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The real question here isn't whether the F-bomb is appropriate. Rather, it's how to balance entertainment and content in a technical presentation. Zach's talk

by psyklic 15y ago

The real question here isn't whether the F-bomb is appropriate. Rather, it's how to balance entertainment and content in a technical presentation. Zach's talk is memorable. People will remember him and talk to him afterward for sure. People will also think he's a strong presenter -- half of his jokes fell flat, but his confidence was impressive. I do improv for fun at a "family" theatre in Hollywood. In my experience, skilled comedians use the "F-bomb" to convey character and to show they're "one of the guys," not as a shock word. In this talk, rather than using shock words, Zach is filtering his content through a character -- an informal "brogrammer" who loves alcohol and swears on occasion. This is his ploy to entertain the audience while talking about a superficially-boring subject -- documentation. Does it work? Well, perhaps Zach doesn't come off as an all-knowing expert. But, he does deliver a few messages in an entertaining fashion. After all, would you rather have everyone agree you gave a "good" talk (and then forget about it, since there were so many "good" ones), or be a bit controversial and have a few people really take notice and love your point of view?

CPlatypus 15y ago
Yep, sure, lots of people will remember Zach and talk about him. It's too bad that they won't remember what he was talking about. When the presentation drowns out the content - assuming there was any content to begin with - that's a problem.
- psyklic 15y ago
  True, a lot of people get wrapped up in the presentation and are sparse on content, as I believe happened here. However, the goal of these is often not to go in depth but to give your audience main points to remember. So, there is plenty of room to give an entertaining and contentful talk. I am disappointed when people try to play it safe by avoiding humor or by hiding their personality. Making yourself relatable and engaging is important too!

by psyklic 15y ago

CPlatypus 15y ago

Yep, sure, lots of people will remember Zach and talk about him. It's too bad that they won't remember what he was talking about. When the presentation drowns out the content - assuming there was any content to begin with - that's a problem.

psyklic 15y ago
True, a lot of people get wrapped up in the presentation and are sparse on content, as I believe happened here. However, the goal of these is often not to go in depth but to give your audience main points to remember. So, there is plenty of room to give an entertaining and contentful talk. I am disappointed when people try to play it safe by avoiding humor or by hiding their personality. Making yourself relatable and engaging is important too!