uber.la

CES, the Consumer Electronics Show is a Tech conference. Ruby Jane, a 15 year-old musical savant who performed at TEDxAustin, is not Tech. Not at all.

When I was explaining to someone where I was on Saturday they said, "Oh, the Tech conference."

So while TED (Technology Entertainment Design) has some hearty brand recognition globally, perhaps the acronym needs to evolve. I woke up with this need, to re-brand TED. The best I have come up with, before my coffee has completed the brew cycle is Transforming Evolutionary Dreams. Because where CES is about "consuming" and "electronics" as in gadgets and computers, TED is really about fueling change rather than fueling purchasing frenzies.

One other issue often taken up as a criticism of TED is elitism. And for the original TED conference it is understandable. To get to the ONE TRUE TED you pay thousands of dollars to join the club. And then you hope, beg and negotiate for an invitation to the actual show. And if you are a near miss you go to one of the virtual satellite viewing events, where TED ONE is streamed live.

A number of observations I have about TED.

• It is elitist. (Just being in the room with all these smart people in Austin, I know I am privileged to be here.)
• It is exclusionary. (By the nature of the any event, there is a physical size limit. And if you want to see the videos or streaming broadcasts, you have to have access to a computer and high-speed access to the Internet.
• It is not revolutionary. (There are great conferences all over the world. Austin's own SXSW is coming up in two weeks and has magic in the synergy of MUSIC, FILM and INTERACTIVE. I am certain that most if not all of the people at TEDxAustin will be participating in some SXSW events.)
• It is evolutionary. (How can you change the world for the better? How can you change your life to align more closely with your dreams? What is the power of a gathering of folks with intentional good in mind?)

So to me TED is not about Technology (although technology allows much of TED to happen.) TED is not about Entertainment (although to be effective your presentation should contain some elements of performance.) And TED used to be, but is not so focused on Design.

So I am really *not* proposing a change in the TED maxim or acronym. But a question of the language behind what the "T" and the "E" and the "D" stand for. What I would've preferred to hear, when I chatted with my friend online was, "Oh TED, that conference about changing the world."

One dream, one heart, one mind at a time.

Yep, that's what I *wanted* to hear.

Namasté TED.

@jmacofearth
permalink: http://bit.ly/TEDx-means

Some additional TED+ ideas:

• TEDi (interactive – 100% virtual conference, on all the time, on around the world) Alternatives: TEDv (virtual)
• TEDo (open – pure collaborative TED mechanism)
• TEDc (camp – defined and designed in the moment of the event)
• TEDu (uber – hyper – bigger – always on!)
• TED3 (third world – how do we bring TED to the non-tech, non-wired world?)
• TEDa (advance – let's *do* activities, let's participate, to move these ideas into actions!)

IAMACONNECTOR.COM has a growing TEDxAustin page: TEDxAustin Connect (please join and ask for admin rights, and you can add your connections from this masterful event!)

The official Flickr stream of Kirk Tuck images from TEDxAustin is UP!

• The Sparkers List from TEDxAustin (yes I misspelled that on purpose!)
• Jon L's reflections and notes on TEDxAustin
• John McElhenney's uber.la: TEDx Austin: Aftermath of a HUGE EVENT: Playing Big Forever After!
• Eugene Sepulveda's TEDx reflections
• A Flickr photo collection from TEDxAustin
• NetImpact: Big Ideas at Inaugural TEDxAustin
• Kirk Tuck: Things I learned photographing a TEDx conference
• Mark Ralston's Future of Computing Presentation on SlideShare
• John McElhenney's uber.la: Notes from TEDxAustin: Scribblings and Sparks in the Dark
• A sticky notes take on TEDxAustin
• TEDxAustin: an Event Planner's perspective….pause…process…CONNECT!
• Kala Philo's Mindmap of the TEDxAustin event
• Cesar Torres's drawing of TEDxAustin on Flickr
• Thom Singers' TEDxAustin 2010
• Carla Thompson: Next year, I vote for a drum circle
• Conjunctured's TEDxATX rejects post
• Ashley Brown's: TEDxATX: Play Big 2010
• AAS day after coverage: Big local names ponder big ideas at TEDxAustin event
• Digital Savant: TEDxATX wrapup: good vibes, say attendees
• John McElhenney's uber.la: What's Next for TED? How Do We Get Even *More* Open?
• Adrian Taylor: Small is the New Big, What I Learned at TEDxAustin
• Susan McElhenney: TEDxAustin Artist's Rendering – Susan McElhenney Draws BIG
• Sunni Brown's: Producing TEDx Austin at KLRU Austin City Limits
• Honoria Starbuck paintings from the day: tedx-austin-2010
• John McElhenney's uber.la: #TEDxAustin and 7 Connective Practices

[the image of Ruby Jane, above, was taken by Kirk Tuck at TEDxAustin on February 20, 2010.]

Tags: Austin TED, diet, doug ulman, engine 2 diet, iamaconnector, inspiration, lance armstrong foundation. laf.org, Rip Esselstyn, steven tomlinson, TED, TEDx, TEDx connect, TEDxAustin