New GeoWiki Software

[BruceQ]

As per the recent articles in The Wanderer, the software of GeoWiki is being rewritten. This will add more functionality, including APPs for smart phones.
The programmers are employing an 'Agile Software Development Methodology' which includes users in the design process. We want to encourage Members to input their suggestions ASAP. Chapters will be sent this request soon and a flyer will be included in bags at the Rally, but I hope we will get many entries from Members of this Forum very quickly. Please enter as many 'User Stories' as you like, the more the better !!

Thanks for your assistance with this matter

Regards

Bruce Reimers Q45236
GeoWiki Liaison to the CMCA Board


The new GeoWiki needs your input NOW!!
Please visit http://www.cmca.net.au/survey where you can be a part of the continued development of this terrific Member Benefit. We plan to make GeoWiki more user friendly and incorporate modern technology, including apps for smart phones and tablets, while retaining compatibility for our GPS users too.

You can have your say and improve the outcome for all at http://www.cmca.net.au/survey

Who? This will tell us what type of GeoWiki user you are, so we can ensure everyone is included. A Solo, do you travel in a big rig, with a dog, would you like to pre plan your trips or plan as you go?

What? This is what you want GeoWiki to do for you. Find dump points, camps that are pet friendly, or maybe camps that are under $20 with power.

Why? We need to understand as much as possible and you will have personal reasons for wanting these things.

The following is an example, but we encourage all Members to submit as many responses as possible, to ensure we know everything you want GeoWiki to do.

Who? I am a full time traveller.
What? I need to find a dump point every few days, especially one that is free.
Why? I have a cassette with limited holding capacity and a limited budget.

Your participation now will ensure the best possible result for the new GeoWiki. Please keep updating the information in GeoWiki so we have the very best data available when the new software is released. Updates and requests for assistance can be sent to geowiki@cmca.net.au

We need your input NOW
Please visit http://www.cmca.net.au/survey and have your say

Your GeoWiki Team
geowiki@cmca.net.au

[homeless]

Bit of a waste of time as there is already an app that is now accepted by most only cost $2.99 (I think).
C**A had all the options they needed with their old forum members and they decided they did not need our support anymore.
Many of us left the same club due to this action so cant see too many of the old members giving it much thought.
Just my thoughts but will see what happens.
Regards
Brian

[BruceQ]

Thanks for your thoughts Brian

There are some other apps out there but we have plans to do things that will benefit the CMCA Members more than is possible with a public APP. I would suggest the new MSO (Member Stop Over) scheme as one example because they will be for CMCA Members ONLY.

There are many new functions that we have planned, but we are looking for input from Members to see what they want at this stage of planning and development.

We want to know what you use in the current GeoWiki, what you like, what you don't like, and what you would like to see if possible in the new GeoWiki. Comments and suggestions can also be emailed to geowiki@cmca.net.au

Please do not miss your chance to participate.

Regards

Bruce

[homeless]

Not much point me trying to advise on the advancement of geowiki as I revoked my membership when they closed the main forum.

I was looking forward to collecting and sharing information etc freely when I started travelling full time but before I actually got on the road the board decided that the data was for sale and gave the information to a certain MH group and also printed it into a printed format that was passed to all and sundry.

Many of my better spots have been gained through hard work and trust of many people I have met on the road and I am not prepared to give this information to every one so a club can make money.

One reasons I left the club was because the forum was my main use of the club as I found the insurance failed me on two occasions and I was not a chapter or rally person so the club held nothing for me after the forum was closed. Also I was upset that all the information re Mh builds and the general data base amassed by many people who gave their help for free was just wiped away on the whim of the board who felt threatened by a media that they could / should have not only used to their advantage by conferring with the forum members but also used it to advise the every day happening within the club to bring the members together, but instead threaten legal action when they thought there MAY be a threat to their integrity. To me this signaled that there was something actually wrong going on and they were hell bent on covering it up.

The other reason was the way that members we thought were either friends or at least persons with knowledge etc to help in our Lithium experiment turned on us as they were out of their depth and were not prepared to accept that we were trying to involved all the members in the advancement and were prepared to offer all the information for free.

Some of the members even followed Terry and I to many forums to continue this action and that is why the information on Lithium batteries is now on a closed forum. If the so called experts on that forum had been able to accept that there was something new they could learn or at least help with then all the information would have been available to all RV owners in Australia and perhaps all around the world.

I wish them luck with the geowiki but I think the horse has bolted.

I know that the C**A are trying to get the LNT scheme to themselves to try an boost membership by making it a 12month license of some sort, but that too will only help to make the scheme fade away.

No criticism of your connection to the C**A and what you may be trying to do but I think you will find many past members have resigned for similar reasons to what I have done, and I talk to may who are considering their membership when it renews.

If admin feel this is out of line then please delete it.

Regards
Brian

[BruceS]

No... I feel free & open discussion can only be a good thing.
It stays...

[BruceQ]

No criticism of your connection to the C**A and what you may be trying to do

Regards
Brian

Hi Brian

I hope this thread can focus on the development of GeoWiki. I have no control over most of the issues you raise, but we are trying to make a great Member Benefit even better and I am glad you are not criticising us for that.

We want everyone to know that they have the opportunity to have input into the new version of GeoWiki, so we hope everyone takes that opportunity now while the development is at that stage. If you leave it too long, it may be too late. Please make as many comments as possible to our questionaire http://www.cmca.net.au/survey/

Regards

Bruce

[dream4red]

Bruce,
I am a member and would happily use the geowiki thing if it offered us the things we need. As caravanners who do not feel safe in the free camp situation, it is obvious that we are after cheap, reasonable caravan parks, often in smaller towns (show grounds are acceptable to us). I did the survey, but found it difficult to fill in the first question, so had to do a bit of a write up in the next available space.

I gave up trying to follow the directions for the geowiki as it seemed to become very difficult to navigate, so hopefully, an improvement will happen fairly quickly. Good luck with it all.

[BruceQ]

Hi Deborah

Thanks for your feedback. Your feelings of concern when free camping are common and this is a valuable input to the development of the software. We want to make it easier to use, but we are also looking 'outside the square' to see what new features we can incorporate. I think you will be impressed with the result.

As a Full Time Traveller, I want to be able to search for a powered site under a set price limit so I can charge my batteries in cloudy or wet weather. This would save me a lot of money and a lot of time too. It seems you might filter that to just caravan parks and showgrounds, but I would include anywhere that has power. We are all different and we all use GeoWiki in different ways. This is why we are asking for input at this stage of development.

Please make as many entries as possible to the survey http://www.cmca.net.au/survey/ because we are listening, and will try our best to assist as much as we can.

Kind regards

Bruce

[graynomad]

First problem, what if I'm a solo that travels full-time with a dog in a 10-metre rig that has a holding tank for grey water but a cassette toilet and I can't reverse so save myself? Which of the drop down options do I select?

I think this should be a radio-button object as the options are not mutually exclusive.

EDIT: Sorry not radio buttons, that has the same problem (ie you can only select a single option), there is a drop down style that you can control-click multiple options.

_____
Rob

[BruceS]

Rob you mean a bit like they have on truck or car classified sites?
eg. http://www.trucksales.com.au/?mkwid=s1L ... pAodvlEACw

I've always though that may be the way to go but once the old system was started by Julian the way it is, it'd probably need a complete rewrite.
It's probably be easier on the server too?

It's right up your alley so perhaps your comments will be listened to.
There's an opening BruceQ?