Whilst this may not fall under the remit of the VSDT, can a global email not be sent out to the entire RAFAC when SMS changes/ updated are made? This must be generating a huge volume of email traffic and it is not relevant to everyone. Maybe sent to Wg Bader POCs to then filter down to the relevant parties?
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Pretty sure it is relevant to the majority, though whether it interests them is another matter.
I tend to think that, though comms is welcome, a link to a web page for details would be my preferred content.
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I would have thought the opposite that SMS changes and updates are relevant to everyone. We all have SMS so surely itâs useful to be kept in the loop on changes that are made.
How long would it take for Squadron OCs to get this kind of info if it were to be filtered down through Wings etc??
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@james_elliott Quick query, sorry to bother you. Will the CIN@rafac.mod.uk email addresses be the email addresses that notifications are sent to? Do cadets have access to these as mail accounts or do these only work for logging in to Cadet Portal? Ta.
They are not email addresses, they are just username which Microsoft dictate must include an @ symbol. Notifications get sent to the email thatâs registered on SMS
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Got it. Thank you.
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What he said!
The release of SMs v5.2.2 has switched on new email notification functionality for all cadets.
The SMS Events module allows cadets bidding status for an event to be changed as cadets are selected, not selected, voluntarily withdrawn or put onto the reserves list.
Whenever a change is made to a cadets bidding status, Cadet Portal will send them an email to notify them of the change in addition to a notification in Cadet Portal itself. The cadet can click a link from the email which will take them directly to the event in question.
If an event is cancelled, the cadet will also receive an email to inform them.
We are currently mid-deployment of Cadet Portal across the ATC and some cadets have access and others do not. However, these event status changes are relevant to all cadets and we have made this clear in the emails they will receive.
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We did our cadets on Thursday delivered in a business like manner of this this and this, now go away and play. Find out on Monday how many have had a play. Iâm determined that this wonât become another edofe debacle.
One did ask why would I want to go on something being run by another squadron and why would we want cadets from other squadrons doing our things. To both, no idea.
When I was sorting out some parade events, I wasnât keen on the childish thumb down if you donât put it on the cadet portal and I assume equally childish thumbs up if you do. Iâll be seeing lots of thumbs down.
If you donât understand the concept of why it might be good to work with others who can give your Cadets opportunities that you canât and vice versa Iâm sure that would translate down to those below you.
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We have always done things with others and will still do this, but has always been on a strict invite basis of 4-5 squadrons, where we all work well together. Sorry if that doesnât fit the narrative for the perception of some on here.
This was more to do with why would odd cadets turn out for another squadronâs activity, when they havenât been formally invited. Making it available on this is not in my book a formal invite.
The cadets were told that if they did want to go on A N Other squadron activity through this, they would need to get themselves to and from.
Iâm still not convinced that we need this, we have / had a system that has worked well for decades. Like so much in the modern world technology used for the sake of it rather than a real need.
I wonder if this doesnât get used, will be threatened as we were when people didnât get overly excited by Bader. Children are the best audience for all or nothing, they may use it initially, but if it doesnât live up to the hype it wonât get used, unless they are forced to.
If they havenât been invited they wonât be able to bid for a place. Seriously, what planet do you live on?
As to why theyâd go, perhaps Cadet Bloggs of 123 squadron wants to do fieldcraft training. His squadron donât do it due to lack of qualified staff. He sees in cadet portal that 543 squadron have opened an invite to attend a fieldcraft day. He bids for a place and gets it. Now yes, as OC there may be a tiny bit if admin for you to tick a box, but itâs better than him nagging you to do fieldcraft and not getting any or you having to act as a go between so he can attend it. I really donât see why you are so against this unless you desire the level of control over the cadets that you decry in HQ when it comes to adult staff.
(Says the guy whoâs jealous not to be getting it)
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We have a perfectly good system for advertising things for cadets ⌠itâs called a noticeboard. So if someone was running a as suggested FMS traimig, it would go on the noticeboard, cadets see it and make a decision. However what we do is look at the dates and if it clashes with something we are doing it doesnât go up, with this that is lost. The problems will arise when staff are expected to attend when cadets from their squadron go on something and staff donât want to.
People are currently getting caught up in the euphoria of something new, the scope and impact of which is not yet fully out there. Of course we are not allowed to be anything other than gushing about this and see it as the answer to all our prayers. Just like Bader in the mid 00s.
Erm, no itâs not⌠You really should keep up with how something works if youâre going to criticise it. Itâs not rubbish just because you havenât been arsed to do the training and learn to use it properly.
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You have to decide whether to push an activity run by another unit to your cadets on the portal, it doesnât just appear.
At least try and pretend you know what youâre talking about.
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There you go both contradicting yourself and deliberately misunderstanding something for the sake of arguing⌠again.
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I read some of the initial stuff on this, did not and still do not see the point of it, but it would seem the HQAC mob are more easily impressed. They were impressed by Ultilearn. But then again like Ultilearn and Bader theyâll never have to use it. I never saw the need for âBaderâ, I still canât see the point in Bader. When you are told you have to use something, then there is something inherently wrong. Mind you with SMS why someone decided we need rectangles on the events screen, rather than a list escapes me and if you change it to a list it doesnât stay as a list. At least now I can self-approve things, which is a step in the right direction.
If we have to make it available on the portal, how is that any different to a sheet on the noticeboard? How does it stop what this seems to be about, which is squadrons who donât tell cadets when things are happening? We do tell cadets with caveats as mentioned.
Iâm sure there are plenty out there in cadet land who think this is wonderful, Iâm just not one of them. A solution to a problem that didnât exist.
But I imagine there will be teddies chucked if it doesnât get used by cadets and as it seems staff as
well.
Arenât you always banging on about the way they do things at work? So do you work at some mythical place where thereâs no standardised system for anything?
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Again you prove yourself ignorant of the functionality, as you can change your personal settings to make it stay as lists.
You do remember the days of doing AT applications by post, right? Cos that was betterâŚermâŚoh.
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@redowling The old AT applications were better as you block booked for âa seasonâ and just went, as opposed to doing one for every single thing, that needs to be approved. We used to have 5 sites we did a block booking for between April and October. Weather looked good, phone call and they had space, we went. They may have had to be posted initially but it was a damn sight easier than the SMS version.
Bader was supposed to make things easier ⌠still waiting.
@NivlacSupreme The difference is at work I get paid to do things, given the time to learn/use things (not find it in a couple of hours a week) and if required training is laid on. I donât get paid in the ATC and they donât give me the time. Everything Iâve done using Bader etc has been âby touchâ and as you couldnât set up âtraining accountsâ for people to practice on, everything is âliveâ. As yet never seen a MIS at work where you canât have âtraining accountsâ for people to learn and practice with.