It's not PowerPoint's Fault!

Don't Blame PowerPoint! It's just a vehicle

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Over at SlideShare they posted this fantastic presentation on the difference between the tools and the tool-wielder. The premise is that blaming PowerPoint for poor presentations is like blaming a car for an accident. Without the driver, the car wouldn't move an inch. Without a presenter, PowerPoint won't do anything. It's up to the presenter to do their job well, not PowerPoint. And it's the fault of the presenter if the presentation is terrible, not PowerPoint.

I agree completely, it's not right to eschew PowerPoint just because people have made some terrible PowerPoint presentations. For a long time I wouldn't eat ribs because all I'd ever eaten was Tony Roma's sauce-soaked strips of rubber. But then I moved to Memphis and had real barbecue. Juicy, tender meat that falls off the bone and is so flavorful that it doesn't need a sauce at all. If I would have continued in my assumption that I didn't like ribs, then I would have missed out on one of the best things in life.

Memphis style ribs I made.

 I never would have learned how to make my own ribs (and other slow-smoked barbecue), if I would have persisted in the assumption that the problem was with ribs or barbecue. Don't make the same mistake with PowerPoint. It's a tool that can be used to do amazing things, or it can be completely ruined. Don't blame the tool, though. Learn to use it well and you'll be amazed by the results.