Toadfish Monastery

last _{me too!}post

Last _{there's three of us now, then} Post

I have to finish this powerpoint presentation for Wednesday. I hate powerpoint and its philosophy
Printed or handdrawn slides don't need no stinking electronic projector* that as often as not refuses to take the signal from the computer.
Paper/foils or chalk also do not impose their aesthetic will on me or change the layout, if I change te computer.
Last _{fossile at work} Post

*as opposed to the good old reliable overhead projector or the chalkboard

Resistance is futile. Your only choice is whether to be assimilated by Microsoft or Google.

Last time to head off to Bedfordshire. Bye for now Post.

I can produce better slides with Word in far less time and print them out. The problem is the presentation since the overhead projector has become a rare item.
Why use slides at all? As my professor once quipped (or at least quoted): Do you have powerpoint or something to say?

Last _{and I hate the 20 minute format. Too long for an introduction, too short for a real lecture} Post

Last _{I'm gonna go eat ice cream, because it's hot.} Post

One of the real pains about PowerPoint is the plethora of choices.

Most presenters who prepare their own cannot resist multiple fonts, multiple transitions, multiple backgrounds, multiple--multiple.

The actual content is lost in the "what's the next slide gonna be?  Which font?  Readable?  What background? How is it gonna transition to the next slide?" and such.

In otherwords-- noise.

I have taken several presentation classes back in college, and the rule was, keep it simple, keep it neat, and ONE point per slide.

DO NOT change the font-- UNLESS there is a major reason to do so, like say you're quoting an actual source.  Different sizes ONLY as appropriate.  Like large for chapter-titles, and so on.

DO NOT change the background color, unless you're changing to another major topic-thread (like a new CHAPTER for example). Or, if you've carefully crafted a color-coding system, say green for questions, red for quotes, etc.

DO NOT USE transitions.  Ever.  They are stupidly silly, and only make your slides look like a 10 year old "designed" it.

Sound effects-- right out.  YOU (the speaker) are the ONLY sound effect required.  Your voice IS the presentation-- the slideshow is for SUPPORT and ILLUSTRATION.    Sound effects make your slides appear to be designed by a 7 year old.

Hmmm.  What else?  Silly fonts?  Right-out.  Too hard to read.  Make you look like it was designed by a 5 year old.  In crayon.

Last _{hate badly designed powerpoint presentations} Post

I use no background and as little colour as possible. I try to stick to 3 font sizes (title, text, caption) but find it difficult because the program tries to sneak its own preferences in (changing the master settings is not enough it seems).
A true problem is that the impression on the screen can be quite different from the projection. Barely readable text on the screen (only way to have the whole slide visible instead of only a part) can look oversized on the wall. One effect I do not understand is why pictures I do in Paint* often look fuzzy when I put them into other Microsoft programs (Word, Powerpoint).
I keep away from all highlighting effects, even useful ones (like enlarging the graphic I am talking about at the moment, so I could put all necessary graphs in one slide for comparision without risking that they get to small to see details).
In other words: There is no difference to printed transparent slides that I could produce easier in other ways.
Independent problem: I am no good at prepared speeches, so it usually is improvisation with just a handful of pre-thought sentences. But try to calculate the time to the minute with that!
This one is the dry run for the oral doctoral examination** (that consists of a 20 minutes presentation followed by grilling by 2 profs for about 40 minutes each)

Last _{btw, why do I talk about that in this thread?} Post

*and Origin for data/graphic displays (OK in Word, not so in Powerpoint)
**likely sometime in June

Last _{I'm amused again at my sibs and myself's ability to hijack any thread for whatever it is that's firmly on their minds} Post

Sometimes the Last Post game is THE source of the best info, here.

Last _{I just assume most sibs cannot see new topic icon} Post

Or they fear that the new topic will be overlooked or not gather enough postings to keep it from sinking. Much better to threadjack a successful thread and ask for a thread split, if the topic turns out to be popular.

Last _{the cancer theory of thread topics} Post

But no one could split the

LAST POST

What, like this?



Last

----SPLIT-----

Post

No not like that

LAST POST

That atom may be split, the Last Post never!