Monday 6 June 2011

petit-point or usque ab arras

It escapes me sometimes when tools are not used for their intended purposes, especially electronic ones that resist being repackaged for lesser purposes. Around the office, it seems that spreadsheet software is only useful for generating sign-in sheets or telephone rosters--or that slide presentation software, though it makes for some torturous briefings here as well, for makes great signage. The interface for that suite of software is forgiving and reminds me of how paper-tissues (still formally called "facial tissues") were originally marketed as cosmetic removers but husbands took them away from their wives and used them for more practical (perhaps intuitive) and immediate things. There is a warning on packages of Q-Tips about not putting them in one's ears. H has been working quite hard on a brilliant presentation, aesthetic and in accordance with the rules of briefing and kind to his audience, but there are certainly no shortage of professional presenters and slide-shows, like this contest via Neatorama, that show disregard for brevity, succinctness and good taste. What other unintentionally awful presentations have you endured? The presentation is about the subject and the presenter, and it is another example of using something against convention if the slide-show can do without the speaker.