Try entering 'e-learning high attrition rates' into an appropriate search engine and you will not be short of hits that offer a variety of perceptions on the effectiveness of e-learning - and many that claim the attrition rate is as high as 80%. Can it be true that as many as eight out of ten people who begin an e-learning course fail to complete it? The answer is 'yes', and there is evidence that some kinds of e-learning are not very successful; however, it depends on what is meant by 'e' and what is meant by 'learning'. What follows is an attempt to explain the story behind the headline. It is a story that covers the last ten years and has all of the wonderful benefits of hindsight.