[XML-DEV Mailing List Archive Home] [By Thread] [By Date] [Recent Entries] [Reply To This Message] RE: The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint
content matches form meets audience distribution, at least that would be content's dream. Mozart had some complexity to say, but he left it up to the specialists to batter their heads against the semantic conduits. Music can carry complex abstractions better, I think, because it's received by a different part of the brain; sounds and words aim at other parts where complexities are less welcome in the arena of performance. I've attended John Ashberry and Allen Ginsberg readings; the heart and mind were engaged at different areas in both. But, as a rule of thumb, with a randomly selected audience, I'd go for simple. Of course, if I could guarantee an audience of PhD students, then the blackboard would be full of indecipherable and chalkdust take the hindmost. "Bullard, Claude L (Len)" To: "'roger.day@g...'" <roger.day@g...> <clbullar@i... cc: "'xml-dev@l...'" <xml-dev@l...> m> Subject: RE: The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint 18/12/2003 15:33 Typically true. As in specs, as in art, less is more. In real time, it is particularly applicable as anyone who jams on a regular basis discovers the clutter factor, but would Mozart be better with fewer notes? 1. Slides with too many bullets are terrible because the speaker runs over time every time. 2. Slides without bullets can be worthless and the speaker will still likely run over time. 3. A problem of bullets is lookahead. The audience is reading ahead of the presentation and formulating arguments instead of listening. So is the speaker. 4. Bullets are just one style. Work with animation and try to see what does and doesn't help. Too many styles in one presentation are worse. Too few are bland. Keep winnowing until the speech is exactly what you want to say. Save some fire for the last set. A bauble is junk jewelry. No size fits all. Practice is the path to perfection. Perfection is somewhere over the rainbow. The best way to know if a gig is successful is if they book you again. The songs I've recorded that have the least in them took me the longest to record. Ego comes with facility. len From: roger.day@g... [mailto:roger.day@g...] The same thing happens with poetry. There are all sorts of claims to rules, but they're really just styles. "rules" are there for the greyhairs to suppress the upncoming. As I have been what might be loosely termed a performance poet who tries to "deliver" abstract poetry, it seems to me that "content" at that particular point of presentation is liquid. receptiveness differs and no what content you put up, people come away with different callbacks of what you've presented. Writing words on OHP slides may seem to give comfort to the presenter (Ah yes, look, it's in concrete blacknwhite!), but even this can be treacherous. Keeping the ideas in the presentation simple seems to me to be a reasonable approach. Details are for absorption in quietness.
|
PURCHASE STYLUS STUDIO ONLINE TODAY!Purchasing Stylus Studio from our online shop is Easy, Secure and Value Priced! Download The World's Best XML IDE!Accelerate XML development with our award-winning XML IDE - Download a free trial today! Subscribe in XML format
|