Which TED Video do you find particularly inspiring?
(just post a link, we will do the rest)
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TED used to be this cool, small, exclusive conference with awesome speakers. I think they diluted their brand too much. Now, to me, many of the talks just seem condescending.
Incredible authenticity in this video. He’s really speaking from the heart and it shows.
This is becoming more and more of a problem. Rather than focusing on Technology, Entertainment, and Design, they are increasingly selecting speakers that have something to say about being human.
I have no big problem with being human (indeed, computers keep testing me because they aren’t always sure I am) but at least frame the humanity inside tech, entertainment, and design.
On the other hand I’m not sure it could grow in any other direction, and there are some fantastic talks on there despite the evolving goals of the TED organization.
Why condescending? That’s an interesting reaction. Did you get burned by a specific talk? Or worn down by the repeating “TED voice”?
Well, almost everybody on the planet has something to say. Given 5+ minutes on a soap box, they’ll take the opportunity. A lot of people have good soap box rants. A lot of people have worthwhile talks to give. Some of the early TED talks were really mind opening. For instance, the first time that Hans Rosling used Gapminder to discuss populations – that was a great combination of humanity and technology. (On a separate note, I think it inflated his ego and he’ll ride Gapminder off into the sunset.)
I didn’t get burned by a specific talk. I guess I just got worn down by the repeating TED voice. There’s been an explosion of social media since TED began. I find that a lot of my feeds (Twitter, Facebook, etc) are heavily populated with some of the more prominent TED speakers, always pounding their chests and riding some wave of self-importance. With all of the various TEDx conferences, TED is everywhere – TED speakers are everywhere, ever trying to lecture me about something they consider mind blowing.
I used to watch TED talks when I needed a break. Now, I just step away from the computer and enjoy some time outside, in the garden. It’s far more invigorating.
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I think there’s a difference between “something to say” and “people that have accomplished something amazing”.
I find that people in the latter group are often worth listening to, though they don’t always acknowledge that they got lucky in a lot of ways, they just happened to be in the right place at the right time, etcetera.
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I have personally found this to be a particularly important factor. There is a recognizable style to TED talks that TED curates carefully, but which can also create viewer fatigue. How many times do we need to hear the same once-original phrases repeated over and over?
How long does it take you to recognize a television commercial when you’re flipping channels? Less than a second, almost surely. That’s about how long it takes to identify a TED talk. The style needs to change, or the medium will lose its value.
Sorry to be a Debbie Downer, but I unsubscribed from my TED Talks feed today. I just wasn’t watching them any longer. And I truly feel like I’ve lost nothing. In fact, I’ve gained some precious time back.
As is always the case, I was able to find some people on the interwebs who agreed with me:
When did TED lose its edge? When did TED stop trying to collect smart people and instead collect people trying to be smart?
The problem is, TED talks are everywhere. They’ve become so common they’re no longer special in any way. Their impact has been massively diluted due to the sheer number of ideas discussed - there just aren’t that many ‘ideas worth spreading’.
I feel like for every new 15 minute TED video, there are two 7 1/2 minute-read articles that are both more engrossing and insightful.
Old school:
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