Posted on 04/29/2010 6:19:38 AM PDT by SLB
IF TORQUEMADA HAD A LAPTOP. The Defense Department has declared war on PowerPoint. Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who heads U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, told the New York Times, “It’s dangerous because it can create the illusion of understanding and the illusion of control. Some problems in the world are not bullet-izable.”
To prove his point, McChrystal’s been displaying an indecipherable slide of the United States’ military strategy. “When we understand that slide, we’ll have won the war,” he’s said.
Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis, Joint Forces commander, put it more succinctly: “PowerPoint makes us stupid.”
Kudos to military leaders for fighting the good fight, but is this a winnable war? It’s not as if the coma-inducing effects of slideshows haven’t been known for years. Back in January 2000, Peter Norvig created his classic send-up of PowerPoint, putting the Gettysburg Address into a stultifying set of bullet points. A 2003 New Yorker cartoon depicts the devil conferring with one of his minions: “I need someone well-versed in the art of torture — do you know PowerPoint?” A few years ago, a military forum posted “The Ballad of the PowerPoint Ranger,” a tribute to the downtrodden grunts who spend their time making slides for the brass. Graphic design guru Edward Tufte, now working for the Obama administration, has railed against PowerPoint for years.
And yet slideshows soldier on, as persistent as zombies in a horror movie. A Google search for “PowerPoint torture,” for example, produces plenty of discussion on the pain of sitting through slideshows — and no shortage of torturous PowerPoint presentations on the very subject of torture.
Is there any escape? Or is there still no better way to make your point at a meeting or conference?
Admittedly, PowerPoint has become snappier over the years, adding moving images and interactive capabilities. But it’s still the business equivalent of somebody’s vacation pictures. And military leaders make a valid point about the dangers of oversimplification. Our guess is that, for now, we’re pretty much stuck with it.
Meanwhile, for the sake of posterity, we’d like to create a sort of rogue’s gallery of bad presentations, a museum of slideshow atrocities. If you have a “good” one, include the link in the comments section below. Future generations will thank you.
http://norvig.com/Gettysburg/
That's so good I might just adopt it as a tag-line!
PowerPoint is the enemy of learning.
I’m a teacher at the college level. When I lecture, students engage (usually) and take notes. When I run a PowerPoint presentation, they put their pencils down and act like they’re watching TV.
This is what happens when you tie your hands behind your back to prevent yourself from winning.
If used properly, PowerPoint is a fantastic tool. Trouble is, most have no clue how to use it properly.
see, I knew there was a reason that Bill Gates was evil -g-
PP isn't as bad as the old fashioned overhead projector........................
I teach students how to use powerpoint. I also caution them to only use it when it’s necessary. Sometimes visuals help students, anyone, understand what is being said. But unfortunately, it is way overused and often, poorly designed.
McChrystal didn't say this. BG H.R. McMaster said it.
I was just slightly confused before. Now I fully don’t understand. Guess another cup of coffee is in order.
No. No. It’s Powerpoint’s fault.
BINGO!!!
Ballad of the PowerPoint Rangers
(To the tune of “The Green Berets”)
Requests are made, from day to day,
Briefings held, and changes made.
Graphics slides, a must they say,
and PowerPoint is the only way.
Computers crash, and printers stall,
Overloading protocol.
Network’s down and soldiers cry,
Briefing’s late so heads will fly.
Pin PowerPoint Slides upon my chest,
Full-color slides, they look the best.
One Hundred Slides were made that day,
But only 3 were ever displayed.
A smile came on the General’s face,
Slides were done and looked just great!
T’was up all night, worked really late,
Just to hear, the General state:
My soldier son, your slides were great,
Briefing’s done, slides up to date.
One problem son, the color’s wrong,
One more chance, or you go home.
So tell my mom, I’ve done my best.
Pin PowerPoint Slides on my chest.
One hundred slides were made that day,
But only 3 were ever displayed.
Aren’t you lecturing when you run a Powerpoint presentation? You’re not just reading the screen are you?
I spent years in college classrooms on both the undergraduate and graduate level. What a waste of time it was for me to sit there and take notes on what the professor said. I much preferred the professor who would assign reading and just give me his/her notes instead of presenting them to me and making me write them down Class room time should be for discussion not taking dictation. All too often I suspected it was professorial ego which made them insist I write down what they said. Give me PowerPoint!
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