Wow. Thank you all for your VERY insightful comments on the Excel v. Access issue. You're actually making my decision even harder because you all make valid points.
Excel is more popular in the total number of courses I've sold, but I know my Access students are hard-core and faithful. What to do... what to do...
To answer the question of "how long does it take" to make a class, you wouldn't believe that it takes me a whole day or two to record the videos, then another day of editing, and then another day or two to package and properly "market" the course on the web site (putting up outlines, adding it to my databases, the Theater, preparing the download, etc.)
This doesn't include the time to research new subjects up front, which is generally me buying about 10 different books on the subject and picking through them... plus visiting Microsoft's web site for in-depth technical knowledge, etc.
And this also doesn't include the time for writing the handbooks. I've been fortunate that my daughter (an English major at the University @ Buffalo) has been working on them for me this summer - but if not, that takes me another day or two.
So... even though it seems like a simple hour-long lesson to you, each class really represents about a WEEK of my life. :) I'm not complaining... I absolutely LOVE what I do... but people say to me all the time, "hey, why can't you make more classes faster than you do?"
Plus, as many of you know, I'm a stickler for perfection. I don't know HOW many times I've re-recorded whole lessons because I didn't like the flow.
Honestly, though, the BEGINNER (Basic) courses are actually HARDER to make because with the advanced stuff, I just start recording and if there are minor mistakes, I just go with the flow - and actually SHOW a lot of my mistakes because I figure if I make them, you'll probably make the same ones.
With the beginner courses, I try to make them as perfect as possible... first to make it easier on the newbie users who are just learning something, and second to make a good impression.
Anyhow... keep your thoughts coming. Right now, based on all of your comments, I am kind of leaning in the direction of EXCEL first... mostly because it does make a natural progression... Word > Excel > Access... then the other stuff like PowerPoint and Outlook.
I'm thinking Excel Basics, then Access Basics, then Basics for PowerPoint and Outlook, then move to Expert-level courses for Access and Excel.
What do you think???
Richard
P.S. Finishing up Word 2007 Basic Level 3 today.
17 years ago
