Quality of Service

[Aitch]

I have been monitoring this website for a significant period and must say that I am not satisifed with the service delivered. The IRSE say students must present themselve proffessionally and this should be true of this facility as well. Several times when I had attempted to access the website it has been complete off-air unavailable sometimes for hours at a time; this is not what we have a right to expect.

Also the time it takes to respond to students queries is unacceptible. Internet response should be measured in hours not days and therefore a 24hour deadline for an inital response must be observed in future, with at least 80% achieved within 12hours. A full anser to the issue raised should be available within 48 hours maximum.

Don

[Peter]

I have been monitoring this website for a significant period and must say that I am not satisifed with the service delivered. The IRSE say students must present themselve proffessionally and this should be true of this facility as well. Several times when I had attempted to access the website it has been complete off-air unavailable sometimes for hours at a time; this is not what we have a right to expect.

Also the time it takes to respond to students queries is unacceptible. Internet response should be measured in hours not days and therefore a 24hour deadline for an inital response must be observed in future, with at least 80% achieved within 12hours. A full anser to the issue raised should be available within 48 hours maximum.

Don’t give comments on an attempt but just give the right answers straight off. The last 5 year past papers for all modules should be here and each question have a hyperlink response to model answer so that students can prepare for exam. There needs to be better index so easier to find relevant stuff.

Mod 3 mock exam is the only one yet published and even that has no answers. When are the others going to appear? Can we be sure that all the questions in the mock will be in the paper or is it only 3 that are guaranteed so forcing people to prepare for them all? It says not officially connected to IRSE or Exam Committee so what gaurantee is there that these are even the correct questions?

In summary it falls well short of meeting its objective and more effort should be expended to meet the needs of students

I am sorry that you feel this way, but bear in mind a couple of things.

This is not a service offered by the IRSE, it, like most internet forum sites was set up by some volunteers. Its intention is to give wider access to some who cannot make it to a study goup. As such, it operates somewhat like a study group. It is not a teaching resource. People who come to my study group (and I am quite sure other study group leaders work the same way) having done no work will get little out.

Those posting are encouraged to let the users know what their field of expertise is so that the users can have the ability to decide on whether the angle of approach for the comments is relevant for them (ie a UK mainline expert commenting on a principles aspect is not going to be relevant for Hing Kong metro). As such, the mock exam that Peter W has kindly offered is based on his field of expertise. There is no warranty that what he covers in that will come up. I would like a broader spectrum of experts so that the forum can be all encompassing, but as all those involved are volunteers, I cannot force anyone to take part. The flip side to this is that if there are experts in a given field prepared to contribute, why deny those who are working in that field access to good information.

See the related post commenting about "right answers".

There are no service level agreements. The volunteers vounteer because they want to help people, not because they have to. They look when they can and respond after suitable consideration of information posted.

The IRSE website links to this site because it is a resource to help, not a panacea for magical learning by osmosis. Similarly, this does not (and I don't think the IRSE beleive for one minute that it does) absolve them from providing resouces as they see fit.

As for the technicallity of the webiste being off line. There is a simple reason for this. It is funded out of my pocket and hence I have chosen a budget hosting package. It, like the span of participation, is not perfect. If there is a web expert who would like to help, please contact me.

The site is here as seen. If you don't think it adds value to you, you are welcome to pursue other avenues. If you want comments on attemps to papers or guidance on where to find information to build your background knowledge, post here. Above all, do not expect a set of model answers to appear.

Peter

[PJW]

Peter has been very moderate in his use of language; had I seen this post first then I am likely to have reacted rather more abruptly.
I access this site typically twice a day (in order to be responsive if something is posted) and I very rarely find it unavailable.  However I cannot guarantee that I will always do this- I have a job and like all of us certain committments outside work and indeed leisure actiities that I also wish to balance in my life.

If you are able to arrange a source of secure funding of the order of £250,000 per year then you could have the level of service you seem to desire.  As far as I can tell, you actually had two quite prompt replies to your previous post but so far have failed to respond to either despite many many weeks passing.

The module 3 paper was produced especially for those attending the YM Exam Preparation day in just under a months time to do as a mock exam beforehand; those who have registered for this have today been emailed these questions, the layout to be used for the Control Table exercise and the 2003 Module 2 layout plan.
The questions are the kind of questions that may come up- there are absolutely no guarantees.  In my experience that is what mock papers are; not a "nudge and a wink" re what will come up.  Indeed I believe that the paper is not yet irrevocably set yet and the examiners would have the ability to change if by some pure fluke I had actually selected one very like one of theirs.

Last year for my students I did set mock mod 1,2,3,5 papers and made them available for others who wanted.  It's only worthwhile when students have already taken advantage of the published past papers / Study Packs that are available and want something fresh to do in exam conditions.  So far those registered on this site have not given evidence that this is the case. 

If everyone registered attempted a question a week and submitted it here then a bank of "typical answers" together with relevant feedback would be built up; this would go someway to providing the resource you'd like.  At present there are only a couple of people doing this; why don't you lead by example and do some yourself to add something to the common pool?

May I remind you of a few proverbs:
Half a loaf is better than no bread
Don't look a gift horse in the mouth
He who pays the piper calls the tune

In my experience, if you are wanting a favour from someone then you are more likely to achieve your objective by:
a) asking politely
b) making reasonable requests
c) appearing appreciative of previous favours
d) offering something in return

[Jerry1237]

Aitch. A few points for you to consider.

1) You have contributed nothing to this website, assisted other students with your self-professed signalling expertise. Neither have you replied to my last comments in your other post.

2) The site is run by volunteers and is a forum for students to help themselves but be able to ask for clarification from a more experienced engineer.

3) If this website is not good enough then go buy the study packs, learn what you can vocationally, attend the IST & AST courses (or national equivalents), buy and read the IRSE text books, read the 'Net, attend a study group, educated yourself instead of expecting information that are effectively answers for the exam -- you won't get them here!

4) Attend the study day in August at Derby.

Your comments are unfair, inappropriate and wrong. If you want to improve the "Quality of Service" (which is the incorrect use of the term) then participate, get your collegues to participate and as the site gains momentum it'll become more useful to one and all.

[Aitch]

Aitch. A few points for you to consider.

1) You have contributed nothing to this website, assisted other students with your self-professed signalling expertise. Neither have you replied to my last comments in your other post.

2) The site is run by volunteers and is a forum for students to help themselves but be able to ask for clarification from a more experienced engineer.

3) If this website is not good enough then go buy the study packs, learn what you can vocationally, attend the IST & AST courses (or national equivalents), buy and read the IRSE text books, read the 'Net, attend a study group, educated yourself instead of expecting information that are effectively answers for the exam -- you won't get them here!

4) Attend the study day in August at Derby.

Your comments are unfair, inappropriate and wrong. If you want to improve the "Quality of Service" (which is the incorrect use of the term) then participate, get your collegues to participate and as the site gains momentum it'll become more useful to one and all.

1. I didn't reply as would not be worth it; you are clearly one of the establishment with your own fixed views. This Forum claims to be independent of IRSE and exam but that just isn't true and you are worst example.

2. This website should be what the students want to get through the exam, not you want it to be because we are the customers. If they want us to do the exam then they should enable and fund us to do it.

3. What you mean is "get lost". See 2

4. That event is a swiz as well. It claimed to be free. I find that not only would I need to devote entire weekend for no comiseration but ALSO to fund travel AND hotel myself. No thank you!

Who are you to judge me. I have a right to free speech.

[PJW]

2. This website should be what the students want to get through the exam, not you want it to be because we are the customers. If they want us to do the exam then they should enable and fund us to do it.

4. That event is a swiz as well. It claimed to be free. I find that not only would I need to devote entire weekend for no comiseration but ALSO to fund travel AND hotel myself. No thank you!

Who are you to judge me. I have a right to free speech.

Firstly I think we are demonstrating our tolerance by allowing you to post your thoughts even though we see things rather differently but patience is certainly wearing thin.

You perhaps yourself ought to consider things from a viewpoint other than that of yourself. You talk about "THEY" without defining who you are meaning; if you did so then it might bring some clarity / realism.
Do you mean SIGNET?- they are going to some trouble and expense to organise something for which they are not charging even though similar training is their core business; apparently you are not thankful for that gesture but reject the offer because you want MORE.
Do you mean IRSE?- I have never heard of an exam board arranging free tuiton to pass their own exams. If IRSE were to arrange, do you think that the exam fees ought to go up significantly, or would it be effectively funded by raising the membership subscriptions and thus imposing a levy on those who have already passed the exams by their own efforts in previous years?
Do you mean your EMPLOYER?- Well yes, perhaps more employers ought to make it easier for their staff to atend such things. However if I were your manager and you came with your demands in terms as expressed here, then I wouldn't feel in the slightest inclined to help; if however you showed had previously shown interest and application and then approached to see what assistance might be possible, there would be a much better chance of trying to find a way re time / expenses within the constraints of the company's organisation.

Just for the record, I personally have already taken a day's leave and paid for one ticket to Derby and will be taking another day's leave, funding two night's accomodation and travel as well as expecting to devote large percentage of the next 3 weekends to this event. So not insubstantial yet not overly significant in the tapestry of life and my choice to do, so I am not complaining; however it is as well that we can make choices in private life which wouldn't be possible in a business context where everything has to be judged on a Cost v Benefit basis to get a "Business Case". So don't expect any sympathy from me, or an offer to pay your attendance expenses and wages.

I've looked back at your other posts; I know you won't like me saying this but to me they all seem seriously "out of order". Suggest that you need to get yourself "re-calibrated" to recognise that the world is not going to reorganise itself solely taking your wishes into consideration. We'd like to help you, but your attitude makes that difficult

[PJW]

2. This website should be what the students want to get through the exam, not you want it to be because we are the customers. If they want us to do the exam then they should enable and fund us to do it.

4. That event is a swiz as well. It claimed to be free. I find that not only would I need to devote entire weekend for no comiseration but ALSO to fund travel AND hotel myself. No thank you!

Who are you to judge me. I have a right to free speech.

Firstly I think we are demonstrating our tolerance by allowing you to post your thoughts even though we see things rather differently but patience is certainly wearing thin.

You perhaps yourself ought to consider things from a viewpoint other than that of yourself. You talk about "THEY" without defining who you are meaning; if you did so then it might bring some clarity / realism.
Do you mean SIGNET?- they are going to some trouble and expense to organise something for which they are not charging even though similar training is their core business; apparently you are not thankful for that gesture but reject the offer because you want MORE.
Do you mean IRSE?- I have never heard of an exam board arranging free tuiton to pass their own exams. If IRSE were to arrange, do you think that the exam fees ought to go up significantly, or would it be effectively funded by raising the membership subscriptions and thus imposing a levy on those who have already passed the exams by their own efforts in previous years?
Do you mean your EMPLOYER?- Well yes, perhaps more employers ought to make it easier for their staff to atend such things. However if I were your manager and you came with your demands in terms as expressed here, then I wouldn't feel in the slightest inclined to help; if however you showed had previously shown interest and application and then approached to see what assistance might be possible, there would be a much better chance of trying to find a way re time / expenses within the constraints of the company's organisation.

Just for the record, I personally have already taken a day's leave and paid for one ticket to Derby and will be taking another day's leave, funding two night's accomodation and travel as well as expecting to devote large percentage of the next 3 weekends to this event. So not insubstantial yet not overly significant in the tapestry of life and my choice to do, so I am not complaining; however it is as well that we can make choices in private life which wouldn't be possible in a business context where everything has to be judged on a Cost v Benefit basis to get a "Business Case". So don't expect any sympathy from me, or an offer to pay your attendance expenses and wages.

I've looked back at your other posts; I know you won't like me saying this but to me they all seem seriously "out of order". Suggest that you need to get yourself "re-calibrated" to recognise that the world is not going to reorganise itself solely taking your wishes into consideration. We'd like to help you, but your attitude makes that difficult

[Jerry1237]

Who are you to judge me. I have a right to free speech.

Yet, ironincally, you judge others! I suggest you leave this forum as your posts are pointless, antagonistic and not in keeping with the forum's purpose.