> And as the complainant in the letter writes, it sounds like all the hoi polloi ("Group B") at TED actually buy into this as well. Maybe he should be working on something amazing instead of hoping Bill or Steve or Sergey notices him.
that was one of the things that struck me most forcibly about the article. i would have predicted (a touch optimistically, perhaps) that the "b-listers" would just find other interesting people to meet and socialise with during those few days - heck, ted is packed with them! perhaps i'm just spoilt by exposure to mainly hacker conferences (and unconferences), and science fiction conventions, in both of which celebrities are welcomed, but not especially lionised.
that was one of the things that struck me most forcibly about the article. i would have predicted (a touch optimistically, perhaps) that the "b-listers" would just find other interesting people to meet and socialise with during those few days - heck, ted is packed with them! perhaps i'm just spoilt by exposure to mainly hacker conferences (and unconferences), and science fiction conventions, in both of which celebrities are welcomed, but not especially lionised.