I didn't propose "jamming everything into one bucket"; I proposed improving the activity search to look in all the buckets. That's a huge difference.

The new system is harder to use in the sense that one has to understand the nuanced differences between activities, events, course activities, and instructor opportunities to search effectively. Not only does the user have to guess right, the scheduler had to set it up right in the first place. The very fact that we need to read a tutorial on the subject makes my point!

Let's say I want to browse for things to do next week. Now, I have to use 3 or 4 different places to look. It's like shopping at the outlet mall..

Let's say I want to volunteer for the Everett Salmon Bake. Where do I look? Events? Activities? Volunteer Opportunities? Events doesn't even have a search, volunteer activities is a dead end, and Activities search does not find any matches. Where else to look? When is my search exhaustive?

Our former website jammed everything into one “bucket." Courses were the same as activities were the same as trips were the same as events. Many of us got used to this system and now it's difficult for some of us to find things on our new website. However, the "one bucket" made it very difficult for everyone, especially newcomers to our organization, to find what they wanted. New members and guests could not figure out how to get started, what they could do, or who we really are.

With our new, modern website, it is much easier for members and guests to find things and learn about us. Now, things "live" in their proper home and are found with much better search tools. We will all get used to the new system and will ultimately find it much better organized and easier to navigate.

Here's a link to then entire page: https://www.mountaineers.org/volunteers/leader-resources/understanding-events-courses-and-activities

The current design makes the user do multiple searches for an "outing" that may have been scheduled as an Activity, an Event, or an instructor opportunity. But, we can do much better than moving Event search down to the menu bar.

I suggest the Activity search be expanded to return all of the above (with perhaps check boxes to filter the search by the above-mentioned categories). That would result in a cross-branch search with the potential to bring back events, activities, and course-related activities--one stop shopping.

While on the subject, the distinction between Events and Activities is a false dichotomy:

Events don't require waivers
Events aren't associated with a Route/Place
Events cannot have signups
Events appear in the calendar

Really, the above characteristics are possible in all combinations of those criteria. Instead, we have forced compliance with some narrow-minded guidelines about which is which.

Consider a Branch Picnic. It's activity-like because it's outdoors and not in the city. It's Event-like as in sit-down gathering and because want it in the branch calendar, It's activity like because we need signup to buy the right amount of food and/or limit headcount; but, it's event like because we want to invite friends who don't have waivers. While I'd prefer to schedule it once and have it show up in both places, I'm willing to do the extra work and schedule it twice, except I there is no suitable activity type or route place and the PC will not allow them.

I'd like a "Show in Branch Calendar" option in the activity and a better integration with EventBrite for events that require signup without waivers.

I think listing first events under branches is confusing and unnecessary. Which members and guests who might be interest know or need to know in this way under which branch what event is being organized? Just have one date order list please where on the right side of the page the relevant branch is given.

One can “Find Activities” and within this view what has been posted for as many types of activity and time frame one might be interested in regardless of which branch they are being offered through. In contrast, if one clicks on “Events” the top section of the Upcoming Events page is like going back in time: with a list of Branches under which events are listed.

I suggest events are listed in the same way as activities, training etc? A lot of snow type things are done by the Foothills for example, but if one looks under their calendar for Jan. 2015 there is not just no Winter Trails Day in the Methow, there is nothing listed at all! One would need to know that WTD comes under Seattle to find it.

One can “Find Activities” and within this view what has been posted for as many types of activity and time frame one might be interested in regardless of which branch they are being offered through. In contrast, if one clicks on “Events” the top section of the Upcoming Events page is like going back in time: with a list of Branches under which events are listed. Who cares or needs to select an event by branch, especially one like Winter Trails Day in the Methow that’s outside Puget Sound? Who that is not closely involved would know which branch to select?