Two phys-L-ers asked me to follow up the inquiry. Many more are probably
interested in its outcome. Tom Copley did not reply to two message posted
for him on our list. Does he exist? Does he know that somebody is acting
on his behalf? Please help us, especially if you are near Berkeley.
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Who knows this fellow "Thomas P. Copley, Ph.D."? The self-discription is:
"he has served on the faculties of Washington State University, Antioch
College, and Amstrong University". "As a former college professor I first
became interested in on-line education in the early 1980's". Also "one of
the founders of the Electronic University in San Francisco ... the editor
of the electronic newsletter the TELELEARNING NETWORK SYNTHESIZER and the
moderator of the distance-education marketing mailing list".
The address given (real checks --> virtual classroom) is: 862 Arlington
Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94707-1938, USA. Can somebody from that area confirm
the existance of the distance learning consulting firm called Arlington
Courseware? Am I being too suspecious? An opprtunity to learn distance
teaching from a knowledgeable and ethusiastic pioneer is appealing. But
who wants to be a victim of another clever Internet deception? He does
give two e-mail addresses (tune5@arlington.com tcopley@arlington.com) and
the URL for the Arlington Courseware. The web page of that organization
(www.bearfountain.com/arlington/) is full of good information. Furhtemore,
the description of the workshop shows that the author is a committed
person who knows the subject. I am 95% sure that the offer is real.
My first impression was that he is a phys-L-er responding to the thread
"Web-based courses" started by Carl E. Mungan on Sept. 26. But he did not
confirm this. Why is he silient? Unlike other solicitations, his came from
phys-L. Did he become a subscriber for one day only? I suspect that there
is a remote possibility that the individual who is impersonating Thomas
Coplye might disappear after October 10, the deadline for paying the first
two workshops. The cost is not a fortune and I am willing to take a chance
but I would feel better if somebody could verify the Berkeley address for
us. The phone number of Arlington Coursware was not given; ARE THEY LISTED
in the Berkeley phone book?
Ludwik Kowalski