Final advice for tomorrow

7 FEBRUARY 2014

It's Pre-registration Eve and the air is electric. Curious and impatient nerds have crashed the landing page already (it's back up now) and other people are complaining about failing the pre-check test. It all feels so ominously familiar. But I think we can all admit that CCI has gone to their most extreme lengths yet to create, test and communicate a better system. As for whether it's enough - well, we'll find out tomorrow.

Here's a final run-through.

• Have everyone's Member ID, last name and registration code ready to go. This part of the process isn't a race like it used to be, but you should still be organized. If your last name is wrong in your Member ID account, use that spelling to buy your badge and get it corrected later. If you're part of a large group, be very clear on who's buying for who.

• Make sure Javascript and cookies are enabled. If you're not sure, you can go to EPIC site now at http://landing.cloudapp.net/ and do their pre-check test. 

• You can only use one device and one browser per Member ID. That browser should be Safari, Chrome, IE or Firefox, and that device should be a desktop or laptop - not a mobile device.

• Once inside the waiting room, don't refresh. A yellow status box will keep you updated every 120 seconds during the sorting process.

• Make sure your computer doesn't go to sleep while you're waiting. Adjust the power save settings if necessary.

• Don't ever use the back button.

• Have your credit or debit card ready. It can be under someone else's name; that's fine. But you can only use one card to pay for everything and you can't use Paypal.

• If you're willing to let someone buy you a badge at a mark-up, decide now how much you want to pay and stick to that limit tomorrow.

• If some kind of glitch freezes you, boots you or refuses you admission into the waiting room, document everything. Last year CCI held a badge sale for people who were unfairly glitched out of Open Registration and had the screen shots to prove it. 

Good luck, everyone. Talk to you tomorrow.