Quote of the day: who PowerPoint empowers

Posted By Thomas E. Ricks Monday, July 20, 2009 - 5:36 PM Share

"PowerPoint has largely become affirmative action for the inarticulate" - Former Marine Sgt. David Goldich.

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AWR

5:56 PM ET

July 20, 2009

PowertPoint

This is one of the best comments ever and to from a Marine no less

 

STEVEN THOMAS SMITH

6:51 PM ET

July 20, 2009

heaven is a place, a place where nothing, nothing ever happens

Internet rule: all references to Powerpoint must come with links to the views of Edward Tufte (The Cognitive Style of Powerpoint http://tinyurl.com/yw3wn, PowerPoint Is Evil: Power Corrupts. PowerPoint Corrupts Absolutely. http://tinyurl.com/kqnr) versus David Byrne (Envisioning Emotional Epistemological Information http://tinyurl.com/nlpjje, Learning to Love PowerPoint http://tinyurl.com/mgtk).

And the Gettysburg Address Powerpoint presentation ("Gettysburg Cemetery Dedication" http://tinyurl.com/yjndnp):

Agenda

  • Met on battlefield (great)
  • Dedicate portion of field - fitting!
  • Unfinished work (great tasks)

11/19/1863

Review of Key Objectives & Critical Success Factors

  • What makes nation unique
    • Conceived in Liberty
    • Men are equal
  • Shared vision
    • New birth of freedom
    • Gov’t of/for/by the people

11/19/1863

Summary

  • New nation
  • Civil war
  • Dedicate field
  • Dedicated to unfinished work
  • New birth of freedom
  • Government not perish

11/19/1863

 

RUBBER DUCKY

8:05 PM ET

July 20, 2009

Hidden in all this: Bill

Hidden in all this: Bill Gates is the AntiChrist.

 

STARBUCK

5:15 AM ET

July 21, 2009

The TX Hammes PowerPoint Challenge

Brig. Gen. Hammes beat me to the punch on this one. I particularly agree with what Tom wrote about PowerPoint in Fiasco regarding the use of PPT slides to plan the invasion instead of written orders.

 

GREGSANDERS

11:58 AM ET

July 21, 2009

That's barely even a complaint

George Orwell does link clarity of language and clarity of thought, but in general just because someone is inarticulate doesn't mean that one necessarily have bad ideas or information. If powerpoint allows them to better articulate their ideas, then its doing part of the job it was designed for. Makes for more speeches by people who tend to be boring, but perhaps the speeches could convey useful information.

The real problem is that powerpoint is bad at conveying useful information, which is expressed in the Tufte complaints.

 

BILL KELLER

1:25 PM ET

July 21, 2009

Better read "No Content"

In DoD processes, the PowerPoint presentation is legal tender for trade as a substitute in lieu of engineering, design, cost analysis, audit and other forms management, generalship and ethics.

More effective than body armor in avoiding the impacts of being in harms way. Legion of Merit deserving when presented with moving flags and underlined old mottos or football cheers.

 

BURMA BOB

6:25 PM ET

July 21, 2009

Hear! Hear!

A nice piece summarizing the de-intellectualizing influence of powerpoint.

PPT was just getting big when I retired. What had already intrigued me about it was that a few NCO's in my unit had managed to master its use in manipulating officers for their own ends. Bravo.

The downside was that I was already seeing that bad plans with goof .ppt presentations were twice as likely to be approved, over perfectly solid plans briefed off of butcher paper flip charts.

 

RUBBER DUCKY

7:34 PM ET

July 21, 2009

Blame the flags. They're the

Blame the flags. They're the guys (and gals) who insist on the glitz.

 

BILL KELLER

12:52 AM ET

July 22, 2009

Yes, those flags....

the ones on the bow with the snake and bars that has replaced the one of Stars. But that is another line in the future for the tin bottoms with new blue checkered suits.

Seriously, the ppts are a major source of resource redirection away from professional management and good leadership. More time is spent to get the presentation right than goes to sea against pirates or seeking bin laden or clearing AQ's cells. Staffs, Civil Service, PMs, KO, Source Selection Processes, Milestones and of course OpNav, DA, IG are all ppt centers where inside thinking, circular logic and narcissism combine hourly for the next FOUO show with SES award potential.

ppt's sole contribution has been the replacement of the overhead and grease pencil - our enemies must tremble.

 

Thomas E. Ricks covered the U.S. military for the Washington Post from 2000 through 2008.

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