Training Example: TED – Review the Data, Give Your Score & Compare to the Real AI Evaluation

Industry Context — Common BS Fingerprints in Charities, Nonprofits & NGOs
Generic Claims: making a difference, changing lives, creating lasting impact, every donation counts…
Red Flags: no charity registration number, no published financial statements, emotional appeals without program specifics, vague impact claims without numbers…
Semantic Drift Patterns: homepage shows field work but programs page is vague, claims direct impact but finances show high admin ratios, mission targets one population but programs serve another, impact numbers on homepage not supported by program details…
Proof Expectations: published annual financial reports, charity registration number and regulatory body, specific program outcomes with measurable data, administrative-to-program spending ratios…

TED

(https://ted.com) 📸 Data Snapshot: June 19, 2026

Analyze the raw signals below. How would a machine score this business’s credibility?

Here are the exact signals captured from up to six pages of the site — the same raw inputs the evaluation engine analyzed. They are grouped by signal type so you can weigh each the way the machine does.

🏗️ Semantic Structure — heading hierarchy & page identity (Info Density · Commodity Fingerprint)
HOMEPAGE TED: Ideas change everything (https://ted.com)
Title

TED: Ideas change everything

NAV_HEADER_REPEATED_FOOTER TED-Ed about (https://ted.com/about/programs/ted-ed/)
Title

TED-Ed about

Meta

TED-Ed – TED’s education initiative – sparks and celebrates the ideas of teachers and students around the world. TED-Ed serves millions of teachers and students every week with its original videos, interactive lessons, student clubs, and more.

NAV_HEADER_REPEATED_FOOTER Partner with TED (https://ted.com/about/partner-with-ted/)
Title

Partner with TED

Meta

TED is a nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading – through TED.com, our annual conferences, the annual TED Prize and local TEDx events.

H1 Partner with TED
NAV_REPEATED_FOOTER Privacy Policy (https://ted.com/about/our-organization/our-policies-terms/privacy-policy/)
Title

Privacy Policy

Meta

TED is a nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading – through TED.com, our annual conferences, the annual TED Prize and local TEDx events.

H1 Privacy Policy
H2 What information we collect
H2 How we use your data
H2 Our GDPR update
H2 Steps we take to protect your privacy
H3 Our Organization
H3 Information you provide directly to us
H3 Non-personal data collected automatically
H3 Data tracked  with cookies and other technologies
H5 Account information
H5 Conference information
H5 TED online events
H5 Masterclass information
H5 TED Account Holders
H5 Member information
H5 Data research
H5 Comments and other public activities
H5 Use of Mighty Networks community sites
H5 Tracking information for our site
H5 Device data
H5 Privacy Preferences
H5 Tracking usage
H5 Location information
H5 Learning about our Community
H5 Providing requested services
H5 Communication
H5 Enforcement
H5 Content personalization
H5 Behavioral Advertising
H5 Programmatic advertising
H5 TED legitimate business purposes
H5 Program-specific uses
H5 Under age children
H5 Changes to this privacy policy
H5 Deactivating your account and managing privacy settings
H5 Deactivating target advertising
H6 We collect some information you provide and some information is collected automatically to help personalize your experience when you are on TED sites to understand how TED is being used.
H6 We collect basic information you provide when you create a TED.com account or register for a conference. It's secure, and we'll never sell it.
H6 We need payment information to complete purchases, and we may share your name and information to finalize the registration process.
H6 TED shares some personal information collected during a virtual TED event with others to highlight, share and promote the event with others.
H6 This describes how TED collects information through our TED Masterclass app, available online or in app stores. TED may use the information from TED accounts to understand its users, but if accessed via a third-party platform, we only receive general data.
H6 This describes how TED collects information via our account holders that are logged into TED when a user accesses TED Sites. TED may use the information to understand its users and to provide information about TED content and its community.
H6 This describes how TED collects information from our member donation page. TED may use the information to understand its members and to provide information about membership benefits.
H6 Any personal information you provide for research purposes will not be sold and will be used for the purposes of exploring an idea, topic or concept that TED is researching. Any additional use will be done only with explicit permission.
H6 Any personal information you post publicly is visible to all users. Be mindful of what you share, as we are not responsible for what happens with this information.
H6 TED provides community sites to help our members connect in ways that are engaging but use a third party platform, such as Mighty Networks. This describes how it works and that their privacy policy will apply when posting within that network.
H6 We keep track of how often our audience engages with TED and do not share detailed contact information with our advertisers.
H6 We use non-personal information to help us understand how our audience views TED.
H6 We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience. We do not sell data collected from cookies to any third party, but may provide information to partners to help us update and maintain our website and other sites.
H6 We collect information about your location to provide you with the most localized experience possible, but we never collect data specific to your precise location from your device.
H6 TED processes information differently depending on how a user submits the information through our TED Sites. For questions, please email privacy@ted.com
H6 Countdown
H6 The Audacious Project
H6 Media Request Forms
H6 Podcast Programming
H6 TED Conferences
H6 TED-Ed
H6 TED-Games
H6 TED-Ed for Masterclass
H6 TED Translators
H6 TED-Ed Animators or Educator Requests
H6 TED Fellows
H6 TED Speakers
H6 TEDx
H6 Speaker Community (Red Circle)
H6 Data Research
H6 TED Community Sites
H6 TED Beta Program
H6 As a result of GDPR, TED has made updates to various parts of our organization to ensure we comply with the spirit and intent of the law and enhance our privacy practices.
H6 This describes how TED protects data overall, the changes we have to our privacy policy over time; and offers you options to change how TED sees your data with respect to privacy settings and advertising.
📝 The Narrative — clean text per page (Info Density · Semantic Coherence)
HOMEPAGE · THIN (https://ted.com) TED: Ideas change everything

                            
0 chars
SUB-PAGE (https://ted.com/about/programs/ted-ed/) TED-Ed about
TED-EdTED-Ed's mission is to ignite curiosity and amplify the voices of learners and educators worldwide. In pursuit of this mission we produce award-winning educational animations in multiple languages and host life-changing, in-person programs for students, teachers and learners of all ages.Visit TED-EdFeatured TED-Ed AnimationsSee all TED-Ed AnimationsScience and TechnologyWhy don't we cover the desert with solar panels?Social StudiesWhy do so many cultures have dragon legends?LiteratureWhy should you read Edgar Allan Poe?By the numbersTED-Ed's commitment to revolutionizing education is reflected in our metrics. These numbers highlight our extensive global reach and our impact on educators and learners worldwide. Here are some key metrics that reflect the breadth and depth of TED-Ed's impact on learners and educators worldwide:2M+TED-Ed Animation views per day
5.39BViews-to-date

1600TED-Ed Animations published

1M+Educators using TED-Ed in classroomsFour ways you can experience TED-EdTED-Ed offers diverse pathways to explore and expand knowledge. Our unique features create engaging, innovative educational experiences for a wide range of learners and educators. These include award-winning animations, empowering student and educator programs, and a resource-rich website.TED-Ed AnimationsTED-Ed Animations bring educators' best lesson to life through professional animation, sparking curiosity in hundreds of millions of learners worldwide every year. We release new videos weekly, cover a wide range of subjects, and the animations are also made accessible in multiple languages. These free, high-quality animations captivate a global audience, with each video averaging over 250,000 viewers within four days of publication, and over one million viewers per year.Explore TED-Ed's library of animationsNominate an educatorTED-Ed Student TalksThe TED-Ed Student Talks program provides educators a free, customizable curriculum that supports students in identifying, developing and sharing their ideas with each other and the world. Over 40,000 Student Talk groups have been created to date, and this rapidly-growing program serves student and educators in over 130 countries!Learn moreTED-Ed Educator TalksTED-Ed Educator Talks is a professional learning program that showcases innovative ideas from educators. With 132 participants from 32 countries, it impacts 139,000 students weekly. Select participants become TED-Ed Innovative Educators (TIEs), serving as ambassadors who use technology to inspire curiosity and support peers.Learn moreTED-Ed websiteThe award-winning TED-Ed website sparks curiosity by allowing users to discover and create custom lessons around any online video. It offers TED-Ed Animations, TED Talks, interactive lessons, and access to Student and Educator Talks. This free platform inspires learners to explore and share big ideas through TED-style presentations.Explore TED-EdNewsletter sign up
[IMG: TED-Ed]
TED-EdDaily animations for the constantly curiousDailyWeeklySubscribe Now
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SUB-PAGE · THIN (https://ted.com/about/partner-with-ted/) Partner with TED
[H1] Partner with TED
Partnerships with TED leverage everything that makes TED stand apart: our global, research-based ideas; our live, knowledge-sharing conferences and events; our TED Talk content and format; and our progressive approach to education through storytelling.A partnership with TED is truly unique, immersive and meaningful. It has the power to create change, to transform minds and perspectives and to shift cultures within organizations.Learn more and get in touch at TEDPartnerships.com.For information on how to support TED conferences through in-kind donations of products or services, please email inkind@TED.com.
634 chars
SUB-PAGE (https://ted.com/about/our-organization/our-policies-terms/privacy-policy/) Privacy Policy
[H1] Privacy Policy
Updated: June 19, 2025IntroductionTED is a global community that welcomes people from every discipline and culture who seek a deeper understanding of the world. As a nonprofit organization, TED does not sell personal data or collect information for commercial purposes. Our mission is to share ideas worth spreading—and when we gather information from people who use TED.com, our mobile apps, and related platforms (collectively, the “TED Sites”), we do so to improve your experience and strengthen our connection with the TED community. While we operate certain channels and apps, including our YouTube channel and other apps where TED podcasts are shared, we do not have direct access to personal information of those users, but may track activities that lead to TED Sites so we can learn about what is most compelling to our community.  Due to our nonprofit nature, certain privacy protocols commonly used by commercial organizations, such as data sales or extensive data processor networks, do not apply to TED. While we aim to be transparent and responsible stewards of your data, certain compliance sections, such as those related to data broker disclosures or international processor mappings, may not be relevant or included in this policy.This privacy policy explains what information we do collect, how we use it, and what steps we take to protect it. It also outlines how to update, change or delete your personal data.By using TED Sites, you agree to the terms of this privacy policy. If you wish to update your personal information or adjust any specific consent you’ve provided to TED, please contact us at privacy@ted.com.
[H3]
Privacy policy sectionsWhat information we collectHow we use your data Steps we take to protect your privacyOur GDPR update
[H2] What information we collect
We collect three (3) types of information:
Personal information that you provide directly to us when you create an account, sign up with a subscription to TED, and save items to your profile or submit information through a form based on a specific request or purpose.
Data collected automatically, such as tracking information, IP addresses, or other data related to usage on TED Sites.
Cookies are utilized to help us understand what areas of TED Sites are most useful and interesting to our audience.
[H6] We collect some information you provide and some information is collected automatically to help personalize your experience when you are on TED sites to understand how TED is being used.
[H3] Information you provide directly to us
[H5] Account information
At account application and/or registration, you provide personal information, such as your name, email address, and password, and you have the option to provide other information. If you create an account through a user profile (such as Meta or other social media sites), your information is sent from your profile to be used in accordance with our privacy policy. We also collect information on your site activity when you interact with our site, including favorites, saves, or watching talks, navigating to another part of the site, filling out forms, and conducting searches for content.
[H6] We collect basic information you provide when you create a TED.com account or register for a conference. It's secure, and we'll never sell it.
[H5] Conference information
When required for TED Conference applications and/or registration, we collect and process your personal information, including your name, address, telephone number, and email address, as well as other preferences such as your profile, photos, workshop choices, and activity preferences. These choices are then stored and accessed by TED from time to time for invitations to TED-related activities that take place during the conference or by TED at other times. TED may share your name and company information with trusted third parties to facilitate such invites and coordinate events in partnership with TED. At times, you may be asked to provide additional information, such as payment details, to complete a secure conference registration process. When you provide your credit card number, it will be shared with verified third parties who perform tasks required to complete the purchase transaction. Only the last four digits will be stored.
[H6] We need payment information to complete purchases, and we may share your name and information to finalize the registration process.
[H5] TED online events
When participating in any of TED’s online events (inclusive of Streamyard, Zoom, Linked In, or other platforms), we may collect, process, and in some cases, display your personal information such as your TED profile text, badge information, and photo to highlight, promote or share activity with those also participating in the event. TED may share elements of information with others in the TED community, partners, or future attendees to explain the nature of the different types of interactions that attendees may have during a virtual TED program.
[H6] TED shares some personal information collected during a virtual TED event with others to highlight, share and promote the event with others.
[H5] Masterclass information
personal information including your name, address, telephone number, email address and other preferences, such as profile information, mobile app preferences, activity, and logged information and details, such as prompts and notes collected within the Masterclass mobile app and/or your corresponding TED.com account. No personal payment information is collected, as it is provided directly to the platform provider for TED Masterclass consumers and via your organization for TED Masterclass organizations. In addition, as of November 2022, TED Masterclass was made available via YouTube Courses, which may share generalized geolocation data with TED to understand the breakdown of our community; however, we don’t receive any individualized, personally identifiable information.
[H6] This describes how TED collects information through our TED Masterclass app, available online or in app stores. TED may use the information from TED accounts to understand its users, but if accessed via a third-party platform, we only receive general data.
[H5] TED Account Holders
When a TED user is logged into their TED Site, specific data is collected, such as account-related information, and information relating to the user’s watch history, what pages they link to, how they interact with the site, which campaigns they have interacted with and other details to help TED understand its users and overall community.
[H6] This describes how TED collects information via our account holders that are logged into TED when a user accesses TED Sites. TED may use the information to understand its users and to provide information about TED content and its community.
[H5] Member information
When signing up as a member, you agree to donate the specified amount on TED.com. By making the donation, TED processes your payment through a secure third-party provider and does not collect or store your credit card information. We collect your personal information to manage, store, and process member information, including your name and donation amount, so that we can provide a receipt of any donations above $250.00 and send you member-related information such as benefits and virtual events. In addition, we may provide your personal information, such as email address, to selected trusted partners to help us provide the benefits and specified options that are available to members, such as Amazon, Streamyard, Zoom, Fundraise Up, and/or other trusted providers that are provided personal information by TED for membership purposes. Privacy terms for their sites are available and can be reviewed by clicking the link where indicated.
[H6] This describes how TED collects information from our member donation page. TED may use the information to understand its members and to provide information about membership benefits.
[H5] Data research
TED may conduct social science research from time to time related to an interesting idea, topic or concept that TED wishes to explore further, by using information provided directly through surveys or questionnaires. TED’s use of any personal information provided in this manner will be described to you at the time of the request and may include publication if indicated. Your information will not be sold and TED will use the data solely for research purposes, which may include sharing collected data with trusted third parties, such as academic researchers that work with TED on these projects. The data collected during research projects may be published in an aggregated or anonymous form by TED and/or its research partners. In these cases, no personally identifiable information will be included. In addition, depending on the research collected, we may reach out to individuals submitting the information to keep them informed about the progress of the research and for involvement in like-minded efforts related to the topics.
[H6] Any personal information you provide for research purposes will not be sold and will be used for the purposes of exploring an idea, topic or concept that TED is researching. Any additional use will be done only with explicit permission.
[H5] Comments and other public activities
We offer you opportunities to engage in public activities on TED.com. "Public activities" are any actions you take on TED Sites that are designed to be visible to other users -- including comments, participation badges (flairs), profiles, recommendations, and ratings. Your account is public by default. If you choose to engage in public activities, any personal information you upload may be read, collected, or used by third parties. Please refer to the Community Guidelines for guidance on how to best utilize our interactive sites.We are not responsible for any personally identifiable information you choose to submit in public forums. Information shared here may be used by others, potentially to send you unsolicited messages. If publicly posted information is not consistent with our terms of use, your content may be removed. For more information, see the TED.com Terms of Use.
[H6] Any personal information you post publicly is visible to all users. Be mindful of what you share, as we are not responsible for what happens with this information.
[H5] Use of Mighty Networks community sites
While on community sites (such as one powered by Mighty Networks), TED provides a digital network where your postings, comments, or submissions on that site will be visible to other users. Please refer to the Mighty Networks privacy policy to adjust your settings. If you post within that community, any personal information you upload may be read, collected, or used by other community members. Please refer to the About section on the site directly for additional guidelines and information on what is shared, as well as who to reach out to with questions.
[H6] TED provides community sites to help our members connect in ways that are engaging but use a third party platform, such as Mighty Networks. This describes how it works and that their privacy policy will apply when posting within that network.
[H3] Non-personal data collected automatically
[H5] Tracking information for our site
This type of information relates to the number of views each TED Talk receives and the frequency with which TED Talks are saved or favorited. Other areas of the site automatically store non-personal information about the site’s usage, popularity, utilization of features provided on the site (such as games), and positive or negative impact. We perform statistical analyses of site users and their viewing and participation patterns for product development and content curation purposes, as well as to inform advertisers about the nature of our audience.
[H6] We keep track of how often our audience engages with TED and do not share detailed contact information with our advertisers.
[H5] Device data
We may collect non-personal information about the computer, mobile device or other device you use to access TED Sites, such as IP address, geolocation information, unique device identifiers, browser type, browser language and other preferences automatically collected. Also, if using our TED Masterclass app, other personal information, including preferences and uploaded data may be collected and reviewed by TED to understand how you use the app.
[H6] We use non-personal information to help us understand how our audience views TED.
[H3] Data tracked  with cookies and other technologies
[H5] Privacy Preferences
TED provides you the ability to change your privacy settings via Privacy Preferences (see the footer link on www.ted.com) to adjust the types of cookies that are collected by TED.com. While this may impact your user experience, you do have the option of turning certain cookies off.
[H5] Tracking usage
We use various technologies, such as Sailthru, Mixpanel, ComScore, VWO, Hubspot, and Google Analytics, to help manage TED Sites, track the use of the content we provide, and understand how our audiences are using our TED Sites. We may use conversion APIs to inform sites that we work with, helping them optimize ad campaigns that may be run on our behalf on platforms such as Meta, TikTok, Google, and LinkedIn. We occasionally use tracking pixels on a limited basis, all with the goal of growing our community and sharing ideas more widely. To help improve TED Sites for our users, TED also generates first-party cookies and self-hosted tracking scripts to track usage on TED Sites. Collectively, the technologies we use across TED Sites include the following. We do not sell this information to any third party, but may provide information to partners that assist us in updating, managing, or maintaining our websites.
standard web analytics information
behavioral and programmatic advertising, which allows third parties to set cookies to help TED support its mission through partner advertising
aggregated data about email click-through rates and video viewing
data collected through HTML cookies, web beacons, and similar technologies
demographics and other details to help us customize our sites based on your preferences
data on view counts and video search functionality.
[H6] We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience. We do not sell data collected from cookies to any third party, but may provide information to partners to help us update and maintain our website and other sites.
[H5] Location information
We may collect and use your location data (such as your country and applicable city or region) to provide a tailored, language-specific experience, but we don’t collect any precise geolocation-specific data from you or your device. You can change the settings on your computer or mobile device to prevent your location data from being shared. If you wish to opt out of tracking and cookies, please ma
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🛡️ Trust Signals — reviews, proof links, trust-theatre flag (Trust & Proof)
23Review mentions (all pages)
5External proof links (all pages)
PageReviewsProof links
/ (home) 6 1
/about/programs/ted-ed/ 0 1
/about/partner-with-ted/ 0 1
/about/our-organization/our-policies-terms/privacy-policy/ 17 2
🔗 Identity & Technical Layer — schema JSON-LD: identity chains, entity gaps (Identity & Authority)
Homepage — no schema detected (entity gap)
/about/programs/ted-ed/ — no schema detected (entity gap)
/about/partner-with-ted/ — no schema detected (entity gap)
/about/our-organization/our-policies-terms/privacy-policy/ — no schema detected (entity gap)

Your Diagnosis

Before revealing the machine’s verdict, predict the BS score for each signal. Higher = more BS (more fluff, less verifiable substance). Drag each slider, then submit to compare your judgment against the engine.

Information Density 0 / 30
Read the Narrative & headings: do hard facts (prices, dates, numbers) outweigh fluff power-words?
Semantic Coherence 0 / 20
Compare the homepage promise against the sub-page reality. Do they hold the same line?
Trust & Proof 0 / 20
Weigh review mentions against actual external proof links. Claims without verification = theatre.
Commodity Fingerprint 0 / 15
Check headings & narrative against the industry clichés in the setup above.
Identity & Authority 0 / 15
Inspect the schema: is there real Organization/Person identity with sameAs links, or gaps?
Your predicted BS score 0 / 100
💡 Stuck? Reveal the heuristic lens — how the deterministic page-auditor reads each signal (no AI, pure pattern rules)

These are the structural rules a local, deterministic auditor applies — the same lens you can use to judge each signal. They describe what to look for, not this company’s result.

Information Density

Classify each sentence as substantive or hollow. Grounding markers — numbers, currencies, dates, technical units, named entities — outweigh marketing adjectives. When fluff sits right next to hard evidence, the fluff is forgiven.

Semantic Alignment

Pull the main entities out of the H1, then check whether they actually recur through the body. A page that announces one thing and then talks about another drifts. Headings with no real sentences underneath read as pseudo-substance.

Trust & Proof

Count trust words (review, testimonial, rating, verified) against real outbound proof links (Google, Trustpilot, Clutch, G2, Yelp). Lots of trust language with zero verification links is trust theatre. Unlinked logo galleries count against it.

Commodity Fingerprint

Look at how much sentence length varies. Natural writing varies its rhythm; templated or mass-produced copy is statistically uniform. Very low variation reads as commodity content — unless unique named entities break the pattern.

Identity & Authority

Inspect the JSON-LD. Is there an Organization or Person schema, and does it carry sameAs links to real external profiles (LinkedIn, socials)? Missing schema or no identity declaration signals an anonymous entity.

Want to apply this lens yourself? The free BS Indicator Chrome extension runs these heuristic checks live on any page. Bear in mind it is a single-page, deterministic tool — it relies only on pattern rules for the page in front of it and does not perform the cross-page semantic correlation this audit uses, so its readout is a starting lens, not the full verdict.

B
BS Level
Charities, Nonprofits & NGOs
32.1 Avg BS

Based on 261 businesses audited.

BS Detector

Charities, Nonprofits & NGOs BS: TED (ted.com)

https://ted.com 📍 Industry: Charities, Nonprofits & NGOs
19 BS / 100

TED successfully inoculates its brand against BS by substituting emotional appeals with a staggering volume of distribution and engagement metrics. The site transitions from high-level philosophy to granular execution data with rare precision, only faltering on its Partnership page and technical Schema implementation.

Info Density Power-words vs. Substance ratio.
6
20% BS
Semantic Coherence Homepage promise vs. Sub-page reality.
2
10% BS
Trust & Proof Verifiable evidence vs. Trust Theatre.
3
15% BS
Commodity Fingerprint Detection of industry clichés/templates.
2
13% BS
Identity & Authority Expert verifiability & Schema depth.
6
40% BS

Implement Organization and Person schema to technically link the brand to its high-profile speakers and board members. Replace the vague ‘immersive and meaningful’ adjectives on the Partner page with concrete case studies showing organizational impact. Hyperlink the ‘By the numbers’ metrics to an external, downloadable annual impact report or third-party audit to satisfy the ‘proof path’ requirement. Correct the technical heading hierarchy by adding a specific H1 to the homepage that mirrors the ‘Ideas change everything’ signal.

The site is an exact match for the Nonprofit and NGO category. The content focuses on mission-driven educational initiatives, global community building, and calls for philanthropic partnerships rather than commercial product sales.

“The score of 19 is driven by exceptionally high Information Density and unique positioning, which are typical for high-authority nonprofits. The points earned were primarily from 'Identity and Authority' due to the absence of structured data (Schema) and 'Trust and Proof' due to the low number of outbound verification links. The site represents the 'Minimal BS' tier, as it provides more evidence for its claims than 90% of peer-category websites.”

Verified Analysis Date: June 19, 2026 © 1EuroSEO Independent Evaluator — Non-Sponsored Result