Yup - there's no point even trying to present to the public on something you're not very much up to speed on. They'll see straight thru you.

If you know your subject, and you're confident in front of an audience - given a good enough subject matter you can wow them beyond belief :) My second MER talk actually got audible 'Oooooo' and 'Ahhhh' noises. It also got a few laughs in the right places, and lots of questions at the end.

I'm fortunate in that I did one talk, from which I got asked if I'd do another. And during the interval of THAT one, I was asked if I'd do another one :)

For me, I dont think I'm trying to 'educate' or 'inform'. I think I'm trying to 'share' something. I dont preach, I tell a story - and it's fortunate that the subject I love most off all has, and continues, to write two amazing stories of its own. The rate at which Opportunity is trundling across Meridiani - it may out-write Spirit's amazing story before too long.

One day - the story's will have their final chapters written - but for years, if not decades to come - it'll still be an amazing privilage to tell those stories and see new people wowed by the limits of what we can build, and what we can do.

Doug