Screencasts vs Articles - which do you prefer?

Question

Recently, I've noticed that I've lost all patience with programming articles, and started watching screencasts instead. For example, the ASP.NET MVC site had lots of screencasts, so I watched those and got coding in no time. I was therefore wondering what the community thinks about screencasts and articles, particularly as I'm considering contributing material, and am pondering the format.

On a side note, I have an accent, so it might skew my decision somewhat. I'm not sure - what do you think?

Okay, looks like the majority vote is for Articles. Thanks!

Answer 1

It depends largely on the topic for me. Screencasts are nice when verbal explanation is better or when a demonstration of something is required. If I need code, though, screencasts tend to be tough, as I can't look at the code, move around in it, and digest it thoroughly before moving on. It's also tough to refer back to something in a screencast.

Answer 2

I generally prefer the layout of articles because code can be inspected at leisure (and copied if necessary). However, I prefer the pacing and delivery of screencasts.

The problem with most articles is that they aren't really written to teach in a manner that shows how a problem is solved. They capture knowledge but not action. Screencasts, on the other hand, are forced to walk you through action because of their very nature.

Thus, the best solution for me is an article showing paced actions.

Answer 3

In general, I would say that I prefer articles. As @ctacke said, screencasts can be nice in some cases, but for most things I prefer reading the text. This way I can go back if I missed something, or learn about the topic in parts (depending on the length of the article). You can always add screenshots to an article as well to add the visual component if it is needed.

Answer 4

Articles.

• The bandwidth-to-brain is too low for screencasts: it can take a half hour to watch what would take five minutes to read.
• Screencasts are not skimmable.
• Screencasts are not searchable/indexable.
• Screencasts are not machine-translatable.
• Screencasts are not select-and-copyable.

Screencasts are part of TV culture, articles are part of book culture.

Answer 5

Articles - can't skim a screencast.

Answer 6

I prefer articles, simply because my attention span isn't long enough to watch a whole video. I want to write some code, damnit!

Answer 7

I hate screen casts. The fact that when needed you cannot search inside them bothers me. It basically is a loss of information.

I would prefer a screen cast paired with literature so that it is more accessible.

Answer 8

I like articles for information about doing new things with existing tools.

I like screen casts for information about doing old things with new tools.

Doing new things with new tools needs a live session as I prefer to interact in that case.

I can already do old things with old tools; that's my day job.

Answer 9

No single "right" answer. I prefer to use each for its strong points.

Articles:

• random access
• searchable/indexable
• can be printed and carried to places where wireless doesn't reach
• some subject matter is well suited for verbalization / explanation

Screencasts:

• can show use of a tool in context
• some subject matter is well suited for visualization
• can watch "with one eye" while doing other routine tasks that don't require much attention

Podcasts:

• the right speaker(s) can be very engaging
• some subject matter is well suited for conversation
• can listen while driving, etc.

Answer 10

It all depends on your learning style, honestly. I prefer screencasts because I learn better by "seeing" the topic at hand.

Answer 11

When I do screen casts I also do the entire thing in an article (with pics) and I hate it when other don't it seems the logical thing to do, offer both. Of course I would never do a screen cast for code that is just illogical, no one is interested in how fast I can type.

Answer 12

Even though many people prefer one over the other, I think screencasts and articles complement one another. When I try to learn something new, I like to watch a video first so I can visualize it, and then read about it to drill down deeper.

Answer 13

When i decide i think about how many screenshots a article should take. Is it more screenshots than text - make a short screencast else make an article. Screencasts should be short, and all relevant text and code must be downloadable.

Answer 14

It depends. I think integrating watching screencasts and reading articles can achieve the best effect for me. Some screencasts can illustrate a technical problem clearly, but knowledge in article is more systematic.

Answer 15

You can skim a screencast - simply watch it on 2-3x speed.

Answer 16

Somewhere I read that we retain

• 10% of what we read
• 20% of what we hear
• 30% of what we see
• 50% of what we see and hear
• 90% of what we do

I like screencasts. Anyway I would like to see characteristics of articles on screencasts:

• Skim a screencast with chapters (as peepcode's in quicktime)
• Copy code from a screencast
• Search inside the screencast
• Clickable links inside the screencast

Answer 17

I see them as used for different things, Screencasts are great in the same way going to a talk at a conference is great, if its done well you can learn a few good ideas about a new topic and why you should be interestedt , but in general to dive into the depth of I would want articles.

Answer 18

I prefer screencasts only if I'm totally new to something. It's easier to show than to tell to somebody with little or no prior knowledge. But once I'm somewhat familiar with a technology and its terminology, I definitely prefer articles, because they're much more random-access than screencasts.

Articles are much easier to edit than screencasts. Many screencasts I've seen are poorly made because the author didn't have the time or ability to edit the screencast. When recording my own screencasts, I find that it takes a lot more time to produce a polished screencasts that conveys the same information as a polished article.

Answer 19

A common complaint seems to be that articles are much more skim-able. Also, it's nice when a screencast gets straight to the point (and to the code), without all the blabbing; which I think articles are best suited for. I've thought about both these issues and created fiveminuteruby.com to see if people would enjoy very short screencasts, under 5 minutes. When put under this time constraint, it forces you to cut out the crap and get to business.