This conversation is closed. Start a new conversation
or join one »
We're making a small change to TED Conversations
Hello all! I wanted to let you know that we're in the process of making a small change to the TED Conversations platform.
It's been a great year and a half since the debut of TED Conversations, and you've had some excellent discussions in that time. We're constantly impressed by the breadth, depth, and diversity of topics and participants here.
Unfortunately, we've also seen a growing number of inappropriate, spam, and abusive topics, which our small team has worked around the clock to remove. Over time, this has become a bit overwhelming. In response, and in order to continue to provide a space for meaningful conversation and debate, we're rolling out a simple approval process for new Conversation topics.
What will this mean? Well, submitting a new idea, question, or debate will work as it always has. You'll use the same form to enter a title, description, related TEDTalks, and a timeframe for the discussion. Once you click Submit, your Conversation will enter an approval queue, where the TED team will read and publish it within 24 hours (though usually much faster). If we can't publish it, we'll send you an email with feedback and instructions on how to re-submit. Once approved, the new Conversation will work as always, with TEDizens around the world joining in your discussion to talk, brainstorm, and collaborate.
Our hope is that this small change will provide a stronger and more consistent experience for you and for the rest of the online TED community. As always, we'd love to hear from you! Please get in touch with us below, or at conversations@ted.com with any thoughts or feedback you'd like to share.
Thank you, and we look forward to seeing your future TED Conversations!
Sincerely,
Aja Bogdanoff
TED Conversations Team
Showing single comment thread. View the full conversation.
Showing single comment thread. View the full conversation.
shawn lyles
Ken brown 30+
Wade Crum
Ken brown 30+
Rick Ryan 10+
Freedom of speech is not guaranteed in a "private organization", such as the TED website. The owners of the organization get to make whatever rules they want about what type of posts or conversations are allowed, and how they will be conducted. They are the ones who get to moderate the forum and decide if a topic or post is in accordance with the goals of the website or community.
Anyone who "joins" the community is bound by the rules established by the organization. Fritzie posted those rules in this thread, and they are on the main TED website.
If you don't like the rules, you have the freedom to leave and go elsewhere. If the "elsewhere" you go allows you to say, "TED has some stupid posting rules!", complain about it there.
Wade Crum
I look at the forum now as TED being the Host and we are the guests. Now we have an outstanding Butler at the door to shield us from distracting trolls and sales people.
My friends, Enjoy the party ;) ! Can someone point me to the champaign server?
Ken brown 30+
Aja Bogdanoff 20+
Thank you, Wade! Please make yourself at home. ;)
Rick Ryan 10+
If you feel you are being "subdued" by anyone responsible for maintaining the purpose of this community, your "freedom" allows to you leave this communiy and post in other website communities that allow posting the way you would personally prefer to do it.
Respectfully submitted.
Fritzie Reisner 100+
"We are seeking to build a mature online community centered around ideas that matter. Please be aware, when participating, that we will remove: •content promoting pseudo-science, conspiracy theories, zealotry, proselytizing, self-promotion, product-hawking, and new-age fluff
•content written in txtspeak, all-caps, or otherwise lazy grammar
•content posted by members using joke names or non-names
•disrespectful, distasteful, unconstructive, or illegal content"
Juliette Zahn 50+
My new suggestion is to insert above guideline on top of every posted conversation/idea/debate so all new comers receive them and hopefully refrain from ruining conversation streams.Also I am in favor of profile content so we know who the commenter is, what they are about, etc. This is what sets TED apart. Cheers for TED!!
Hi Frizie, Hi Aja !! ( It is great to see you again ;-), Rick, Wade, ken !!
Fritzie Reisner 100+
There are two reasons I changed my mind on this. One is that some people in some parts of the world put themselves at risk for speaking their opinions freely. In that case using real names silences them. The flip side is, of course, that some people are less civil if they can hide behind a pseudonym.
The second reason is that regardless of where one lives, on the open internet, there are people who do prey on innocent people, particularly if they have a way of identifying and finding them easily. Sometimes its a mean prank, sometimes bullying, and sometimes the perpetrator is psychotic. Such people can join open communities and target people in their offline lives.
So I understand that some people are more comfortable using pseudonyms or not putting forward profiles as a safety measure.
Aja Bogdanoff 20+
http://disqus.com/research/pseudonyms/
Juliette Zahn 50+