Reply - Media Specialist and Internet problems

[Hinchingbrooke School <Hinchingb-pess@BBCNC.ORG.UK>]

Matthew Penn's example of his machines crashing every 3 minutes is an
extreme version of what can and does happen to all of us from time to time
(and always the wrong time as Murphy's Law suggests).
I have given up using live demos in front of large audiuences and now go
for my own pages with relative links offline together with an Apple
Presentation kit and a large TV.
I have yet to use Web Whacker or similar means of downloading whole sites
but this must be a way forward. Any teacher knows that while spontaneity
can produce the best lesson preparation produces the most reliable one.
There's nothing reliable about online access.
I know of one ISP here in the UK who is offering the service of downloading
a chosen site for you the night before onto its own server to give greater
reliability. You can do the same yourself and keep it at school. You can
build up sites on the school network (?Intranet?) and know it will be there
when you need it (if it's very short term you shouldn't have a problem with
copyright)..
Offline reading has to be the way forward for reliable demonstrations. You
can even record a session onto video using the Presentation Kit and play it
back knowing for certain what is on tape. For an important demo you can't
beat the belt and braces approach!

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_/ Duncan Grey, Head of Resources  :  Hinchingb-pess@bbcnc.org.uk       _/
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