EVE General Discussion

protip:

Neckbeards and self-proclaimed "lawyers" should remain in their basements, and have no place speaking in front of a real life audience in a CCP/EVE promotional capacity.

I have no problem watching people being nervous during public speaking. Lets all start making fun of people displaying normal emotions.

Your tears are delicious.

I don't either - but paying for a public speaking seminars for those that want it could boost confidence all round.
besides, there is no harm in adding another string to their skill queue...

don't underestimate the power of fine oratory, it has moved civilisations.

I'm not underestimating "the power of fine oratory". I'm just not expecting them to be more than what they are. If they were the leaders of our world, it would be nice if they had great command and grace, in front of a crowd. They are only game developers. I expect them to be great at making games, not public speaking.

Mark this up to the decline of the West. There was a time, oh so long ago, when one was required to obtain skill in penmanship and oratory - some modicum of public speaking ability. These were marks of accomplished people, and a standard one strove to meet during one's schooling. You're now in the midst of the self-indulgent generations who place the "I" before the "we."

"Why should I be bothered to learn these things when my career as a computer geek will never require me to use them?" So, yes, we're supposed to be charmed by the awkward communication skills of those whose "genius" lies in other more "useful" areas. But, doesn't this view rather limit the expectations of potential? It's not as though people who know they're doing public presentations once a year couldn't take the time out to actually learn how to do it. It's not rocket science. It's just that they don't place emphasis on it as being significant...any old thing will do.

Does it damage anything? If you place no importance on aesthetics, and are purely utilitarian in your outlook, probably not so you'd notice. If you've looked out your window lately and noticed Western Civ's habitations are a shade on the ugly side across the board, and wonder why, this aesthetic thing may have something to do with it.

Speaking of YouTube...those people who do those homemade vids in their bedrooms or the room their computer happens to be in, are inadvertantly showing what really poor decorators they are. Mintchip, for instance, often has a bookcase behind her with all the books in a stack, or falling over. Once she had a drawer that wouldn't close 'cause some lacy thing was poking out of it. It's evidence they're not looking at their surroundings with an appraising eye, as though they're part of the whole. Yet, they are.

Everyone's free to downplay it. "So what?" Or, to wonder why the complete picture is so far from the presenter's vision. Don't they think about what they're doing before they do it? Of course not. If you're a computer whiz, all you're worried about is did you get the camera to work? Is the sound coming through? But, you're using a camera to create a visual image. You're using the sound in the same way. Production values are intended to increase the aesthetic value of the image involved.

So, we make our mark. Is it elegant, and beautiful? Dynamic? Powerful? "I am," comes the response, "'cause what I'm saying is so knowledgeable." Or, is it wall to wall aesthetic trash marking our place in cultural history as the ones who threw aesthetics out the window. I guess it all depends on standards of excellence. I wouldn't call CCP's contribution to aesthetic value "awesome." But, then, that's a word that gets tossed around so much it's lost its value, too.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

I have no problem with the way the presenters speak at Fanfest. For some of them English is not their primary language but I can understand them just fine and they do a great job of getting the information accross. What I do have a problem with is people "gulping" water every 5 seconds and trying to inhale the mic all the time.

The only legit complaint anybody could have about fanfest was the problems they were having with the mics when taking questions from the audience.

Hopefully next year they have a better system in place

Did you notice that the most polished speaker (the new Marketing guy) was the one that imparted the LEAST amount of useful information? Public speaking is not about education, it is about obfuscation. I was trained to speak publicly many years ago. When I decided to forget all I was taught I actually started getting actual points across.

Unlike your ramblings.