Flex Authority and Fusion Authority User Review
Filed under ActionScript , Air , ColdFusion , Flex
So I am always on the lookout for new material to read in this world we call Web Development. More specifically I look for ColdFusion material and Flex material. I bit the bullet and bought Fusion Authority and Flex Authority and here is my short product review.
[memento:FusionAuthority]
Purchasing Process
Purchasing the journals was way harder than it should be. It could be just me, but the description of what you are buying could be a lot better. Since I was about to shell out a $100 bucks on both the journals I kinda wished it was a better experience. I finally figured out that the only option for purchase was PDF style which wasnt a deal breaker but was a little disappointing. The site was extremely slow the day I bought my stuff (like click and pray slow) but that could have been just the day I was ordering. Google checkout was fast and easy which was refreshing.
After I purchased the journals I got email updates about my order and once my order was processed, I was sent emails with the ftp information for PDF download. One of my links was broken but Judith Dinowitz, Master Editor-in-Chief, was very responsive and helped clear up the issue very quickly. Her quick response turned my negative opinion around very quickly. It is amazing how good customer service can really have such an impact. I think this is due to the HORRIBLE customer service performed by so many others.
[memento:FlexAuthority]
Product Review
I can seriously sum up my thoughts of this product into one word... "AMAZING"!! The journals offer the exact topics that ColdFusion and Flex developers want to hear about. The topics are written by the very community leaders that you find aggregated by ColdFusionBloggers, Adobe Feeds and other community sites (The community leader list is too long and I do not want to favor any specific "Jedi" community leaders ). I have found all the articles are in a form that are easy to understand and get down to the specifics. Some of the articles are introductions into topics and usually are followed by a more advanced look at the topic in the same journal or in a later journal. Various articles have code examples which can be downloaded. This is great for the individuals that like to get down and dirty with the articles.
I have to be honest and say that I really dislike the .PDF format. It is just too hard on my eyes to sit and read them on my computer screen. I wanted something that I could read before I went to bed or reference while I worked. I went to staples and spent another $100 to get all the .PDFs binded and printed in a nice clean format. If the production costs are too high for the current price, I hope in the future it will be raised for people like me who are willing to shell out some extra cash for hard copies.
Conclusion
The content of the journals is exactly what I was hoping for and some. The journal format was a negative for me :(. Spending the extra cash to get them printed out was a pain but I am glad I did it. I hope the purchasing process and description get ironed out a little, but Judith Dinowitz, Master Editor-in-Chief, is a really responsive resource that will help with any issues that may arise. All in all this is a must have for ColdFusion / Flex developers looking to expand on current knowledge or learn new coding techniques. Very little ads and great articles done by familiar community leaders that will make you a better programmer which will potentially expand your career possibilities; which is my description.
I would like to hear about other peoples experiences and thoughts about the Fusion Authority and Flex Authority.
Feb11