[jamesbritt]

The big problem for me is not that there is nothing to be gained from speaking for free, but that in some cases money is changing hands, and some people (even ignoring caterers, stagehands, etc.) are getting paid and making something off the event.

And if that's the case then why not pay those who provide the content?

It's interesting to see the amount of support here for doing a TED talk for free when it seems to me most people on HN take a different stance when it comes to doing free design work. In those cases the arguments about getting exposure seem to carry much less weight.

People should be careful not to spite themselves, but at the same time we should not let ourselves be taken advantage of.

[mathattack]

There frequently is a reason to speak for free. PR. It helps get the next job, or consulting gig, or book deal. As long as the value exceeds the time, who cares if someone else makes a lot of money?