Comments on: If you’re in the audience, what makes for bad manners? http://www.acidlabs.org/2008/05/08/if-youre-in-the-audience-what-makes-for-bad-manners/ strategies, tools and processes to empower knowledge workers Thu, 04 Dec 2008 06:47:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Eric http://www.acidlabs.org/2008/05/08/if-youre-in-the-audience-what-makes-for-bad-manners/#comment-9944 Eric Wed, 21 May 2008 03:35:30 +0000 http://www.acidlabs.org/2008/05/08/if-youre-in-the-audience-what-makes-for-bad-manners/#comment-9944 I would amend your basic point like this: "I'd prefer if you were paying attention, if not then just get the heck out" Just because an audience member finds it boring doesn't mean others do too, so don't be a distraction I would amend your basic point like this:

“I’d prefer if you were paying attention, if not then just get the heck out”

Just because an audience member finds it boring doesn’t mean others do too, so don’t be a distraction

]]> By: John Lampard http://www.acidlabs.org/2008/05/08/if-youre-in-the-audience-what-makes-for-bad-manners/#comment-9744 John Lampard Sat, 10 May 2008 05:48:33 +0000 http://www.acidlabs.org/2008/05/08/if-youre-in-the-audience-what-makes-for-bad-manners/#comment-9744 I was at a presentation once where someone was taking photos of proceedings. No one objected to that, but when the presenter dimmed the room lights so we could better see the slide projection, the guy taking photos turned the camera flash on... he seemed completely oblivious to the distraction it was causing and had to be told by the presenter to turn the flash off! :/ I was at a presentation once where someone was taking photos of proceedings. No one objected to that, but when the presenter dimmed the room lights so we could better see the slide projection, the guy taking photos turned the camera flash on… he seemed completely oblivious to the distraction it was causing and had to be told by the presenter to turn the flash off! :/

]]> By: shane http://www.acidlabs.org/2008/05/08/if-youre-in-the-audience-what-makes-for-bad-manners/#comment-9729 shane Fri, 09 May 2008 04:39:47 +0000 http://www.acidlabs.org/2008/05/08/if-youre-in-the-audience-what-makes-for-bad-manners/#comment-9729 @Steve - you're probably right. Having never been at the pointy end myself, I can't speak from experience and therefore was conceding that there might, somewhere, be a reasonable business excuse. I still think it comes down to how you as an individual manage the situation when your phone rings, rather than the event of a ringing phone. What is always highly amusing is when the presenter has their phone in their bag off in the corner of the room and <em>they</em> forgot to turn the phone off. The ring tones some people have... *shakes head* @Steve - you’re probably right. Having never been at the pointy end myself, I can’t speak from experience and therefore was conceding that there might, somewhere, be a reasonable business excuse. I still think it comes down to how you as an individual manage the situation when your phone rings, rather than the event of a ringing phone.

What is always highly amusing is when the presenter has their phone in their bag off in the corner of the room and they forgot to turn the phone off. The ring tones some people have… *shakes head*

]]> By: Stephen Collins http://www.acidlabs.org/2008/05/08/if-youre-in-the-audience-what-makes-for-bad-manners/#comment-9728 Stephen Collins Fri, 09 May 2008 04:19:02 +0000 http://www.acidlabs.org/2008/05/08/if-youre-in-the-audience-what-makes-for-bad-manners/#comment-9728 @shane - as ever, there are exceptions to the rule. I absolutely agree with the pregnancy one, and the idea that you mention it to the presenter and sneak out if you need to. I'm less convinced that if your business has sent you o a seminar or conference, they need to be calling you out of the event to hassle you on the phone. What that says to me is that their is inadequate planning going on for your absence and that falls to you and your management to deal with. This situation happens all the time, but shouldn't. @shane - as ever, there are exceptions to the rule. I absolutely agree with the pregnancy one, and the idea that you mention it to the presenter and sneak out if you need to.

I’m less convinced that if your business has sent you o a seminar or conference, they need to be calling you out of the event to hassle you on the phone. What that says to me is that their is inadequate planning going on for your absence and that falls to you and your management to deal with. This situation happens all the time, but shouldn’t.

]]> By: shane http://www.acidlabs.org/2008/05/08/if-youre-in-the-audience-what-makes-for-bad-manners/#comment-9727 shane Fri, 09 May 2008 03:54:55 +0000 http://www.acidlabs.org/2008/05/08/if-youre-in-the-audience-what-makes-for-bad-manners/#comment-9727 By and large I agree. However, I am prepared to concede that there might be legitimate reasons that a person hasn't turned their mobile phone off during a presentation. The obvious example is "My wife is 9 months pregnant and due any day now" but there could be business reasons as well. As an audience member there are right and wrong ways to leave your phone on... Wrong way - leave the ringer turned on full volume and answer your call in the middle of the third row while the presenter is talking. Right way - sit in an aisle seat near the back. Have your phone turned to vibrate. When that all important call comes, slink out the of the room and answer your phone in the corridor. I don't think you need to excuse yourself if you haven't drawn any attention to yourself in the first place. It might be good form to let the presenter know beforehand that you are indeed expecting this all important phone call and apologise that you might have to duck out of the room to answer it and sorry and hey, good luck I'm looking forward to this presentation. Does that make sense? By and large I agree. However, I am prepared to concede that there might be legitimate reasons that a person hasn’t turned their mobile phone off during a presentation. The obvious example is “My wife is 9 months pregnant and due any day now” but there could be business reasons as well.

As an audience member there are right and wrong ways to leave your phone on…

Wrong way - leave the ringer turned on full volume and answer your call in the middle of the third row while the presenter is talking.

Right way - sit in an aisle seat near the back. Have your phone turned to vibrate. When that all important call comes, slink out the of the room and answer your phone in the corridor. I don’t think you need to excuse yourself if you haven’t drawn any attention to yourself in the first place. It might be good form to let the presenter know beforehand that you are indeed expecting this all important phone call and apologise that you might have to duck out of the room to answer it and sorry and hey, good luck I’m looking forward to this presentation.

Does that make sense?

]]> By: NathanaelB http://www.acidlabs.org/2008/05/08/if-youre-in-the-audience-what-makes-for-bad-manners/#comment-9718 NathanaelB Thu, 08 May 2008 21:22:25 +0000 http://www.acidlabs.org/2008/05/08/if-youre-in-the-audience-what-makes-for-bad-manners/#comment-9718 I think I speak at 350 wpm ... :-) I think I speak at 350 wpm … :-)

]]> By: JesterXL http://www.acidlabs.org/2008/05/08/if-youre-in-the-audience-what-makes-for-bad-manners/#comment-9713 JesterXL Thu, 08 May 2008 16:03:34 +0000 http://www.acidlabs.org/2008/05/08/if-youre-in-the-audience-what-makes-for-bad-manners/#comment-9713 Keep in mind the average speaker can speak 120 words per minute. People in the audience are capable of absorbing 700 words per minute. Therefore, that is a lot of extra mind-bandwidth to blog, Twit, IM, and catch up on email. Keep in mind the average speaker can speak 120 words per minute. People in the audience are capable of absorbing 700 words per minute. Therefore, that is a lot of extra mind-bandwidth to blog, Twit, IM, and catch up on email.

]]> By: NathanaelB http://www.acidlabs.org/2008/05/08/if-youre-in-the-audience-what-makes-for-bad-manners/#comment-9709 NathanaelB Thu, 08 May 2008 10:14:18 +0000 http://www.acidlabs.org/2008/05/08/if-youre-in-the-audience-what-makes-for-bad-manners/#comment-9709 Having facilitated a workshop today, one of the worst things is when people ask questions (which is ok) ... but they're questions about things you've already talked about - but they weren't listening because they were sending an email at the time or doing something else. Incredibly rude. Having facilitated a workshop today, one of the worst things is when people ask questions (which is ok) … but they’re questions about things you’ve already talked about - but they weren’t listening because they were sending an email at the time or doing something else. Incredibly rude.

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