No Touch Orienteering

NTO app user manual

v0.3 09/15/20

This document is provided primarily as a guide for clubs using the “No Touch” Orienteering (NTO) app.

Club users vs Regular users

Traditionally, many people help make an orienteering event. The course setter, event director and all the volunteers are herein called “Club users.” They can all log onto the website and make changes to any course that the club is planning. Some of the Club users have administrative rights to do more things, like change the logo or invite other people. There is no limit to the number of Club users each club can designate. It could be as few as one, or many.

A “Regular user” is someone who downloads the app from Google Play or the Apple Store and runs a course. Anybody can be a Regular user, including Club users who sign up to run a course as a Regular user.

Most of the app and website make a distinction between a “Club user” and a “Regular user” of the app. Logging in, either on the web or on the phone app gives designated users different privileges:

On the phone app

Regular users and Club users share the experience of running courses, but Regular users have to pay.

Club users are not charged, but they are limited to finding and running courses from their own club, even if the courses are not activated. They will only see courses that have not expired. Club users are restricted to using a valid email address for a login name. Regular users have no restrictions on their login names. If Club users also wish to run courses as Regular users, they should not use an email address as a login name, as this will cause conflicts with passwords, which are encrypted and stored in different places.

Regular users can run any course, but will only be able to see descriptions and run courses that have been activated and that they have signed up for and paid. If a course expires before they run it, they will be recorded as a DNF (did not finish), even if they paid full price. A refund is never generated. The expiration date was given to them when they signed up, as was other relevant information about the course and the club.

On the website

Regular users can only update their own information.

Club users can modify courses and maps of their own clubs, without regular users ever seeing it. (They can even run courses on the phone app without those courses being available to regular users.)

Results, either on the phone app, web, or sent by email, show the results for all users, Once a course is activated only paid Regular users will show up in the results. If a Club users want to run the course and have the results shown with regular users, they should log in with a Regular user account. They can still avoid payment if they know the discount code assigned to that course. Each course provides a unique six digit discount code, and provides for a full or partial discount for club members.

Activation! The course is ready to go

Once a course is “activated”, it cannot be changed! Users will see it, pay for it, and it will load to their phone. The course is stored securely on the phone. Even if the Internet connection is lost, the course can be run, using that phone or device, until the course expires. If users log on with a new device all paid courses will be downloaded to the new device and deleted on the old device. That process is automatic. There is never a need to “deactivate” or “transfer,” the app does it for you.

Payment

The app uses PayPal for all payment transactions. PayPal is a preeminent processor of payments, and allows payment to be made by credit card, bank account or on-line money services like Venmo. It is universally trusted, has unmatched security and is approved for use in most of the world. The NTO app itself does not take or store credit card numbers or billing addresses. When a users sign up for a course it will be downloaded to their phone or tablet only after a waiver has been digitally signed and PayPal has verified a payment. Payment occurs immediately, even if the course is open forever and the user runs the course much later. PayPal takes its cut immediately, as does the third party app that supplies the digital waiver. The remainder is sent to the “No Touch” Orienteering bank account. Each club has an email address that is used for payment, and that payment is also made immediately. The amount of money that will be sent to each club is in accordance to the rate agreement that that club has with “No Touch” Orienteering. Normally that rate, charged by NTO, is 22% of the course fee plus $0.50. That rate covers the cost of creating courses on “No Touch” Orienteering, and pays for the website maintenance, programming, banking fees, waiver fees and all other costs. There are no other costs or annual fees for a club. For example, if a club charges $5 to run a course, it receives $3.40 deposited into its account immediately after a “Regular user” signs up. The user must run the course at any time before it expires, but the money is sent at sign up. There are no refunds, even if the course is never run. Users are informed of the expiration date when they sign up, before they pay. If they do not complete the course before the expiration date, their time will be recorded as DNF (did not finish). All users are also sent a map via email, in case the one on the phone is not enough.

Status definition and club editing of orienteering courses
08/23/20

An important feature of the app is that the results are available instantly. They are part of the app. Secondary websites are not required to provide tabulated results.

Important notes on security and maps

Users can only log in on one device at a time. This is done to make sure that all paid courses follow the user. If another login is detected, the former device will be logged out, and all paid courses will be automatically transferred to the new device. That way the course will be available on any device, even if that device was not used to make the payment. No phone service is required. For example, if the sign-in occurs on a tablet with a WiFi system, that course will be available when that tablet is taken outdoors. While the app does its best to preserve data and protect results, it can do nothing if the phone or tablet is taken out of the range of WiFi or cell towers, as is sometimes the case in wilderness areas. Another phone or tablet logging in with valid credentials will wipe out all of the data stored in the original device.

Users should never give their password to anyone else. If users feel that their password has been compromised, they should reset it. Do not risk losing data. The password encryption system used by NTO is extremely strong. Passwords are not stored on the NTO website, nor is any other sensitive information such as credit card numbers. If users forget their password it can be reset, but it cannot be recovered.

Whenever users sign up and pay, a map is sent to them via email. This avoids the problem of trying to navigate with a small map on the phone. Of course those so inclined can do route planning prior to running the course, something that is strictly forbidden in traditional orienteering; however this feature allows user to print the map safely in the comfort of their own home with their own printer. GPS coordinates are never sent, nor are they visible to regular users.

Third party marketing

When a user signs up on the app, they are asked to participate in third party marketing. By opting in, they agree to share their information. When users sign up for a course, the club automatically collects the user’s email address and adds it to their mailing list with a commercial e-mailer. As of today, NTO supports both Constant Contact and Mailchimp. In this way a club can notify Regular users when new courses become available or with any other marketing information it deems relevant. Users can take themselves off the mailing list at any time by unsubscribing, using the link provided in the email.

Liability and Waivers

The safety of participants is the number one goal of “No Touch” Orienteering. Unfortunately whenever events are held outdoors, there is risk. Participants can slip on uneven ground, have encounters with wildlife, get sunburned or suffer from many other hazards. Whenever a user signs up to run a course, and before they receive a map or the course checkpoints, they must sign a waiver.

There is a default waiver on the website that indemnifies the club that posted the course as well as the owners of the app. Should a club wish additional legal protection, it can be added to that waiver. Should a club require an additional waiver, it can be implemented by contacting the app developers. Remember to have the waiver reviewed by an attorney in your jurisdiction to make sure the waiver protects your club. Signed waivers are held in secure storage and can be retrieved at any time.

This waiver states in clear and unambiguous terms that the user is assuming all liability, and is waiving any claim against the club, the app supplier, and any other entity, known or unknown.

For clubs to qualify to post courses they must supply “No Touch” Orienteering with a short written introduction and valid contact information that will be visible to all users. The Club must also agree that it is using a service, and that it alone is responsible for content. A club must agree to indemnify “No Touch” Orienteering (NTO) from any responsibility arising from its use of the app. NTO will provide the club contact information to the user, which includes a telephone number and email address. A club cannot participate without contacting NTO. Whenever a course is posted, the name of the map maker is conspicuously posted. Feedback regarding the club and map maker can be posted on the bulletin board at www.notouchorienteering.com. Should a club act irresponsibly, it will be removed from the app and website.

There is no way to screen users. Anyone can sign up for a free email account from a number of sources. There is no way to check for validity or if the person has been previous banned for poor behavior. Any use of politically sensitive, pornographic or vulgar usernames will be dealt with immediate deletion, without notice by either a club (for individual courses) or the website (for all courses). There are many sites on the Internet to express personal feelings unrelated to outdoor exercise or maps. All decisions regarding removal of Regular users are done at the discretion of the club or the administrators of the NTO website and app. There are no appeals.

User names

Included herein are references to user names. User names consist of a ‘log in’ name, the actual name and a ‘handle.’ Results will show either the actual name or the handle, at the discretion of the user. Ages are the same: If a user does not want their age revealed, they can obfuscate it, and will not have age related results displayed. Individual members of teams are not eligible for age related results. Age is calculated at the time of course finish, not the end of the calendar year.

The user experience

Club users and regular users share a common experience. That means that every Club user must sign a waiver and pay for a course, just as a regular user would. Don’t worry, although you must pay through PayPal, your card or bank account is never charged. This way you can help your all of regular course navigate the payment process. Even though the process is identical, club users are never charged.