[Novalug] Presentation over Power Point?

Nick Danger nick@hackermonkey.com
Sun May 1 12:10:22 EDT 2011


On 04/30/2011 10:23 PM, cmhowe@patriot.net wrote:
> He has a low opinion of Power Point.

So do I. But mostly it has to do with the issue of "if I have nothing to 
say, I can do it in 25 slides". Real content gets reduced to almost 
nothing. What I think PP (and oo and various other presentation 
programs) should be used for is like an outline, a guide to keep 
audience and presenter on track. Instead its used almost exclusively as 
the training tool, and the presenter is reduced to a talking head, 
almost (or in some cases, completely) unnecessary.

I just finished making 4 presentations in Open Office, and while I 
wouldn't say its better or worse then Power Point, it is the same beast. 
Personally I found it suitable and will use it instead of PPT, but I 
can't really say its better or worse. It did the job. After finishing 
the work I presented it to my boss and he was not happy. "This doesn't 
explain anything", he said. I thought that was my job as the presenter, 
not the slides job. He wants all the people that are going to skip my 
lecture to just get the slides and not have to hear me. Not sure why I 
am even travelling then, it would be cheaper just to leave me home and 
email the slides around.

Another complaint? The local school system now assigns the students to 
make "power point" presentations instead of writing book reports. 
Admittedly, a lower grade (3rd) book report is usually not a masterpiece 
of writing, but it taught you structure. Now they are learning to make 
pretty distractions. "I didn't really read the book.. OOO A SPINNING GIF!"

Nick



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