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The power of the useless | Quentin Pleple | TEDxErasmusUniversity


I have a skill it’s nothing

I have a skill it’s nothing extraordinary we are life skills and i’m

extraordinary we are life skills and i’m

extraordinary we are life skills and i’m sure i’ll share mine with that other

sure i’ll share mine with that other

sure i’ll share mine with that other people in this room I know how to code

people in this room I know how to code

people in this room I know how to code how to write software how to build

how to write software how to build

how to write software how to build programs and I like to use my skills

programs and I like to use my skills

programs and I like to use my skills sometime just because I can for example

sometime just because I can for example

sometime just because I can for example when I was 15 I built this online game

when I was 15 I built this online game

when I was 15 I built this online game it was bezan chess but you didn’t have

it was bezan chess but you didn’t have

it was bezan chess but you didn’t have to wait for your opponent to move his

to wait for your opponent to move his

to wait for your opponent to move his species in order to read yours so he

species in order to read yours so he

species in order to read yours so he could play very fathom it all of his

could play very fathom it all of his

could play very fathom it all of his pieces before I could move well I never

pieces before I could move well I never

pieces before I could move well I never played the game and I didn’t care about

played the game and I didn’t care about

played the game and I didn’t care about chess I just enjoyed building it just

chess I just enjoyed building it just

chess I just enjoyed building it just because I could and looking back I think

because I could and looking back I think

because I could and looking back I think it has always been the case for me I

it has always been the case for me I

it has always been the case for me I don’t stay with what I see I like to go

don’t stay with what I see I like to go

don’t stay with what I see I like to go beyond maybe it’s a way to feel that

beyond maybe it’s a way to feel that

beyond maybe it’s a way to feel that there is no limits if something does not

there is no limits if something does not

there is no limits if something does not exist maybe I can create it and what I

exist maybe I can create it and what I

exist maybe I can create it and what I love that my work today is I get to do

love that my work today is I get to do

love that my work today is I get to do the unexpected actual addition in the

the unexpected actual addition in the

the unexpected actual addition in the company I work we have a huge community

company I work we have a huge community

company I work we have a huge community of writers and readers that are writing

of writers and readers that are writing

of writers and readers that are writing short story and sharing them it’s a

short story and sharing them it’s a

short story and sharing them it’s a fantastic place for young artists to

fantastic place for young artists to

fantastic place for young artists to write and share a work when two years

write and share a work when two years

write and share a work when two years ago we had this idea we were having a

ago we had this idea we were having a

ago we had this idea we were having a coffee Mac to this coffee machine this

coffee Mac to this coffee machine this

coffee Mac to this coffee machine this one and we had this crazy idea it would

one and we had this crazy idea it would

one and we had this crazy idea it would be great to have these stories from our

be great to have these stories from our

be great to have these stories from our community come out of the vending

community come out of the vending

community come out of the vending machine you know like little rows of

machine you know like little rows of

machine you know like little rows of paper like this right in the vending

paper like this right in the vending

paper like this right in the vending machine next to the snack bar or the

machine next to the snack bar or the

machine next to the snack bar or the soda that you could get on your way to

soda that you could get on your way to

soda that you could get on your way to work when you went for the bus with a

work when you went for the bus with a

work when you went for the bus with a short story on it at first it was just a

short story on it at first it was just a

short story on it at first it was just a joke but then we wanted to try it so I

joke but then we wanted to try it so I

joke but then we wanted to try it so I couldn’t my Fernando he knows about

couldn’t my Fernando he knows about

couldn’t my Fernando he knows about electronics and we go to a bunch of

electronics and we go to a bunch of

electronics and we go to a bunch of electronic components and we built this

electronic components and we built this

electronic components and we built this rough and dirty prototype I brought it

rough and dirty prototype I brought it

rough and dirty prototype I brought it here so it’s just a box right where you

here so it’s just a box right where you

here so it’s just a box right where you press a button and it’s going to pick a

press a button and it’s going to pick a

press a button and it’s going to pick a story at random in the pool of story

story at random in the pool of story

story at random in the pool of story from our community and it’s going to

from our community and it’s going to

from our community and it’s going to print it on paper it’s a very short

print it on paper it’s a very short

print it on paper it’s a very short story you can choose your reading time

story you can choose your reading time

story you can choose your reading time with the three buttons at the one minute

with the three buttons at the one minute

with the three buttons at the one minute three minutes of five minutes depending

three minutes of five minutes depending

three minutes of five minutes depending on your mood it’s primitive and it was

on your mood it’s primitive and it was

on your mood it’s primitive and it was useless to us we just had forbidding it

useless to us we just had forbidding it

useless to us we just had forbidding it like the process of bending it but we

like the process of bending it but we

like the process of bending it but we didn’t know at the time we were going to

didn’t know at the time we were going to

didn’t know at the time we were going to have a much bigger impact because a few

have a much bigger impact because a few

have a much bigger impact because a few weeks later this man he is the mayor of

weeks later this man he is the mayor of

weeks later this man he is the mayor of a city grown up in the Alps different

a city grown up in the Alps different

a city grown up in the Alps different shops it just happened to come to you to

shops it just happened to come to you to

shops it just happened to come to you to our office and I we thought when he saw

our office and I we thought when he saw

our office and I we thought when he saw the prototype he saw something else is

the prototype he saw something else is

the prototype he saw something else is so a way to promote culture by making

so a way to promote culture by making

so a way to promote culture by making people read more to make culture

people read more to make culture

people read more to make culture accessible everywhere to everyone so we

accessible everywhere to everyone so we

accessible everywhere to everyone so we wanted bigger ones for the city of

wanted bigger ones for the city of

wanted bigger ones for the city of loanable and after amid we had no idea

loanable and after amid we had no idea

loanable and after amid we had no idea how difficult this would be we started

how difficult this would be we started

how difficult this would be we started we would be done in 12 weeks and it took

we would be done in 12 weeks and it took

we would be done in 12 weeks and it took us 51 weeks to build the first 10

us 51 weeks to build the first 10

us 51 weeks to build the first 10 machines because we had a lot of

machines because we had a lot of

machines because we had a lot of problems for example we’d press on a

problems for example we’d press on a

problems for example we’d press on a button a bigger one will press on a

button a bigger one will press on a

button a bigger one will press on a button the printer would be printing but

button the printer would be printing but

button the printer would be printing but the paper would always get stuck

the paper would always get stuck

the paper would always get stuck somewhere in the machine it was so

somewhere in the machine it was so

somewhere in the machine it was so frustrating but we made it and then

frustrating but we made it and then

frustrating but we made it and then other people got interested and they saw

other people got interested and they saw

other people got interested and they saw something else in this machine that we

something else in this machine that we

something else in this machine that we didn’t see at first the University of

didn’t see at first the University of

didn’t see at first the University of Pennsylvania wants to promote reading to

Pennsylvania wants to promote reading to

Pennsylvania wants to promote reading to their students by understanding those

their students by understanding those

their students by understanding those machines in the libraries

friends the translation installed these

friends the translation installed these machines in the waiting areas of the

machines in the waiting areas of the

machines in the waiting areas of the train station it’s a way for them to

train station it’s a way for them to

train station it’s a way for them to promote a better user experience by

promote a better user experience by

promote a better user experience by offering people a gift while the way to

offering people a gift while the way to

offering people a gift while the way to the train now if you travel to France by

the train now if you travel to France by

the train now if you travel to France by train you’ll be able to grab a short

train you’ll be able to grab a short

train you’ll be able to grab a short story on the way even surprisingly the

story on the way even surprisingly the

story on the way even surprisingly the government of dubai I’m selling those

government of dubai I’m selling those

government of dubai I’m selling those machines in the city wants to make the

machines in the city wants to make the

machines in the city wants to make the young people of dubai read more arabic

young people of dubai read more arabic

young people of dubai read more arabic as they tend to read more english this

as they tend to read more english this

as they tend to read more english this hit is this as a way to keep their

hit is this as a way to keep their

hit is this as a way to keep their culture life and even more surprisingly

culture life and even more surprisingly

culture life and even more surprisingly to us at first is the world famous movie

to us at first is the world famous movie

to us at first is the world famous movie director Francis Ford Coppola the one

director Francis Ford Coppola the one

director Francis Ford Coppola the one who directed the movie The Godfather got

who directed the movie The Godfather got

who directed the movie The Godfather got one short story dispenser also for his

one short story dispenser also for his

one short story dispenser also for his restaurant in San Francisco and it makes

restaurant in San Francisco and it makes

restaurant in San Francisco and it makes sense because Coppola is a man of

sense because Coppola is a man of

sense because Coppola is a man of literature he owns a publishing company

literature he owns a publishing company

literature he owns a publishing company of only short stories and what he lacks

of only short stories and what he lacks

of only short stories and what he lacks in the short story format is that you

in the short story format is that you

in the short story format is that you read the story in one setting the same

read the story in one setting the same

read the story in one setting the same way you watch a movie in one setting and

way you watch a movie in one setting and

way you watch a movie in one setting and he loved the idea of this dispenser that

he loved the idea of this dispenser that

he loved the idea of this dispenser that gives you art for free we build

gives you art for free we build

gives you art for free we build something that was useless to us at

something that was useless to us at

something that was useless to us at first just because we could just for the

first just because we could just for the

first just because we could just for the fun of mixing two very different ideas

fun of mixing two very different ideas

fun of mixing two very different ideas short stories and vending machines and

short stories and vending machines and

short stories and vending machines and then become something bigger it became a

then become something bigger it became a

then become something bigger it became a way of spreading culture everywhere to

way of spreading culture everywhere to

way of spreading culture everywhere to everyone of learning new languages of

everyone of learning new languages of

everyone of learning new languages of keeping some cultures alive of helping

keeping some cultures alive of helping

keeping some cultures alive of helping young people young artists to write and

young people young artists to write and

young people young artists to write and share their work it’s about giving

share their work it’s about giving

share their work it’s about giving something to someone just because we can

something to someone just because we can

something to someone just because we can we all have skills what skill do you

we all have skills what skill do you

we all have skills what skill do you have can you build something useless

have can you build something useless

have can you build something useless can you give something to someone just

can you give something to someone just

can you give something to someone just because it’s fun just because you can

because it’s fun just because you can

because it’s fun just because you can who knows maybe you are going to have a

who knows maybe you are going to have a

who knows maybe you are going to have a much bigger impact than you think thank

much bigger impact than you think thank

much bigger impact than you think thank you

you

you [Applause]

”

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