Entering activities in Scoutbook

I just recently took over the entering of info for our Troop. So my understanding that the you should either completely use one or the other Scoutbook or internet advancement and that eventually Scoutbook is going to be the way everything is entered. So I have just been using Scoutbook. My question is why can we not use Scoutbook to enter activity logs such as camping, service hours and hiking. If they only want us to use on method of entering info for the scouts?

Logs are in Internet Advancement - IA will eventually become the new Scoutbook.

My understanding is that Scoutbook is eventually going to replace IA … now I am really confused. Edit : After thinking about it I think I understand … maybe…

“Old” IA has been retired and replaced with two things (for now): Scoutbook (scoutbook.scouting.org, originally developed privately and later bought by BSA) and IA2 (advancements.scouting.org, developed by BSA). As @DonovanMcNeil indicated, IA2 is eventually slated to replace Scoutbook. Personally, I think that the UI/UX on IA2 is a complete soup sandwich, but the BSA didn’t consult with me on the design. :^P

As part of the replacement of Scoutbook with IA2, various features are being re-implemented in IA2 (and removed from Scoutbook). The logs link in Scoutbook kicks you over to IA2 to actually enter/review the information.

That is what I was worried about. Scoutbook is so user friendly I love it. Any idea on what they are going to incorporate and what they are going to eliminate?

@DarlaBuckendahl - the long and short answer is that scoutbook is classic ASP, which while actively used is not a current mode taken up by new developers. Many sites migrated to asp.net some time ago. The use of api and module design is not in the framework of classic ASP.

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The IA2 UI/UX is very different from the existing Scoutbook UI/UX, but it’s not been explicitly stated that this is the “final” UI/UX design. I sincerely hope not, since all of the users in my unit who have interacted with it find it remarkably opaque. Scoutbook’s UI/UX has its problems, but again relying strictly on the anecdotal experience form my unit, folks find it a lot more usable than either IA2 or the Scouting app.

I really really really wish they would (or would have) made IA2 look like Scoutbook. Even if it wasn’t exactly the same, if it looked the same, people wouldn’t care.

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I agree. Users only (really) care about UI/UX stability. The back-end is totally irrelevant as long as it provides the functionality needed in a stable manner.

We’re facing the same challenge with a piece of commercial software we use for my work. The software developers redesigned the UI/UX, and we have engineers clinging to the old software because they can’t find anything in the new UI.

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@CharleyHamilton - i suspect you are referring to AutoDesk… heard the same at work.

That wasn’t who I was thinking of, but that’s another good (bad?) example.

ETA:

At least attempting to bring this back to @DarlaBuckendahl’s original question, the methods for inputting events in the logs are described here:

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Charlie is quicker than I am. :slight_smile:

Short answer is no, not anymore.

Longer answer =

  1. The programming that creates the Scoutbook user interface is out of date, obsolete. BSA wants to move to current technology programming. The database which SB accesses seems to be current technology.
  2. When SB became a BSA thing, advice was to use only SB or only IA, but not both, as they were two different systems.
  3. Before the old Internet Advancement was retired, information from that legacy system was added to the SB database and a non-SB UI was created, IA2. (This was forecast to be named SB Lite, but on roll out was Internet Advancement 2.0)
  4. On roll out, instructions remained the same - use one or the other - but, because they are recording information to the same database, when there are problems/issues, sometimes the work-a-round involves using the other system. If you are a unit Key3, this is easy, as you have permissions in both systems. Problems arise when folks expect both systems to act the same.
  5. Major improvements will happen in the newer programming, resulting in functions being added to IA2, rather than the old SB. This is why the log functions moved from SB to IA2. The new logs allow for leader approval and expansion in the future for more logs. (Yes, the changeover was terrible from the volunteer perspective, due to the different permission systems in SB and IA2. Ongoing issues with this and the inability to edit the old logs have undermined trust with BSA systems.)
  6. BSA does not publicize specifics of their planned changes, neither a timeline nor detailed functions. However, in a refreshing change, a general forecast for 2021 was made public here. (Although discussing technology for commissioners, it has applications for all of us.)
  7. I have no insight into what happens behind the scenes with BSA IT. But I have some guesses.
  8. The calendar system in SB is cumbersome. In the past, this was being worked on. However, other priorities intervened. At some point, when BSA reworks it, I expect it to move to IA2. This may allow for coordination with the log system.
  9. The permission system in SB needs more gradations. This will require a rework of the whole permission system. When this happens, I expect the whole roster system to move to IA2.
  10. The IA2 UI does not produce the same user experience as the SB UI. I don’t remember any comments that IA2 is better than SB; rather, the opposite. I doubt BSA will do a total rework of the IA2 UI just to improve the UX. However, I want to be surprised.
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I just started using Scoutbook, how do I enter hikes, camping trips, etc. Thanks

Are you looking to create calendar items with invitations and reminders, to log events that have happened/are planned for tracking, or both?

Using the Scoutbook calendar is described here:

We were just discussing how to log them a couple of posts up this thread:

Im trying to enter prior camping and hiking trips that occurred during the last two years. The prior Advancement Coordinator didn’t know how to use this function.

That process is documented in the links posted above.

@PatriciaMcCathron - look up in this thread for instructions.

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