Cloakroom: a better way?

[k_chick_]

Hey there friendly MOC members and volunteers alike,

after volunteering at last year's manifest and spending most of my time in cloakroom (which I found to be quite awesome, by the way), I've realised that sometimes things are very tricky for volunteers, and that things can be easily forgotten. In particular, I feel there was mass confusion in the cloakroom in 2009, with particular reference to the difference of meanings between the blue tape and the CLR tags - where CLR can represent both "cleared" and "cloakroom". Likewise (I promise this topic is intended to be constructive so please keep reading), the use of logbooks became QUITE messy as the days drew on and volunteers were changed over and bags were everywhere and... yeah it got a bit chaotic for us.

So considering this high level of confusion, I'm wondering if implementing an IS (information system - or in this case a simple computer program) would be more appropriate, for instance a small database built for the specific needs of this role. Being a nerdy little IT student, I would be willing to invest some time into attempting to develop this, though I cannot promise it will be too fantastic as my skills are limited and hence development would be slow. [Please note: I do not presume that all IT students are nerdy however, I most certainly am.]

So the point of this thread, ah yes, I'm getting there...

I was wondering if other volunteers (yes you!) or IT students are able to conceptualise what is needed from such a system. I have a fair few ideas of my own however am mostly too lazy to type them up at the moment so.. will get to it quite soon I hope.
I likewise am interested to see how MOC feels about this suggestion.


Eagerly awaiting responses,

Liv.

[pdgeorge]

I like your idea personally, I'll forward this email to the rest of committee, see what they think about it. I'll make sure the cloakroom coordinator gets it aswell.

[k_chick_]

I wonder if I should be scared now?

[pdgeorge]

Nothing to be scared about. The absolute WORST thing that will happen is the coordinator will overlook it and nothing will happen. It's not like we've ever banned anyone from Manifest for putting forward an idea... yet... mwahahaha

but no, really I forwarded your comment to the cloak room coordinator because I don't think she reads the forum often, this year should be a lot better for cloak room though from a lot of things I've heard.

[k_chick_]

I suppose I'll replace my fear with possible excitement.

I've thought about this a fair bit since manifest, and have come up with a few things that I believe such a program would need but, again, as I'm lazy I will write these up at some point... most probably when requested at a later point in time. I would rather leave the concept blank for now to see what others come up with.

Thankyou for passing that on for me

[pdgeorge]

it's cool, we both have a common goal: make Manifest better lol

[Comrade-Muller]

I was wondering if other volunteers (yes you!) or IT students are able to conceptualise what is needed from such a system. I have a fair few ideas of my own however am mostly too lazy to type them up at the moment so.. will get to it quite soon I hope.
I likewise am interested to see how MOC feels about this suggestion.

Eagerly awaiting responses,

Liv.

4th year software engineering student here.

I'd like to throw my hat into the ring for this, though I'm not sure how much time I could spend on this (due to work and uni commitments). Feel free to contact me through a private message or IM though.

[vlc]

I think this is all a little complicated for a cloak room, and would therefor run into similar problems as this year, especially with training ect.
I dont see why we dont run it the same way as a club or other event, where you get your ticket and the other one is attatched, if we wanna be sympathetic to the people who will loose thier tickets we can put a name/number on the one attatched other then that i really dont see why there needs to be much to it, but thats just me i like simplicity

xxx

[Comrade-Muller]

I think this is all a little complicated for a cloak room, and would therefor run into similar problems as this year, especially with training ect.
I dont see why we dont run it the same way as a club or other event, where you get your ticket and the other one is attatched, if we wanna be sympathetic to the people who will loose thier tickets we can put a name/number on the one attatched other then that i really dont see why there needs to be much to it, but thats just me i like simplicity

xxx

As I recall, the raffle ticket paradigm was used in conjunction with the logbook. I'm not sure about the justification for this, but I imagine it could involve issues with having multiple packages being stored, the possibility of these raffle tickets to fall off and the ability of people to forget what they stored. I think having a bit of redundancy built into the cloaking system is a good thing.

In any case, I don't agree that the proposed system would cause similar problems to the logbook system. The problem of having messy logbooks would be gone. So would the issue with having to possibly look through multiple log books. Finding entries in the system would be a snap. Training would be less problematic because the program itself could guide the cloakroom attendant through the process. Overall, the idea seems to solve a lot of the issues that would occur with a pen and paper system.

On the flip-side, it does mean that manifest has to procure extra resources(computers, power, etc), and I would have serious concerns about the stability and robustness of such an application. However, I definitely think it would be an improvement over the old system, and has a greater amount of reliability then a simple raffle ticket system.

[sapphirix]

Fresh meat from the VCE pile here >.>

Despite that I can think of a few ways to run a cloakroom efficiently.

building off Comrade-muller's idea there

Main requirements would be
* literate people
* Ample storage space
* and a 5-10 min briefing session before the room opens
* some nice label stickers or similar
and the other side would be ID held by anyone bringing items into the cloakroom, or a card w/ stickers option for those who don't carry ID (like you wouldn't bring some sort of ID with you...)

Basically, my idea is a simple database (made with Microsoft Access, run on a computer (which can either be MOC or Volunteer provided)
which registers basic info such as name and item, then gives a number, the number is then written on a sticker/label which is attached to the item.
optional contact details to make sure people don't lose their stuff.
Entry into the database is a simple form, which means it's not super complex, the instructions for attendees is simple, and privacy policy would be that all details collected into the system are deleted when you pick up your items.

queries n stuff to allow easy access to finding the number on someone's stuff, ordering things within storage is one of my pet peeves...

as far as computers and power goes, we (committee and volunteers alike) could surely scrounge up a computer or two... (I can possibly donate my old notebook, it still works rather well (toshiba tecra m3))
I can supply not only my knowledge in creating databases and such, but also my knowledge in networking (I'll give my resume out later )

finally as far as putting together a solution, give me 3 days (including a meeting with people to analyze the problem completely) to get the initial database, then a meeting, and a further 3 days (max) to perfect it.

and as far as redundancy goes, you can also give out the number of the item to the person who owns it, speeds up the retrieval process.
backup pen and paper for the first time implementation is also recommended. and of course post manifest evaluation...

I'm willing to put in the effort for it if you're willing.

[k_chick_]

I agree with the use of an access database, as the initial creation and implementation would be much easier.

However, I am conscious that the bookkeeping features for which the logbook was required may become difficult to manage. The purpose of the logbooks was to make note of the number of times an individual visited the cloakroom, and likewise the amount they had paid over the course of the day. Although managing this is still relatively easy in an access database, I'm aware that other alternatives might work slightly better.

[Comrade-Muller]

building off Comrade-muller's idea there

Not my idea. Give credit where credit is due.

and the other side would be ID held by anyone bringing items into the cloakroom, or a card w/ stickers option for those who don't carry ID (like you wouldn't bring some sort of ID with you...)

Not too sure what you intend to do with the person's ID. I imagine quite a few people under the age of 18 do not carry ID with them regularly.

Basically, my idea is a simple database (made with Microsoft Access, run on a computer (which can either be MOC or Volunteer provided)
which registers basic info such as name and item, then gives a number, the number is then written on a sticker/label which is attached to the item.
optional contact details to make sure people don't lose their stuff.
Entry into the database is a simple form, which means it's not super complex, the instructions for attendees is simple, and privacy policy would be that all details collected into the system are deleted when you pick up your items.

Access and VB ... ick.

I'd be intrigued to see how the forms work out though.

queries n stuff to allow easy access to finding the number on someone's stuff, ordering things within storage is one of my pet peeves...

Not too sure what you mean by 'ordering things within storage'.

finally as far as putting together a solution, give me 3 days (including a meeting with people to analyze the problem completely) to get the initial database, then a meeting, and a further 3 days (max) to perfect it.

Woah there buddy. There is half a year to Manifest. No need to rush!

In any case, it would be nice to get some feedback from Linkey (or whoever is doing the Cloak room this year) on the subject.

[k_chick_]

I was avoiding commenting too explicitly on those points.

I think the important thing here is not too jump into something simply because we feel it is a good idea and can see what the solution should be. Analysis is one of the most important phases of any project, and as such is just as important here. We need to know what MOC feels, and if they like it we then need to know what they want, as well as what it feasible. Volunteer input will also be necessary for usability purposes and finally... this is a chance not just to automate what is currently happening, but to improve upon it. Hence why I was waiting for responses and not just ... jumping in. *splash*

This could turn into a great innovation, or a mere application. But the feedback from MOC is the most important component right now.

[pdgeorge]

Just so you guys know, MoC isn't like some super special awesome group which is impossible to get near. It may be hard to contact some people at times but if you are interested, you can always show up to a committee meeting at some point. Get a taste of how committee organises Manifest, Minifest, Amaranth and everything else that we do, and if you are interested in helping out you can sign up and get on committee as well and help out.
Anyone can join up, all it costs is $10 and your soul lol.
Committee has to approve anyone new coming in, but as long as you are coming in with the intent to help out you should be approved. This is just a general piece of info though for anybody willing to help out, don't feel like committee are all hand picked for being awesome (though we do choose the best people for specific tasks), Manifest is and always has been "by the fans, for the fans"

[Comrade-Muller]

all it costs is $10 and your soul lol.

My soul is currently owned in part by RMIT and a Software development company. So, can't really give it to anyone else at the moment.

[sapphirix]

ah, I have done it again >.> I've jumped in the deep end of the pool without thinking. *blub blub blub*

building off Comrade-muller's idea there

Not my idea. Give credit where credit is due.

Apologies, Builiding off K_chick's idea, though I do believe that I was taking some of your thoughts as well... so technically I might be right in the first place...

and the other side would be ID held by anyone bringing items into the cloakroom, or a card w/ stickers option for those who don't carry ID (like you wouldn't bring some sort of ID with you...)

Not too sure what you intend to do with the person's ID. I imagine quite a few people under the age of 18 do not carry ID with them regularly.

they keep their ID, that's just my usual failsafe to ensure valuables return to the person who brought them in.

Basically, my idea is a simple database (made with Microsoft Access, run on a computer (which can either be MOC or Volunteer provided)
which registers basic info such as name and item, then gives a number, the number is then written on a sticker/label which is attached to the item.
optional contact details to make sure people don't lose their stuff.
Entry into the database is a simple form, which means it's not super complex, the instructions for attendees is simple, and privacy policy would be that all details collected into the system are deleted when you pick up your items.

Access and VB ... ick.

I'd be intrigued to see how the forms work out though.

well... I know Access looks a kitten in the development stage, but I've made something that looked at least reasonable as a finished product...

queries n stuff to allow easy access to finding the number on someone's stuff, ordering things within storage is one of my pet peeves...

Not too sure what you mean by 'ordering things within storage'.

'Ordering things within storage'
I could've said that better... I like to keep things in logical places, or in order of when something arrived...

finally as far as putting together a solution, give me 3 days (including a meeting with people to analyze the problem completely) to get the initial database, then a meeting, and a further 3 days (max) to perfect it.

Woah there buddy. There is half a year to Manifest. No need to rush!

I'm just saying that I could have it ready with relative speed...

In any case, it would be nice to get some feedback from Linkey (or whoever is doing the Cloak room this year) on the subject.

[quote=k_chick_]I think the important thing here is not too jump into something simply because we feel it is a good idea and can see what the solution should be. Analysis is one of the most important phases of any project[/quote]

Again, I really need to tell myself to stop acting impulsively on my ideas...
Sitting here now, I'd like to see this develop into something that could really help make even more enjoyable, especially for everyone who works so hard behind the scenes.

Just so you guys know, MoC isn't like some super special awesome group which is impossible to get near. It may be hard to contact some people at times but if you are interested, you can always show up to a committee meeting at some point. Get a taste of how committee organises Manifest, Minifest, Amaranth and everything else that we do, and if you are interested in helping out you can sign up and get on committee as well and help out.
Anyone can join up, all it costs is $10 and your soul lol.
Committee has to approve anyone new coming in, but as long as you are coming in with the intent to help out you should be approved. This is just a general piece of info though for anybody willing to help out, don't feel like committee are all hand picked for being awesome (though we do choose the best people for specific tasks)

$10? wow, that's cheaper than the 'Access Membership' for the student association at deakin... though the soul part is kinda... well... it's hard to remove something so intangible from my body so... heheh

well... going about this calmly... It'd be best to hear from everyone who has a similar concerns or other problems with the way things have run.

Manifest is and always has been "by the fans, for the fans"

well... I'm here to help... and if I start spouting crazy talk, tell me to quiet down, and consider the other problems it may cause...

[pierabelle]

Hi guys, My name is Margaret and im in charge of cloakroom. ive only just found the thread and i love the idea of a computer system for a better record of what people bring in. can i ask all those intrested in helping email me at margaret.cochran@manifest.org.au or if you have facebook, look up pierabelle@yahoo.com and add me with youself telling me where i would know you from

[linkey]

vlc, the only major problem we had was that I was placed in to many positions and got dragged to do something that wasn't supposed to be my duty but oh well what was done was done. Anyway the idea from k_chick_ sounds good, and seeing what pierabelle has shown me I can say that this year will be a lot better!

Good news for me is that there will be NO Cloakroom for Mani-Midnight this year due to the volunteer shortage that we will be having for this event.