Jrs V11 I06

JRS VOLUME #11; ISSUE #6

Jack Rabbit Speaks
Volume 11, Issue #6
January 16, 2007
TICKET INFORMATION

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Off we go..tickets to Burning Man 2007 go on sale tomorrow (Wednesday, January 16) at 10 AM PST at http://tickets.burningman.com .

A note to online ticket buyers: to use our online ticket buying system you will need to have your browser’s cookies turned on and have javascript enabled. This is standard for most browsers these days, but if you want to double check yours prior to the big day use the “check your cookies and javascript here” button at the bottom of http://tickets.burningman.com . Also, we recommend using browsers other than Internet Explorer 7 which has known issues with how it handles cookies – we wouldn’t want anything to hinder your experience!

Should you find yourself with questions or in need of support while getting your tickets online, please visit http://tickets.burningman.com/contact and browse through the pull-down menu of topics to see if your question is answered there.

A Note from Our Tech Department about Ticket Launch

The date that Burning Man tickets go on sale is always a big day around here. Participants who have bought tickets on the first day of sales in the past may recall that things didn’t go as smoothly as we all would have liked. Since we moved the sale of the lowest priced tickets from mail order lottery with a money order to the internet, a variety of technical challenges have been encountered. These challenges, created by the overwhelming initial demand, have made that day a test of our collective character – ticket buyers, our ticket partner, and our staff.

This past winter, as we evaluated our plans for the coming year and beyond, we faced a difficult decision: Do we switch to the services of some other vendor who may be able to handle the initial load, but may not be prepared to support our unique event operations and who would probably charge higher fees? After much deliberation, remembering that relationships and collaborative efforts should be valued over commodified transactions, and also that we have a robust community of highly skilled and knowledgeable technical volunteers who could be asked to help, we knew we had to try it one more time, Burning Man style.

Since that time, the Burning Man organization and many members of our technical staff and volunteer teams have been collaborating with In Ticketing to improve the technology supporting the ticket launch. A systems administration brainstorming session took place in March and the entire technical process, from queuing application and database design to the specifics of managed server solutions, was discussed. Provisions were put in place for sharing and review of design documentation, the execution of volume load test scenarios, and other important milestones. In addition to providing feedback and review of the newly designed system and architecture, this fall, members of the Burning Man ‘sys admin’ team contributed significantly to the volume load testing efforts.

As we prepare for the ticket launch, there are still some variables that are out of our hands. And it’s also impossible to completely predict the buying behaviors of thousands of Burners as they eagerly participate in a financial transaction via computer. Should you feel it’s necessary to get your tickets on the first day, please keep in mind that many other like-minded burners have been similarly inspired, and that this project has already been a successful collaboration which will hopefully benefit the community at large.

We’re all looking forward to Wednesday!

Your Burning Man Tech & Ticketing Teams

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