Technology Entertainment and Design (TED), a global set of conferences curated by the American private non-profit Sapling Foundation, has launched TED Conversations. TED speakers, TED Translators, TED Fellows, TEDx hosts, and TED staff are all active on the site.
TED Conversations fall under three categories: Questions, Debates, and Ideas. Unsurprisingly, they can be linked to specific TEDTalks on TED.com and can be tagged and searched for by subject.
TED Conversations have an expiration date: just as TEDTalks are limited to 18 minutes or less, TED Conversations are set to last one day, one week, or one month. When you start a conversation, you also decide when it will end; afterward, you can summarize the discussion with a closing statement.
"We're thrilled to announce today the launch of TED Conversations, a new social platform on TED.com that connects people for conversation, collaboration and debate," a TED spokesperson said in a statement. "TED Conversations was designed and built from the ground up to foster meaningful conversation among the global community who watch, share and discuss TEDTalks. Anyone who participates in online communities will find the interface familiar and intuitive."