Some time ago I made a posting to this list and included a link to my own
completely free, altruistic, web site. I received a mauling from one of the
web masters of the tutor2u web site and follow up communication bordered on
the offensive, and was certainly unwarranted in my opinion: off list
messages to me supported my own view at that time.

We have had two advertisements for tutor2u over the last week or so: this
latest a very extensive missive.

I have no problem with tutor2u, osl or any other such web site plying their
excellent wares here; but I would like to be assured that if one site is
mauled they are all mauled. Alternatively, and this is the more mature and
appropriate approach, none of us is mauled and childish comments from web
masters are ruled out of hand.

Duncan Williamson


----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim Riley" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, September 04, 2002 9:39 AM
Subject: The New Tutor2u


> A quick note for anyone on this list who uses tutor2u.
>
> Following our summer User Survey, we have been busy upgrading the tutor2u
> website.
>
> The new site is due to go live on Saturday 14 September.  Please accept my
> apologies in advance for any disturbance to your use of the site on this
day
> - which I will try to keep to a minimum.  Please note in particular that
you
> will not be able to access the discussion forums on that day. The forum
> database is being ported to a new, faster platform during the day and we
wil
> also be undertaking some essential maintenance work.
>
> I hope that you will like the new site - it reflects many of the features
> that were requested by users in the survey.  These include:
>
> - Power search: a much-improved site search engine that allows you to
> restrict your search to specific subjects (e.g. Econ, Marketing); resource
> types (e.g. revision notes, interactive tests, powerpoint presentations
> etc); and study levels
> - Interactive testing: we aim to add over 500 free interactive tests by
> December, including multiple choice, fill-in-the-gaps, quick quiz and
> interactive crosswords: The first batch of around 50 tests will be
available
> at launch
> - New, interactive glossary, containing over 1,000 economics, business and
> political terms (with more being added each day); each term is defined,
> linked to related terms and also linked to revision materials or external
> resources.
> - Extensive new free content covering marketing, accounting, strategy,
human
> resource management and operations
> - Over 85 fully revised Economics powerpoint presentations
> - E-Letter Courses - a range of over 2 new, free email-based revision
> courses specific to your exam board and level.  So far, over 2,000
> subscribers have signed up to this service in the week since launch
> - A much improved and less "busy" - website look and feel.  We have taken
> out over 45% of the "page weight" and given the site a more consistent
feel
> and navigation
> - No more adverts!  We have taken out the various adverts and other
elements
> that give the current site an overtly commercial feel
>
> Nothing is perfect.  Particularly not tutor2u.  So please excuse us whilst
> we iron out any gremlins that appear in the early days after launch.  Your
> feedback on the new site and approach will, as ever, be much appreciated.
>
> Best wishes
>
> Jim Riley
> Tutor2u
>
>
> p.s. if anyone would like a sneek preview of the new site and perhaps help
> us with some late user-testing, let me know off-list and I will send you a
> url and password.
>
>