@ScottMarbut - now if it were resoundingly software then why do I not have your overwhelming issues. I can say that zoom is not a true test as they have scaled that over various regions with bandwidth adjustment as part of the process. This needs a more critical approach to your issues which rather than actually defining then it is an I hate this let’s go backwards to punch cards. Many of would like to help you but you are not letting us do so.
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Stephen,
I would reason that you do not have issues with the software is that you have a reliable stable internet connection, where bloated code software can run adequately. Unfortunately for most the world can not afford the luxury. I imagine even if on a back country trek at the Philmount it would be hard to log the hiking miles for the day just because of bandwidth on a cell phone. Previously under scoutbook or using the mobile app it was possible. I just want an easy functional way to log events for my unit, and we had it and it worked, and I even got new families to use it, then we were forced to use IA 2.0 when we were previously warned not to use it, and we are supposed to be pleased with progress? I do not think so. I have seen very little development of IA in 18 months and it could be because of budget cuts I get it. Yet FEC Council solution is inquire here on these message boards as they have no one trained in any of these platforms. No matter how many buckets you buy, or rolls of duck tap the IA boat is sinking, and it would be better to abandon ship now rather than sink a ton of money into something that does not work but for the few with great internet.
@ScottMarbut - couple of outright false statements to point out. First this is not software as software is programming language. Web sites are script based. Second is that there has never been a mobile app of scoutbook. The scouting mobile app is the individual interface for users.
I think your entire issue is that change is bad period end of discussion. A decision was made that did not include you so there is something wrong with what is being used.
It is extremely doubtful that you are going to get your desire of moving backwards so there is little point in continuing to complain.
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Stephen,
Oh but you know I will continue to complain, as I know BSA is in transition, and millions of youth have left the program so difficult decisions need to be made, and hopefully wise decisions, that help save BSA for future generations. I will be the bur under the saddle that continues to irritate the horse until the issues are addressed.
There is a mobile app and you can download it from both the Apple Store or Google as I have it installed on both my android device, and on my IPOD and it was at one time very good, even listing all the awards, achievements, and electives for scouts, and at one time allowed parents to enter, but still required Den Leader or higher approval. The app also allowed entry of hikes, community service, and camping nights as well, and had a nifty hour speed-o-meter to show the scouts progress on each award. Yet again a beautiful great product was throttled back all so IA can be mandated. The app in both IOS and Android has been neutered and only now simply displays a scouts activity. Once again showing that BSA technical department is actually going backwards for their love affair with IA 2.0.
I as an IFSM major in college, and love Scoutbook, and the mobile app, and I have only been in adult scouting for over two years, I will start my fourth year in September, so I do not get how I am resistant to change, but rather resistant to a bad buggy piece of software, yes I have done some programing and generally block of code are cut and pasted, and no real innovation happens with many programs, which is convenient, meets developer goals, but is terrible for end users who have to deal with the results. I as an end user who has 60 scouts, new leaders, and new parents demand a product, not to be developed, created, or money spent, but rather what used to work previously, and now no longer works, and IA 2.0 a complete failure. The desire to support this abysmal software smells of corruption or cutbacks, as obviously this IA is a total failure.
The center to this issue is National which has recently given control to councils wants to continue with providing nationalized software, or if Units which have the need to edit Scouts to keep databases current, a balance needs to occur between the needs of both, maybe a buffer from input from changes in Scoutbook before it makes official changes in my.scouting.org is the answer. I cannot envision in any dream where IS 2.0 will ever work, as the units have extreme limited ability even to edit who went on a hike, from personal experience.
YIS
V/R
Scott
@ScottMarbut - please do note the url for each of these apps in Google play and the apple app store.
Just for reference I just entered our summer camp into IA2 from the leaders study at camp in Minnesota with mobile hotspot from my phone. No issues speed test was 43mbps. I also updated all of the rank requirements from this week in scoutbook with no issues as well.
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A couple of comments. First, I used to work in IT, albeit at a lower level (no programming, only some setting up of networks, out of the field for 21 years now). I can “sort of” follow the comments above, but most of it goes over my head. Whatever. I am pretty good at figuring out how a system works and troubleshooting and can help most of our Troop (I am the IA coordinator and am still the one entering in all info until later this year when we plan to train up the scouts/parents). I will say I have no issues accessing or using SB or IA2 at home and have had no issues using the SB app in the field. I have not utilized the app much in the field to add activities or attendance yet so can’t speak to speed/issues there. I use Chrome at home and even with many tabs open and multiple concurrent users on my router this year I have no speed issues. The issues I have are with the double entries – entering an Event in the Calendar for participation (attendance reports are run by the SM for advancement) and entering again in IA2. Some Events, especially if they include hiking and camping (and, heaven forbid, service hours) can take me 30+ minutes to enter for our Troop. I didn’t get a lot of time to use SB for this functionality before it switched over, but it definitely was easier and faster (faster because it was easier, not because it is running slowly or bugging out on me).
Second, I noticed a little bit of a theme above. I know this “shouldn’t” matter, but I wonder if it does. A number of the people complaining about issues appeared to be from Packs and not Troops, although some don’t denote. Is there any chance that because of Dens/multiple different requirements within Packs, that something could be bugging out for them that isn’t affecting Troops? Just a thought.
FWIW I also don’t love that when I switch back and forth between the emails noting the participants and IA I have to continually go back and click on Add Person, rather than just keep the list open, and it doesn’t use the Nicknames, but those aren’t true bugs. More of an irritant that makes it all take longer. Also, SB (at least appeared to) allowed me to enter quarter hours for service hours; IA allows half hours. Again, minor, but irritating. [EDIT: just saw on another post that a workaround for a bug is to pick scouts from the Roster, then create the Activity – this could solve my issue of switching back and forth and I will try this method next time. Don’t know how I missed this was an option!]
The scouting app is for individual scouts and their parents and not the unit based scoutbook.
The scouting app connects to the scoutbook database but only for scouts/parents.
Units should be using scoutbook.scouting.org for scoutbook and advancements.scouting.org for direct access to IA2.
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I really find it funny that you had a simple, visual way of entering information that could be generated with an easy report in Scoutbook and you moved away from it. Out Troop was on Scoutbook before National was. Our Troop tracked everything and it was EASY…
You need to think about how to enter these things while in the field. In front of Scouts - especially new ones that you haven’t had time to put the name to the face. Scoutbook allowed you to have faces on your phone in the field. It was super easy to create and enter attendance at an event. Now, internet advancement opens up and we have to create another event for the one that is already in scoutbook. Prior to this change all you had to do was take attendance and the service hours, nights of camping, etc. was all there.
Please go back to keeping everything in Scoutbook - you can pull from Scoutbook to internet advancement easily at National for your records.
Regards,
Nick
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That’s not the behavior I recall in the old Scoutbook log system. I recall having to take attendance in the calendar event, and create a separate “log” event to credit camping, hiking or service, generally using the quick entry interface. I’m not fond of the new interface via IA2, but it didn’t remove a “take attendance and everything is credited” UX.
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Charley,
If I recall correctly, (and I’m getting older so recollection may be limited) If you scheduled an event on the calendar and while setting up the event, you pulled down the event to be a “campout” the data would go under the camping area of reporting. When I would take attendance it would be easy to put in the nights and the system would automatically enter the number of nights for those in attendance and omit the nights for those not in attendance. Then run a report and you get the totals easy.
There was the option of creating a separate log for camping, hiking or service. Many parents would utilize that and I would have to go into each scout account and clean up those entries due to them being double.
The old way of doing this required less steps and on one platform. It was minutes to do this vs having to duplicate events on Scoutbook and Internet Advancement now. If National pulled data from the system before and imported it into Internet Advancement - they could do it again.
Yours in Scouting,
Nick
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Calendar and Logs were never integrated at all. The old system was also a true mess, if you created a camping log in quick entry for 20 scouts, it actually made 20 individual log entries, that is why you could not go back and fix things for the group, you had to go to each scout and fix one by one.
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@NicholasCrnokrak - as Donovan points out they were never dynamic links in the log from the calendar. And yes long time scoutbook user here.
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The Feature Assistant Extension had an option where you could create a Quick Entry for the logs. It was not part of native Scoutbook.
And as Donovan says, it created multiple individual logs.
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It’s never worked like that since I’ve been using Scoutbook… Attendance was always in one place for events, and service hours/camping nights/hiking miles were elsewhere.
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Our Council made announcements at a quite a few round tables and on of their social media platforms. There were Facebook Live announcements with q&a weekly.
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