Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Note
The Bitcoin method of funding small transactions was developed
in 2009 and is rapidly becoming an accepted alternate currency for
small web transactions. There is even a new Bitcoin currency sym-
bol. The Bitcoin is both technically and socially important, being
the first new global currency created since the euro. The Bitcoin
currency is technically interesting because it uses cryptography to
guard against the theft of Bitcoins.
Through Flattr, it is also possible to donate to offline organizations as well as
websites. The enabling technology that allows this is quick response , or QR codes.
These are the square black-and-white barcodes that are now widely found on con-
sumer products. The QR codes can be scanned by smartphones and used for trans-
ferring Flattr donations, among other purposes.
The web is creating a number of new industries, and among these are what
appear to be very important new niches dealing with electronic fund transfers of
small amounts of currency and crowdfunding of both commercial and charitable
organizations.
Geekli.St
The Geekli.St organization has become a significant social portal for software en-
gineers in 170 countries. The Geekli.St website is part job site, part social network,
and part publication about software achievements.
Geekli.St was founded in San Francisco, California, in 2011 by Christian Sands
and Reuben Katz. The Geekli.St website grew to 10,000 users in about five weeks.
It is a private company that has received external funding from angel investors.
A unique feature of the Geekli.St website is that it uses special “cards” that
are structured to allow software engineers to illustrate and brag about their accom-
plishments. Examples of accomplishments might be developing new algorithms,
building new kinds of websites, or anything else that is novel and of interest to a
software engineering community. The cards are prominent on the Geekli.St web-
site, and visitors or users can make comments about them.
Geekli.St is a good example of how the web is allowing people with common
interests or who work in the same field to come together and share ideas or look
for new jobs. There are more than 50,000 Geekli.St members, and the number is
growing.
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