Development & Technical FAQ

Change Requests

What is a change request and how do I submit one?

• A Change Request is a request to add a feature to the system that doesn't currently exist
• To add one, call 802-465-9732 opt. 1 and speak with a member of our Client Support Team

How is my change request handled?

• Once a week, new requests are reviewed and assigned a status
• Common statuses include: 
  • Pending - the request has not yet been reviewed
  • Delay - the request is being considered for development at a future time
  • Needs Information - the request cannot proceed without additional input from you
  • Needs Discussion - the request is being debated internally in terms of course of action
  • Discontinued - the request was not approved for development
  • Combined - the request was similar to another and has been merged together
  • Processed - the request has been referred to another team or is for an existing feature
  • In Progress - the request is being assigned to the development team for active work
  • Complete - the request has been developed and is ready for use

What determines whether my change request is approved?

• Requests are assessed using the following criteria: 
  • How useful will this be for all MyRec.com clients?
  • Will this disrupt the expected workflow clients have been used to and, if so, does the benefit outweigh the disruption?
  • Is the added benefit enough to balance the development commitment involved?
  • Does this change match the goal purpose of the area it would alter?

What is the timeline for my change request?

• Requests that are handled with immediacy include: 
  • Those that pertain to an error in the system or something preventing the use of core functions such as: activity registration, membership registration, point of sale purchasing, and facility reservation booking
  • Those that fall within the focus area that is currently being worked on within Development
    • To get an idea of this, consider recent requests
      • If many pertained to, say, memberships, then that is likely the current focus area
  • Those that relate directly to matters of security, privacy, and other grave concerns
• Other requests that are being considered for development are delayed until their focus area is the current one being worked on with no assigned timeline

Development Schedule

How often are new features added to the system?

• New items are released nearly every Friday
• Details as to what these items are appear in the System Updates box on the management side home page, in our Twitter feed, and in monthly email newsletters
• Additionally, any clients listed on the change request pertaining to a completed item will be notified via email through the change request system
• Alerts on statuses of change requests also appear on the management side home page

How are new features chosen?

• Priority is given first to items that correct an error or other problem identified within the system if and when they occur
• After that, items are selected one focus area at a time based on their perceived widespread benefit to the workflow of recreation departments as it pertains to registration and similar events
• The goal for all development is to add flexibility while maintaining intuitiveness and ease of use
• Items under consideration for development can be viewed in the Upcoming Changes area of the Misc tab on the management side

What is the testing process before new features are released?

• In general, items are tested in development when they are completed and worked through until they clear this level of testing
• They are then presented internally and tested in a pre-live environment
• Approximately, a week after items are brought into pre-live, they are released globally for live usage by clients, provided pre-live testing has been cleared
• These items are tested again in the live environment
  • The main exception to this process are items that need to be completed with urgency, such as error corrections
    • These do not skip the testing process, but rather move through it in an expedited and prioritized fashion

How are errors handled?

• Whoever is notified of an error or notices one themselves reports it internally to assess its source and it is brought to the attention of the development team for investigation and resolution after it has been verified
• If the error is of the type that involves inability to use core functions of the system, it is immediately worked on, given priority testing, and made live as soon as possible
• When an error is severe enough and it is not preventing the display of alert messages, notifications on progress are posted to the management side home page
  • Otherwise, updates are posted on a regular weekly basis. Those who reported the error are followed up with upon resolution of the error.

Technical Basics

What platform and code structure is the system built on?

• The system is built on a Windows platform using ASP.net coding and Microsoft databases

What type of system is it and what installations are needed?

• As our system is entirely web-based only necessary items to run the system are a browser and an internet connection
  • There is no local, on-site database or software installation needed or supported
• This remains true for mobile devices as we do not support an app version of the system due to limitations in functionality and the frequency of updates needed

Which browsers and settings are supported?

• Recommended browsers include Firefox, Chrome, Safari, and Edge. Opera is also an option
  • Internet Explorer is not supported by our system or by Microsoft itself
• Please note that having javascript or cookie support turned off will greatly limit functionality
• Additionally, some add-ons, such as pop-up blockers, can stop items such as roster pop-up windows from working correctly
  • Overall, we recommend the default settings of a browser for best results

How is data backed up?

• Full data backups are done daily with additional update backups being performed every three hours after that
• Backups are stored on a separate server within our network as well as to an additional off-site, cloud-based location to prepare for both local server and system-wide failure possibilities

Data Security

How is data secured as I move from page to page?

• SSL certificates tied to the subdomain of your site (the x.myrec.com level) encrypt data as it moves from page to page even before a login occurs
• This can be confirmed and seen in detail by clicking on the lock icon apparent in the browser's address bar

How secure is credit card information?

• Credit card data is handled solely from a secure page that exists on a server separated from all of the others that has its own PCI compliance certification and is additionally locked down from the outside world
• Our system does not store credit card information, but instead only passes it to a merchant gateway for approval
• Each gateway we integrate with has its own set of security credentials that can be viewed from their own websites

What is the information entered into the system used for?

• All information entered into our system is used for the purposes of purchasing and participating in offerings from recreation departments and similar organizations
• It is never sold or shared intentionally except for use by approved third parties, such as a payment gateway

How is stored data secured?

• The databases that information entered into the system is stored on are also on a server that is configured to be accessible only by calls from the system and not direct public access
• All of our servers exist behind a firewall