CTC website still unavailable

[Ian Teelan]

Hi folks,

As mentioned before the CTC website seems to be still down (as at 00.10 hours on 4/4/03). Does
anyone know what is going on with them ? I hate to think of all the lost opportunities that this IT
fiasco is causing. Anyone seeking to find out about cycling through Britain's leading cycling
organisation website is going to be far from impressed. Also think of the lost sales....

Far from impressed,

Ian T

 

[Twangin]

In article <[email protected]>,
"Ian Teelan" <[email protected]> wrote:

> Hi folks,
>
> As mentioned before the CTC website seems to be still down (as at 00.10 hours on 4/4/03). Does
> anyone know what is going on with them ? I hate to think of all the lost opportunities that this
> IT fiasco is causing. Anyone seeking to find out about cycling through Britain's leading cycling
> organisation website is going to be far from impressed. Also think of the lost sales....
>
> Far from impressed,
>
> Ian T
>
>

I am a CTC member and strongly complained to CTC yesterday and received the following reply this am;

CTC's website is currently unavailable due to a delay in the IP re-direction. The re-direct request
was made five days before the old website was terminated and should have been completed within 48
hours. Unfortunately owing to circumstances beyond CTC's control this transfer was not enacted.
Action has been taken to remedy and the problems that this has caused will be raised with the
company concerned by CTC and our technical agency. Owing to our contract having terminated with the
existing web company we are in no position to have an alternative message placed on the holding page
that now appears.

I am sure you can appreciate that this is extremely frustrating not only to members but also to the
team that have worked on the new site. If I can be of any further help please do not hesitate to
contact me via the details below.

Regards

Helen Aspell Commercial Officer - Marketing 69 Meadrow, Godalming, Surrey, GU7 3HS
e. [email protected]

--
Put the yahoo into the ok coral to reply

 

[Al_mossah]

A suggestion: I'm sure that Helen could have told you the actual URL (not the alias) of the new site
which we could post here as a temporary measure.

>
> CTC's website is currently unavailable due to a delay in the IP re-direction. The re-direct
> request was made five days before the old website was terminated and should have been completed
> within 48 hours. Unfortunately owing to circumstances beyond CTC's control this transfer was not
> enacted. Action has been taken to remedy and the problems that this has caused will be raised with
> the company concerned by CTC and our technical agency. Owing to our contract having terminated
> with the existing web company we are in no position to have an alternative message placed on the
> holding page that now appears.
>
> I am sure you can appreciate that this is extremely frustrating not only to members but also to
> the team that have worked on the new site. If I can be of any further help please do not hesitate
> to contact me via the details below.
>
>
> Regards
>
>
> Helen Aspell Commercial Officer - Marketing 69 Meadrow, Godalming, Surrey, GU7 3HS
> e. [email protected]
>
> --
> Put the yahoo into the ok coral to reply

 

[Colin Blackburn]

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
> A suggestion: I'm sure that Helen could have told you the actual URL (not the alias) of the new
> site which we could post here as a temporary measure.

I doubt they would want that to become publicly used. If they released it here "just for the time
being" then it would no doubt creep onto links pages and the like and cause more problems in the
future if they moved host.

Colin

 

[Al_mossah]

True. It's a question of them deciding which is worse- being inaccessible now, or being accessible
through more than one URL at a later date?

Peter

"Colin Blackburn" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:MPG.18f78cd3221843fe9898c1@localhost...
> In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
> > A suggestion: I'm sure that Helen could have told you the actual URL
(not
> > the alias) of the new site which we could post here as a temporary
measure.
>
> I doubt they would want that to become publicly used. If they released it here "just for the time
> being" then it would no doubt creep onto links pages and the like and cause more problems in the
> future if they moved host.
>
> Colin

 

[Keith]

"Ian Teelan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> Hi folks,
>
> As mentioned before the CTC website seems to be still down (as at 00.10 hours on 4/4/03). Does
> anyone know what is going on with them ? I hate to think of all the lost opportunities that this
> IT fiasco is causing. Anyone seeking to find out about cycling through Britain's leading cycling
> organisation website is going to be far from impressed. Also think of the lost sales....
>
> Far from impressed,
>
> Ian T

And a month later it's no better. The reasons are looking more like excuses and the excuses are
wearing thin.

 

[Twangin]

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] (Keith) wrote:

> "Ian Teelan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:<[email protected]>...
> > Hi folks,
> >
> > As mentioned before the CTC website seems to be still down (as at 00.10 hours on 4/4/03). Does
> > anyone know what is going on with them ? I hate to think of all the lost opportunities that this
> > IT fiasco is causing. Anyone seeking to find out about cycling through Britain's leading cycling
> > organisation website is going to be far from impressed. Also think of the lost sales....
> >
> > Far from impressed,
> >
> > Ian T
>
> And a month later it's no better. The reasons are looking more like excuses and the excuses are
> wearing thin.

It is up and running and has been for the best part of a month. However, its only a shell, there is
little or no information on it and the drop down menus on the front page don't work, which makes
getting anywhere on the site a little tricky. I've e-mailed the CTC a week ago about this, following
my earlier representations, but I have had no reply. Perhaps all members should seriously consider
witholding part of their membership fee for a service that is advertised but not provided.

--
Put the yahoo into the ok coral to reply

 

[Tony Raven]

In news:[email protected], Twangin'
<[email protected]> typed:
>
> It is up and running and has been for the best part of a month. However, its only a shell, there
> is little or no information on it and the drop down menus on the front page don't work, which
> makes getting anywhere on the site a little tricky. I've e-mailed the CTC a week ago about this,
> following my earlier representations, but I have had no reply. Perhaps all members should
> seriously consider witholding part of their membership fee for a service that is advertised but
> not provided.

I've used it a couple of times over the past couple of days and it worked for me, drop down
menus and all.

Tony

--
http://www.raven-family.com

"All truth goes through three steps: First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed.
Finally, it is accepted as self-evident." Arthur Schopenhauer

 

[James Annan]

Tony Raven wrote:
> In news:[email protected], Twangin'
> <[email protected]> typed:
>
>> I've e-mailed the CTC a week ago about this, following my earlier representations, but I have had
>> no reply.
>
> I've used it a couple of times over the past couple of days and it worked for me, drop down menus
> and all.

Maybe so, but I know that several people (including me) have had no response to recdent emails that
should have been answered. Of course, that may not be a technical problem.

James

 

[Tony Raven]

In news:[email protected], James Annan <[email protected]> typed:
>
> Maybe so, but I know that several people (including me) have had no response to recdent emails
> that should have been answered. Of course, that may not be a technical problem.
>

I e-mailed them Wednesday had two responses Thursday and a follow up Friday, all extremely helpful.

Tony

--
http://www.raven-family.com

"All truth goes through three steps: First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed.
Finally, it is accepted as self-evident." Arthur Schopenhauer

 

[James Annan]

Tony Raven wrote:

> I e-mailed them Wednesday had two responses Thursday and a follow up Friday, all extremely
> helpful.

Thanks for that, I will try again when I have found my round tuit.

James

 

[Si Davies]

"James Annan" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Tony Raven wrote:
>
> > I e-mailed them Wednesday had two responses Thursday and a follow up
Friday,
> > all extremely helpful.
> Thanks for that, I will try again when I have found my round tuit. James
>

I've emailed several times concerning the incorrect information that they are giving about my local
DA and Section - no responses, no update. Wouldn't mind so much (obviously you can't expect every
thing to work first go) but have already been through the arduous process of getting it all
corrected and sorted out on the previous incarnation of the site :-(

 

[Tony Raven]

In news:[email protected], James Annan <[email protected]> typed:
>
> Thanks for that, I will try again when I have found my round tuit.
>

Too late, I got it first ;-)

Tony

--
http://www.raven-family.com

"All truth goes through three steps: First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed.
Finally, it is accepted as self-evident." Arthur Schopenhauer

 

[Keith]

"Tony Raven" wrote ...

> > its only a shell, there is little or no information on it and the drop down menus on the front
> > page don't work, which makes getting anywhere on the site a little tricky.

> I've used it a couple of times over the past couple of days and it worked for me, drop down menus
> and all.

Well, bits of it do. Not much happening on these pages:
* the Message Board
* FAQs
* The members' login rewards me with: "You have successfully logged in! "Soon, you will be able to
use this "facility to view and change your "details. You will also be able to " "access the
member-only areas of the site.

When is soon? I don't mind the site being unfinished; I feel irritated when, day after day, there is
no indication of progress.

 

[James Annan]

"Tony Raven" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> In news:[email protected], James Annan <[email protected]> typed:
> >
> > Thanks for that, I will try again when I have found my round tuit.
> >
>
> Too late, I got it first ;-)

And in fact the CTC have just found theirs and replied to me (although since the reply seems to have
been to a previous message, perhaps the latest one was lost).

Anyway. publishing time scales being what they are, it seems that CTC members will be warned of the
dangers of disk brakes and QR wheels in August. I hope not too many more learn a harsh lesson in
the meantime.

James

 

[John Openshaw]

In article <[email protected]>, Keith <[email protected]> writes
>"Tony Raven" wrote ...
>
>> > its only a shell, there is little or no information on it and the drop down menus on the front
>> > page don't work, which makes getting anywhere on the site a little tricky.
>
>> I've used it a couple of times over the past couple of days and it worked for me, drop down menus
>> and all.
>
>Well, bits of it do. Not much happening on these pages:
>* the Message Board
>* FAQs
>* The members' login rewards me with: "You have successfully logged in! "Soon, you will be able to
> use this "facility to view and change your "details. You will also be able to " "access the
> member-only areas of the site.
>
>When is soon? I don't mind the site being unfinished; I feel irritated when, day after day, there
>is no indication of progress.

The CTC web-site and its current 'updating' is plain rubbish. Web-sites haven't been rocket science
for a fair few years now, you can develop new sites off-line so you dont have to remove something
that at least worked mostly.

Web-sites are fairly high profile fronts for organisations, and if the site (and the manner in which
its updated) is going to be as poor as this the CTC may as well not bother, save some cash, reduce
the membership fee and not tarnish their image by looking like a bunch of amateurs.

As for the site, theres no information, its not updated, you get no response and whats worse is the
old site was better. For about a week the domain name did not work at all.

Compare and contrast with Sustrans...

Regards

John Openshaw

--
John Openshaw

 

[Keith]

John Openshaw wrote ...
> >
> >> > its only a shell, there is little or no information on it and the drop down menus on the
> >> > front page don't work, which makes getting anywhere on the site a little tricky.

> The CTC web-site and its current 'updating' is plain rubbish. Web-sites haven't been rocket
> science for a fair few years now, you can develop new sites off-line so you don't have to remove
> something that at least worked mostly.
>
> Web-sites are fairly high profile fronts for organisations, and if the site (and the manner in
> which its updated) is going to be as poor as this the CTC may as well not bother

This is part of an e-mail mesage I received from the CTC earlier today:

"Dear Sir/Madam,

"Thank you for you web application. Unfortunately "due to no fault of your own we have been "unable
to process your application due to a "database problem. I am extremely sorry for any "inconvenience
that this may cause to you.

"Please can I reassure you that your application "hasn't gone unnoticed or been forgotten about "and
we are in the process of rectifying "this problem as soon as possible.