Keith's note: TEDxNASA, openly promoted by its organizers (some of whom work at NASA LaRC) as being sponsored by NASA (NASA LaRC is listed as a formal host), have yet to explain how they will be giving out tickets. The tickets will supposedly available on 14 Nov - less than a week before the actual event. By waiting until the last minute, the organizers have all but precluded anyone from other parts of the country from making travel plans.

Apparently, however, a hand-picked select few have been invited - and they are Twittering about it and posting on Facebook. The organizers also refuse to publish any information as to how invited attendess were selected or who will speaking even though they have clearly been lining up speakers.

In addition, since there is limited seating, most taxpayers will not have access to the event as it unfolds. There has been some vague mention of videos being available after the event, but apparently the concept of streaming this event live is beyond their collective skillset. Curiously, the Gen Y digerati at NASA all profess to be supportive of openness, being inclusive, and live blogging and webcasting - everything.

According to a rotating notice on the website, NASA Deputy Adminstrator Lori Garver is speaking - this certainly confers a certain level of official NASA HQ support for the event as well. But I have now confirmed that Lori Garver is  speaking somewhere else on that date. Yet this message still appears on the website. Meanwhile LaRC PAO has been totally mute on this entire topic.

One would hope that the new NASA Advisory Council subcommittee on education and public outreach would look into events such like this and push the agency toward adopting a uniform policy of openness and full access - and not allow agency resources to be used on events that only a certain, select few people can benefit from.

A NASA Conference That No One Can Register For, earlier post