Comments on: Multitasking is now every presenter’s problem http://onlignment.com/2009/09/multitasking-is-now-every-presenters-problem/ The art of online real time communication Wed, 10 Mar 2010 09:57:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Terry McD. http://onlignment.com/2009/09/multitasking-is-now-every-presenters-problem/comment-page-1/#comment-75 Terry McD. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:55:53 +0000 http://onlignment.com/?p=397#comment-75 I was at a seminar about Internet marketing recently and the presence of laptops and notebooks in the various sessions was common and expected. Frankly, given the topic and the audience it would have been unusual not to see a plethora of electronic devices. However, I'm sure that there are other scenarios in which this would obviously be an invitation to "leave the room" even if the attendees remain physically present. I have been at many corporate conferences where attendance and participation were weak, to say the least. These were conferences developed by management for the benefit of employees. I have felt that there was a distinct lack of behavioral standards set forth by management in many cases. Attendees would come and go as they pleased and lack of attention and participation was a non-issue. On the other hand, if a seminar or conference is a pay-per-admission event, it is the obligation of the organizers to offer compelling presentations. As long as attendees are not being disruptive, no problem. I was at a seminar about Internet marketing recently and the presence of laptops and notebooks in the various sessions was common and expected. Frankly, given the topic and the audience it would have been unusual not to see a plethora of electronic devices. However, I’m sure that there are other scenarios in which this would obviously be an invitation to “leave the room” even if the attendees remain physically present.

I have been at many corporate conferences where attendance and participation were weak, to say the least. These were conferences developed by management for the benefit of employees. I have felt that there was a distinct lack of behavioral standards set forth by management in many cases. Attendees would come and go as they pleased and lack of attention and participation was a non-issue.

On the other hand, if a seminar or conference is a pay-per-admission event, it is the obligation of the organizers to offer compelling presentations. As long as attendees are not being disruptive, no problem.

]]> By: Phil Green http://onlignment.com/2009/09/multitasking-is-now-every-presenters-problem/comment-page-1/#comment-46 Phil Green Tue, 22 Sep 2009 17:49:48 +0000 http://onlignment.com/?p=397#comment-46 On my bookshelf is a copy of a slim book published in 1920 and entitled "Good Manners for Boys". It covers such niceties as not using your handkerchief at the table, how to address your sister and your mother, when to hold open a door and stand back for others to go first, which knife and fork to use for your fruit course and so on. It might not be such a bad idea if the modern child and Generation Y-should-I had received similar guidance. Yes, you have the power to vote with your feet if the presenter is boring you, but then why not just heckle or throw rotten fruit if you disagree with something or it fails to capture your interest? On my bookshelf is a copy of a slim book published in 1920 and entitled “Good Manners for Boys”. It covers such niceties as not using your handkerchief at the table, how to address your sister and your mother, when to hold open a door and stand back for others to go first, which knife and fork to use for your fruit course and so on. It might not be such a bad idea if the modern child and Generation Y-should-I had received similar guidance. Yes, you have the power to vote with your feet if the presenter is boring you, but then why not just heckle or throw rotten fruit if you disagree with something or it fails to capture your interest?

]]> By: Damien DeBarra http://onlignment.com/2009/09/multitasking-is-now-every-presenters-problem/comment-page-1/#comment-45 Damien DeBarra Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:34:46 +0000 http://onlignment.com/?p=397#comment-45 Well, the way that I see it there two really simple solutions to this - 1: tell folks to turn their phones off and close their laptops. They're supposed to be there to listen, right? 2: work with it. Set-up a specific hash-tag for the talk (which you present on screen at the start) and encourage folks to post links via tweets etc., as they take part in the session. I suspect the latter would be more popular but could be chaotic - perhaps you could ask delegates to only do so during group activity sessions. Truth be told, the reason I go online whilst at conferences is because the speaker is boring me to death. Well, the way that I see it there two really simple solutions to this – 1: tell folks to turn their phones off and close their laptops. They’re supposed to be there to listen, right? 2: work with it. Set-up a specific hash-tag for the talk (which you present on screen at the start) and encourage folks to post links via tweets etc., as they take part in the session. I suspect the latter would be more popular but could be chaotic – perhaps you could ask delegates to only do so during group activity sessions.

Truth be told, the reason I go online whilst at conferences is because the speaker is boring me to death.

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