http://mir280.livejournal.com/ ([identity profile] mir280.livejournal.com) wrote in [community profile] dragoncon_lj_archive2011-09-03 11:55 pm
  • Add Memory
  • Share This Entry
Entry tags:

Registration line

Dear Dragon Con,


THANK YOU FOR THE BARCODE SYSTEM!!!!!!!!!! When I first got in line for registration the line was all the way around the building. I was almost in the exact same place that I started standing in line last year. Last year I stood in line for four hours. This year, I stood in line for 50 minutes!!!!! :)))))))))) THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!!!!!!!!!!!
Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[identity profile] orcapotter.livejournal.com 2011-09-06 08:04 pm (UTC)(link)
Well, it was an improvement.

My group and I waited close to 4 hours last year. This year it was 2. Two hours is still too long, IMHO. This seemed to be more of a direct result from the system crashing, however. Up until the crash, we were wrapped around the building, but moving. By the time the crash happened, we had been waiting about 40-45 minutes. Friends who I had seen hours earlier in the day who had then left to get their badges were only JUST leaving when I was getting in line. Then, we were waiting out in the sun for so long, my best friend literally fell asleep on the sidewalk for a good 30 minutes. Once finally inside, it was another 40 or so minutes before we finally got our badges.

The plus was that without the need to line up alphabetically, it did go noticeably faster. The minus is that there are still not enough booths to process everyone. Large anime cons tend to have over 30 pre-reg booths with the computerized systems to process 500 attendees in 30 minutes. So this is a step in the right direction for D*Con ... now it just needs to keep walking.

[identity profile] abby-i.livejournal.com 2011-09-06 09:31 pm (UTC)(link)
I agree that they need more booths to cut down the time more, though I understand they probably didn't know quite how many they'd need this year.

I have to say when I got to the booth though, it was very quick, and they staff were looking far less run down than they had in previous years too. :)

[identity profile] davidvcody.livejournal.com 2011-09-06 11:44 pm (UTC)(link)
We think our throughput was acceptable when the system was running at full capacity. It is about four or five times as fast as the old manual system. We learned some things and we will be tweaking a bit to pile on the speed.

When the database became "winded", it ran at about twice the speed as the old system.

We have the metrics, but we're a little tired and we haven't dug into them yet.

computer crash

[identity profile] krystalblade.livejournal.com 2011-09-07 12:24 am (UTC)(link)
Sounds like the biggest problem was the crash. Has the problem been discovered so it (hopefully) wouldn't happen again?

Re: computer crash

[identity profile] astralfire.livejournal.com 2011-09-07 09:19 am (UTC)(link)
Like Dave said, everyone that worked on the system is going to take a short break and get some rest, before they dig into the systems for next year.

It is a great team and they will find and fix the problems for next year.

Re: computer crash

[identity profile] davidvcody.livejournal.com 2011-09-07 05:20 pm (UTC)(link)
It didn't crash, it ran slowly. It never crashed or stopped until we stopped it to implement changes or re-index some tables.

Yes, we did find that problem and nothing similar to it recurred again. However, in brain-storming ideas on how to speed things we came up with a solution we rolled out on Thursday night just in case there was a problem on Friday that was similar to the index issue. In other words, we were 99% sure we fixed the issue on Thursday but we've all been in Information Technology for a long time and we know that stuff happens.

There are always new challenges - for 2011 we had a lot more people show up on Saturday morning for one day passes. We have to figure out how to solve that problem.

Re: computer crash

[identity profile] krystalblade.livejournal.com 2011-09-07 06:17 pm (UTC)(link)
It's good to hear that it wasn't a crash like people were sayinng. Super glad you found the problem so it won't happen again. Way to go with a new system!

I know about computers and mass printing, sometimes the little darlings just get backed up and need a wee break. Personally (professionally?), I was very surprised that it didn't happen when I was going through the line. The lovely lady directing us to the stations was calling out the station numbers so fast we could hardly keep up with her! :)

I also thought it was cute that a volunteer was walking the line telling us not to stop and chit-chat with the station people. Didn't have time anyway.

Really, really love the new system. There was probably 4 times as many people in line before me as last year, but it took less time this year. Yes, I timed it.

Maybe if people could pre-reg for the one day passes also?
Flat | Top-Level Comments Only