I loath ppt like the rest
I could, and have written, pages on why powerpoint is the bane of Army existence. I have one point to show why it is unneccessary. The Taliban and Anti-Iraqi Forces have fought our coalitions in two countries to utter standstills. Yet, they don't have powerpoint, word or excel!
Well, they certainly have and use Word and Excel, not to mention database programs and others. In the public domain, the CTC has done an excellent of using captured electronic records to tell us some interesting things about both AQ and Iraqi insurgents. Long may they continue to use it!Originally Posted by Michael C
They mostly come at night. Mostly.
- university webpage: McGill University
- conflict simulations webpage: PaxSims
As early as OIF III, I recommended that we distribute bootlegged copies of PowerPoint, in hopes that the enemy would use it and become as paralyzed and bureaucratic as us. The means by which I recommended doing this was leaving 5 or 10 copies with each enemy cache of explosives and ammunition that we find (rather than destroying it). Emplace a team to overwatch the cache. If a guy comes out carrying a bag full of explosives, shoot him. If he comes out carrying copies of PowerPoint, then let him go! Unfortunately, my suggestion went nowhere.
What if?
If you have a blackbelt in powerpoint, intellect and the creativity of an artist you can use powerpoint to effectively project your story or points. If however you use powerpoint to dumb down a complicated subject to a few bullet statements which provide on context, then every ill thing said about powerpoint is true.
While I agree with Tom's comment about being able to read a map, there is a powerful new information technology emerging in knowledge management called visual analytics, which I think will take decision briefs to a new level. It allows the briefer (or staff) to present and manipulate volumes of complex data visually in way that permits the audience to grasp complex relations without hours of study.
Of course you'll have to have a graduate degree in this technology to effectively use it, but let's not trip over the mouse turds.
Well Shucks,
And here I thought I might have it figured out and you go and point out how I'm not gettin it cause m not edumacated enough
Guess I'll just stick to drawin pretty pictures
Last edited by Ron Humphrey; 08-30-2009 at 08:42 PM. Reason: caint even miss-pell right
Any man can destroy that which is around him, The rare man is he who can find beauty even in the darkest hours
Cogitationis poenam nemo patitur
Next step
The next step (I hope) is to simplify the user-software interface so the user doesn't have to be a software engineer, but rather an expert in his field that can use this software to effectively augment his/her analysis and ability to present the results.
http://nvac.pnl.gov/
I recommend reading the executive summary for Illuminating the Path: The Research and Development Agenda for Visual Analytics at the link below.“Seeing is knowing, though merely seeing is not enough. When you understand what you see, seeing becomes believing.”
~Pak Chung Wong, PNNL Scientist
http://nvac.pnl.gov/agenda.stm
I know some of the more traditional among our members said to forget producing a better crystal ball in another forum, but with the proper use of science we can produce a "better" crystal ball, but we'll never produce a perfect one.
Back to powerpoint and where I think it may evolve to, let's face it powerpoint is a more powerful tool for presenting information than the old method of using boucher block or briefing off a sand table (though the sand table is still a requirement in my book). Unfortunately, like a lot of things the military touches it became stupid, and some idiots were more concerned with font size, style, back ground and the number of bullets on a particular slide, instead of encouraging their staff to use their imagination to find the best ways to "effectively" present their brief.
To be fair though much have this has been in response to the idiots that think it is completely appropriate to populate a single slide with a complete OPORD. Fonts, the amount and type of information presented and the background it is on all impact on the reader/viewer's ability to comprehend the information being presented.
My concern with PowerPoint has always been that without firm guidance on what is appropriate (just like we have for other forms of official corro/writing etc) you get lunatics who think that progressing bullet at a time with a supporting sound effect to announce the entrance is best use of the program. That's what my son does in Grade 6 in his IT assignments ... how commissioned officers ever thought it was appropriate is beyond me.
The first thing I always do on entering an organisation is seek to simplify and then standardise a PowerPoint style manual ... I guarantee you the boss appreciates it far more than everyone considering the slide deck as their own palette. If this makes me a PowerPoint Nazi that spends too long on the small stuff I’m happy to take the moniker … If PowerPoint is meant to be a visual aid (and from my perspective that’s what it is – it supports the brief) and it doesn’t aid because everyone remains completely distracted by the format, style and randomness of the content we have failed to use the tool.
The real issue is the thought process among staffers who believe that PowerPoint is not formal correspondence ... you wouldn't prepare an OPORD with a cubist interpretation ... why the hell do we do it with presentations?
Nothing new under the sun
From Army magazine, published about six years ago, an article on mastering powerpoint:
http://www3.ausa.org/webint/DeptArmy...id/CCRN-6CCS9J
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