Webmail 2 is new, but debate continues as to whether it's improved.

Director of Customer Communications for information technology services (ITS) Robin Anderson said she had a meeting Tuesday to ask those in ITS about the main complaints users were having with Webmail 2.

"What everybody kept telling me was 'Give me my old Webmail back,'" she said.

Users are divided as to whether generally faster loading times, a spam filter and more vibrant colors are worth what they say is a confusing new interface.

"Pretty much everyone I've talked to who uses Webmail 2 thinks it's an awful program," Judson Weinsheimer (senior-information sciences and technology) said.

He began a group on Facebook called "Webmail 2 sucks" to express his distaste for the new Webmail. This is one of about seven such groups that have cropped up since Webmail 2's implementation, with titles ranging from "Webmail 2 is ruining my life" to "I don't know which is worse - Penn state webmail '2' or the new facebook!!!" Weinsheimer said Webmail 2 feels "glitchy" when used in less popular browsers and that the tabs have confused some users.

"Some people will click the inbox tab to go back to the inbox, but if you have a message open, you'll go back to the message," he said.

Alfred Din (sophomore-chemistry) said the new tabs are annoying.

"I already use Firefox, so I have to use Webmail tabs instead of Firefox tabs," he said.

Others have responded positively to the new layout.

"It's better than Webmail one," Gwen Withers (freshman-biology) said. "It's cleaner with the different colors."

Ryan Hook (sophomore-engineering) said he thinks Webmail 2 is an improvement overall but hasn't adjusted yet to some of its quirks.

"The only thing I'm not used to yet is I'll hit 'back' to go to my inbox but it doesn't take you back, you have to click 'inbox' to view your messages again," Hook said.

Sami Haq (senior-industrial engineering) said some of his friends have been complaining about Webmail 2.

"At the beginning it was kind of confusing," he said. "It's not that bad."

Haq said Webmail 2 doesn't seem that different from the old Webmail but that the speed boost made him happy. "It seems like it's pretty much based on the old form," he said. "It's faster, that's what really matters. It doesn't waste your time."

Anderson said users are generally pleased with the increased speed of Webmail 2.

"Students were complaining last year that it took forever," Anderson said. "The response time is significantly improved, it's great."

Anderson said students with slower internet connections haven't been able to enjoy the increased speed of the new system, however.

"Those who live off campus and are using dialup have noticed that the new Webmail is slower to load," she said. "ITS is going to be looking at a simplified Webmail 2 so it won't take so long for dialup."

Meg Morton (freshman-secondary education and biology) said she is one of those who would prefer that Webmail 2 hadn't come into existence.

"I liked the old one better," she said. "I would change it back."

Anderson said it would not be possible to give users the option of choosing between the original Webmail and Webmail 2.

"Once someone's Webmail is converted to Webmail 2, they're in Webmail 2," she said. "Software gets updated. That's the nature of technology."