Tips to make GotSoccer Load work

Not Robust

The movement of matches from GotSoccer to timeslots.sfyouthsoccer.com is NOT ROBUST. The data communication is slow, one-way and includes no automated error checking. These short comings are due to the access protocol that GotSoccer provides. We at timeslots.sfyouthsoccer.com are grateful for the access GotSoccer gives us because without it, the task of loading matches would be onerous. However, we have to understand the limitations of the data access. The communication is slow. When you click on the add icon, it will often take several seconds for the data to be requested of GotSoccer. Please be patient. Wait for the "browser busy" symbol to finish, before you click on something else. The communication is not robust. A sure fire means to obtain corrupted data is to use the back button on your browser. Please don't. Another means to corrupt data is to have more than one browser window open into timeslots.sfyouthsoccer.com at the same time. Please don't. This is a soccer field scheduling website - not a banking, brokerage, or health care website. We don't have the sophisticated (and expensive) software that is needed for robust data communication (besides GotSoccer would not provide the needed data access for robust communication). The data communication is one-way. The GotSoccer-Load only moves data from GotSoccer to timeslots.sfyouthsoccer.com . If a match is removed from GotSoccer, there is no way for the Load function to know that. The GotSoccer-Check functions are designed to look for matches that were formally in GotSoccer and have disappeared. These tools (Load and Check) are vastly superior to how matches were loaded in the past. But they are NOT foolproof. You as the ClubOfficer need to develop an understanding of what and how they work and recognize the limitations. Don't get complacent and assume that all is automatically okay, because "the computer is handling this".

What can you do?

• Be patient. Wait till the browser has finished communicating with GotSoccer before going on to the next "click" of your mouse.
• Don't use the browser back button. Always click forward to the page you want to visit. I know that this involves more clicks, but trust me this is a good habit to develop when it comes to dealing with on-line databases.
• Don't have multiple windows open to timeslots.sfyouthsoccer.com at the same time. Your desktop cannot differentiate between the open windows and it is possible for the data from one window to be added to the database when the "Update" icon is clicked in the other window.
• Spot check the accuracy of matches between SFYS TimeSlots and GotSoccer. Encourage your team staff members to do the same.
• Watch for error messages. Don't ignore error messages. If you don't understand an error message - take a screen shot and ask. Note the EXACT time that you got an error message.