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As a long time student of given lectures, I am often amazed by a majority of speakers  who are oblivious to many of the basic rules of giving talk despite the wide availability  of such knowledge everywhere in print and on line. Things such as  “observe the time  limit” , “don’t put too much information on one slides”, etc.,  are routinely violated in most talks at a conference or meeting. Even after being  pointed out that the above rules are for the speaker’s own good, many continue to  disregard  them, give self-centered lectures, and yet complain that the world do not  appreciate their talents.

It is for this reason and for training purposes I believe “IGNITE TALKS” were invented. It is  still not that widely known or practiced  http://blog.sciencenet.cn/blog-427149-793026.html and http://blog.sciencenet.cn/blog-1565-700701.html (see #5). Basically it operates as follows:

1. Each speaker is allowed five minutes and 20 slides

2. Slides advance automatically every 15 seconds

3. The microphone and projector will turn off at the end of the five minutes interval  regardless whether or not the speaker has finished talking  (the exact time,  slide numbers can vary according to circumstances)

This method has the virtue of enforcing and instilling some basic rules of public speaking  which are:

• OBSERVE TIME LIMIT FOR SPEAKING

• LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION PER SLIDE (e.g.,type font size)

• FORCES THE SPEAKER TO MAKE CHOICE ON WHAT TO INCLUDE AND EXCLUDE

• FORCES THE SPEAKER TO PRACTICE THE TALK BEFOREHAND

• TRAINING FOR GOOD DISCIPLINE

• BEING FAIR TO OTHER SPEAKERS AND TO THE AUDIENCE

• PROVOKE AUDIENCE RESPONSE.

These are all golden rules for speaking and should be made a part of MANDATORY training  for all  graduate students and as punishment for conference speakers  who habitually violated speaker time limit rules. Of course, some people may  object to the above rigid rules. But I’d say that an audience–centered speaker  will have no trouble with them. Above all, strictly enforcing the time limit rule  will automatically incentivize most speakers to observe the other rules.  Recall my own golden rule of lecturing: “you should be able to explain anything to  anybody in any amount of allotted time at a level s/he can comprehend”.