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It helps a lot if we watch some videos before actually program in a new language. It is also faster way to learn than reading a book, although reference books can be invaluable. I practically learned ActionScript by watching a screencast.



I know many people enjoy screencasts, but they are just not for me.

I can't copy-paste code from a video.

Searching is orders of magnitude slower than just pressing "Page Up"/"Page Down". This is particularly important when I just want to take a glance and figure out if the text/video is of any interest.

I have to adapt myself to the speed of the video, and maybe most importantly, I have to swallow all the non-relevant parts (such as moving windows, launching commands, typing, etc.).

It takes me so much more effort (and patience) to watch a video instead of reading an equivalent text, that I almost never do so (khan academy being the exception).


Different strokes, I personally get pretty bored by watching people enter code and manipulate their windows, I read a lot faster than that and don't get distracted by all the non-code parts. Never mind different setups. I also much rather read a blog article than watch a long-winded podcast.

As Sartre said, Hell is watching other people use a computer.




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