Comments on: Post-conference kerfuffle http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2008/03/04/post-conference-kerfuffle/ EthanZ's musings on Africa, media and international development Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:45:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: betsy http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2008/03/04/post-conference-kerfuffle/comment-page-1/#comment-893041 betsy Tue, 11 Mar 2008 01:39:02 +0000 http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2008/03/04/post-conference-kerfuffle/#comment-893041 Just wanted to say thanks so much for the blogging. I enjoyed TED all the way from my office computer! Just wanted to say thanks so much for the blogging. I enjoyed TED all the way from my office computer!

]]> By: Andrew http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2008/03/04/post-conference-kerfuffle/comment-page-1/#comment-889392 Andrew Thu, 06 Mar 2008 22:58:21 +0000 http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2008/03/04/post-conference-kerfuffle/#comment-889392 I attended TED@Aspen, which is essentially TED on TV for the junior varsity set. As a skeptical journalist type (and with my organization paying the way) I was a little skittish at first about embarking on this high-fallutin junket to the land of the full-length, fur-lined coats, all to watch TED on TV. But within an hour or two I was scheming of ways to attend next year's TED. Yes, it was simulcast, so I couldn't brush shoulders with the Sergey Brin's or Cameron Diaz's of the world. And yes, I could catch many of the presentations on TED.com later. But it was an amazing chance to bask in great and transformative ideas with really remarkable people who want to change the world. Everywhere I turned there was a new person, open to new thinking, eager for new ideas. How often do you get to be in that kind of environment? I am brimming with new thoughts and new connections ... and understand why TED is such a phenomenon. I do hope, however, that Chris finds a way to keep the event intimate and authentic ... and not make it the sole province of the well-heeled and deep-pocketed. That's going to be tough ... even at TED@Aspen's lower price, $3,000 is a lot of clams for anyone without a great deal of discretionary dollars sitting around. But maybe, just maybe I'm inflating my esteem for the event because of the price tag (studies show that exacting a high social cost for entrance into an exclusive club heightens one's value of membership ... think frats and gangs). We'll see how I feel once the buzz has worn off, if indeed it does. I attended TED@Aspen, which is essentially TED on TV for the junior varsity set. As a skeptical journalist type (and with my organization paying the way) I was a little skittish at first about embarking on this high-fallutin junket to the land of the full-length, fur-lined coats, all to watch TED on TV.

But within an hour or two I was scheming of ways to attend next year’s TED. Yes, it was simulcast, so I couldn’t brush shoulders with the Sergey Brin’s or Cameron Diaz’s of the world. And yes, I could catch many of the presentations on TED.com later.

But it was an amazing chance to bask in great and transformative ideas with really remarkable people who want to change the world. Everywhere I turned there was a new person, open to new thinking, eager for new ideas.

How often do you get to be in that kind of environment? I am brimming with new thoughts and new connections … and understand why TED is such a phenomenon.

I do hope, however, that Chris finds a way to keep the event intimate and authentic … and not make it the sole province of the well-heeled and deep-pocketed. That’s going to be tough … even at TED@Aspen’s lower price, $3,000 is a lot of clams for anyone without a great deal of discretionary dollars sitting around.

But maybe, just maybe I’m inflating my esteem for the event because of the price tag (studies show that exacting a high social cost for entrance into an exclusive club heightens one’s value of membership … think frats and gangs). We’ll see how I feel once the buzz has worn off, if indeed it does.

]]> By: lilalia http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2008/03/04/post-conference-kerfuffle/comment-page-1/#comment-887515 lilalia Tue, 04 Mar 2008 14:52:20 +0000 http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2008/03/04/post-conference-kerfuffle/#comment-887515 As someone who could not aspire to attending a TED conference, but possessing a generous enough spirit to wish those attending a good time, I can't help but think that Sarah Lacey, and other such like-minded people, are behaving somewhat childishly. How many such events share so whole-heartedly, as TED Talks website does? Even this somewhat static transportation of ideas (i.e., only film and not dialog) has often been inspirational to me. Your blogging the event is very entertaining and interesting. I love the mixture of recounting the facts of the presenters, inter dispersed with your personal observations or opinions. You always find a good balance. Thank you very much for doing this for your readers. As someone who could not aspire to attending a TED conference, but possessing a generous enough spirit to wish those attending a good time, I can’t help but think that Sarah Lacey, and other such like-minded people, are behaving somewhat childishly.

How many such events share so whole-heartedly, as TED Talks website does? Even this somewhat static transportation of ideas (i.e., only film and not dialog) has often been inspirational to me.

Your blogging the event is very entertaining and interesting. I love the mixture of recounting the facts of the presenters, inter dispersed with your personal observations or opinions. You always find a good balance. Thank you very much for doing this for your readers.

]]> By: ismael http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2008/03/04/post-conference-kerfuffle/comment-page-1/#comment-887327 ismael Tue, 04 Mar 2008 07:58:38 +0000 http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2008/03/04/post-conference-kerfuffle/#comment-887327 Honestly, I don't care who TED attendants are or who TED was targeted to. The point is that I can access most content from their website and lots of interesting comments (thanks, Ethan) from attending bloggers. There were people and ideas I liked and people I didn't: just like it happens in most conferences and dinners I attend. But I did like the philosophy of disclosing ideas, whatever they were. Would the event had focused on the "Al Gore's and Sergey Brin's shoulder brushers" it woulnd't have been really different from any stinky morning TV talk show with fading stars. But it did not look to me this way. Ain't we looking at the finger and not at the Moon? Honestly, I don’t care who TED attendants are or who TED was targeted to.

The point is that I can access most content from their website and lots of interesting comments (thanks, Ethan) from attending bloggers.

There were people and ideas I liked and people I didn’t: just like it happens in most conferences and dinners I attend. But I did like the philosophy of disclosing ideas, whatever they were.

Would the event had focused on the “Al Gore’s and Sergey Brin’s shoulder brushers” it woulnd’t have been really different from any stinky morning TV talk show with fading stars. But it did not look to me this way.

Ain’t we looking at the finger and not at the Moon?

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