Source of knoweldge

[Kirigato]

Hellow, I have a question.
How did you learn basics? Youtube? Books?

I'm keen on learning new computer programs, I don't mean exactly programming, maybe something like excel or adobe illustrator (sorry for offtopic then). In the one hand, learning from network, for instance youtube is free and more understandable, but, in the other hand, I'm a big fan of books. My friends says for instance that he never learned any computer program from any book. How do you think? Books are good source of knowledge about computer programs, or it's better idea to just use free youtube or something like that?

 

[cb600fshornet]

Hellow, I have a question.
How did you learn basics? Youtube? Books?

I'm keen on learning new computer programs, I don't mean exactly programming, maybe something like excel or adobe illustrator (sorry for offtopic then). In the one hand, learning from network, for instance youtube is free and more understandable, but, in the other hand, I'm a big fan of books. My friends says for instance that he never learned any computer program from any book. How do you think? Books are good source of knowledge about computer programs, or it's better idea to just use free youtube or something like that?

Everyone will learn in a different way, some people like books, some people like videos, some people like to get hands on experience, some people like being taught the subject!

It's probably best to use a combination, though I learnt mostly through being taught (apprenticeship), and just trying it myself! Books can often give useful tips for from my experience tend to be poor at explaining how to do something, plus a book is virtually out of date by the time it's published!

 

[iPwn]

Here's how I learned (most) everything I know:

When I was 13, I made a deal with my neighbor where he gave me a Pentium 200Mhz PC and I did yard work for a year. From there, I was always on the thing. Breaking stuff so I knew what broke it, and then figuring out how to fix it. I must have gone through the Windows 95/98/98SE/XP install process hundreds of times over the years because I broke it beyond repair. That however gave me a good understanding of Windows.

Re: Books
People say that they don't really learn much from books. Someone like myself hates reading books because they are so dry and slow (from a learning prospective). However, I have found that some of the most detailed knowledge is found in books. Practicing SQL queries won't explain SET operations and predicate logic... you'll only find that in a book or a good mentor.

Re: Google
Probably where I've learned most new stuff. Have a question? Google it. Even if you don't find the right answer first, you gain a lot of perspective by reading through forums (like this and others) on how people attempted to fix issues and how they were finally resolved.

No one source of knowledge is going to make you the sharpest tool in the shed. Can you build a home with only a hammer? Well, I'm sure you could, but it wouldn't look near as nice as if you employed every tool at your disposal, right?
Pick up what you can, where you can, whenever you can. Learning should never stop, don't become stagnant because technology will leave you right where you stopped.

As joedaman pointed out, everyone has their own style. Perhaps take an adult learning test. Something similar to this may help you figure out what you're more geared toward (tactile, visual, audio, etc). You can use that to find learning avenues that match your learning style.

Just keep reading, doing and practicing. If you can't figure something out, do NOT hesitate to ask someone. Remember two quotes

"The only stupid question is the question not asked"
"He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes, he who never asks is a fool forever"

Use any and all resources available.

Good luck

 

[Draygoes]

Your going to get many different answers to this question, but I will add mine anyway.
Short answer is Google.
Long answer is Google + Books + People.

 

[TehGuyy]

I use apps... SOL Learn is a company that creates great apps that teach several major programming languages...


Sent from my iPhone using Computer Forums

 

[strollin]

When I started out with computers back in the 1980s, the internet, Google and YouTube didn't exist and very few friends and family had computers so I mostly learned by doing. If I bought a new piece of software, I learned how to use it by trial and error as well as reading the program's Help screens and User Guide.

Nowadays, there is so much info readily available that people who don't take advantage of Google, YouTube and other internet sources are really missing out.