 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi All
The ski group database that I posted ages ago (it was available via skidrive) has now been deleted as it only worked on XP.
(so please stop emailing to tell me the link is broken)
I am just about to create a new one which I will post in a while (it’ll will take a few weeks to get it sorted).
This will again be available free to any NON-COMMERCIAL ski group organisers.
So if you regularly organise a ski holiday for anyone other than just your immediate family(School groups, ski clubs, work groups, etc.) , you should be able to use it.
The difference between what I doing now and the old one is:
• I will remove some of the functions that require coding ability – I will take off the link to an on-line booking form; as anyone who can work in PHP, ASPX, SQL will already have the skills to write their own specific database. But if anyone does have an on-line booking form you will still be able to link to this (but you’ll have to code it yourself)
• I will remove all encryption on the modules (so you’ll be able to see how it all works). Mind you, if you know enough about VBA modules you’ll probably know enough to make your own database, if you don’t and you start to change thing you’ll mess up the whole thing – it’s your choice.
• I will include options for self-drive.
• I will add airline API options – coach/ferry loading lists
• Ski school lists will be pintable
• etc
Oh and it will work on any Win7+ system. You'll need to have MS office (word, excel, access) loaded, but as 99% of people use this, it shouldn't be a problem.
MAC users will have to make their own 
But I need some help.
Please can anyone who organises a ski group tell me how you do it?
Eg.
• Do you all pay deposits separately to the TO or pay the group ornganiser who then hands it over.
• Do you all hire gear from the same place or decide on your own rental location
• Do you all buy the same lift pass.
• Does everyone arrive on the same date
• Who completes the API (airline passport security information)
• If traveling by coach do you all board at the same location – if not on average how many points are there.
• Same with flights; do you all board the same flight
• How are the resort transfers done (one bus, lots of cars, minibus, etc)
• If driving, how many “stopovers” do you take – are these hotels pre-booked or ad-hoc.
• Etc
• Etc
• Etc (I will have forgotten to ask most questions here BTW)
Basically I want to know how you organise your ski group.
The new database will be available soon but the more information I have the better. Of course the main reason I’m doing this is that we have many group bookings and so want to make it as simple as possible for the leaders.
Oh and I know some of you will like this – once it made I would like you all to try and break it. Eg. if you see that anyone called John Smith can not be allocated a coach seat, or that people not booking ski equipment can not have a lift pass, or that if you preview the help file it deletes anyone named Mr H File, etc, etc then I want you to tell me.
Before anyone asks, the same as the last one, yes it is free and no I don’t want a donation.
The more information the better. Of course if you would rather not tell everyone your methods then you can PM me.
Cheers
Oh and I "may" give a translation option (I can do the Italian but someone would need to help with French, German, Yorkshire, etc) but not sure yet
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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• Do you all pay deposits separately to the TO or pay the group organiser who then hands it over.
Via group organiser.
• Do you all hire gear from the same place or decide on your own rental location
Usually all from one place. Sometimes one or two exceptions.
• Do you all buy the same lift pass.
Usually same area, but often different prices for kids/teens/adults/olduns.
• Does everyone arrive on the same date
Usually.
• Who completes the API (airline passport security information)
Normally passed to the organiser who does it, maybe via the travel company.
• If traveling by coach do you all board at the same location – if not on average how many points are there.
Yes, but rarely go by coach.
• Same with flights; do you all board the same flight
Yes, but occasional exception. Some trips are diy-travel so people fly+transfer, some drive...
• How are the resort transfers done (one bus, lots of cars, minibus, etc)
One bus. (normally)
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Sorry Wayne - dumb question but - what exactly is it?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I'd like to see something like this as a web app. It would make life easier than relying on a desktop tool.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| feef wrote: |
| I'd like to see something like this as a web app. It would make life easier than relying on a desktop tool. |
it would be very simple for anyone to cloud base the database. BUT for security i would suggest they don't. The very nature of sorting out a ski trip means you have passport details, financial details, and cloud based apps simply ain't secure enough. I don't have time to create secure UI's so if somelse wants to write these then they are welcome do so.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Wayne, is this just a formatting thing being offered or an actual information base? Am I right in thinking that this is not somewhere to go if I am suddenly short of a person for a holiday?
Basically I just organise 3 holidays per year for a variable group of 6 friends in each - all expert skiers - skiing 8 days, 6 with a guide. Everyone buys their own air tickets and I simply charge for all deposits. Naive, perhaps, but it has worked out so far for about 10 years. This year and last there was someone I haven't skied with before so that was/is a worry for skiing standard - had they self-graded correctly.
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Our trips have evolved year on year as we learn, but there's been a group of between 20 and 30 of us going for about ten years now.
• Do you all pay deposits separately to the TO or pay the group ornganiser who then hands it over. No tour operator involved, everything done direct to air company, transfer company, accomodation, ski school, ski hire etc.
• Do you all hire gear from the same place or decide on your own rental location. From the same place and try for a group discount.
• Do you all buy the same lift pass. Yes
• Does everyone arrive on the same date. Yes
• Who completes the API. By the individuals
• Same with flights; do you all board the same flight. No
• How are the resort transfers done (one bus, lots of cars, minibus, etc). Rent a coach.
• If driving, how many “stopovers” do you take – are these hotels pre-booked or ad-hoc. Left up to individuals
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Do you all pay deposits separately to the TO or pay the group ornganiser who then hands it over.
Used to do it all centrally, now left to individuals
• Do you all hire gear from the same place or decide on your own rental location
Decide on own, some folk rent in the UK when driving, some rent down the valley, folk with kids like me with difficult feet pay extortionate mountain rates!
• Do you all buy the same lift pass.
yes
• Does everyone arrive on the same date
mostly!
• Who completes the API (airline passport security information)
individuals
• If driving, how many “stopovers” do you take – are these hotels pre-booked or ad-hoc.
One overnight stopped, pre-booked a fair bit in advance....
We take the Chunnel, despite living in Leeds.
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FAQ
