Ditherati: See the Digerati Dither, Daily

“One of the best ways to motivate engineers is to tell them that there’s something that can’t be done.”

DARPA program manager Tom Strat, whose robot race through the Mojave proved so motivating that no contestants finished, CNN.com, 14 March 2004

“We are taking significant precautions to prevent the use of offensive materials on the GeorgeWBush.com website.”

Bush-Cheney online campaign manager Chuck DeFeo, threatening to pull the plug on his employer’s website, Wired News, 12 March 2004

“There aren’t any casual spammers now.”

America Online lawyer Randall Boe, on teaming up with archnemeses Yahoo and Microsoft to hunt down spammers, The New York Times, 11 March 2004

“We ask that you cease immediately the mailing of free software, and other types of gifts, to the Department of the Army personnel. Your offer of free software places our employees and soldiers in jeopardy of unknowingly committing a violation of the ethics rules and regulations to which they have taken an oath to uphold.”

Pentagon lawyer Matt Reres, instructing Microsoft to stop mailing free software to military personnel, News.com, 10 March 2004

“We had a lot of typical things, like company-paid lunches and blue-haired kids running around on skateboards, and it was the time when we thought we were going to rule the world.But I have to get the building in order and return it to the landlord in its original condition.”

Former MP3.com employee David Agresti, who’s now charged with effacing all signs of its erstwhile hipness, Wired News, 9 March 2004