After all, they are know they are direct descendents of Christopher Columbus, Rabindranath Tagore and Mario Andretti. With their lofty goals, why should GLDers have to ask for cash. GLDers also are convinced that every professor with something to say should scream to be at the beam end of the Franklin's searchlight when she come to their part of the world. At night, the organizers go sleepless seeking answers as to why it is so difficult to round up speakers that should kill to have a moment in the global sun. That question becomes even more perplexing when one understands that GLD is a conference where you can show up in your pajamas, no more difficult to attend than turning on a computer.
Speakers can make speeches with one hand on a cell phone and the other on the helm of their boat.
After a teeny-weeny bit of prepping their machines, viewers can sit back, hear voices from Prague to Perth and watch a screen where the pages automatically change to match the scenery. If it's ice caps, probably we are in Antarctica. If it's high mountains, probably we are in Nepal. This is a cruise where the tickets are free, the port of calls extraordinary and the on-board company the most exciting in the education world. Yet both corporate executive and university professor look over the Franklin ship like a doctor examining a surgery table.