Ultimately better than you.

March 21, 2008

Come Answer My E-mails, Cranky

I found an entry at "cranky.nu" on Tutorials you don't need - unless you're an idiot (one of my old tutorialtastic tutorials is linked) and LOLed. It's all true, except maybe:

What shocks me the most is that the majority of the people who releases these "tutorials" explains they are doing so because "I get lots of emails asking how I did it". Right...

I think Ms/Mr Cranky is underestimating the amount of idiots on the Internet. In fact, I'm tempted to just forward my 'How Do I...' emails to this person for a week and then ask them how they feel about the "I get lots of emails asking how I did it" line.

Comments

There are currently 21 approved responses to "Come Answer My E-mails, Cranky".

1. Amber   March 21st, 2008

   I need to email you re my article actually. (It's not because my auntie is off in Timbuktu or anything, I promise!) It's mainly going to be a few "deep" (actually, I'm shallow, so it won't be) questions that you can either a) ignore or b) make rubbish up for. :P And that person really does underestimate the amount of idiots online. I know, I really do, because I'm one of those technophobic no0bs.

2. Sarah   March 21st, 2008

   What the? People add tutorials because others may think it's useful. I bet that person wouldn't be where that person is if it weren't for all these so called stupid tutorials.

3. Rachael   March 21st, 2008

   I don't really get *any* "How do I..." emails... But I find tutorials help people who don't have the time / patience to "figure it out on their own"... ;)

4. Matt   March 21st, 2008

   I've never got a "How do I..." email. I'd feel bad if I did because well, I hate checking my email and moreso replying! D: Just curious, on average how many do you get a week? :P

5. Julie   March 21st, 2008

   I never get any of these emails. It's unfair! I hate his description of the favicon, like it's some sort of entirely pointless thing that people spend their entire time bragging about.

6. Louise   March 21st, 2008

   Ah the Angelic Glow, adding favicon, is there some kind of rule that states these are required as part of your tutorial section? Why can't people link to each other (if they're aware of each other) if they have the same content? It builds a stronger community for everyone! :) We don't need the same fonts on 100 websites, or the same tutorials on 10 websites, or the same images on 10000 websites.

7. Jacky   March 22nd, 2008

   Its sad, but true. Before Web 2.0 exploded, I got at LEAST three emails a week asking how I made rounded corners. And that was before I knew how to make them PROPERLY! There's a reason that the "...for Dummies" series exists. Some people just don't know how to do anything!

8. Catherine   March 22nd, 2008

   Everyone has to start somewhere and so they do have to learn from somewhere. Just because you're on the internet doesn't mean you know the basics - I had to teach someone drag-and-drop, even though they were capable of using the internet. So yeah. Tutorials can be useful. And there are always going to be people who ask "how did you do that"?

9. Lil   March 22nd, 2008

   I used to get those e-mails. The replies usually had a variation of the phrase "cry me a river" and a W3Schools link attached for good measure. The worst are the persistent ones. In how many ways can any one person say "sod off, I don't care"?

10. Niki   March 22nd, 2008

    This reminds me of Kawaiiville.com, "How do you make those web 2.0 designs?" Duh... I don't know, like normal designs...

11. Melissa   March 22nd, 2008

    If someone had told me ten years ago when I started learning HTML that I didn't need tutorials, that I should just know how to do it or I was an idiot, I probably would have socked them. Thank God for HTMLGoodies back then, I'll tell you that. If you don't have tutorials for simple things like basic html, uploading your own files, the ins and outs of using different image types, then how you do expect people to learn the correct way? If you're not willing to provide the solution and complain when others do, then don't cry about the masses of uninformed people whose designs make you cringe.

12. Vera   March 22nd, 2008

    Pfft... we KNOW you write them yourself =P In regards to the tutorial she links from Tutorialtastic, claiming that adding a favicon is covered by my host's FAQ: um no? See I'm hosted by an actual company whose FAQ are related to um... payment issues and use of cpanel. Oh and they also offer to design a website if one wants to.

13. Ilona   March 22nd, 2008

    lol. I was just going to ask you if you're going to write an article about "how to make a blog, gain visitors and stick with it". I mean, I've made a few blogs throughout my entire life, and I have never stick to one. :p

14. Becky   March 22nd, 2008

    I was listed on there as well, I get quite a few emails asking me to explain things that should be obvious to a normal human being. Becky, how do I create a new form in Textpattern? Uh, try clicking the link that says create new form? I agree with Vera, if not for tutorials on how to create and upload a favicon I never would have figured it out. I think once you get to a certain level it's hard for you to remember exactly how difficult it was in the beginning. If someone had told me ten years ago when I started learning HTML that I didn't need tutorials, that I should just know how to do it or I was an idiot, I probably would have socked them. Thank God for HTMLGoodies back then, I'll tell you that. Amen.

15. Mumblies   March 22nd, 2008

    Go on, you know you want to hehehe

16. Chelsea   March 22nd, 2008

    Oh my God I am so sorry! I totally forgot where I got that from, it's been so long. I'll take it down just now.

17. Aaron   March 22nd, 2008

    If you don't have tutorials for simple things like basic html ... then how you do expect people to learn the correct way? If you're not willing to provide the solution and complain when others do, then don't cry about the masses of uninformed people whose designs make you cringe. Exactly! And I used that favicon tutorial. Even though w3 has one, your tutorial is much simpler to follow and on a prettier website.

18. Mike Haddad   March 22nd, 2008

    Just because I send you emails about the devil that is Javascript doesn't mean you can be all high and mighty now. FOR SHAME Jem. ♥ Mike

19. Christine   March 22nd, 2008

    i love tutorials. i have a huge book mark folder divided into sub folders w/ just links to diff tut sites. i love tutorials for web design, graphic design, knitting, cooking, etc etc. love love love! but i don't think it's cause i'm slow per se ~_~ (at least i hope) but we all have to start somewhere right? and i wondered about fav icons too. i had to google a tut to figure it out!

20. Heather   March 22nd, 2008

    I also get all kinds of "how do you..." emails. Even though there are literally hundreds of tutorials on how you load brushes in Photoshop, I still receive at least an email a week about it (as well as the inevitable "I can't get your Photoshop brushes to load in Paint Shop Pro!!1!). I don't see any problem with tutorials as long as the tutorial writer actually knows enough about the process to write the tutorial... A truly pointless tutorial would be "how to breathe", because I know there are "idiots" out there who have asked just about every other question in relationship to Websites/graphics. As long as people are asking the questions, I don't see the problem with people writing tutorials to help them, even if some people are just too advanced to get anything out of them.

21. Ann   March 22nd, 2008

    Don't worry - at least Wak's safe now!!! http://daintystar.com/learn_phpfixwaks.php Lawl.

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