There is nothing wrong with these tools. What IS wrong is using the tools to do something for which they are not designed. What's wrong is the RESULT that you will get - assuming that you intend to design a learning experience. You won't get it with these tools.

I find myself in a similar situation as Jetlee. I also think I know where NOT to go to find help on the subject. Jet asked a simple question. What he got was a sermon. What should have been an answer to his question, or a "no response" based on the fact that a reader of his post had no answer OR had strong ideas about the potential misuse of the product, turned into an unsolicited training session.

Many of us find ourselves working in an environment where we follow the basic tenants of current best practices of training, until someone from higher up dictates we change direction. Those of you who have total support from the leadership of your company or corporation should consider yourselves lucky. In my case, I have training documentation that exists that has all the info one needs to perform a task or job. It has been developed over a period of years. The info is good, the presentation of info is cumbersome. Often key points are lost in a jumble of incidental information. An information mapping tool, or in Jetlee's case software, that would help sort key information from incidental fluff would be valuable. It's not reinventing the wheel.

The old acronym KISS applies here. My clients respond to simplicity and facts. As a training professional, my bottom line is that I provide the learner with the best possible tools and experience possible....... under the circumstances. Of course those circumstances are dictated by the philosophy of those who run the company.

I hope I haven't offended too many here. It's just that I am one who has training and certification in my field but who is forced to apply what I have learned in an atmosphere that is not conducive to training "best practices." In essence I work with blended learning. It's a blend of how it should be and how it really is.

One can always choose to take what is helpful and leave the rest. This is a discussion. Various opinions are part of that. One is getting opinions from various people with various experiences. Welcome to the internet.

Another choice available is to be an order taker or be a pioneer.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: LoveLearning,

BRPP,

Certainly you have a right to your opinion - and that's all it is - an opinion. You did not address the OP's question - which is what you are criticizing the rest of us for.

In spite of your assertion that the OP merely asked a simple question, I don't agree. The question, as well as followup comments by the OP clearly point to confusion. One post says one thing, then another post says something entirely different.

Since this is a DISCUSSION board, I believe it is the responsibility of members to do what they can to point out the inherent weaknesses in the question and try to steer the OP in a more fruitful direction. If you have read very many posts on this board, you should have already learned that many of the questions are either the "wrong" question, an ill-stated question, or just make no sense at all. Therefore clarification is needed. And again, if we think the OP does not really have a grasp of the issue, and we have something to add that will hopefully clarify the issue, then we should.

If you don't care to read these responses, all you have to do is use the hide post feature of this forum.

Or you can do as LoveLearning suggested and be an order taker. But this forum is not for the purpose of encouraging people to be order takers, but to do something that adds value. And suggesting that an OP clarify and really question what it is he is really asking is definitely of value to anyone who wants serious answers. People who don't want this level of discussion should just refrain from posting because it wastes all our time.

I just joined this site today so I apologize if this response seems too late.

I've been using Formatting Solutions Pro for a few years now and I LOVE it. The methodology of chunking your information and then putting that to use with the application makes so much sense and makes documentation, etc. so much easier.

Hope this helps.