[Goose]

Agree with qwerty, but I suspect the person complaining about PowerPoint is complaining about how it is used. Just like prose can be well-written (rare, but great when you see it) or a literary disaster, PowerPoint is a communication tool, not an end in itself.  Way too often, corporate presentations are a disorganized disaster, and when not used properly, PowerPoint can contribute to that. But if you have ever seen an engaging speaker ((rare, but great when you do see it), you realize that a well-put together talk can actually be great.

BC

I agree that PowerPoint is a tool but only a tool. It can be used effectively and cogently or otherwise. Viewgraphs have been around for many, many years. Anything PowerPoint can do has been done first on viewgraphs. However PowerPoint makes it much easier to create an impactful presentation with much less effort. It is possible to use PowerPoint as an educational tool rather than a persuasive instrument, although in my experience that is seldom the case.

The inherent problem with PowerPoint is that allows the quick and easy creation of very professional and persuasive appearing presentations oriented toward influencing opinions and eliciting actions/decisions based on pure nonsense.

BUT Powerpoint is an important and effective communication tool.  Those who use it well know how to condense a complicated argument into very succinct discussion points -- and presenting the presentation live (or these days, online) is every bit as important a communications skill.  

Save the joys of reading great prose for leisure or detailed expression for reference textbooks.  But face reality -- Horses for Courses -- when you are tasked with communicating for business, influencing opinions, or, especially, eliciting actions or decisions, it's a multimedia world, whether we like it or not. And learning how to use these tools, whether they be Powerpoint or web platforms, is a very important skill.  And yes, our universe firmly includes sound bites, Tik Tok clips, and other systems that tap into everyone's inner ADHD.

And I say this as an alumnus of both Stanford's Creative Writing Program and its Business School.

I agree that there are many mountains of creative writing embedded in many PowerPoint presentations. I need to modify your initial points somewhat to match what IMO is reality.

Those who use it well know how to condense a complicated argument that is actually very weak and poorly supported into very succinct discussion points that effectively hide the questionable assumptions or bald-face lies behind bullet points that function as indisputable postulates  -- and presenting the presentation live (or these days, online) is every bit as important a communications skill.

Yes, you can put lipstick on a pig quite effectively, and the result when properly presented doesn't appear to be a pig.

But face reality -- Horses for Courses -- when you are tasked with communicating for business, influencing opinions, or, especially, eliciting actions or decisions, it's a multimedia world, whether we like it or not. And learning how to use these tools, whether they be Powerpoint or web platforms, is a very important skill.  And yes, our universe firmly includes sound bites, Tik Tok clips, and other systems that tap into everyone's inner ADHD.

Whenever one is tasked with making a presentation to achieve a particular decision/action/opinion it is wise to consider your audience whenever possible. I agree that in today's business operations it is probable that 80 to 90 percent of the people in the room have little interest in or knowledge of the subject in question. They are present to ensure that nobody has any grounds to question the resulting decision/action whatever it may be. If the decision turns out to be wrong, the blame is already well distributed. A well delivered PowerPoint presentation can convince this part of the audience that the earth is flat.

The few people that are in the room that actually are informed and care will view the presentation critically. This can be a big problem. It is best to get as many of those people "on your side" before you make the "big presentation" as possible. You can do this using PowerPoint presentations to a smaller, more "elect" group, but you better be prepared for questions and have some "back up" slides ready when they hit the weak points. Hopefully the decision will already be made before you make the "big presentation". If you can't "wire" the result in advance, you may still succeed. It is now however not a given and you may face some harsh questioning. Some of that questioning may be quite off-base, but as the OP points out, in today's sound-byte world that may not matter. Whatever you do don't even consider admitting you are wrong about anything :-).

All PowerPoint presentations aren't "lies" but virtually are all at best incomplete, usually intentionally. Occasionally you will see a PowerPoint that presents alternative solutions for the purpose of debunking them, but in my experience this is rare. You also risk confusing the 90% so most people don't do it. I have given some PowerPoint presentations when I knew the decision was "wired", some for, some against my desired outcome. I have also given many others where I didn't know what if anything would result. Sometimes the results were surprisingly favorable. It isn't "magic" but it can "work", both for good and for ill.

[Goose]

Agree with qwerty, but I suspect the person complaining about PowerPoint is complaining about how it is used. Just like prose can be well-written (rare, but great when you see it) or a literary disaster, PowerPoint is a communication tool, not an end in itself.  Way too often, corporate presentations are a disorganized disaster, and when not used properly, PowerPoint can contribute to that. But if you have ever seen an engaging speaker ((rare, but great when you do see it), you realize that a well-put together talk can actually be great.

BC

I agree that PowerPoint is a tool but only a tool. It can be used effectively and cogently or otherwise. Viewgraphs have been around for many, many years. Anything PowerPoint can do has been done first on viewgraphs. However PowerPoint makes it much easier to create an impactful presentation with much less effort. It is possible to use PowerPoint as an educational tool rather than a persuasive instrument, although in my experience that is seldom the case.

The inherent problem with PowerPoint is that allows the quick and easy creation of very professional and persuasive appearing presentations oriented toward influencing opinions and eliciting actions/decisions based on pure nonsense.

BUT Powerpoint is an important and effective communication tool.  Those who use it well know how to condense a complicated argument into very succinct discussion points -- and presenting the presentation live (or these days, online) is every bit as important a communications skill.  

Save the joys of reading great prose for leisure or detailed expression for reference textbooks.  But face reality -- Horses for Courses -- when you are tasked with communicating for business, influencing opinions, or, especially, eliciting actions or decisions, it's a multimedia world, whether we like it or not. And learning how to use these tools, whether they be Powerpoint or web platforms, is a very important skill.  And yes, our universe firmly includes sound bites, Tik Tok clips, and other systems that tap into everyone's inner ADHD.

And I say this as an alumnus of both Stanford's Creative Writing Program and its Business School.

I agree that there are many mountains of creative writing embedded in many PowerPoint presentations. I need to modify your initial points somewhat to match what IMO is reality.

Those who use it well know how to condense a complicated argument that is actually very weak and poorly supported into very succinct discussion points that effectively hide the questionable assumptions or bald-face lies behind bullet points that function as indisputable postulates  -- and presenting the presentation live (or these days, online) is every bit as important a communications skill.

Yes, you can put lipstick on a pig quite effectively, and the result when properly presented doesn't appear to be a pig.

But face reality -- Horses for Courses -- when you are tasked with communicating for business, influencing opinions, or, especially, eliciting actions or decisions, it's a multimedia world, whether we like it or not. And learning how to use these tools, whether they be Powerpoint or web platforms, is a very important skill.  And yes, our universe firmly includes sound bites, Tik Tok clips, and other systems that tap into everyone's inner ADHD.

Whenever one is tasked with making a presentation to achieve a particular decision/action/opinion it is wise to consider your audience whenever possible. I agree that in today's business operations it is probable that 80 to 90 percent of the people in the room have little interest in or knowledge of the subject in question. They are present to ensure that nobody has any grounds to question the resulting decision/action whatever it may be. If the decision turns out to be wrong, the blame is already well distributed. A well delivered PowerPoint presentation can convince this part of the audience that the earth is flat.

The few people that are in the room that actually are informed and care will view the presentation critically. This can be a big problem. It is best to get as many of those people "on your side" before you make the "big presentation" as possible. You can do this using PowerPoint presentations to a smaller, more "elect" group, but you better be prepared for questions and have some "back up" slides ready when they hit the weak points. Hopefully the decision will already be made before you make the "big presentation". If you can't "wire" the result in advance, you may still succeed. It is now however not a given and you may face some harsh questioning. Some of that questioning may be quite off-base, but as the OP points out, in today's sound-byte world that may not matter. Whatever you do don't even consider admitting you are wrong about anything :-).

All PowerPoint presentations aren't "lies" but virtually are all at best incomplete, usually intentionally. Occasionally you will see a PowerPoint that presents alternative solutions for the purpose of debunking them, but in my experience this is rare. You also risk confusing the 90% so most people don't do it. I have given some PowerPoint presentations when I knew the decision was "wired", some for, some against my desired outcome. I have also given many others where I didn't know what if anything would result. Sometimes the results were surprisingly favorable. It isn't "magic" but it can "work", both for good and for ill.