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Since 2003 the MTF Tourer's Assistant (TA) has been periodically enhanced with new functionality to facilitate a more effective user experience. The latest round of enhancements was significant:

• Registration Requests
• Profile Policy Changes
• Google Maps API Integration
• Search Screen Enhancements
• GPX Downloads
• Reminders

The vast majority of this functionality is restricted to TA members only. The term "member" in this article refers to any TA member with an active account.

Registration Requests

To ensure a TA's profile at least begins life with a valid email address, registration is now a two-step process. The first step is making a registration request. The system emails the registrant a message containing a link that, when clicked, allows the registrant to continue the registration process. What have we accomplished with this?

1. A valid email address is being used.
2. The TA system can effectively communicate with the user.
3. The user's spam filter is configured correctly.

What may seem like a nuisance is a huge boon to the system and the integrity of the data within. The second step of the registration process begins when the user clicks the link in the message. That's the easy part.

Profile Policy Changes

The Full Monte (it's not as embarrassing as it may seem) dictates member profiles are completely visible to other members. Each member is still in full control of how much personal information is shared with the general public, but profile visibility is not restricted in any way, shape or form among members.

Having said that... if you're like me, you have a modicum of concern about privacy and security anytime personal information is shared via any medium. Because of this, I've chosen to set my street address to "NA". This passes the system test, but doesn't expose my address to other members. Supplying the city, state and postal code allows the system to maintain enough data to not compromise the new mapping functionality discusses below.

Does this practice degrade the effectiveness of the system as a whole? Absolutely not. If another member needs my address because I'm offering help or I've checked an item out of the library, I will share the street address with them privately. Take a look at a cleansed version of my profile:

Note the address is set to "NA" and, other than my personal web page, no other personal information is shared with the general public. Ultimately, each member is responsible for managing the degree of exposure with which they're comfortable. Please ensure your profile is setup accordingly.

Also note that you may now specify the phone type for the primary and secondary phone numbers. This allows others to know if they're dialing your mobile, home, business or some other number. It may prevent that late night call on your home number. Then again...

Google Maps API Integration Mapping is the new, cool and trendy functionality systems are using these days that can benefit from it. The TA is one such system. I started looking into mapping functionality when Alan and other MTF members emailed me and said, "It sure would be nice to download all the TA members to my GPS." Being a Google Maps fan, I began looking at the functionality and interfaces of the Google Maps API (GMAPI) and found integrating some simple yet highly beneficial mapping capabilities into the TA would be relatively simple and straightforward. In the beginning the TA system allowed users to enter their coordinates (aka. geocode). The system didn't validate the data at all rendering it mostly useless. Having consistent, properly formatted geocodes is the most critical aspect of GMAPI integration and, as such, the system now manages each member's geocode automatically. Anytime a profile is modified, the system uses GMAPI to acquire a new geocode. The TA regards a member's geocode as personal information and, as such, any functionality using geocodes is restricted to members only.

Search Screen Enhancements

• state/province;
• services offered;
• some part of the first name, last name, nickname or email address.

When searching on name, the system disregards the state/province and services filters. The search results appear on the map as icons as well as below the map in detail. With the visual representation of the search results you're able to see precisely where members are located and how they're dispersed across the regions. You can zoom in/out to focus on particular regions and you can even change the style of the map's look-n-feel from the classic Google maps to Terrain, Sattelite and Hybrid. Clicking an icon displays the member's profile. If more than one member shares the same geocode, the popup window will contain a tab for each member.

GPX Downloads

A number of users mentioned they want to download the TA database to their GPS units as a set of custom Points of Interest (POI). GMAPI and the GPS eXchange (GPX) standard data format ensures any GPS unit supporting the GPX standard will be capable of loading the GPX file and manipulate the data as a set of custom POIs.

If you have a Garmin GPS that supports custom POIs and have not downloaded and installed the POI Loader, check out the following page to download and install the appropriate loader for your operating system:

http://www.garmin.com/support/mappingsw.jsp

After installing the POI Loader, simply download and save the GPX file locally, open the file using the POI Loader and download the data to your GPS. Now use your unit's find/search functionality to locate members, view their information, dial the phone numbers (on Bluetooth capable units only) and have the entire TA database at your fingertips.

Reminders

The TA system is only as good as the integrity of the data within it. For this reason it's imperative members make regular updates to their profiles when information changes as well as on a periodic basis. As a member you're obligated to ensure your information is up to date and accurate. New accounts aren't active until a volunteer validates the account by emailing and calling the person. After that, each account is validated once a year or so.

To help facilitate the ongoing yearly validation process, the system will popup a reminder dialog after you logon and if your profile hasn't been updated in the past 6 months. The dialog will continue to popup each time you visit the home page. To prevent the dialog from appearing, you must update your profile even if your information hasn't changed. Go to your profile, review your information and click the Update button. It's that easy.

The Future

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