Comments on: TEDxManchester: On the hunt for new ideas…

By: On the hunt for new ideas… (from Global Socialite) | Communivity

On the hunt for new ideas… (from Global Socialite) | Communivity — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 15:08:21 +0000

[...] Yesterday I was lucky enough to go along to TEDxManchester – an independently organised TED event where Manchester's great and good joined together in BBC Philhamonic studio hall to hear and share some new ideas worth spreading. You can't argue with the concept, and this being Europe's largest TEDx event, it brought with it some good speakers and interesting discussions. But as I walked into the hall for the third session after 4 hours of talks … Read More [...]

By: TEDx, EVNTS and socially organised events… the joys, perils and pitfalls « FutureEverything

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 09:28:39 +0000

[...] interesting comment by Kim at globalsocialite was that too many talks at TEDxManchester were on digital technology, not enough looking outside [...]

By: Feedback from TEDxManchester’s audience - Backstage.bbc.co.uk

Feedback from TEDxManchester’s audience - Backstage.bbc.co.uk — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 00:39:54 +0000

[...] From Kim over at globalsocialite [...]

By: devolute.net » Blog Archive » TEDx Manchester

devolute.net » Blog Archive » TEDx Manchester — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 17:44:00 +0000

[...] for TEDx Manchester as well. The two were both interesting events and have been summed up better elsewhere on other blogs, so here I will make just a couple of brief [...]

By: TED X Manchester in conclusion « Sarah Hartley

TED X Manchester in conclusion « Sarah Hartley — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 11:00:41 +0000

[...] I’m afraid I can only identify as Kim from the about page gives a summary of the event at Global Socialite and makes two concluding points a) it happens again next year and b) it throws the speaker net more [...]

By: cyberdoyle

cyberdoyle — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 10:18:03 +0000

The mere fact that the tedx got you thinking is a sign that it was successful…
…what everyone seems to miss is that ‘t’internet is bringing the world to everyone’s home, phone or workplace. Spreading the knowledge and innovation. TEDx is happening because of the ether, and that bit is always going to be the bigger picture. The days of learning stuff via the monks or dead trees is over. Nothing can ever take the place of people, but for sharing stuff the internet is the place to be. Many of us can’t get IT. Many in digitalbritain still don’t have connectivity. Be grateful if you have, and watch Korea et al be the leaders in this global digital revolution.
Just my fourpennorth.
chris.

By: Ian Aspin

Ian Aspin — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 23:33:29 +0000

Hello Kim,

Thanks for writing this post – I enjoyed it cos it’s right up my street.

Soz for statin’ the bleedin’ obvious but there are so many amazing things happening on our planet, so many pressing issues and concerns, so many rapid changes.

We have an opportunity like never before to come together through global digital technology and talk about meaningful and important things, about ideas that can start movements, create action, and change the world. I reckon these are the ideas that need to be reflected in conferences like TEDx. These things don’t require big budgets or fancy tech, but an openness to discovering what is truly of value to those they’re intending to serve.

It seems at the moment though, the newness of this tech enabled experience of connectedness is the thing that many people seem to enjoy discussing and learning about – they’re interested in the medium, as well as the message (and at so-called digital conferences it’s the medium people have come to explore).

Having said that, I’ve also observed lots of offline, non-digital possibilities opening up to us which would have perhaps been impossible to facilitate without our new tech tools.

So it’s inevitable (since social media is not a little bit of drizzle, more a raging storm that impacts everything it touches, and it will touch everything to some degree or other) that the conversation, once we begin to get used to these possibilities, we’ll not just be focused on talking about the tools and how to use them.

Hopefully it will shift from the medium to the message and any tech tools should to a large extent fade into the background. This will allow us to get on with conversations, relationships, and actions around things that matter and that give us meaning.

Conferences like Ted Global are amazing because of the rich content. That content may be technology focused or not.

What I’d like to see, and I want to work with all kinds of people who want the same, is all kinds of human interaction, tech enabled or face to face, including conferences, beginning to focus on the big questions of meaning, purpose, and how humans should live in the world, in relation to each other, our planet, and beyond.

Bloomin’ ek! that was a bit of a long comment! IAnyway, enjoyed you post and it is great to read your thoughts.

Much love,

Ian.

http://www.twitter.com/ianaspin

By: Global Socialite

Global Socialite — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 16:04:23 +0000

Thanks very much for your comments Ian. As I said in the post, I think it’s really important to look for inspiration from outside the technology realm sometimes – from science, art, politics, etc. The BBC has amazing access here so it will be great to see how BBC backstage might be able to facilitate this kind of thing in the future.

Hoping to make it to BarCampManchester so hopefully see you there!

By: Ian Forrester

Ian Forrester — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 15:35:26 +0000

So thanks for coming to the event first up. I would have commented earlier but having that post-event blues (aka a good night sleep).

I agree with pretty all of you. Actually me and Adrian Woolard of the NW R&D Lab have been thinking a lot about the internet everywhere (like drew & herb said). We take our inspiration for the line up from both TD and FE plus events like Interestingness and BarCamps. BarCamp for example is very good for those non-digital talks. (more about this soon)

We had planned have more speakers outside the digital relm including Adam Greenfield, Ania the Fashion Model and others but it didn’t work out. I would also add 3 out of 8 isn’t bad? We were also were going to look at some of the extremes of the digital space like Hacker Commerce but once again it just didn’t work out.

From the BBC Backstage view, our focus is now on BarCampManchester2 (7-8th Nov) which I highly suggest you check out. The sessions won’t all be profound but they will be varied and interesting.

By: Global Socialite

Global Socialite — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 14:39:52 +0000

Herb and Drew – first of all thanks so much for taking the time to read my comments and give such considered responses. And please let me say what I didn’t in the post, which is thanks to you and the team of volunteers for putting in the time and effort to create this event in the first place – it is a massive undertaking which I think was appreciated by all that attended.

Very pleased to hear that there are plans afoot for more TEDx’s, and that they are likely to invite a wider range of specialists to the stage. I love the digitally focused stuff too, but as I said in the last paragraph, what’s amazing about TED is that it encourages you to take a much broader view. With so many great creative and intellectual minds in Manchester, I’m sure it could be a really exciting line-up

Until then, hopefully see you at FutureEverything and ThinkingDigital next year!