As I stated in my entry, I do think that Powerpoint can be used for effective presentations, if used correctly by someone willing to learn the craft of public speaking. However, it’s been my experience that far more people use Powerpoint badly than use it effectively.

I’ll concede that I’m double-counting evidence here. However, I’m primarily using Clive’s article as a lead-in for personal opinion and experience on the subject of Powerpoint, not as definitive proof of the quality or utility of Powerpoint. I ran across the article, and it compelled me to write down a chunk of my own thoughts that I’ve had in my head for some time now. My writing here isn’t particularly rigorous; it’s a rant, pure and simple.

It’s true that Thompson’s article doesn’t present much more than a rewrite of opinions expressed by Tufte. However, it’s an excellent summary of Tufte’s thoughts on the matter. I don’t think that restating someone else’s opinion is a bad thing, particularly when you agree with that opinion.

I also have a great deal of respect for the words and ideas of Edward Tufte. His thoughts on information design resonate well with my own views, so I tend to give his arguments a lot of weight. Then again, I didn’t need help from either Thompson or Tufte to create my personal dislike for Powerpoint.

“Powerpoint is evil” is, perhaps, too strongly worded. However, I like hyperbole; it makes for more interesting writing and keeps me from falling asleep at the keyboard.