Metaprogramming in D tonight at the NWCPP

[Georg Wrede]

Walter Bright wrote:
> Georg Wrede wrote:
>> That hit me too. I've been using PP or OO "just because", never really 
>> thinking. But there are some advantages to using "a straight, long 
>> document".
>>
>> It's a /lot/ faster to create the presentation. You don't have to 
>> split stuff into screenfulls (or fight with the presentation 
>> software!) And once on stage, scrolling back is way easier and faster! 
>> And you can sroll to exactly where you want, instead of to the nearest 
>> screenful.
>>
>> Heh, now I can say "if it's good enough for Walter Bright on a big 
>> butt guru forum, I can use it, too!"
> 
> Everyone I talked to who was there didn't like it. 

I think there's the *subconscious* notion of "not respecting the 
audience by bothering to do a Proper Presentation". And they let it seep 
through, instead of pausing to think about the upsides. (The more we 
think we're Thinking Individuals, the less we're wary of such 
seep-through. I see it all the time with professionals.)

The "presentation software format" is more restrictive than we usually 
think. Everything has to be crunched to ridiculous screenfuls, mostly 
containing a couple of bullet items. And if you want the audience to 
follow the presentation "where you are" you have to do all kinds of 
one-at-a-time appearing bullets. It's really pathetic. (And I, at least, 
end up spending inordinate time figuring should they fly in from the 
left or rignt, or should they "emerge", or whatever.) Instead of simply 
scrolling them into view when needed.

Yes, PP &co make for an audience experience, but as the Columbia 
disaster taught NASA, it's not really the way to go.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Tufte)

PP is for M$ style sales pitches, not for disseminating serious content. 
IMNSHO, of course. (And the less there's bread and butter, the more you 
can decorate, having everybody exit, aahing and oohing all the way home.)

And how do you present conveniently a code snippet that exceeds a 
screenful? Like, if it's two screens long, do you split it into three 
screens, first half, middle part (showing latter half of first screen 
and first half of last screen), and second half? Instead of conveniently 
being able to scroll it as the discussion goes.

To prove my point, what if a lecturer 20 years ago had began by drawing 
a square on the chalkboard, and then only writing bullet items there, 
always erasing them before writing more. And leaving the rest of the 
chalkboard unused. (The rest of the chalkboard here represents scrolling 
back and forth the long document.)

If PP was the superior format, then all web pages would be just a few 
bullets and a <goto next page> button at the bottom.

> I've switched to OO Impress!

-- Damn, now I can't use Walter as an excuse to ditch PP. :-)