TEDIndia 2009
Alexis Ohanian: How to make a splash in social media
Alexis Ohanian：如何透過社會媒體一夜成名
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在這個四分鐘的連環趣味影片，Reddit的Alexis Ohanian細述一隻駝背鯨成為網上巨星的真實故事。「泥濘褲子先生」的經歷對於Facebook年代的信息散播者和市場推廣人士來說是一個最穩妥的寫照。
Alexis Ohanian - Entrepreneur
Alexis Ohanian is the co-founder an executive chairman of Reddit, a social-voting news website with geek allegiances, a small-town feel and a penchant for lighting up the memes your friends IM you about next week. Full bio
Alexis Ohanian is the co-founder an executive chairman of Reddit, a social-voting news website with geek allegiances, a small-town feel and a penchant for lighting up the memes your friends IM you about next week. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:15
So, now, there are a lot of web 2.0 consultants who make a lot of money.
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現在有很多web 2.0專家都發大財
00:19
In fact, they make their livings on this kind of stuff.
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其實他們是靠這些東西糊口
00:21
I'm going to try and save you all the time and all the money
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我就嘗試為你省錢省時間
00:23
and go through it in the next three minutes, so bear with me.
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只要短短三分鐘，請耐心一看
00:26
Started a website back in 2005, with a few friends of mine,
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我跟幾位朋友在2005年成立一個網站
00:28
called Reddit.com.
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名字叫Reddit.com
00:30
That's what you'd call a social news website.
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你亦可稱它為一個社交消息網站
00:32
Basically all that means is that the democratic front page
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基本上這個自訂的首頁
00:34
is the best stuff on the web. You find some interesting content,
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是網上的大熱門。當你找到有趣的東西
00:36
say a TEDTalk,
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例如TEDTalk之類
00:38
submit it to Reddit, and the community of your peers
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在Reddit登上，你社區內的朋友如果喜歡
00:40
will vote it up if they like it, vote it down if they don't.
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就會投票，或者投不喜歡票
00:42
And that creates the front page. It's always rising, falling, always changing.
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首頁就這樣形成，而且總是在升升跌跌，不停在變
00:45
About a half million people visit every day. But this isn't about Reddit.
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每日有大概50萬人瀏覽，但主角不是Reddit
00:48
This is actually about discovering new things that pop up on the web.
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而是在探索網上新鮮的事物
00:51
Because in the last four years we've seen all kinds of memes,
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因為在過去四年我們看過無數的信息
00:54
all kinds of trends get born right on our front page.
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所有的潮流都在我們的首頁開始
00:56
But this isn't even about Reddit itself.
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但這方面的主角亦不只是Reddit
00:58
It's actually about humpback whales.
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而是駝背鯨
01:00
Well, okay, technically it's actually about Greenpeace,
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好吧，其實主角是綠色和平
01:02
which is an environmental organization that wanted to stop
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這個環保組織想阻止
01:04
the Japanese government on their whaling campaign.
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日本政府捕鯨
01:06
These humpback whales were getting killed.
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這些駝背鯨被殺
01:08
They wanted to put an end to it. And one of the ways they wanted to do it
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他們想制止，而其中一個方法是
01:11
was to put a tracking chip inside one of these humpback whales.
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在這些駝背鯨裡放入追蹤晶片
01:13
But to really kind of personify the movement, they wanted to name it.
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但為了開宗明義，他們想要一個名字
01:16
So, in true web fashion they put together a poll
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於是他們應網絡潮流，舉辦了一個投票
01:19
where they had a bunch of very erudite, very thoughtful, cultured names.
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提出了多個很具學術和深義味道的名字
01:22
I believe this is a Farsi word for "immortal."
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我記得有個波斯詞語的意思是「永生不朽」
01:24
I think this means "divine power of the ocean"
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我想這是玻里尼西亞語
01:27
in a Polynesian language.
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意思是「海洋的神聖力量」
01:29
And then there was this: Mister Splashy Pants.
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而有一個就是：泥濘褲子先生
01:32
(Laughter)
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（笑聲）
01:33
And this, this was special. Mister Pants, or Splashy, to his friends,
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就是這個，這個特別的名字。「褲子先生」，或「泥濘」，對於他的朋友來說
01:36
was very popular on the Internet.
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在網上非常流行
01:38
In fact, someone on Reddit thought,
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有些人在Reddit說：
01:40
"Oh, what a great thing, we should all vote this up."
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「喔，這個很好，我們應該投這個一票。」
01:42
And, you know, Redditors responded and all agreed.
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之後當然，很多Reddit人表示同意
01:44
So, the voting started and we actually got behind it ourselves.
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就這樣，投票開始，我們其實都看穿了投票結果
01:47
We changed our logo, for the day, from the alien
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那天我們改了標誌，將外星人
01:49
to a Splashy, to sort of help the cause.
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改為駝背鯨，好壯一壯聲勢
01:51
And it wasn't long before other sites like Fark
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不久之前其他網站，例如Fark、
01:53
and Boing Boing and the rest of the Internet started saying,
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Boing Boing之類以及整個網路都開始說
01:55
"Yes! We love Splashy Pants."
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「沒錯﹗我們都很愛泥濘褲子。」
01:57
So, it went from about five percent, which was when this meme started,
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就這樣，自這個熱話開始時的百分之五
02:01
to 70 percent at the end of voting.
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增加至投票結束時的百分之七十
02:04
Which is pretty impressive right? We won! Mister Splashy Pants
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很意外吧。我們贏了﹗泥濘褲子先生
02:06
was chosen. Hmm, just kidding. Okay.
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當選。說笑而已，好了
02:08
So, Greenpeace actually wasn't that crazy about it,
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言歸正傳。綠色和平並不這樣喜歡
02:10
because they wanted one of their more thoughtful names to win.
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因為他們希望一個意義重大的名字當選
02:13
So they said, "No, no, just kidding. We'll give it another week of voting."
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所以他們說：「不行，說笑而已。我們會再投票多一星期。」
02:16
Well, that got us a little angry.
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這真的惹惱了我們
02:18
So, we changed it to Fightin' Splashy.
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所以我們改為「為泥濘抗爭」
02:20
(Laughter)
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（笑聲）
02:21
And the Reddit community, really,
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而Reddit的社區，真的，
02:23
and the rest of the internet, rather, really got behind this.
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以至整個網路都看穿了
02:25
Facebook groups were getting created. Facebook applications were getting created.
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有人開了Facebook群組、Facebook程式
02:28
The idea was, "Vote your conscience," vote for Mister Splashy Pants.
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大家的意識是：「為良心投票」，投票給泥濘褲子先生
02:31
And people were putting up signs in the real world --
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現實世界中有很多人舉起橫額
02:33
(Laughter) -- about this whale.
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（笑聲）——為的就是這條鯨魚
02:35
And this was the final vote. When all was cleared ...
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這次是最後一次投票。數算了之後...
02:37
78 percent of the votes, and to give you an idea of the landslide,
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百分之七十八的選票，你可以試比較，
02:39
the next highest name pulled in three. Okay?
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第二名只佔三。看到了嗎？
02:41
So, there was a clear lesson here.
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結果很明顯：
02:43
And that was that the Internet loves Mister Splashy Pants.
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網上人人都喜歡泥濘褲子先生
02:45
Which is obvious. It's a great name.
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很明顯，這是一個很不錯的名字
02:47
Everyone wants to hear their news anchor say, "Mister Splashy Pants."
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人人都想聽到新聞主說：「泥濘褲子先生」
02:50
(Laughter)
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（笑聲）
02:51
And I think that's what helped drive this.
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我覺得這個名字的宣傳效果很好
02:53
But what was cool was that the repercussions now for Greenpeace
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最了不起的是，之後綠色和平的反應是
02:55
was, they created an entire marketing campaign around it.
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以這個名字設計了一系列宣傳
02:58
They sell Mister Splashy Pants shirts and pins.
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他們賣泥濘褲子先生的恤衫和徽章
03:00
They even created an e-card so you could send your friend a dancing Splashy.
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他們甚至創作了電子卡，人人可將跳舞的泥濘送給朋友
03:03
But what was even more important was the fact that they actually
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但最重要的是，他們其實
03:05
accomplished their mission. The Japanese government called off
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已經完成任務。日本政府取消
03:07
their whaling expedition. Mission accomplished.
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捕鯨。任務完成
03:09
Greenpeace was thrilled. The whales were happy. That's a quote.
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綠色和平很興奮，鯨魚很開心，大團圓結局
03:12
(Laughter)
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（笑聲）
03:14
And actually, Redditors in the Internet community
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其實Reddit人在網上的社區
03:17
were happy to participate, but they weren't whale lovers.
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很樂意參與，但他們並不是熱愛鯨魚
03:20
A few of them certainly were. But we're talking about a lot of people
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當中少數人，但當中有很多人
03:22
who were just really interested and really caught up in this great meme,
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他們只是對這個好名有興趣
03:24
and in fact someone from Greenpeace came back on the site
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而後來有綠色和平的人來到網站
03:26
and thanked Reddit for its participation.
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多謝Reddit的參與
03:28
But this wasn't really out of altruism. This was just out of interest in doing something cool.
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但我們並不是大無畏，只是有興趣做些好玩的事
03:31
And this is kind of how the Internet works.
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網路就是這樣了
03:33
This is that great big secret. Because the Internet provides this level playing field.
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這是一個大祕密，網路就是這樣
03:36
Your link is just as good as your link,
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你的連結跟他的連結一樣
03:38
which is just as good as my link. As long as we have a browser,
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也跟我的連結一樣。只要我們有瀏覽器
03:40
anyone can get to any website no matter how big a budget you have.
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不論有多少預算，個個網站都全面開放
03:42
That is, as long as you can keep net neutrality in place.
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那即是說，你只要保持網絡的中肯性
03:45
The other important thing is that it costs nothing to get that content online now.
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另一樣最重要的是，在網上發表東西是分毫不收的
03:48
There are so many great publishing tools that are available,
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網上有很多不錯的媒體工具
03:50
it only takes a few minutes of your time now to actually produce something.
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只需要幾分鐘就可製成東西
03:52
And the cost of iteration is so cheap that you might as well give it a go.
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複製的成本很低，低得付了也沒所謂
03:55
And if you do, be genuine about it. Be honest. Be up front.
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如果你想做，就認真做。要誠懇。要放膽。
03:57
And one of the great lessons that Greenpeace actually learned
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而綠色和平學會的重要一課是
03:59
was that it's okay to lose control.
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失控是沒有問題的
04:01
It's okay to take yourself a little less seriously,
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對自己不太認真是可以的
04:04
given that, even though it's a very serious cause,
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因為雖然目標是很嚴肅的問題
04:06
you could ultimately achieve your final goal.
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你最終都會達成目標的
04:08
And that's the final message that I want to share with all of you --
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而我想跟你們分享的最後一個訊息是——
04:10
that you can do well online.
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你可在網上幹一番大事
04:12
But no longer is the message going to be coming from just the top down.
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訊息不再是由上至下的發送的
04:15
If you want to succeed you've got to be okay to just lose control.
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如果想成功，你要準備失控
04:17
Thank you.
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多謝。
04:19
(Applause)
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（掌聲）
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Alexis Ohanian - EntrepreneurAlexis Ohanian is the co-founder an executive chairman of Reddit, a social-voting news website with geek allegiances, a small-town feel and a penchant for lighting up the memes your friends IM you about next week.
Why you should listen
Reddit, co-founded by Alexis Ohanian and friend Steve Huffman, has become one of the World Wide Web's most striking examples of democracy in action. Founded in 2005, it grew a user base of tens of thousands and quickly attracted the attention of publisher Condé Nast, which acquired it in 2006. Unlike "social bookmarking" sites (such as Delicious), Reddit fashions itself a platform for "social news," where the readers themselves control the front page by voting stories up above and down below the fold.
Ohanian left Reddit in his official capacity in 2009, but returned in 2014 as executive chairman. He has continued to be involved with the site's direction as a sort of godfather, dispensing friendly wisdom (and t-shirts) from his user account, kn0thing. Of late, he's focusing on Breadpig, a hub for geeky books and merchandise. In early 2010, he spent three months in Armenia as a Kiva Fellow.
Alexis Ohanian | Speaker | TED.com