Suddenly it seems that everyone is getting Sharepoint. I've been working with it for a couple of months now and have found it to be very powerful but sometimes very frustrating. Some of my frustrations might be mitigated if I was thoroughly trained rather than learning as I go.
So I've been watching for possible training opportunities and there are many to choose from. Just type "SharePoint training" into Google, and you'll find literally hundreds of companies that would love to provide you with training. But let's get real....in this economy thousands of dollars for a class and/or webinar just isn't going to happen. Though I have to admit, this one just about had me salivating.
The topic of SharePoint training came up recently on SLA's KM mailing list; the answers are listed on their KM Wiki. (Membership required.) Nina Platt recommended Sharepoint Solutions, but there's that pesky money issue. She also pointed out a webinar done by Factiva called "Taxonomy & Sharepoint: A Powerful Combination." Anything on the subject of SharePoint and taxonomies is going on my to-do list!
Microsoft offers some online training as well as webcasts and podcasts, and the price is right. (free)
I don't have to remind you that there are always tons books out there related to any major software program. Quite naturally, I'm a big fan of books, and I've been poring over a borrowed copy (thanks, Lisa!) of Microsoft® Windows® SharePoint® Services 3.0 Step by Step (Step By Step (Microsoft) and it's not bad. But there's a Murphy's Law of software-related handbooks. They tend to include a lot of good information, but never have the answer to YOUR particular question. Google often does a better job on the question answering front.
The other problem with books for these kinds of topics is that many of them concentrate more on technical aspects such as server configuration, something many of us have nothing to do with, so it's important to find one that's geared towards your particular use of the product.
Below is a quick poll on SharePoint Training. If you've found a good book, website or seminar, please share by clicking on the "comments" link above.
Thank you for pointing out the lack of affordable user training for SharePoint.
I don't normally like to use blogs as a way to promote myself, but as a SharePoint trainer myself, I decided to make my training available as a video course. The online course if very affordable at $25 for over 10 hours of detailed user training. It's for SharePoint Services.
I offer them through my ELearning Center at http://www.virtualassist.net/elearning.
I hope some of your readers that are looking for affordable SharePoint training to find this link helpful in their search.
Andrea Kalli
Oh, and I forgot to mention that the best book I have found to help users get up to speed with SharePoint is "SharePoint 2007 User's Guide", ISBN 9781590598290.
Also, there's "The SharePoint Shepherd's Guide for End Users", ISBN 9780615194493
Andrea Kalli
I agree the books always seem to be missing that one question you need answered and a quick google search seems to yield the answer you are looking for