Live bonus claiming using email

saphena

IBAUK Webmaster
Staff member
Premier Member
IBA Member
#1
The move to live bonus claiming during rallies rather than post-rally claiming has been very well-received, making life easier for everyone, rally entrants and rally teams alike, Some concerns have been expressed about the suitability of email as the transport mechanism and this post is to reassure everyone about the simplicity and reliability of email in live scored rallies.

In addition to operating live bonus claiming using email in several rallies across Britain and the continent, I conducted a lengthy series of tests to monitor its simplicity and reliability particularly with respect "no signal" areas as that issue has been raised as an objection to the use of email.

Rally entrants need not be concerned about the reliability of live bonus claiming using email. Throughout my testing (with the exception of Outlook for Android users**) emails were reliably sent as soon as the sender moved to an area with signal and in virtually all cases I could identify both the moment of clicking [Send] and the moment of actual transmission from the received email. No emails were ever lost.

The only case where "no signal" might be an issue for rally entrants is the use of call-in bonuses. No exceptions can be made for these. Regardless of the method of call (voice, text, email) it is always the rally entrant's responsibility to be in an area with signal at the relevant time.

Some have sought ways of obtaining live confirmation that emails have been received. Such confirmations are both entirely unnecessary and, with one exception, entirely illusory. The exception being having a human being manually reply to each received email. If it's in the [Sent] folder, it's sent. If it's in the [Outbox], it's waiting for signal. If it's in [Drafts], the [Send] button wasn't hit. A quick check before check-in at the end of the rally (or each day for multi-day rallies) will ensure that everything that should have been sent has actually been sent.

All of us use email pretty much all the time, its use for live bonus claiming rallies should not present major difficulties to anyone.

** Outlook for Android users might wish to consider a more reliable email agent, almost any one.
 
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Kim Leeson

IBAUK Shopkeeper
Premier Member
IBA Member
#2
I'm on the fence Uncle Bob, during the BBR 2019, I lost the email bonus (time-sensitive) due to no signal on Angelsey Island...that would have put me in contention for 1st place....as for Outlook / Android users, which I am, I refuse to join the iPhone, overpriced, followers.

During the Jorvik Rally, I was in and out at bonuses while others stared at their phones, I did it longhand at the finishing table (much to Graeme's discontent) No way could you do better staring at a phone, which most cagers do and make our lives exceedingly compromised on every trip into the greater outdoors...but that's another subject, not for this discussion.

Apologies, I'm a big fan of new tech, look at my Control Centre (as some call it), but to signal out (no pun) Android users telling us to consider a more reliable agent...please advise such a system/software...I'm all ears :rolleyes: has to be fair to everyone, not just iPhone users.
 

saphena

IBAUK Webmaster
Staff member
Premier Member
IBA Member
#4
You misunderstood my very precisely worded point.

There is no problem whatsoever with Android phones or Android email systems, I use and tested many of them, they're fine. "Outlook for Android" is a very specific case, when it works, it works, when it doesn't - feel free to examine the reviews on the play store - it's a PITA.

I have an Android phone and use it for email all the time, it just works.
 

Kim Leeson

IBAUK Shopkeeper
Premier Member
IBA Member
#5
Play Store? Pita? what am I missing....your not forthcoming with a solution for non iPhone users. Or is this my problem?
 

Kim Leeson

IBAUK Shopkeeper
Premier Member
IBA Member
#6
You misunderstood my very precisely worded point.

There is no problem whatsoever with Android phones or Android email systems, I use and tested many of them, they're fine. "Outlook for Android" is a very specific case, when it works, it works, when it doesn't - feel free to examine the reviews on the play store - it's a PITA.

I have an Android phone and use it for email all the time, it just works.
But does it work on Anglesea Island during a Rally? ...No, so am I'm disadvantaged...don't answer that! :oops:
 

saphena

IBAUK Webmaster
Staff member
Premier Member
IBA Member
#7
Let me try again; I'll write very slowly as you're clearly not reading that quickly.

All email apps, on Apple, Android, Microsoft, Linux systems, with the exception of "Outlook for Android", performed perfectly. O4A also performed reasonably well but without the absolute reliability of any other email app. If you wish to use O4A that's your prerogative and it may even do what you want it to do. All I'm saying is that my testing showed it to be less than reliable, unlike every other app. There is no need to use O4A on Android devices as there are plenty of alternative apps available.

The rules of call-in bonuses in the BBR, as for every other IBA rally, are that it is the entrant's responsibility to ensure that he is in an area with good signal and is competent to use whatever equipment he has chosen, within the specified timespan. Those failing to achieve those two conditions are rightly penalised.

If you wish to make the case for not employing call-in bonuses, you're welcome to try.
 

Stephen!

Flivver Flyer
Premier Member
IBA Member
IBR Finisher
#8
Some have sought ways of obtaining live confirmation that emails have been received. Such confirmations are both entirely unnecessary and, with one exception, entirely illusory. The exception being having a human being manually reply to each received email.
Automated confirmation of electronically submitted bonuses is already being done with great results...

See: http://bigmoneyrally.com
 

saphena

IBAUK Webmaster
Staff member
Premier Member
IBA Member
#9
Automated confirmation of electronically submitted bonuses is already being done with great results...

See: http://bigmoneyrally.com
I didn't say it wasn't possible, I simply said that it's not needed.

OPTION 1
1. Send email
2. goto next bonus
3. before check-in flush emails
4) check-in - any missing?

OPTION 2
1. Send email
2. wait for confirmation
3. confirmation received? goto next bonus
4. not received? goto 1 or wait a bit longer or ???
5. before check-in flush emails
6. check-in -any missing?

Individual confirmations just make the whole process a bit more complicated for no added benefit.

There is a case to be made for issuing receipts for call-in bonuses but those receipts should be issued manually by a rally team member.
 

GSears

Dambuster... Bouncing panniers...
Premier Member
IBA Member
#10
Difference there is confirmation its been received and the score achieved.

Edit: Flush emails? Toilet?
 

Stephen!

Flivver Flyer
Premier Member
IBA Member
IBR Finisher
#11
I didn't say it wasn't possible, I simply said that it's not needed.

OPTION 1
1. Send email
2. goto next bonus
3. before check-in flush emails
4) check-in - any missing?

OPTION 2
1. Send email
2. wait for confirmation
3. confirmation received? goto next bonus
4. not received? goto 1 or wait a bit longer or ???
5. before check-in flush emails
6. check-in -any missing?

Individual confirmations just make the whole process a bit more complicated for no added benefit.

There is a case to be made for issuing receipts for call-in bonuses but those receipts should be issued manually by a rally team member.
That does not really seem to qualify as "Live Scoring", eh?

"Live Scoring" would seem to me to mean I submit a bonus and immediately (or within a very short period of time) learn if I scored the points or not...

What you outlined above is real-time submission, not live scoring.

;)
 

GSears

Dambuster... Bouncing panniers...
Premier Member
IBA Member
#12
In the BBR I am informed the bonus is scored as it is submitted (live). However, the score is not sent back to the participant.
 

Kim Leeson

IBAUK Shopkeeper
Premier Member
IBA Member
#14
Let me try again; I'll write very slowly as you're clearly not reading that quickly.

All email apps, on Apple, Android, Microsoft, Linux systems, with the exception of "Outlook for Android", performed perfectly. O4A also performed reasonably well but without the absolute reliability of any other email app. If you wish to use O4A that's your prerogative and it may even do what you want it to do. All I'm saying is that my testing showed it to be less than reliable, unlike every other app. There is no need to use O4A on Android devices as there are plenty of alternative apps available.

The rules of call-in bonuses in the BBR, as for every other IBA rally, are that it is the entrant's responsibility to ensure that he is in an area with good signal and is competent to use whatever equipment he has chosen, within the specified timespan. Those failing to achieve those two conditions are rightly penalised.

If you wish to make the case for not employing call-in bonuses, you're welcome to try.
Hi Bob,

I appreciate all the research and programming you have done to make Rally's more streamlined and efficient, so to put O4A out to pasture, I have deleted it and installed myMail, it was very easy and seems to be working flawlessly...bring on the 2020 Rally season. :)
 

Winglider

Ex-Wiinglider
IBA Member
#17
Hi Bob,

I appreciate all the research and programming you have done to make Rally's more streamlined and efficient, so to put O4A out to pasture, I have deleted it and installed myMail, it was very easy and seems to be working flawlessly...bring on the 2020 Rally season. :)
You see you are way ahead of me in computing and tecnonurd. WTF is O4A ?
 

saphena

IBAUK Webmaster
Staff member
Premier Member
IBA Member
#19
Anyone wanting to check/practise with their own email setup can send emails to [email protected] and get a response from me with details detected. The response won't be instant or even the same day but every few days I do a catchup run.

You can help build the evidence base by including the name/version of your operating system and email app (if you know such nerdy details), the carrier (O2, Vodafone, etc), time and location where you're sending from.
 
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