27.4.10

PowerPoint - where do you fall?

Yesterday's New York Times article "We Have Met The Enemy And He Is PowerPoint" takes note of the growing backlash against the Microsoft tool in military circles. The main critiques presented are: that producing a good presentation takes a bit too much time; that it "makes us stupid", reducing complex ideas beyond their essence; bullet points don't permit deeper connections between subjects - everything appears linear; that they convey much less information that a brief (5-page analysis could); and finally, that the graphic nature of tool means that the creator can get away without valid analysis of the issue at hand.

While I use PowerPoint quite frequently for presentations, I would have to agree with many of these critiques, particularly the critique that it is a reductionist tool. I find PowerPoint useful in that it is an easy way to organize "true" visuals - photos, charts, etc. However, in as much as I can, I avoid using it too present the entirety of my presentation - I would hope that my interlocutors could take that away from my presentation proper!

Where do you fall on the PowerPoint debate?

23.4.10

How to present a paper

I ran across this article written by former American Historical Association President Linda Kerber on how to present a paper - I think there are lots of good tips, including on proper length, the difference between written and spoken work, and just some basic pointers. Have a look!