The team behind Mocha, Brown's student-run alternative to the University's online course catalog, released an updated version of the Web site yesterday, simplifying the software's interface and integrating information on courses' required textbooks and their prices from the Brown Bookstore and Amazon.com.

Launched in January 2006 by five computer science concentrators who developed it over winter break as a pet project, Mocha quickly gained popularity as a user-friendly alternative to the Brown Online Course Announcement. In March 2007, developers quickly adapted the software to function with the University's ill-received Banner Catalog and Schedule...

...The updates come amid continued discussions aimed at integrating Mocha into Banner, which have been taking place between student developers and University officials for several months.

"We have officially decided to adopt the Mocha functionality," Michael Pickett, vice president for computing and information services and the University's chief information officer, told The Herald Oct. 26. "By January 1, CIS will definitely own that piece of the code."

Instead, negotiations have dragged on. Gordon and Douglas refused to discuss specifics, but the team's demand for financial compensation may be a sticking point - though Pickett had said that he was open to the idea of money changing hands.