After being asked by a friend of my wife to help a lady who inherited a computer after her husband died, I found that those that did not have any interaction with computers really struggle initially.
So with the work I had done with my Control_IT program http://control.inkmon.org/ I had the bones of a system to be used.
The concept is that a beginner can by hot key bring up a prompt to guide them in the basic operations of Windows, Emailing, Browsing etc. I know there are many fine texts and courses available but not something that sits in front and has a step by step approach to get them started. Once a beginner gets to know when and how to get additional help within a program they can then go it alone.
An analogy is learning ride a bike, The teacher supports the beginner to understand the method but once the learner strikes out they are learning on their own.
Eventually the concept will embrace more advanced techniques with the possibility of experts creating their own guides.
Photo manipulation and restoration for instance.
The system is not meant as a replacement of course text but as a prompter like notes for a speech.
The demo version is nearly finished and will soon be released for comments. The full version will allow a user to edit existing guides and create their own. As the text is encrypted and not easy reproduced it would allow third party's to create and sell their work separately.
That is down the track. First comes the release of the demo to gauge interest and get feedback on any improvements before the full version is released.
