Tech for the sake of tech?

[Canam370]

 Tech for the sake of tech?
Off to the AUS MX Nats with the VERi crew Sunday. A well run event and a great day out - but...............
One of the lads went off to buy a program and after a bit was back and looking a bit peeved - and without a program. It seems that there was no commemorative hard copy program available, but, there was an app available to purchase with all the info on the event available! Well, isn't that great!?
So many 'advantages' for this app, like, who can read from a screen in bright sunlight, or being busy scrolling through pages to ID a rider by number while the action flashes past you unnoticed, or the phones battery flatlines, or there's no coverage to download the wonderful app (until you get home after the event). My phone won't even accept an app. Gone up to a rider lately and asked if it was OK for them to sign your phone, please?
The race teams understand their markets. All had glossy print pamphlets of their stars on their brands bikes. Kids love that. We handed out flyers and posters for the POBBB to kids and adults who had no idea of what it was all about but they all loved the print. Adults and kids alike were wandering about with rolls of posters and adverts and stickers! Kids LOVE pictures and still plaster their walls with pages from mags and posters and anything that they can look at to remind themselves of the day and the feeling of participation in a BIG day out for them. Tell me how an app is going to do that? Print has persistence and is a reminder at a glance, while an app will be scrolled past or deleted or become inaccessible as technology advances. Ever wondered why we have pics of the kids/bikes/important emotive images on our walls instead of nailing up our phones there?
I hope that promoters don't continue this trend of exclusive live streaming and pervasive apps - the spectators need to be encouraged to attend, hyped that they are attending something special, to be close to the competitors. The buzz is for technology to be a totally immersive milieu, but the only truly immersive environment is reality. The event sponsors know touchy feely is prime marketing.
I'm no Luddite and I understand the economics involved in trying to make a dollar but there are times when holding a physical reminder of your passion should not be counterbalanced by cost and the involvement of pop tech in an otherwise visceral experience.
Promoters, don't drop the ball.

[Rookie#1]

I wont add my thoughts as they're as diverse as your opinion here, but i will say. GO TO THE TOP OF THE CLASS!!! That post has to hold the greatest showcase of grammar ever offered on OzVmx! Well done that man

Cheers, Brendan

[Nathan S]

+1.

I hate a lot of apps. I mean, WTF is the point of an app for a website? If it achieves ANYTHING positive, it's just because your website is bloated crap: a decent website is a decent website.
But apps are the flavour of the week, so plenty of people are making money by making apps.

They are - as a wise man once said - technology for technology's sake.

Ditto 90% of mobile websites. Who the f$&k thinks its a good idea to stop me zooming in on a pic because I'm using a 3.5" screen?!

So much of it is about someone's bright idea, so little is about what actually suits the punters.

[Mick D]

I wont add my thoughts as they're as diverse as your opinion here, but i will say. GO TO THE TOP OF THE CLASS!!! That post has to hold the greatest showcase of grammar ever offered on OzVmx! Well done that man

Cheers, Brendan

Yes a very well thought out post.
I love having a hard copy stuffed in my back pocket at the races. Gr8 keepsake too.

[VMX247]

Post of the first quarter Canam man ..     


Dad, whats an autograph !!   :'( 

[KTM47]

When you consider the trouble that WEM had with the transponders because of bad internet recieption at some rounds how are spectators going to be able to even get the rider lists.  Of course everyone will have to change to telstra and pay more of course.  Of course the up side is the program might even be up to date for a change.

Everyone will have to get tablets too, they have a bigger screen.  Or put a big monitor in your car.

[Davey Crocket]

Whats a app?........is that a short name for a toaster or washing machine?......they wont be much use for you unless you want to make some toast [is that how you get to meet the riders?] or wash there clothes for them between moto's?.....don't they have typewriters anymore? and paper to type the riders names on.....geez....where have I been?......I can tell you one thing fella's, at the Echo Valley Nat's there will be real programmes made out of paper.....yes, that's right....paper.....there wont be no "apps" at Toowoomba unless you go to Harvey Norman's.

[FourstrokeForever]

Excellent vent Canam370......

It's absolute rubbish having to purchase an app so a person can get a handle on which racer is in what race.... And what about the event sponsors? I'm sure they would rather have their name and product brand in keep-able print or on event posters that get hung in sheds and bedroom walls rather than on some gizmo file that will end up being deleted.
Personally, I don't have a whiz bang mobile phone that can download "apps". Even if I did have an app phone, who wants to be bothered downloading a program while they are at the races? Not me!
Dumb Idea WEM

[KTM47]

My guess is the sponsorship was paying for the flashy printed program, that was usually out of date after a couple of rounds.  If the flashy program was making a reasonable profit it would still be available.

The riders will be able to open up a PDF version of the rider lists etc and print it out before each round.  But to do that you have to have the rider log on details.

The other thing about getting it from your phone is it take data allowance, each time you open it to read it, so if you haven't got a plan with a big enough allowance it will cost you extra money.  I'm not sure if you can open it up before the meeting and print out a hard copy to take with you.

[Freakshow]

last time i saw a program at those events its was 95% boring full page shitfull adverts and 3% content.  why would I pay $12 for a glossy advert ? ( 2% was front and rear covers)