Webinars = Time Suck

Every now and again I'm asked to "attend" a webinar. For the uninitiated, a webinar is an online presentation, using essentially powerpoint technology, to share information to a mass audience without conducting an in-person workshop.

In my mind, there isn't one good webinar out there.

The main problems with webinars are as follows:

1. Overchatty presenters who do not benefit from seeing the audience shift in their seats, thereby limiting their chatty-Cathy ways.
2. Powerpoint is Powerpoint is Powerpoint. There is nothing cutting-edge or new about this medium.
3. Canned questions -- softball questions are collected from the presenters, presenters' friends or coworkers so as to show "audience interaction" with the webinar. Typically, these questions have all the mental fortitude of the following: "Are you aware that the earth is round?" "Yes, I've heard that, caller, and your question brings up an interesting point ... "
4. Generalized topics to appeal to aforementioned broad audience. This is also known as appealing to the lowest common denominator syndrome.

I hate webinars.