HERE'S an idea worth spreading - TEDx, pay your speakers.

That's the message from freelance science writer and speaker Frank Swain who last week rejected an invitation to speak for free at one of the organisation's satellite events.

Swain, who has been writing about science for seven years, explained in his blog post Why I'm Not a TEDx Speaker on Medium that "exposure and goodwill" won't pay his rent.

The science guru - who says he's written for the Times, Telegraph, Guardian, Wired, New Scientist, BBC Focus, BBC Future, Slate, Microbiologist, Stylist, IET, and Plastic Rhino - says it's not that he doesn't like TED.

"I think the organisers have done a great service to popularise thought-provoking ideas in an easily-digestible format. And the subject of the TEDx event, centring on science and society, is definitely close to my heart. But the problem I discovered is this: TED doesn't pay its speakers," he said.

"Not that the person who approached me is a skinflint. I like to think they'd pay me if they could. But they are bound by the rules of TED, which asks that they don't pay me. None of the speakers - at TED or its little sister TEDx - get paid. This is despite the fact that tickets to a full-scale TED event cost something in the realm of $6,000."

TED is a not-for-profit organisation devoted to "ideas worth spreading", according to its website.

It started out in 1984 as a conference bringing together people from the technology, entertainment and design spheres.

Along with two annual conferences - the TED Conference and TEDGlobal - TED includes the award-winning TED Talks video site, the Open Translation Project and TED Conversations, the inspiring TED Fellows and TEDx programs, and the annual TED Prize.

Swain, the creator of Futures Exchange on Medium and SciencePunk at National Geographic's ScienceBlogs portal, says he's sick of being asked to work for free.

"The defence that TED is a nonprofit organisation doesn't fly with me. I doubt this excuses them from paying the lighting guys, the camera operators, the venue hire, the catering. Why pay those staff but not the speakers? Just because you're a nonprofit organisation, doesn't mean I have to be," he said.

"I'm not averse to speaking for nothing. I've done Cafe Scientifique, SciBar, Skeptics In The Pub. I've spoken at schools, colleges, universities. None of these were satellite events for a $6,000-a-plate conference. None of them wanted to brand my talk as theirs.

"I know I'm supposed to swoon a little at the idea of being an Official TEDx Speaker, that doing this will rain down confetti and job offers and fame on me. But in the end it boils down to this: TEDx is just another organisation asking me to work for free.

"I'm tired of the bullshit idea that exposure is somehow its own reward. I'm tired of the people who can afford to do it justifying this malignant trend."

Cultural Journalist Pamela Price, the first-ever presenter at the San Antonio TEDx, says Swain "misses the point of TEDx entirely".

In a post What Frank Swain Doesn't Understand about TEDx on her blog Red, White & Grew ,

Price says she is still enjoying the fruit of connections made at the event.

"I can say that being a TEDx Talker isn't about 'the show' but rather about the sense of community the event helps forge," she says.

"Swain, like a lot of other people, seems to think that TEDx events are solely about self-promotion and 'exposure' rather than an opportunity for a community to come together and put 'big ideas' on the table to discuss."

Price says it's not just the speakers who volunteer.

"The end result of the TEDx experience - the connections, the publicity generated for ideas (as opposed to local sports teams), the good vibes generated between participants on the day of the event and afterwards - are worth the time of anyone (speaker, volunteer, or attendee) who believes in the value of conversation, connection, and community," she says.

"If that's not your thing, though, don't bother submitting an application or just politely say "no" to an invitation. There are plenty of other people who are willing to embrace the opportunity. Kindly make way for them. Because I want to hear what they have to say."

While Swain acknowledges that TEDx events are much smaller affairs, limited to audiences of a hundred, he thinks it should be up to individual organisers as to whether they want to pay their speakers.

"The official line from TED is that these satellite events are there for individuals and organisations to run their own "TED-style" events, and "release TED free to the world", as if the concept of standing on a stage delivering talks was some kind of incredible innovation that the TED organisers themselves invented. (Guys, trust me, it's been around a little longer than that. I'm pretty sure the Ancient Greeks were into it.)," he wrote.

"I think this makes TEDx quite an insidious effort. They've developed a strong brand, strong enough to get away with bullish ideas that "TED-style" events are somehow better and more worthy than unbranded conferences. And within that manifesto, TED pushes the philosophy that there is value in ideas, but not value in delivering them. What's wrong with paying for speakers? Why not leave it up to the individual organiser to decide if they want to pay?

"I can't pay my rent with exposure and goodwill. So farewell, TEDx, I won't be speaking at your event until TED starts paying its speakers."

News.com.au has contacted TED for a response.

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