{"id":25,"date":"2024-08-28T14:26:48","date_gmt":"2024-08-28T14:26:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tprc.us\/tprc-2025-gsp\/?page_id=25"},"modified":"2026-05-27T22:23:36","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T02:23:36","slug":"lightning-talks","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/tprc.us\/tprc-2026-gsp\/lightning-talks\/","title":{"rendered":"Lightning Talks"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Submit<\/strong> your talk using this form: Call for Lightning Talks<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Are Lightning Talks?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Lightning Talks may be serious, funny, or both. They may be given by experienced speakers already giving full-length talks or by first-time speakers just starting out (this is a great way to get started if you have something to say). If you are a first-time speaker you will win a tie with an experienced speaker when the schedule is made if it comes to it. Today\u2019s first-time speaker could be tomorrow\u2019s keynote speaker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We will have about 10 Lightning Talks of 5 minutes Day 2 and Day 3. (Day 2 is currently scheduled for only 5 talks, but we are working to expand it.) Submit your talk through the “Call for Lightning Talks” link above. The main deadline is one week before the conference starts, and many proposals will be accepted. At least two speaking spots on days 2 and 3 will be held open until the day before the talks to give you a chance to see something at the conference and put together a Lightning Talk response. However, if you wait for the later deadlines note that there are fewer spots available and you are less likely to be accepted so please try to submit more than a week before the conference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How does it work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  • Your setup time does not count against your 5 minutes; the timer starts when you make your first “speaker move”.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • We will ring a bell (ding!<\/em>) at 4 minutes, indicating you have 1 minute left. If you hear that bell and realize you spent way<\/em> too much time on intro and backstory, then switch gears and just say\/show the important parts<\/strong> quickly, so you can end cleanly. Interested people can talk to you in the hallway to fill in the gap.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • At 5 minutes, we will ring the gong. If you hear the gong, you stop talking (even in the middle of a word!)<\/strong>, smile (probably ruefully), quickly disconnect your laptop and return to your seat. The positive opinion everyone formed from your talk will be solidified by your display of self-control!<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • FYI, if your talk is shorter than 5 minutes, that is fine! You will probably hear the gong anyway, just as a signal that it is time for applause and for the next speaker to quickly take the stage.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Lightning Advertisements<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    In addition to the five-minute Lightning Talks where you get to use your computer, slides, and any other tool, we will also have some Lightning Advertisements. These are only 30 seconds, you don\u2019t have to submit a proposal, you don\u2019t get any slides, and the only AV assistance offered is a microphone. If you have a BOF to announce, an auction item to advertise, or any other short message you can use the transition time that would be otherwise wasted between Lightning Talks to share your message. Just show up before we start and take a seat in the assigned seats in the front of the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Why Would You Want to do a Lightning Talk?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Maybe you\u2019ve never given a talk before, and you\u2019d like to start small. For a Lightning Talk, you don\u2019t need to make slides, and if you do decide to make slides, you only need to make three.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Maybe you\u2019re nervous and you\u2019re afraid you\u2019ll mess up. It\u2019s a lot easier to plan and deliver a five-minute talk than it is to deliver a long talk. And if you do mess up, at least the painful part will be over quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Maybe you don\u2019t have much to say. Maybe you just want to ask a question, invite people to help you with your project, boast about something you did, or tell a short cautionary story. These things are all interesting and worth talking about, but there might not be enough to say about them to fill up thirty minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Maybe you have a lot of things to say, and you\u2019re already going to give a long talk on one of them, and you don\u2019t want to hog the spotlight. There\u2019s nothing wrong with giving several Lightning Talks. Hey, they\u2019re only five minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    On the other side, people might want to come to a lightning talk when they wouldn\u2019t come to a long talk on the same subject. The risk for the attendees is smaller: If the talk turns out to be dull, or if the person giving the talk turns out to be a really bad speaker, well, at least it\u2019s over in five minutes. With lightning talks, you\u2019re never stuck in some boring lecture for forty-five minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Still having trouble picking a topic, here are some suggestions:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
      \n
    • Why my favorite module is X.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • I want to do cool project X. Does anyone want to help?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Successful Project: I did project X. It was a success. Here\u2019s how you could benefit.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Failed Project: I did project X. It was a failure, and here\u2019s why.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Heresy: People always say X, but they\u2019re wrong. Here\u2019s why.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • You All Suck: Here\u2019s what is wrong with the our community.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Call to Action: Let\u2019s all do more of X \/ less of X.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Wouldn\u2019t it be cool if X?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Someone needs to do X.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Wish List<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Why X was a mistake.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Why X looks like a mistake, but isn\u2019t.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • What it\u2019s like to do X.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Here\u2019s a useful technique that worked.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Here\u2019s a technique I thought would be useful but didn\u2019t work.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Why algorithm X sucks.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Comparison of algorithms X and Y.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      Of course, you could give the talk on anything (almost).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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