5 ms·

Hi, organizer of one of Europe's largest TEDx events here. First of all, as others mentioned, TEDx events are independently organized. There are over 3000 of t

by andr 13y ago

Hi, organizer of one of Europe's largest TEDx events here. First of all, as others mentioned, TEDx events are independently organized. There are over 3000 of them in the world and obviously quality varies greatly. Getting a TEDx license is pretty trivial and there is no real oversight on quality. Yet, there are some great videos out there. Second, nobody pretends TED is an academic conference. I see a TED talk as the blurb on the back cover of a book. The speaker's job is to pique your interest in a topic during that 18 minutes. Pique it enough that you'll go on and research the topic in greater detail. Nobody expects to be a master in anything after sitting in a chair for 18 minutes. But if you've never thought about a problem, 18 minutes may push you to do it. And it's true some talks are mostly inspirational, with little informative value - we usually put a couple in the lineup as a breather. Third, TED is about cross-pollination of ideas. You hear an idea in neuroscience and it inspires you to do something in CS. Happens all the time. You will not act on 99% of the information you learn (be it in news, books, internet, HN) anyways, but it does expand your horizons. Lastly, TED's biggest value is in developing countries. If you live in NYC or SF, there are dozens of conferences you can attend every week. So the marginal benefit of going to a TED event is little. However, TED as a brand is really well known in developing countries in Asia, Africa, and Europe (like mine), inhabited by few, if any, world class innovators. In those countries, people do find TED really inspirational and often the local TEDx events are one of the very few decent conferences you can attend.

room271 13y ago
I'm surprised you describe Europe as lacking in world class innovators. There are loads of conferences in most of Europe and the scientific and academic output in general of European countries is incredibly high. The same is likely true for lots of Asia and Africa too, though I lack first hand knowledge.
- andr 13y ago
  I meant some countries, mostly in Eastern Europe.
- pathy 13y ago
  To strengthen your point: INSEAD's "The World’s Most Innovative Countries: The Global Innovation Index 2013": 1: Switzerland 2: Sweden 3: United Kingdoms 4: Netherlands 5: USA 6: Finland 7: Hong Kong 8: Singapore 9: Denmark 10: Ireland Source: http://knowledge.insead.edu/innovation/the-worlds-most-innovative-countries-the-global-innovation-index-2013-2525 http://knowledge.insead.edu/innovation/the-worlds-most-innov... I always take these types of rating with a pinch of salt but it does give an indication. Edit: I cannot English.
  - snogglethorpe 13y ago
    > I always take these types of rating with a pinch of salt but it does give an indication. More than pinch... a dump-truck full perhaps. This sort of list, backed by impressive-sounding acronymonic international agencies or well-known publications (even fairly respected outfits like The Economist pull this sort of stunt way too often) pops up regularly on all sorts of righteous-sounding topics ("Most Green City," that kind of thing). Typically they claim some sort of quantitative legitimacy but the results have little apparent connection with the real world. The fundamental problem seems to be that such things are extremely hard to define, much less measure, and so being not really willing to do the really hard work of trying to find a definition that really works, the writers fall back to just using whatever measures they can find that are easy to evaluate and have some sort of vaguely appropriate name. As you'd expect, the results are consequently barely better than random. There's little real repercussion, the winners crow a bit, some pompous headlines are written, buzzwords are sprinkled liberally, and nobody else really cares.
    - pathy 13y ago
      Have you actually read the report or are you just commenting on most of these types of reports? A quick glance suggests that their framework is quite detailed but I do not know how well it reflects reality. (p. 30 in the report) Your comment would be much better if you actually had anything to back up your claims. What supports your statement that these reports are no better than random? Report: http://www.wipo.int/export/sites/www/freepublications/en/economics/gii/gii_2013.pdf http://www.wipo.int/export/sites/www/freepublications/en/eco...
- SkyMarshal 13y ago
  He said "developing countries" in Europe. Former soviet bloc namely.
- notdang 13y ago
  Europe is not just European Union. There are a lot more countries.
- crazy1van 13y ago
  > I'm surprised you describe Europe as lacking in world class innovators. There are loads of conferences in most of Europe and the scientific and academic output in general of European countries is incredibly high. I don't think the quantity of conferences and scientific / academic output are really good indicators of innovation.
krutulis 13y ago
As the number of conferences and speakers grows, are you concerned that the Law of Large Numbers will exact its toll and make the sample of speakers more typical of the population as a whole? Inviting the flashiest of SF and NYC to speak is quite a builtin selection bias, but there seems to be no apparent strategy for preserving the distinctiveness of speakers as TEDx scales.
- huherto 13y ago
  I am not a mathematician, but I think the law of large numbers is not applied like that.
  - yo-mf 13y ago
    Probably got his knowledge from watching a TED talk on the subject...
  - Tyr42 13y ago
    I am a mathematician, and the Law of Large Numbers just says that if you roll a die many times, then the average of your rolls will converge to the expected value, in some strong way. I think he is just applying Sturgeon's Law (90% of everything is crap), and then and then the law of large numbers to conclude that the average video is crappy.
- andr 13y ago
  Yes, the average quality will probably fall, but the total amount of "good" talks will vastly increase. As with any popular content platform. A problem yet to be solved is how to highlight the better talks, because the current approach of featuring a talk a day on TED.com doesn't scale. By the way, TED never expected TEDx to grow this big, so there is little strategy in what's been happening so far. There are I think 6 or 7 TED staff responsible for the whole TEDx program, with its 3000+ events.
  - krutulis 13y ago
    Agreed, andr, that the number of new good talks can continue to increase. This is an interesting story and relates to a variety of other organizations seeking to scale quickly, whether from necessity or ambition. Is there an ongoing discussion of it as it pertains to TED & TEDx anywhere?
shadowmint 13y ago
It depends entirely on the content; if there's no meaningful content, the entire point is, as you've pointed out, a waste. Worse, if TED inspires people to get involved with pseudoscience causes, then it's actively harmful to it's own purpose. The stark reality is that you cannot possibly continue to generate new amazing videos about the latest breakthroughs year after year, conference after conference. There just isn't enough content. There just aren't enough breakthroughs, aren't enough new amazing things. Sooner or later you'll run out ...and then you turn into google-X; tech startups pitching their ideas, and the odd art/performance piece thrown in.
- andr 13y ago
  "Everything has already been invented." Less than 1500 people have spoken at TED over the last 28 years, so I think it's a bit early to say we've ran out of people with stuff to say. Plus, TEDx events give stage to topics of local importance, too.
  - craigyk 13y ago
    He is saying it's a rate problem. Not that there aren't new exciting discoveries or projects.
    - sliverstorm 13y ago
      To go with your point & change the numbers a bit, at 1500 talks over 28 years, that's 50 talks/year. Are we really turning out 50 ground-breaking, layman-accessible, presentation-suitable inspirational discoveries every year?
      - pavs 13y ago
        No one claimed 100% of every TED talks are about groundbreaking stuff and all of them are things that have happened in that particular year. Not to mention, more specifically TEDx is more about local issues, not necessarily global.
- 13y ago
mathattack 13y ago
Great defense of TED. It's not a MOOC, and it's not a book, and it's not a documentary. The one caveat is that by extending their brand, they are giving fuel to their detractors. If you say, "Well anyone can get a TEDx license," then you are admitting to brand dilution. (The same way high end car companies dilute their brands with low end models)
- Spooky23 13y ago
  I think that dilution is magnified because the lower quality TEDx conferences attract local high noise/low signal speakers, and gives them a veneer of credibility to new/uncritical eyes.
- saraid216 13y ago
  > It's not a MOOC, and it's not a book, and it's not a documentary. It's YouTube for conferences.
felipe 13y ago
> Lastly, TED's biggest value is in developing countries. TED Global 2014 will be hosted in Rio, Brazil, at US$6,000 per person. This is 4 months of a local mid-level web developer salary before taxes [1] Locals cannot afford to attend TED. TED is made by the elite, for the elite, with the occasional feel-good-save-the-planet token NGO from Africa. And so much for their "scientific" approach, given that they hate when a contrarian challenges them. Case in point: Sarah Silverman. [2] Here is a true grassroots and inclusive event for the developing world: Campus Party [3] [1] http://www.profissionaisti.com.br/2011/02/qual-o-salario-medio-dos-profissionais-de-ti-no-brasil/ http://www.profissionaisti.com.br/2011/02/qual-o-salario-med... [2] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci5p1OdVLAc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci5p1OdVLAc [3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campus_Party http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campus_Party

by andr 13y ago

room271 13y ago

I'm surprised you describe Europe as lacking in world class innovators. There are loads of conferences in most of Europe and the scientific and academic output in general of European countries is incredibly high. The same is likely true for lots of Asia and Africa too, though I lack first hand knowledge.

andr 13y ago
I meant some countries, mostly in Eastern Europe.
pathy 13y ago
To strengthen your point: INSEAD's "The World’s Most Innovative Countries: The Global Innovation Index 2013": 1: Switzerland 2: Sweden 3: United Kingdoms 4: Netherlands 5: USA 6: Finland 7: Hong Kong 8: Singapore 9: Denmark 10: Ireland Source: http://knowledge.insead.edu/innovation/the-worlds-most-innovative-countries-the-global-innovation-index-2013-2525 http://knowledge.insead.edu/innovation/the-worlds-most-innov... I always take these types of rating with a pinch of salt but it does give an indication. Edit: I cannot English.
- snogglethorpe 13y ago
  > I always take these types of rating with a pinch of salt but it does give an indication. More than pinch... a dump-truck full perhaps. This sort of list, backed by impressive-sounding acronymonic international agencies or well-known publications (even fairly respected outfits like The Economist pull this sort of stunt way too often) pops up regularly on all sorts of righteous-sounding topics ("Most Green City," that kind of thing). Typically they claim some sort of quantitative legitimacy but the results have little apparent connection with the real world. The fundamental problem seems to be that such things are extremely hard to define, much less measure, and so being not really willing to do the really hard work of trying to find a definition that really works, the writers fall back to just using whatever measures they can find that are easy to evaluate and have some sort of vaguely appropriate name. As you'd expect, the results are consequently barely better than random. There's little real repercussion, the winners crow a bit, some pompous headlines are written, buzzwords are sprinkled liberally, and nobody else really cares.
  - pathy 13y ago
    Have you actually read the report or are you just commenting on most of these types of reports? A quick glance suggests that their framework is quite detailed but I do not know how well it reflects reality. (p. 30 in the report) Your comment would be much better if you actually had anything to back up your claims. What supports your statement that these reports are no better than random? Report: http://www.wipo.int/export/sites/www/freepublications/en/economics/gii/gii_2013.pdf http://www.wipo.int/export/sites/www/freepublications/en/eco...
SkyMarshal 13y ago
He said "developing countries" in Europe. Former soviet bloc namely.
notdang 13y ago
Europe is not just European Union. There are a lot more countries.
crazy1van 13y ago
> I'm surprised you describe Europe as lacking in world class innovators. There are loads of conferences in most of Europe and the scientific and academic output in general of European countries is incredibly high. I don't think the quantity of conferences and scientific / academic output are really good indicators of innovation.

krutulis 13y ago

As the number of conferences and speakers grows, are you concerned that the Law of Large Numbers will exact its toll and make the sample of speakers more typical of the population as a whole? Inviting the flashiest of SF and NYC to speak is quite a builtin selection bias, but there seems to be no apparent strategy for preserving the distinctiveness of speakers as TEDx scales.

huherto 13y ago
I am not a mathematician, but I think the law of large numbers is not applied like that.
- yo-mf 13y ago
  Probably got his knowledge from watching a TED talk on the subject...
- Tyr42 13y ago
  I am a mathematician, and the Law of Large Numbers just says that if you roll a die many times, then the average of your rolls will converge to the expected value, in some strong way. I think he is just applying Sturgeon's Law (90% of everything is crap), and then and then the law of large numbers to conclude that the average video is crappy.
andr 13y ago
Yes, the average quality will probably fall, but the total amount of "good" talks will vastly increase. As with any popular content platform. A problem yet to be solved is how to highlight the better talks, because the current approach of featuring a talk a day on TED.com doesn't scale. By the way, TED never expected TEDx to grow this big, so there is little strategy in what's been happening so far. There are I think 6 or 7 TED staff responsible for the whole TEDx program, with its 3000+ events.
- krutulis 13y ago
  Agreed, andr, that the number of new good talks can continue to increase. This is an interesting story and relates to a variety of other organizations seeking to scale quickly, whether from necessity or ambition. Is there an ongoing discussion of it as it pertains to TED & TEDx anywhere?

shadowmint 13y ago

It depends entirely on the content; if there's no meaningful content, the entire point is, as you've pointed out, a waste. Worse, if TED inspires people to get involved with pseudoscience causes, then it's actively harmful to it's own purpose. The stark reality is that you cannot possibly continue to generate new amazing videos about the latest breakthroughs year after year, conference after conference. There just isn't enough content. There just aren't enough breakthroughs, aren't enough new amazing things. Sooner or later you'll run out ...and then you turn into google-X; tech startups pitching their ideas, and the odd art/performance piece thrown in.

andr 13y ago
"Everything has already been invented." Less than 1500 people have spoken at TED over the last 28 years, so I think it's a bit early to say we've ran out of people with stuff to say. Plus, TEDx events give stage to topics of local importance, too.
- craigyk 13y ago
  He is saying it's a rate problem. Not that there aren't new exciting discoveries or projects.
  - sliverstorm 13y ago
    To go with your point & change the numbers a bit, at 1500 talks over 28 years, that's 50 talks/year. Are we really turning out 50 ground-breaking, layman-accessible, presentation-suitable inspirational discoveries every year?
    - pavs 13y ago
      No one claimed 100% of every TED talks are about groundbreaking stuff and all of them are things that have happened in that particular year. Not to mention, more specifically TEDx is more about local issues, not necessarily global.
13y ago

mathattack 13y ago

Great defense of TED. It's not a MOOC, and it's not a book, and it's not a documentary. The one caveat is that by extending their brand, they are giving fuel to their detractors. If you say, "Well anyone can get a TEDx license," then you are admitting to brand dilution. (The same way high end car companies dilute their brands with low end models)

Spooky23 13y ago
I think that dilution is magnified because the lower quality TEDx conferences attract local high noise/low signal speakers, and gives them a veneer of credibility to new/uncritical eyes.
saraid216 13y ago
> It's not a MOOC, and it's not a book, and it's not a documentary. It's YouTube for conferences.

felipe 13y ago

> Lastly, TED's biggest value is in developing countries. TED Global 2014 will be hosted in Rio, Brazil, at US$6,000 per person. This is 4 months of a local mid-level web developer salary before taxes [1] Locals cannot afford to attend TED. TED is made by the elite, for the elite, with the occasional feel-good-save-the-planet token NGO from Africa. And so much for their "scientific" approach, given that they hate when a contrarian challenges them. Case in point: Sarah Silverman. [2] Here is a true grassroots and inclusive event for the developing world: Campus Party [3] [1] http://www.profissionaisti.com.br/2011/02/qual-o-salario-medio-dos-profissionais-de-ti-no-brasil/ http://www.profissionaisti.com.br/2011/02/qual-o-salario-med... [2] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci5p1OdVLAc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci5p1OdVLAc [3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campus_Party http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campus_Party