Registrar's Office: Brace for Constructive Criticism
Here's an informal poll: how many times have you read the BBB so far this semester?
Me: Zero. You: likely batting less than .500.
I find this a serious problem. The BBB was a very important tool my first year. I'd receive it via PDF in my email and I would read it all the way through. However, at some point during the last calendar year (I can't even tell you when - which likely reinforces my point here) the Registrar's office decided that all of those PDF attachments were clogging up mail servers and they would no longer send them. Since that point I've received more notifications regarding the deadlines for BBB submissions than actual useful information.
I know what is coming from those anonymous posters: "you're an adult now, go get the online version or the printed version by the lockers." Yes, I know those options are available to me. I'm simply saying that I don't utilize them and I really don't think I'm the only one.
Why would it be so hard to simply have a single column BBB that is in the body of an email? Should the Registrar offer such, students like me will go back to reading it. Further, the overwhelming portion of the student body with a mail program such as Gmail can set up filters, tags, and most importantly, text search their archived versions.
But I can't emphasize enough the most important point of us all going back to reading it. I can't imagine that the substance of this suggestion hasn't made its way to the office by now. So, I ask, what gives?
Me: Zero. You: likely batting less than .500.
I find this a serious problem. The BBB was a very important tool my first year. I'd receive it via PDF in my email and I would read it all the way through. However, at some point during the last calendar year (I can't even tell you when - which likely reinforces my point here) the Registrar's office decided that all of those PDF attachments were clogging up mail servers and they would no longer send them. Since that point I've received more notifications regarding the deadlines for BBB submissions than actual useful information.
I know what is coming from those anonymous posters: "you're an adult now, go get the online version or the printed version by the lockers." Yes, I know those options are available to me. I'm simply saying that I don't utilize them and I really don't think I'm the only one.
Why would it be so hard to simply have a single column BBB that is in the body of an email? Should the Registrar offer such, students like me will go back to reading it. Further, the overwhelming portion of the student body with a mail program such as Gmail can set up filters, tags, and most importantly, text search their archived versions.
But I can't emphasize enough the most important point of us all going back to reading it. I can't imagine that the substance of this suggestion hasn't made its way to the office by now. So, I ask, what gives?
Labels: Technology Rants, The Resident Evil
posted by tj at 11:05 AM
18 Comments:
About two weeks ago I sent an email to the Boalt webmaster, asking if the BBB could be set up as an RSS feed.
That seems like the way to go to me. He/she (the webmaster) got back to me right away, and said they would work on it . . .
I suppose I can understand why sending a large .pdf to everyone at Boalt may be a burden on email servers. But I fail to understand why the registrar cannot send an email that says the following each week:
This week's BBB is now complete and online. You can read it here: http://www.law.berkeley.edu/students/services/bbb/bbb.php.
Given that our student services office has been able to send the entire student body emails (often in triplicate) about almost every little event going on at Boalt, I fail to see why this cannot be sent out. (Which is not to say that I condone the practice of the student services office notifying me of every event multiple times.)
email out the entire BBB? Every Week? Don't you know you're fucking with Nancy Kato's 6 hour day now?
Hey! NK is a great lady - back off!
I agree with Matt. Even a reminder and a link would make a huge difference!
Another gripe: When will we receive the finals schedule? Summer is approaching quickly and most of us (at least the 2Ls) have job arrangements to make.
as exciting as a thread about the BBB is, berkeleylaw.blogspot.com has some news about Edley....
ugh. this anonymous shilling for the other blog is getting real old real quickly.
Thank you, 8:10. I posted the same complaint in another thread. It sure would be nice to know when our finals are...
LOL @ 9:16 - Just wait. I'd expect some creepy 40+ year old to come visit us on his lunch break from his weird labor job in Oakland to pass out Berkeley Law Blog fliers...
why all the hate for BLB? if you don't want to post there, don't. but don't be bitter just because another Boalt related blog was created. why do i have the feeling those opposed to another blog are the same people running this one...
why do I have the feeling 9:52 is "Learned Hand"?
no hate. just stop littering every thread on N&B with non-related pitches for your own blog. it's just juvenille.
Heh
Just to clear things up, I'm not the one advertising my blog. Nor is it my co-bloggers, according them them. (Whether we should trust them is another story... they're kinda shifty characters, if you ask me.)
If I post here, it's under my moniker.
Annnnnnnd, back on track, I think the email and link idea is perfectly reasonable and I can't see how it would over-tax the servers. While NK can have quite the attitude, V usually doesn't seem to. MJK also responds to polite emails from my experience.
Why though is the BBB even with the registrar, come to think of it? Isn't the BBB more of a student services kind of task? The administrative flow chart and functional responsibilities of Boalt's offices is mind-boggling.
Seriously - a copy and paste of the web version isn't a big deal. They send us emails all the time.
This issue has come up a couple times even since my original post. I just don't get it - it couldn't take more than an extra 5 minutes once they've already made a single column version to post on the website.
the last thing I want is yet another reminder email from the school. If you want to read the BBB, you know where to find it. You could even set a reminder on your computer or leave a sticky note on your desk to remind you to read the BBB.
9:44 - I predicted your response in my original post. I think you missed my point, so I reiterate.
My point has nothing to do with what I could be doing myself to increase my readership of the BBB. Clearly, leaving sticky notes or setting alarms are both something I can do for myself [easily] to fix the problem of ME not reading the BBB.
My point has everything to do with the fact that I'm quite typical in that I do not take said actions. My actions to fix my problem doesn't fix the problem that I find has become prevalent among other students.
I find an uninformed population (of which I sadly have included myself as a member) a problem the Registrar's Office should remedy (and easily could given suggestions provided above).
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