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Do you have a suggestion for TED? Something we could do better?
Have an idea for the website? Maybe a suggestion to improve TED Conversations?
We would like to use this space to hear and discuss your ideas for TED and TED.com.
Please note: If you wish to suggest a speaker please use the following link: http://www.ted.com/nominate/speaker
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Showing single comment thread. View the full conversation.
George Spilkov
Many may not agree with certain positions especially about delicate, taboo, controversial subjects presented on TED or expressed in comments by some users. It is very annoying and wrong tendency to delete comments when you in TED do not share or like them.
The voice of the "minority" or the "unorthodox thinkers" has to be heard also if TED is to be believed to uphold the values it promotes.
Here is my proposal for TED:
DO NOT DELETE COMMENTS!!
INSTEAD REPLACE THEM WITH A LINK. You might be surprised how many people would click on those links and would want to read those "condemned" comments or have something to say about them.
"Idea WORTH spreading"??? It seems you in TED have a tight grip on what to be considered "worthy" of spreading. Why not let the people say what they really think about the ideas you present? Moderate what appears but do not Delete - let the people have the means to read, reply to, rank the "condemned" comments.
Jimmy Strobl 30+
Go here to speak freely! http://www.ted.com/conversations/3273/nothing_s_off_topic.html
Edit: have you read http://www.ted.com/pages/conversations_terms ?
Tim Colgan 50+
@Jimmy: Two days remaining. If it goes, I go.
Jimmy Strobl 30+
Edit: seems to be back.
Jimmy Strobl 30+
TIM, YOU STOP THAT CRAZY TALK RIGHT NOW!
Jim Moonan 30+
But slanderous statements and personal attacks NO!
There's got to be a line somewhere.
I was the recipient of just such attacks here in a TED conversation and it was more than offensive - it was hurtful.
TED can be faulted for being big brother, but when it comes to personal attacks, what would you propose TED do?
Debra Smith 200+
We need a balance.
I absolutely value Tim and his contribution and it is strange that he is the one who ends up in this confrontation for I have never seen him treat anyone without consumate respect and all of his comments are on point and often deeply insightful as well. The problem is that does not apply to everyone.
When my comments have been removed- they deserved to be in most cases.
I am surprised that TED did not leave Tim's thread alone as it was a happy little cul de sac for people - it was tactically a poor manoever but TED has to have the right to prevent threads from dissolving into chaos.
Jim Moonan 30+
It may not satisfy everyone's every wish, but it likely will result in something better than what we are tied to now.
Tim blackburn 30+
Jim Moonan 30+
5.TED is seeking to foster a grown-up conversation about ideas that matter. When conversing with other members, engage in a reasoned exchange of ideas -- avoiding flaming, name-calling, obscenities and insults.
Debra Smith 200+
I have to admit that I have read some things in the last day or so that have shocked me and are causing me to rethink my position.
Tony Sanchez
Nathaniel Hinckley
Tim Colgan 50+
Will True 200+
Every single comment doesn't need to be perfectly on topic, but if you want an example for the reasoning behind comment removal, take a look at this very sub-thread within the suggestions thread. It has grown with many topics that I myself might consider off-topic to a point that suggestions for TED.com are being pushed down 'below the fold' and those users aren't getting their voices heard. In my opinion, off-topic comments and sub-threads provide a barrier to the original poster's discussion and have the potential to derail entire conversations.
Tim Colgan 50+
Good one Jimmy! But you know there are certain causes which justify martyrdom. Free speech is one of them.
Jimmy Strobl 30+
Talk to the admins, I really think you guys can come to a solution that works for all!
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Tim Colgan 50+
Don't take it seriously Jim. Here on TED conversations I've been called an ignorant stalking rapist. Actually, I wish that comment wasn't deleted. It was really pretty comical.
Jim Moonan 30+
Krisztián Pintér 200+
Jim Moonan 30+
But I don't think this is about what we get in terms of hateful, slanderous personal emails. We have protection against that if we want. We can protect our privacy as many do in this forum.
What I think this is about is what the limits are to free speech in this public forum. Are there any??? I totally agree that TED needs to take a hard look at their rationale for removing comments and take what so many of us are calling for seriously. It is in the spirit of what is best about TED to do so.
There's a music artist I enjoy that I think is a genuine musical genius and from time to time I find something on youtube by him and his band. The comments left are often supportive, but it's not unusual for ignorant, vicious people to spew their racist, bigoted, hate-filled venomous beliefs as well. My point is that’s apparently ok to a large degree on youtube – although there are times when the entire comment stream has been disabled and I assume that the speech got too far out of hand even that forum.
But this is TED. I have been following this conversation closely enough to know that I may have to re-adjust my understanding of what TED conversations are and are not, but for now at least I see this forum as something of a safe-haven from that very small element of people that are so common across the internet... Is removing that type of comment so bad? Doesn’t removing that type of comment re-confirm who we are as a group?? A diverse group, but a respectful group as well.
Btw, I'm always up for a good argument (Kristian, we have one going right now and your not playing fair). It's half the reason why I enjoy TED conversations.
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Bran Corvus
Mohammad Tauheed 500+
TED Conversations is not just another bulletin board. Here admins must delete comments to maintain the standard and most importantly the mere goal of this online conversation project.
And in the conversations terms there are few adjectives repeated: mature, constructive, civil, relevant
So, anything that does not comply with these adjectives should be removed.
And radical openness in discussions never leads to anything constructive, even in your everyday meetings, you may try, it always leads to chaos and talking in vain for hours.
Bran Corvus
Thomas Pisarchick 10+
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Jack Dear
Richard Dawson 30+
Simone Lackerbauer 100+
Jimmy Strobl 30+
Simone Lackerbauer 100+
Richard Dawson 30+
You can't quite imagine a mature community like the TED community would abuse the flag system but what about imagining a mature community like the TED community would abuse the terms? If you can imagine that then perhaps you could imagine the latter also.
Muhammad Aizat Zainal Alam 30+
Debra Smith 200+
You mean saying 'Naner, naner, I'm telling the teacher!" Isn't OK?
(or maybe its me letting it get to me- OK, I agree!)
Simone Lackerbauer 100+
Lindsay Newland Bowker 50+
Since Red flags are invisible at the moment we can't know which are pending PED review. So as far as I know we have no knowlledge on the pattern of use of red flags.
We only get to see the outcome , a notice "this post was removed by admin".
In the few conversations I have been involved in I have never once seen a comment removed by admin that was simply an opposing view point. That is simply not a a truthful portrayal, Birdia, of what I have seen.
In every case it has been about removing inapparopriate comments by members that breech the terms of use agreement. In one conversation sveral members got into a bitter relentless personal harangue with one another right in the middle of a conversation on transforamtive expetreiences, of all things. The moderator repeatedly asked them to stop. They continued really ruining the whole conversation. By the time admin removed all the posts it was too late.the entire conversation was ruined. That was the most dramatic one I have witnessed. Same people involved in all the others i have seen. Same issues..
I have not personally ever ever ever seen deletion of a comment that is simply expressing a different opinion. That is simpy not a true statement from my observations.
Jimmy Strobl 30+
"I have not personally ever ever ever seen deletion of a comment that is simply expressing a different opinion. That is simpy not a true statement from my observations."
Lindsay Newland Bowker 50+
.I am all for transparency. I think TED's guidance to "abusers" should appear publicly right in the context of the conversation. That way we would all learn. And that would certainly curb these tedenciesand self correct our community..
.Didn't there used to be at thumbs down? Maybe that should be bright back?
In another conversation I just saw three thumbs up on a comment that suggested that the appropriate response to a statement that "The holocause was a lie" is to present videos and documentation that holocaust did actuially happen if you disagree.
Is red flagging a statement that " the holocaustis a lie" suppressing opinion? censorhip?
I think not.
In some parts of the world that is actually a crime. All over the wolrd in civilized and intelligent compamy that kind of thing just isn't said
There are myths being spread here about censorship and repression and manipulation that really don't tell the underlying story. These are just the wounded little boys and girls who through rocks through the window and then wailed when they were caught.