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From: bfelton@slc.com (Bill Felton)
Subject: Re: GeODE & GemStone
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Date: 12 Oct 94 15:09:55 GMT
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todd@mapper.wustl.edu (Todd Steinbrueck) writes:
[snip]
>Does anyone have an opinion on how easy it is to learn GemStone?  Is it better 
>to spend the $1500 for a GemStone course (or is it necessary)?

In my experience, it is not a matter of easy vs. hard.  Training is
rarely, if ever, a matter of "being taught what is hard and learning
the rest on one's own."  It is much more a matter of efficiency,
effectiveness, and timeliness.  I would submit that GemStone is not
hard to learn.  I feel the same way about Smalltalk.  And I speak
with considerable experience, and dare I suggest, authority, on this
matter:  I am self taught in Smalltalk, coming up on 10 years of experience.
I was Vice President of Educational Services for Knowledge Systems
Corp., during its heyday as one of the premier vendor of OO training and
consulting services in the US.  I am currently Director of Educational
Services at Servio, Corp, makers of GemStone.
Was my learning of Smalltalk efficient?  No.  Would an instructor have
helped?  Yes.  Why?  Because it would have saved me many false starts
and helped to provide clarification of areas where I was confused.  Was
learning GemStone efficient?  Given the incredible quality of the Servio
technical staff, and the support and assistance they gave me, and my 8 years
of Smalltalk experience, yes.  Would it be efficient for you to learn
GemStone without taking one of our training courses?  That depends.
Certainly, we have a large number of very successful clients who have not
been trained -- it can be done, and more power to you if you can do so.
Would spending $1500 on a four day course make you productive in GemStone
with an understanding of the concepts, tools, functionality, and typical
project problems be more efficient (timewise) than spending four days
working alone?  I rather think so.  But if you have the time, the
access to other resources, and the drive/motivation to learn it yourself,
there is no need for training.
All that training *ever* supplies is guidance and additional input.
Learning, the important activity, is done by the student.  Always.
As instructors, the *most* we can hope to do is facilitate the process.
Can we help?  Of course.  Are we essential?  Of course not, for who
taught the first instructor?

regards,


Bill Felton
Director of Educational Services
Servio Corp.
bfelton@slc.com
"Standard disclaimers apply.  My opinions, not necessarily my employer's"
