Clay Shirky's TED Talk

I'm three minutes into Clay Shirky's TED Talk, and I still have no clue what his topic is going to be. This isn't looking good... Free time, maybe? No, not that. Human motivation and creativity, perhaps? I think that might be it. Not sure, though. Which is Shirky's first (but certainly not only) mistake. He hasn't given his audience a topic to contemplate. Wait a minute... Okay, he is mentioning cognitive surplus a lot, which I have never heard of, but according to my friend and mothership, Google, it is "the idea of spare brainpower in the world’s collective mind just sitting there waiting, wanting, to be harnessed," Well, let's see what I can do with this idea, because Shirky certainly hasn't given me much to talk about. He doesn't outline any of his ideas or give solid details, he just goes off on tangents and before you know it, he's talking about LOLCATS.

Um... What?

I'm truly sorry that this post isn't more insightful, long, or whatever it is that you are looking for. But, in my defense, Shirky didn't give me much to work with. When I finally uncovered the actual topic of his presentation, cognitive surplus, to me, it actually seemed like a very interesting idea. I only wish he had spent more time developing and explaining that idea as opposed to all the random sidecars he took; sidecars that seemingly both began and ended in the middle of nowhere. His presentation is style is non-existent, and he didn't engage the audience at all. There were no laughs, and nothing to make me, or his audience, care. And I didn't. He didn't make me care. Which, honestly, is the number one mistake someone giving a speech could possibly make. I was thoroughly disappointed with this TED Talk.