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Bean (ben@emediastudios.com)
Sat, 17 Mar 2001 11:00:31 -0800
>> However, I also understand that some of us
>> want to take Linux into the boardroom and onto the corporate desktop.
>> So we are going to be judged accordingly. We have to anticipate and
>> expect that. I don't think reasonable people will demand huge
>> expenditures of cash, or highly polished presentations,
>> but competence is a different matter. There is
>> no reason for us to be perceived as incompetent, ignorant or poorly
>> prepared. These things are totally within our control.
>Absolutely! Hopefully next year one of the people hoping to take Linux into the
>boardrooms of the world (or at least Vancouver ;-) will be willing to step up to the
>mic when the call for presenters goes out.
It may be sooner than that. We've been approached by the Computer
Technology Showcase people about their mid-November show in Vancouver.
I can only speak for myself but I know I did what I could for Comdex
and I'll do it again. Were I more of an expert I'd do more. It's easy
to tell other people what they ought to do but we seem to have plenty
of people who think differently. I honestly don't think that 'putting
out the call' is the way to get the results we need. At least it
wasn't this year. Why should it work next year? Perhaps a different
approach is needed.
>I would think that a consultant or someone
>else with a vested interest in putting the best corporate face on Linux would be best
>suited for such presentations. No doubt Mr. Dunn's clients would have been much more
>impressed had the presentation not only been well prepared, but been delivered by Mr.
>Dunn himself!
Yup I think there is much merit in your idea. But I wouldn't place the
entire burden on one man's shoulders. Fortunately, we have many
professionals amongst our number. Given proper planning and
organization and plenty of advance preparation we should be able to
put together a team and do a lot more. Unfortunately, everything just
gets dumped on Dave and there is only so much one man can do. We need
both a better process and a better structure.
>> Absolutely. We have to move forward. We have to be solution centered.
>> It's quite important to be supportive of one another - but that's not
>> to say we can't also be constructively critical of each other too.
>Certainly. Constructive criticism is the best way to improve. What I was attempting to
>do, however, was move the constructive criticism away from individual presenters and
>put it where I think it belongs, at the pre-Comdex organizational run-up. As a member
>of the Poster Committee, who posted an emergency message to the list just hours ahead
>of your print deadline, you must be aware that many of this year's short comings are
>rooted in the relative lack of preparation compared to previous years.
That's a comment I've heard over and over. The left hand just never
knew what the right hand was doing this year. I'm surprised that we
did as well as we did, but there was a good deal of improvization.
>> >Public speaking can be very intimidating. It takes a considerable amount of courage
>> >to step in front of an audience of strangers. Voluntarily doing so is commendable,
>> >but many of us "computer types", stereotype or not, do not have the skills required
>> >to pull it off in a "slick" way.
>>
>> It's neither desireable nor necessary to present yourself as a
>> professional communicator. I never believe salesmen anyways. But it is
>> necessary to be well prepared - even to the point of having your
>> presentation memorized or half-memorized and to know what you are
>> talking about. If you can demonstrate your knowledge and intrest and
>> understanding of the subject, get that across to your audience and
>> they won't care if you're geeky. If you can teach your audience
>> something they will judge you positively.
>It's not a matter of being geeky or not (Comdex _is_ a computer convention after all),
>it's a matter of having the social skills to be able to step in front of a crowd and
>deliver a suitable presentation. I would hope it comes as a surprise to no one on this
>list that computer folks are sometimes found to be wanting of these skills. We need to
>recognize that not everyone is a good presenter and that, when the call for presenters
>is put out, we find a way to gently steer such people into a position that might make
>better use of their strengths and yet maintain their enthusiasm and sense of worthwhile
>involvement. Our membership has an amazing assortment of skills and areas of
>expertise. Next year we need to do a better job of finding the "presenters" amongst us
>and encourage their involvement. Failing to review the presentations prior to Comdex
>was, IMHO, this year's major flaw. If we, as a group, put a person in a suitation that
>he isn't well equiped for we as a group should take any blame and work to avoid it
>being repeated in the future.
>> There are ways of dealing with the 'jitters'. Some people for example
>> recommend closing your eyes and imagining your audience in their
>> underwear. So imagine the Telus Theatre - all those guys - boxers or
>> briefs??? Silk or cotton??? Who among us is a 'thong man' :=))) The
>> mind may boggle at the possiblities but it is hard to be afraid of
>> people in their underware.
>I guess it depends on the audience. There's more than one VanLUG member I wouldn't want
>to picture in such a situation ;-).
Sure there are a few of us in that category but I can tell you from
experience that public speaking is not a natural ability that one
either has or not. It is something that is learned. I read in my
church once a month and people tell me I do Ok. So do several dozen
other ordinary people. We've had a few workshops with trained
professionals to get feedback and criticism but by and large its
something you learn by doing. Quite frankly Vanlug could arrange to do
the same. And you know being able to deliver a presentation is a good
career skill to have. It can surely benefit the professionals amongst
us to develop and polish that skill at Vanlug and then use it in other
situations which will benefit their businesses such as presentations
to prospective clients. Sooner or later everyone has to do some sort
of presentation in business. To me that's a win/win arrangement. I
only hope we can convince others of it. I know we've got the knowledge
and expertise. Perhaps what we need to do is *develop* the
presentation skills of our members. Talking is not hard. Really.
bill
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