Use of the Event Widget with Oregon Public Transportation Conference

[Mark Messinger]

Recently, ODOT and the Oregon Transportation Association sought the best way to promote both the 2012 Oregon Public Transportation Conference and Drive Less Connect. But the question was, "What is the best way to use an Event, in Drive Less Connect, to help connect Conference attendees?" The choice seemed to be between creating a network event and then placing an Event Widget on the Oregon Transportation Association or creating a user event and linking Drive Less Connect users to that event.

Ultimately, the choice was made to use the widget. An event was created at the statewide network level and the widget's code has been passed to the webmaster of the Oregon Transportation Association.

What are the pros and cons of this choice? Are these the only choices available, to promote this kind of event? Are there network administrators that would have made a different choice?

The Event Widget seems an attractive option, since Conference organizers could rely upon attendees to find and use the widget on the Conference's web site. If this were set up as a user event, not a network event, Conference organizers would have to provide a link to the event, in Drive Less Connect, on the Conference's web site and in communications sent to Conference attendees.

The Event Widget is accessible both to users of Drive Less Connect and those who are not currently registered for DLC. In this respect, the Widget plays a little marketing role for DLC. Folks who aren't registered in DLC, but who find possible ride matches to the Conference might choose to register.

Use of the Event Widget required a network event to be set up. In this case, it's a statewide conference, expected to attract attendees from different parts of Oregon. That is to say, attendees who are registered as users in different DLC networks. But they share one common network, that being the State network. So, the event is created there and becomes visible to all DLC users in the state of Oregon.

But, the Event Widget can only be set up on one web site: the Oregon Transportation Association. This is because, when the network event was set up, only one URL - the host of the Conference - can be associated with the event. At least, that seems to be the limitation of the Event widget, described in the instructions for its use.

If the Event Widget will only operate correctly from one web site, what are the other transportation-related web sites in Oregon to do? They can only display, perhaps, a graphic about the conference and a link to the Association's web page on which the widget appears.

If the event was set up as a user event, a link could send folks to the event. But, only registered DLC users. Do I have that correct? People who aren't already registered on Drive Less Connect would have to register first, in order to reach the event on DLC.

But, what if there is nobody looking to share a ride to the Conference? Will users of the Event Widget come up empty - what if the widget returns no possible rides? Is the Event widget best for only big, really big, popular events?

I'll be interested to hear feedback about how the Event Widget was used in this instance. I'm interested in any feedback to the questions and assumptions in this post, too.

As I write this, the Event Widget is not yet up on the Oregon Transportation Association web site. But, what do you think about the Event Widget and how it is being used for the 2012 Oregon Public Transportation Conference? Would you have made a different choice to promote ridesharing to this event?

[Mark Messinger]

Here's an update to the story of how the Event Widget is coming along, on the Oregon Transportation Association web site.

The webmaster for the OTA site made changes to the widget's code, in order to accommodate the style of the OTA site. Unfortunately, this seems to have broken the widget. The webmaster is currently attempting to resolve the problem. If he cannot fit it to one or two of the Conference web pages, he will create a simple HTML page, solely for the purposes of displaying the Event Widget, and set links on the Conference web pages to that page. Not the best solution, but one which will allow folks to find and use the widget. We may yet have the opportunity to get some user experience with the widget.

Lessons learned? So far, they seem to be:

First, the Event Widget does appear to work. When placed on the OTA web site, it was able to find the corresponding event set up in Drive Less Connect. It was also able to return the first question when the “Find Matches” link is clicked, within the widget. That is, the widget responds by asking the user to provide the start location for the commute. Then, the widget correctly resolves the start location. I believe the problem with the next step – on the OTA web site, the widget returns no response when the start location is submitted to find matches – is a result of changes in the widget code made by the OTA webmaster.

Whenever the Event Widget code is sent to webmasters, there needs to be a caution against changing the code, with the exception of the values for  "iCarpoolWidgetShowMap", "iCarpoolWidgetMapWidth", and "iCarpoolWidgetMapHeight". These values affect whether the map is displayed, if matches are returned, and the size of that map.

Webmasters need to be sent a link to the iCarpool demonstration of the widget (http://www.icarpool.com/?page_id=1577). Webmasters need to be sent a description of the expected functionality of the widget so they can have something to compare while testing the widget on the webmaster’s own site. Currently, if users on this demo page select the “Cross Country Skiathon” event and enter Seattle as the starting point, they should see matches.

We ought to have an alternate solution available which can be used in place of the Event Widget, when it cannot be made to function correctly on other web sites. Such a solution could include graphical images for Drive Less Connect – specifically, for finding ride matches to an event on Drive Less Connect – and appropriate text. Maybe something like this:

"Register or log on to Drive Less.Connect to share the ride to the 2012 Oregon Public Transportation Conference. Log on and find the conference on Drive Less.Connect under 'Events'."

It seems clear that use of this Event Widget is not as clear-cut and quick as one might hope. Sufficient time needs to be allocated to test and troubleshoot the widget, on its host web site. Setting up the event itself, in Drive Less Connect, is very simple when compared to getting the corresponding widget to operate correctly.