Accessing Completed Mentor Lessons

In a brief conversation with chess support, I learned we are still charged time for accessing completed lessons on chess mentor.  Right now it's somewhat misleading.  Chess Mentor says I can review any of my completed lessons, but it does not clearly state that by doing so, I am using up time and money I could spend on new lessons.  Charging us the same amount to review old lessons as we are charged to undertake new lessons can seem disingenuous.  I'm certain, as this site is a beta, it's something that was overlooked in this case.

 

 I'm curious what everyone else thinks about being charged the same rate to access completed lessons on Chess Mentor, as you are charged for going through new lessons?  Does it make sense to have free access to lessons already completed (paid for)?

This is true for anyone who purchases CM by the hour. Once you find that CM is something you enjoy and want to spend real serious time with it, then getting a subscription is probably the most cost-effective approach, since you get UNLIMITED time to any lessons, new or old. CM hourly should be thought of in the same way you would think of a tutor, and even reviewing old/past material with a tutor is going to cost you the same hourly rate.

Thank you, Jay.  Let me ask the question a different way.  In my case I have unlimited access for 10 days or so, as I am a gold member.  After those 10 days are up, do I have the ability to access the completed lessons, or will I have to pay to access lessons already completed?

 

 

jay basically said, in the same way you hire a tutor, you're hiring the CM.  you can't walk up to a tutor a few days after a lesson and ask him to give you the same complete lesson for free. you'd have to purchase more of that person's time.  simple answer: no, you can't view the lessons after your subscription has ended.

You will have to pay to access lessons already completed. With a subscription, its access to everything, or access to nothing. You aren't buying to own the lessons, you are buying the rights to USE the software. If we sold the lessons/courses individually then you would be able to, but we found that approach doesn't make sense, it would be MUCH more expensive for the user (you) to use CM this way. One course would cost upwords of $10-$15, and you might as well get a whole month for that price.

Yes, I'm familiar with SaaS, Jay.  However please consider an export option. It would not take up a lot of development hours and would be a value-added feature.  I appreciate your time in answering my questions.  Thank you.

 

Regards,

 

C.S. 

 

 

 

 

Hmm, if we added an export option, someone could subscribe for one month, download all the material (or a competitor could steal it) and then cancel? The material is VERY valuable and just letting people download it is probably too dangerous.

Jay, allow me to draw another perspective that differs from what you have presented me. 

 

Your information is already available to anyone with a browser.  You guys have collected PGNs that are available online (unless you have Kasparov locked in the basement playing out games.) It's the fact they are in your system that makes them valuable, as you have built a business model around them.  Allowing me to download a PGN or FEN position to study later is a great value-add.  And the risk?  Someone downloads every single position and does what?  Creates an online database, hires an Indian development team for $10/hour, puts up some crap site like gameknot.com that hasn't seen an improvement in over three years?  The guy who is going to do that is already stripping PGNs from Google and that guy isn't a threat to you.

 

Give the people one more reason to shell out that $14.99 a month.  Subscriptions are a great revenue stream, but you have to sell the value-added features.  I have not paid for a year up front on CM, like I did for chess.com, because I am not convinced I get a better deal than I do at playchess.com, where I can buy the actual engines and play them ad nausuem.    

 

I appreciate your time.  Thank you.

 

Regards,

 

C.S. 

 

Thanks for the comments. However, maybe you don't quite understand whats involved with CM if you think its just a pgn. :)  Nowhere in the CM database is a pgn actually stored. Its a complex relational database of about 10 tables that stores positions, moves, lessons, courses, ratings, possible response moves, weightings, key squares & pieces, three types of hints, commentary on right and wrong moves, or alternate moves, etc etc etc. :)

 

I'm not sure even if we did build something to download for the end user, what format that might take to be of any use? We'd have to allow you to download any/all of the above, and putting all of that stuff together costs LOTS of money. It's far from being just a pgn file or even an "engine" as you suggest on other sites. It's a custom lesson built by a GM/IM that required hours of someones time.

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Jay, you misunderstood me.

 

The original position on the board could be exported as a PGN/FEN/whathaveyou for study purposes.  You're overcomplicating the issue.  I'm referring to studying a position, that's it.  I already said the business model you've wrapped around it is valuable.

 

Perhaps you should reread what it is I'm pointing out before you delve into lectures about the difficulty of your business.  As a paying customer I am [edit] making a feature request.  Instead of debating the issue with me, as a staff member, a more appropriate response on your part would be something like:  "Thank you for your input, we value your thoughts and ideas on how to make chess.com a better site for our customers.  I am passing along your ideas to our product development team/managers for review.  Best regards, Jay."

 

I do appreciate your time, Jay, thanks. [/edit]

 

Regards,

 

C.S. 

 

Got it, we'll consider it. thanks

has this been sorted yet?

In short, are there any good... And what's to compare.