we wouldn’t want shuttle mission control to be bored, now would we?

Ultimately, Tufte concluded, PowerPoint is infused with ”an attitude of commercialism that turns everything into a sales pitch.”

Microsoft officials, of course, beg to differ. Simon Marks, the product manager for PowerPoint, counters that Tufte is a fan of ”information density,” shoving tons of data at an audience. You could do that with PowerPoint, he says, but it’s a matter of choice. ”If people were told they were going to have to sit through an incredibly dense presentation,” he adds, ”they wouldn’t want it.”

So we have 7 astronauts and a multi-million-dollar space vehicle on the line, and we’re worried about professional mission management staff being bored by the details of their job?

When PowerPoint slideware is the answer, you’re asking the wrong question . . .

If you take the time to read his books and the pamphlet referenced in the article, you would learn that Tufte isn’t in favor of overwhelming people with data, but in focusing on detail and excluding extranea, including ornaments and “chartjunk.”