Lynda.com

We've all looked with envy at the juicy Flash menus and wicked Photoshopped graphics on our friends' websites and wished we had the same mad skills. The power of the average desktop computer combined with the amazing applications now available to us gives us even more motivation to take on something a little more complicated than creating simple web pages or cranking out animated gifs. Here's your chance to upgrade your skill set.

Lynda.com is one of those services that becomes more relevant as digital technology develops. The quick and substantial upgrades in consumer software means users will also be scrambling to keep up as well. Lynda.com boasts over 800 online video courses designed to help users go from newbies to experts as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Lynda.com has a little something for everyone, from free podcasts, to monthly and yearly subscriptions. Now, being an educator, my first experience with Lynda.com was definitely via free podcasts. I didn't think I could justify spending $25 per month for their basic subscription, let alone the premium plan that goes for $37.50 a month. Over time, however, I realized just what a little investment could do for my skill set. 

I've been a subscriber to Lynda.com for about two years, and a premium subscriber for a little over 6 months. I'd played around with Adobe Flash, Photoshop, and Premiere before, but I really didn't grasp the power of any of these tools until I exposed myself to some proper training.

Lynda.com gives subscribers unlimited access to their huge library of video courses. The courses are presented by experts in their respective fields, and much of the content is taught via project-based examples. In short, you learn by doing. You can learn in a step-by-step process, or pick specific areas that you are most interested in. I find that the courses are great for both laying a solid foundation for future learning, as well as quick references for specific skills. During my time as a subscriber, I've enjoyed courses in Flash, Premiere, Photoshop, After Effects, 3ds Max, Blender, Captivate, Cinema 4D, Dreamweaver, Fireworks, FLEX, In Design, Illustrator, and many, many more. 

And because these video courses are streamed to my PC, I can watch them at home, work, or even on the road. An hour a day with Lynda.com has made a huge difference in my development skills, and I feel confident I can learn just about anything at this point.

Lynda.com is an excellent example of distributed learning that really works. If you're ready to go from passenger to pilot, I recommend spending some time with Lynda.com via podcasts or subscription. You won't regret it.

CALLSIG.ORG rating: 5 Mouse Clicks