RE: FLASH: A word about tutorials

[Larry & Paula Eisenstein]

Hi Tim,


Welcome. When you go to take the Lynda Weinman's course you will find someone sympathetic to your frustration with the Flash interface. I read an article in which she wrote that Flash3's ease of use factor is absolutely atrocious. I am new to using the program too and I have found on-line tutorial learning a little like the hair of the dog that bit. Once you work through the frustration and conquer small steps one at a time you will find yourself immune to the problems involved with that particular lesson forever, well until the next upgrade!  Be patient and try not to forget that all the tutorials are created and managed by unpaid contributors who are simply sharing their knowledge and experience with the hungry and needy (us). My feelings about Macromedia's manual are another matter. Maybe you will have some tips and tricks to share with us when you return from your Flash course.


Good Luck,

Larry

leisenstwwonline [dot] com

-----Original Message-----

From:	Timothy Palmer-Benson [SMTP:

publishpbpub [dot] com

]

Sent:	Thursday, January 07, 1999 9:44 PM

To:

flashershocker [dot] com

Cc:

barbrising2juno [dot] com

Subject:	FLASH: A word about tutorials



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


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

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


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!


Tim

_________________________________________

Timothy Palmer-Benson

PB Publishing - Scenes of Vermont

http://www.scenesofvermont.com




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