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Re: PowerPoint considered harmful (was Re: Barely literate minutes)

2012-12-01 23:53:20
At 9:48 AM -0500 12/1/12, Keith Moore wrote:

 On 11/29/2012 06:06 PM, Pete Resnick wrote:
 On 11/29/12 3:45 PM, Lee Howard wrote:
 I can't take notes while I'm standing up, facilitating discussion.

Interesting. I am forced to (only somewhat facetiously) ask: Why are *you* standing up, facilitating discussion, if you are the editor? Shouldn't that be the chair's job? More seriously: Since we started this PowerPoint/Comments-at-the-mic thing oh so many years ago, doing document reviews in presentation form where the editor is the one doing the slides has created this problem. Perhaps a better mode would be for the editor to write up the list of open issues, have the chair project them if need be, and the editor can get up to the mic with explanations/questions as needed but otherwise remain seated so they can jot down the notes they need. I think I've done something like that a long time ago as an editor. Worth trying, I'd think.
 +1

More generally, every time I go to IETF I'm appalled that working groups have gotten into the habit of filling the time with PowerPoint presentations.[*] PowerPoint (and similar tools) should be used sparingly, if at all. Most of the time, the projector should be off, or the screen blank.

The point of IETF meetings is to facilitate discussion, not to show things to people.

PowerPoint tells meeting participants to be passive, or that it's okay to take up space in the meeting room while browsing the web and not paying attention, not being engaged. Both of these are detrimental to IETF work.

 Keith

[*] And yes, I realize that this has been the case for over 10 years, but I remember when it was not the case.

When I started, WGs had projectors on, but were used as white boards, to facilitate discussion. The editor or anyone wanting to discuss an issue would write out the topics on a transparent sheet of plastic and project it. As the discussion developed, points would be written on it. It seemed to work.

--
Randall Gellens
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