How do you like tutorials

[TomXP411]

So I've been thinking of doing some tutorials on simple BASIC code patterns.

It takes a lot of work to do a quality video, and it also takes a lot of work to write up a proper tutorial. Doing both means... well, doing it twice. 

So this is my question to you guys: would you prefer to have a video presentation, a written presentation, or do you think having both is the preferred choice, even if it means longer gaps between installments?

[Edmond D]

Here are some random thoughts:



- Might I suggest start with video and post a transcription of the audio out. It would reduce the time to make both forms for a start.

- Writings can get parsed by a translator, or worked through by a non-native reader which allows others to understand the content where video/audio is harder to parse for meaning (or at least that is the way for me.)  



- I recently read the thread on basic optimization on the forum. A lot of writing & reading! The format allowed me to go back and re-read sections that I didn't get the first time. However a good tutorial should never leave the student unsure of what they are learning.  Knowing the target student really helps. Having recently joined and trying to read all posts suggests to me that most forum people are probably not who you want to help. Who are you going to target and what skillset do you think they have?

- Perhaps create a simple prototype of a pattern in both formats measuring the time taken. Then post it and ask for feedback on the format, not the content. Then see what the reception by the community is like. You'll get feedback whether you like it or not, or agree/disagree too! ?

 

[rje]

Mr. Heffernan has shown us that posting videos works well for explaining concepts, and I can see some concepts with Commodore BASIC that would benefit from a video or two.

But if I'm going to follow along with a programming language, I'm going to read it, not watch it.

 

[Snickers11001001]

I'm working through Matt's videos, and the format would be hard to follow  -- stop, pause, 'oh what did that say' - or 'dang it, I didn't catch that part of the code on the screen, gotta rewind' -- except that he also did some color coding which he incorporated into his scripts, and then includes links to the code etc in the description.  That's pretty helpful.   I think with any sort of code, you've got to have a written form that folks can look at and refer to beyond just video, especially if they want to go back and look later while they're trying something out. 

BTW, don't use the 'convert/optimize" thread I did as any sort of a template.     I was pretty good at BASIC back in the day but then had a career in a completely non computer field before retiring .   This year I picked up BASIC again for the first time and the optimization thread was literally me writing that up AS I was going through the process of  trying to figure out how to implement optimization ideas I had spotted.  (I revisited it again recently as my game project had to go on hiatus until the 'change in product direction' kerfuffle sorts itself out).   

But that entire exercise would have been better and more concise if I had planned and outlined it more from the start, and then applied the 20% rule (i.e., 'cut 20% from your first draft no matter what' to force brevity and focus) before putting everything up.  As it was, I had some notes on things to try and a sort of order, and just typed right into the forum 'new post' window until I covered what I wanted before making a few screen shots and that was it.   No editorial processes at all and it probably shows. 

Looking forward to your series. 

 

[Shadowmane]

You need some basic getting around tutorials.  Short videos on each thing.  Loading files.  Mounting drives.  essentially getting around the system.  Once you have all of that, then you can point them to tutorials about programming.  Essentially, take them through the Commodore 64 Guide (or the VIC-20 Guide, if X16 is more like that), only for the Commander X16 with the nuances that are different from Commodore.

I know I could use tutorials like that right about now.

[Johan Kårlin]

I prefer text and pictures, at least if the tutorials are quite specific, if their purpose are to show how to do certain things like how to use sd images or how to disassemble hardware. You easily end up skipping forward and backwards to find the interesting parts, then pausing and repeating to really get how things are done.

[svenvandevelde]

For the real retro experience it should be text. Preferably in old C64 or C128 style. Perifractic made materials but not sure how much material was finished.