I would not say that I qualify as a TED ‘fan-girl’…I really can’t condemn or condone the ‘big’ TED….although I have seen some really creative teachers do some awesome things engaging their students using talks as a conversation/writing prompt.

What I would offer is the gentle suggestion to the reticent that before you dismiss it outright – the philosophy (‘Ideas Worth Spreading’) – that you participate fully in a local opportunity – either by attending, or even better by supporting, planning, collaborating, thinking, hey-maybe even GIVING a talk…etc….immersion in it at a completely local level.

I did that last fall in our first ever TEDx here. I met people I would never have crossed paths with otherwise….really good people with really important ‘ideas worth spreading’ …around here. Maybe those talks will ‘hit the big time’ at TED (they become part of the larger archive). Maybe not. The point was that a group of people passionate about ideas here came together for a little while to work on the common goal of sharing those ideas. The results remain to be seen, of course. But, for me – it’s a whole lot like what happens on the web…how connections get made and thinking and sharing happens in new and creative ways.

I’m with you. New ideas is what it’s about. And then there’s those awesome connections.
My 2 cents…

Just to be clear, I linked to the word ‘wuss’ because of the way the word ‘wuss’ was used in the TED video, and not as any sort of personal comment or cheap shot. The use of the word ‘wuss’ was an example of “the language of the empowered” I was referring to.

I guess I could have been a bit clearer with that one.

TED may be driven by a (highly successful) commercial model, but frankly, seeing online learning models succeed in any form is informative for those of us involved with it. Likewise, the TED Talks are a valid source of learning. There may be gloss and glamour, but there is also considerable substance and inspiration, and for me, that’s what really counts.