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Against TED talks
wraith808:
Ever attend a 2-day trade or industry insider conference? Those aren't cheap either. These things go on convention budgets. Depending on the location, the facilities, and the number of days, it can add up fast. I just spent last Saturday night at a small inn about 300 miles from where I live. Cost for the night = $235. The week before I was in NYC at one of the Hiltons since I couldn't find anything else for the days I needed to be there. Price per night $424, I've also worked in a hotel. Back in the 80s when they hosted conferences where I worked, the conferences were getting an average of $800-1200 a day to attend. A now defunct guitar Workshop I used to attend offered a 5-day program that ran in a resort someplace out west. Cost to attend = $5250 to $6000. The normal price for the very same workshop held at a local boarding school in my state during summer recess = $1200 for the classes plus an additional $800 to stay in a school dorm room with four other people.
TED seems to be on the higher midrange of what these things tend to charge.
-40hz (March 18, 2014, 06:04 PM)
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Indeed I have. But you know the difference? The other conferences I've attended are for profit. The ones that I've attended that have been for non-profits and/or for PR haven't been nearly as expensive. And they have sponsors. And I did look on the site before, and never got anything other than their initiatives, and the spiel about being a non-profit and that they don't pay their speakers.
40hz:
@Wraith - I guess I'm a little colorblind in the "non" profit end of the spectrum. ;D I have been ever since TV Ministries, hospitals, well-heeled universities and colleges have all had that legal distinction conferred on them. Like so many other charming things of the past (i.e. 'public' broadcasting) I don't really think the designation 'non-profit' means much beyond tax treatment these days. Especially now that political action groups can also be non-profit "educational" organizations.
But I think we're getting a little away from the earlier point made by Renegade who was saying the TED talks are something the world would be better off without.
To clarify my position, what I'm saying is: regardless of the organization behind the talks, or the possible motivation of its sponsors (motivations which I suspect are both numerous and varied) this does not take away from the fact that there is considerable value in continuing to have such a venue. And that a deal of good (intentional or otherwise) comes out of it.
I'll neither attack nor defend the Sapling Foundation, the organization or policies behind the TED conferences, its corporate sponsors, or the issue of what a "real" non-profit organization should or shouldn't be. That stuff is what it is. All I am interested in - and will speak in favor of - are the presentations or talks themselves. I'm only interested in what (some) of the presenters have to say. Because in most cases I would have never heard about them except through TED.
So I'm willing to put up with whatever may or may not be going on in the background. FWIW - if it's "wheeling & dealing" ...well...that's gonna go on regardless of whether or not the venue continues. The real movers, shakers, and makers (along with the takers, and fakers) all know each other, and can (and do) talk to each other even when TED isn’t in town. So it's not like they need some excuse to get together since they could just as easily pick up the phone. Because that's how the tech world works.
The TED Conferences (as opposed to the actual presentations) remind me of this 'foxhunt' around where I live. It's a pretty exclusive country club sort of thing with all that implies.
A few times a year this place opens its grounds to the general public for an event. Usually for some local charity. If you go you'll see the usual invisible dividing line that separates the club members from the rest of the world. It's not an overt thing. But it's there just the same. Because these people know each other. They do business with each other. They speak the same language and generally dress the same. Their kids go to school and play with each other. So the average event visitor stands out like a sore thumb.
Does that mean they're a bunch of elitist snobs? Well...some of them are to be sure. But most are very polite - unless unduly crowded or put upon.
The TED Conferences are a lot like that. Much, in fact, like a major film festival: there's an "in" group - and there's everyone else who's also attending. That doesn't detract from the films being shown - just what private parties you'll be invited to afterwards. If that's the sort of thing that offends you, then you're better off staying home. Because that's pretty much how the world works about 90% of the time. And TED is no different.
I'm happy to skip all that nonsense and just enjoy the actual show.
:)
wraith808:
The TED Conferences are a lot like that. Much, in fact, like a major film festival: there's an "in" group - and there's everyone else who's also attending. That doesn't detract from the films being shown - just what private parties you'll be invited to afterwards. If that's the sort of thing that offends you, then you're better off staying home. Because that's pretty much how the world works about 90% of the time. And TED is no different.
-40hz (March 19, 2014, 12:06 AM)
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Oh, I totally agree. It's just that though it's obvious to *you* and to *others* that they aren't fully altruistic and philanthropic, they present themselves as that way. And that's one of the few things that I totally and utterly despise.
40hz:
The TED Conferences are a lot like that. Much, in fact, like a major film festival: there's an "in" group - and there's everyone else who's also attending. That doesn't detract from the films being shown - just what private parties you'll be invited to afterwards. If that's the sort of thing that offends you, then you're better off staying home. Because that's pretty much how the world works about 90% of the time. And TED is no different.
-40hz (March 19, 2014, 12:06 AM)
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Oh, I totally agree. It's just that though it's obvious to *you* and to *others* that they aren't fully altruistic and philanthropic, they present themselves as that way. And that's one of the few things that I totally and utterly despise.
-wraith808 (March 19, 2014, 10:43 AM)
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I understand. :huh: But doesn't that leave a lot of despising to do since so many public entities ("Konigen, Kirchen, und Dumheit") do the same thing. I just want to get pissed off every so often. I don't want it to become my full time job. ;D (kidding...)
Renegade:
But for me, and others I suspect, the problem here is that you explicitly attack this particular video, with no real reason, with no backing for your 'dripping with agenda' claim. And that's how you lauch into the topic.
Meh.
-tomos (March 17, 2014, 08:44 AM)
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I'm about to start screaming.
SCREAMING
WHAT PART OF THIS WAS UNCLEAR????
Absolutely! There is a lot of good stuff in some TED talks. The thing is you've got to pick the razor blades out of the apples first. Swallowing without knowing what you're ingesting is a really bad idea, and especially so with TED.
TED is sexy.
TED is cool.
TED is fun.
TED is all those things wrapped up in a potpourri filled box with a fancy bow on top.
-Renegade (March 17, 2014, 01:59 AM)
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WHAT PART OF THIS WAS UNCLEAR????
I watched the entire video. And it looks cool, but the agenda there makes me question what's going on. Some people are just pawns...
-Renegade (March 16, 2014, 11:30 AM)
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I am NOT going to get into the agenda. That's Basement material and would very quickly get this thread sent down there. I'm not going to destroy this thread for that. You should know that by now.
I've already pushed the limits there. Any more and it's **poof** for this thread.
If anything you should thank me for that.
If they don't, then why does it cost $6K-8.5K to attend? Where does that money go? That's a *lot* of money to think that they only "facilitate public forums on random topics".
-wraith808 (March 18, 2014, 05:47 PM)
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Bingo! Follow the money!
I still can't help thinking anything that helps tear down info silos and helps make technology and deeper thinking more accessible to a general audience can't be a bad thing.
-40hz (March 18, 2014, 05:44 PM)
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Hard core porn wonderful, but it isn't sex education. How is the question framed? TED frames technology inside of an agenda. I have a problem with that.
Not that these guardians are doing anything that interesting or significant on their own to offer TED's audience an alternative. (I've called out a few of the more hipster types and asked why they weren't doing something to replace it. Most of replies were worthy of a 15-year old in both the choice of language and debate tactics employed.)
-40hz (March 18, 2014, 05:44 PM)
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Knowing what the problem is and having $50 million are different things.
There may be very little in life where I agree with Renegade, but TED is one.
-Curt (March 17, 2014, 09:18 AM)
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See! I'm not a 100% raving mad lunatic! ;D
@Wraith - I guess I'm a little colorblind in the "non" profit end of the spectrum. ;D I have been ever since TV Ministries, hospitals, well-heeled universities and colleges have all had that legal distinction conferred on them. Like so many other charming things of the past (i.e. 'public' broadcasting) I don't really think the designation 'non-profit' means much beyond tax treatment these days. Especially now that political action groups can also be non-profit "educational" organizations.
-40hz (March 19, 2014, 12:06 AM)
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I'm with you there. I will never donate to any charities anymore. Done. There's way too much abuse, and I don't have the time to vet them. It's sad, but that's how it is.
But I think we're getting a little away from the earlier point made by Renegade who was saying the TED talks are something the world would be better off without.
-40hz (March 19, 2014, 12:06 AM)
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Because it doesn't matter how damn fresh the orange juice is... if it's laced with GHB, you can expect to get raped.
To clarify my position, what I'm saying is: regardless of the organization behind the talks, or the possible motivation of its sponsors (motivations which I suspect are both numerous and varied) this does not take away from the fact that there is considerable value in continuing to have such a venue. And that a deal of good (intentional or otherwise) comes out of it.
-40hz (March 19, 2014, 12:06 AM)
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They could do all the techy cool stuff without the sappy agenda nonsense. It's like pissing in a perfectly good beer. What kind of asshole does that?
It's just that though it's obvious to *you* and to *others* that they aren't fully altruistic and philanthropic, they present themselves as that way. And that's one of the few things that I totally and utterly despise.
-wraith808 (March 19, 2014, 10:43 AM)
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Yep. That's another one of those reasons to take TED with a cow-lick of salt...
I'm happy to skip all that nonsense and just enjoy the actual show.
:)
-40hz (March 19, 2014, 12:06 AM)
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Y'know one of those things that I really can't stand when watching a show... Stupid f*ck scenes. I hate them. I can't stand idiotic sex onscreen for no reason. If I want to see that, I'll get some porn.
Ketchup is great on a hotdog. It's kind of crappy for spaghetti or ice cream.
TED poisons decent content with sick agendas. THAT is why I loathe TED.
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