THSCC IT update & Dropbox proposal

Zach Hill · **Posted:** Thu May 03, 2012 5:30 pm

I have both T&S laptops and am tweaking some things for smoothness of operation in the future. I won't go into excruciating detail unless you'd like me to. I also have a Google Doc with the info about the setup, so if any Officers would like to see it, send me your Gmail address and I will share the doc with you.

I also updated the PAX indexes with 2012 data.

I also updated the axir software (Autocross Instant Results) with Carlton's latest version, which includes many great bugfixes that were noticed at the last event.

Also, I would like to propose the use of Dropbox for the timing & scoring data. This would do a few things:
1. Automatic sync of the results after an event to the webmasters.
Whenever the T&S laptop connects to an internet connection after an event, any changed files (like the results) will automatically upload. The webmasters would also have Dropbox installed, and they would receive a notification that files have changed, and would automatically download. It would even be possible for someone to tether the laptop to their phone for internet access at the end of an event and sync the results immediately on-site!
2. This also provides us a backup of our data in case the laptop spontaneously combusts (the more likely event for a computer that gets moved around a lot would be the hard drive dying).
3. Dropbox is free for this small amount of data.

Downsides to Dropbox include:
1. Data is not 100% private as it is being uploaded to the Dropbox server, in case we care (we probably don't).
2. Any person's Dropbox account who is subscribed to the THSCC data would be able to modify the files. Caveats: Any modifications are logged, including the user that made the change, and the changes are reversible. Also, only those Dropbox accounts explicitly shared with can access the data (presumably only officers/IT people would have access).

I have not deployed this yet, but am proposing to do so once the Officers and Webmasters and whomever else agrees. Let me know what you think.

P.S. Big thanks to Noah for donating the new timing laptop and Carlton for his Instant Results software! :-D

Gwen Habenicht · **Posted:** Thu May 03, 2012 6:12 pm

Zack,
This is awesome of you to do this. I'm not an officer anymore but I hope the ones "in power" agree with you to use the Drop Box. Great idea. That's how David, Jim and I transfer all our data and video so that we can watch and make evaluations when we're not at an event. Don't know why it wasn't thought of sooner. :thumbsup:

Gwen

MarcusMcRae · **Posted:** Thu May 03, 2012 8:41 pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fM5F7NC7 ... ata_player

RamVennam · **Joined:** Thu Nov 11, 2010 7:31 pm **Posts:** 132

Dropbox

JasonWatts · **Posted:** Fri May 04, 2012 9:22 am

dropbox is indeed an awesome thing.

If however you are looking for a backup solution, crashplan has a free option and the data is encrypted. you can even back the data up to other systems without the other user being able to see said data (eg our bank account information) and offers reliable AUTOMATION. so if some of the techy people step out of power, we would still have something in place that requires little maintenance or technical ability.

just something else to consider if your looking for a decent backup solution with encryption, offsite, some degree of access control, effortless (I hear this is the new buzzword).

JenniferBedell · **Posted:** Fri May 04, 2012 4:28 pm

Thanks for working on the computers.

can you share me on the google doc? I'm not an officer but I am an interested party (and I keep meaning to write some symbiotic scripts to help with work groups...) :wink:

dragonofid at gmail.

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THSCC IT update & Dropbox proposal

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