Friday, July 15, 2011

On Instructional Videos

There seems to be a trend these days in instructions on the web: videos.

Videos? Really? Ugh!

I don't know about you, but usually when I look for instructions on how to do something I either just need to find out what tools or utilities I need to use to do it, or to refer to the instructions as I go through the task. Videos are good for neither; you can't effectively skim a video for the important parts, or go through it at your own pace as your task progresses.

Seriously, people, I really don't have the time, and in any case don't want, to slog through your introductions or sit through your "um"s and "uh"s just to find out what to use to get my blog fed to a facebook page. Save the videos for tasks, or parts of tasks, where that kind of demonstration of technique or effect is useful. And add good old text and graphics to your toolbox along with that video hammer; it ain't all nails out there.

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