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Re: What? No PPT or wireless? [Re: IETF63 wireless]

2005-03-14 07:53:16
From the top of my head, there are at least three kinds of 
presentations I see frequently at the IETFs:

  a) about 5 slides (or less) of background for the work, some major 
points, and maybe what has changed, on the last slide soliciting for 
input on certain specific topics,

  b) presentations where the document editor goes through all the open
  
issues in the document (typically sent to the list beforehand, but no 
comments there), trying to use face-to-face time for discussion and 
gaining consensus on these items

  c) longer presentations which often result in focus getting lost.

Do you see other kinds?  Do you feel (at least) a) and b) are good use
of our time?

I see a lot of those in category c), fewer in categories a) and b).
I do feel that a) and b) are reasonable ways to use meeting time.
 
In any case, what I've seen in a dozen or two IETF presentations I 
made during the last year or so that people don't usually jump up and 
start discussing, unless you have a contentious topic or phrase the 
questions really well (in a contentiuous manner)?  Or maybe it's just 
my bad presentations..

There's something about the medium.  Not just the use of PPT, but the
setting ... a room with theater seating and the projection screen the 
most prominent feature.  There is always something on the screen 
even if the information content is low.  Some low-level noise from 
air conditioning or whatever.  It all seems to encourage people to sit 
down, shut up, and watch the screen rather than to engage in dialogue.  

When the speaker speaks for more than a few minutes without any 
interaction with other attendees, that reinforces the one-way nature
of the meeting.

The need for those "on the floor" to use a microphone (not just in 
large rooms and multicast rooms now, but in _every_ room) further
discourages interaction. (aren't there microphones these days that can
pick up what is being said without being held next to the speaker's
mouth?)


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