MTL21676
Jan 12 2009, 01:27 PM
The amount of TDs or the quality of TDs?

Clearly the answer is the amount.

I think just about everyone can think and name a TD that has no business ever running a sanctioned event before - I can name 3 right now without even thinking.

However the need for TDs is so great the PDGA lets anyone do it. It seems that no matter what you do as long as you can pass an open book test once you can run events left and right.

Now I certainly know that 9 out 10 TDs are great TDs, great volunteers and just great for disc golf. However it never ceases to amaze me the PDGA continues to allow people to sanction events and attach their name to things after certain TDs have proven they have no business running events.

I guess this was just more of a rant as I just planned my 2009 tournament calender. Many events I've played before simply b/c I enjoyed the course / the atmosphere / the competition are now crossed off my list b/c of the TD.

I really wish the PDGA would do something about these people and these events - and that something is saying "NO" to their sanctioning requests.

johnbiscoe
Jan 12 2009, 01:45 PM
...but that would disrupt the all things to all people money pyramid built squarely on the backs of current players.

anita
Jan 12 2009, 02:35 PM
Have you every filed a complaint to the PDGA about the conduct of any of the TDs you think are incompetent?

They are not Kreskin.

MTL21676
Jan 12 2009, 03:08 PM
Have you every filed a complaint to the PDGA about the conduct of any of the TDs you think are incompetent?





Not sure if this was addressed to me, but yes, I have.

scottcwhite
Jan 12 2009, 03:40 PM
Atari ran into a similar problem in the 80s and it ended their reign as video game kings, To wit:

When Atari was first introduced it dominated the gaming market. Main reason being they were the first company to produce an affordable fun game console. Also everyone loved them some space invaders. By 1980 Atari had a 75% market share of home video game consoles. Eventually other companies formed with the only output being games compatible with Atari. Some of the games were great (see: Activision) but most of the games were terrible and eventually consumers blamed Atari for terrible games not made by Atari. Atari had no quality control over games associated with their system and it eventually crippled them.

Nintendo came around in the mid-80s and made a very smart decision. If you were a game developer you had to prove to Nintendo that your game was good. Then they would ship cartridges to you so you could sell games. This allowed Nintendo to tightly monitor game quality and dole out grey cartridges to worthy developers.


So how does this relate to the PDGA? they way I see it now, PDGA is like Atari circa 1980 in that anyone and everyone can TD an event. Some are good, some are terrible but if enough terrible events continue then the PDGA "brand" will become associated with poorly run events. How do we (PDGA) setup a quality control system? How do we become more like Nintendo? How is this enforced? Who will invent the "donkey kong" of disc golf tournament formats? Also keep in mind that the PDGA operates on a small budget. I don't have any answers, but I think these are the questions we should be asking. TD/event quality control is integral to the future success of the PDGA.

bruce_brakel
Jan 12 2009, 04:27 PM
I think your analogy is flawed. Atari had bigger problems than cheap, stupid Atari-compatible games. Cheap, stupid Microsoft-compatible games have not sunk Microsoft. Atari got beat on technology. Nintendo came out with a better system.

The PDGA is like Atari in the sense that they have acquired a monopoly by being first. So far, the would-be contenders are running PDGA knock-off games, piggybacking on PDGA rules and PDGA equipment standards.

Who will be the the Nintendo or X-Box that will come out with their own system, a better set of rules, standards and sanctioning, the WDGA or whatever? I don't see it happening. It is too easy to just piggyback on the existing rules and standards.

I share the original poster's frustration with certain TDs. But I don't think the PDGA needs to do much more to police the TDs. If players don't like the way certain TDs run their tournaments, they can vote with their feet. Most players are not all that critical of how tournaments are run. Tournament-connoiseurs, like MTL, Peter Shive or myself, should take it upon themselves to promote tournaments that are run to their tastes to players with similar tastes or to the gullible amateurs who underwrite those tournaments.

All you good amateurs ought to play Am Nationals. Excellent course, properly run tournament, lots of side games, lots of food. No one is taking half your entry fees to give it to the pros the next weekend.

Jeff_LaG
Jan 12 2009, 05:31 PM
If players don't like the way certain TDs run their tournaments, they can vote with their feet.



That's pretty much what it comes down to. I learned pretty fast which clubs used tournaments to get rid of surplus crappy DX plastic, or used tournaments as huge fundraisers for the club, or refused to use the PDGA Online Tournament Scoring System to upload results after a tournament to generate unofficial round ratings, or didn't send their results to the PDGA for 6-8 months, or etc...

anita
Jan 12 2009, 10:28 PM
If players don't like the way certain TDs run their tournaments, they can vote with their feet. Most players are not all that critical of how tournaments are run.



That's the God's honest truth. Most tournament players are more concerned that there IS a tournament rather than how it is run. The tier system has helped in establishing some standard, which is good. Now you have some sort of idea what to expect when you sign up.

lizardlawyer
Jan 12 2009, 10:36 PM
Quality is in the eyes of the beholder. The TD's some would most want to get rid of are the same TD's others are happy with.

scottcwhite
Jan 12 2009, 11:08 PM
I could not disagree with you more Bruce. I know you are a smart guy but I think you are missing the mark here.

First, to go back to the Atari analogy:
If you recall what really killed Atari was the Pac-man fiasco. Pac-man: finally coming to a home near you. Only when the Atari developers did the port from the arcade version they did a really bad job. Millions (around 7) of people bought Pac-man and pretty much everyone was disapointed. To pile on top of this, Atari next released E.T. right before Christmas. Well, they rushed it out too fast and it was a really really bad game. Probably one of the worst games ever made, and millions of people bought it only to demand a refund. Atari was dead, especially after people played "Super Mario Bros" which came bundled with the NES. Xbox would have been dead in the water if not for Halo. How many PS2's were sold simply because of GTA3? Wii's sold for bowling? I just want to say that it IS all about the game, not the technology. Good graphics does not make a game, it just makes things look nicer.

The PDGA's game is the tournament, it is their bread and butter. Roughly 29% of their income comes from sanctioned tournaments. Another 51% of income comes from membership dues, of which most people pay to play sanctioned tournaments and have rated rounds. Ratings are very popular and are calculated from tournament play. The PDGA must protect their core product. Hopefully you know what I mean by a bad tournament. The thing is most players don't know. They go to anything that shows up on the PDGA calendar. When our local club formed I was surprised to see how easy it was to get sanctioning. Basically you pay you get it.

I think it should be one of the top priorities of the organization to promote the good events and eradicate the bad ones. I think it should be harder to get event sanctioning. I think feedback cards should be given out to the players after the event. Bad feedback means no event next year.

sandalman
Jan 12 2009, 11:28 PM
what are the odds of paragraph 4 happening given paragraph 3? feedbacks cards arent gonna replace the cash, or justify its not coming in. the tour generates a healthy surplus. it is essential in order to pay for every other program. some would rather stop diverting the excess and payout all tour money to the tour. thats a great idea if the dependant side could be assured of its survival.

bruce_brakel
Jan 12 2009, 11:31 PM
Jeff's post highlights Mark's point. Some players don't want crappy DX plastic payouts but I'm absolutely fine with it. I put it in the merch boxes and someone is happy to find it at the next tournament.

Half of the players don't care about payouts -- they don't even play in a division where they can expect a payout. Look at the stats and see who dominates the bottom half of the large divisions at most tournaments: players who are eligible to play in the next division down. Obviously there's more to a tournament than the payout.

Plenty of players are fine with club fund raisers, especially if they are plugged in and agree with how the club spends its money. I've figured out that it makes more sense for me to play the club fund burners rather than the club fund raisers, but my stats show I play plenty of fund raisers too.

If players continue to play tournaments run by TDs who have "no business running events," then it is probably just that you shouldn't be playing those tournaments because they aren't running the kind of tournament you want to play. You run tournaments so hopefully you're running the kinds of tournaments you want to play. Split the work with like-minded players and some of you can play them too.

MTL21676
Jan 13 2009, 11:40 AM
I If players don't like the way certain TDs run their tournaments, they can vote with their feet.



I agree with this, to an extent, however, its not the rock hard solution.

Sure five years and 130+ PDGA events in, I know what is good, what is bad, and more importantly, WHO is good and bad. However, new players have no idea. Out of state players have no idea.

I've seen out of state players travel here to NC to bad tournaments and now they don't come back to ANY NC events.

Also new players then get a bad perception of what PDGA events are like.

I should in no way have doubts when I travel to a tournament I know nothing about if the PDGA's name is attached to it. Some of the things I've seen / heard of that happened in PDGA events are uncalled for and if I ran the PDGA, would in no way want my good name attached to that person or event.

drdisc
Jan 14 2009, 12:37 AM
When I was a Board member I asked the rest of the BOD to consider a background check on new TD's. At the time there were well known drug dealers running tourneys. That was a good way to get customers to town. The Board declined.

gnduke
Jan 14 2009, 03:08 AM
One problem with that approach is that you have to set objective limits on what qualifies as failing a background check. Who defines those limits and how much of the questionable information that does not cause a failure but raises some concern does the PDGA need to release?

gang4010
Jan 14 2009, 09:15 AM
By sanctioning everyone - we dilute attendance at events across the board, we discourage travel, and ultimately sacrifice overall quality.

Why couldn't it be as simple as a basic job application? What? You have no experience being a TD? Sorry, come back when you can show some experience, or a reference from your SC, fellow TD, etc. I agree w/MTL - sanctioning every event that comes in the door is not prudent. Event quality should carry some weight - especially now that we have reached the saturation level that we have.

MTL21676
Jan 14 2009, 09:30 AM
Why couldn't it be as simple as a basic job application? What? You have no experience being a TD? Sorry, come back when you can show some experience, or a reference from your SC, fellow TD, etc.



Amen!!

People just don't do it like we did it years ago. When I first decided I wanted to start running events, I was playing 25 events a year and had the knowledge of what was a good event and bad event. Sure, not many people have that chance.

However, before I did that, I also helped out at tournaments when I could. I remember staying at Chris Hysel's one weekend for a tournament he ran and right before he did the payout I asked him "hey man, would you mind showing me how you do that? (this was before the excel sheet did it for you)" I asked our local guy who does most of our TD reports one time to teach me. I started taking my laptops to events and volunteering to the TD report for them. I was an am then and I started showing up to Pro Only events and doing scores, helping registration.

I basically did everything I could to learn how to do the craft before I started running events. Now I'm known as one of the better TD's in this area.

I don't see people doing what I did anymore. If someone were to come up and ask me to show them how I did payout, how I did this, how I did that, I would gladly show them. Teaching people the correct way of doing things leads to less issues in the future!

johnbiscoe
Jan 14 2009, 10:38 AM
i don't see a need for "pre-screening"- too subjective and potentially costly depending on how far you want to take it.

simply denying sanctioning the following year to those who don't fulfill their duties the prior year would go a long way.

gang4010
Jan 14 2009, 10:51 AM
I don't disagree John, but equally pro-active could be a mechanism on the sanctioning agreement to ensure folks with zero experience aren't granted sanctioning without someone vouching for them (isn't that part of why all sanctioning agreements are "supposed" to go through the State Coordinator?)
The PDGA does do the minimum - and makes everyone requesting sanctioning pass the officials exam. But that really is just the minimum.

cgkdisc
Jan 14 2009, 10:52 AM
Rookie TDs do not get sanctioning for A-tier and higher events even if they have the added cash.

zbiberst
Jan 14 2009, 11:06 AM
wouldnt just having a seasoned td vouch for the rookie until the new guy has 5 events under his belt be an easy way to deal with this. if people dont like the new guys events and he is getting terrible feedback, i doubt the seasoned td would keep attatching his name. there are enough experienced tds in most places to make this a viable option. im starting to run events this year, but i have spent all last year helping at every local event and learning everything i can, as well as traveling alot and noting the tournaments' goods and bads. and on top of that i have some very great very experienced tds at my back and at my side every step of the way, at least until i get a few events under my belt. i wouldnt imagine running events any other way, especially without the experience of sitting in on tournaments and learning everything firsthand.


by the way, E.T. worst game ever, and hilarious to watch someone try to play it that doesnt know any better. (rumor is they buried more copies in the desert than they actually sold)

scottcwhite
Jan 14 2009, 01:44 PM
Event quality should carry some weight - especially now that we have reached the saturation level that we have.



I think we can all agree that something needs to be done to better ensure sanctioned event quality. Just because it hasn't been a huge problem in the past doesn't mean it won't be in the near future. A saturation level has been reached in Michigan. The 2009 Michigan schedule is more full than ever. We are reaching that point now where a sanctioned event is scheduled for every weekend.

Now is the time to get a bit more selective on who gets sanctioning and who doesn't. There are already measures in place for A tiers. Maybe just extend it down to B tiers next year. TD/club submits an application for an A or B tier. All of these apps are reviewed by a qualified panel and sanctioning is awarded accordingly. Feedback cards could be implemented as well. It may take away from the short term income to the PDGA but in the long term, events will be of a higher quality and more people will be confident that signing up for a sanctioned event carries with it a level of quality and class.

davidsauls
Jan 14 2009, 02:24 PM
Perhaps, rather than creating obstacles for new TDs, we can find mechanisms to steer the wayward TDs back on track. TDs may be the hardest working and most valuable volunteers in the disc golf world, and not every region is overburdened with an abundance of experienced and high-quality ones.

What to do where a town has one long-running and excellent TD, who steps down leaving no experienced ones in his place?

How about a community new to disc golf, with a gung-ho volunteer trying to get things started?

I say be lenient with people starting out with C-tiers. If they displease the players, the players can stay away in the future. If they violate the sanctioning agreement and players complain to the PDGA, the PDGA can step in and try to straighten them out in future years, or withhold sanctioning if that fails.

zbiberst
Jan 14 2009, 02:25 PM
i can agree, having the information that ohio's sanctioned schedule will be full as well. i think its a great thing, but in a couple years there will have to be a change.

gang4010
Jan 14 2009, 02:49 PM
It's not a matter of creating obstacles for new TD's as much as it is having criteria and mechanisms on the front end and on the back end to ensure a minimum standard of quality.

To address the new gung ho volunteer, or the guy stepping into recently vacated shoes - having readily available materials to offer these folks could go a long way. while checklists and the like are good resources - that are already available - they don't really cover what TD's really need to learn. Perhaps a TD DVD that touches on everything from the basics (like how to arrange scorecards and manage a scoreboard) to merchandising, fund raising, and more advanced TD issues would be a resource worth investing in.

anita
Jan 14 2009, 03:25 PM
Perhaps, rather than creating obstacles for new TDs, we can find mechanisms to steer the wayward TDs back on track. TDs may be the hardest working and most valuable volunteers in the disc golf world, and not every region is overburdened with an abundance of experienced and high-quality ones.

What to do where a town has one long-running and excellent TD, who steps down leaving no experienced ones in his place?

How about a community new to disc golf, with a gung-ho volunteer trying to get things started?

I say be lenient with people starting out with C-tiers. If they displease the players, the players can stay away in the future. If they violate the sanctioning agreement and players complain to the PDGA, the PDGA can step in and try to straighten them out in future years, or withhold sanctioning if that fails.



This is the situation here in Nebraska. We are not overrun with people clamoring to be a TD. For the most part, we have been blessed with competent TDs with a couple exceptions. I have to rely on the "gung-ho" local guy when a new course pops up and they want to put on a PDGA event. There are a few dedicated TDs who are willing to put on events which are not held at their home course. They are a Godsend.

I encourage the first timer to run a few local/non-sanctioned events to sort of get their sea legs. First timers are always surprised how much work it is putting on a tournament. We all know that good TDs make it look easy.

I'm not sure how effective a reply card will be. Heck, you can hardly get players to turn in scorecards promptly. I'm afraid that you would only get cards from those who are hunked off about something. If things run fine, no one seems to take the time to say so. If there were some way to have someone look at the event with an objective eye and give a critique, then I think we would be getting somewhere. You need someone who knows what to look for. That person should be compensated in some manner, too. Oh, that where you could spend that $1 a head charge. :D

bcary93
Jan 14 2009, 08:25 PM
I'm not sure how effective a reply card will be. [..] I'm afraid that you would only get cards from those who are hunked off about something. If things run fine, no one seems to take the time to say so. [..]



Unfortunately, the same is largely true for message boards in general and this one is no exception :(

gnduke
Jan 15 2009, 05:07 AM
I would like to see a separate TD card that needs to be obtained before running any events. The training material would have to come first along with run through of handling the paperwork and electronic filing of results necessary for running an event.

And unlike the Officials test, this would have to be used at least once every two years to stay valid. If it lapses, it would have to be earned again.

AviarX
Feb 09 2009, 01:40 PM
that's a pretty good idea! Gary, what would you include in the test? divisions and groupings, reporting requirements, layout documentation, payouts, rulings/provisionals, how to set up holes for clarity where difficult rulings (OB/Mandos/ etc) might occur?

Luke Butch
Feb 09 2009, 02:00 PM
If players don't like the way certain TDs run their tournaments, they can vote with their feet.



That's pretty much what it comes down to. I learned pretty fast which clubs used tournaments to get rid of surplus crappy DX plastic, or used tournaments as huge fundraisers for the club, or refused to use the PDGA Online Tournament Scoring System to upload results after a tournament to generate unofficial round ratings, or didn't send their results to the PDGA for 6-8 months, or etc...



the problem with this is some clubs have access to awesome courses. Thus people will still travel to play their tournament even though they know the payout will suck, just because the course that the tournament is held on is great.

Jeff_LaG
Feb 09 2009, 02:37 PM
the problem with this is some clubs have access to awesome courses. Thus people will still travel to play their tournament even though they know the payout will suck, just because the course that the tournament is held on is great.



No problem here. I go play the day or week before or after the tournament and still experience that awesome course, without donating $50+ for basically nothing.

gnduke
Feb 09 2009, 03:46 PM
Something like the officials test, but mostly from the 804 section and the competition manual. Add online reporting of an sample event in progress and properly filing a TD report based on that event.

AviarX
Feb 09 2009, 06:11 PM
What would be really good would be a little booklet like the Rules book for TD's -- it could cover things like how to code layouts, how online scoring is important but is not the official version of scores the PDGA needs as part of the report, thinking of potential scoring controversies/confusions on particular holes in advance and setting them up for consistent play from group to group, etc. Also maybe sections summarizing how to deal with late scorecards, wrong scores, cheating, etc. (even if only referring to the rule # to reference). I've only dabbled in assistant TD'ing so someone versed in big events might have better input...

who would volunteer to write such a manual? Gary? :D(or maybe you know a well-qualified soul -- or committee of souls -- to sacrifice) ;)

(a virtual version would be great too, but a lot of TD's might benefit from an old-school hard-copy booklet)

the_kid
Feb 09 2009, 06:40 PM
the problem with this is some clubs have access to awesome courses. Thus people will still travel to play their tournament even though they know the payout will suck, just because the course that the tournament is held on is great.



No problem here. I go play the day or week before or after the tournament and still experience that awesome course, without donating $50+ for basically nothing.




$3 of that basically nothing goes to help the PDGA though!

cgkdisc
Feb 09 2009, 07:24 PM
You mean kind of like this document that's been available in the Club Affiliate section for several years but updated last year with some of the things mentioned?

www.pdga.com/files/documents/How%20To%20Run%20PDGA%20Event%20112108.pdf (http://www.pdga.com/files/documents/How%20To%20Run%20PDGA%20Event%20112108.pdf)

Yes, it could potentially be even more detailed but some of the items mentioned are more relevant as parts of the Competition manual.

okcacehole
Feb 09 2009, 07:37 PM
I think we just hit this on another thread Gary :) Officials should be retested every few years at no cost to the official.

The current officials list is way too long.

To take the easiest multiple guess test years ago doesn't mean I am current on all rule changes.


And unlike the Officials test, this would have to be used at least once every two years to stay valid. If it lapses, it would have to be earned again.

my_hero
Feb 09 2009, 07:44 PM
What is more important to the PDGA? The amount of TDs or the quality of TDs?



The state of Texas had 80 something sanctioned events in 2008. That's 80 sanctioning fees, no telling how many dollars in player fees, no telling how many profitable dollars in blanket insurance policies, no telling how many dollars in membership fees, and to top if off, no telling how many dollars in nonmember fees. Without these fees pdga salaries can't be paid, pdga travel can't be funded, pdga advertising/website can't progress :D, and pdga petty cash can't be used. So the answers to your 2 questions are obviously revenue:Dand in short, quantity supercedes quality.

AviarX
Feb 09 2009, 11:42 PM
You mean kind of like this document that's been available in the Club Affiliate section for several years but updated last year with some of the things mentioned?



sort of. but something like the Rules Book only a TD's book. Like the rules, too often the book isn't read, understood or followed by some of the very people who figure they 'know' the rules. a user-friendly TD book with sections would help. When Macs first came out they were considered far more user-friendly than PC;s... we need something like that for TD's verses what is presently available . Whether Chuck Kennedy knows or can readily locate (and digest) something should NOT be the criterion ;) Many TD's of lesser tiers -- especially if they have been doing it for years feel they have enough to worry about without reading all the emails and paperwork the PDGA sends. for what-it's worth: a well-organized TD booklet would be really helpful imo. it would need a section on common problems: "late scorecard" (summarizing time allowed and penalty) "wrong score" "played wrong course" ... Players Meetings components (OB, etc, etc.) get a couple of TD's to put it together and trade notes and it might make PDGA events better for everyone. TD's have so much to do - a well-organized "manual/booklet" would probably prove helpful and help TD's consistently rule the way the PDGA wishes.

gnduke
Feb 10 2009, 03:25 AM
References to the rule book are OK, but I don't want to have two documents with the same info in case the rule changes.

The how to run a PDGA event has some good tips, but is not really what I was looking for.

cgkdisc
Feb 10 2009, 07:55 AM
What you seem to be looking for in part is a book of rulings that have been made in certain tournament situations. I've talked with Dave about compiling these from Worlds and other big events where marshals have had to make the "gray decision" calls. This way they could either be precedents or indicate another solution would have been better and what that would be. The problem is we still can't decide whether Rules Q&As are valid or just informative. The same issue would need to be resolved for a book of rulings.

discette
Feb 10 2009, 09:23 AM
sort of. but something like the Rules Book only a TD's book. Like the rules, too often the book isn't read, understood or followed by some of the very people who figure they 'know' the rules. a user-friendly TD book with sections would help. When Macs first came out they were considered far more user-friendly than PC;s... we need something like that for TD's verses what is presently available . Whether Chuck Kennedy knows or can readily locate (and digest) something should NOT be the criterion Many TD's of lesser tiers -- especially if they have been doing it for years feel they have enough to worry about without reading all the emails and paperwork the PDGA sends. for what-it's worth: a well-organized TD booklet would be really helpful imo. it would need a section on common problems: "late scorecard" (summarizing time allowed and penalty) "wrong score" "played wrong course" ... Players Meetings components (OB, etc, etc.) get a couple of TD's to put it together and trade notes and it might make PDGA events better for everyone. TD's have so much to do - a well-organized "manual/booklet" would probably prove helpful and help TD's consistently rule the way the PDGA wishes.



It does not seem fiscally responsible for the PDGA to spend hard cash to print a TD booklet that can become outdated when a new rule is passed or new detail is needed. Hosting a document online is far more economical and doesn't waste trees or other resources. TD's are no more likely to read a booklet that will cost thousands to print than they are to download a free document.

The PDGA can easily send TD's links to of all of the relevant documents needed to run a well organized event. If the documents become outdated, conflict with other documents, or need changes it is as simple as updating the electronic files.

Again, hosting documents online is basically FREE (there is already a web site) and the documents can be easily updated. Printed booklets cost money to produce, money to distribute and can easily become outdated and basically worthless.

johnrock
Feb 10 2009, 09:57 AM
without reading all the emails and paperwork the PDGA sends.



They don't always send the paperwork that the TD pays for. Simple mistake, possibly. But when many TD's complain that they're not getting what they pay for, we need to find a better way to help TD's.

AviarX
Feb 10 2009, 10:25 AM
What you seem to be looking for in part is a book of rulings that have been made in certain tournament situations. I've talked with Dave about compiling these from Worlds and other big events where marshals have had to make the "gray decision" calls. This way they could either be precedents or indicate another solution would have been better and what that would be. The problem is we still can't decide whether Rules Q&As are valid or just informative. The same issue would need to be resolved for a book of rulings.


\
partly that but also an easy to peruse bare bones version which hits main themes and components (for example going over OB at the Players Meeting). Think of a new TD for a C tier. It's the morning of and a hundred minor details have ate his time up all morning. A little booklet reminding him/her of all the things which need to be covered in the Players meeting, and how to handle common anomalies (18 fivesomes but division totals not divisible by 5). etc. It could also have some Tips to run a successful event section which included a proactive approach to hole layout and OB announcements to minimize inconsistent card rulings. It could include an outline of a timeline to run an event including pre-event, during event, and post-event (online scoring and electronic TD report filing with relevant web addresses). something fairly bare bones and general with the website inflormation being the bible and the booklet being cliff notes ;)

btw, i clicked on the "how to run an event" link you provided upthread a few times and everytime i do my computer freezes up completely and i have to manually reboot :D

last time i checked there (a year ago) it wasn't laid out quite as user-friendly (for a new TD) as it might be with more work. a summarization outline section would be great with a flow chart or timeline and links to the details is what i envision...

cgkdisc
Feb 10 2009, 10:36 AM
There are both How to Plan and How to Run guides that are pretty detailed on those items. The document pops up for me in IE7. Try right clicking and Saving Target As, then opening on your machine.

AviarX
Feb 10 2009, 10:42 AM
It does not seem fiscally responsible for the PDGA to spend hard cash to print a TD booklet that can become outdated when a new rule is passed or new detail is needed. Hosting a document online is far more economical and doesn't waste trees or other resources. TD's are no more likely to read a booklet that will cost thousands to print than they are to download a free document.

The PDGA can easily send TD's links to of all of the relevant documents needed to run a well organized event. If the documents become outdated, conflict with other documents, or need changes it is as simple as updating the electronic files.

Again, hosting documents online is basically FREE (there is already a web site) and the documents can be easily updated. Printed booklets cost money to produce, money to distribute and can easily become outdated and basically worthless.



you've definitely hit on many of the disadvantages of a hard-copy booklet, but perhaps it is still a good idea...

we could print only enough booklets as there are TD's for a given year (what is that number -- is there a link breaking down how many 2008 events were A tiers, B-tiers, C-tiers, etc.?). In terms of expense we might look at what already is sent to TD's -- I know TD's tend to get several free Rules books and PDGA programs and (not-so-easy-on-the-eyes, but functional) hard-copy paycharts when they run an event -- we could defray much of the cost by sending less of that stuff and by just sending one TD book (using the same format as the Rules-book. The TD book would probably pay for itself in terms of making a TD's job less stressful and by helping events go more smootly with less controversy. It might also save the PDGA money in terms of saved time through converting the cost of reacting to event problems (reporting issues, Rule transgressions, etc.) to the cost of proactively preventing them. I am talking about a barebones user-friendly summary booklet not an all-inclusive monstrosity like the web version :D (i haven't seen it lately because clicking on the link freezes up my computer so my apologies is someone took the time to organize it and make it new TD friendly...)

California is probably a little ahead of the times -- I seldom see a TD with an onsite laptop out here unless it is a major event. I am sure that trend will change each year but in the meantime a booklet might be a good idea.

absent that a virtual version which is very easy to read and organized with a link to a printable version might address the waste/cost issue and help non PC saavy TDs access the latest greatest info on how to set events up for success.