Week 9 - Lecture

Heres a little summary of this mornings lecture.... affectionately titled by myself.. as.....

'Something about Software'

So we today the topic of conversation was learning new software (or new versions of software).. and as usual we dabbled along a very windy information road, full of twists and turns and just complete utter randomness.. its too be expected when Mr im a digital poet takes a lecture.

So heres some steps everyone should follow when teaching themselves a new software package:

1 - Make sure you choose a software package that suits your needs... (dont go out and learn the ins and outs of photoshop if all you need to do is crop a picture.. MS paint will do this just as easily... if not easier then photoshop)

be smart, choose a package that will help you get what you want, fastest and with as minimal effort as possible.

2 - Sometimes you may not actually realize just what you want / need out of a program...

so go learn!

research industry standards... find out what type of programs people are using and what is considered good and bad..

(hmm.. i could best liken this to.. my music production... its a bit of a hobby of mine.. at first i was using just very basic software... with many limitations.. on further research of the topic and as my knowledge base grew, a switch was made to a much better software package to suit my needs and also bring my work up to industry standard)

3 - Don't expect to learn everything in a day... any well developed software package may take weeks or even months to learn... (the software i am using at the moment for music production, nearly everytime i open it up, i learn something new)

However, if you just need a very basic task completed.. exceptions can apply.

4 - The best way to learn.. is by messing around..!

have a go at everything.. explore and discover new features.. learn how everything works ect. this is the best way to get a basic idea of a new piece of software package

5 - Identify common features found in a given piece of software which can be likened to other software used.

6 - SAVE YOUR WORK... this is essential when completing any task.. when learning a new piece of software.. one minute your wonderful creation is working perfectly.. curiousity kills the cat.. and you decide to 'just try out something new' and before you know it.. EVERYTHING... IS... GONE. bam barmmmmmmmmm.. you fail.

the solution to this?

save your work periodically and methodically.

make a habit of saving multiple files of the same task.. e.g. for a remix competition at the moment.. i have the following folder containning:

Funkerman - Automatic (Remix)1.mp3
Funkerman - Automatic (Remix)2.mp3
Funkerman - Automatic (Remix)3.mp3
Funkerman - Automatic (Final Remix).mp3

Whilst it may seem unnecessary to save many files of the same tasks.. be doing this, you can revert back to the project at any given time... therefore you should never be in the situation of where you have nothing to show for your work if a freak accident should occur.

7 - Use the help file! (although this can be confusing for some new users, it is generally for competent users, wishing to clarify a given problem)

8 - (and yet.. apparently) the help file sucks!

if for any given task you are stuck.. try multiple methods to solve the problem... it is not wise to try the same method over and over again and hope for a different outcome.. source another solution to the problem.

9 - Searching is your friend.

If a given problem proves too hard to tackle.. chances are someone else on the internet has struggle with it.. do a search!

10 - Internet forums are a great tool to utilise... chances are there are people out there who know exactly how to answer your question.. a forum gives you a chance to ask this question and hope that someone out there knows the answer.

11 - Utilize books and video tutorials... these items contain a wealth of knowledge!

12 - Completing a uni course doesn't necessarily mean you will gain any better knowledge of a given software package, chances are they will just coax you through the above methods.

so there we have it.. some helpful steps to learning the ins and outs of new software.

have fun learning... yo'

*insert nerd picture here*

^_^