Last week was a strange one for me. I nearly posted a blog everyday filled with rage about the various goings on that are going on and how or why people don’t, or perhaps can’t see it. Instead, I’m going to post a treatise on presentation software and trust me, you will be better entertained by it.
But first, a rage release. Today, October 28, 2024, is the sixth anniversary of the massacre at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, the deadliest antisemitic attack on U.S. soil, when 11 members of 3 congregations sharing space in the same building were murdered by a radical who only a year ago finally was convicted of 63 crimes of violence stemming from that incident. Five years to bring to trial and convict a man who admitted to the shootings. Yet today, not only do we not have saner control over weapons of violence, we hear people wanting to be high ranking government officials and local dog catcher level officials accuse opposing candidates of being too dangerous. Really? If you want to read my feelings about the heinous acts committed at the Tree of Life you can go back and read the posts No Exceptions and No Exceptions Still!
And now, the treatise. No, not treatise. That suggests a long, formal, systemic discussion of a topic. This is just going to be long. Let’s call is a disquisition. Yeah, that’s better. And now, a disquisition on presentation software.
First, some history. (Hmmm. Maybe it could be a treatise.) (No. we settled on disquisition. No turning back now!) I do a lot of talking. Some of it I’m front of (willing) audiences. Rarely am I behind a lectern. I’m usually one more to wander about on stage, unencumbered by any connection to a video accompaniment to my words
It was not always like that. At my first ever professional (or perhaps ”professional”) presentation, I could not move any farther than 2&1/2 feet from the designated speaker area or the wireless remote control would be out of range of the projector holding the slides that (hopefully) illustrated the points I was (hopefully) making.
Yes, slides. Those same things that Uncle John and Aunt Jane pulled out after Thanksgiving dinner to show you all they did on their vacation from last August when all you wanted to do was go downtown to see the parade and watch Santa come to town. Oh those slides were so difficult to deal with. Umm. The presentation slides, not the vacation slides. The vacation slides you simply slept through. Anyway …
Oh, those slides were so difficult to deal with. When I was teaching, the college had an entire section of their AV department who would take our presentations whether for class or for an outside lecture that we saved into a floppy disk and do whatever magic they did to get them converted to slides. Provided we gave them a 4-6 week lead time on when we needed them, and ideally for class slides, that we have our disks to them a semester in advance. I can’t count the number of times I said in a lecture or at a conference, “now this information is just a little out of date but …”
When I “graduated” (hehe) from the college and moved on to my job in staff development for a for-profit company I also graduated to computer generated slides and the then latest and not quite greatest thing, webinars. Our company had locations in 46 states. We were one of the first to embrace distance learning and I was in charge of it. To make a long story short (I know…too late), it wasn’t the best of things to be one of the first to embrace. You know all those things they say will work a lot better once they get the kinks out of? I was the “they” doing the de-kinking in that thing.
Eventually, the technology caught up with the desire and computer generation presentations whether live in person, live online, or recorded became as professional looking as the professionals behind the information presented. All at about the last time I ever used “slides” with a presentation.
I had and still have nothing against visual aids in a lecture. I merely moved on from that. In the last 10 years I gave one presentation accompanied by slides. The others have been more of a straight stand-up style like a keynote or after meal remarks, freed from worry over whether my words match whatever is projected on the wall behind me. And as such, I’ve quite lost touch with, and likely my touch with, presentation software.
As fortune has it, next week I am doing a short presentation and have been asked if I would please bring slides and handouts. Oh where oh where are those AV guys now?
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The Real Reality Show Blog 
Tree Of Life Shooting is a definite outrage. I’m Jewish and feel real concern about the recent rise in Anti Semitism lately. I live in New England and even here in liberal Massachusetts there’s a Neo Nazi group that’s pretty active with hateful talk and actions
Claude
There is just so much hate. And it’s mainstream. People don’t care what they say. It’s like a badge of honor among the low lifes to belittle individuals and entire groups. I just try to stay positive and loving.
Being positive is a courageous thing
Claude
First – I cannot believe it’s been six years since the Tree of Life massacre. Thank you for the sobering reminder of the horror – not just of gun violence but of the stasis we’re in. No progress and it’s shameful.
Second – Thank you for the smiles about visuals during a presentation and all the various forms, thanks to technology (or lack thereof). Your thought about the need to ‘match’ commentary with visuals really struck me as a stress point and a hampering of presentation flow. I think I’d much prefer listening to you speak without the encumbrance. Old-timey, perhaps, but too many visuals, bells and whistles detract from the message. 🥰
First – thank you for sharing my disbelief. We seem to be not only making progress but regressing.
Second – I much prefer speaking without the encumbrance. My words hamper my progress enough on their own!
Sending you big hugs — just because! ❤️
Aww. Always appreciated 😊
I’m sure that with or without slides, you are a good speaker. Just as you are a good writer!
You’re too kind Wynne. Thank you!
I can’t believe it took five years to convict a man who confessed his guilt over such an ugly, inhumane act as what happened in that synagogue. The anti-Semitism in this country scares the bejeebers out of me. Everyone gripes about the unjust treatment of people of color or the LGBTQ group, but no one has the guts to stand up consistently for Jewish people who have been persecuted a lot longer than any other group. That was my rage. Then you went on to slides–and I was able to take a breath, step back, and smile again. I do prefer people who share without the benefit(?) of a slide deck. I prefer focusing on what is being said. Maybe that says something about my ability to focus.
I’m sorry I scared the bejeepers out of you, or rather brought up scary thoughts. It needed said. But I am also happy that I made you smile. I also like it better when people focus on the words and not the pictures.