So what is the value of the courses you have taken?

OK, I’m going to go on a bit of a rant here, but I think it’s necessary.

In the last several weeks I have gotten several emails from students feeling it is unfair to have to purchase a newer version of a course or a new course because they had paid for a similar course prior.  I have to tell you, I was a bit offended.  If the author of a course has to go through the trouble of researching the changes, learning the changes, figuring out the changes, rewriting or rerecording the curriculum, etc, don’t you feel they deserve to get paid?  I feel this even more true if it was/is a fairly low cost training and the person has bought it a while ago.

If techniques and technology have changed and it’s not as a result of the author/teacher, you have to look at it  as cost of doing business.  Accountants and Lawyers and any professional have go back to school for continuing education–and guess what?  They pay for this.  The schools that offer continuing education (and let’s face it, there isn’t any profession that doesn’t need continuing professional education) don’t do it for free.  So why should authors/teachers who put their own time, effort and money to learn and distill the new information give it away for free?  You’re right, they shouldn’t.