Issue 3

If the use of powerpoint in the military has been reduced to "just agony" and "dumb-dumb bullets" then one can most likely assume that the cause is operator error. The military has clearly developed an over-reliance on the use of powerpoint to convey a complete and compelling report of activities, when it is generally used as a summarizing or supplementing medium. But even if the use of powerpoint as a broader communication tool is effective in the military due to the unique circumstances of their working environment, they are using it poorly. In such complex circumstances, the audience centered approach is critical to ensuring that the audience decodes the information as intended. Since this requires effective encoding, time spent organizing the content of the message, defining the main idea, and limiting the scope of the message is imperative. Perhaps with improved tactics, the military can convert this enemy to ally.