- I think the Frieds topic is engaging from the beginning because of how relatable it is. He starts off his talk by posing a problem: why people can’t seem to get work done at work. He then discuses a question : where do you need to go when you need to get something done? These two statements caused me to think and reflect about my own personal experiences which continued to keep me focused. He then argues that this is because people are trading in a workday for “work moments”. I think it is interesting how he builds his argument by walking us through a “typical workday” that is filled with distractions and commitments that result in unproductivity. He also has a funny and sarcastic tone when he talks about manager and meetings which furthers his argument about how disruptive they both are. He proposes suggestions for offices to change, such as silence for more efficient workdays. By the end of this video, I was very supportive of his ideas because his arguments were very logical, organized, and personable.
2.
After watching Heffernan TED talk, I was torn between claiming her evidence to be anecdotal (stories with a point) or analogical (comparison to different things) (maybe it is both or neither). Heffernan walks us through multiple stories (touching upon how predicting epidemics as well as forecasting wildfires is unrealistic) with the same themes: technology is unreliable, the world is unpredictable. She then argues that society is growing dependent on technology. She compares different instances where we utilize technology too much, that we are lacking somewhere else where it is more important. She lists real life examples (no sources, no numbers), but it is compelling and logical. For example, she discusses how the more time we use parenting apps, the less we know about our kids and how the more time we spend with people that we are predicted and programmed to like, the less we can connect with people who are different from ourselves.
She does a great job tying very different stories together with the same underlying themes and ideas. I think she has a great ability to make connections and “points” which is an effective way to engage viewers. The organization and structure of her arguments caused me to accept and understand everything she said without sources or data. I also think she is so persuasive because of her confidence.
Joanna,
I completely agree with everything that you are noting about Fried’s talk. I also found myself thinking about what my answers to his questions would be which made me want to listen more to hear about how work can be made more productive. I found the “typical workday” to be interesting as well and extremely helpful to prove the points he was making and I think that the funny and sarcastic tone that he used throughout actually made him more fun to listen to, but also like you said, in a way furthered his argument.
In Heffernan’s talk, I saw her evidence to be more anecdotal but still had a some analogical arguments. I do agree that even though she did not include any statistics or sources, her claims are still logical and reliable.
Hi Joanna,
I agree with what you had to say about Heffernan’s post. I feel like it is a little of both, and I am glad you brought the analogical side up as I had not thought of it that way. I believe by laying out her ideas logically instead of flooding the audience with numbers makes her talk stand out. I also agree with you that she carried herself in a confident manner, which made her seem as though she knew what she was talking about. If you do not have faith in what you are presenting, you will have issues convincing the audience about your thesis. She does not have this issue as you pointed out. Although many people may agree without any numbers to back up her argument, I feel as though it would have been beneficial to back up her argument.
Connecting the dots is crucial in any kind of argument, but perhaps especially so in an in-person presentation where the audience doesn’t have the opportunity to go back and review the material for themselves (as we do with written texts). If you want the audience for your talk to follow you, it’s essential to be fairly explicit about telling them how each point connects and what they all mean together.