An interesting thing happened this month that I can't recall ever seeing before. WordPress released a new version of its software, and then the very next day, released another update. Version 4.9.3 fixed 34 vulnerabilities in the software. Version 4.9.4 fixed the WordPress automatic update feature that broke for many sites after 4.9.3 was installed. I thought about all the nonprofits I've ever met who fail to update WordPress regularly and decided to write this post. About automatic … [Read more...] about Recent WordPress updates & why you should always update your website ASAP
technology
What the Tech? Awesome Tools for Managing Your Capacity Building Practice
Why the tech heck am I writing this post? Last week, I gave a breakout session at the Alliance for Nonprofit Management's 2017 Capacity Builders Conference. My co-presenter, Keith Timko (Executive Director/CEO of the Support Center) and I presented "What the Tech? Awesome Tools for Managing Your Capacity Building Practice." Designed for nonprofit consultants and capacity builders, the tools we discussed can also be useful for small business owners and start-ups. We promised to share all the … [Read more...] about What the Tech? Awesome Tools for Managing Your Capacity Building Practice
5 Things to Look for When Hiring a Technology Consultant
A sizable part of a my job at the Bayer Center was providing technology consulting services for nonprofits. However, once in a while we did an in-house project where we needed to hire an outside consultant to do some technical work, and sometimes I got to project manage it. At one point, we hired a Salesforce implementer and I got to thinking about the traits that are the highest on my list when hiring a consultant (and that I try to emulate when I do consulting): Technical chops. This is a … [Read more...] about 5 Things to Look for When Hiring a Technology Consultant
The Evolution of Online Privacy (Video by PBS)
I'm currently taking a class at RMU called Digital Evidence Analysis. It's been fascinating subject matter so far. This week, we were assigned to view a video about the history of online privacy. In the messy and scary wake of the recent Equifax hacking, sharing the video in a post this week seems very relevant. (On a semi-related note, please consider carefully if you are thinking of signing up for Equifax's offer of a year's free credit monitoring for affected customers. I checked into it and … [Read more...] about The Evolution of Online Privacy (Video by PBS)
The Importance of SSL for Nonprofits
Amar Trivedi of AmDee, LLC, is my guest blogger today, providing guidance on how crucial it will be for nonprofits to upgrade their websites to SSL in the coming months. Amar is the founder and president of AmDee and has been a software developer and architect since the mid-1990s. The Importance of SSL for Nonprofits An active online presence is essential to promoting your nonprofit organization’s campaigns, but that doesn’t mean you need to know all of that intimidating Internet jargon. … [Read more...] about The Importance of SSL for Nonprofits