The best insights, observations, comments, tweets and random zingers we heard this week.

“Windows really is a beautiful metaphor for computing and with the new logo we wanted to celebrate the idea of a window, in perspective.” —Microsoft’s Sam Moreau in a blog post describing the concepts behind the company’s new Windows logo.

“Whenever you answer something, I feel like a train just ran me over.” 20-year-old entrepreneur Brian Wong critiquing elevator pitches at the Startup Conference in Seattle last week.

Rich Barton

“It was a disaster and we were depressed and unhappy.” Zillow co-founder Rich Barton explaining the company’s failed effort to create an online auction system for homes in the company’s earliest days.

“No Linsanity for me this weekend. It’s all about Redmond Startup Weekend at MSFT.”–Startup veteran Eugene Hsu on Twitter talking about attending the 54-hour coding marathon.

“We did not do this lightly: every dollar we raise prices costs my soul a shriek of agony.”–Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman commenting on the Seattle real estate company’s decision to cut the rebates it offers to home buyers.

“You can’t claim to be a pro-consumer, transparent brand and communicate like this.  Nor can you be a Berkeley grad, like Mr. Kelman, and not understand the basic math and how you’re portraying it.  He clearly wants to give the impression that the percentage impact to consumers is less than it really is!  His soul can stop shrieking now – but it should make room for some shame and embarrassment.”–A GeekWire reader responding to the Redfin rebate cuts.

“The only plausible explanation for the ’empathy gap’ in the Amazon experience is cultural — actually having to interact with customers is seen as a defect, a failure of the machine — and that cultural strain is embedded so deep and runs so high in the organization that it can’t be challenged.”–Seattle angel investor Chris DeVore of Founder’s Co-op writing a blog post about Amazon.com’s Achilles’ heel.

“I actually like not having to interact with them.  Just sell me stuff at a good price and deliver it on time.”–A GeekWire reader responding to the column.

“One day we hope to be a Goliath. But the reason we are going to be a Goliath is because somebody let us be a David. And when you do not restrain the Internet, you will create more jobs, create more freedom, create more educated people than any other thing that we’ve ever created. And this is why we have to defend it and this is why we have to protect it. It is the greatest thing that mankind has ever created.”–Cheezburger CEO Ben Huh speaking at the In NW conference in Seattle.

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