In the talk facility under an event I have absolutely no clue why people feel the need to decline and explain their alternative arrangements........

Totally agree with you Keith!  :o)  JT.

what about those organising without picture (how helpful) or those coming 3hs later when not coming at all.

I am not certain what you mean can you elaborate? 

as a regular organiser you must have spotted that ages ago...

it must be some sort of pyschological phenomena...maybe some ego thing where the poster of the "try" comment  thinks the activity cant possibly work without them or something

LOL - I actually used that quote when someone commented they would try to come to an activity - it probably pissed them off

I will try (LOL) to eloborate, but shame we cannot draw here : so to explain the person who organise an event without picture: you know 'the chicken' picture where we don't  know what the person look like ? and for those coming three hours later i had experienced and it's not so fun hopefully someone else was there waiting as well for THE organiser, and also some organiser don't come at all (vacation, too busy to come...) if I am still not clear let me know we could meet :-P

LOL - are you flirting?

Ok I get it now - thx

wow thats weird with the host/organiser not showing...I had cancel 1 I did due to a personal emergency but did my best to notify people 

I learnt the term PBO "Pending Better Offer" from a 'very busy friend' - I admit I was shocked. Are people really THAT shallow that they want to look busy/popular/in demand by accepting an invitation they can fall back on if needed, but in the mean time looking for a "better" offer/invitation...? How sad.

When I used to organise dinners etc (in a previous life) I would always include at the bottom of the email that I wasnt interested in peoples excuses if they couldnt make it - it is usually the same people that always want to be part of a group but never invite or make suggestions etc but want to look busy/popular. I wasnt being rude just not interested in their games.

If a person wants to be somewhere with certain people/event then they will make the effort. Yes, there are occasions where it is unfortunate but one has to cancel. If it is important that people reply for says number of people for food/seats/capacity etc and they say yes they are coming then it's pretty deplorable.

Refering to previous comment...people organising events on glocals and not showing up for them/showing up late...people do THAT?? Pretty poor behaviour.

Although  I do not have to advertise my outings on glocals I do so just so that people know what is available. But I am very wary of glocals people who sign up just in case they can find nothing better to do.

Where places are limited they are taking up other more serious people's places.

The latest example resulted in everyone getting to the meeting place at 7 amAfter 10 minutes we tried phoning - answer phone. It turns out he had sent an email at 2am saying he would not be able get up so early.

My reaction is very simple - he just goes on to my black list

The downside is that in the case of my weekend walks where I have to reserve places in a hut, I do not advertise these on glocals. They are posted on the relevant club website and emails are ssent to people who come out with me regularly

I have certian rules for glocals first timers.  If they start asling lots of questions I know they are not going to turn up. If they offer transport I do not rely on it.  I do accept people who sign up for more than one person.  If one changes its mind, so does the other and you end up with two cancellations.

I realise that if your activity is not linked to a club and you are looking for buddies then you have to take the risk with the no shows.  Depending on the event you can work out the percentage of no shows.

My no shows are probably less than with others because I insist on an email being sent directly to me (rather that just signing up on glocals) and I advise the meeting place after receipt of the email  

I dont even want to comment about the recent mail (comment) I had from someone...I am reluctant to publicly show their stupidity

Go on!

@Paul E. If i ever sign up to your events i will probably ask loads of questions. This is not because i want to be annoying and probably will cancel at the last minute but just because i have loads of questions. Although i will make sure i ask all questions and then confirming or not. If people confirm first and then ask questions then i can see your point

Maria. I was generalising and questions about difficulty and length, advising what you have done and asking for my opinion as to whether the event (only mountain hiking) is too difficult are legitimate

I was thinking of two recent examples

"How do I get to the airport?" - if going to a location in Vaud/Valais by car, I use the airport departures car park.

"Can you arrange for me to be picked up in Ferney?" I ignored the question but maybe I should have called on the Paul E taxi company and charged him 30 francs

Neither turned up although from memory both cancelled, althouugh one aas mentioned above at 2am in the morning

I recently asked a regular drinks organizer if I should rsvp yes if I am not certain I'd be able to make it because of work commitments. He and others had no problem with a type of yes/maybe/I'll try. He wants people to sign up because it can attract others to join.

As I am on his friends' list and regularly receive his invitations, I had no problem showing up at his open drinks by the lake without an rsvp and he was very welcoming, as he always is. Another person I know posted a very interesting concert that I would have liked to attend but couldn't. Nevertheless, I expressed my interest by thanking him for his posting and saying I wanted to attend if I could. 

It is rude to sign up and then not show up. There is nothing wrong with posting in the comments section that you would like to try to attend. Aside from work commitments, you may change your mind if you want to avoid a person who has been trying to chat you up on a dating site or who has made highly obnoxious and trollish remarks under a previous Glocals identity. Just as an example, of course.

I regularly organise events, on here. I  find that in General people do sign up for regular events, such as a photography outing. However they do NOT sign up for regular drinks evenings. I post one on a Saturday evening, every week and rarely do people actually bother to sign up, however there are always more than 30+ people who attend. This can be quite frustrating, because the new members here see the event, and think " im not going because there is only 1-2 people signed up. " As an organiser I really DO appreciate those who actually sign up, and those that decline whatever the reason. That way I know as does the bar exactly how many people to expect. The more people that attend, the more Bar Staff, and the greater likleyhood of free food. If I dont know then I cant let the Bar know how many people to expect... just my POV.. 

I wondered how long it would be before the voice of reason joined and said exactly what I was thinking.  Post 15? You're early, Valerie!

I was waiting for you, Mrs. Woman!

I agree, to a degree with your initial sentiment, however I must disagree with your comment above.  

Only a few weeks ago, Julian T (the very same) posted on an activity (along the lines of) "I'll try and be there, but too early to say".  

A perfectly reasonable comment because it depended on a crucial matter out of his control, and he was being polite in letting the organiser know that, depending on the circumstances, he would definitely "try/like" to be there.

I'm sure he wasn't egotistical enough to think that a party of 75 people couldn't "possibly work" without him!

I'm often asked to stand in for people who have posted an event because "try as they might", they are not able to attend (Jaspers Monthly Drinks, Amin's Movie Group) both of whom are two of the least egotistical people you could care to meet.

It's got nothing to do with ego (most of the time), or not making the effort, or something better coming up, it's usually just circumstances that we don't always have full control over.

Wear a cynical hat and you'll live in a cynical world.

Come join the cool and happy people.....or at least try.... 

Carolyn:

You say you've been "trying" to meet me for ages. I no longer believe you. You have shattered my heart into a million pieces. I now realize that your posts and sly winks were all just a tease and I see that you have an ego the size of ...well, I can't say it here for fear of being banned from the forum.

All I can say is that you'll never play scrabble in this town again. Of course I realize now you never really, truly wanted to. 

The person who could have been your truest and most loyal friend, if only you had given a damn! May you face eternal damnation and may a thousand tiny devils continually prick you with pitchforks as you roast slowly in the fires of Hades. 

V

From the early days of glocals, dealing with no-shows has been an issue. And we still don't have a good solution for it.

For some activities, it's not critical if people pull no-shows. For other activities - where there's an element of limited space or of reserving seats - no shows are more critical.

If anyone has any ideas how to cut the no-shows, we'd love to hear em.

Thanks,

Nir, glocals founder

Hey Translator - But you "said" you'd "tried" to visit me down in Hades, what went wrong Sister?  You'd love it down here!

And, apart from the egotistical, scrabble playing, pictchforking pricks around here, its suprisingly cool :-)

But don't sign up then change your mind just cos A.A.Gabriel invited you round for tea. 

Mr Louis Cypher no likey fikle people....and me neither.....as I always put on my posts/activities - "you miss the train, you miss the hike".....

Last train to Hades about 23h59......

Caucasian, please!

I know you never said you would attend and then didn't show up. No! Even worse, you left a comment about trying to show up! 

I know you were getting your "50 Shades of Grey" on while you were said you'd "try" to meet me.

Tryer = Liar, innt?

I take your point but do not agree entirely.   If I organise something and ifg it is unlimited I am not interested if someone is thinbking of coming.  when they decide I accept.  At the same time I know it is a Swiss (and a Japanese thing that you must be polite and reply to an invitation - but not to a general posting.

Do not forget that when someone is organising an event they do not want to read time wasting messages.  You will remember the case a couple of weeks ago  when ion a hird party's posting of a hike to the Haut Cime a certain person (who^m you subsequently defended)  asked all sorts of questions and when the poster sent him an email asking him to contact directly he never did,  I think the original poster is trying to avoid such time wasters. 

We organise events, we are willing to explain things to interested parties but the rest of you - please leave us alone 

In the Club Alpin Suisse we have a website where it is not possible for someone to sign up for two events but this is probably not necessary

In Oxygene74 whwere I also organise hike we had a situation where two pweople sogned up for two outings on the same day and then cancelled one of them the night before.

By chance we know who they are and certainly I will not accept them on any walks

As several of us are offering outings organised by clubs we insist on being contacted by private email as these are not glocals outings but opportunities for glocals members to take part so any glocals controls would not affect.

The main  reason I am taking part in this discussion is to hope that the awkward lot will desist as it only harms glocals members.  My 2 day outing on 4-5th November is not posted on glocals because hut reservations are required and I do not trust glocals members to turn up.

The alternative is to adopt the procedure of Christophe B and demaqnd money up front which I am loathe to do at the moment.  I would rather take fewer people whom I trust.  Although that will change next year when mountain huts start asking for deposits because of so many no shows.  Although typical of glocals this is also a ploy of many professional guides who usually book huts in two or three locations so that they have options if the weather is not good.

Gee, that last line is really friendly and welcoming.

This thread has nothing to do with no shows or at least it didn't originally.

Not every organizer has the same attitude so you and anyone else who feels the way you do may want to post that "disclaimer" when organizing events. I realize it's that serious for you and the Scrabble Master of the Universe. Thanks for that information. 

Translator

Why is it unfriendly. I organise events. I happily accept people but like the original poster I am not interested in reasons why someone I have never met can not come.  It is absolutely irrelevant to the event

People I know well will sometimes tell me that they would have loved to come but cannot - that is OK and even pleasant for me.

But no shows and timewasters is an issue and if Carolyn C and I have changed the original post - let it roll anyway   

The point I was making was if someone posts that they will try to make it, this is not the same as explaining why they cannot make it. Many professional event organizers take this as a "maybe." The intention of most people, I would hazard to guess and as Carolyn C has pointed out, is to say that if they can get out of work, etc., they would like to show up. 

It is more often than not a friendly comment on an open forum activity. I can see perhaps being frustrated with a bazillion questions, but don't forget, the answer to some of those questions may encourage/assist others to join in the activity.

Or what about those who come late (or don't come at all!) to their own activity, without explanation or alerting others.

Total lack of respect.

@Paul "The latest example resulted in everyone getting to the meeting place at 7 amAfter 10 minutes we tried phoning - answer phone. It turns out he had sent an email at 2am saying he would not be able get up so early.

My reaction is very simple - he just goes on to my black list"

While I appreciate your frustration in waiting for the guy, it seems pretty harsh to blacklist him. He *did* try to contact you. Would you have rather he *called* you at 2am? When I organize an event, I always check my emails re: cancellations.

If he had made no effort to let you know he wasn't coming, yeah, strike one, but blacklist because *you* didn't read your email in the morning? Hmmmmm

Public flogging?

@translator: "you may change your mind if you want to avoid a person who has been trying to chat you up on a dating site" Oh, so that's why you cancelled that other activity. <sigh> and i thought we had a good thing going.

If you allow the event organizers to include a "maybe" or "if needed" option (or even, like on doodle, for activities, this might help.    Those who rsvp yes, maybe, or if needed would get the automated reminder that the event is coming up.

The two extra options would not need to be "by default" but could be extra options for organizers to select when creating events.

Maybe a bit harsh but he also fell into the category of asking lots os iunnecessary questions and I had had to send him rough details of how to get to the airport.

It is true I sometimes check my emails but having to leave home at 6.15 am does mean I am not always able to do this.  (I do not possess a blackberry or similar).

Telephone at 2 am - no but sms acceptable

Surely this is very rare???

do NOT put a MAYBE button every woman will be clicking on it!

I am not quite sad enough to trawl through all the comments posted on events but it would not surprise me if the vast majority of the culprits are female...

whoooah - it was just an observation of a phenomena much like why do people cross a road not using the crossing areas 5m away...why do people drive a mile to the gym...all that weird stuff

As anyone who has attended any of the scrabble stuff they know I accept people that dont RSVP, friends, late arrivals etc etc - for anyone organising an event where numbers ARE critical then I am sure it pisses them off

you will always get NO SHOWS its human nature...in fact these people that do write TRY can basically be counted as NO SHOWS

My personal favourite was seeing a member RSVP for my activity but also had RSVP-ed for another event same time...are they going to use a time machine?

If you cant be bothered to RSVP then expect a casual attitude back...use that facility as it helps organisers...plus its hard to respond to people who dont use it

on another site they have a section where you CAN tick off non attenders... get too many ticks against you and you WILL be blacklisted...sort of 3 strikes and you are out...much like the Friendship Request thing

Nice one - that should liven things up.  With me though it is about 50/50

@keith are you trying to be obtuse?

"not quite sad enough" my ass, but you certainly are insulting: without actually doing any research, you passively accuse the women of glocals of being the culprits. Paul says it's 50/50. In my experience organizing glocals activities, the women are the ones i've always been able to count on.

Regarding multilpe RSVPs at the same time, more than once, I've had 2-3 friends organize something on the same damn evening and invite me to come. I was interested in each and every one of them and so I RSVP'd to them all. I told  my friends my predicament and told them when I would be there, give or take. It worked out fine.

to get back to your first point, it does seem like you (and some others) have really shown a cynical side as several others have pointed out quite legitimate reasons and situations when someone will say "I'll try"

Come on, folks, "can't we all just get along?" (RIP Rodney King)

Point 1 - agreeing with you - a "maybe" button would be a nightmare and who uses "doodle" - no-one I know.

But Point 2 - are you sure you're not "quite sad enough" - otherwise how could you have come up with such a slamming judgement?  I think you know too much...

Plus - I now know where the "scrabble" reference from Translator came from - I had no idea you were the Scrabble King of Geneve - I salute you.....

Can't believe I'm back here.......

No, Keith is not trying to be "obtuse" - he doesn't have to try, it comes naturally.

Paul says its 50/50 - he organises a LOT of activities, so I take his word on this.

Zonker - "Women are the ones I've always been able to count on" - because we can multi task and if we say we'll show up - then we generally, show up.,

Multiple RSVP's - I do it too - its weather dependent, getting a lift dependent, it usually works out fine, as you say - and there are some people however, who don't "get this" and will remove you from an activity if you sign up twice - cough.....you know who you are......

Back to your final point - I have NO IDEA why people can't just "get along".  I really don't have a problem with people "trying" or "not trying" to attend my gigs, I'm just flattered that they would want to spend their time with me, my friends, and rock up and have a good time.  Isn't that what life is all about and isn't that what "Glocals" is all about?

Yes, we can all "just get along" but it "takes two baby - it takes two" (or 25 sometimes!!)

Not difficult to have more women you are better looking and younger than me - not sure what that makes Keith p

Activities in which attending is important could be classified as Limited Space & called-out/colour-coded differently. Event organizers mark the max. number while creating an activity, so that information could be made semitransparent on the activity page without actually displaying the number.  

No shows could be marked out by organisers after the activity. If X gets onto the blacklist of multiple (for eg. 3) organisers that aren't all friends with each other, X shouldn't be able to sign up to events with limited seats for like 3 months.

X could still sign-up and go to events that don't have a cap.

The problem is that there is no "save to to-do list/I'm interested/save for later"-button. One can only accept, decline or ignore. 

"Accept, decline or ignore" works just fine for me.  

But if you think there's a "problem" then there's a simple solution using what we already have, without the need to re-invent the wheel:

If numbers are critical, then make the activity "By Invitation only" so that only your friends get the invite and anyone else has to request an invite.  From experience, if someone requests an invite and rsvp's "yes" then they generally turn up.  It's always worked for me.

This is, of course, dependent on you actually knowing and trusting all the peope in your friends network (which is why I deliberately keep mine under 100 - its about quality, not quantity).

If numbers are non-critical, then who cares about the no-shows?.  It's life and it happens all the time.  People are human, we make mistakes, we forget appointments, we're fickle enough to sometimes take up a better offer, and sometimes, we just can't get out of bed in time.

So if you organise an activity and have some no-shows, there's only one thing guaranteed - they're probably not having half the fun they WOULD have had, if they'd bothered to turn up.  

i am pretty much an ugly fucker who is honest ( not a good combination normally but far better than ugly and deluded...better than good looking and deluded )...but hey, some girls like it! I am like a malformed but perfectly functioning sex machine

I was hoping someone WOULD be sad enough to collate the data...just my experience maybe Scrabble is more effiminate and so attracts girls so therefore will get girls saying I will try

LOL - Scrabble King - I am quite quite good but dont have the patience to go down the road of total geekdom to achieve that perhaps once my libido dies out...

Makes sense, except you're not considering the permutations & combinations of activities on the site. I think Nir is asking about events where places are limited, yet open to all & a member who's signed-up doesn't bother showing up. Leading to a logistical nightmare on the organiser's part.

No wheel to reinvent, evidently it's a limitation on the site and any existing solution is only a workaround. Some truly interesting activities can get filled real quick with people who may attend. While the organisers & those who wait to be really sure, get the bad part of the deal.

i like all the defence of flaky crazy people on this thread

i don't see anyone defending you....