John's Technology Blog

Following rules only take you so far...

Enjoy Barry Schwartz reminding us to go beyond rules and be wise. Thanks TED.com

Death by PowerPoint » SlideShare

Here is a great demonstration presentation about how people often misuse PowerPoint.  Several points worth learning.

Link: Death by PowerPoint » SlideShare.

Hans Rosling: New insights on poverty and life around the world (video) - TED Talks

For those of us who work with data or have to present data, this video should be inspiring, reminding us that the right tools can convey so much meaning.   Follow the link below the video to interact with the online tool demonstrated in the video.

Link: TED | Talks | Hans Rosling: New insights on poverty and life around the world (video).

Here is the link to the amazing tool demonstrated in the video.  Note that you can change which variable is displayed on each side, as well as the time, as well as which countries, etc.  In essence, everything on the graph is "hot" and modifiable. 

It is part of the Gapminder.org site, which includes many other great visualization tools.  The Dollar Street visualization (needs to be downloaded) is also very powerful and embodies a very different approach.

Inbox Zero Presentation

Here is a presentation from Merlin Mann's regarding "Inbox Zero" his message based on the GTD (Getting Things Done) approach.   

Notice the use of the PowerPoint slides.  Notice how few words are used, yet how much the contribute.  They clearly do not get in the way of the presentation.

Link: Inbox Zero.

TEDTalks (audio, video)

The folks at the TED Conferences always bring interesting and challenging speakers to their well-subscribed event.  Now they are regularly posting selected short videos from their conferences and other presentations.  Worth a look.  In the era of sound bites, it is refreshing to hear a well thought out presentation.

Link: TEDTalks (audio, video).

Another Jobs Keynote

Think what you will about Apple the company or the Mac and Ipod product lines, Steve Jobs is a unique individual with some great skills.  After just a few minutes of watching, even my 13-year old had to say something about this man and this presentation.  "Dad, he knows his stuff and is really into it."  Indeed. 

Compare any of his presentations to those of his fellow IT CEO peers, and the difference is stark.  His scripts are well written, there is humor, the demos are daring, and participants regularly leave the keynotes with no significant doubts or questions.  He manages to give audiences their fill of facts, surprise and humor.  Like a master chef, providing us with a great meal, we don't leave his restaurant thinking about all the dishes we did not eat, but rather rubbing our tummies and grinning.

Link: Apple - QuickTime - Macworld 2007 Keynote.

The Work of Edward Tufte

Representing information in proper and interesting ways is much harder than most people think, and sadly, seldom done well.  Professor Tufte's books and seminars on visual communication and data representation are great reminders that we must think about every dimension -- from the clarity to the complexity.  He has a book on how PowerPoint can...

"weaken verbal and spatial reasoning, and almost always corrupt statistical analysis."

Link: The Work of Edward Tufte and Graphics Press.

Presentation Zen: The "Lessig Method" of presentation

For those looking to do a different type of presentations, Garr Reynolds has a great review of what he calls the "Lessig Method" after noted Stanford Professor Larry Lessig.  There is a great example HERE.  Also, don't miss the Dick Hardt presentation at OSCON 2005 -- it is a great example.  Do bear in mind that this approach is not for every message, or for every presenter.  It will take significantly more preparation.

Link: Presentation Zen: The "Lessig Method" of presentation.

Beyond Bullets - Better PowerPoint

For people looking to find a fresh perspective on the same old tired PowerPoints, Cliff Atkinson has something to contribute.  His site Beyond Bullets promotes his book and his speaking/training talents.  Casual users will be able to be able to get the gist of his message by browsing his site and watching one of his video presentations.

PowerPoint Tutorials - Free

Here are some FREE, web-based, PowerPoint tutorials.  Particularly good for the more advanced users looking for looping and video use.

Link: powerpoint tutorials for powerpoint presentations.