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Do we really trust the security and safety of our skies to an agency that says “interwebs”?

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Here’s Ethan Kaplan, a smart developer slash executive, and his take on “culture”:

Too often, the things that constitute “culture” are seen as additive or “perks.” I hate defining things as “perks” because it relegates them to things that should be seen as optional if and when times get tough. Similarly, in recruitment, “perks” mean “these are not core, but are additive in order to be attractive.” I’ve found perks are always the first things to go as cultural efforts in a company’s decline. And more damaging still, perks aren’t an element of culture. They are frosting on a thin cake.

The argument to build culture like a product makes good sense in a product or development-centric environment. This was a good read…

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We’re looking for smart folks that identify with a few skill sets we’ve outlined (e.g.: we don’t have specific “job titles”). Take a look and if you or someone you know is looking for a great opportunity in Denver, drop us a line…

How to start using DuckDuckGo as your search engine in 30 seconds

If you’re fed up with Google (qualms may include: Search Plus Your World providing useless results, changing privacy so you’re tracked across products, weird executives, etc.) it’s really easy to start using DuckDuckGo as your default search engine on your computer:

  • Safari: set hosts file to 184.72.115.86 search.yahoo.com and change your default search engine to Yahoo
  • Chrome: visit DuckDuckGo, right click address bar, Edit Search Engines..., find “DuckDuckGo”, click “Make Default”
  • Firefox: install this Firefox Addon
  • iOS device: install this app

I’ve been using it for a full day now and haven’t found any issue…

…well, truthfully, since the results are centered horizontally on the page I find myself having to move my mouse to the right a lot more. My muscle memory to immediately hover down and to the left once submitting a search query is surprisingly strong. Illustrated:

And why would you use DuckDuckGo? Well, they don’t track you (privacy) and don’t bubble you (relevance). And their logo is cute.

The effectiveness of Occupy versus blackout SOPA/PIPA

Has anyone started to measure the effectiveness (attention, awareness, change) of the Occupy movement versus blackout SOPA/PIPA?

On one hand, Occupy Wall Street and the movements across the country gained plenty of media attention. With people physically taking over public spaces, standing on street corners, and getting pepper-sprayed, it was hard to miss. But was the point well received by the public at-large? Or congress? Or business? Was there a clear goal reached?

On the other hand, by “turning off” websites in order to protest the ability for organizations to… “turn off” websites, did the public miss the point? Did it turn people against Wikipedia (see @herpderpedia)? Did it confuse visitors to Google? Or did it immediately capture the attention of millions of individuals with a few simple lines of code? Congresspeople have already started distancing themselves.

I wonder this because the two approaches appear to go about the same thing: protesting a government full of corporate mouthpieces with no real appreciation for what “real people” need. Police are trained to quash demonstrations and pepper-spray people, yet nobody but “the internet” can mess with the internet (yet..).