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Monday, 7 April 2014

One light goes out, another switches on


Ten years ago, on April 24th 2004, I uploaded for the first time a little website called MFL Sunderland.  It looked very different in those days, and didn't have many resources on it to start with.


In December 2004, MFL Sunderland welcomed 235 unique visitors.  In December 2013 the figure was 53092.   By the time it came to the end of its life last Friday, it had clocked up 3,450,473 unique visitors and an astounding 13,271,665 page views.

The site began as an evolution of an email resource-sharing group that existed in Sunderland local authority at the time.  Its creation was my first AST target in 2002, when I was a complete website novice.  I was chosen for the task because I had an email address!  I am entirely self taught, and MFL Sunderland was always a one-woman enterprise.


I am very aware how much the website has contributed to my professional career and reputation, and that I owe much of what I now have to it.  Deleting it last Friday evening was a sad and emotional experience.

I had permission to take all my website files and start again elsewhere.  For this reason I have purchased a new domain name and created a new website to house all the MFL Sunderland resources - Light Bulb Languages - which will be supported and maintained by me through my company.


Why Light Bulb Languages?  Well I wanted something that linked the new site to my company name.  Then I looked at my logo and had a flash of inspiration!  When we are planning and preparing our lessons, we all seek that light bulb moment that gives us a clear idea of how we are going to proceed with a certain lesson.  I hope that the resources continue to inspire those light bulb moments!

You will notice that each of the pages of the new site has a Google ad.  This is to cover my domain and hosting bills.  I hope you do not find them intrusive, but it's the only way I have of paying for the site, unless someone fancies sponsoring it!!

So farewell, MFL Sunderland.  You are gone, but you will never be forgotten.


6 comments:

  1. So... I am very confused! Why did MFL Sunderland have to end?

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  2. I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to discuss that in public.

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  3. Thank you for all your hard work over the years and for continuing to share your brilliant resources xx

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  4. Ditto lisibo coments & buena suerte con tu nueva aventura :) ��

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  5. I'm sorry to see the end of MFL Sunderland, having followed it from its beginnings, but it's good to know that you've found a way to keep all the existing resources freely available and to go on adding to them. Best wishes xx

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  6. Thank you for all your hard work and generosity in continuing to share your hard work with the rest of the world. All the best.

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