The problem with PowerPoint

bbc ^ | 19 August 2009

[JoeProBono]

[JoeProBono]

[stuartcr]

DoD still uses power point a lot. It’s easy, nd secretaries can whip out stuff in a hurry with it.

[caver]

The problem is not PowerPoint. The problem is the presenter and the material. In the corporate world, of all the meetings that are held, probably 90% could be done away with. It’s these 90% of wasted meetings that people use PowerPoint to fluff up some worthless material.

[JRios1968]

[DuncanWaring]

[JRios1968]

[JRios1968]

[centurion316]

Bring back Harvard Graphics, that’ll solve the problem.

[KarlInOhio]

The Gettysburg Powerpoint Presentation 11/19/1863

[McGruff]

This disease goes all the way back to Ross Perot's failed presidential campaign and

Now look at here Larry...

[Sparko]

That’s a keeper.

[JoeProBono]

[the_Watchman]

I noticed a second phenomena 25 years ago in our software development organization at Honeywell. Prior to personal PC’s, drafts were hand written and copied for distribution. Final documents were given to the secretaries to be typed. Any typed document crossing my desk could automatically be presumed to have some status.

Once everybody in the office had Word, then everything distributed was laser printed and type-set. I lost the ability to perform simple first level filtering of documents by virtue of their format. Stuff that was in the initial stages of thought physically appeared the same as finished documents.

[corkoman]

I dont want to be inspired! I want to be informed.

All my presentations are black letters on a white background. No bells no whistles.

As few words as possible - bullets only. When folks have to read your slide they are not listening to you. If you want them to listen then have painfully few words and SIMPLE charts or illustrations.

Ok I use photos of penguins when transitioning between ideas - everyone seems to like penguins.

[r9etb]

PowerPoint actually does have its uses, though the criticisms leveled here are accurate.

The real problem with it, though, is that folks tend to use it to replace detailed discussion -- something that in written form can only be done in a memo or report.

I can't figure out if PowerPoint the cause or the effect of engineers being unable to write ... but I've seen far too many folks try to substitute PowerPoint slides for detailed arguments.

[discostu]

The problem with PowerPoint is that 99% of all PP presentations shouldn’t even exist. Unless you actually have visual data that MUST be part of the presentation don’t do it. Most of the time you should just stand up there and say your stuff.

[JoeProBono]

[discostu]

If those are your PP’s you should just turn the projector off. People don’t need bullet points on a screen to pay attention to pay attention to what you’re saying, in fact without junk on the screen they’ll ACTUALLY pay attention to what you’re saying.

[stuartcr]

You mean you had to read stuff that was presented to you?