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The Latest Thing from Microsoft - Video Training

When I started working with classic ASP back in 1998 the vast majority of the tutorials and training information were to be found on community websites like ActiveServerPages.com, 15Seconds.com, and (dare I say) 4GuysFromRolla.com. (I've reminisced about the community websites back in the day on this blog before...) Anyway, at the time Microsoft seemed to only be the place to go for the technical documentation. There was the scripting center, which had great technical reference for both the VBScript and JScript scripting languages, but there weren't as many tutorials, walk throughs, how tos, blogs, and other training material you find today on msdn.microsoft.com and other Microsoft properties (such as the ASP.NET blogs, the MSDN blogs, the ASP.NET Forums, and www.asp.net).

The latest training vector Microsoft seems to be exploring is video training - both live and on-demand web casts. Scott Guthrie recently blogged about the breadth of ASP.NET 2.0 tutorial videos, and there's also a Video Training section on the ASP.NET Developer Center on MSDN. There's even videos targeted toward JSP/PHP/ColdFusion developers for transitioning to ASP.NET, and if you watch three web casts Microsoft will throw in a free copy of Visual Studio 2005 Standard Edition. (Which really isn't too much more than the free Visual Web Developer version.)

Personally I've not tuned into the video training. I know some people are visual learners and learn best by watching, but I think I learn best by reading and then doing. I think part of it, too, is that I'm a bit impatient. With an article or text-based tutorial I can read at my own speed, stop when I want to try certain things out, skip over sections very easily/quickly. Video training lacks these features. I do, however, enjoy live training in small class room settings with classmates of similar skill level. While it is true that in such settings the presenter dictates the speed of the discussion, the ability to interact with the presentor and other attendees is invaluable. (Of course, the value quickly degrades if there are too many attendees or if the presenter discourages open discourse.)

BUT, if you are someone who does learn best by watching, check out the free ASP.NET video tutorials, they might be right up your alley.

posted on Tuesday, February 28, 2006 10:24 PM

Feedback

# re: The Latest Thing from Microsoft - Video Training 3/1/2006 8:09 AM LP

I agree. And according to me this is plain laziness - the webcasts provide good starting point but are never good enough for a deep dive. And that's where an article scores heavily - it is always more in depth.

I think even the best webcast would not make a decent article on MSDN.


# re: The Latest Thing from Microsoft - Video Training 3/1/2006 8:09 AM Hanan

Scott,
I can understand why it's not an effective way of learning for experienced developers as you. But for beginners like me, step by step videos are perfect. It's a true timesaver when MSDN seems confusing, and it does, to rookies.

# re: The Latest Thing from Microsoft - Video Training 3/1/2006 9:28 AM Darren Kopp

The benefit of webcasts, at least the live ones, is you can ask questions as you are going or at the end, which you can't do in articles (as easily). Granted, with blogs and comments and such you can do so, but it doesn't happen in real time and may take a longer time.

I agree that with text you can have more in-depth information or more extensive information within a single article. From what I have seen, the videos tend to be more focussed on a single area. However, I feel that 2 or 3 videos are as extensive as an article or two. It all depends on who is presenting.

The ironic part about watching webcasts for me is that I never actually WATCH them, I leave them minimized and just listen to what they are talking about while I go about my work. If I don't know what they are referring to, I will just toggle the video and look at where they are in the code, but that's about it. I don't really need the information, but I like to see how other people implement something, as compared to how I would, then I try to figure out which one is better, or incorporate the two.

-Darren

# re: The Latest Thing from Microsoft - Video Training 3/9/2006 9:34 AM Fabio Galante Mans

I don´t speak English and read little, then videos are good to learn. I´m Brazilian.

# re: The Latest Thing from Microsoft - Video Training 4/30/2006 8:57 PM Tj

I think videos are great way to start on a particular topic.Suppose I am working on ASP.NET project and all of sudden a junior program(from another team) comes and ask about HowTo: in remoting all i can do watch a quick webcast just go thru the webcase->File marker and jump to the desktop sharing and see what he is doing and then suddenly i become an expert on that topic,and then i can setup the whole project and code and show it the junior guy how its need to be done.

Moreover it also gives be to get the best of every world and how things are so easy to do in something else rather then your coding language.

Same time I am still fan of technical articles and blogs.And i love your article Scott.I wish one day you should do a webcast on "ASP.NET application End to End in an Enterprise" and should be like a Iron developer contest sort .

:)

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