Technical Blog

Chapter 17 of this week's reading focuses on helping you plan and deliver oral presentation in any on-the-job situation be it formal or informal. Some guidelines I thought were important are to clearly define your presentation's objectives, focus on a few main points, use a simple structure, and don't fight the nervousness you're feeling - just go with the flow. One section I found especially amusing was the advantages and disadvantages in choosing a visual medium to use for your presentation. I always thought Powerpoint was the way to go in today's IT era. Powerpoint presentations must be delivered in a dark room, it hinders the audience's attention and note taking abilities. It also have the ability to create special effects which will lead some speakers into making overly elaborate presentations that detract from their content. Overhead transparencies is a viable option because the technology is widely available in most organization. But it looks plain and can't include any motion or sound. Using a dry board can be a good interaction tool with the audience but it also gives the presenter the opportunity to speak to the board and not the audience. Having handout for your presentation can be an excellent visual aid but it could also detract the audience from your oral presentation. As evident in the text, choosing the right visual medium is crucial in the delivery of your oral presentation. Pay attention to what type of presentation you are giving, this will help you make an inform decision on what medium to use.

Chapter 18 dealt with creating web pages that is focused on the reader. The steps to creating a web page is similar to the writing process. First the communication process must be defined. Second, plan out how the web page will look and what information to include. Third, draft some visual design to get going. Pick the design that can works best. Finally, revise the web page by testing it out before launching it online. This process did not come as a surprise to me. To me, creating a web page is just simply taking the writing process one step further. Since I'm not technically savvy, I won't be able to take that step but others most certainly can. It is one of the best and efficient way to get your work some global exposure. Anyone with an internet connection can log on and check out your accomplishments.