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Improving TED Conversations system. (Suggestions)
I have been using TED conversations for some time now and I think this wonderful environment can benefit from some changes and also addition of some features.
1- Notification Panel
A new page or an Ajax plugin that can show all the recent contributions that are related to each individual user. for example I want to be able to easily see the comments on my questions, replies and likes all in real time and in a news like format. the already used comment tab is not well informing.
2-Limiting the number of Conversations one can run simultaneously.
I see some people create a dozen (I counted and it was 12) conversations at once. I believe this can harm the quality of those conversations as one may not be able to read and reply comments on all those conversations. I question the reasons of running 12 conversations all together. a normal number to my opinion should be around 3 for a month period. and users should be able to create new conversations as soon as one of their already running conversations expire.
3- built in video player for external video links that users post in their comments.
I think it will be useful since the user stays in the conversation page and remains concentrated on the topic while leaving the page may be totally distracting.
4- A simple white board like screen
sometimes I feel the need to show the relation of some concepts or a hierarchy of elements and such a tool can help one to present an idea.
5-Conversation TEXT OR conversation VOICE OR conversation VIDEO
Although it may not be easily to implement, it may be a good idea to make the conversations multimedia, I would love to join a conversation all posted in Audio format or even Video.
6- Virtual Conference room.
I know that people are online and just have commented on my answer but I do not have the means to start a conversation with them in real time. many people can see the online conversations and may prefer to join it.
Amaterasu Solar
Remove the "work ethic" (a slave's "ethic" - enrich Others with One's Human energy) and promote a Betterment Ethic.
Marx's ideas were scarcity paradigm ideas. The Abundance Paradigm is wholly different. Marx presumed one (relatively) meager pie, hacked up evenly. Communism is a scarcity paradigm solution. The Abundance Paradigm is more like a giant warehouse full of pies, from which Each may take as much or as little as One chooses.
In the Abundance Paradigm, one is "rich" when One is regarded highly, and as such, there are no "poor" People, per se, except Those found to have broken one or more of the three Laws:
Do not willfully hurt or kill another Being
Do not willfully take or damage the property of another Being
Do not willfully defraud another Being
A Being (cap the "B") is of a sentient, sapient species.
In the case of breaking one or more of these Laws, status is lost, confinement in solitary luxury may occur, but always One becomes pariah. Pariahhood is an EARNED status based on chosen behavior, not a "birthright" or a monetarily defined status.
Running out of characters... [sigh] Would be more than happy to define more, such as stigmergic governance via the web (see http://journal.media-culture.org.au/0605/03-elliott.php for a definition of stigmergy), open source, focus on organics, and more. I would add that I offer more in depth presentations on My blog, linked in My profile.
Sina Elli 10+
I do relate to your mission of raising awareness toward the concepts previously mentioned.
as a linux user, I can understand non monetary motivations and you are right in my opinion.
Replacing the nonsense work ethic with betterment ethic. This is a concept worthy of discussion by itself. there are too many chains limiting people from even thinking about this. It is ironic that people resist what is actually for their benefit and that has always been like that for the majority.
I was not aware that a financial theory is present based on abundance, as My school of thought is scarcity-oriented itself and I feel the need to truly understand the idea of abundance and possibly replace it. although I have little knowledge of its implications now. I am going to investigate. and I can tell already that in scarcity paradigm it is not possible to grow unless breaking one of those rules you mentioned but in abundance it is the default expectation without breaking those rules. is this what's meant ?
I have checked your weblog and I am interested to know more.
Thank you very much for being there enlightening our world.
Cordially yours,
Sina
Sina Elli 10+
Sina Elli 10+
regarding the no2, as IT has already mentioned before opening new conversations is a way to increase TEDCRED and people sometimes open many conversations just to gain credit. I see people who re-state a question that was the main theme of a video to open a new conversation where it was already discussed perfectly under the video itself or some people ask many questions that could well be merged into one. I witnessed somebody opening 14 conversations all at the same time. do you think he can read, manage , reply to comments in all 14 of them ? TED is about quality isn't it ?
thank you.
Christopher Reid
Thank you for your time.
Amaterasu Solar
I like most of Your ideas greatly. Not sure about #2... What if I had 25 different ideas, or had one central one that, because of the character limit, I needed to parcel out the component pieces into other segments?
Anyway, yeah. It would be nice to have a "chat room," or something along those lines.
Sina Elli 10+
regarding the no2, as IT has already mentioned before opening new conversations is a way to increase TEDCRED and people sometimes open many conversations just to gain credit. I see people who re-state a question that was the main theme of a video to open a new conversation where it was already discussed perfectly under the video itself or some people ask many questions that could well be merged into one. I witnessed somebody opening 14 conversations all at the same time. do you think he can read, manage , reply to comments in all 14 of them ? TED is about quality isn't it ?
Amaterasu Solar
Maybe TEDCRED should be based not on merely starting a conversation but on how many Others give it a "thumbs up" or other means of approval. This would not eliminate the issues - One could have Others come in and bump One's conversations - but it would severely reduce issues, and give much more credit where it is due.
Just a thought.
Sina Elli 10+
I was reading this in previous conversations and people by experience had thought that opening new conversations is more effective in adding to your credits although commenting and joining discussions also counts.
I am interested in your idea of money less society. how do you solve the value problem ? tasks are of different values. and where do you stand regarding the Marx theory of finance that one does not get rich unless many others get poor ?
thank you for raising awareness on the energy issue.
Sina Elli 10+
I think we can convince our beloved TED to make some changes if a large number of us suggest the same.
Be well,
Sina
Sharon McCann 10+
Niaz Uddin Sohel
Sina Elli 10+
Sharon McCann 10+
Mary M. 100+
Also #2 is a very practical idea....Many TEDsters at different times during the last 3 months have brought this point up. Too many conversations going on at the same time....Some with zero or one comment....there must be some way to decrease the number, and also limit on the amount of conversations any one individual can initiate.
Great ideas Sina!!
Sina Elli 10+
I am glad you also find these ideas useful. we love TED and that's why we like to make it the best platform out there for communicating ideas, science and thoughts. I hope we can see these requests implemented in the near future.
Niaz Uddin Sohel
But I want to meet the officials of TED. It will be great to meet Chrish Anderson as I have almost made a plan which I am going to implement in Bangladesh, India, Singapore and some other convenient places. But I need to sit with them I don't know how can can get appointment of them. Any idea?
It will be great to see our ideas implemented for the betterment of TED Community. Thanks
Sina Elli 10+
you are going to meet them, please bring this subject up and see what their feedback is.
thank you.
Niaz Uddin Sohel
Fritzie Reisner 100+
Sina Elli 10+
I think TED settings for conversations can be more flexible and offer more options so user's can change them according to their preferences.
Niaz Uddin Sohel
Anyways, Great Job Done! Thanks and I like the idea of Virtual Conference room. Online Chat Room is also important for better communication.
Simply Noor
specially the plugin for video running here on this panel rather than working as external link.
also , one button for uploading any document in comment which other members can download. though its bit tough to do but certainly can be useful
Manue M 10+
I think the white board is an excellent idea!
I am not sure we should limit the number of conversation people open. But it is true that too many conversations opened by the same person can be an issue. William's idea of grouping them is maybe the answer.
Sina Elli 10+
edward long 100+
William Wilson
i would agree that a simple white board would improve the comment system, because i have a lot of trouble getting ideas across sometimes, and being able to draw out a diagram or sketch a quick concept greatly helps me communicate with people when i'm face-to-face with them, and it frustrates me to see it missing online.
the voice or video option could work as something to take the place of the start of a conversation, possibly with a link to a transcript so that people might be able to translate areas they do not quite grasp due to language barriers to get better general ideas of what is happening in a conversation. people could meet up at a given time to do a voice chat in an open room, and then would continue the conversation in text once maybe an hour was up. but text chat or the current format are the best ideas for being able to hold conversations across time zones globally.
griffin tucker 10+
then, there's direct image linking from external sites, which would have to be disabled to avoid both bandwidth constraints and such issues as illegal images including but not limited to copyright infringement. such images would need to be filtered and automatic filtering just isn't up to the task yet...
...unless people power is used and volunteers would wish to monitor for illegal images, which is in my opinion already a hazardous task to those already checking profile pictures.
once you figure out those issues, you may have a start on such a task.
Sina Elli 10+
Regarding the limit on starting conversations, you have argued well and I have myself concluded that it may not be a good move since freedom is is a higher concept in my mind rather than the mere quality of conversation, and besides even if the conversation starter may not be able to effectively manage all, others would benefit from the running conversations.
regarding the virtual conference room I forgot to mention that the session is surely saved in the format of a conversation so that the knowledge in there can be captured for future visitors
regarding starting a TED conference in google plus, the thought have crossed my mind (in Facebook and I know google has the advantage of creating a hang out and it that sense it is a better choice) but I doubt that it is a good idea to use third party mediums for that. It is more professional and more beautiful if TED implements it.
Rikki Ansell
I am sure the virtual conference room would be interesting, but I think that would detract from the written conversations because whatever went on in the room would carry the conversation away from those not present at that time. Those only participating in the written posts would experience gaps.
For the video player, posting your link to open in a new window, or asking your readers to right click and view it in a new window would keep the conversation open, and allow the viewer to type a response as they view.
I do think audio/video could be helpful at times. Many of the writers are not native English speakers, and sometimes the questions are hard to follow. Speaking goes faster, so I think those people would be better able to get the gist of their meaning across. I suspect it must be frustrating to have to not only search for the right words, but then to have to try and spell them out when English is your second, third, or tenth language. I am sure that contributes to some of the questions being truncated and therefore less clear.
Why not start a TEDconferenceroom on google plus? You can have all the video chats there you want, and other google+ members who aren't aware of this site will discover it. There is at least one TED related google+ site. A TED hangout ought to be very interesting.
Ken brown 30+
Mostafa Elshafey