Across the street from the 2008 TED conference is BIL – a competing conference with some very interesting values. In a thought piece by Grant McCracken asks whether the super-exlusive TED has become part of the problem that its trying to solve and that BIL could be the antidote:
BIL stands for Beauty. Ingenious. Learning. It is described as an open self organizing, emergent,and anarchic science and technology conference. Nobody is in charge. If you want to come, just show up. If you have an idea to spread, start talking. If someone is saying something interesting, stop and listen.
… the implication is that TED is part of the problem it means to solve. TED is top down, centralized, hierarchical, elite driven, celebrity centered, and, at $6000 a ticket, really expensive.
What do you think? Possibly one of the big issues PSFK has with TED is relevancy. There are some wonderful minds at TED but in past events there have been so few emerging talents that really excite us day in, day out. Of course, we can’t wait to see if 2008 offers…
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Having been to TED since 2004, I have to say that this criticism is somewhat misdirected.
- TED opened up their talks for public viewing for free last year and the current blog coverage means you can practically participate without being there. Hardly a closed, elite forum.
- USD 6,000 is expensive but it’s worth it. It’s accessible enough so that small firms like mine can afford to send one key employee (usually myself) to the event yet expensve enough to offer a true world class conference. World Economic Forum costs twice that for the lowest priced tickets.
- TED’s management is friendly, accessible and open to any kind of tips and advice about speakers etc. Hardly the kind of “top-down, elite” management that you mention.
- Very few “celebrities” actually speak at TED. Although it’s hard to define what constitutes a bona-fide celebrity, I’d say that over the years, less than 10% of speakers have been famous. And of the audience, less than 5%. Most people are hard-toiling, middle-class individuals like myself.
BIL is a great initiative but to try to market it by throwing dirt at TED is just silly. The two events co-exist beautifully.
February 28th, 2008 at 9:58 am
Bil…sounds a lot like the Russell Davies ‘Interesting’ conference in London.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:01 am
In my personal opinion, TED has changed my life. For those with a profound interest in learning, this directly available source is eye-opening.
Whether it’s heirarchical may not be the problem. Solutions arent created in anarchy, but rather in self-goverment through mass interpretation and postive thinkning.
TED isnt the end-all, be-all of creative intelligence. It’s merely a starting point.
Those that hold it at its “final word” mis the point in the value of it’s education. I dont need to go to a conference to have that pointed out to me.
Right?
February 28th, 2008 at 11:13 am
The only thing I’ll ever get out of TED is the youtube content – which is awesome.
February 28th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
Bil Archy is in charge of BIL but he’s too busy to reply (NPR is probably interviewing him or something…), so I will on his behalf. BIL organizers are huge fans of TED. We have tried to be clear on that. We have the support of TED Curator Chris Anderson, so the last thing we want to do is cock things up.
Cheers,
Tyler
February 28th, 2008 at 3:21 pm