Floozy Speak!

It doesn't happen very often in the physical world, yet online with my eyes wide open expectations of all that is good will happen for me... well it happens alot.  Today's offender, the kickin of me in the balls is SafariU "now in beta flavor!" 

The tag line is Your Course In Print On the Web Your way. 

Create publish and share your own book.  Yes sure you pay for it, but you can create it.  You pull what you want and you learn.  Now I like this idea.  I like it alot.  Sure I got 800 some idenities on the web, what's another, lets add safariU to the list, yet another login. 

I take the tour, seems all good, I hit apply. 

Now apparently this site is only for educators.  WTF?  OWWW kicked in the balls!  Take that!  Where on this site does it say "educators only"???  Does it actually expect me to read the terms of service agreement?  Does anyone actually read that any more?  Maybe that little notifcation was in there.  Nice move!  Course I dont know, I dont ever plan to read another terms of service agreement for awhile.  Where else could be the flashing red light of warning only spend time on this site and or concept if you are an educator!!  You could argue that I should of known!  I mean isnt it obvious, it does say your course!  Well guess what we teach classes here at work all the time, still not an educator in the official sense.  Ok lets keep looking....Well in the fine print of "how it works" theres still no reference as far as i can see in a quick read of the page regarding me, the need of me to be an official falculty member.  I did notice just now the $700 bucks min order notice.  Thats a neat little reality not tossed into the overal vibe you get from the site. 

SafariU is a lie.  Its a big bad wolf in sheeps clothing or something.  Basically as a user i'm hit with golden promise up front, the wismical idea, the animated tour of all that is possible and then i'm fucked at the door to get in. 

I bet money I'm not the first joe blow that thought this was a cool concept of a site and tried to join up only to get the "notice" that it aint happenin. 

So the problem is all these joe blows really.  I remember working on an ecommerce project for a clothing company and the CEO's response to the errors and failures people had via their checkout process was "well can we get smarter people?"  Blissful arrogance, thats what we all need eh? 

The idea what I should of known bothers me really.  I got the link off the Make Magazine website.  A DIY for hackers and freaks messin with empowerment and technologies, not really a site i'd associate with educators and falculty members.  The only thing that applies to the placement on Make's website is the DIY factor, but its not pure like Make's, its with a catch.  So sell on the promise of possibility and then smack them dead center in the door pane when the attempt. 

Sure in hindsight yer right i dont have $700 to blow on books for my students.  But the concept makes me want to still use it.  Creating my own How To on using flash sounds interesting, or perhaps a cafepress style creation or biz model would make more sense for me.  Still a win win for Safari.  A stupid cash cow win win if you ask me.  They provide the interface and content, I provide the passion and drive to make the ideal book, they make them and profit.  Where is the problem here.  Production costs?  See cafepress. 

Well I guess i'm done here ranting about yet another experience online.  Balls intact!