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> Running overtime is the one unforgivable error a lecturer can make. This is tangential to the content of the article, but ... I'm continually astonished by t

by tome 5y ago

> Running overtime is the one unforgivable error a lecturer can make. This is tangential to the content of the article, but ... I'm continually astonished by the number of speakers who seem to be comfortable (largely at conferences) running over time cutting into their question time, the time of the next speaker, or even worse, lunch! Presumably it's not just me and Rota who feel this way, but it seems like there must be a large contingent of people who are very easygoing about it and quite happy to overrun or listen to overrunning speakers. I would be interested to know the thoughts of other HN readers.

ketanmaheshwari 5y ago
In almost all the talks I have physically attended, running overtime I observed is closely correlated to how visibly the audience start showing signs of tiredness no matter what the topic is. I feel like it is not about 52.x minutes, it is more about expectations. If the talk is 20 minutes the audience expects it to be over by 20 minutes.
pfortuny 5y ago
Speakers like to listen to themselves. As a lecturer, I am aware and bring this to each class: https://www.amazon.com/-/es/Temporizador-temporizador-magnético-regresiva-profesores/dp/B09FG48SN8/ref=sr_1_36?dchild=1&keywords=Extra%2BLarge%2BCountdown%2BClock&qid=1635942017&sr=8-36&th=1 https://www.amazon.com/-/es/Temporizador-temporizador-magnét...
- mhalle 5y ago
  Be aware that following this link to a nice electronic timer may change your global Amazon language preference to Spanish.
  - Aicy 5y ago
    crap how do I fix this edit: ok closing and reopening amazon did the trick :)
FemmeAndroid 5y ago
At most conferences, the people speaking are not professional speakers, and as such I don’t mind them running over. In my experience, it’s hard to time a talk correctly, even with multiple run throughs ahead of time. Standing up in front of a big crowd, even if I’ve got a stop watch running I can end up going far too quick, or far too slowly, and end up with tunnel vision where I fail to identify and correct the mistake. Are _some_ of the speakers doing it intentionally? Probably. Did some just fail to prepare? Almost certainly. But things come up, and in the most charitable case, they just stood in front of a bunch of people and communicated something they thought was important. I applaud them for that, and move on.
- musingsole 5y ago
  Correctly timing a talk is one thing. Blowing past time limits as if they don't exist is another one altogether.
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
- Uehreka 5y ago
  So true! I always rehearse my talks several times with the stopwatch on my phone sitting on a nearby desk, but I feel like that’s not an obvious thing to people who are getting started and don’t have theatre or public speaking experience. It’s a lot like that (probably misattributed) Hemingway quote “If I had more time I would’ve written a shorter letter.”
- niccl 5y ago
  I've always thought that conference talks should have the traffic light system that you get a Toastmasters. IIRC it's green while you've still got plenty of time, orange when you're within x minutes of the scheduled end, and red once you're at the scheduled end. I've found (from Toastmasters) that a nice bright light at the back of the hall is much easier to respond to than a clock or something counting down
tedmiston 5y ago
If your talk is the last one before lunch, wrapping up a little early, say 10 minutes, is almost mandatory. You're not going to have the attention of hungry people if you take those last few minutes to talk anyway. Just my 2¢ from in-person conference experiences.
klyrs 5y ago
When it's time to go to the next talk, I abruptly stand up and walk out, even if I'm sitting at the front. It's not like the organizers aren't furiously flagging the speaker or anything.

by tome 5y ago

ketanmaheshwari 5y ago

In almost all the talks I have physically attended, running overtime I observed is closely correlated to how visibly the audience start showing signs of tiredness no matter what the topic is. I feel like it is not about 52.x minutes, it is more about expectations. If the talk is 20 minutes the audience expects it to be over by 20 minutes.

pfortuny 5y ago

Speakers like to listen to themselves. As a lecturer, I am aware and bring this to each class: https://www.amazon.com/-/es/Temporizador-temporizador-magnético-regresiva-profesores/dp/B09FG48SN8/ref=sr_1_36?dchild=1&keywords=Extra%2BLarge%2BCountdown%2BClock&qid=1635942017&sr=8-36&th=1 https://www.amazon.com/-/es/Temporizador-temporizador-magnét...

mhalle 5y ago
Be aware that following this link to a nice electronic timer may change your global Amazon language preference to Spanish.
- Aicy 5y ago
  crap how do I fix this edit: ok closing and reopening amazon did the trick :)

FemmeAndroid 5y ago

At most conferences, the people speaking are not professional speakers, and as such I don’t mind them running over. In my experience, it’s hard to time a talk correctly, even with multiple run throughs ahead of time. Standing up in front of a big crowd, even if I’ve got a stop watch running I can end up going far too quick, or far too slowly, and end up with tunnel vision where I fail to identify and correct the mistake. Are _some_ of the speakers doing it intentionally? Probably. Did some just fail to prepare? Almost certainly. But things come up, and in the most charitable case, they just stood in front of a bunch of people and communicated something they thought was important. I applaud them for that, and move on.

musingsole 5y ago
Correctly timing a talk is one thing. Blowing past time limits as if they don't exist is another one altogether.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
Uehreka 5y ago
So true! I always rehearse my talks several times with the stopwatch on my phone sitting on a nearby desk, but I feel like that’s not an obvious thing to people who are getting started and don’t have theatre or public speaking experience. It’s a lot like that (probably misattributed) Hemingway quote “If I had more time I would’ve written a shorter letter.”
niccl 5y ago
I've always thought that conference talks should have the traffic light system that you get a Toastmasters. IIRC it's green while you've still got plenty of time, orange when you're within x minutes of the scheduled end, and red once you're at the scheduled end. I've found (from Toastmasters) that a nice bright light at the back of the hall is much easier to respond to than a clock or something counting down

tedmiston 5y ago

If your talk is the last one before lunch, wrapping up a little early, say 10 minutes, is almost mandatory. You're not going to have the attention of hungry people if you take those last few minutes to talk anyway. Just my 2¢ from in-person conference experiences.

klyrs 5y ago

When it's time to go to the next talk, I abruptly stand up and walk out, even if I'm sitting at the front. It's not like the organizers aren't furiously flagging the speaker or anything.