Learn better using pictures, reading text or watching video?
There are constantly debates on how advanced a GNU/Linux system seems to be, with all commands having to be typed in a console. The truth is that in most modern Linux systems it is most certainly possible to manage most settings using a graphical user interface instead of the console.
One of the reasons of there being so many guides on the internet explaining things using the command-line is that it’s in my opinion far easier to explain using text. Take my article on backing up your files using Unison for example. In this article I describe both ways, first using the command-line and later the GUI variant. Notice that the GUI approach often needs to be accompanied by screen-shots or other types of visual queues for the reader to know where to click.
Which way that will prevail in the end is hard to tell, but I have been trying to use screen-shots lately to provide a visual feedback on how to accomplish certain tasks. A fairly new phenomenon is to use streaming videos to provide users with help to manage common tasks.
I am not sure what to make of these video guides though. I can imagine that it can be hard to follow for some people, since the video is playing in a predetermined speed. Text on the other hand, can be read a fast or slow as the reader wants, even if it is GUI or command-line based.
Why choose one of these three? Mix them all together to make everyone happy.
If I where to learn how to do something tricky through a tutorial I would like to have text tutorials (preferably with pictures) together with a video. If you are uncertain on what to do, or want to get an overview, you can consult the video.
A must is that you can pause the video, so you can keep up and go at your own pace.
You have a valid point, stating that mixing them will produce the best result.
The problem as I see it, is that people writing these answers to questions, guides etc. will probably only select one approach, but which one is the best one to choose?
There are of course community efforts to bring everything together. The Ubuntu community is just starting up a screen-cast team, which will provide videos to explain common tasks. This, together with the forums will hopefully provide the kind of environment you describe.
It will definitely be interesting to see how it will be received by the community at large.
The tutorials currently available online do actually describe some useful tasks.