DigitalBrain - rubbish everywhere?

[eejit]

How is digitalbrain for you?

 

It is the world's slowest site

 

When you send an email you often get a "too many connections" message, and when you send/receive a minute later it works. They have obviously bitten off more than they can chew and need to invest in more servers.

 

I presume it's not just us suffering from them?

 

I'll probably end up moving the admin email away from it.

 

(Only 5 mailboxes - too small to justify exchange)

[Face-Man]

If your on LGFL I would use the synetrix email solution. It's not brilliant but far better than digital brain.

[eejit]

We are on LGFL yes. I'll have a look at that cheers. How is "up-time" with them?

[Face-Man]

The email pritty reliable if you have talk2synetrix account you can set it all up and set filtering rules etc. It also has pop3 and smtp acounts so when in school you can use any email client you want. We've been using it for 4 years with very few issues. Email box size is limited to 50mb but that should be enough. And the best bit is it's free.

[budgester]

We are the the LGFL, I looked at Digitalbrain when it was first made available, then six months later, and decided that there was no way on this earth that I was going to make me eyes bleed and brain hurt by even trying to do anything with it.

 

So I just run all of our services in house, mainly on Linux boxen, and these all just work. The only time we usually have any issues if when the synetrix netwrok has issues, and its usually the proxy server.

 

THe digital brain stand at BETT always seemed extremely quite, not surprising really.

 

To be honest the digitalbrain exercise is one of the reason why we will not be using the LFGL's attempt at an MLE/VLE.

[Grommit]

I believe that Digital Brain is on the way out and you can transfer your settings and setups to Fronter

[eejit]

Desperately trying to stay clear of Fronter too.

[Grommit]

Desperately trying to stay clear of Fronter too.

 

If you are with the LGFL it would be silly not to go with Fronter with all the support and training they are offering

[plexer]

If they have a system that works why change.

 

If they don't have a system currently in place even if something is offered free/cheap etc... doesn't mean it's right for them.

 

I believe in having choice not just being choked on whatever your lea shoves down your throat.

 

Ben

[Face-Man]

This is how choice will work out.... (well for london schools)

 

Presently you will have choice but the prefered bidder "Fronter" will be plugged to head teachers and LEA who will then have to choose if they are willing to stump up the cash for it. Obviously it will be cheaper if a whole LEA accepts it.

 

When BSF comes All secondaries must provide a learning platform that students can take from school to school. Realistically "Fronter" will be at such a competive prise with an establish infrastucture any LEA that doesn't adopt it will have to justify the cost and functionallity. This will I sure be trickled down to all schools in and authority.

[Face-Man]

oh and I forgot to mention..

 

This is how the government agenda works out.. Giving schools choice has lead to some pockets of good practise but also some individual systems that are not fit for purpose. Instead of trying to promote good practise and supplying expertise into those school (after all thats what you would do if it was failing in teaching) they have set the agenda of one size fits all. Which will improve some school dramatically but will also stiffle those that are performing well.

 

Now don't get me wrong I think schools technical solutions have been developed in isolation for to long and good practise has not be shared but thats what edugeeks does. I do know of one school that has basically stoppedme talking to their network manager because they were worried they would leave and that can not be good. School need to get over being islands and see the bigger picture of education for all.

[Sylv3r]

We had Digital Brain here that was purchased through a local catholic partnership (12 secondary schools in the area). When it was agreed to sign up to this I had no say in it what so ever, and was all done at a Head Teachers level with all schools.

 

After the three years passed and £6.5k per year, I can honestly say it was the most money the school has ever wasted in my 7 years working here. Staff did not like it from day one, and the use was minimal in both this school and the Catholic Partnership as a whole. The initial idea was to link all schools together and to share resources within the partnership - this was always going to be difficult to do as Teachers, are not always inclined to share resources within a department nevermind to other schools... Some teachers sat back and waited for the resources where some put a lot of time and effort into it.