Bossy final details

[frostbite]

I prefer a PDF. Never had a problem reading it on my phone and it is saved automatically so I don't have to worry about whether there is a signal or not.

On the other hand, a webpage is often difficult to follow and badly formatted, particularly on a phone. Not every club website manager is adept at formatting for different devices it would appear.

[Arnold]

I was reminded of my post of a couple of years ago by the (early, not final) details for the British Middle Champs this year - in the first paragraph alone, there are 3 things I'm not allowed to do (drive to assembly, use the officials' toilet or ask for priority parking).

I must also not shadow anyone, not try to enter on the day, not talk to anyone at the start, not wear shorts, not leave any clothing at the start and not turn over my map until the start clock sounds.

I am "permitted" however to bring a club flag which feels like a major win in the circumstances

I know this is a British Champs and not meant for newcomers - so that 98% of competitors will just gloss over all this stuff (to get to the course lengths, which are right at the end). But honestly it just puts me personally off attending as it just sets the tone for a bossy sort of day (doesn't help that I don't like following rules...)

[SeanC]

Now you've resurrected this old thread Arnold, I've read the details.

I think these details, like most event details, could lift people's spirits by starting with a brief welcome sentence. Something like:

"Welcome to the 2024 Middle Distance Championship at The Chevin - home of some of the finest views in Yorkshire across the Aire valley, with steep and technical orienteering to test your skills".

The notice about parking at the start of the details in bold gives the effect of shouting which is quite abrupt - I'm sure not the intention. If anyone from AIRE is reading this, can I suggest that the postcode, grid reference and w3w address of the assembly area be removed if people aren't supposed to drive there? There are people who just scan for a postcode and get going on the morning of the event, and don't read much of the final details (ie me ), even stuff in bold.

[MChub]

If anyone from AIRE is reading this, can I suggest that the postcode, grid reference and w3w address of the assembly area be removed if people aren't supposed to drive there?

What about those who take public transport and walk or cycle to the event?

[SeanC]

Fair point, maybe move the assembly location postcode/gr etc right down the page where the organiser has helpfully put some info on buses and less likely to be picked up by accident by car drivers?

Maybe this is an event you can get a public bus from the car park to assembly?

[rf_fozzy]

Maybe this is an event you can get a public bus from the car park to assembly?

No, but you can get a bus to within a 10min walk of the arena.

As always most affluent orienteers put the needs of car users (& themselves) ahead of all others.

"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view … until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”

I see very little extraneous detail on that page - maybe you're so experienced that you know everything including all the nuances of an individual event that might have specific arrangements for a specific event.

But what happens if you haven't been to a British Championships before? Again consider the needs of all before whingeing.

And if you read anything as shouty, that's in your head. No-one else's.

I will pass your feedback onto the organiser.

[rf_fozzy]

PS: the elements of the website design mean that some things have to be in a set order. Hence the order of the information.

It's not necessarily as easy as saying: Move something down to the bottom because I find it irrelevant.

And that is why the bold text is there.

[SeanC]

Well that is quite a bossy response

[rf_fozzy]

Well that is quite a bossy response

I'm in a bad mood!

And tired of moaning about non-problems!

[Anne]

I'm going to stand up for bossy final details. I like to know where I stand, and vastly prefer "must" and "must not" (where necessary) to ambiguous "shoulds".

[Arnold]

Horses for courses, but here is a set of details that would get me excited about coming to a race. Shame I have to work most Wednesdays, and thanks Colin.

I know it's not the British, but it has all the info I'm looking for on one page and sounds like it's written by someone who's pleased to tell me about their upcoming event, rather than going through a box-ticking template. It even has a few don'ts in there (no shorts for example) without making it feel less welcoming.

[rf_fozzy]

You are comparing apples to bananas.

If you look at one of our local events (e.g. https://www.aire.org.uk/events/goldenacre-23-03-06 ), you'll see a similar amount of information to that example of a local event you've linked to.

I'm sure you are aware from the events that you have been the organiser for, that as events go up in levels from local to regional to national and then major, the complexities of the event increase considerably.

British Championships are 2nd only to the JK for complexity. And all come with their own set of rules, all of which can be perused for the casual reader here: https://www.britishorienteering.org.uk/rules

And much of that information has to be passed to competitors if we are going to put on high quality competition. I'm sure if you compared it to a comparable british champs (e.g. UKA champs?), there'd be a similar amount of information.

I won't tell you how long I spent reading the British Nights rules for the event I organised and then distilling it down to the specific and crucial information that was required at my event. But it was longer than it takes a competitor to read it.

However, I do encourage you to organise a major event. They are good fun to organise, despite the hard work.

I personally will attempt to keep my information to the absolutely crucial details for the JK2025 relay day, but keeping foremost in my mind that not everyone has been to a JK before and so requires information that regular attendees might take for granted.

[housewife]

As a parent of a toddler it’s good to know early on if there is going to be inordinate faff, endless walking with a child on my shoulders before the ‘race’ etc as it drastically reduces the chances of me being bothered to go.

As a parent of a toddler keep the instructions short and sweet please. We are very tired and have very little leisure time to go wading through the thanks to the landowner, layout of the control kites, where the nearest hospital is. I need to know how far the start / finish is, if there are loos / cake stall / assembly, what course I am, start I’m at, how far I’ve got and how much climb, any out of bounds instructions and if you are expect me to take a cag. Everything else is blah blah blah.

[seabird]

Only just read this thread. Thanks for your comments, which have been largely helpful. We have made some adjustments to the details as a consequence.