I thought this text was really successful.  For once someone proposed problems with something and then gave a legit, achievable solution.  In almost every paragraph, Tufte stated a problem he had with powerpoint, and then stated his solution clearly.  It was refreshing.

The only flaw I found with this is Tufte suggested a program that would be ideal, so why doesn't he use all the energy he put into writing this text and create said program?

This guy is really mad at power point. I would have to say that i agree with him powerpoint is an awful program. I liked the " just talk about your business" quote. The whole NASA incident was also a little disturbing seeing how misleading a slide presentation can be.
My question is why isnt there a better program for making presentations.

.ppt

Maybe it's just because I've been raised on Powerpoint as the primary method of certain types of presentations, but I don't see what the big deal is. It is pretty simple and I think keeping it simple is the way to go with most things. I don't think Powerpoint is the thing that makes presentations boring, it's the people presenting or the content itself. When I give a powerpoint I put basic information and elaborate verbally with interesting details, so I'm not just reading straight off of a screen. I think powerpoint has its flaws but it is easy to use and functional enough for me.

Sense is often a lonely pursuit

Tufte is right on with his criticisms of Power Point. Power Point sucks. Unfourtunately, this week I had the inane task of producing a Power Point presentation in my art history class. Our project was basically to copy information from a packet the teacher handed out and then ramble insesantly about something we all could have just read. Power Point adds nothing to the learning experience and is only successful in putting everyone in the room to sleep. I'd much rather reading an essay than blankly staring into a projection. I couldn't agree more with Tufte, I'd say the two things that annoy me most about PP presentations are: the printed versions (why waste all that paper!), and the fact that; clearly, I can read what is on the slide, yet you feel the need to read aloud to me. So now, how do we eliminate Power Point? Shall we start from the top, eliminating Microsoft? Or should we begin an underground upheaval of the system? The most appropriate action would be a public demonstration, burning PP disks and reading essays over megaphones.

I think someone has a some responisibility issues... tisk tisk

I found it "interesting" how Tufte went to all the trouble to use NASA as one of his pieces of evidence. First of all, I find it humerous how he will be so absurd as to blame PP for mistakes made by people at NASA. Really, it's PP fault why NASA workers use bigger bullets?! And everyone would have solved this problem at NASA if it wouldn't have been for those damn persuading bullets! I mean they are just so large and distracting! How could any ROCKET SCIENTIST reasn with a distraction like that!
I find Tufte abslutely absurd and he needs to go to anger management so he doesn't publish another rampage on something like toilet paper and how ridiculous it is, probably because it clogged his toilet.

Even with this ridiculously long rant...

I just don't see first of all why anyone would publish a rant on something they really don't have any back up evidence for. I am not the hugest fan of PowerPoint myself, but I don't feel the need to bitch for an entire 31 pages about it. It seems to me the more evidence Tufte tries to use, the less I believe that PP is the worst program on the planet that strips very human of creativity and intelligence.
Secondly, I am uncertain as to what the exact seperation is between actualy slides and PP. One may only pictures, and one may add text, but essentially in my head it's the same. I mean PP may be a tad cheesy, but I don't feel less creative or less intelligetn for using it.
Secretly I think Tufte tried to explain the probelms in his marriage through PP and after his wife flipped out and left his crazy ass, he held PP completely responsible.

How else should we present then?

If power point is so bad, what other methods should we use to present? Tufte never gave an answer for that. People will get board in a normal lecture a lot sooner than they will during a power point presentation. (At least with a power point presentation there are pretty visuals.)