Re: FLASH: A word about tutorials

[Kenneth C. Sherwood]

Timothy Palmer-Benson wrote:


> Hello:

> I am a new comer to the Flash scene. My background is journalism...not

> programming. I am 54 years old and more used to writing about Mideast wars.

> I was taught never to use the word escalate because escalators go up and

> down. I am quick with an editor's pencil when I read "a lone gunman" or

> "heavily armed troops". So, when it comes to reading web based tutorials

> about Flash I am invariably "flummoxed!"

>

> I am finding Flash exceedingly difficult to learn and the tutorials equally

> difficult. I own the program and am even flying to California to take Lynda

> Wyman's course.


It's Lynda *Weinman*.


Your background is journalism?


Or you can't find your editor's pencil?


;-)


> This is after failing to find adequate tuition on the web.


For free?


Or, that you were willing to give something back for?


> I have yet to find a web based tutorial that really takes you by the hand.

> Too

> much apriori knowledge is assumed. Rarely is an explanation given as to what

> to do if one can't complete a step. I have yet to see anyone deal with

> editing of one's mistakes. There is undo, but that's it. Flash changes

> screens, seemingly without explanation. Very seldom do I see an explanation

> in a web based tutorial that one can expect certain things to be displayed

> at each production step and why. At the moment, I am plowing through Darrel

> Plant's book. I am on the Drawing chapter at the moment and so far, so good.


Don't expect much help from Darrel.


I assume you mean his most recent book on Flash.


Did you check out the customer reviews available on http://www.amazon.com ?


His *Flash 3!: Creative Web Animation* received a median and mode of only 2

stars out of 5, from 18 readers. See:


http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ts/book-customer-reviews/0201353687/qid=915765795/sr=1-1/002-4512857-0647637


> I think that in order for a web based tutorial to be successful, a writer

> must explain every detail, every sidebar and every eventuality along the

> way.


You need to sit in front of Flash with a friend who knows Flash sitting by your

side, and start creating something from scratch, just out of your imagination.


This is the only way to learn anything, after all.


By *playing*.


> Too often, I have become stuck, midstream in a tutorial, because it

> lacks one key explanation as to why something is not displayed.


Have you heard that Macromedia is not known for its excellence in creating

manuals and other documentation for its software? I knew about this before I

ever considered buying Flash, FreeHand, etc. flom MM. It was part of my

purchase-decision-making process. I just hunted around on the Web for info

about the products I was considering purchasing, in order to make a sound

choice. And not just on MM's site. I found this email list and joined it

*pre-*purchase.


You could have done the same; but I *don't* believe that you took the time to

really find out what you were getting yourself into with Flash.


In a nutshell, and from a relatively newbie point of view, Flash is a tough

road to hoe.


But you have found *here* the best resource I know of for Flash Wisdom, and,

quite coincidentally, *it's free*. Unless, of course, you want to send Sam

Michel some money for the services he graciously provides us.


> This leads

> me to call Macromedia Paid Tech support to find the answer. In some

> instances the tech has pointed out a mistake in the tutorial! (Flashzone).

>

> I would guess that I now have 20 hours into Flash and I still have not

> produced anything that I can use. I can manage Corel Draw, Photopaint,

> Photoshop, Xara, and even Dreamweaver (which is pretty good), but Flash is

> horrible, though I realize it is a very well written program, compact and

> very powerful.


As dynamite is well-crafted, compact and very powerful.


They both can blow your socks off if you don't approach them with respect,

*and* they both can *blow your socks off* if you master them.


> All this is by way of saying that if anyone wants to take me on as a guinea

> pig for their tutorial, let me know. I will surely dispel you of any apriori

> thinking!


Well, that was a graceful bowing out Tim, I must compliment you!


Welcome to Flasher!


Oh, and BTW, in case you're subscribing via *digest* mode, I strongly recommend

that you switch to *individual* mode. It allows you to sort all your saved

emails by subject header, and you can search for keywords in the headers too. A

sort of growing encyclopedia.


Sincerely,


Ken Sherwood



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