I actually find these sort of talks to be a time sink. There is the time spent on typing, the distraction as the presenter fixes typos etc. What I prefer is a set of use cases followed by highlights of software features relevant to those use cases followed by some code snippets to reinforce memory. When I need detail I just need to know the available concepts and some keywords. The slides aren’t the only docs, right? Right?
I’ll go one further: I think technical talks in general are a time sink. It would be better to just write up the content in an article, with code snippets where appropriate. Then, everyone can absorb the information in their own way, on their own time, at their own speed. An article is also better for accessibility; for example, blind people can’t access your projected content (at least not in real time), and making your spoken content accessible to deaf people is an extra cost.
Of course, if you’ve already decided that you’re going to present at a conference, then this doesn’t apply. But it’s something to consider if you just want to share some information and haven’t committed to a particular way of doing it.
For the most part I agree with you, but there are edge cases where I have absolutely loved live coding talks. (David Beazley’s series of talks on generators comes to mind.) Now, perhaps I would have liked those talks even more if they were not live coded… but I don’t know. With an interpreted language, watching a program come together makes it feel almost as if you are putting it together yourself. When a speaker is masterfully putting together something it’s almost like pairing with someone with far more skill.
I actually find these sort of talks to be a time sink. There is the time spent on typing, the distraction as the presenter fixes typos etc. What I prefer is a set of use cases followed by highlights of software features relevant to those use cases followed by some code snippets to reinforce memory. When I need detail I just need to know the available concepts and some keywords. The slides aren’t the only docs, right? Right?
I’ll go one further: I think technical talks in general are a time sink. It would be better to just write up the content in an article, with code snippets where appropriate. Then, everyone can absorb the information in their own way, on their own time, at their own speed. An article is also better for accessibility; for example, blind people can’t access your projected content (at least not in real time), and making your spoken content accessible to deaf people is an extra cost.
Of course, if you’ve already decided that you’re going to present at a conference, then this doesn’t apply. But it’s something to consider if you just want to share some information and haven’t committed to a particular way of doing it.
For the most part I agree with you, but there are edge cases where I have absolutely loved live coding talks. (David Beazley’s series of talks on generators comes to mind.) Now, perhaps I would have liked those talks even more if they were not live coded… but I don’t know. With an interpreted language, watching a program come together makes it feel almost as if you are putting it together yourself. When a speaker is masterfully putting together something it’s almost like pairing with someone with far more skill.