PPT - Powerful Presentation Techniques

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Paul J Gibler
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PPT Abuse, Misuse for Effective Decision Making

The Armed Forces Journal has an opinion piece by T.X. Hammes on how PowerPoint negatively impacts decision making.  In the essay, cleverly titled "Dum Dum Bullets", the author argues that PowerPoint "is actively hostile to thoughtful decision making".  The author argues that before PPT, decision briefings were made with 2 - 3 pages of thoughtful points that could be read, pondered and analyzed.  Post-PPT, briefings are "damaging [due to] the reduction of complex issues to bullet points".  He also argues about how PowerPoint briefing presentations are doomed due to too much information with some slides having "charts with 20 items of information portrayed in complex graphics".

The author does suggest that PowerPoint has utility for information briefings and in briefings where a decision is needed immediately.

What do you think?

Screen Capture Software - Free and Fee

It is often useful for marketers and presenters to show a web page or some other visual representation in their PowerPoint slide show, training manual, white paper, etc.  One tool that helps facilitate this is a screen capture program.  Most of these tools allow you to capture an image; edit, enhance, annotate or modify the image and generate output in multiple formats for your intended use.  

I use Techsmith's SnagIt, but there are also various other software packages and online services that you might consider for this task. 

Among the other tools that are out there are the following:

• Balesio TurboDemo
• Hyperionics HyperSnap
• Inbit FullShot
• MoodySoft SPX Instant Screen Capture
• !Quick Screen Capture
• ScreenToaster
• Solid Capture
• Techsmith SnagIt
• Wisdom ScreenHunter
  

Update
LifeHacker has reviews of two other free Windows compatible screen capturing software packages including PicPick (review) and SiteShoter (review).  Others that have been identified include FastStone Capture, MWSnap and Gadwin PrintScreen.

Searching for Images on Google filtered by use licenses plus OfficSync Google Search Plug-in

Research Buzz has a posting on how Google Image Search now allows users to "filter their searches by a variety of use licenses including Creative Commons and GNU Free Documentation".  Using the Google Advanced Image Search you can select search parameters that include size, color, image type (.jpg, .png, .gif, .bmp) or license use.  Here is a screenshot of the Google Advanced Image Search.

I'm not familiar with GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL), so I did a search at Wikipedia and found their definition - "GNU FDL is a copyleft license for free documentation ... it is similar to the GNU General Public License giving, giving readers the right to copy, redistribute and modify a work and requires all copies and derivatives to be available under the same license".  Interestingly when you look at the GNU FDL site it seems to refer to manuals, textbooks or other documents without expressly referring to the images that are searchable through the Google Image search enhancement.  

Update
Since the original posting earlier this afternoon, I've come across a useful plug-in for your Microsoft Office Programs including PowerPoint.  The toolbar, OfficSync integrates Google Search Right into your standard PowerPoint tool bar.  This is a useful tool that takes you beyond the Microsoft ClipArt image search results to include the Google Advanced Image Search capability described above right from within your Microsoft PowerPoint Document.  You can also save files into GoogleDocs allowing you to remotely access the files online as needed. 

The free plug-in can be downloaded at OfficSync.com.  I downloaded the tool and you can see screen shot of the search tool bar for Microsoft PowerPoint 2003 and 2007, respectively.   A video from the OfficSync site explains the toolbar (beta) and the utility it provides not only for image searches in PowerPoint, but also for its use with other Microsoft Office Programs.
(Hat Tip to Techcrunch)  

The enhanced image search tool could be useful for presenters and marketers looking for specific images that might be of use for their presentations.

Steve Rubel questions the term "slides" in PPT

Interesting question from Steve Rubel on why we still call the individual screens in PowerPoint slides.  What do you think?

Quotes worth sharing

"Wise men talk because they have something to say, fools, because they have to say something."

Plato

Happy July 4th!

Quotes worth sharing

"I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody."

Bill Cosby