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Planning to Give a (Developer) Talk? Read this Article!
If you plan to speak at a conference or a user group meeting, “How To Deliver a Great Technical Presentation” by James Montemagno contains valuable tips.
The article contains virtually everything that I – from my personal experience of giving both technical (developer) and (a bit more “fluffy”) user experience talks – would recommend.
Some comments on just a few of the points he mentions:
- Prepare that IDE – definitely; it always amazes me when speakers are “surprised” by the lower resolution of a projector.
- Stop Using Dark Themes – oh yes, please!
- Master Zooming – all my recent (UX) talks have been slide-only, but note to myself: This is something I should practice before my next developer talk.
- Acquire the Right Equipment – …and make sure you always have batteries ready just in case your presenter device runs out of juice (or, when in doubt, replace the batteries before the talk). Regarding the bottle of water: I always bring my own water to avoid surprises (unexpected taste, lack of non-carbonated water at the venue)
- Practice, practice and practice some more! – I find it very helpful to actually stand up, even if I’m doing just a quick “voice in my head” walk-through.
Great article, highly recommended (and the people in the comments seem to agree).