From a Scrappy Collective of Academics to a Media Giant Worth Millions
The famous educational lectures known as TED Talks are becoming increasingly popular. Videos of their many conferences have gone viral time and time again, proving that the TED Talk format is far from a passing fad.TED is worth millions of dollars as an educational media outlet, and their videos often have prudent, inspirational, and/or thought-provoking messages alongside them.
But TED's success as a media behemoth with hundreds of conferences per year around the world and a flashy streaming platform is a relatively new one. It hasn't always been this way for the scrappy media outlet bent on bringing positive change and proactive dialogue to the world. In fact, it is rare for a company with a mission as lofty and intellectual as Ted's to ever see the light of day, let alone skyrocket in popularity in the age of social media. But time and time again, TED has proven itself as a scrappy media company with vision - one that knows how to grow and adapt with the shifting times.
TED has become synonymous with highbrow instruction, and is now a go-to resource for anyone looking to learn new things.
35 years ago, TED was founded in New York City by academics who wanted to share their knowledge with the world. Over the last decade or so, it has grown into an empire worth over $65 million, with a wide array of content that is used by people all over the world. Today, TED is synonymous with high-quality education, and it's a must-go resource for anyone looking to learn new things.
TED has created a massive media network that includes podcasts, books, videos, and a website where people can watch TED Talks. Additionally, TED offers grants, fellowships, and scholarships that help unknown academics and public speakers become icons of their industries. All it takes is a shot at the TED Talk stage.
Second, the talk must be interesting ?the audience should want to listen.? Third, it must be of value to the TED community in some way.
Do TED Talks typically offer clever solutions to problems or the promise of a better future? If you have seen a TED Talk before, then you are already familiar with the format. The speaker often presents a unique issue, offers up data, examples, or sound logic in order to back it up, then offers a solution - preferably one that instills hope or inspires action in the audience.
This, in turn, leads to TED's criteria for acceptability when it comes to talks. The first of these is that the talk must be interesting; secondly, it must be understandable to an audience beyond experts; and finally, the talk must inspire people to take some kind of action.
It is both remarkable and encouraging when you see a multimillion-dollar company choosing to place this focus on themselves. This is just one of the many reasons why TED remains such an influential and important part of the media landscape. The company's very existence provides hope in a world that can sometimes seem bleak.
TED?s Very Own Streaming Platform
In the past, TED Talks were only available on YouTube. However, this process was time consuming and difficult for many TED fans. So, TED began work on their own streaming platform in order to make their talks more easily accessible to everyone.
The TED Talks platform is now available to anyone, making it much easier for enthusiasts from all over the world to access the hundreds of talks that are available. In addition, this allowed TED to create some exclusive content that is only available through their platform. This system avoids the cumbersome requirements and monetization system of YouTube.
And so today we're taking a look at the Ted streaming site, which is one of the most innovative and well-designed sites out there. We've already established that Ted is different from other media companies, and their streaming site definitely lives up to that hype! Whether you're looking for an effective way to broadcast your ideas to the world or just want a site that's unique and interesting, TED's got you covered. So let's take a look see just how great their site is!
Design is Excellent, as You?d Expect
Upon landing on the TED home page, I was struck by how expertly it was designed. And this is to be expected, considering that the D in TED stands for Design. It would be a disappointment if they neglected the design aspect of their streaming site, given this fact. But, thankfully, ted.com lives up to the highest standards of site design. The site is minimalist and easy to navigate. It is as intuitive as it is clean and easy on the eyes.
As someone who loves puzzles and trying to figure things out, I really appreciate this feature of TED's site design. It's a great way for them to gauge what content is of interest to me and tailor the site accordingly. After I sign up and answer some questions about my preferences, they give me a list of tags based on the things I mentioned. From there, I can select the ones that are most important to me and see a variety of different ideas that match those topics.
TED content is specifically tailored to the interests of individual viewers, allowing the site to remain accessible and user-friendly while still providing high-quality information. In addition, content changes invisibly on top of the home page, so you never have to worry about being distracted by new information while browsing.
TED is a website that offers astonishingly well-made videos on various topics. It is user-friendly and perfect for anyone who wants to learn more about the world around them. Videos are divided into different sections, such as "Latest Talks," "Trending," "Editor's Picks," etc. The website is constantly learning what users enjoy, and provides recommendations accordingly. Finally, there are separate categories for talks, such as "Science & Technology" or "Creativity." This site is absolutely amazing and perfect for anyone who wants to learn more about the world around them!
But it isn't only videos that TED offers on its site. No, if you scroll back up to the top of the page, you'll find a site menu bar that allows you to quickly browse all types of media. Hovering your cursor over the Discover tab will produce a dropdown menu ? from here, you can explore TED's blogs, podcasts, books, and newsletters. You can also get involved in the TED community here.
Visit the Attend tab on the TED website. There, you'll find a list of events happening all around the world. Nominate a speaker by clicking on the "Nominate A Speaker" link. Organize a TED event by clicking on the "Organize A Event" link. Or apply to be a TED fellow by clicking on the "Apply To Be A Fellow" link. Regardless of what you choose to do, remember that TED is one of those rare sites that transcend the digital realm and allows you to get out of your house and get involved in issues that matter to you in the real world.
Suggestions for TED Moving Forward?
Some ways in which the TED site could be improved include increased video quality and design, as well as making the site easier to navigate. Although these may seem like small issues, they have a large impact on the overall user experience. I urge TED to take these issues into account and remedy them as soon as possible.
However, at the end of the day, TED is free to use. There is no subscription fee, no membership tiers to worry about. Simply sign up and have full access to the site, worries free. This does mean that there are ads, though, but they are not too invasive as to severely hinder the experience of the site. If you love ideas, want to get inspired, and learn something new, TED is the site for you.