TED Prize explained

So thanks to Chris Anderson for educating me about the purpose of the Prizes. I'm sure I'm violating blogging conventions in some horrendous manner by posting Chris' comment here, so those listening in on RSS can see.

"But unless I'm misunderstanding the role of the TED prize..."
Gary, with respect, I think you are misunderstanding it. The point of the prize is not to see how much of an incremental difference the TED community can make to our winners. It's the other way round. The question is which individuals can best inspire the TED community to make a difference in the world.

It's like crticizing Warren Buffett for granting his fortune to the already-somewhat-well-resourced Gates Foundation, when he could instead have truly transformed the future of the Des Moines Fire Fighters Fund. I suspect he was thinking about who is best placed to leverage change in the world. And so are we.

We're being deluged with feedback from people excited to see what wish Clinton will come up with in March. That excitement is the point. This man inspires people to think big. And when the TED community thinks big, something spectacular can happen. Well... we'll see soon enough.

Thanks for your comments too about women. We would LOVE to get more nominations of great women, and warmly encourage you to contribute to this process next year. Anyone can nominate someone. The details are at www.ted.com under 'TED prize'.

Chris Anderson, TED Curator

So if one of the main purposes of the prize is to attempt to capture the TED community's imagination with a wish, then it seems the biggest potential value of his winning the Prize is the potential for him to get the TED community to do something to impact the world in a way that the parade of folks coming to the Global Initiative haven't, can't, or won't. I'm still having a hard time seeing what that might be, though I'm sure that's due to the limits of my imagination, and not his, that's at issue. I think I'll still put an asterisk next to Mr. Clinton's name, and be the first one to admit that I'm wrong if he's able to spark something that isn't already under way through a previous Initiative.

gB