Let's Go Right Ahead
What bugs you at software presentations?
Most people list complaints such as over-dependence on Powerpoint slides, small unreadable fonts, lecturers that talk too softly, or who mumble, demonstrations that crash.
My own pet peeve is a strange one.
What really bugs me is the phrase: "I'll Just Go Right Ahead And...".
A lot of presenters seem to punctuate their every movement with this phrase.
For example, the lecturer might be demonstrating how sql injection works. The talk will go something like this:
Okay, I'll Just Go Right Ahead And type a username in the login box here. And then i'll Just Go Right Ahead And click on the OK button. Now if we Just Go Right Ahead And read the message here it says we forgot to put in the password. So I'm gonna Just Go Right Ahead And put in the password."
There's nothing all that wrong with the phrase. The problem is that if you start to notice it, then it will really start to irritate you. And when it really starts to irritate you, you will become ultra hyper sensitive too it. And then they'll say it again and you'll start to itch and tremble and you'll want to leap out of your skin and kill the lecturer. Then five minutes will go by where they won't say it, and you'll start to miss it. The suspense will start to kill you. You'll be sitting on the edge of your seat just dying for them to say it one more time. When they finally do, you'll find yourself standing up and cheering. Then you'll sit down quietly and keep taking notes.
So watch our for that one.
Finally:
How would the opening narration of Star Trek have sounded if Captain Kirk had been a Software Lecturer?
Okay hi guys. Welcome to the session. These are the um, voyages of the Star Trek Enterprise. Mobile Phones off thanks guys. We're gonna just go right ahead and explore strange new worlds, okay? Next we're gonna just go right ahead here and seek out new life and new civilizations and then okay i'm just gonna go right ahead and boldly go right ahead where no man has gone right ahead before. Okay?
My book "Choose Your First Product" is available now.
It gives you 4 easy steps to find and validate a humble product idea.