> Dear Colleagues,
> Thanks to all those who replied. I have so far had messages from
> Northumbria, UWE, Sheffield Hallam, Royal Agricultural College, Inns of
> Court School of Law, and a couple of private companies as well as some
> high profile potential customers of EGI who wanted further information on
> these problems.
> 
> Summary of replies:
> 
> The basic situation is that none us were aware of these changes. (Despite
> the fact that EGI insist they had banners on both sites and advertised in
> magazines and wrote to us all). 
> 
> With the exception of one of the private companies, 1st message below,
> who thought the new system was fine and did not mind giving filling in a
> personal form giving such details as Mothers Maiden name etc., the general
> opinion seems to me that the changes are very unwelcome in terms of
> password alterations and many other things. I hope those who e-mailed me
> will not mind me reproducing the main thrusts of their messages below as
> they illustrate the problems better than I can:
> 
> When I entered our 
> existing password, a screen appeared which asked me to register 
> my details and that I would have my own access in future (an email 
> address username, and a password of my own choosing). I then 
> relogged in and had no problem. Seems OK to me.
> 
>  
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
> --------------------------
> 
>  I think it is very bad that they
> change the nature of their web site without consultation which will
> inevitably cause us problems. 
> 
> 		I'm not happy that our students have to register
> individually on the new service and would be happy to make a joint
> representation with you to rectify the situation. 
> 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
> -----------------------------------
> 
> I was also unhappy about the changes, particularly as I had just completed
> a
> User Guide to encourage students to use the site.  I also rang up and was
> told that there was no chance of returning to the original system, despite
> the fact that I told them that students would find the change in passwords
> and being expected to keep a note of their personal passwords a problem.
> 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
> -----------------------------------------------
> 
> we too had problems - not so much in the library but in other IT labs on
> campus - I tried to login after I was alerted to this and it didn't work -
> I
> phoned up and asked that they disable the individual login as in spite of
> the added services offered by this facility it basically made life more of
> a
> hassle and confused the students - they duly removed this (I hope!).
> 
> I still could not get in - and it took more phone calls before the matter
> was sorted.
> 
> I then noticed that previously it had been possible to link from egi to
> europroperty (2 different depts pay for these services so we have
> different
> passwords) - but with the new interface it didn't work - I phoned up again
> and was told that as we had different passwords it would not link - and
> students will have to link to Europroperty separately...
> 
> Together with the fact that I don't actually like the interface that much
> -
> seems more complicated to me! - I am not too impressed - but will see how
> things go - i.e. familiarity with the database might make it more
> bearable!
> 
> Nice to know I am not the only one....
> 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
> -----------------------------------------------
> 
> Yes we hit the same problem. But our students do now seem to be able to
> register.  But we are unhappy with this change. See copy of my
> message below  to our own staff. We are encouraging e-mails from !"angry
> of Tunbridge wells".
> 
> Another problem is that if students register and forget the password they
> cannot simply reregister as it recognises their e-mail and tells
> them they already are registered. they then have to e-mail EGi te get
> their password e-mail and then they have to remember the security
> stuff they sent and if they have forgotten that they are sunk!!!!
> 
> 
> 
> The Estates Gazette web site has been relaunched and as well as a variety
> of other changes in look it has now altered the way in which
> students /staff access it. The xxxxx usercode and xxxx password  will no
> longer allow full access to the site, but instead take
> students/staff  to a registration form they must complete before using the
> database. 
> Once they have completed the registration form, students/staff no longer
> need the xxxx usercode, but instead log in using their email address as
> the usercode, and a password of their choice. 
> 
> Sadly the form  asks not merely for e-mail address and password but also
> for security purposes Mother's maiden name and also place of birth,
> whether your place of birth or your mother's it does not make plain, I had
> to resist the temptation to type in "hospital". 
> 
> We in the Learning Centre are not happy about this as some students will
> find this confusing, some may not know their e-mail address for the
> University, some may not even know their mother's maiden name, to some
> overseas students mother's maiden name may even be an alien concept.
> I have made these points to EGI, and if you feel unhappy about this you
> may wish to give them feedback as well. Some English students maybe
> unhappy at sending their mother's maiden name across the web as they will
> be aware that banks often use mother's maiden name as a security check if
> cards are stolen and may wish to restrict whom they give this information
> to.
> It is possible to access the old site from the welcome page and to use the
> old id and password but we are not sure how long that will
> continue.
> 
> ACTION
> I have spoken to 3 different people at EGI in the 3 weeks since these
> changes took place and up until today had had no luck in getting any hint
> that anyone there was prepared to reconsider the position as regards
> higher education institutions were concerned. 
> 
> Today however after speaking several times to a very helpful young man
> called Johnathan at EGI I got the impression that our problems are going
> to be taken seriously by EGI. I put the points raised above to Jonathan
> and also the point that once students had registered to use this system
> EGI would have no way of cutting off their free access once they left
> University. So effectively they would be giving away free access to their
> product for life. 
> 
> I eventually got to speak to the sales manager Philip Fowler
> ([log in to unmask]) who assured me that they had now got the message
> that there was a problem with HE institutions. He assured me he would be
> meeting with his senior management team to address this matter this
> afternoon. I have copied this message to him as I think colleagues
> messages spell out better than I some of the problems.
> 
> As far as students having life access to the service is concerned it
> appears that we, the universities, were to be sent a list of e-mail
> addresses periodically so we could tell EGI if these people were still
> current students. If they were not then the EGI would cut off their
> access. I explained that we just would not have time to do this also that
> we would not necessarily recognise our students names as most would use
> Hotmail accounts, EGI seemed to think all students would use University
> e-mail addresses so this would be easy.
> 
> Anyway hopefully they have got the message that we need a single access
> log on point, possibly ATHENS, I have sent them the details.
> 
> I will let the list know of further developments.
> Ta!
> 
> Steve Lee
> Applied Sciences Librarian
> and Information Communicator
> University of Glamorgan
> Pontypridd
> CF37 1DL
> Tel: 01443 483391
> Fax: 01443 482629
> [log in to unmask]
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