I don't use speaker notes as a script to read. I use it to list additional bullet points.
- history
- story re: jason @ costco
- importance of $foo
would be cues to me that I need to hit on the history of this slide, tell an anecdote, and really bring home the importance of $foo. No need to put exact words. Just where I should be going on this presentation if I get flummoxed.
Yes, I understood "notes" to be those kinds of notes. I think notes are a great thing to use if they help you, but I find I don't need them. When I present, it's technical material that I know backwards-and-forwards, so I've never felt the need for notes. In particular, my slides tend to be mostly diagrams and performance graphs. I have found that when looking at and explaining figures, I can't help but remember all of the important things related to it.
