| Re: Wanted - a bit of automated intelligence. Posted by bobm at 11:32, 1st September 2026 |     |
Perhaps ... there are so many different standards / machine types / TOCs around. I have seen similar offerings to the Melksham machine in other places. Come the day after nationalisation, and we'll have a miracle of a uniform and logical system [for clarity, the sentence written tongue in cheek]
..on a QWERTY keyboard.
| Re: Wanted - a bit of automated intelligence. Posted by grahame at 11:07, 1st September 2026 | |
Sure, the offerings are alphabetic, but wouldn't this be more customer friendly if the offer order was "most popular first", and with those to which tickets have not been sold in recent memory then alphabetic below if there are still gaps?
I'm sure I've seen the destinations listed on some machines in terms of 'most popular' in the past?
Perhaps ... there are so many different standards / machine types / TOCs around. I have seen similar offerings to the Melksham machine in other places. Come the day after nationalisation, and we'll have a miracle of a uniform and logical system [for clarity, the sentence written tongue in cheek]
| Re: Wanted - a bit of automated intelligence. Posted by grahame at 11:01, 1st September 2026 | |
There is a similar conversation to be had about the keyboard when collecting pre-paid tickets. Most people are familiar with the "QWERTY" style keyboard so find the alphabetical version more difficult.
Agreed ... and raised the "why QWERY anyway" question ... Google headlines
Why It Was Created
Early models: The first typewriters had keys in a simple alphabetical order.
The problem: Fast typists pressed common letter pairs that sat close together on the machine.
The jam: The metal arms connected to the keys hit each other and stuck.
The fix: Inventor Christopher Latham Sholes separated common letter combinations to keep the metal arms from colliding
Early models: The first typewriters had keys in a simple alphabetical order.
The problem: Fast typists pressed common letter pairs that sat close together on the machine.
The jam: The metal arms connected to the keys hit each other and stuck.
The fix: Inventor Christopher Latham Sholes separated common letter combinations to keep the metal arms from colliding
and so there's an argument to be had that something different - such as alphabetic - should now be adopted, the original reason being out of date. But then this is railway. Remind me where 4'8.75" came from ...
| Re: Wanted - a bit of automated intelligence. Posted by IndustryInsider at 10:54, 1st September 2026 | |
Sure, the offerings are alphabetic, but wouldn't this be more customer friendly if the offer order was "most popular first", and with those to which tickets have not been sold in recent memory then alphabetic below if there are still gaps?
I'm sure I've seen the destinations listed on some machines in terms of 'most popular' in the past?
| Re: Wanted - a bit of automated intelligence. Posted by bobm at 10:34, 1st September 2026 | |
There is a similar conversation to be had about the keyboard when collecting pre-paid tickets. Most people are familiar with the "QWERTY" style keyboard so find the alphabetical version more difficult.
| Wanted - a bit of automated intelligence. Posted by grahame at 07:14, 1st September 2026 | |
Over the past 6 years, no-one has bought a rail ticket from Melksham to Brickett Wood, Bridge of Allan or Bridge of Orchy. So why are those offered as top suggestions when people are entering a station-by-name on the ticket vending machine? Where are Bristol Parkway and Brighton, which are the 26th and 42nd most popular destinations as you enter B-R-I....?
Here is what I was offered (on the left) and the most popular destinations - those to or from which tickets have been sold over the past 6 years - on the right.
Sure, the offerings are alphabetic, but wouldn't this be more customer friendly if the offer order was "most popular first", and with those to which tickets have not been sold in recent memory then alphabetic below if there are still gaps?
We can argue as to where Bristol Temple Meads should be listed as it's also on the front panel of ten most popular destinations.
