Cross Team Challenge - Discussion Thread

[Citroen]

Why are you bothering with all this crap about http://www.c2ctc.com?

That domain has existed since Dec 2005, the code (in PHP) on there has been in place since 2005 (and doesn't change). Daren does the bare minimum to fix the site. The computer it runs on may be discontinued at any time. But for the time being it works.

There are a few things wrong with the site but it mostly (99%) works. Daren has made about four changes to the database since Dec 2005 (mainly due to the size of the teams).

It's being left alone to run on until the computer it runs on gets removed (then we'll think about what to do about it).

So stop fussing, it's a working beast that is best left alone.

[Time]

Why are you bothering with all this crap about http://www.c2ctc.com?

Well for starters let's go with your reasons

...the code (in PHP) on there has been in place since 2005 (and doesn't change).
...Daren does the bare minimum to fix the site.
...The computer it runs on may be discontinued at any time.
...There are a few things wrong with the site but it mostly (99%) works.
...Daren has made about four changes to the database since Dec 2005 (mainly due to the size of the teams).
...It's being left alone to run on until the computer it runs on gets removed (then we'll think about what to do about it).

To which I'll add there are any number of enhancements which could be made to improve the site

So stop fussing...

Nobody here has complained about the site. I simply asked about joining teams and inquired about how the site might possibly be improved to facilitate that activity. I call that information gathering born out of curiosity. This forum thread is, as far as I can tell, the only way to get support about the site. Sorry if I stepped on your toes somehow, C. But I'll go about asking for help and offering my own here despite your wishes. After all, in your own words, you don't own the site.

Anyway, I get your message, C. It's Darren's site, he doesn't want to do anything with it, and you're touchy about anyone asking after it.

[Scott Jenkins]

Hello, was just wondering how you go about joining the CTC teams?

[jackarabit]

https://moores4.com/files/Forum_Flyers ... _Guide.pdf

No worries Time. All the pointy-bulleted info you need to join FF and register/submit score in the monthly Cross-Team Challenges.

[Citroen]

Hello, was just wondering how you go about joining the CTC teams?

It's all done at http://c2ctc.com/person.php

[jackarabit]

Hello, was just wondering how you go about joining the CTC teams?

It’s all done at http://c2ctc.com/person.php

Not quite all, methinks. The forum Team Page <https://log.concept2.com/log> offers competitive activities, rower training info, and rewards for legitimately registered teams and their legitimately registered members far beyond what is offered by CTC participation. One can and may join a team of one’s choosing (customarily after contacting the team on this forum or on Facegook for introductions and more or less informal permission to join.). Such teams can and do maintain their identity in the CTC game.

I think it is entirely possible to shortcut the preliminaries and simply register for a team @ C2 log Team Page. In addition, Doug’s explanation implies that one needs to do nothing more than fill in the blanks on the Cross-Team Challenge site to join a CTC team. Perhaps some folks do one or the other, or both. Note that petition to Citroen, in his guise as CTC admin, is necessary if you wish to START a new CTC team. It follows that some teams are created independent of the C2 Teams Page

Our little rowing game is NOT a creation of Concept 2 customer support. The name is NOT, as conjectured by OP <TIME>, The Concept Team Challenge. Concept 2 is the whale; CTC the hosted suckerfish. Any effort to create an impression that the suckerfish can or has swallowed the whale is misinformation, no matter the subtlety with which conveyed.

[Elizabeth]

While the process of adding rowers to the CTC page is done through the page, the process of joining a team commonly involves talking to the team, and that's a step that wasn't really clear to me - as a relatively new participant - from the website. It also wasn't clear to me when I joined that the sub-7 team didn't require a sub-7 2k (and mine was close but not there at the time), or that Garage Athlete was an actual community and not a ragtag band of people who worked out in their garage (like I do).

Many teams are primarily organized and communicate elsewhere. The Forum Flyers have a thread here and are a friendly group, and other teams are in different forums, or Instagram, or Facebook. In addition to participating in the CTC itself, some will participate in ErgZone challenges, or in the few Concept2 team events, or have their own monthly challenge. Some will meet up in person at larger indoor rowing events like WRICH.

Your best bet, Time, would be to contact a member of a team you may be interested in, and ask what their team culture is like, and how one would go about joining. You can message people through the Concept2 Logbook if you find them, usually via a ranked piece, and last month's CTC was a rankable 4:00. Quite a few folks are also active on Instagram and Facebook, and if you are on either platform, messaging them there works well.

Citroen - am I hearing you right that this is running off an old physical computer, and if the computer dies, the site does too? Is there a backup plan?

[Citroen]

Citroen - am I hearing you right that this is running off an old physical computer, and if the computer dies, the site does too? Is there a backup plan?

The plan will occur when we get informed that the old computer will be discontinued.
There are folks taking backups of the data - which saved me from the database screw up.

[Time]

Citroen - am I hearing you right that this is running off an old physical computer, and if the computer dies, the site does too? Is there a backup plan?

The plan will occur when we get informed that the old computer will be discontinued.
There are folks taking backups of the data - which saved me from the database screw up.

It's good to know there are backups. Elizabeth may have been asking about continuity. Is there a plan for redeploying the site to another server when the old machine is discontinued?

And just for clarification, I don't ask these things because I like rocking the boat. I'm a reasonably capable full stack web developer. I build and maintain sites for myself and others. Your comment about having DB backups is maybe the first thing I've read that is not a red flag. Everything else screams OMG these guys need help*.

Selfishly, I like what the site does** and I don't want to see it go away even if it's only for whatever time it takes you to figure out how to rebuild & redeploy it. I can only imagine there are others who feel as I do.

So please, let us know you got this. Really that's all I think any of us are asking.

Cheers,
T

* I don't need to be the one, or one of the people, helping out. I'm not looking for more work. But I'd like to point out you have a sizable community you can reach out to if you'd like some help.
** Yes, I think it can and should do more but that's what started this discussion a few days ago and I'm not going back there.

[Citroen]

If my 42 years as a developer/sysadmin/dbadmin falls apart we'll call you.

[joe80]

Congratulations to SPU Te Waka for winning the second challenge of the season and building on their success in the opener.

The Diamonds went one better on their record of last month in launching 64 boats. Once again, an impressive level of participation.

The MAD team have the October challenge. As a new team with three consecutive entries, Argentina IRC have claimed the November event.

Future Challengers:

August - Isenhurst rowers
September -The Delivery room
October - MAD
November - Argentina IRC





Regards,
Joe

[C2Believeit]

Hi Joe,
I'm relatively new to this but am just wondering how/when the Age Against The Machine team might appear on the CTC Challenger. We would quite like to dish out some pain at some stage when our turn is due. . Thanks for all the work you and all the others do to keep this going BTW.
Bob
AATM

[joe80]

Hi Joe,
I'm relatively new to this but am just wondering how/when the Age Against The Machine team might appear on the CTC Challenger. We would quite like to dish out some pain at some stage when our turn is due. . Thanks for all the work you and all the others do to keep this going BTW.
Bob
AATM

Hi Bob,

New teams on the CTC may claim a challenge after they have launched boats for three consecutive months. The challenge is not awarded automatically; it has to be claimed so that I have someone who I can liaise with. if you are happy to take this role then the December challenge will be yours.

Regards,
Joe

[C2Believeit]

Hi Bob,

New teams on the CTC may claim a challenge after they have launched boats for three consecutive months. The challenge is not awarded automatically; it has to be claimed so that I have someone who I can liaise with. if you are happy to take this role then the December challenge will be yours.

Regards,
Joe

Hi Joe
Thank you for explaining this and yes, Age Against The Machine would like to set the December challenge.
All the best,
Bob

[joe80]

Hi Joe
Thank you for explaining this and yes, Age Against The Machine would like to set the December challenge.
All the best,
Bob

That's great. Age Against The Machine has the December challenge.

Regards,
Joe