

Never Ask "Does That Make Sense?" - kevinrpope
http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2011/09/never_ask_does_that_make_sense.html

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Udo

      • Uncertainty on the part of the speaker about the accuracy or credibility of the 
        content
    

I think it makes sense (hah!) to periodically ask your audience if they're
still with you, especially if they have confused looks on their faces. It's an
invitation for feedback. Also, depending on the subject at hand, it might not
be a bad idea to show some humility and allow people to express doubts about
the accuracy of the content.

    
    
      • Doubt about the ability of the audience to comprehend or appreciate the content.
    

I don't think so, but that might be because I'm not a native speaker and this
implication could well be one of those finer points that are lost on me. "Does
that make sense?" is not the same as "Did you manage to understand this?" In
my native language, speakers use the latter more often (typically using an
inflection suggestive of the fact that the audience is entirely composed of
brainless maggots who crawl before a glorious superior being) and I do find it
insulting, but I believe these expressions are very different from each other.

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pbz
It would depend on your audience. Do you want to come across as more confident
than you are or would you rather paint an accurate picture? If you're talking
to an audience that is close to your level of expertise certainty can come
across as "hiding something" not as confidence. Or perhaps we're a bunch of
skeptics.

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nxn
If anyone wants to experience the pinnacle of "Does that make sense?", I
highly suggest watching Stanford's "programming paradigm" lectures by Jerry
Cain (they're on youtube). He's a fantastic professor, but it almost makes the
lectures unbearable after a few hours.

