# Silence is golden lightning talk DevFeed: [Silence is golden lightning talk]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Ned Batchelder Published: 2026-09-16T23:02:55Z Content type: opinion Language: en Sources: [Ned Batchelder's blog]() Topics: [meetings](), [rachels-ramblings]() Tags: [communication](), [lightning](), [people](), [presentations](), [pycon]() ## AI overview The talk argues that leaving pauses in group discussions gives reluctant speakers more room to participate. The author connects the idea to the Pac-Man Rule, extending its use from physical space to time. ## Source excerpt This is a lightning talk I did at PyCon US 2026: Silence is Golden. The overall message is to leave some quiet time so that reluctant speakers have a chance to participate. I start with a jokey disclaimer because I followed Simon Willison who gave an energetic, entertaining, and loud(!) speed-run through a year of progress in LLMs: I do these talks and blog posts about how to better interact with people, but I hope they don't come off as too preachy. I have to remind myself to keep these ideas top of mind. I am one of those people who speak easily that I describe in the lightning talk. I have to remember to hold back, to leave time and space for other people. I had the idea for this lightning talk a few years ago at PyCon, while watching things going wrong. I was in a room with a few dozen people. The goal in the room was to hear from lots of people, but the leader of the discussion was a "speaks easily" kind of person, and I could see the dynamic of the room failing to make space for everyone. I was really pleased to be able to extend the time-tested and well-known Pac-Man Rule from space to time. It made for an interesting hook, making the talk more interesting than just a scold. It's really hard to keep quiet. But it's important sometimes.