Discussion: US Orienteering Federation Rules revised

The revised document covering USOF Rules for orienteering has been posted on the USOF Web site. Major changes to the descriptions of the various (foot-) orienteering formats adopted since last December and described in Orienteering North America magazine have been incorporated into the document.

As far as I know, Rochester O Club, which is hosting the US Sprint and Ultra-long Champs this coming weekend, is working with the new information despite it not being officially posted until today.

Anyone planning an A-meet should have a copy of the document on hand (either hard copy or an accessible computer-based copy) at their event in case of protests. Please refer any questions to the Chairman of the Rules committee (whose e-mail address is included following the Table of Contents in the document linked above).

That's good news--thanks to the people who have been working on this update!

On a different but related topic, can we retire the name "binder" as it refers to where we store important documents? It's an obsolete insider reference and makes our rules/sport less accessible.

Anyone have suggestions to capture the essence of what's included in that section? (Basically, documents and files generated by the USOF Board.)

If all you want changed is the menu button on the home page, that's an easy fix. Changing the web address (folder name) would be fairly easy for me but might disrupt efforts of others who have already bookmarked that address.

How about "Documents and Files"?

yep

Sorry...I'd like to keep the term "binder." Why change? For those of us who practically memorized the thing, back when we'd get mailed hardcopy updates (Robin's loveletters), it succinctly defines the field of USOF information and instruction needed to put on events.

A generic term such as "Documents and Files" just doesn't do it.

The IOF actually uses a term that I like: "Document Library".

put it in de bin der now, would ya?

document library doesn't have the same ring...

How about "Documents and Files"?

That's too long for the menu button as it now stands. Perhaps if the site ever gets re-done (not actively in the works at the moment).

Is "Documents" too broad a term for the menu button?

Hasn't it more recently been referred to as the "Virtual Binder"?

Wouldn't your typical O individual looking for information go to the USOF home page, use the search box and type in, say "rules" to find the appropriate page(s)? Does it really matter what the folder it's in is called?

Is the search box under the menu not obvious enough?

In any case, I'm up for calling it 'USOF Documents' since I think I can fit all that on a menu button. The folder will still be "binder" because I don't think that will confuse anyone.

Search? No! Don't really necessarily know what I'm looking for but it should be on the site. Nor do I know what it might be called to search for.

Binder? Forget it! What an anachronism. Just cross reference things with suitable tabs, get rid of the term.

I've spent a lot of time on the site looking for things that should be obvious, only to find them in obscure corners.

Sounds simple but I know it isn't.

Yeah, can't say I have used the search on the USOF site. I guess I think about things as being in very distinct categories and that a couple clicks will not only get me what I'm looking for, but also other related information that I might not have realized existed.

BTW, isn't "USOF Documents" a bit redundant since it's on the USOF site?

Every A-meet I've directed I've been dismayed by my volunteers' disregard for USOF guidelines. Even when I'd make copies of the salient USOF guidelines of their responsibilities, I'd find they'd not read them, much less followed them. I've heard "Screw USOF" multiple times while trying to direct a meet.

But obviously a Meet Director cannot tolerate that attitude if he wishes to present a protest-free, successful sanctioned meet.

I think the real challenge we confront, is to find a way to organize a few simple instructions, to make them appealing and accessible to a wide variety of very independent volunteers. It would be nice if the organization of these instructions was so....I don't know....common-sense?....that my fresh volunteers would actually WANT to learn them.

I feel sympathy for the word binder. But for a decision of someone at Microsoft (or was it Apple), it could have enjoyed the fame and fortune of the word folder.

Although I may be stating the obvious, Clark's above post is full of misrepresentations and half-truths and with regard CAOC. I am not going to get drawn into anything but understand that there is a ton of hard work and good stuff happening here.
Over and out.

BTW, isn't "USOF Documents" a bit redundant since it's on the USOF site?

Well, yeah, in a way, but if it just says "Documents" it could be just anything. :-)

Documents implies paper as in the old binder days of ten years ago - ancient history. We no longer have the binder - I threw ours out years ago. We do not get paper from USOF, except the annual "tax". A few clicks should get what is needed or the next time there will be no clicks. It will just be done as the inquiring mind thought it should be done but couldn't find the "proper way" to do it. The suggestion above from 15 is in the right direction.