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Is there a video that explains how Stack Overflow works and can be used? I.e. a short tutorial to get new users started. If there isn't, then the people behind this site or others who know how it works should make one, because it's overwhelmingly different from other sites and thus difficult for beginners.

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    You do not want to see a video with Jeff, trust me!
    – Ladybug Killer
    Oct 21 '10 at 11:53
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    "It's overwhelmingly different from other sites and thus difficult for beginners." [citation needed] Stack Overflow is one of the easiest, most user-friendly websites on these seven Internets. There's nothing about it that is particularly dissimilar from other sites, for that matter. It's not like it uses strange themes and Flash everywhere to create a look & feel that is anything other than a typical website. Very few users have trouble with Stack Overflow to the point that (with certain exceptions) people who have trouble with it are just oblivious.
    – Welbog
    Oct 21 '10 at 13:45
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    Also, for the record, I hate it when sites have introductory videos without any accompanying text. I condone creating a video so long as the existing documentation is not replaced completely by it.
    – Welbog
    Oct 21 '10 at 13:47
  • @ Sid Meier: its not about the theme or other visual aspects. Internet users are already bombarded with millions of different visuals for similar kind of info that they have already developed tolerance for that (think of your computer GUI forever changing its looks every few minutes). Its more about the community mechanisms. Jorge Castro video was helpful. A picture = thosand words, a video = 24 thousand words per second. In my opinion every website should have an intro video to help users up n running quickly instead of lengthy faqs in this age of info overload. - continued below
    – timmaktu
    Oct 23 '10 at 12:39
  • Once they are warmed up rest they can figure out overtime, infact the most useful things you could say in just minutes of a video. else you are oblivious, eventually. Every site or software thinks that their users' life is dedicated to using their product so they will devote a lifetime to reading documentations. reading can never match watching: our visual sense is the fastest n most natural. just sit n absorb n kickin instantly
    – timmaktu
    Oct 23 '10 at 12:40
  • I did this a while back, FWIW.
    – Benjol
    Aug 2 '11 at 9:00
  • There is now an official video introducing stack exchange. But it's more of an advertisement video so it doesn't really answer your question. PS: I don't know Jeff so I can't tell if he's in it. ;)
    – Claus
    Apr 25 '13 at 14:42
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There is an unofficial instruction video on YouTube created by Jorge Castro (if I'm not mistaken). It's about the Ubuntu Stack Exchange site, but that shouldn't really matter.

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  • there could be a better video, an official getting started video. jorge's video isn't that but still helpful for the meantime
    – timmaktu
    Oct 23 '10 at 13:03
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No video, but...

We're rolling out a new "Quick Start" guide designed to help teach new users how we differ from other sites, and the absolute minimum they need to learn to get started and have a good experience.

We're testing it on our Ask Different site here.

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  • Eeeeeeeeee all that stuff moving around when I scroll is causing my attention to get drawn all over the page! Perhaps consider leaving the images static and only run an animation to draw attention to something specific in the image on mouse hover? (But +1 anyways because this is definitely something that I think is needed)
    – Rachel
    Jan 10 '13 at 16:36
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I'm working on building one specifically for Gaming. You can see the latest, unlisted draft.

Speaking of which, I need a narrator :)

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    You also have some timing problems, or I should learn to read faster.
    – Ladybug Killer
    Oct 21 '10 at 12:05
  • @Ladybug, you're not supposed to fully read each "slide" -- the idea is that narration should be the dominant part of the "experience", with written content having a mere support role. Anyway, this previous draft has slower timing.
    – badp
    Oct 21 '10 at 12:09
  • Also for draft 6 I'm speeding up transitions :)
    – badp
    Oct 21 '10 at 12:11
  • @radp: Well, that one is a little bit slow ;)
    – Ladybug Killer
    Oct 21 '10 at 12:15
  • I like it, but at the current timing when sliding the example questions I always imagine a helium voice...
    – Tobias Kienzler
    Oct 21 '10 at 12:45
  • keep working, the animations are distracting: good design is utility with aesthetics n never utility compromised. i could send you an audio if you send the transcript for a video that actually shows the site in usage rather than fast moving text/faq, that's not even a video, its just text thats hard to read or get hold of, thus you actually worsened the problem
    – timmaktu
    Oct 23 '10 at 12:50

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