4 ms·

TEDx talks have lacked credibility from the beginning as far as I'm concerned, but what I find disappointing is that the main TED talks are increasingly just mo

by jdmitch 14y ago

TEDx talks have lacked credibility from the beginning as far as I'm concerned, but what I find disappointing is that the main TED talks are increasingly just motivational nonsense. There are some very engaging speakers, but the actual ideas and content are often questionable. I find some of the perspectives on and from "developing countries" particularly patronizing and poorly contextualized. But most people I know find them inspiring and invigorating, and I hate to rain on anyone's parade so I always keep quiet. I just find (many, not all) TED talks make me want to laugh at how implausible/naive/over-the-top the ideas are. Just sayin' ...

rm999 14y ago
The Onion does a really good series called "Onion Talks" that satirizes the vapidness of TED talks. They also capture the audiences' "inspired" reactions pretty well. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tom6_ceTu9s http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tom6_ceTu9s
- ben1040 14y ago
  This is great. I cracked up at this, and this particular one is also likely to be the only Onion content that is not only age-appropriate for my toddler but also educational.
juskrey 14y ago
Absolutely agree. But, actually, that is not TED who is getting worse, just some of us are getting wiser. I remember these times when I was myself seduced with every other motivational and (pseudo)science speech. Now, working with very serious things, I am seeing total bullshit around every other corner, mountains of life-threatening bullshit in those areas which seemed untouchable great science to me 10 years ago. I even do not bother to watch and read TED-like sources nowadays (unless they are seriously threatening my field).
Shivetya 14y ago
Like many other successful venues it can too be co-opted. At times when watching videos there I just left because I knew it was agenda speaking. There are many great videos that currently overshadow the not so great.

by jdmitch 14y ago

rm999 14y ago

The Onion does a really good series called "Onion Talks" that satirizes the vapidness of TED talks. They also capture the audiences' "inspired" reactions pretty well. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tom6_ceTu9s http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tom6_ceTu9s

ben1040 14y ago
This is great. I cracked up at this, and this particular one is also likely to be the only Onion content that is not only age-appropriate for my toddler but also educational.

juskrey 14y ago

Absolutely agree. But, actually, that is not TED who is getting worse, just some of us are getting wiser. I remember these times when I was myself seduced with every other motivational and (pseudo)science speech. Now, working with very serious things, I am seeing total bullshit around every other corner, mountains of life-threatening bullshit in those areas which seemed untouchable great science to me 10 years ago. I even do not bother to watch and read TED-like sources nowadays (unless they are seriously threatening my field).

Shivetya 14y ago

Like many other successful venues it can too be co-opted. At times when watching videos there I just left because I knew it was agenda speaking. There are many great videos that currently overshadow the not so great.