Suggestion - make it possible to update leader applications up until the deadline

[joshbradshaw11]

Recently I submitted a climbing leader application.

After submitting the application I got feedback from one of the climbing chairs that I should add more context about my self rescue experience. Unfortunately there's no way for me to update my application while its pending review.

When I go to https://mitoc-trips.mit.edu/climbing/leaders/apply/ I see this:

I think that we should add a mechanism making it possible to update leader applications up until any relevant deadline.

I would be happy to help with said modification.

[DavidCain]

Hey, Josh! Thanks for your submission here.

First and foremost, let's solve your problem. I'll email you a copy of the contents of your application just in case you don't have it saved already. I'll clear it out, then you can submit a new application.

I'll follow up with an explanation of why things are the way they are!

[DavidCain]

On to the suggestion: I agree with your feedback - it would be really convenient if it were easy to modify an application after it's submitted! However, it's intentional that applications are not editable. Notably, there is no real "deadline" for any of the leader applications: Applications for any time of MITOC leader are allowed year-round (with the notable exception of Winter School, which has an on/off switch for allowing new applications). Upgrade requests come through new applications, also submitted at any time. An application can be approved at any time.

So, why do we prevent people from editing applications?

Well, for one thing, a team of people review applications, and this typically happens asynchronously. When the climbing chairs (2-3 people) or WSC (3 people) look at an application, they leave recommendations for one another. Sometimes, they read an application but don't make a decision right away, then later make a recommendation.

Additionally, sometimes the content of applications changes over time (new questions are added, old ones are removed). We often have applications in the system which were made with an old template and, if edited, would not actually be valid with the new template.

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So, the reasons why applications aren't editable:

• there isn't a deadline for an application, so knowing when to turn off "editable mode" would be tricky
• we want to ensure that application contents don't change part-way through review
• sometimes applications have answered old questions, and couldn't be a valid new submission

[DavidCain]

I think there are ways of addressing these problems, though!

We could let activity chairs explicitly mark an application as "editable:" this would give you a chance to submit again and would avoid the issue of applications changing mid-review, since the chairs are requesting that an application change. We could add safeguards in code for old applications (we tend to clear those out anyway).

The "let chairs mark as editable" is most appealing to me, though it does introduce some complexities.

To be honest, the need for editing an application comes up maybe once every year or two, and it's very minimal effort to just delete the application, send leaders a copy, and let folks resubmit. It keeps the system simple, and avoids bugs. =)

I appreciate the offer for help, but keeping things intentionally as simple as possible has largely been a beneficial strategy: if chairs want to let leaders edit applications as part of their new standard process, I'll very much consider a new design that allows this, but for now, I think it might be okay as-is. What do you think, @joshbradshaw11 ?

[joshbradshaw11]

Ok. I think simply leaving things as they are is an acceptable solution. I think that some manual curation of climbing leader applications will probably be required because its been a very long time since someone took a review pass