What is DuckDuckGo.com? Why would an entrepreneur launch a search company to take on Google? What's it like to work for an Internet startup?
Join Dr. Blum for a visit to find out what is behind the Internet search start-up DuckDuckGo (DDG). The business model behind DDG's search engine is radically different than other search engines like Google's. DDG places a premium on protecting users' privacy and purposefully does not tailor search results based on users' past history. Not only is privacy protection an important goal in and of itself, DDG argues that these tailored search results create a "filter bubble" that limits the information that a user is able to access.
The trip will take place this Friday, February 15th. We will take the 11:10am train from Middletown, and arrive at DDG's headquarters in Paoli around 12:30 pm. DDG will provide lunch for us, give us a tour of their headquarters, and talk to us about the philosophy behind DDG. We will be able to find out what it is like to work for an Internet startup, and, also, how we can contribute to DDG, including by creating new search capabilities. At 4:10 we will depart Poali, and arrive back at the Middletown Amtrak station at 5:10 pm.
While this trip is part of the Distingished Honors Faculty Program (DHFP), there are a limited number of slots that are available on a first-come, first-served basis for Computer Science students. All expenses will be paid by the DHFP and DDG. If you would like to join the trip, send an email to Stephanie Ponnett (slp29 (at) psu (dot) edu).
