The ideas behind the Open Source Software (OSS), and more recently Free License Open Source Software (FLOSS) movements has always been about providing great tools at little to no cost. However, in recent years open source technology has become increasingly complex. In my opinion, that means the real return on investment comes in learning these tools. That’s where Learnable comes in.
Since 2001, the folks at SitePoint have been publishing books, articles, blogs, tutorials and other resources—many of them free—for learning systems like PHP, MySQL, Ruby, JavaScript, etc. Learnable is their core training site. While this isn’t a brand new site, it’s definitely reached a level of comprehensive content in just a few short years. I’ve come to really appreciate the resources provided by Learnable and finally decided it was time to sign up for a full 1-year membership so I could refresh some skills, as well as acquire new ones.
What Learnable Can Teach You
When you hit their landing page, they have a core group of technologies displayed up front you can start learning immediately. In addition, there’s a list of sub-categories you can also select from when you click the Learn More button at the top of this page.
The training content includes videos, books (you can download 2 books a month in .epub, .pdf or .mobi formats through the use of “download credits”) and articles. You can also download all sample code free. There are blog entries, an interactive discussion group, and utilities for communicating directly with the instructors. A couple things that really excited me were core training for the development of mobile technologies like Android and iOS, and a full tutorial on Ruby on Rails. WordPress pundits, there’s an excellent course on how to make WP do whatever you want.
Bottom Line: The Cost
So now we come to the price. Just how much is all the great stuff going to cost you? Unbelievably, a 1-year membership is only $180.00 (USD) for unlimited access! Or if you want to learn just one specific technology, you can pay as you go for $30.00 (USD) per month. If that seems high, I have found it worth every penny and a real deal compared to just about anywhere else. And in the interest of full disclosure, I don’t make a dime if you sign up—there’s no referral bonus in it for me. But I believe it’s the best resource (outside of the free documentation) and value for the price and the training will get you up to speed quickly. That’s why I’m telling you, our beloved readers here at ChurchMag. God bless and happy coding!
Dave Roberts says
How does this compare to some of the other learning sites like treehouse, lynda, codeacademy, or the host of others?
Jon Guenther says
Truthfully, I didn’t evaluate any of the others you’ve listed. I did this post on Learnable.com because 1) I’ve taken several of their courses now and find them quite useful; 2) They’ve been offering special deals where a year only costs $97. I do know that Lynda has some videos for which they don’t charge. I also know that Learnable is less expensive than either the Silver or Gold plans at treehouse. Beyond that, I couldn’t tell you. But if you know of better deals then please, by all means, let us know! Thanks for your question, Dave.
Jon Guenther says
Incidentally, friends, I just learned Learnable (aka Sitepoint) is extending its offer for 1 year membership at $97. Here’s the link, in case you haven’t found a better deal. http://learnable.com/best-deal-ever