[Psml] FW: Barriers to Registration

[Dan Bartell]

Just seems strange to describe a 
voluntary/optional service as blocked when you don't choose to use it.
Cheers,
Dan
At 09:36 AM 7/7/2009, Markus Ritter wrote:

>Dear Dan
>
>The word block is used because some people are 
>too shy to use e-mail or phones to register for 
>a public boating course or a public seminar, yet 
>they are perfectly comfortable with an optonal, on-line form.
>
>When listing a public course or seminar on the 
>HQ-800 form one has to activly check a box to 
>enable on-line registration to prevent blocking that feature.
>
>You can say that I am in favor of opening as 
>many ways as practical to get through the eye of the needle.
>
>Sincerely yours and thanks for all you do.
>
>
>Markus Ritter AP
>Door County
>
>
>
>
><http://www.usps.org/door>America's Boating Course from America's Boating Club
>
>click where the cursor turns into a hand.
>
>
>
>
>
>----------
>Date: Mon, 6 Jul 2009 11:38:14 -0400
>From: dtb at usps.org
>Subject: Re: [Psml] FW: Barriers to Registration
>CC: psml at usps.org
>To: markusritter at hotmail.com
>
>I have been following this whole thing with a 
>bit of confusion since this is all my software.
>First of all what is the "block" option?  I don't have a clue.
>
>The way the software works is there is a system 
>called the 800 system which lets squadrons list 
>their courses online.  If they want online 
>registration for the course they check a box 
>which says "Allow online registration".  If they 
>don't want it they don't check it.  Also when 
>they list a course there is a required field for 
>course contact and a field for telephone number 
>and a field for email address.  You have to pick a minimum of one.
>
>Then there is a locate a class near you page 
>which allows the public to find a course.  The 
>easiest and preferred method is by their zip 
>code.  They get back a list sorted by distance 
>between their zip code and the zip code of where 
>the class is given.  Part of the information 
>displayed is the contact name and telephone and 
>email depending on what they entered.  No email 
>address provided, no email address shown.  If 
>the class was listed with online registration 
>and the contact had an email address listed, 
>there is a link to the online registration form 
>which will be emailed to the contact after the potential student fills it out.
>
>What am I missing?  What is this blocked stuff all about?
>
>Cheers,
>Dan
>At 11:33 AM 7/5/2009, Kristi W. Anderson wrote:
>As much as I agree that no one should be blocked, you would be amazed at all
>the road blocks national (that means every department) hits when we try to
>implement something to make the squadrons better.  Some: sqd barely
>surviving so no volunteer has a PC; personalities don't allow the change as
>"this is the way we always did it" (ex: increasing of dues at district
>level); not feasible in this area of the country (ex: how the calculations
>for awards are handled); etc.  Thus everything done at national has a
>contingency - the squadron gets to choose (ex: the way they handle dues).
>This is great!  But, it causes a lot of extra work and in this case
>development.  Point is, if National IT offers a new feature, there is always
>one squadron that is surviving with folks who do not have a desire to have a
>computer, have 5 people in the sqd and barely call themselves a squadron,
>but love USPS.  Therefore, this is affecting everyone. As stated before,
>maybe before we complain, we can offer a suggested resolution with the
>problem.  In this case, add a text line "If your SEO does not have email,
>and there is no one else in the squadron that is willing or able to use
>theirs for this purpose, then choose the "block" option."  I do highly
>recommend the forward/blind email address as mentioned before.  But this
>text line would help to explain why it is done this way.  PS - some
>squadrons will read this and then start using this as an excuse (not wanting
>the gen public emailing them.)  Yeah, we have heard it all.  :-)  But we
>keep trying to better the process and help the squadrons regardless.
>Kristi Anderson
>IT Committee
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>
>_______________________________________________
>P/C Dan Bartell, SN
>SEO - Shallotte River Sail & Power Squadron - D27 (NC)
>Member USPS National Information Technology Committee
>
>
>----------
>Windows Live™: Keep your life in sync. 
><http://windowslive.com/explore?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_BR_life_in_synch_062009>Check 
>it out.


_______________________________________________
P/C Dan Bartell, SN
SEO - Shallotte River Sail & Power Squadron - D27 (NC)
Member USPS National Information Technology Committee   
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