlessly to achieve a broad knowledge of a subject - they're not the most accessible format for people with specific questions, and they just create tension where people ask the common questions without having read the FAQ.

Put the information in the logical place on a well-structured and searchable website, and you don't need a FAQ page.

"What breaks are allowed for in the time limit?" and "Do I have to ride at a constant minimum speed?" would be good sub-headings for a page about time limits, for example.


frankly frankie

  • I kid you not
    • Fuchsiaphile
Re: AUK FINANCES AND WEBSITE PROJECT was: AUK CHAIRMAN STATEMENT
« Reply #704 on: 05 March, 2019, 01:24:20 pm »
The information on the old aukweb is essentially crowd-sourced - it's a CMS and dozens of 'helpers' have edit rights.  This is good because it spreads the load and allows people to add content in their own area of expertise - however its bad because at some level all the information is 'official' (expanding on the regulations and supplementing them) and there needs to be some degree of oversight, which doesn't really happen.

I think edit rights on the new site are much more limited to a small handful of people - but I doubt if this is sustainable in the long term, especially if it's supposed to be 'dynamic' and 'newsey' with photos of recent and up-coming events, sounds like a big job to me.
when you're dead you're done, so let the good times roll

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: AUK FINANCES AND WEBSITE PROJECT was: AUK CHAIRMAN STATEMENT
« Reply #705 on: 05 March, 2019, 01:27:50 pm »
Put the information in the logical place on a well-structured and searchable website, and you don't need a FAQ page.

"What breaks are allowed for in the time limit?" and "Do I have to ride at a constant minimum speed?" would be good sub-headings for a page about time limits, for example.
There's something to be said for having sub-headings in the form of answers (or statements) rather than questions. As the gov.uk article said, that gives you the gist even if you don't read the whole article.

And people don't read the whole thing.

This is because of the BBC.

They have trained us to expect paragraphs of only one sentence.

However, the answers to those particular questions – it would probably be better to say the information which the audaxer needs to know – is not quite brief enough to fit into a sub-heading, so perhaps questions followed by more detailed information would be best in this case.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Manotea

  • Where there is doubt...
Re: AUK FINANCES AND WEBSITE PROJECT was: AUK CHAIRMAN STATEMENT
« Reply #706 on: 05 March, 2019, 09:49:09 pm »
When I wrote the FAQs for DIY perms, some felt there were too many and that they weren't 'frequently asked enough'.  ::-)

What I was actually doing was documenting how I'd responded to questions arising, so that as/when the subject came up again I could simply refer riders to the answer I'd previously given.

The approach seemed to work as the number of enquiries dwindled over time. Whether that is because folks are generally more experienced, the DIY process simpler or even (shudder) the FAQs 'worked' is hard to say. As was though the FAQs were written 'after the event' to fill in gaps in the base documentation. As Kim suggests, get the base documentation right and provide a general search facility and FAQs are (mostly :)) redundent.

Re: AUK FINANCES AND WEBSITE PROJECT was: AUK CHAIRMAN STATEMENT
« Reply #707 on: 06 March, 2019, 08:45:38 am »
Those FAQs for DIYs have been very useful indeed.

Re: New audax.uk site
« Reply #708 on: 04 November, 2019, 08:01:10 am »
Given that we are still without 2019-2020 season results on aukweb and there hasn’t been any notice that I have seen to explain this (I presume it’s PBP related, but that’s just a guess), I thought I’d check where the IT project is. From the last board meeting, it appears phase 2 would have started about mid-September, and is due to complete within 10 weeks, so about the end of November. The scope appears to be confined to backend improvements for organisers.

Are data improvements included within the scope of phase 3? It feels most unusual to have such a long period each year when members cannot view their results.

Eddington: 133 miles    Max square: 43x43

S2L

Re: New audax.uk site
« Reply #709 on: 04 November, 2019, 08:16:17 am »
Given that we are still without 2019-2020 season results on aukweb and there hasn’t been any notice that I have seen to explain this (I presume it’s PBP related, but that’s just a guess), I thought I’d check where the IT project is. From the last board meeting, it appears phase 2 would have started about mid-September, and is due to complete within 10 weeks, so about the end of November. The scope appears to be confined to backend improvements for organisers.

Are data improvements included within the scope of phase 3? It feels most unusual to have such a long period each year when members cannot view their results.

I am very scared of improvements for organisers... am I the only one?  ::-)

Re: New audax.uk site
« Reply #710 on: 04 November, 2019, 08:55:42 am »
Unless it's changed, Stage 2 was meant to be back end admin tools for managing members.

None of the work so far has touched the events or results databases - apart from doing some fairly trivial read-only stuff. I've not even seen it discussed and think it'll be an order of magnitude more complex and therefore expensive than the already barely affordable first two stages.

Quote
It feels most unusual to have such a long period each year when members cannot view their results.

Yeah, but is it worth a million quid to rebuild it all from scratch to solve that problem?

frankly frankie

  • I kid you not
    • Fuchsiaphile
Re: New audax.uk site
« Reply #711 on: 04 November, 2019, 09:43:45 am »
It feels most unusual to have such a long period each year when members cannot view their results.

Looking at the results for last season, as published online, several events are still marked 'provisional'.  Results for the new season are accumulating in the background, but they won't be published until all those provisionals are cleared up.

Its nothing to do with PHP - the system is simply set up (and I use the word 'simple' in its most literal sense) to deal with one season at a time.  Back in the day, AUK used to have a closed season with no events in the November-January period.
when you're dead you're done, so let the good times roll

Re: New audax.uk site
« Reply #712 on: 04 November, 2019, 09:57:32 am »
Back in the day, AUK used to have a closed season with no events in the November-January period.

I'm told that some auks used to ride their bikes 'just for fun' during that period.  Crazy, really.

FifeingEejit

  • Not Small
Re: New audax.uk site
« Reply #713 on: 04 November, 2019, 11:03:54 am »
I am very scared of improvements for organisers... am I the only one?  ::-)

Whether they admit it or not, everyone is scared of change. See also "Good old days".
Then again occasionally BAs to seriously ballz up, other times it's just the Devs thinking they know better, also just realized I had a rant about work just over 1 months ago, I PBPed that out of me until it hit home afterwards.

Back in the day, AUK used to have a closed season with no events in the November-January period.

I'm told that some auks used to ride their bikes 'just for fun' during that period.  Crazy, really.

I've heard of one old hand who claims not to have missed a day on the bike in something like 170 years

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: New audax.uk site
« Reply #714 on: 04 November, 2019, 02:51:34 pm »

I am very scared of improvements for organisers... am I the only one?  ::-)

Verschlimmbessern

J
--
Beer, bikes, and backpacking
http://b.42q.eu/

vorsprung

  • Opposites Attract
    • Audaxing
Re: New audax.uk site
« Reply #715 on: 04 November, 2019, 03:08:40 pm »
I've lost track of the details but the language used is (I quote) "similar to C#".  That sounds pretty rarified to me, compared with good ol' PHP (as used for the old site and this forum).  So I'm not convinced ownership will help us all that much.

My assumption would be it's C#, if it's .NET.

ISTR it's Umbraco

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umbraco
Quote
Umbraco is primarily written in C#, stores data in a relational database (commonly Microsoft SQL Server) and works on Microsoft IIS. Umbraco's front-end is built upon Microsoft's .NET Framework, using ASP.NET


AUK Webpage Supplier
« Reply #716 on: 21 February, 2020, 12:07:48 pm »
Can somebody please tell me the name of the contractor supplying Audax UK with the new website?   

Organiser of Droitwich Cycling Club audaxes.  https://www.droitwichcyclingclub.co.uk/audax/

Re: AUK Webpage Supplier
« Reply #717 on: 21 February, 2020, 01:28:38 pm »
I think it was a company called CF1, according to this thread

https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=109207.350

CF1 2020 Ltd are quite new though
https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/12382770

Previously Intercept Services Ltd
https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/07284437/filing-history

Same guy in charge

Re: AUK Webpage Supplier
« Reply #718 on: 21 February, 2020, 01:34:48 pm »
Hmm it's a bit more complex

Huddersfield-based Intercept IP has acquired software company Control F1

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/intercept-acquire-control-f1-in-deal-to-take-technology-global-1-9310430

https://www.interceptip.com/

Anyway, I'm sure someone in charge knows whether or not the company which still exists is still doing some work for AUK.

Redlight

  • Enjoying life in the slow lane
Re: AUK Webpage Supplier
« Reply #719 on: 21 February, 2020, 02:12:01 pm »
It's probably best to ask this question on the AUK forum

http://forum.audax.uk/index.php

Why should anybody steal a watch when they can steal a bicycle?

Re: AUK Webpage Supplier
« Reply #720 on: 21 February, 2020, 03:27:01 pm »
Thanks all.  I was looking for a web designer but having read the Companies House material, they fail on due diligence.
Organiser of Droitwich Cycling Club audaxes.  https://www.droitwichcyclingclub.co.uk/audax/

Re: AUK Webpage Supplier
« Reply #721 on: 21 February, 2020, 03:47:12 pm »
For simple audax event stuff? I did mine on wordress using events manager. I have no website design credentials to my name  :smug:

S2L

Re: AUK Webpage Supplier
« Reply #722 on: 21 February, 2020, 03:55:42 pm »
Thanks all.  I was looking for a web designer but having read the Companies House material, they fail on due diligence.

You just have to look at audax.uk to realise that "design" is a strong word to define their work...

frankly frankie

  • I kid you not
    • Fuchsiaphile
Re: AUK Webpage Supplier
« Reply #723 on: 22 February, 2020, 10:24:51 am »
And you only have to look at past threads discussing the projected costs to see that its going to be better to look elsewhere.
when you're dead you're done, so let the good times roll

Re: AUK Webpage Supplier
« Reply #724 on: 22 February, 2020, 01:40:38 pm »
Thanks all.  I was looking for a web designer but having read the Companies House material, they fail on due diligence.


They've gone bust.

http://www.insolventcompanies.co.uk/intercept-ip-ltd-07449188-22/