We Have Met the Enemy and He Is PowerPoint

It’s official – “PowerPoint makes us stupid.”  In an article for the New York times, many high-ranking officials are taking shots at Microsoft’s PowerPoint program. Gen. James N. Mattis of the Marine Corps, the Joint Forces commander, said at a military conference in North Carolina. (He spoke without PowerPoint.) Brig. Gen. H. R. McMaster, who banned PowerPoint presentations when he led the successful effort to secure the northern Iraqi city of Tal Afar in 2005, followed up at the same conference by likening PowerPoint to an internal threat.

Interesting article about how the military has become so dependent on PowerPoint that it’s a standard joke among the highest levels of our government.

“Commanders say that behind all the PowerPoint jokes are serious concerns that the program stifles discussion, critical thinking and thoughtful decision-making.”


A PowerPoint diagram meant to portray the complexity of American strategy in Afghanistan certainly succeeded in that aim

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Theo Mandel, Ph.D.

About Theo Mandel, Ph.D.

Theo Mandel, PhD, is an international expert in product user experience, usability strategy, user research, design, development, and usability testing. Dr. Mandel designs user-, technology- and business-based products, websites and software that meet client objectives and goals and enhance company brands, are successful and provide the appropriate user experience for customers.
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