Cruising Support Lookup Feaature

In a recent thread, a large number of us agreed we'd like to be able to offer support and assistance to any other forum members that are cruising near our location and in need of help. The problem is that there's no way to locate other members by city/state and find their phone or e-mail info. People are reasonably concerned that they don't just want to put their phone numbers and e-mail IDs in the "open" section of the public profile. A number of us just put our "city and state" information in the public profile box for "state" since it's the only current open box. This seems like a natural great way for the website to help Hatteras owners.

So here's the question: Can the website have a place for forum members to put in their city and state location information with a simple sort order or listing lookup screen so others can find where we are located when they are traveling? Also, can you make it possible to input phone numbers in a semi-private area of the forum where other forum members can somehow get it if they need it, recognizing that anybody can become a forum member so anybody could look up a phone number. We already have a secure e-mail ID system here that forum members can e-mail others through this forum while still keeping their e-mail ID in a secure area of the server.

Thanks,

Doug Shuman

We have city and state of each member, but what we really need is to have our homeports. Many of us don't live that close to our boats, unfortunately. Therefore, if you are going to contact me, for example, for assistance while on the Eastern shore of Lake Michigan, you may not know that I boat there. My address is in the center of the state and some people that live near me boat on lakes Erie or Huron (about the same distance away as Lake MI).

Sky,

Yeah. That's why I put "Wilmington, IL" on my profile, even though I live about an hour away from there in St. Charles. It'd be nice if we had both.

OK - I have added a new field to the registration panel called Homeport. Anyone can click on the USER CP tab at the top and update their homeport information.

I've also made this field and the state field searchable in the members search (advanced options).

I can easily display member cities as well and make that field searchable too. However, I need to make sure nobody on the forum has a problem displaying both the city and state. I don't think it would be a problem but I would like some input from everyone before I make the city field public. We are VERY careful about any info we make public on members of the forum.

Thanks!

Doug

Thanks SAMS! You guys do a superb job with this site. I still can't believe that it's free. :)

And.... it's alright with me if my city info is out there for forum members, but I think we already have a means of contact with the PM feature. Maybe it would be best for members to just send PM's for assistance and let the individual decide whether or not to give out their phone numbers from there.

Doug,

I completely agree with Sky Cheney's post - Wonderful service,,,, can't believe it's free.

Walt

Quote:

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Originally Posted by administrator

OK - I have added a new field to the registration panel called Homeport. Anyone can click on the USER CP tab at the top and update their homeport information.

I've also made this field and the state field searchable in the members search (advanced options).

I can easily display member cities as well and make that field searchable too. However, I need to make sure nobody on the forum has a problem displaying both the city and state. I don't think it would be a problem but I would like some input from everyone before I make the city field public. We are VERY careful about any info we make public on members of the forum.

Thanks!

Doug

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Doug - Thanks a million. Good Guy.....Good Forum.....Good Boats! We really appreciate SAMs Marine!

Doug Shuman

Thanks guys! Let us know if there is anything we can do to make the site better!