RAGBRAI, Summer Sun, and Hashtags
Coordinate people and schedules using your willu hashtag.
Summer — a season for surf and sun, and all the fun.
Everyone can identify their favorite summertime activities. From the beaches to the tiki bar the best of these fun times involve groups of people. Whether coordinating with friends or soon-to-be new friends, planning an excursion is part of the process.
Consider RABGRAI, the annual cycling trip — or rolling carnival — across the state of Iowa. This 40+ year annual event takes place in the hot summer sun of July. Some describe it as a Burning Man on bikes. In 2013, the year I attended, an estimated 36,000 cyclists participated on one part of the route alone!
The cycling event welcomes riders of all ages. Every year takes a different route that crosses the state in one week. To ride RAGBRAI you have to join a team. You also have to train — although some would debate if you train more for the ride or for the indulgent eating and drinking.
Like many other group activities attending RAGBRAI requires coordination — and that’s where the problems can begin. It’s also where our new service, willu, can help.
How Team Communication Worked (Before willu)
Let’s consider a RAGBRAI team as an example.
Everyone on a team carries a smartphone as they ride. In theory this is a good way to communicate. In practice, though, coverage quickly jams once thousands of people and their devices rolled into the next small town.
When bandwidth is compromised — whether due to volume or remote locations — texts usually arrive better than voicemail or chat apps. However, teams can’t always rely on group texts.
Group texts aren’t the answer for two reasons. The first is privacy. That’s because everyone on the team might know the captain, but we didn’t yet know each other. I might know my new team member’s name but not have his phone number, or want to share mine. Group texts reveal these numbers. The second reason group texts don’t fare well is that recipients can not respond with private, direct messages on the same thread.
Fast forward to next year’s ride…
How Teams Can Use willu
Next year RAGBRAI teams and others can potentially solve both problems by using willu. Here’s how.
The team captain registers the team’s name as a willu hashtag. For example, our team was called High Five, so we could register #HighFive. Then, all of the members of our team would text this hashtag to 94558 (willu).
Now, everyone on the team is subscribed to the #HighFive hashtag and will get all group updates. These can be messages sent to the entire group (“Meet up at cherry pie stand on Main Street”) or direct messages to individuals (“Hey, Laura, can you help me change my flat?”).
Unlike other messaging apps, willu messages will get through service bottlenecks. That’s because willu messages arrive as texts but have more privacy options. Multiple people can reply to any broadcast message privately, for example.
A willu hashtag can be used year-round, too. For example, #HighFive could send training tips prior to the ride or share updates once all the dispersed teammates travel home.
So, whether you belong to a group that gathers for swimming, hiking, and climbing — or canoeing, camping, and mountaineering — reserve a willu hashtag. Nearly any group-based outdoor adventure could benefit. What will you do with it?
