Actions

Getting Started

Revision as of 12:06, 15 August 2015 by Santosh (Talk | contribs) (Creating a Ride Request)

HeaderImage.png


Welcome to RideConnect


Sharing rides doesn't need to be overwhelming. This guide will help you get started.


We will also offer tips on how you can use RideConnect in your daily life, expand your ride sharing community, and how you can ensure that your requests get to the right drivers.


In this guide, you'll learn about:


  1. The way RideConnect works
  2. How to use RideConnect
  3. Ways to share rides with RideConnect and your community
  4. Tips and Tricks


If you have any questions that are not addressed in this guide, RideConnect offers a variety of valuable resources for getting started, including our video index, a glossary of terms, a searchable Knowledge Base of how-to and troubleshooting articles and a helpful support team.


Now, let’s get started.


The Basics


Version.png

RideConnect is a smartphone application that works on iPhones and most Android based phones. RideConnect requires a working phone number in order to work.


To make sure that RideConnect works properly on your phone, you should apply all the latest system updates that are available for your phone.


Before you watch our tutorial videos, you’ll need a current browser on your phone or computer, such as Firefox, Chrome or Safari.


Terms of Service


When you create a RideConnect profile, you agree to comply with all anti-spam regulations and RideConnect's Terms Of Service. Be mindful of these guidelines as you’re getting started:


  • RideConnect does not maintain your social network. The inclusion or exclusion of people into your social network is entirely controlled by you. When you add people to your Facebook profile, or save someone's number into your contact list on your phone, they become available in your community so long as they have also saved your number into their contact list.


Downloading and Registering


Betasignup.png


RideConnect is presently in a closed beta program, for which you may sign up.


RideConnect will be available on the latest iOS and Android releases, and can be downloaded from Google Play and the Apple app store.


Once RideConnect has been installed on your smartphone, you will have to register your handset in order to share rides.


During the registration process, you will have to provide some information about yourself, agree to our Terms and Conditions and then connect your social networks. Doing so will be bound by our Privacy Statement.


Registration Process


The registration process for RideConnect takes only a few seconds to complete, after which you can begin ride sharing.


First, your smartphone has to be validated. We do this because we want you to have a safe and reliable ride sharing experience.


Registration.png


Next, you need to setup your social networks. This helps to speed up the process because your profile is created from there information in your Facebook profile.


In case you choose to not connect your Facebook, that's alright. However you'd have to enter all your profile information manually.


Once you've finished connecting your social network, you need to complete your profile, which may already be partially filled out. During this step, you can change your photo, select your handle and pick your security code.


Finally, if you have a car, you can turn on sharing with your social network. In doing so, people in your community can ask you for a ride.


That's it. You're now registered. Be sure to share RideConnect with your friends.


Information That We Need From You


RideConnect strives to maintain your privacy to the greatest extent possible while still being able to provide you with a quality ride sharing experience.


The below table shows the information that we need, and the information that's nice to have.


Information Required to use RideConnect Required Nice to Have
Number@2x.png Phone Number X
Handle@2x.png Handle X
Name@2x.png First/Last Name X
Email@2x.png E-Mail X
Dob@2x.png Date of Birth X
Gender@2x.png Gender X
Profile@2x.png Profile Photo X
Car@2x.png Car Photo X
Key@2x.png Security Code X
Fb@2x.png Facebook X


Connecting Your Social Networks


SocialLink.png


You can connect RideConnect to your Facebook profile, if you have one. Once you've done this, RideConnect will identify other RideConnect users who are also your friends.


RideConnect doesn't require you to connect your Facebook profile in order to work. In fact, all you need are mutual contacts in your phone book and your can be off sharing rides with them.


However, by connecting your Facebook profile, you may have access to a broader group of people with whom to share rides.


Enabling Ride Sharing


If you have a car, you can share it with your friends through RideConnect.


In order to do so, you will have to provide a picture of your vehicle. This is so that when you offer someone a ride, they will be able to identify your vehicle when you arrive to pick them up.


There is no restriction on the type of vehicle that you use, so long as it is legal, safe and you are allowed to share it.


Telling Your Friends About RideConnect


Tellyourfriends.png


Sharing RideConnect is easy. Click on the share button and then post the download link onto your Facebook news feed, or send it to your friends by SMS text message. Once they download and register with RideConnect, they'll automatically appear in your community and vice versa.


Be sure to take a look at our RideConnect guides to learn more about how all you can use RideConnect.


My Community



RideConnect is all about communities. You and the people on your community are the ones who share rides together. The broader your community, the greater the number of sharing choices.


SocialNet.png


The My Community section of RideConnect allows you to look at all the people with whom you can share rides. Everyone on My Community are from your social network.


Indicators on each entry shows you how you're connected to them. For example, an entry with an f on it indicates that you and that contact are connected via Facebook. If there is a phone icon, then it indicates that you are mutual phone book contacts.


PostDetail.png


You have the option to block people who are on your community list. Blocking a person will keep them from receiving ride requests from you, and they won't be able to request rides from you. In addition, your posts on the RideBoard will be invisible to anyone whom you have blocked.


You also have the option of adding people to your favorites list. By doing this, you are able to group your favorite social contacts together so that at a later time, you can ask them for a ride, without having to announce it to your entire community.


RideBoard



The RideBoard is the central element of RideConnect. As is the case with a real, physical ride board, this is the place where you can post your ride needs.


The main feature of the RideBoard is the post. All users use the RideBoard by creating and reviewing posts that are visible on it.


Thebasics.png


The posts on the RideBoard allow you to tell your social community where you want to go, or where you are going. You can restrict the visibility of that post to a specific person, your favorites, to only your friends, or to everyone.


Once a post has been placed on the RideBoard, other users can interact with it.


You would create a post either because:


  1. You are going somewhere in your vehicle and are able to take someone with you
  2. You need to go somewhere and are in need of a ride
  3. You are announcing some event or activity and are simply sharing the location of that activity with your community


If you have enabled ride sharing of your vehicle, then other users can ask you for a ride.


In addition, each post has a 140 character short message that can be included by you. If you have an event that you wish to attend, you may want to tell your friends about it, so that if any of them are interested, they can coordinate rides with you to go there together.


When you review posts on your RideBoard, you have the opportunity to remove offensive posts, block users and mute users.


When you mute a user, you are still able to share rides with them but their posts are no longer visible on your RideBoard. They are not informed that they have been muted.


Blocking a user is possible in two ways.


You may either block only a user, or you may block their entire social network. Doing either only keeps them from interacting with you.


When you block a user and their entire social network, then no one on their social network can ask you for a ride or see your posts. In addition, your requests won't get sent on to their social networks.


Creating a Post


Ridenowridelater.png

The post, once on the RideBoard, is a message to your social community. Each post can be created by clicking on the Ride Later button.


Once you've clicked on the Ride Later button, you need to specify the following information:


  1. The destination
  2. Visibility of the post
  3. Message to the viewers


You can search for a destination either with the name of the place, such as a restaurant name, building name, or a location, or you can provide the exact address.


When you select a location from the search results, that is the destination to which you are either going (in case you are driving there), or want to go.


The setting for visibility allows you to restrict the post to only people on your favorites list, or people who are only your direct friends, or to everyone who is connected to you in your community.


The message is limited to 140 characters, and can be anything that you want to share with your community.


Creating a Ride Request


A ride request is an announcement to drivers who are nearby informing them of your immediate need for transportation.


This is different from creating a post, which is an announcement on the RideBoard for a later need.


To start, touch the Ride Now button.


Ridenow.png


Select your current location, your destination and the selection of drivers who are to receive the request.


On submitting the request, the system will inform drivers within a default distance about your request. You can change that distance in your settings.


All the drivers who match your selection are informed of your transportation need.


More than one driver can offer you a ride. These responses are listed in your Notifications, and is indicated by a number at the top right of your RideBoard screen.


You can then decide which driver is ideal for you to ride with and only accept a ride with them.


Once you've accepted an offer, the system goes into RideMode.

Ride Mode


The Ride Mode is the sequence within RideConnect following the negotiation between a driver and a rider on a request for a ride, where the system helps the two parties to coordinate so that the person giving the ride is able to find the person who needs the ride and then they are both able to travel together to the destination.


During the Ride Mode, the driver and the rider can communicate with voice messages and can track the progress of the ride on a map. The driver can also use Google maps to navigate to the pickup and the destination, if they have it installed.


On arrival at the destination, Ride Mode ends.


Understanding your privacy and visibility settings



Privacy is a cornerstone of RideConnect. We feel that you should be able to obtain transportation easily and safely with those people that you trust.


Within My Community, you can restrict the people listed there so that they're blocked, muted or made a favorite. In doing so, you can exclude some people from sharing rides with you.


By muting someone, they're still able to share rides with you but their posts do not appear on your RideBoard. This is helpful in case someone is being offensive or irrelevant to you.


RideConnect only shows you posts from people with whom you can share rides. This is limited by geography and by your social connection to them.


Additionally when you create a post, your post is visible to your entire community by default. You can change this at anytime by adjusting the post visibility settings for that post.


Finally, any information that is shared by you on RideConnect is available to anyone in your community and to RideConnect. You should not post anything on RideConnect that is illegal, dangerous or otherwise irresponsible.


Your location is not revealed to other users. During a ride, the system computes directions that are then supplied only to the driver that you've accepted to be in a ride with.


Be safe and ride safe with RideConnect.


Using RideConnect for ride sharing and beyond



RideConnect is very effective for sharing rides amongst social communities. It's also useful beyond just ride sharing. Here are some guides on how you might find RideConnect useful.


These guides can be useful for the groups below but don't hesitate to explore.