On May 15, the learning management system Sakai entered restricted access, resulting in the permanent unpublishing of every single Sakai page ever made. Despite this, Sakai will not officially be unusable until 2026, though it is of no use to students anymore.
Canvas — sometimes referred to as Sakai’s prettier, more talented and overall more pleasant younger sibling — will be taking over Sakai’s throne as the biggest burden on students.
Sakai was introduced around 2012, serving as the successor of Blackboard, which was used for 15 years. Sakai was only in service for 12 years — not even a teenager yet when it was phased out. Sakai never got to enjoy its first year of high school.
By 2028, the majority of the student body will probably have forgotten about the service. Who knows, by then, we may have another learning management software. If the trend continues, we can expect a new one in under two decades. Maybe Canvas will be phased out in two years. Again, who knows.
Sakai will be remembered for its clunky user interface as well as its confusing method of uploading assignments.
Sakai was a favorite of professors stuck in the past, unwilling to change their ways, and Daily Tar Heel Summer Managing Editor Sarah Monoson, for some reason.
“It got the job done,” Monoson said. “Who needs all those frills and colors that Canvas has? Also, who needs a phone app? I hate downloading apps.”
The service was never really that bad, but once you got a taste of Canvas and its smooth corners and adequate notifications, it was hard to look at Sakai’s sharp edges and unpolished interface.
When asked about if he enjoyed using Sakai, basketball legend and former Tar Heel Michael Jordan said that he didn’t really care.
