Portland Oregon startups, tech, news, events, jobs, and community
Portland startup and tech news, jobs, and events #pdx
[Editor: Given the discussions swirling online today about artistic license, fair use, and protected intellectual property—specifically around a photo used in Andy Baio’s “Kind of Bloop” project—and the letter opposing PROTECT IP from 53 VCs, it seems only appropriate to post this guest post from Lynn Fredricks. ] Read More
If you live in Oregon, you probably know the name Ron Wyden. The Democrat has remained a fixture in the US Senate for Oregon—and he show no signs of slowing.
But what you might not know is how damned hard the guy works to protect the Internet as we know it. So if you’re trying to build a business using the Internet, you like the Internet, or you’ve even heard of the Internet, you might want to thank Senator Wyden for his work. Even if it does mean that silly blogs like this one continue to exist. Read More
we took a look at the candidates way early in the Oregon governor’s race. But how have things changed since then? Well, let’s take a look at how the front runners are faring especially in regards to social media
[HTML1]Now, there are any number of folks who will tell you that number of followers or fans on social networks—like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, for example—does not to equate to much of anything. And for the most part, I would agree.
But when you’re one of the leading gubernatorial candidates for the 2010 Oregon election, your number of followers could be an interesting indicator of your understanding of the power of social media—and your connection with the demographic that uses those tools.
Now thanks to a new survey from the Portland Development Commission PDC about the software industry in Portland we all have a chance to yell We are here! We are here!
For some reason, as I write this, my mind drifts to Horton Hears a Who! You know, where Horton the elephant finds an entire city of people who are invisible to the naked eye? And he knows that they are there—and will do anything to protect them—but no one else believes that they are there?
You see, Horton’s predicament is somewhat akin to the situation we’ve got with startups, independents, and open source types here in Portland. With the tech community that flies below the radar. They’re here. They exist. But they’re more obscured from view then they should be. Now—thanks to a new survey from the Portland Development Commission (PDC) about the software industry in Portland—we all have a chance to yell “We are here! We are here!” So I’d like to ask—and maybe plead—that you take a few minutes to do so. Read More
What kind of people are noticing Beer and Blog now? Well, Portland Mayor Sam Adams for one. Yep, that’s right. The Mayor will be showing up tonight to hang out with the Beer and Blog crowd.
[HTML3]When you’ve built a gathering of interesting people that is consistently lauded as the best spot to meet and greet folks in the Portland tech and startup scene, people start to take notice. And that’s exactly what’s happening to Beer and Blog, the weekly happy hour for the Portland tech scene started by Justin Kistner.
What kind of people are noticing Beer and Blog now? Well, Portland Mayor Sam Adams for one. Yep, that’s right. The Mayor will be showing up tonight to hang out with the Beer and Blog crowd. Read More
When I first posted on the Oregonians Against Job-Killing Taxes discussion at NedSpace Old Town—which is being held tonight starting at 4:30—it sparked an interesting conversation in the comments.
When I first posted on the “Oregonians Against Job-Killing Taxes” discussion at NedSpace Old Town—which is being held tonight starting at 4:30—it sparked an interesting conversation in the comments.
Well, as much as I love the blog comments, I’m hoping that a fruitful conversation can occur in person, as well. That’s why I’m encouraging you to attend the talk tonight, regardless of your stance on the subject. Read More
I think it’s important to realize that we’ll be electing a new governor for the state of Oregon in 2010. And it’s highly likely that whomever wins that seat will be having a significant impact on the startups you’re creating.
[HTML1]While it’s still early in the race, I think it’s important to realize that we’ll be electing a new governor for the state of Oregon in 2010. And it’s highly likely that whomever wins that seat will be having a significant impact on the startups you’re creating.
Given that you’re building the business you always wanted to build, we want to make sure you’ve got the best environment for doing that. So we should make sure that you’re getting the kind of information you need to make the right voting decision, right? Right.
Let’s do that shall we? Read More
What you may not know is that there are some new taxes on the books that—according to Oregonians Against Job-Killing Taxes—may make those two hurdles even higher.
If you’ve ever spent any time in the startup scene in the Silicon Forest, you’ve likely heard that there are two major hurdles for entrepreneurs around here: 1) that the State of Oregon—and sometimes the City of Portland—aren’t terribly friendly to startups and 2) that it’s really difficult to attract capital from investors.
What you may not know is that there are some new taxes on the books that—according to Oregonians Against Job-Killing Taxes—may make those two hurdles even higher.
How so? Well, they’re going to be discussing the impact of those taxes at NedSpace Old Town on Thursday October 22 at 4:30 PM. Read More
A technical glitch with an incorrect Twitter name seems to have Obama healthcare proponents from Oregon spamming Jeffrey Kalmikoff of Threadless with misdirected tweets intended for Jeff Merkley
[HTML3]Now, it’s no secret that the Barack Obama campaign did a phenomenal job with social media. Facebook, Portland-fueled iPhone apps, Twitter, the whole shooting match. Many—myself included—were in awe of the Obama campaign’s mastery of social media—and the potential it held for the presidency.
Well, we were. Until today. When a technical glitch seems to have Obama healthcare proponents from Oregon spamming Jeffrey Kalmikoff of Threadless with misdirected tweets intended for Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley.
Oopie. Read More
Portland Mayor Sam Adams opened the second day of Open Source Bridge with a keynote calling for increased collaboration between the City of Portland and the open source community.
[HTML4]Portland Mayor Sam Adams opened the second day of Open Source Bridge with a keynote calling for increased collaboration between the City of Portland and the open source community.
Why? In hopes of making Portland the “hub of open source” and—in a bit of throwing down the municipal open source gauntlet—vowing to “out open source” Vancouver, British Columbia, which has recently declared itself a completely open city.
“Bottom line: the city government has unnecessarily been closed in proprietary software and has been a a laggard in using open source software,” said Adams. And he wants to see Portland change that. Read More
