Two Guys Take On Cliff Notes
Posted on December 10, 1999
Mark Saldanha and Michael Burgess have launched Schoolbytes.com, a website aimed at high school and college students with one philosophy: make complex stuff easy, entertaining and free.
Schoolbytes co-founder Saldanha says in the announcement, "I'm just looking forward to taking down Cliff Notes and rocking the internet world of study aids. Students pay enough damn money for tuition and stuff, and we want to save them money. That's why we're free."
Their most popular section to date is the irreverent plotbytes. They have developed a cult-like following in the student community because they are free and students can understand the language they are presented in. They include standard literature guide elements, along with Schoolbytes elements such as a "Things to make you look smart" section.
An excerpt from the plotbyte of Beowulf. "Then Beowulf hears about the monster He gets 14 of his buddies (from Geats) to come with him to kick the monster's ass. Beowulf goes to Hrothgar's house (castle) and is pretty cocky about how easily he can kill the big monster. One of Hrothgar's soldiers, Unferth, says that Beowulf is full of shit about what a good fighter he is."
