We know full well that the success of this service depends on that committed minority that actually does the sharing…and I appreciate your participation and your trust. I value your feedback…and want to hear from you if you think we can improve Clever Commute (feedback at clevercommute-dot-com)
But…in the spirit of David Letterman, here are the top 6 reasons why it may be the case that you actually _sent_ a message to your community on Clever Commute…but it did NOT go through.
1. You signed up with one e-mail address (e.g., your work address)…but you sent your note from another (e.g., your home address). YOU’D BE AMAZED how often this happens.
FYI – you can add an “alternate sending address” to your profile here: http://my.clevercommute.com
2. Your note contained a question (even if part of your message contains “a statement”). We’ve got over 10,000 people in this network…so asking a question is a no-no
3. Your note contained something that was not constructive (e.g., “thanks NJ Transit!”)
4. Non-suitable language / Profanity (and we use that term liberally)
5. Your mail is not original content (e.g. you “forward” or “reply” to another message)
6. Our technology determined that another rider on your line already shared info about this particular issue
(not to fear, if you really have more/better info to add, our technology “writes to you”…and tells you how you can indeed get your message out – more info here: http://clevercommute.com/blog/?p=376)
Overall – think about it this way: the best messages are ones that help the other commuters make real-time decisions about their commute. If your message is one of those…then great. If not…it may get held for review…or not sent at all.
There is a single Twitter member (follow) corresponding to each commuter line we cover.
In addition to sending out alerts to our traditional subscribers via e-mail, we also tweet them.
So, by following those tweets, you will receive all of the alerts published by your fellow commuters.
Of course…you can use whatever Twitter follow tool you like. Your smartphone probably already has one installed.
Therefore…you can then receive the alerts however you want…even text/SMS!
NOTE: Our tweets are protected…so the first step is a request-to-follow.
Clever Commute was originally designed for use on a true mobile e-mail device (e.g., Blackberry, iPhone)…not a cell phone.
We previously did a work-around by sending e-mail to your phone (e.g., 9735551212@vtext.com)
But now that Twitter is here…we have a new and better way:
So…here is what you should do if you want to improve your experience with Clever Commute.
Put plainly: Clever Commute is leveraging existing Twitter infrastructure in order to allow for new ways for people like you to follow the updates from commuters on their line.
So what remains in order to get you up-and-running? For example, in order to follow someone whose Twitter name is crandcrand
Login to Twitter…and then enter this address: http://www.twitter.com/crandcrand
Click on the Follow button near the top of the page
Now that you are following the member you want to follow, you may want to
Attention all passengers, effective 5:00 AM Thursday morning, September 2, 2010 the union employees of DeCamp Bus Lines will be on strike. There will be no service. We will keep riders informed as information becomes available.
NOTES:
FYI for riders up-and-down the MBNTN line: DeCamp is a major provider of bus service to/from NYC for the Montclair area
NJT will NOT be cross-honoring DeCamp tickets
Here is what Clever Commute suggests:
Stay up-to-date with DeCamp – Go to http://decamp.com and sign up for their alert service
Taking NJ Transit trains?
A. Sign up for Clever Commute alerts for NJ Transit trains (Montclair line and/or Gladstone/Morristown)
B. Buy your train tickets in advance. There is (generally) a $5 surcharge if you buy on the train.
Use these NEW ways to get your “Clever” info:
A. Follow the action on Twitter…and you can then receive the alerts however you want…even text/SMS!
for the bus – do a “request-to-fillow” cc_decamp_33_66
for the train – it’s cc_njtt_mbntn
Of course…you can use whatever Twitter follow tool you like. Your smartphone probably already has one installed.
B. Use our FREE mobile app. Just go here on your smartphone - http://m.clevercommute.com
As always: remember our “rules of the road” The most important “stuff” is
A. you should “share”…NOT “ask” your fellow commuters for information. Questions to the group are a no-no.
B. keep all messages civil, constructive, free of profanity
More here – http://clevercommute.com/blog/?page_id=22
The good news is that the these train and bus lines are three of Clever’s oldest, largest and most mature ones….so you guys know what you are doing here.
If I missed anything that you think should be shared with the community of commuters…then please let me know. I’ll aggregate the ideas and re-share before the strike. (feedback -at- clevercommute – dot-com)
In order to allow you to receive Clever Commute updates on your cell phone, we have formed a strategic partnership with a remarkable on-line service called Twitter. Please read on…but select the proper link…and then come back to this site for a few key points. So… are you
The Twitter approach is still an experiment. Please consider it beta.
For now, you will not be able to SEND messages to Clever Commute from Twiiter.
Twitter gives you the tools you need to protect your privacy and control your “sharing” options
Please consider making a donation to Clever Commute in order to help us defray the costs to build and maintain this new functionality. Since SMS users can not currently share updates…and we can no longer send you sponsored messages…the fundamentals of our relationship (and our fledgling business model) will change. We would therefore appreciate you sending us a contribution. $25/year would be great…but anything is appreciated.
A Clever Commuter shared this message 12 minutes before NJT did.
Clever Commute [7:52 PM] – PJ service stalled – signals out east of NP
MTA [8:05 PM] – LIRR’s Port Jefferson Branch is experiencing 15 to 20 minute delays due to storm-related conditions. Service is temporarily suspended between Stonybrook and Port Jefferson
Commuting issues never take a vacation! Promote your brand on Clever Commute for just $100! This is roughly 1/2 off the published rates for Clever Commute advertising
Across the Clever Commute community, vendors have been leveraging the Clever Commute platform (the New York Knicks, Ann Taylor/LOFT, Carnegie Hall, NFL.com, Stitcher.com…and more).
In order to meet the needs of our clients and handle the growth, we are implementing a new feature: self-service for advertisers.
This new approach is similar to what you might see other places on the web: Publishers (like Clever Commute, Google, Facebook) provide technology-based tools which allow you to create ad campaigns, arrange payment, and monitor progress.
Imagine: share the news about your brand, cause or event with an incredibly affluent (and employed!) audience. If you are not yet familiar with our advertising services, please check out:
Our media kit for advertisers (you’ll reach an awesome audience: the average Clever Commuter earns $178K a year)
Go to http://www.clevercommute.com/client and set up your account
Create your ad (select one line for to run on…but our operations team will update it to run on all lines!)
Some fine print
Clever Commute reserves the right to decline any advertiser for reasons such as competition and suitability
Accepted ads will be given at least 10,000 impressions (e.g., 1 ad shown to 100 people = 100 impressions).
We have done a fair amount of internal testing of this new approach/software. With that said, this is “beta” software…so all features may not work.
This offer is only valid for new relationships with Clever Commute…and does not void/override any outstanding proposals. Can not be combined with any other discounts or promotions.
You must pre-pay using a credit card…before August 1