We have listed here the questions we receive most often. If you are unable to find and answer to your particular question, please email us and we'll get back to you as soon as humanly possible.
1) I can't log-in/log-out!
Don't worry. You probably just need to clear your cookies.
If you are using Internet Explorer, do this:
Tools->Internet Options->Delete Cookies->OK
If you're using another browser, then you probably know
how to delete your cookies, but just in case, here's how to do it in Mozilla/Firefox:
Tools->Options->Privacy->Cookies->Clear Cookies Now.
2) Why can't we update our location/etc. in the 'my account' tab yet?
We haven't gotten around to it yet. Soon, we promise!
3) What other features do you have planned for the very near future, say within 1 month?
Lots:
- Ability to update all parts of your profile.
- Ability to upload a picture with your profile.
- Ability to mark games as 'active' or 'inactive'.
- Ability to add notes to a game.
- Ability to upload pictures associated with a field (tied to a particular pickup game).
- Ability to contact other players via a web form (so no email addresses are exposed) to organize games/etc.
4) What features do you have planned for the not so near term, say within 3 months?
Lots:
- Notification tools and other tools that will allow a game organizer to say 'go' or 'no go', depending
on the weather, field conditions, holiday schedule, field scheduling conflicts, etc. We expect
an interface similar in functionality to Meetup.com, etc., but with more user-friendly features.
- Weather forecasts (as unpredictable as the weather is) with temperature, likelihood of rain, etc.
- Other meteorological data including sunset times, lightning warnings, etc.
- 'Learn to Play' feature to help get players/coaches(/trainers) together.
- Organizing tools to help you get active in your community - be it securing a field to play on,
helping to maintain a field, organizing fundraisers for these things, etc.
- Search tool so you can search by any/all criteria (location, surface type, etc.)
- XML/RSS feeds for new/updated content on the site. Community demands will dictate the specifics of this functionality.
- Short-lived HTML-based chat.
- Game-specific discussion boards.
- We'll look at RSS/XML feeds for calendaring your pickup soccer schedule, but no definite plans yet.
- ...whatever else you want us to build for this site!
5) How does all this stuff work? How does this website work? What?
Check out these demos/screencasts for starters.
6) Why do I have to register to sign-up for games and all that?
First, you don't have to sign up for an account with Socster.com at all if you don't
wish, but signing up ('registering') with Socster.com will let you take advantage of all
the personalization-type features of the site.
Second, even if you do register for an account with Socster.com, you don't have to register for any particular soccer games to play in them - that's strictly up to you. Sorry - the 'register' keyword is used in reference to a Socster.com account, as well as the process by which you link up to one or more specific pickup soccer games.
The primary reason we offered this user account registration model was to allow anyone and everyone to update and add listings to this site without having to go through some approval process. One, it wouldn't be very practical, but two, it wouldn't be taking advantage of the power of the internet - lots of people interested in something, who are willing to commit some time/effort to helping others and themselves. To allow anyone to update Socster.com, we knew we'd have to prevent spam and graffiti - thus, the site registration process. Socster.com is like a Wikipedia for pickup soccer - with some data entry tools built on top. The Wikipedia part means anyone and everyone who is registered with the site can update game information. This, of course, means folks can vandalize games. If this happens, at least we can revoke their permissions and they'll be forced to register a new email address/etc. The other part of registration is to provide customization - Socster.com can remember which games you're part of ('registered with'), can notify you when game information changes, help you form new game, etc. Without registration, none of this would be possible. Of course, it is still possible to get to the most important information on the site - the pickup soccer game listings - without registering - just visit the home page and they are all listed right there.
7) Why would I want to play pickup soccer as opposed to joining a team and league?
Pickup is usually free - no referee fees, no uniforms fees, no league fees, no writing checks, arguing about
who should pay for the two guys who didn't show up for the game today, etc. There are usually no formalities,
so you can just show up and start playing.
Fighting, physical or even verbal, is almost non-existent. Stress is low because you don't have to worry
about making a mistake - if you mess up, everyone gets a laugh and you still drink beer afterwards (if you're
smart). You get exercise while having fun. You get to express yourself in your own unique way - sort of like
art for non-artists - and we all need art to survive and make life beautiful, whether we want to admit it or not.
In short, there are a multitude of reasons why playing pickup soccer as opposed to formally-organized soccer
might be for you.
8) What is pickup soccer? or pick-up soccer? or whatever?
Pickup soccer is an informal gathering of people that play soccer. It is comparable to pickup basketball, softball,
or any other pickup sport, but it seems as though soccer usually requires a bit more organizing - either because
people like to have more than a couple of players to play a game, or because grass fields are tough to come by -
especially in urban areas, etc. Dictionary.com defines the word
'pickup' as:
Being, relating to, or involving a group of people assembled informally for a temporary purpose: [a pickup orchestra; a pickup baseball game].
9) How do I delete a pickup game listed on Socster.com?
Right now, you can't. If you would like to see a game removed, please email us and we'll do it for you. In the
future we'll provide a way to do it from the site directly. We wanted to be careful that a vandal couldn't delete
a whole bunch of games at once. When we've got the necessary back-end tools, we'll provide a 'mark game for deletion'
tool - or something like it.