Club Class Nationals live on Facebook

Final pilots meeting for the 2017 Club Class Nationals starts in 10 minutes. See it live.

Sean Franke

Lots of nice pictures and rah rah short comments on the Facebook page. They are nice. They don't take the place of a few John Good style paragraphs about what happened that day, covering weather, task, and a few stories from top and bottom. And "my story of the nationals" which is what volunteer Facebook posts provide is quite different than an organizer, CD, or ssa reporter's story of the contest.

As you say, there is lots that could be done with modern social media. But nothing that is being done with any medium.

This is an SSA sanctioned nationals, at the home of the SSA, with SSA staff on site. The SSA RC and website volunteers developed a nice reporting medium on the SSA website. The SSA rules say

13.1 Daily Reporting
13.1.1 The CD and the Scorer shall ensure that contest scores are reported at least daily to the SSA website. When possible, preliminary scores should be posted by 20:00, and updated as changes are made and when scores become Official.
13.1.2 A brief narrative describing each contest day is recommended for inclusion with submitted scores..

Let us at least use what we have.

John Cochrane BB

On Thursday, June 29, 2017 at 11:08:55 AM UTC-6, John Cochrane wrote:
Lots of nice pictures and rah rah short comments on the Facebook page. They are nice. They don't take the place of a few John Good style paragraphs about what happened that day, covering weather, task, and a few stories from top and bottom. And "my story of the nationals" which is what volunteer Facebook posts provide is quite different than an organizer, CD, or ssa reporter's story of the contest.

As you say, there is lots that could be done with modern social media. But nothing that is being done with any medium.

This is an SSA sanctioned nationals, at the home of the SSA, with SSA staff on site. The SSA RC and website volunteers developed a nice reporting medium on the SSA website. The SSA rules say

13.1 Daily Reporting
13.1.1 The CD and the Scorer shall ensure that contest scores are reported at least daily to the SSA website. When possible, preliminary scores should be posted by 20:00, and updated as changes are made and when scores become Official.
13.1.2 A brief narrative describing each contest day is recommended for inclusion with submitted scores..

Let us at least use what we have.

John Cochrane BB

Some of this maybe my fault as I was asked to "help" report. The scorer is QT and he is doing remote scoring. The CD is new and it is a hard job for even a seasoned CD when mother nature is being difficult. After my land out on the first day of the regional I had to leave. I didn't withdraw until several days later.
I do agree posting a report on the SSA website is good, but it can be difficult when a contest has so few volunteer's. No one want's to do it, that is a fact!
My question is why those of you who want more reporting, do more reporting when your at a contest of your choosing? Lead by example. To all the entrant's and crew's, FB is available, personal blogs(YO is one) along with twitter and RAS too.
When I see the "views" on You Tube video's along with my blog "hits", my number's really don't match what is being claimed by some. Hmmmm....?
Today's "live" broadcast from the club class showed 174 views after it was over. The internet does allow a few "contest junkies" to allow their minds to think our sport is huge. Now really.....I mean...seriously...not even a 12 step program can help with that! Hell, "The Helium" doesn't even have a video for this!

USA Uvalde 18 Meter National's is the largest 18 Meter National in the history of contest soaring. Sean, John get you act together now and along with YO, myself and all the other's let's get this job done! Sean, email all the entrant's and demand they carry the IGC droid tracker. I mean $10 bucks and a $15 back up battery pack is all that's needed. John, you have written many articles, so reporting is no problem with you and along with Sean can make some great video's.
I am sure YO and myself will continue to blog. So let's lead by example and do this!
Great idea guys, Thank's big time!

Best. Tom #711.

On Thursday, June 29, 2017 at 11:53:55 AM UTC-6, Tom Kelley #711 wrote:
On Thursday, June 29, 2017 at 11:08:55 AM UTC-6, John Cochrane wrote:
Lots of nice pictures and rah rah short comments on the Facebook page. They are nice. They don't take the place of a few John Good style paragraphs about what happened that day, covering weather, task, and a few stories from top and bottom. And "my story of the nationals" which is what volunteer Facebook posts provide is quite different than an organizer, CD, or ssa reporter's story of the contest.

As you say, there is lots that could be done with modern social media. But nothing that is being done with any medium.

This is an SSA sanctioned nationals, at the home of the SSA, with SSA staff on site. The SSA RC and website volunteers developed a nice reporting medium on the SSA website. The SSA rules say

13.1 Daily Reporting
13.1.1 The CD and the Scorer shall ensure that contest scores are reported at least daily to the SSA website. When possible, preliminary scores should be posted by 20:00, and updated as changes are made and when scores become Official.
13.1.2 A brief narrative describing each contest day is recommended for inclusion with submitted scores..

Let us at least use what we have.

John Cochrane BB

Some of this maybe my fault as I was asked to "help" report. The scorer is QT and he is doing remote scoring. The CD is new and it is a hard job for even a seasoned CD when mother nature is being difficult. After my land out on the first day of the regional I had to leave. I didn't withdraw until several days later.
I do agree posting a report on the SSA website is good, but it can be difficult when a contest has so few volunteer's. No one want's to do it, that is a fact!
My question is why those of you who want more reporting, do more reporting when your at a contest of your choosing? Lead by example. To all the entrant's and crew's, FB is available, personal blogs(YO is one) along with twitter and RAS too.
When I see the "views" on You Tube video's along with my blog "hits", my number's really don't match what is being claimed by some. Hmmmm....?
Today's "live" broadcast from the club class showed 174 views after it was over. The internet does allow a few "contest junkies" to allow their minds to think our sport is huge. Now really.....I mean...seriously...not even a 12 step program can help with that! Hell, "The Helium" doesn't even have a video for this!

USA Uvalde 18 Meter National's is the largest 18 Meter National in the history of contest soaring. Sean, John get you act together now and along with YO, myself and all the other's let's get this job done! Sean, email all the entrant's and demand they carry the IGC droid tracker. I mean $10 bucks and a $15 back up battery pack is all that's needed. John, you have written many articles, so reporting is no problem with you and along with Sean can make some great video's.
I am sure YO and myself will continue to blog. So let's lead by example and do this!
Great idea guys, Thank's big time!

Best. Tom #711.

At noon, today on Face Book, 212 views on the live today broadcast on the Club Class National's pilot's 10 am meeting. It's a public post and FB has 2 billion members.....hmmmmmm?

Best. Tom #711.

I have no complaints about race reporting, but this is the gold standard: http://www.redbullxalps.com/ probably not going to be equaled by volunteers, plus pilots would have to play dancing monkey for the cameras. Starts in two days, viewership traditionally has been in the hundreds of thousands.

I think 212 is a huge number considering the size of the potential SSA audience for a Club Class Nationals. The entire contest community with friends and family is only 2500. So you have a 10% share already without much strategy. The key is attracting new people outside of soaring and making it compelling enough to check it out (marketing 101).

Pilots meetings are boring by nature. Interviews, live tracking with commentary, short snippet updates, etc (short, consice, consumable, shareable content) would be better suited to develop and keep and audience interested.

A "strategy" is for every SSA content to have a social media manager dedicated. This is a more important role that the CD or CM IMO for the future or the sport. Until more agree little will improve.

Sean

On Thursday, June 29, 2017 at 12:37:28 PM UTC-6, Sean Fidler wrote:
I think 212 is a huge number considering the size of the potential SSA audience for a Club Class Nationals. The entire contest community with friends and family is only 2500. So you have a 10% share already without much strategy. The key is attracting new people outside of soaring and making it compelling enough to check it out (marketing 101).

Pilots meetings are boring by nature. Interviews, live tracking with commentary, short snippet updates, etc (short, consice, consumable, shareable content) would be better suited to develop and keep and audience interested..

A "strategy" is for every SSA content to have a social media manager dedicated. This is a more important role that the CD or CM IMO for the future or the sport. Until more agree little will improve.

Sean

You say 212 is huge when compared to 2500 or so in the contest community.
Ah...once again you have assumed something and since we really don't know who the viewer's are or how long they stayed, as they might of been 4 year old's surfing on FB, your marketing skills class seems to need refreshing.

On a social media manager being more important than the CD or CM....stop blowing smoke up my ass.......I coughed so hard I see smoke rings! "The Helium" blew up!

Your video's of the SGP Orlando are well done, they are, only one problem.......few viewer's.

The "hits" do not support your premise. Your "love and obsession" of the sport, as mine, along with a few other's, support's your view's. We need to stay in the present, with facts, as many has learned (including yourself) that "Hope is not a sound strategy".....results in errr...land outs.

Best. Tom #711.

On Thursday, June 29, 2017 at 2:11:33 PM UTC-5, Tom Kelley #711 wrote:
On Thursday, June 29, 2017 at 12:37:28 PM UTC-6, Sean Fidler wrote:
I think 212 is a huge number considering the size of the potential SSA audience for a Club Class Nationals. The entire contest community with friends and family is only 2500. So you have a 10% share already without much strategy. The key is attracting new people outside of soaring and making it compelling enough to check it out (marketing 101).

Pilots meetings are boring by nature. Interviews, live tracking with commentary, short snippet updates, etc (short, consice, consumable, shareable content) would be better suited to develop and keep and audience interested.

A "strategy" is for every SSA content to have a social media manager dedicated. This is a more important role that the CD or CM IMO for the future or the sport. Until more agree little will improve.

Sean

You say 212 is huge when compared to 2500 or so in the contest community.
Ah...once again you have assumed something and since we really don't know who the viewer's are or how long they stayed, as they might of been 4 year old's surfing on FB, your marketing skills class seems to need refreshing.

On a social media manager being more important than the CD or CM....stop blowing smoke up my ass.......I coughed so hard I see smoke rings! "The Helium" blew up!
Best. Tom #711.

You pulled Sean's comment out of context; This [dissemination of contest info] is a more important role [than] the CD or CM IMO for the future [of] the sport." Please be civil, you're scaring some of us "4 year olds" away.

On Thursday, June 29, 2017 at 1:08:55 PM UTC-4, John Cochrane wrote:
Lots of nice pictures and rah rah short comments on the Facebook page. They are nice. They don't take the place of a few John Good style paragraphs about what happened that day, covering weather, task, and a few stories from top and bottom. And "my story of the nationals" which is what volunteer Facebook posts provide is quite different than an organizer, CD, or ssa reporter's story of the contest.

As you say, there is lots that could be done with modern social media. But nothing that is being done with any medium.

This is an SSA sanctioned nationals, at the home of the SSA, with SSA staff on site. The SSA RC and website volunteers developed a nice reporting medium on the SSA website. The SSA rules say

13.1 Daily Reporting
13.1.1 The CD and the Scorer shall ensure that contest scores are reported at least daily to the SSA website. When possible, preliminary scores should be posted by 20:00, and updated as changes are made and when scores become Official.
13.1.2 A brief narrative describing each contest day is recommended for inclusion with submitted scores..

Let us at least use what we have.

John Cochrane BB

I agree with my friend John. That said, if contest organizers want to use alternate means from the classic reporting, so be it. What is frustrating for some of us is that we don't know the alternative stuff is available.
I'd like to see links to these options put in the reports area so we can find them when we look at scores.
At least tell us where the good stuff is.
FWIW
UH

[wish this site was more like a forum......hard to do multiple quotes, or maybe just my iPad....]

Agreed, and my comment in another thread here recently. I am not against various "social media", I am against some that say, "the info is out there, go read it!".
But where?
My comment was, if there is alternative info sources, link it to the contest page on SSA, don't assume others will magically know where to look.

Additionally, some that post to other sources don't do "check boxes" that allow anyone to view it. I do not/likely will not have a registered presence on a number of "social media" sites.
Period.
So, if I have to login to see posted info, them I will skip it.

To 711, I have no issues with your reporting, it is good and definitely better than nothing.
I applaud anyone at a contest that posts pretty much anything. Some are great, some are lower, but it's still info someone took the time to post.

And Sean, yes, you have done some good things for the sport in NA, you did well in the worlds. But I have to say, I get rather tired of you slamming everyone that does not do it your way or to your satisfaction.
Tiring.