Common talk mistakes (At least at EuroPython2004)

• Bad spelling
• Projectors don't work
• Talking to the walls
• Mumbling
• Speaking quietly
• Speaking with monotone voice
• Small text
• Broken python code
• Typing slowly
• Deleting demo sourcecode while presenting
• Launching *.py with java
• Showing URLs for 2 seconds
• Not knowing where light switch is
• Poor timekeeping
• Bad contrast (black text on dark blue background)
• Powerpoint transitions
• Repetition
• No audience participation
• Avoiding questions
• Not knowing subject
• Slamming doors (audience mistake)
• Reading email (audience mistake)
• Relying on connectivity
• Proportional fonts for code

However, these are some of the positive things experienced by talkers at EuroPython2004:

• Repeating questions
• Using pygame for demonstrations - making it fun
• Not relying on projector
• Speaking to audience
• Smiling
• Interesting
• Audio/visual help from audience
• Colorhighlighting code
• Readable slides, using illustrations instead of large amounts of text
• Live demo
• Staying on topic
• Introduce with "Who is this talk for"
• Introduce with context/overview of talk
• Publishing talk material to the Wiki