

Powerpoint has been banned from Embedded conference. - ilkhd2
http://www.embedded.com/columns/esdeuropeeic/224000026?pgno=1

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jrockway
It's not PowerPoint, it's all computer-based presentations.

Personally, I would not speak at this conference. I like my Takahashi slides,
and I do like to reuse them when overlap is unlikely (a talk in Minneapolis,
and then one in Oslo). Reuse means I get to make it iteratively better each
time; I usually "test" my slides in front of a small group before I present in
front of a big group. Someone has to deal with Rev. A, but not everyone.

With the method this conference requires, it's always revision A... so I hope
you practice a lot before your talk, and I hope your dog gives you good
feedback. I have given some good impromptu talks, but those tend to be
entertaining rather than technical. If someone is paying to go to a
conference, breadth of subject matter is probably better than watching me make
fun of my hair.

IMHO.

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gte910h
>With the method this conference requires, it's always revision A

While I was about to type "bullshit", think that's a little strong.

Slides were long _ridiculed_ as an ineffective form of presentation before
they were accepted across corporate America.

As someone who's presented in academic situations before with nothing more
than a white board or chalkboard, you can use the same presentation again
without slides. You can refine jokes, explanations, etc, and give "the same
talk", and never involve a slide. Many lawyers actually are famous for doing
that sort of thing in legal circles.

Sure, you can't put as much information on the screen, but in general,
powerpoint presentations have way too much.

One of the _strengths_ though of not allowing prepared slides: It's damn hard
to do a presentation if you don't know the materials. So even if they want to
send the marketing guy, he's gotta know his stuff.

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Kliment
I really like the concept. I've been frustrated by slideware nearly everywhere
I've encountered it, be it academic or industry events. Sure, it makes it
pretty hard to demonstrate software and such things, but hey, how about build
an embedded device to show the things you want it to show? Or even draw on the
flipboard for you. This conference is all about intelligent objects.

On a more serious note, this should make it easier to adapt the presentation
to the audience. You no longer have the option to hide behind your slides or
to fear that you won't get to the last slide in time. It will scare off a
number of decent presenters (as jrockway said here) but it will also scare all
but the very hardcore marketing types. Would probably give startups an edge
though (used to pitching without materials).

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jvdh
I think banning powerpoints is going a bit too far. Not everyone is natural
born presenter and many can be struggling. Presenting without slides is going
to be a major hurdle for these people.

What I would propose is that people are not allowed to have any text (besides
the title and presenter) on the slides at all. Or maybe a dozen words
throughout the presentation. I think it is incredibly insulting to the
audience to make slides and then read them literally to the audience (bonus
points for title-casing all your bulletpoints and cramming so much text into a
slide that it's barely legible).

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loup-vaillant
If you need slides to follow through your presentation, you could use personal
notes instead. That means slides are useless as reminders.

I agree with your other point (banning or restricting text on slides), but it
is hardly enforceable in a fair manner. No slides at all is simpler.

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Specstacular
link would be even better without clickthru front page...

