Got to Love the National Council IT Services: NOT

[John-in-KC 311]

You just have to love the National Council IT office. I think it's time to wish Dogbert's curse on them:

 

"OUT!!! OUT!!! YOU DEMONS OF STUPIDITY!!!"

 

Does not any IT person in Irving monitor the production servers? At this writing, the Scoutsource portion of the scouting.org domain ... http://www.scouting.org/sitecore/content/Home.aspx ... has been down for something like 18 hours.

 

Here's the error:

 

Server Error in '/' Application.

________________________________________

Runtime Error

Description: An application error occurred on the server. The current custom error settings for this application prevent the details of the application error from being viewed remotely (for security reasons). It could, however, be viewed by browsers running on the local server machine.

 

Details: To enable the details of this specific error message to be viewable on remote machines, please create a ( customErrors ) tag within a "web.config" configuration file located in the root directory of the current web application. This ( customErrors ) tag should then have its "mode" attribute set to "Off".

 

( !-- Web.Config Configuration File -- )

 

( configuration )

( system.web )

( customErrors mode="Off"/ )

( /system.web )

( /configuration )

 

Notes: The current error page you are seeing can be replaced by a custom error page by modifying the "defaultRedirect" attribute of the application's ( customErrors ) configuration tag to point to a custom error page URL.

 

( !-- Web.Config Configuration File -- )

 

( configuration )

( system.web )

( customErrors mode="RemoteOnly" defaultRedirect="mycustompage.htm"/ )

( /system.web )

( /configuration )

 

I've replaced the < and the > marks with ( and ), so the scouter server does not see them as bbcode.

 

Who's minding the store in Irving? Most large businesses I know (and at the National Council level, BSA is a big business, albeit a non-profit) have somebody minding the store after hours. Who's minding the store?

 

I mean, customer service is something IT weenies learn in CompTia A+ training...

 

 

[OscarTango 9]

I know!!! i've been having the same problem.. sheesh.

[RememberSchiff 3662]

Just use the "contact" webpage to notify the webmaster or whoever at Irving.

 

...oh, right the National website doesn't have one of those "contact" webpages despite the numerous requests over the years by us, the users, to have that useful and common feature.

 

Here's how the WOSM does it

http://www.scout.org/en/about

 

 

 

[sherminator505 10]

"Just use the "contact" webpage to notify the webmaster or whoever at Irving.

 

...oh, right the National website doesn't have one of those "contact" webpages despite the numerous requests over the years by us, the users, to have that useful and common feature."

 

I've noticed this too. I've also noticed that the BSA Innovation Engine is only open to paid employees. It's almost as if our (volunteers') input is "neither required nor desired."

[SR540Beaver 116]

This is something that has always bugged me about national. We've had members here who have had involvement at the regional and national level who know people by virtue of their position who act like the average volunteer has equal access to the pros. If there is a public org chart that shows the national organization and the person in eac position and an email address or phone number for them, I have never been able to find it.......and I'm fsirly profeceint in ferreting out things on the interwebs. I realize that it might not be desirable to have the whole world able to contact you, but there needs to be a mechanism to eventaully get a message thru. Within my company, anyone can find my number and address and contact me, but there are managers who restrict there staff from contacting me and have them come thru themselves first so they can decide what really needs to go to me. Heck, create a page that lists the different divisions so you can submit a question, concern or suggestion with a promise that you will receive a response.

[kbandit 10]

I don't know if its me or scouting.org website but I can hardly ever find what I am looking for there. I do know how to get to the training but as far as looking up specific things it just doesn't work for me. Maybe I'm impatient with the site but....

[OscarTango 9]

Kbandit:

 

Really? I have a similar problem. It seems like if I want to got to the Venturing site I need to go to two different links and stuff like that. Perhaps we're just both a little slow eh?

[TAHAWK 1420]

It happens in decades of Scoutjng that I sometimes need an issue clarified or dare think there is some issue on which I give helpful input, like the dangerously incorrect information on water purification in the new (and really improved) Boy Scout Handbook.

 

I am repeatedly told that questions and comments are to go "to your Local Council."

 

Often, Local Council gives me a big "Who knows?" They cannot offer additional insight or have no idea about the identity of a relevant decision-maker. I think they are being honest about their knowledge AND that they are not encouraged to make an effort to connect unpaid Scouters with people at National Council.

 

Finding myself in that situation, it's not like wanting to communicate with the President, the Pope, Tiger Woods, or the CEO of AT&T. There is nowhere to mail a letter, no telephone number, and no email address. That would be a big "Who cares?"

 

Scouting Magazine has helped. They have always acknowledged my contacts and almost always got an answer or response from National Council to my comment. But there is never direct communications with National Council, and the responses are often of the "Don't call us; we'll call you" variety.

 

Millions of us, collectively over the years, some more "professional" regarding the topic in question than anyone at National Council, yet not an idea worth a plugged nickle?

 

"The Adams' speak only to Cabots and the Cabots speak only to Lodges, and the Lodges speak only to God."

 

[John-in-KC 311]

Hey, the day crew must have arrived... it's finally up.

 

Monday, 0630 Central

[OscarTango 9]

FinallY!!! And now I have to go to school :/

[Buffalo Skipper 13]

I did find out that there is a "help desk" line. I got it from my local council office today. It is (800) 627-3025. I had a problem with my MyScouting account, and they helped straighten it out.

[kbandit 10]

Will National revoke our memebership if we don't have council approval to use the 800 number?

Just kidding.

 

But I will note the number for future use.