The time has come for FAMOOSr 2008, the workshop on FAMIX and Moose in Reengineering. We will organize it at WCRE 2008 on October 17.
FAMOOSr has a rather unusual format as speakers have only 5 or 7 minutes at their disposal. The rest of the time is dedicated to discussions.
This is the second time we organize FAMOOSr. Last year we were told that it is practically impossible to keep up with such an aggressive schedule. Yet, in the end it turned out that it was possible and that it was even fun.
The greatest fear we had to overcome was that people will not be able to say anything relevant in such a short amount of time. Indeed, given that even 20 minutes are sometimes short to explain all the details, doing it in a fourth of that seems an impossible task.
It is an impossible task. Only that at this workshop we do not want to hear all the details. We want to hear enough to get interested and to get into discussions. 5 minutes can be just enough for this purpose.
The only problem is that when you are inside your subject, it can be difficult to know what to show. Here are some hints:
Choose one point. One sentence. If that is difficult, try two. Three will probably be too much.
Favor interestingness over technicalities. Deep technical details are interesting for you, but only seldom are they interesting for the audience. Do not focus on them. Focus on benefits.
Be bold. Your goal is to get people interested and spawn discussions around your subject. You already master your domain and you are entitled to a strong opinion. Make that strong statement you always wanted to make. Polarize the audience. You will make everyone a favor.
No bullets. Suspend your disbelief for five minutes and leave the bullets at the door. Bullets favor details, and details is not what you are there for. If at all, have just one bullet, with your main point.
Demo if you can. If a picture tells a thousand words, a demo brings all of them to life.
If you do demo, get comfortable. You want to make the most of your time, and for that you do not need anything to stay in your way. Sit down. Have a mouse with you. Have power. Have the starting point prepared. Check the beamer resolution upfront and adjust your demo to it. Have a script with you.
Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. The shorter the time, the sharper your story needs to be. Rehearse, but do not learn by heart.