Upon learning about the $6,000 cost to get in, I shall think of TED Talks as a tax on rich people to provide free, online quality content to the rest of the world.
It is not a tax, because no force is involved. But you're right, it is a delightful business model.
The elephants in the room at TED
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Re: The elephants in the room at TED
#52The controversy is over a measly $6000? That's what the fuss is about? Most people on this site have had $100,000+ spent by their parents in order for them to attend an invitation-only institution at which they spent four years networking with the supposed future leaders! Gasp! Honestly, TED seems like a much better investment than an elite college. Four years' time and $100-200k, at an age where it's mostly impossib…
I'd like to know where you went to pay 100-200k in tuition fees and get nothing but networking out of it.
Where I live, a bachelor's degree is about 15k (total), and is about learning engineering, physics or whatever you want to do. Going to TED twice won't give you quite the same skills...
Re: The elephants in the room at TED
#53Earlier quoted context omitted.
It is not a tax, because no force is involved. But you're right, it is a delightful business model.
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&source=hp&q=lottery+tax...
Hmm, should I really jump into this?
Mark Thornton at Mises.org has one thing right: "I believe in the unrestricted right to gamble."
But he goes on to say: "Despite this, I oppose the adoption of a state lottery." I would like to agree with him here but I think he's missing the point.
I don't oppose people setting up a lottery, even if those people call themselves a "state." I do oppose those people forcing out competition at the point of a gun.
So go ahead, "state," and set up your lottery with your ridiculously horrible odds. But when the competition arrives and provides far better odds with ease, and you send armed men to shut them down, that is where you cross the line.
I just like to focus on the truly important moral principle at stake, which is to avoid initiating force against other people.
Re: The elephants in the room at TED
#54Herein Scoble fulfills the "huge responsibility"[1] of getting a rare TED press pass by reminding us once again of how awesome it is to be Scoble. In a truly shocking turn of events, getting to attend has made him no longer jealous of people who get to attend. Sweet badges, networking with rich folk and stage decor that helps you "weave together a fabric that encourages your mind to explore new ideas" while staring o…
You did a great job of nailing Scoble's M.O.: 'I thought X sucked, but then I got to use/be part of X and now I think X is awesome. Next year, I'll think X sucks again once Dave Winer reminds me that he thinks X sucks.'
Re: The elephants in the room at TED
#55Earlier quoted context omitted.
"TED has never paid speakers to attend, but we're committed to creating an experience that's tremendously fulfilling and beneficial on all sides. We do, of course, cover travel costs to Long Beach or Palm Springs, and provide excellent hotel accommodation." Source: http://www.ted.com/pages/view/id/73
Well, the travel expenses aren't anywhere near what a speaking fee would be, but at least the speakers aren't having to dip in to their own pockets to make a free talk happen. So where does the $6000/ticket go? It seems like a bit more than what would be necessary to cover those costs.
The TED conference is owned by a charity which they run the TED Prize and the TED Fellows programs.
Re: The elephants in the room at TED
#56Earlier quoted context omitted.
Please don't take it literally. I meant SWPL as in this: http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/ and thought it would be understood. What I mean is stuff that is too "liberal", too bland, too politically correct for my taste. A bit hypocritical at times. It's just my opinion; perhaps I should have phrased it differently. This is only tangentially related to race, by the way. People all over the world (including me) love cla…
I kind of understand, but I would really be interested in the "other stuff". I suppose for TED, ultimately the speakers are still selected by the organizers (don't know TED very well). What would be a more exciting event? I suppose there already are some?
I'm curious too. It doesn't even have to be so ambitious as a whole event.
What would be an example of a talk that's more interesting than anything at TED?
And why couldn't such a talk simply be given at TED? Because "white people" wouldn't like it? Why not?
Some concrete examples would be a great help.
Re: The elephants in the room at TED
#57Earlier quoted context omitted.
"I don’t have $6,000..." More surprising is that Scoble's been doing whatever it is he does for so long and he doesn't have $6000.
I believe Mr. Scoble has a family. Anyone here with a family that still works for a living will tell you that you don't have $6000 to spend on yourself.
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Re: The elephants in the room at TED
#58The controversy is over a measly $6000? That's what the fuss is about? Most people on this site have had $100,000+ spent by their parents in order for them to attend an invitation-only institution at which they spent four years networking with the supposed future leaders! Gasp! Honestly, TED seems like a much better investment than an elite college. Four years' time and $100-200k, at an age where it's mostly impossib…
I'd like to know where you went to pay 100-200k in tuition fees and get nothing but networking out of it. Where I live, a bachelor's degree is about 15k (total), and is about learning engineering, physics or whatever you want to do. Going to TED twice won't give you quite the same skills...
That was perhaps a bit inflammatory... I probably shouldn't have posted it, at least not in that tone and manner.
Certainly college doesn't provide "nothing but networking", nor does going to TED. You learn a lot in the process, sure.
The reason American tuition is so high, however, especially at elite schools, is because a lot of Americans believe that attending the right college is a golden ticket of sorts.
I guess my point is that there's no sense in being indignant about $6000 to attend TED when Americans are willing to spend an additional $250k over the cost of attending a first-rate state university (including the prep high schools required for most people to have a decent chance at the most prestigious college) for the supposed networking advantages.
Re: The elephants in the room at TED
#59Upon learning about the $6,000 cost to get in, I shall think of TED Talks as a tax on rich people to provide free, online quality content to the rest of the world.
It is not a tax, because no force is involved. But you're right, it is a delightful business model.
Tax is not forced. The government doesn't force you to pay taxes. They punish you if you don't pay taxes and you earn more money than you spend keeping your business running.
However, there are myriad ways to legally pay zero tax and many people do it every year.
Re: The elephants in the room at TED
#60Personally, I find about 80% of TED talks to be painfully pretentious, saccharine, or so desperately worthy they just make me weary. For example: "how we rescued the dancing bears", "embrace your inner girl", "[someone] teaches kids to take charge", "the uniqueness of humans"; things I could only listen to with gritted teeth.
I call it "intellectual masturbation." Mutual intellectual masturbation in the case of TED and I participate remotely over the internet in a voyeuristic manner stroking my curiosity as I watch the people on stage.