Private trips are... PRIVATE - 4WD Trip

23 Sep 2018

We have had a few issues recently with members inputting trip ID's that aren't listed on the trip page and stumbling across Private Trips, and joining without being invited.

Please note that private trips are INVITE ONLY and may be for a special occasion, a club or for specific purposes such as recce runs for future public trips.

Please be aware that if you go trying to find private trips and join them without an invitation, you will be removed from the trip.

No offence is intended. But please respect the trip leaders intentions for having posted the trip privately to begin with.

Tim (Tangles)

23 Sep 2018

Hah that's cheeky. Maybe it would be a good idea to alter the site to use a random long number instead of a sequential id

Andrew (Range Rover V8)

23 Sep 2018

Yes good idea to mention it we don't need people coming uninvited. Maybe there is a way to keep it private to those going.

()

23 Sep 2018

Hmm gate crashing , very norty indeed .

Thurstain (Tcm9669)

24 Sep 2018

Even if we do a private trip with a random string as trip ID, trips are still listed on people's profile so all you have to do is click on a user, check his / her trip history and private trips will be listed there anyway! So you don't even have to guess any id's.

In a perfect world, Kelvin should implement a proper invite system, where trip leaders input people's user names and only they can see and join trips.. But a system like that would be complex.

An easy way of going around this is to do a seeded md5 function (trip name, time, date + random seed) which will be the trip id, containing letters and numbers.. AND hide these private trips from peoples profiles. That will be nearly bullet proof and easiest way of implementing this.

Winston (Winston_FJ)

24 Sep 2018

Thurstain (Tcm9669) wrote:

Your latter option is really the only viable way to do it as in the cases of a 4wd club using this site as it's trip planning portal, the positions aren't handled necessarily via invite, but rather just using the trip id url externally. Invites circumvent maximum trip members, clubs still need to operate without invites to keep maximum participants enforced.

Simon (VBer)

24 Sep 2018

Simple solution, only public trips to be posted here. Any other test runs or private trips could utilise Facebook and that way the trip leader has full control.

Winston (Winston_FJ)

24 Sep 2018

Simon (VBer) wrote:

Simple solution, only public trips to be posted here. Any other test runs or private trips could utilise Facebook and that way the trip leader has full control.

Even simpler solution - show some respect at a trip being private and don't try and beat the system.

It clearly says at the top of the trip page "This is a PRIVATE trip" highlighted in yellow.

Thurstain (Tcm9669)

24 Sep 2018

Also another simple solution and probably easy fix for Kelvin - Do not show the MEETING PLACE field unless you joined the trip. This will stop people from just showing up... especially on full / private trips.

Thurstain (Tcm9669)

24 Sep 2018

Message deleted by the author.

Thurstain (Tcm9669)

24 Sep 2018

ALSO, adding a noindex for search engines in the header / robots.txt of the website so private trips don't get crawled by Google, that + the md5 + hidden from profile suggestion above.. will make it near impossible for people to join.

Trav (dungarover)

24 Sep 2018

Didn't know you could do that (not that I would), regardless if you're not sure you should always ask anyway.

Just showing up on trips uninvited i'd imagine it would be a very uncomfortable position to be in for both the TL and the participant who wasn't invited.

Trav

()

24 Sep 2018

On the issue of privacy , I am aware that a person who has not logged Into 4wdtrip can view trips and browse through a fair bit of info . I had issues with a female stalker , from overseas who seemed to query whenever I had noted a pax coming in my car. One has to be careful with the choice of mail order brides these days . Thurstain knows what I am on about . Lol

Simon (VBer)

25 Sep 2018

Winston (Winston_FJ) wrote:

Even simpler solution - show some respect at a trip being private and don't try and beat the system.

It clearly says at the top of the trip page "This is a PRIVATE trip" highlighted in yellow.

Winston, I’m all up for an argument :). Why not remove/block any member who joins or adds themselves to a private trip.

The only private trip I ever see is the 1 that for some reason is always on the main trip page, the exclusive annual ranger trip (which should not be posted where it always is)

I hope 4wdtrip doesn’t end up like clubs-full of snobby anal sooky members.

I hear far too often, oh don’t go on a trip with him/her bla bla.

()

25 Sep 2018

() wrote:

I take it this private joke , was said on a private trip. Lol👍