Forum: The Racing Rules of Sailing

Rev #2: Online Protest Form/System using Google Forms, Docs and Gmail (this version fills in a Google Form that looks like a protest form with the back-page included too!)

P
Angelo Guarino
Nationality: United States
Certifications:
  • Regional Judge
  • Fleet Measurer
I figured-out how to populate a Google Doc with the Online Protest-Questionnaire results.  The questionaire is basically the same, but now instead of just sending an email with the answers in HTML, this version fills-in a Google-Doc version of a standard Protest/Redress/Reopen form. 

Here is an example of what a completed form looks like (as well how the doc is auto-named): Protest by Boat against Boat & Request for Redress - 2019 Regatta Cup - FiledBy: Angelo Guarino

This version of the protest system is live now so feel free to play with it.

To get to the form you can either click this link: Protest Form (Google Doc) or send an email to protestform@gmail.com with the word "form" or "protest" anywhere in the subject (it will email you a link .. easy to remember that way).

To get a real feel for how the form works, and to populate the form most fully, I'd recommend choosing Boat v Boat and Redress (others work as well) and also use real names etc .. not just gibberish 

Couple things to take note of:

  1. You MUST put in a valid email address for yourself, otherwise you will not receive the complete form!
  2. Email will come from the "RepName", but will be sent from protestform@gmail.com
  3. If you supply an email-address for the Race Office as detailed in the SI's, it email the submitter's email and "cc" the Race Office.  The Race Office email is not required.
  4. The ReplyTo field of the form email is set to the Rep's email address.  Therefore responses will go to the filer-email address automatically, not back to protestform@gmail.com
  5. The subject of the email will be the combination of: 'Type-of-Filing' - 'EventName' - RepName: 'Rep-Name'.  So you can see just from the subject the what/where/who
  6. The email will have a link to the completed Google-Doc (set to view-only).  Anyone with the link can view the doc without signing-in to anything so the email can be forwarded to others and shared.
  7. You can Download the completed Protest- Form as any of the following formats (as well as print of course) 

As it turns out, Google doesn't count native Google Docs/Sheets against your storage quota, so basically the storage is unlimited in quantity and time.

Feel free to provide feedback.

Ang
Created: 19-Jul-20 16:19

Comments

P
Angelo Guarino
Nationality: United States
Certifications:
  • Regional Judge
  • Fleet Measurer
0
Here is a direct link to a blank version of the Google-Doc Protest Form. Blank Protest Form
Created: 19-Jul-20 17:42
P
Angelo Guarino
Nationality: United States
Certifications:
  • Regional Judge
  • Fleet Measurer
0
OK .. I think I'm "done" (famous last words).  I'm just going to leave the system up "live".

The email that is generated has both the filled-in form (that looks like a paper form) as well as a simple table of the Q&A at the bottom (belt + suspenders).  I figured this way, if there was a problem with the form, or the Race Office's internet goes down after receiving the email, the original email will still contain the info to process the filing.

To get to the Q&A Automated Protest Form. you can either click this link: Protest Form (Google Doc) or send an email to protestform@gmail.com with the word "form" anywhere in the subject (it will email you a link .. easy to remember that way). 

Let me know if you find any bugs or typos (I'm sure there will be both).
Created: 19-Jul-23 18:27
John Porter
Nationality: United States
Certifications:
  • National Judge
  • Club Race Officer
0
I used this concept with my own google form this weekend for the ILYA Championship. We only had one protest, but the system worked flawlessly. I was able to forward to my PC team and the other party before the hearing. This was a huge time saver. Thank you for giving us an example. To compare notes, here is the link to my form. I don't have logic built in like you do, but it got me a little more info prior to the hearing that wasn't required, but was helpful. 
Created: 19-Aug-19 15:59
P
Angelo Guarino
Nationality: United States
Certifications:
  • Regional Judge
  • Fleet Measurer
0
Cool John.  Did you just leave the forms on Google and view them there or did you have it email the forms to the race office?

I've left mine up for anyone to use (less-specific/more-general than yours as you know).  I just used it this weekend, so I know it's working. 

The auto-responder message with the links has changed a bit, providing both a link to a blank form as well as the Q&A that generates a filled-form.

Just send an email to protestform@gmail.com with the word "form" somewhere in the subject (it can be "form", "protest form", etc). - Ang
Created: 19-Aug-19 19:42
John Porter
Nationality: United States
Certifications:
  • National Judge
  • Club Race Officer
0
When we sent the mass text message from clubspot announcing the protest time limit, we included the link to the protest form. I used a google forms plugin called form to email. As soon as someone submitted the form, I got an email like this (redacted to protect the party's personal info). That worked really well, because I could just forward it to my team and the protestee.
ILYA Protest #1.JPG 131 KB
Created: 19-Aug-19 20:01
P
Angelo Guarino
Nationality: United States
Certifications:
  • Regional Judge
  • Fleet Measurer
0
Yea .. "form to mail" is how I did my first one too.  I've since learned enough Google Script (version of Java Script) to be dangerous to myself and those around me ... and built the custom form-filling sh-stuff with that .
Created: 19-Aug-19 20:07
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