Maroon App

[martinm]

If the majority of cave and mountain rescue teams are OK using texts nowadays, why shouldn't we be?

Because text messaging is unreliable?

For several months now, my wife's phone has not been receiving any of the text messages I send her. This is despite me having confirmation messages on my phone saying they have been delivered successfully. We are both on EE 3g. After multiple calls to EE help desk (who have been really helpful), a solution has not been found (have tried factory resets, updating software, swapping sim cards, using sim cards in other handsets, etc etc)

Exactly my point. I've got (or did have) the RFCs and specs for SMS/MMS services and the fact that you have got  confirmation messages doesn't mean that they've been received by the recipient, only that they've been successfully delivered to the relevant  mobile network, where they go after that is a little akin to 'black magic'. If there are problems with the network or connection strength, etc. then they can can get lost.

Email with a read receipt is a much better bet, but you've got to make sure the message has been read b4 u go underground. Best just to phone someone from somewhere you've got a signal b4 you descend into one of the valleys where you'll have no signal. (I get no signal in the Manifold Valley, so I'd have to make the call up on high ground, somewhere like Wetton maybe.)

Oh, and don't leave paper notices on view in your vehicle, cos that just tells any thief how long they've got to nick your stuff. We've had a lot of that sort of thing in the Peak over the years, trust me!

 

[MaroonApp]

Hi all,

I just wanted to add as well that Beta testing is entirely free, so you can put all of your queries to the test. We will keep you updated about the beta release.

 

[Bottlebank]

Hi all,

I just wanted to add as well that Beta testing is entirely free, so you can put all of your queries to the test. We will keep you updated about the beta release.

Could you address the question what will happen if your phone goes flat whilst you are underground? Will this trigger a call out?

 

[MaroonApp]

If your phone goes flat while underground the call out will happen at the time set as you won't be able to say that you're okay. It will not send a call because your phone has died. You can decide whether the app sends out an email as well as a text for all you who don't like the idea of relying on a text message. If you have intermittent signal and think you're going to be longer than planned you can add time to your schedule whilst you have signal. 

 

[GT]

Every-time I clock this thread I read it as Moron App....

 

[Bottlebank]

Every-time I clock this thread I read it as Moron App....

Specsavers?

Thanks for answering the point Maroonapp. For reasons explained above (blackspots in caving areas/carelessness/forgetfulness/lack of interest in my mobile) I'm afraid I'd become the subject of regular callouts - probably half a dozen this year already - so it's not for me. But best of luck with the app!

 

[Fulk]

Errr . . . am I missing something here? Why don't you just tell someone where you're going and what time you're going to be back?

 

[owd git]

Well put Fulk, some peeps would sell 'an App' to wipe your **se if they could.  :yucky:
O.G.

 

[Laurie]

.....and some people would buy it!

 

[kay]

Errr . . . am I missing something here? Why don't you just tell someone where you're going and what time you're going to be back?

Not everyone has someone to tell. Your partner may be caving with you, teenage children aren't the most reliable things in the world, aged parents ditto, friends may be doing other things.  I'd be unhappy about initiating a call-out without an intelligent human somewhere in the chain, but I wouldn't mind using this as a back up - a reminder to my human back-up "it's 8pm and they haven't rung you to say they're out"

 

[martinr]

Just a thought.....

Whay not have a Destination Board on UKCaving? You can say when you expect to be out. If you're overdue, someone's bound to notice.

On second thoughts, maybe not. All we'd do is agrue about wheteher a call out is appropriate or not and the poor buggers will die waiting for help to arrive......

 

[SamT]

On second thoughts, maybe not.

 

[cap n chris]

Personally I rather like the Maroon App idea and think it could be a goer. I'd be happy to use it.

 

[MaroonApp]

Errr . . . am I missing something here? Why don't you just tell someone where you're going and what time you're going to be back?

Very good point! However one of the great things about Maroon is that it can afford users more privacy.

One thing that we found when talking to people who go out on their own for sports was that it sometimes annoyed them that they had to tell someone where they were going and when they would be back. Maroon removes the burden element, as the emergency contact only needs to know that the user hasn't returned if they haven't returned.

Also a good point with teenagers - it removes the problem that they might forget!

 

[cap n chris]

I think it is ideal for teenagers: youth are HIGHLY unlikely to tell an adult/parent they are going somewhere clandestine/off limits/banned or otherwise vetoed BUT will go nonetheless. It is a fail-dangerous age insofar as they are adventurous, keen to do stuff, but know full well that they won't be allowed to if they ask - so they go anyway, and just don't tell anyone!

How, then, are they to have a callout? Maroon App seems to be an ideal neutral third party.

 

[al]

Certainly better than no callout at all.

But we have had problems caused by callouts initiated by folk who have been nominated for callout via a text message - problems which wouldn't have occurred if a proper human-to-human dialogue had been used.