This morning my colleague Simon Riley sent me a link to this story. Here's what you need to learn to be computer literate [Read more →]

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Tucows has been around the net a lot longer than I have so when they come up with something new, I'm always open to trying it out. The latest is Butterscotch which claims to be a "fresh, friendly, smart and sticky portal into the world of technology".

We help you do more with the tech you already own and turn you on to the latest and greatest in language everyone can understand. We promise not to talk down to you and to only talk up the most interesting and impactful software, trends, news, gadgets and gear if you promise to come back often. Have a look around and see what sticks!

I had a look round and they cover a good range of tech stuff for us bunnies, a lot of basic knowledge like what is a dual processor or how does a VPN (virtual private network) work and series on working with Twitter, Google Chrome and other specific tools.

They also have a "Breaking news" series that provide tutorials on new tools that become available such as:

• Post LinkedIn updates to Twitter and vice-versa.
• Free Kindle software for your PC
• Google Dashboard gives you control over your privacy and data
• Twitter Lists let you follow groups
• Google Sync upgraded to provide push email
  Facebook launches lite version

I've tried a few and they aren't bad, still uses too much tech language for some, its surprising how much techies take for granted as stuff that everyone knows, but the practical stuff is step by step video and worth trying.

If you give it a go, let me know in the comments how it works out and how you rate it.

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Our pals at yMedia want to provide useful help for community groups, and to that end are looking for some input from groups in Wellington:

yMedia are doing some research into running specific ICT-related workshops for community organisations facilitated by industry professionals. As part of this research, we are asking community organisations based in Wellington to complete a short survey telling us their needs in regards to digital skills/tools and technology.

Please complete this survey yourself and pass on the information and survey-link to as many relevant organisations and groups that you can think of (in the Wellington region).

Survey link:
http://www.polldaddy.com/s/B84E3F4DA6C8888B/ .

The survey takes only a few minutes, and should be well worth your time.

Update: the survey closes at midnight Sunday 12 October 2008.

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It's hard to keep up with everything, and finding time to read a book — even if you can find an appropriate book at a fair price — can also be a problem.

One possibility to consider is learning from videos, such as those available at Lynda.com. These are high quality videos created and produced by professional trainers. Watch them online (if you have a broadband connection and decent computer) or buy titles on CD.

When I bought the latest version of Photoshop I received free use of the Lynda.com training library for a month. The videos I watched were extremely helpful.

In 2006 Maria Langer and I co-authored a book on WordPress. WordPress is one of the most popular blogging platforms, and one I recommend without hesitation to anyone wanting to get a website up and running with minimum fuss and best speed.

Now available online at Lynda.com is a video training series Maria has created about the free, hosted WordPress.com blogging system — WordPress.com 2.5 Essential Training:

There are many reasons to have a blog: to inform customers about new products and specials, to share information and expertise with a worldwide community, or to express oneself and communicate publicly. WordPress.com is a free and flexible set of web-based blogging tools that can be used to launch a new blog in minutes. The tools can then be used to personalize the blog and update and improve it continually. In WordPress.com 2.5 Essential Training, Maria Langer walks through the entire process of building and maintaining a blog, from setting up an account to using advanced customization techniques. She explains how to create and organize posts, pages, and links, and also offers tips on how to become a better blogger.

Visit the link above and watch a few of the free sample videos. Each sample is about 3 minutes long and will give you a feeling for whether or not you'd enjoy the entire series.

The full training course is available for US$25 per month, but for that you have access to the entire library of courses. You could sign up for one month, watch all the videos you're interested in and then stop the subscription.

There's a growing list of dozens of courses that includes topics such as blogging, Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Excel, Internet Explorer, Office for Mac, Windows XP.

Try some of the freebie samples, and tell us in the comments what you think.

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