Feedback sent to the NUS IVLE team.

"With the new version of IVLE, we are now unable to view the class rosters for modules we are not taking. While I understand the need for privacy, the class rosters were a good way for people previously enrolled in the modules to sell their old textbooks to those currently taking them. This benefitted both current students, who got used textbooks for cheaper prices, and former students, who got to recoup some of their losses.

Many NUS students are not financially well off, and buying and selling second hand textbooks is essential for them to make ends meet. Please consider adding this feature back to IVLE, even if only for the first 3 weeks of the term."


Argh! How will I sell off my old textbooks and get new second hand ones now, especially with the demise of beatcoop.com (which itself has gotten beaten) and the NUS entrepreneurship society E-bazaar? NUS should be especially distressed by the fall of the latter, with all the spiel about entrepreneurship; it will "Motivate, Prepare and Nurture Successful Entrepreneurs" no more. The agency and matching problem has just become more acute.

What makes things worse is that of the 4 modules for which I have textbooks to sell, in 2 the forum is "not accessible" (presumably not by students not in the module at least) and for 1 the forum was closed early last year (ie Before I even took the module).

I could wait for the various subject societies to hold their used textbook sales, but not only do few societies do that, the sales come only in many weeks' time, by which many might already have bought their textbooks. Also, the societies take a hefty cut of the profits (though I hear the Science/Computing clubs only take a $1 cut). There's also the niggling fact of the NUS coop trying to shut down the Economics Society used textbook sale last semester, a stunt which they might repeat this time.

Maybe I can set up a booth outside the lecture theatres where the modules are held and shout "Lelong lelong! Second hand textbook for sale!" and haggle with students as they come out, but I'm not sure that the time and energy are worth it. Alternatively I can try to plumb social networks but that's probably even more troublesome than setting up a booth.

In any case, all is not lost. What we really need is an auction site like eBay (or dare I say, CORS) with reverse auctioning for efficient market functioning, but in the absence of that, my Arab and Javanese blooded friend who is annoyed at being classified as a Malay under our CMIO system has introduced me to CheekyIdeas, which has used textbook listings. I am pimping it to everyone I know in NUS, and so should you if you do!

[Addendum: I have since been told of a way to view rosters of modules you're not in. The IVLE team has also added a forum for people to buy/sell old textbooks.]