I got started using Blocs by taking Eldar Gezelov’s excellent Blocs 4 training course.
The best part of taking the course is the ability to constantly go back and use the training as a reference tool once you get started.
Eldar has now created a Blocs 4 Commerce course. Link: (https://eldar.podia.com)
I don’t sell anything on my site, but I think if the E-Commerce course is anything like the Blocs 4 Website course, those new to Blocs and those interested in setting up an e-commerce site, would truly enjoy the course and get loads of tips and tricks to use.
One of the extra benefits, that I don’t think Eldar knows he is providing, is insights into web page design and general thoughts about what looks good and what does not.
The video courses are well paced, the narration is good, and the provided links are very helpful when Eldar discusses other tools.
Naturally, I am talking about the Blocs 4 class, but I would expect nothing less from Eldar for this new commerce course.
No, I am not plugging this because I will get something, I am simply sharing a link directly to his course because I believe for Blocs to grow, and our community to become large and prosperous, requires training classes like the stuff Eldar offers, so we attract new people.
I want our community to grow, we need more Brics, blocs, and other cool stuff.
I agree too. One of the reasons so many of us are using blocs is because of @Eldar - He explains that at the start he found it frustrating as we all do moving from one tool to another and the brilliant work that @Norm has done is sometimes hidden away from when we first use it and the videos are brilliant to get into it quick.
Showing us all step by step is just brilliant and Eldar has done this in the most perfect way.
Norm is now showing snippets on YouTube & Twitter on how to do things - which are also great.
I do honestly think if it was not for Eldar, many would still be struggling to understand how a lot of things are done.
The brics from many on here are brilliant too and have taken the long work around away by making it more simple - like the brilliant Easy Burger by @PeteSharp etc
Keep it up everyone - let’s get more users on this stunning builder.
Just want to echo what is said above. If you are serious about Blocs, you absolutely need Eldar’s training. I’m an experienced tech trainer, and I marvel sometimes at how good he is at breaking down a task, and then creating video lessons that give you just enough information without being overwhelming. It’s a real skill, and he is one of the best at it I’ve ever seen. And, on top of it all, the man is gold. He has helped me with several off-the-record help requests that I just couldn’t figure out, and didn’t ask for nor would he accept payment. I hope everyone that can will consider supporting his efforts.
I would like to see our platform grow. Blocs really is easy to start with and you get everything in the “box” right at the start, to build simple websites. That is the beauty of this…you can build simple to complex websites, whatever suites your fancy.
I tried Foundations and over there you have to immediately begin buying stacks. The training is disorganized, and while many are helpful, frankly (my opinion) is that disorganization leads to wasted money and time.
With courses such as Eldar’s you get a really good feel of the basic tools and then you are off and running, taking Blocs as far as you want.
We need to promote our platform of choice, and making new (and old) Bloc heads aware of courses like his, I think, will help. Especially with beginners.
Hey Norm, I wish you’d give us a nice “Built with Blocs” logo. I’d be happy to put that on my site with a link to the main Blocs splash page.
I bought Blocs 3 a while ago, and noticed from the beginning, that there are limited learning resources. I was really happy, even for the free available videos from Eldar, they helped a lot.
With the upgrade to Blocs 4, I bought Eldar Blocs 4 Website course(it was discounted, that time), but this course is priced the same as a regular Blocs 4 licence. And I hoped for more content: Now I discovered that the new E-Commerce Blocs Course(4 hours content) is not a free content for my Blocs 4 course, instead it als costs the same as a new blocs license, (for full course of Blocs 4 features its double the Blocs 4 price, and even 4times upgrade-price!), I do find that insane!
And regarding Blocs 4 Website Course: I do find it was rushed out, because of Blocs 4 launch, Design of Barista Website is really ugly, and info is most of the time really basic, lacking information about sophisticated features, and even if they are there(like Local Host Preview), the lack the necessary steps(connecting my iPhone, connect iPhone).
Not to even mention data attributes, or use of javascript with Blocs…
Good that @Norm made some improvements to the Blocs-help and there are even some new videos, great! But it needs some useful examples!
I hope, that Blocs doesn’t become the goldmine for some(like in RapidWeaver, but it has already begun, insane prices for some brics, compared to Blocs),
And I really hope that someone is getting out a great basic, for all to follow tutorial about “building a bric”(by integration of a javascript library), @Norm ?
But I really want to highlight the forum, its just the best part of Blocs, so helpful.
Cheers
Michael
Thanks for your post, good to have all views from people - this is what helps guide the way developers of the software / videos / brics we love to improve.
My view from some of your comments, and im not knocking your comments - this is just my view.
Yes it is priced same as the regular blocs 4 licence. What this shows me - is what a damn bargain we are all getting with Blocs from @Norm & @Helen, i personally think this should be twice the price if not more. What we have to also remember with Eldars pricing is: to use Blocs, you must buy Blocs. To use Blocs you do not need to buy Eldars course…but totally recommended, so with this in mind it must be priced accordingly for demand…and I believe this is a bargain price too!
I personally think if the 2 were sold together at the face value price and no discount - then everyone would be saying what an amazing price it is, a full website builder with full step by step videos!
It depends how you value your business - I think the website building business has no real big overheads !! (unless your an agency with a large office etc) - I have run many businesses in my time and these costs are tiny! - but what you have to do is put a value on what you are doing with it. For around £/€99 this could unlock the door to unlimited websites at £2,000 - £10,000 each one. It’s a small price to pay to unlock the key for unlimited possible income.
I more than welcome people to release brics at their recommended price if its a bric that I really want. Some brics have taken the guys weeks if not months of making…and then they will offer support to this too, which is great. I do think the brics are fairly priced. I do get what you mean on some of the stacks of Rapidweaver - they were very very expensive for what they did - and nearly all of the stacks are all built into Blocs ! so shows what a great price again Blocs is.
If Blocs was £249 then all brics and videos would look more of a bargain…im happy they all stayed the price they are at to be fair and we all get great prices all round.
ooh !..now that would be interesting !!! even if it was a tutorial for something basic!..id love to know how to do this from a video !
100% agree - I love coming here, I have spent hrs and hrs with a cup of tea reading on how to do things and making friends…great place !!!
Thanks for sharing your opinion! I totally understand that my courses are not for everybody, and I am not trying to please everybody (it’s not possible). That being said, all my courses are not rushed, and I spend most of the time deciding what to include in these videos (it takes longer than the actual recording and editing process). Obviously, I need to make choices, and it won’t be the perfect list of topics for everyone. As you probably know, I’m not a coder, so you will never see anything advanced related to javascript, etc. Thankfully, Blocs doesn’t require it for most of types of websites.
About the pricing, same story here. I am spending a lot of time trying to figure out the right structure for my courses and templates. My dream is to give away everything I create for free or close to ‘free’. I am not able to do it yet, due the size of the target audience, but hopefully someday Blocs will become more popular. I am doing everything I can to help Blocs grow, by spending hours and hours every day helping hundreds of people via email, with my free YouTube videos, etc.
Anyway! If there is anything I can help you with personally, regardless of whatever you sign up for any of my courses or not, I am always happy to help. Just send me an email to Eldar@EldarGezalov.com, and I will do my best to help you.
Cheers,
Eldar
P.S. I have used many website builders is Blocs is absolutely the best value out there!
Hey @mensch.mueller. 4,5 hrs video course takes a minimum of 20 hours of recording and editing based on my own experience as I’ve done some tutorials for an agency. Breaking this down, as you did in your example @Eldar made a whopping $5 per hour per sale (-/- the monthly Podia fees., -/- 10% for the CC payment gateway). We should all be grateful and support Eldar in what he’s doing for the community! Just my 2 cents of the day.
Hello all.
There is my 5 cents:
From the beginning I support @Eldar job, even when he was doing this for free and I insist that I want to pay him.
From that time to now, we all improve, even @Eldar for sure. And I have all the courses that @Eldar creates. It is simple to some people don’t see the hard work, the time, and probably some discussions in family about the time he and some of the users in here spend to make this software grow, and to help for free some users, so is perfectly normal to charge for some special knowledge.
But let me pick up on this subject to try to express what I have been feeling about this forum, and it is not @Eldar work related. What I’ve noticed is that this forum used to work in a more open way, it was more helpful, but now is more closed. Some people ask for help, and then or the replies flow in DM or simply the few who know how to create brics make money. I have nothing against this as it is normal to pay for the time we spend helping.
But I have to agree, and some of you know that I try to ask for @Norm help, and some others users for help, so I agree to @mensch.mueller about this:
If I know how, I don’t mind to transform some of the snippets codes from my site, into brics…
Regarding the money that @Eldar is requesting, in the new course he explains in a very detailed way what are the costs for him to have the courses online, and to sell the courses, so if @Eldar agree I think he should cut that part and make it public, probably some of you will even understand better the price, and sometimes, he even pays for you to enjoy the courses.
I’ve been using Blocs from the very first version, as many other members have. @Norm has always listened to the forums members, and in today’s world, that’s rare. I bet if you ask the top 20 users that have been here from the beginning “who had the greatest impact of helping users learn Blocs,” without a doubt, it’s @Eldar. I’m not discounting the efforts of the other great people who daily help users. It’s the best forum I’ve ever been in.
I have to laugh at users that think that Eldar courses are not worth the price. Just having them as references is worth the price. I like the idea of Eldar charging for specific targeted new courses that are advanced. Everyone should get paid for their work, I’m looking forward to his complete Volt CMS course and will gladly pay for his knowledge teaching others.
Eldar makes it perfectly clear what his courses consist of and if it’s not for you then just pass, but don’t criticize someone that has spent countless hours helping others.
I’d like to give a big “thank you” to all the forum members that continue to help users either learn Blocs or provide support for advanced features. “Blocs Rocks” and it just keeps getting better.
Thanks for kind words! I am always happy to take in feedback and constructive criticism, and, of course, I am very thankful for the support the Blocs Community gives me!
To be honest, I have so much I want to talk about with the community, so much I want to share, my thinking, my ideas, my headaches (and there are many), etc. Maybe some day we can have a live chat or something like that. (I’ve thought about it a million times).
Good morning from Austria! My 2 Cents:
For the fact that supply and demand determine the free market and considering the fact that Eldar has almost no competition with his offers and does a very good job, I find his prices very reasonable. Especially considering the fact that making instructional videos requires a lot of work and he does it very sympathetically and competently. I’m actually rather surprised that no one but Eldar seems to be serving this market. The reason might be that it is a lot of work and you really have to want (and be able) to do it. From this point of view I wish Eldar a good business and high revenues. My respect, well done!
As many have pointed out, there definitely is a large commitment in time to create this, and @Eldar does a fantastic job of this. The work involved is the reason I’ve been held up myself.
To be fair, although a basic tutorial could be made for this, you really need to have a basic understanding of javascript already. There are built in examples to get you started, thats where I started.
Just my 2 cents of the day.