Out damn Notes (or, get thee to a notary)
Just because all of the materials are printed online and available to you doesn't mean that you shouldn't take Notes, er, I mean notes. If you're Amish, use paper and pen. If you're Digital, use a Palm device with a Palm Portable Keyboard.

The instructor
The key to all classes is really the quality of the instructor. I've definitely had my share of both good and bad instructors during my Lotus Notes/Domino career. One of the things I realized when I was taking the LifeCycle class is that teaching this kind of class does take the skills of an abnormally good instructor who is extremely effective at communicating through the written medium. It's not every instructor who can sit down at a keyboard and effectively teach lessons and manage discussions using LearningSpace Live.

The instructor for the LifeCycle course I took was Richard Echeandia, a Technology Principal for Tactica Technology Group. Richard is also, as you astute DominoPower readers will recognize, a senior technical editor for DominoPower Magazine. Richard handled the discussions very well during the time I was surveying the class. He aptly led the class discussion, making the occasional joke and ensuring everyone in the class was participating. As Richard said at the end of the class, "I didn't expect these classes to be as fun to teach as they are."

Your fellow students
After a while, the class does start to feel like a mini-community. You get to know the quirks and characteristics of your fellow classmates in a way that you might not in a normal in-person class. Also, with the profile documents that provide information about the students and instructor, you can learn things about the other people in the class that might help you start a meaningful conversation with them. You can see what my profile document looks like for the LifeCycle course in Figure E.

FIGURE E


Here is what my LearningSpace profile document looks like, minus a photo of myself. Roll over picture for a larger image.

Experienced developers only need apply
This class is for serious Lotus Notes/Domino developers only. The content of the LifeCycle training course is definitely not for beginners. This is not the place to learn design or programming fundamentals. In fact, the audience for the course, according to the LifeCycle course materials, is "junior through advanced level Lotus Notes application developers." The following is a list of the course prerequisites:

• Have a basic understanding of the Notes development environment;

• Have at least six months hands-on experience as a Notes application developer;

• Have some knowledge of LotusScript;

• Have used or have an interest in using TeamStudio's suite of Notes development tools.

I would also suggest that if you're thinking about taking this course and want to make the most out of it, you should make sure that you are open to change. If you're an experienced developer who is ready to re-examine the way you've been doing things, then you're more likely to benefit from this course than someone who wants to keep doing things the same old way. If you're looking for long-term solutions and ongoing improvement, you're also much more likely to benefit from the LifeCycle course than if you're simply looking for quick fixes. You're also more likely to benefit if you are the leader or a member of a Notes development team that's looking for a way to develop applications more rapidly and professionally, although there are still benefits if you're working by yourself.