Entry on
Wikipedia: "Death by PowerPoint” is a criticism of slide-based presentations referring to a state of boredom and fatigue induced by information overload during presentations such as those created by the Microsoft application PowerPoint.
The phrase was first coined by Angela R. Garber. Further criticisms of the cognitive effects of PowerPoint have been expounded by others, for example, Edward Tufte (2006) and Kalyuga et al. (1991). Wright (2009) suggests PowerPoint is a convenient prop for poor speakers, it can reduce complicated messages to simple bullet points and it elevates style over substance; and that these three things contribute to its popularity. It can also be called “PowerPoint Poisoning” — a term originated by Scott Adams of Dilbert fame...
Boredom“PowerPoint hell” is the tedium some people report on sitting through PowerPoint visual presentations that are too long and complex, making excessive use of the software’s features and when the presenter just reads from the slides.
Retired Marine Colonel Thomas X Hammes says that this effect, which he calls “hypnotizing chickens”, is useful when the goal is to avoid divulging information, as in military press briefings.
Military excess A “PowerPoint Ranger” is a military member who relies heavily on presentation software to the point of excess. Some junior officers spend the majority of their time preparing PowerPoint slides. Because of its usefulness for presenting mission briefings, it has become part of the culture of the military, but is regarded as a poor decision-making tool. As a result some generals, such as Brigadier-General Herbert McMaster, have banned the use of PowerPoint in their operations.
...According to Jim Nelson, who served as a civilian translator with the Russian and American peacekeepers in Bosnia in 1996, one of the Russians said, “If we ever had a war, while you are working on your PowerPoint, we would be killing you.”
