FDX - "Bot" Programming Phase II
12-16-2008, 02:40 PM
#21
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Aug 2006
Posts: 318
Bid X is not the problem
Well too bad FedEx IT culd not spend some time addressing the real problem instead of spending man hours and dollars on this stupid fix.
The good thing is it really is not that great of a fix. Ever try to buy tickets on TicketMaster where you have to enter a word and numbers. The characters look funny for a reason, so a program can not recognize them and enter them for you.
I only hope that the authors of the programs spend a little of their man hours and automate it again. It can be done. I know I am asking them to give up there free time, but I would like them to poke FedEx in the eye with the stick and then maybe FedEx will address the real issues.
Someone out there is smart enough to do it and the bots will be back at work again soon. Ifr they are available to the masses or not who knows. I certainly appreciate the work that was put into making BidX a valuable program. If one guy can do it on his spare time absolutely no reason FedEx can't fix it. Management lurkers are you listening?
The good thing is it really is not that great of a fix. Ever try to buy tickets on TicketMaster where you have to enter a word and numbers. The characters look funny for a reason, so a program can not recognize them and enter them for you.
I only hope that the authors of the programs spend a little of their man hours and automate it again. It can be done. I know I am asking them to give up there free time, but I would like them to poke FedEx in the eye with the stick and then maybe FedEx will address the real issues.
Someone out there is smart enough to do it and the bots will be back at work again soon. Ifr they are available to the masses or not who knows. I certainly appreciate the work that was put into making BidX a valuable program. If one guy can do it on his spare time absolutely no reason FedEx can't fix it. Management lurkers are you listening?
12-16-2008, 03:19 PM
#22
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: May 2006
Posts: 1,804
I really don't think Bid X is the problem, or even Majic---it's the dudes that are refreshing open time multiple time a minute or even second. That's what's been kicking the server in the ARS. I don't view this as a huge pain in the rear, it's just not that hard to type in 6 number to put in a trip trade.
12-16-2008, 04:00 PM
#23
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jun 2007
Position: Great White North
Posts: 391
My question is...who does this really help? Is the company really trying to even the playing field (pilot-wise, open time pick-up)? Why would they care if pilot x gets 120 hrs (many hrs from open time) and pilot y gets 72 a month. There has to be something in it for the company...a savings? Or it could be just bandwidth and it's causing other servers to crash
12-16-2008, 04:30 PM
#24
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: May 2007
Position: 777 Multi-tasker
Posts: 712
My question is...who does this really help? Is the company really trying to even the playing field (pilot-wise, open time pick-up)? Why would they care if pilot x gets 120 hrs (many hrs from open time) and pilot y gets 72 a month. There has to be something in it for the company...a savings? Or it could be just bandwidth and it's causing other servers to crash
Look at the issue of guys sitting reserve for 15 day's and any trips that come into open time are picked up by non reserve pilots racking up 140 hours in some months. 20+ guys sitting reserve getting paid, flying done by guys flying over BLG and getting paid for it.
So I don't think it's a big issue to them. But like you asked.. what's in it for them?
12-16-2008, 05:23 PM
#25
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Sep 2006
Position: Retired
Posts: 3,717
It is in the company's best interest to "spread the wealth" or at least, "spread the flying", over the entire crew force. Otherwise, you'll have guys approaching the magic 1000 hours in a year, and thereby jeopardizing their usefulness as crewmembers. Other than that, the company would also prefer to pay guys time and a half (or even straight time) to fly open-time trips, rather than filling those trips with reserves. The company loves the flexibility that all those reserve guys gives it.
JJ
JJ
12-16-2008, 06:27 PM
#26
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Apr 2007
Position: B777
Posts: 564
Another tidbit is that you can no longer do a right mouse click in any of the above mentioned bid line adjustment windows (right click shows shortcut menus for going forward and back and opening new tabs/windows). Not sure why this is part of the 'fix'.
12-16-2008, 06:33 PM
#27
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: May 2007
Posts: 151
2 very easy solutions to the "bot" problems:
1. In the open time screen, add 2 more columns for the open time output, one which says "Time Entered" and the other that says "Num of Pending Requests".
If you submit an open time request and see a great trip, but notice that it came into open time 20 minutes ago and has 10 number of pending requests, chances are you are not going to submit a trip trade and your are not going to update open time 2000 times in the next hour waiting to see if the trip is still there.
2. If caught using an automated bot program and you are not present at the computer, you will be in violation of the company computer security policy and subject to disciplinary action. Disciplinary action could be anything such as open time suspension for a period of time or something similar.
Security is a very big deal in the computer industry and shouldn't be taken lightly.
1. In the open time screen, add 2 more columns for the open time output, one which says "Time Entered" and the other that says "Num of Pending Requests".
If you submit an open time request and see a great trip, but notice that it came into open time 20 minutes ago and has 10 number of pending requests, chances are you are not going to submit a trip trade and your are not going to update open time 2000 times in the next hour waiting to see if the trip is still there.
2. If caught using an automated bot program and you are not present at the computer, you will be in violation of the company computer security policy and subject to disciplinary action. Disciplinary action could be anything such as open time suspension for a period of time or something similar.
Security is a very big deal in the computer industry and shouldn't be taken lightly.
12-16-2008, 06:38 PM
#28
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: May 2006
Posts: 1,804
If you submit an open time request and see a great trip, but notice that it came into open time 20 minutes ago and has 10 number of pending requests, chances are you are not going to submit a trip trade and your are not going to update open time 2000 times in the next hour waiting to see if the trip is still there.
12-16-2008, 06:42 PM
#29
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: May 2007
Posts: 151
True, but the company will never relinquish this control. For instance, I saw a trade come in one time, instantly submitted for it, and was denied. I noticed a buddy of mine got the trip, so I called him and he said the scheduler gave it to him for IOE.
With that said, I am reasonably sure that there are many other reasons why schedulers are involved in trip trades a well.
With that said, I am reasonably sure that there are many other reasons why schedulers are involved in trip trades a well.
12-16-2008, 06:47 PM
#30
Slainge Var'
Joined APC: Oct 2006
Position: Zeppelin Tail Gunner
Posts: 1,530
Isn't that a foul? Should've been given to you, then bumped for IOE. What say the experts?
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