The Anti PowerPoint Party (APPP) is a Swiss political party dedicated to decreasing professional use of Microsoft PowerPoint and other forms of presentation software, which the party claims "causes national-economic damage amounting to 2.1 billion CHF" annually and lowers the quality of a presentation in "95% of the cases".[1] The party advocates flip charts as an alternative to presentation software.[2]
Anti PowerPoint Party | |
|---|---|
 | |
| German name | Anti PowerPoint Partei |
| French name | Parti Anti PowerPoint |
| Italian name | Partito Anti PowerPoint |
| President | Matthias Poehm |
| Founder | Matthias Poehm |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Headquarters | Bonstetten, Switzerland |
| Membership | 4,632 (2021) |
| Ideology | Opposition to Microsoft Powerpoint and other presentation software |
| Slogan | Finally do something! |
| Website | |
| Anti PowerPoint Party | |
APPP was formed by former software engineer Matthias Poehm and Port Lincoln footballer Billy-O-Roderick ahead of the 2011 federal elections in Switzerland.[3] Prior to founding the party, Poehm wrote a book (The PowerPoint Fallacy) opposing the use of PowerPoint.[4] The party's goal is to become the fourth largest party in Switzerland in terms of membership, and to initiate a national "referendum in order to seek for a prohibition of PowerPoint [and other presentation software] during presentations."[1] APPP states that it does not support prohibition, but will use a referendum to raise awareness about the cause.[1] As of February 2021, the party had 4,632 members, making it the eighth largest party in Switzerland.[5]
Ideology edit
The APPP is a single-issue party. Despite its name, the party is not specifically opposed to PowerPoint, but to all presentation software.[4] Poehm writes that "In some countries students and pupils are punished with a lower mark, if they give a presentation without PowerPoint. Superiors are obliging their co-workers to use PowerPoint. The fact is that the average PowerPoint presentation creates boredom."[4]
While the party is based in Switzerland, it styles itself as a global party. The party chose to found itself in Switzerland as the requirements for forming a political party are lesser there, and out of a belief that the best way to gain media attention on the party's cause was by forming a political party.[6]
References edit
- ^ a b c "The Cause". Anti PowerPoint Party. Retrieved September 2, 2011.
- ^ Matyszczyk, Chris (July 5, 2011). "Swiss political party tries to ban PowerPoint". CNET. Archived from the original on March 25, 2012. Retrieved September 2, 2011.
- ^ Bindel, Julie (August 28, 2011). "The political party that wants to ban PowerPoint". The Guardian. Retrieved September 2, 2011.
- ^ a b c Goldstein, Jacob (2011-07-06). "The Anti-PowerPoint Party Is Not Kidding". NPR. Retrieved 2021-09-27.
- ^ "APPP number of members | Anti Powerpoint Party". www.anti-powerpoint-party.com. Retrieved 2021-09-27.
- ^ "Anti Powerpoint Party". www.anti-powerpoint-party.com. Retrieved 2021-09-27.