Amtrak Status Maps - Notifications

[John Bobinyec]

Sorry if this is somewhat of a repost, but I decided to do a poll.

John Bobinyec

Amtrak Status Maps

http://www.dixielandsoftware.com/Amtrak/status/StatusMaps

 

[Notelvis]

Sorry if this is somewhat of a repost, but I decided to do a poll.

John Bobinyec

Amtrak Status Maps

http://www.dixielandsoftware.com/Amtrak/status/StatusMaps

Wow - that would be a really cool feature......

Of course right now I'd want to track how the Crescent and NEC Regional #176 are doing since I have a trip coming up using those trains next month.

By early next spring though it's most likely going to be either the California Zephyr or the Southwest Chief I want to track.

 

[John Bobinyec]

That's good. How about casting your vote?

Thanks,

JB

 

[JeffW]

I think it would be a neat feature, but I doubt I would use it. When I'm traveling, I rarely have regular email access. I recall seeing the text option that another AU member set up, which seems quite handy, though I haven't had a chance to use it, yet.

Of course, I'm frequently checking the maps just for the fun of it--emails would be redundant.

 

[anir dendroica]

I wouldn't use it often, but it would be a great feature for days when I am catching a train. I would like to be able to temporarily (i.e. easy to turn on and off) receive e-mails whenever a specific train (i.e. #8(3)) departs any station. It is much easier for me to see e-mails on my phone than to check the maps, and I like the idea of "push" notifications.

Mark

 

[johnny.menhennet]

It would be really nice, but I don't think email would be the best way to get the messages across. Perhaps that in combination with an automated facebook notification also being sent would be more helpful, for those of us who are on facebook

 

[jdcnosse]

You could always set up your email to forward the message to your phone if you can't check your email from your phone. What would be super awesome is if I could use the GPS on my phone to tell out where I am, and then tell me the estimated arrival time of the next station. Ooh well I can dream right?

 

[The Davy Crockett]

I think it is a great idea for an already great site.

 

[John Bobinyec]

Just thought I'd give y'all a progress report. I'm actively working on this now.

It'll be email-based, not Facebook or Twitter, because some of us don't use those. A beta version will get things started. It'll allow you to set up and receive the alerts. The final version will allow you to modify/cancel the subscription that you set up.

Now, when will this make its debut? Definitely this summer.

jb

 

[johnny.menhennet]

Just thought I'd give y'all a progress report. I'm actively working on this now.

It'll be email-based, not Facebook or Twitter, because some of us don't use those. A beta version will get things started. It'll allow you to set up and receive the alerts. The final version will allow you to modify/cancel the subscription that you set up.

Now, when will this make its debut? Definitely this summer.

jb

Fantastic!!! Thank you John!

 

[The Davy Crockett]

Just thought I'd give y'all a progress report. I'm actively working on this now.

It'll be email-based, not Facebook or Twitter, because some of us don't use those. A beta version will get things started. It'll allow you to set up and receive the alerts. The final version will allow you to modify/cancel the subscription that you set up.

Now, when will this make its debut? Definitely this summer.

jb

Not being on Faceyuck or being a Twitt (at least IMHO), I THANK YOU many, many times.

 

[jebr]

Great idea! A couple of suggestions:

1. Make an option that is formatted for text messaging (under 160 characters, text-based without HTML, etc.) All the major carriers have an email address tied to the text messaging on your device (for example, [email protected] will send that email to phone number 712-555-0123, assuming that person is an AT&T user), so that could be a way to get alerts to cell phones without having to deal with some sort of text messaging interface.

1a. Coupled with that, have a way to subscribe/unsubscribe via replying to the email.

2. I'm assuming this is true, but have a way to make the alerts station-based. For example, I would want to know when the train to OMA is late, but not that same train coming into EMY.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

I don't see how it could hurt a lot. Even if the information is redundant, I could always just customize it to stop sending me the updates.

 

[John Bobinyec]

Great idea! A couple of suggestions:

1. Make an option that is formatted for text messaging (under 160 characters, text-based without HTML, etc.) All the major carriers have an email address tied to the text messaging on your device (for example, [email protected] will send that email to phone number 712-555-0123, assuming that person is an AT&T user), so that could be a way to get alerts to cell phones without having to deal with some sort of text messaging interface.

1a. Coupled with that, have a way to subscribe/unsubscribe via replying to the email.

2. I'm assuming this is true, but have a way to make the alerts station-based. For example, I would want to know when the train to OMA is late, but not that same train coming into EMY.

1. I didn't know about that. Thanks for the suggestion. I'll expect you to help with the beta testing. Without having HTML in the message, there will be a problem with unsubscribing via replying to the email - there's no email processor on this end. I'll have to create one, so that'll have to wait to version 2.0.

2. I did consider being able to get an alert based on the station, but there's a practical reason why that would have pitfalls - Amtrak's time reporting isn't consistent. Consider the following scenario. You're waiting at station A for a report of the train at station B, the next station. One doesn't come. All of a sudden the train shows up at A and you're not ready for it. Although the same thing can happen if the reporting is based on the train rather than the station, you won't specifically be waiting for a report from station B. If I set it up to do alerts by train + station, I'll have to put a very large warning on it, I think.

jb

 

[jebr]

Great idea! A couple of suggestions:

1. Make an option that is formatted for text messaging (under 160 characters, text-based without HTML, etc.) All the major carriers have an email address tied to the text messaging on your device (for example, [email protected] will send that email to phone number 712-555-0123, assuming that person is an AT&T user), so that could be a way to get alerts to cell phones without having to deal with some sort of text messaging interface.

1a. Coupled with that, have a way to subscribe/unsubscribe via replying to the email.

2. I'm assuming this is true, but have a way to make the alerts station-based. For example, I would want to know when the train to OMA is late, but not that same train coming into EMY.

1. I didn't know about that. Thanks for the suggestion. I'll expect you to help with the beta testing. Without having HTML in the message, there will be a problem with unsubscribing via replying to the email - there's no email processor on this end. I'll have to create one, so that'll have to wait to version 2.0.

2. I did consider being able to get an alert based on the station, but there's a practical reason why that would have pitfalls - Amtrak's time reporting isn't consistent. Consider the following scenario. You're waiting at station A for a report of the train at station B, the next station. One doesn't come. All of a sudden the train shows up at A and you're not ready for it. Although the same thing can happen if the reporting is based on the train rather than the station, you won't specifically be waiting for a report from station B. If I set it up to do alerts by train + station, I'll have to put a very large warning on it, I think.

jb

1. Yep, I can help with beta testing.

2. Hmm, I didn't consider that. How is it currently working...does it essentially just report the status of train # departing on a specific date, or what is the current plan for the alerts?

Thanks for the work you're doing!

 

[John Bobinyec]

... How is it currently working...does it essentially just report the status of train # departing on a specific date, or what is the current plan for the alerts?

Right now the design is for the requestor to pick a train or set of trains, and then get one of the following:

• Service Disruptions (SD) and Service Restorations (RE), alone
  
• SDs/REs and late times - lateness to be customizable
  
• SDs/REs and all times
  

The date range for the request will pertain to trains originating on a particular date and thereafter for up to 14 days (renewable).

Alert email formats can be:

• Short and text-based for mobile devices
  
• Long and HTML-based
  

The HTML-based emails will have links to cancel or modify the subscription or pull up the train's file.

jb

 

[sportbiker]

That is going to be really useful on travel days. Thank you so much for adding those features!