Dependence on Programming Experts

[GregSmith]

I don't know about you, but I think multimedia authoring software should be
intuitive enough, and well documented enough to allow a fairly non-technical
user to do amazing things without constantly needing to ask assistance from
local forum gurus.  

Just to give an example of what I mean, I would like to call attention to
Apple's own Keynote 3 software.  At a casual glance it just looks like the
average presentation software package, but, if you look beneath the surface
of its fantastically simple and elegant interface, it it can perform a
number of highly varied, really sophisticated, multimedia things in an
extremely straightforward fashion, the likes of which are much more
difficult to accomplish with nearly any competing product.  Almost any user,
even a markedly non-technical one could become productive with this
inexpensive piece of software in just a couple of hours practice.

To tell you the truth, after several days of probing, I'm not so sure about
Revolution being that simple to get a grasp on.  I really want it to be so,
dispite my first impressions.

I do believe it is powerful and loaded with hidden functionality just
waiting to be unlocked by my imagination, but I really don't have a clue how
to go about "authoring" the kinds of presentations that I think it may be
capable of authoring and that I need it to be able to author.  

No matter how "English-like" Revolution's programming language is, it is
still programming, and envolves addressing a machine with certain unfriendly
protocols that do not make much sense to my English speaking brain.  

Even common terms like "variable" do not imply, clearly in English, any
concept I am familiar with, especially given its "English" implied meaning,
though I am a reasonably educated English speaker.  

It is not the English-like syntax of Revolution that is the major
stumblingblock for me, but understanding why I have to arrange lines of code
in the order that is required, making no mistakes, in order to make even the
simplest multimedia events occur.  To me, programming in Transcript is like
looking at the fathomless depths of the sea, or the endless horizon that
spans its surface, and wondering how I can get from Arizona to Tahiti, by
boat.

And, the examples I have seen posted on the RunRev mother site do not
specifically address very many of the kinds of tasks and whole presentations
that I really am desirous and needing to make.

So, I may be able to start a project, but, ultimately, because of the lack
of specific presentation examples, coupled with my lack of programming
background, I will be forced to consult the forum gurus, which I really feel
is an unnecessary and irritating practice, in general, to have to do -
especially since most of the gurus would rather be, or should be working
serously at their various necessary professions, instead of racking up
countless hours feeding me, one fish at a time.  No what I mean?

Greg Smith
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