Open Collective
Open Collective
Loading
Caroster
Contribute
About
Budget
Connect
Project news: restructuration, translations and feedback
Published on December 11, 2024 by Mathilde
Dear Caroster user, 
We hope you had a great summer! As we return after this break, let’s catch up on what’s been happening at Caroster. We have been working hard, and we are excited to announce that Beta Version 6 of Caroster is now live! 
Our mission remains the same: to enhance your user experience while contributing to the decarbonization of mobility. Thanks to your feedback, we have been able to develop and consider new features to meet your needs. Here is what happened recently and what is coming soon: 

What’s new ?

  • 🌍 Translations in German and Dutch: Thanks to our amazing contributors, Caroster is now available in two new languages. This helps us grow our community even further and make carpooling more accessible worldwide!
  • 📜 Carpooler Charter: We have introduced a charter outlining the commitments of drivers and passengers, ensuring a respectful and pleasant carpooling experience. You can check it out here: Carpooler Charter (EN).
  • 💬 Real-time Feedback: Feel free to share your improvement suggestions here: Caroster: Your Feedback. We have created statuses so you can track how we address your feedback. Your inputs are valuable in helping us improve Caroster and develop the features you care about most.
  • 👋 Welcome, Mathilde: We are thrilled to welcome Mathilde Draps as our new Product Owner. She will be focusing on Caroster's development, always with the goal to work with you to make Caroster a usefull tool for you.
  • ➡️ Learn more in the team’s message below

Currently in development:

  • 🌐 Tolgee for better translation management: We are testing this tool to make it even easier to translate the app into new languages, allowing our community to suggest translations more easily. This will make Caroster even more accessible globally.
  • 🔄 Preparing for a complete website redesign: We have started preparing for a complete website redesign. This project, scheduled for the end of 2024, aims to better showcase Caroster’s value and its various use cases, including adding a blog. The new structure will also make the site easier to translate.

Acknowledgements :


Word from the team:

Our will is to be as close to you and this involves the transparency of our choices. Here is a second try with this post from the product managers of Caroster: Xavier von Aarburg and Mathilde Draps.
"Dear Users, this Beta Version 6 is a new milestone for us. Thanks to external contributions, we are expanding our community by adding new languages, making Caroster accessible to an even wider audience. This effort is fully aligned with our mission: to promote a more sustainable and collaborative mobility through carpooling while supporting the evolution of digital commons.
The translation tool Tolgee, which we are currently testing, is one example. It simplifies the addition of new translations, opening the door to international inclusivity and greater user participation.
Caroster Plus is gaining popularity thanks to its more secure carpool matching and dedicated admin role, particularly suited to large events. We are working on enhancing this version to improve moderation for community events.
Caroster Plus replaces the waiting list system found in Caroster Basic with an email notification system alerting users when a trip is available near their departure point. Depending on the size of the event, some would like to stay on the waiting list system in Caroster Plus. That is why we explore different solutions to ensure an efficient and tailored relationship for each need.
We are also redesigning Caroster’s website to make it clearer, more relevant, and aligned with your expectations. We want the project’s value to be more easily understood and for the site to become a source of information on carpooling and the decarbonization of mobility with the addition of a blog.
Every year, during Octree Week, we take time to reflect deeply on the direction we want to take Caroster. This period of reflection, enriched by external perspectives, helps us refine our long-term vision and strategy. This year’s session took place from Monday, September 30, to Friday, October 4, 2024. We were able to brainstorm together and generate ideas for Caroster’s future improvements.
Taking time to organize our thoughts, we are excited to share more with you soon!
Xavier von Aarburg & Mathilde Draps
Caroster Product Owners

We were there:

We were pleased to participate in several recent events:
  • Residence at the Virtual Assembly with the Swiss from September 16 to 20 (https://assemblee-virtuelle.org/)
  • Digital Commons event in Chambéry, September 25-26 (https://numerique-en-communs.fr/)
  • A workshop organized by the Modus Foundation on carpooling in Geneva, September 17, 2024 (https://modus-ge.ch/)
  • The Mobility Afterwork hosted by the Modus Foundation, focused on “Is the bicycle an effective tool for modal shift massification?” on September 18, 2024, at the Rath Museum
  • Participation in a cross-border mobility workshop during the 1st Cross-border Forum on Social and Solidarity Economy (ESS) on October 8, 2024 (https://www.forum-ess.org/)

Useful links:

🔗 Calculate your event’s carbon footprint: Are you organizing or attending a festival, concert, or match? Estimate your carbon impact here: CO2 Footprint.

We hope you enjoy these updates and we remain open to any suggestions you may have. Thank you for being part of the Caroster community!

See you soon,
The Caroster Team