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View Full Version : CS Major + Public Speaking Class + Linux == Kyral Feeling Like An Idiot



Kyral
September 9th, 2005, 05:11 PM
Okay, I'm taking Intro To Public Speaking at my college. We had to give an oral presentation on whatever. Naturally I chose Linux. What occured is nothing short of a disaster to the ego.

I'm a CS Major. Now I'm good at talking to computers, and people through the Internet. But in front of people, I'm ****. My control over my ADHD fails as I concentrate on speaking slowly and not rambling. So my hands are all over, playing with my keys, that kinda thing. I went last, and guess what. Everyone else had these fancy Powerpoint things. Now, me using Linux and OpenOffice, I wasn't sure that Impress would play nice with PowerPoint. So instead of taking a chance, I played the safe route and made this little pdf here (http://people.clarkson.edu/%7Epetermcv/COMM217.pdf) that I knew would display on any machine. So you can guess how I felt going into this thing.

It gets worse. Now I didn't go too technical. I only had to use the word "kernel" once. But again I talked too fast and wound up finishing before the limit. What is worse is that the class gave me the look that non-computer geeks use when you go over their heads. Yah, that look. No one asked questions except the professor.

It gets even worse. I had to tape it so that I could do a self-assessment. Yah...
So if anyone knows how to convert a VHS into an AVI or the like, tell me and I will put it somewhere for you all to laugh at me.

Oh well. Next time is a demo. LiveCD to the rescue!

macgyver2
September 9th, 2005, 05:26 PM
If it helps any...one thing I've learned from loads of speeches and presentations is that it never actually went as bad as you think it did. It seems to me that any of the little stuff like fidgeting or stammering is a hundred times more obvious to yourself than it is to the audience members.

earobinson
September 9th, 2005, 05:29 PM
lol good luck man would love to see that avi

ubuntu01
September 9th, 2005, 05:35 PM
lol good luck man would love to see that avi
Would love to see the video. I use to had the same problem as you. I still do. I dont like the feeling of waiting before the time to present. But during presentation I love it.

poofyhairguy
September 9th, 2005, 05:43 PM
I bet you didn't do as bad as you think.

dcraven
September 9th, 2005, 05:57 PM
Nice. I'm sure it didn't go as badly as you think it did. Next time though, if you want to knock their socks off, use something like latex-beamer for your presentation. Very professional and bold looking.

~djc

macgyver2
September 9th, 2005, 06:12 PM
Next time though, if you want to knock their socks off, use something like latex-beamer for your presentation.
Hmm...cool. I'd never heard of latex-beamer before. I've just been using prosper for several years now. Thanks for the info, I'll have to try it.

Brunellus
September 9th, 2005, 07:13 PM
Nice. I'm sure it didn't go as badly as you think it did. Next time though, if you want to knock their socks off, use something like latex-beamer for your presentation. Very professional and bold looking.

~djc
I know that this must be some kind of software using TeX, but it sounds/reads like pr0n. what a name!

Donshyoku
September 9th, 2005, 07:17 PM
I think we have all been there. I remember in high school English (we actually did some speeches in there), I gave a speech against MS Product Activation. I am not so sure that they didn't know what I was talking about, it was more that they simply didn't care to listen or learn. I bet it would be the same with your classmates.

rolfotto
September 9th, 2005, 10:55 PM
Hi Kyral,

As everybody said, you probably didn't do as bad as you think.



I went last, and guess what.

Assuming you chose to be last - in a classroom setting, going first tends to have some benefits - people are too worried about their own presentations to pay attention to others and the professor will give you a higher grade since there's nothing yet to compare against in that classroom (curve grading, and many professors automatically assign a grade at the end of the speech before they forget what was said and how it was delivered!)

Anyway, I wouldn't sweat it. I remember almost exactly 0 speeches others have given in highschool/college (at only 26 years old) - actually I forgot them the next day. I might remember my own speeches a wee bit longer. I think most people are like that.



It gets worse. Now I didn't go too technical. I only had to use the word "kernel" once. But again I talked too fast and wound up finishing before the limit. What is worse is that the class gave me the look that non-computer geeks use when you go over their heads. Yah, that look. No one asked questions except the professor.

Tailor your speech to your audience and have the subject interest them - otherwise they'll tune you out......... And if there's nothing in the subject to interest them - maybe it's best just to pick another subject.

Linux might be great presentation in a computer class though. For an English class, I might go more into a human interest story of how Ubuntu/Mark_Shuttleworth/OtherDistros are helping people in foreign_countries/poorareas that can't afford proprietary software, etcetera, etcetera, etc:) Or something like that.

Can't wait for the vid^_^

bailout
September 9th, 2005, 11:31 PM
Okay, I'm taking Intro To Public Speaking at my college. We had to give an oral presentation on whatever. Naturally I chose Linux. What occured is nothing short of a disaster to the ego.

I'm a CS Major. Now I'm good at talking to computers, and people through the Internet. But in front of people, I'm ****. My control over my ADHD fails as I concentrate on speaking slowly and not rambling. So my hands are all over, playing with my keys, that kinda thing. I went last, and guess what. Everyone else had these fancy Powerpoint things. Now, me using Linux and OpenOffice, I wasn't sure that Impress would play nice with PowerPoint. So instead of taking a chance, I played the safe route and made this little pdf here (http://people.clarkson.edu/%7Epetermcv/COMM217.pdf) that I knew would display on any machine. So you can guess how I felt going into this thing.

It gets worse. Now I didn't go too technical. I only had to use the word "kernel" once. But again I talked too fast and wound up finishing before the limit. What is worse is that the class gave me the look that non-computer geeks use when you go over their heads. Yah, that look. No one asked questions except the professor.

It gets even worse. I had to tape it so that I could do a self-assessment. Yah...
So if anyone knows how to convert a VHS into an AVI or the like, tell me and I will put it somewhere for you all to laugh at me.

Oh well. Next time is a demo. LiveCD to the rescue!
You could always use the technique a friend of mine used when he had to give a talk on Einstein's theory of relativity to a non-interested audience. He advertised it as an illustrated lecture and after a few minutes of speaking, paused to display the first "illustration", which was a scan of a picture from a porn mag (this was before the internet). He obviously stopped speaking while the pic was up and just allowed the audience (all male btw) to appreciate the pic and then turned it off and went on with the lecture. Every five minutes or so he would stop to show another "illustration" from the same magazine.

It was very effective at making his audience pay attention and he had made no prior claims that the illustrations would be related to the lecture just that the talk would be illustated.

Obviously in these more politically correct times you would have to be more careful with your choice of images but you could use funny pics instead just to wake people up. If they find your speach completely boring they will at least enjoy the slides. People have a very short attention span especcially if they don't have a particular interest in the subject. Breaking up a lecture in this or a similar way with unrelated non-serious content can work really well at keeping them awake.

matthew
September 9th, 2005, 11:50 PM
As someone accustomed to public speaking I can say this is a skill that is learned and generally difficult for most people at first. From experience I would agree with several others above who said you probably did better than you think you did. We are all our own worst critic (well, usually anyway). Watching the video will help you considerably if you can stand it...even after speaking thousands of times to groups from 10 to 3000+ I still can't stand to watch myself or listen to myself, I find it very difficult. I still do it occasionally, though, because I discover things that help refine and improve my presentations, my style and mannerisms.

My advice: try to keep a sense of humor and give yourself a bit of a break when you watch--try not to be overly critical. Also, be humble in accepting helpful comments and do your best to slough off mean, rude, or unhelpful ones.

BWF89
September 10th, 2005, 02:56 AM
Whenever I had to give a speech I always volenteered to go first. Because the longer you wait the more nervious you get.


So if anyone knows how to convert a VHS into an AVI or the like, tell me and I will put it somewhere for you all to laugh at me.
Word of advice: Don't use the AVI format. Most media players won't play them out of the box.