'U' students put notes online

In a few weeks, students will be just a few mouse clicks away from complete sets of lecture notes for various University classes. And it's all free - thanks to a student-run multi-media company called Infiniti Plus.

When LSA juniors Brian Levine, Jeff Lawson and Michael Krasman teamed up to form Infiniti Plus last year, "a good cause for students" was definitely on their minds, Levine said.

"Being a student inspired us more than anything else," Levine said. The purchase of notes from sales companies forced students to face long lines and high prices, Levine said.

Infiniti Plus acquires its material, like most other notes agencies, by hiring students enrolled in various classes to take down notes and pass them on to the company. The program's costs are paid through sponsorships by some local companies and restaurants.

Levine said that while the company has not announced a launch date, notes for a variety of classes will soon become available.

"Now you can just log on from your dorm, apartment or frat house, and you are set with up-to-date notes at any time of the day," Levine said.

News of the new service was applauded by students.

"That's really cool," said LSA first-year student Brian Kim.

Some students said that not having to worry about note-taking would free up time for better learning.

"If we could go to class without worrying about scribbling down everything the professor has to say and listening with an open mind instead, and (then) come back home and check out the notes for reference on our own leisure, then this is a really great concept," LSA first-year student Mayer Haddad said.

However, some professors said they were concerned that having notes available at the touch of a button would make it easier for students to sleep through classes.

Anthropology Prof. Holly Peters-Golden said she worried that "student-teacher, inter-class contact" would suffer if students choose to surf the net instead of going to class.

Rick Buhr, the proprietor of Good Time Charlie's, one of 15-20 sponsors of the project, referred to the free service as "a good idea" for students and "good exposure" for his restaurant. Advertisements for Good Time Charlie's and the other business sponsors will appear on the Infiniti Plus Web page.

Levine said the service organizers expect the project to be extensively used by University students, which could mean strong competition for other companies involved in notes sales.

However, Jim Cornell of the marketing department of Grade A Notes, said he is far from worried.

"This project is just free enterprise," Cornell said.

Students can access the Website at http://www.notes4free.com/. Actual class notes will be available in upcoming weeks.

JOHN KRAFT/Daily
LSA juniors Jeff Lawson, Micheal Krasman and Brian Levine shown in their basement room at Delta Sigma where they created and maintain the free online lecture notes service, which can be found on the web at http:www.notes4free.com.

09-10-97