Changing Paradigms: Pentagon Leader Bans the use of PowerPoint. What do you think?

This could be a step in a very good direction. However, hopefully the SECDEF understands that there is a generation of officers who only know this process for briefing. It will be a learning curve for that GO's staff to produce a non-PP product.

They won't know how to brief Secretary Carter.

The problem with PowerPoint is that people get the slides and then they just read off the slides. They fail to use the slides as a tool and it becomes a crutch. I have seen far too many people use PowerPoint and never say a word that wasn't on the slide.
If we want our audience to read what is on the slides then print enough copies and hand them out, no need to speak.
A good lecturer will use PowerPoint to their advantage by using it properly.
A bad lecturer will just show the slides and read from them, thus boring the audience.

People praise the idea of using it better, but once that's done, they will continue to beat the dead horse known as Power Point and not stop beating until they're satisfied.

Used properly as a tool, PowerPoint is a good way to disperse information. Packaged poorly, it creates a worse situation that what was started with. Only time will tell if this will have any effect at all.

Geez.... Carter is off to a fast start.. first, transgender issues and a discussion that concludes that there is no Islamic terrorists.... lol From Obama's talking points to Carter's ears.. you will say what I believe, I am the king of the world.

One of the refreshing advantages to operating in the InterAgency is that, apart from DoD, most USG agencies do not rely on Powerpoint to transmit information. Briefing notes, decision memos, position papers, strategy papers, read-ahead packets, policy papers--all not done on powerpoint. If SECDEF directed that DoD immediately stopped using Powerpoint, after a short period of transition and learning, DoD would likely easily transition to written products like the ones above, supplemented, of course, by the formal, five paragraph operations order and associated graphics. Contrary to the apparent beliefs of many, those in DoD who make the most powerpoint slides (staff officers), if given the time and opportunity to write, could write papers just as dazzling and brilliant as the powerpoint slides they work so hard to perfect. Also, a powerpoint-free DoD would probably realize that the millions/billions of dollars of digital C2 equipment it has actually works wonders, and might be useful in transmitting information.

MAJ (Join to see), there will always be something, whether it's PowerPoint or something else. In the mid-eighties, our unit would support VII U.S. Corps in the FRG for CPXs/FTXs. There would be two briefings a day, twelve hours apart. Naturally, computers were not as they are now, and PP didn't exist. The briefers literally spent the twelve hours following one briefing preparing for the next briefing!
There will always be something; it's simply a matter of necessity.

This question is misleading. If you read the article, Carter is simply trying to get the heads to think outside the box. Once you get too accustomed to one way of conducting business, it hinders critical thinking. I believe he is just trying to see how creative everyone can be in their strategy and way of thinking.