I think its great to have Michael’s course as part of Winterfest. For years, I struggled with trying to get started with Tinderbox. It seemed as though I wouild get stuck and put Tinderbox down for a few years then push myself to re-explore. Part of it was me, but another part of me just had never used nor ever seen a tool like Tinderbox.
Michael has taught me so much over the past 4 years. Not only is he amazing but his approach to teaching and sharing has been unique and a blessing for the community.
If you are like I was and want to save time learning Tinderbox then take this course. In addition, read the Tinderbox Way by Mark Bernstein and become active in the community. By active I mean ask questions when you are stuck and APPLY the daily lessons to your own work. Start with what you know and NEED. You will learn the rest later. This is procedural knowledge: like math, you need practice and examples. I remember several years ago asking on the forum “Which books should I read to get better at programming”? (I literally sucked!) (and still do) PaulWalters gave me a lifelong lesson… you need no books, just practice, make mistakes and you will improve. Priceless! He gave me a lifelong shortcut, I probably did not want to hear but it was so true. There are no shortcuts, it takes work, knowledge and grit. Have a problem, someone can help you figure it out, but unless you try to understand what they did and practice it, you will stay stuck. Here is a link to my original post in case you are interested: Book recommendations for non-coders to understand Tinderbox code?
Michael’s course is a shortcut, but you still need to do your part. Good luck and happy Tinderboxing
Tom