Training supersite.com

Citation

Wright, P. (1999), "Training supersite.com", Journal of European Industrial Training, Vol. 23 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/jeit.1999.00323caa.001

Training supersite.com

http://www.trainingsupersite.com

This first editorial will look at an unabashedly commercial site that I have found to be extremely useful, especially if one is a training manager or practicing trainer. On entering the site, however, I was put off by the welcome graphics and by the flashing introduction ­ the use of cute graphics and supposedly attention-catching headlines are both unnecessary and misleading.

Delving further, the site is divided into eight major sections, containing 40 links, some focusing on generic material, others tending to push a particular product line or lines. These main sections are accurately identified:

1. 1.

   In the "Publications center" one finds references to a group of products, some of which are well known, others less so. These products tend to be print publications that explore various aspects of training, although one news letter that covers copyright and another addressing the needs of sales professionals were included in the mix.

2. 2.

   The "Training mall" opens with a one-page introduction, outlining ways to order the various products and dealing with the encryption issue. I found the software link to be particularly interesting. Knowing that some of these resources exist can be of use during the training design phase, even if one has no immediate use for these products.

3. 3.

   The "Learning center" contains announcements about conferences, seminars and commercially-available courses. The "Learning University" link is of particular interest, as it includes a series of streamed, multi-media courses (mostly in programming), that can be attempted at one's own pace. Similarly, another link presents a product line focusing on leadership. I liked the "Tutorials" link, as it stressed training on commercially-available products, training costs might be reduced when introducing new software or when orienting new employees.

4. 4.

   Looking at the "Community center," I found access to a database containing more than 35,000 conferences and seminars, as well as a "how to" section on subscribing to list servers. Lack of time prevented me from accessing the "Discussion board", but if one finds value in such resources, the site is advertised as being free of commercial messages.

5. 5.

   Potentially the most useful section, the "Research center" contains (among other resources), the addresses of over 250 training-related sites rated A+ to F, by an independent consultant. These sources range from an adult education collection at the Syracuse University to "wellness on the web" and more traditional training-related material. During the months to come, these will provide fertile ground for this editorial.

6. 6.

   A "click" on the "Article archives" link brought out a range of professional articles from a number of well-known magazines and news letters. The search engine is easy to use. A test, using the search term, "training, cost benefit", found more than ten entries, including Fitz-Enz's classic: "Yes... you can weigh training's value." The price was reasonable at $4.95.

7. 7.

   The "Job bank" another superb link, contains three levels of hypertext. The first advertises a "career center" for job seekers and a "recruiting center" for employers. Delving further, one finds job listings arranged in several categories and finally, individual, detailed job postings. This section is well-designed and extremely user friendly.

8. 8.

   The "Trade center" is the main business site. Containing (among other resources) a "Guide to products and source providers", a method to list "your" company at the site, a "Business opportunities" board and a "Speakers bureau", this section, as with most aspects of this site, was easy to use and delivered what was promised. A look at the "Opportunities board", for example (listings were only a week out of date), found 13 entries that ranged widely, from IT Training Sales, through the availability of NEC in Spanish.

9. 9.

   Finally, the "Tourist center", or help desk contains some interesting links that include a "frequently asked questions" list and an on-line virus scanner. Another feature is a link to "Internet weather", a site tests some 60 major providers for "packet loss", a primary cause of slow communications.

One feature common to most sections, is a method of referring others to the various links. This "opportunity" is not overly obtrusive and it fits well with the overtly-commercial nature of this site.

Phil WrightInternet Editor