2009, 2010, API and Consultant - Nonprofit Technology

APIs – what, how, whither, and writing

Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology

NOVEMBER 9, 2006

Home About Me Subscribe Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology Thoughtful and sometimes snarky perspectives on nonprofit technology APIs – what, how, whither, and writing November 9, 2006 I’ve been asked by NTEN to write a whitepaper on APIs, following their Open API debate. That’s a good thing.

API

API Open Source NTEN Technorati

Platforms break open!

Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology

OCTOBER 15, 2007

One of the wonderful things that has happened since I wrote the Open API whitepaper way back in January, is that finally, vendors are realizing how important openness really is, and are beginning to implement things in a big way. Kintera’s Connect has an API that can do some very important things. The API is SOAP.

Open

Open Platform Kintera API

Tidbits

Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology

MAY 19, 2008

Speaking of the responses of the old guard, eTapestry, which was bought by Blackbaud last year, is opening up it’s API this week. Allan, in his inimitable way, points out how bad the API is. So is it good news, when companies open APIs that don’t make it easy to really use? Time will tell. { Time will tell. {

API

API Open Source Kintera Benchmark

Blackbaud buys Kintera

Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology

MAY 29, 2008

In Kintera, Blackbaud certainly got it’s hands on a platform with pretty good open APIs (Allan Benamer argues they are better than Convio’s.) Blackbaud’s other recent acquisition, eTapestry, did open up their APIs recently, although they leave much to be desired. Will they continue in that direction?

Kintera

Kintera Blackbaud Open Source API

Platforms break open, part II

Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology

OCTOBER 18, 2007

Allan is right – the Kintera API is more comprehensive, and provides for more flexibility than the Convio API. Of course, the API was only one part of Convio’s initiative, so I do still think they come out ahead, a bit. But it may well be that for more complex integrations, the Kintera API will provide more power.

Open

Open Platform Kintera API

My Theory of Practice

Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology

JULY 10, 2008

My theory of practice is different than my consulting philosophy. Reading, research, collaborating with others, getting my hands dirty with servers and code, playing with new applications and new APIs – all of those things keep my technology expertise fresh. They certainly are consistent with each other, but they are distinct.

Practice

Practice Open Source Consultant Articulate

Web 2.0 Part Va:APIs

Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology

OCTOBER 17, 2006

for geeks is APIs. Like the freedom that RSS gives to end users in terms of getting the data that you want in your hands, to read when and how you want it, APIs give programmers (and, at times, end users) the freedom to get data from Web 2.0 One of the best examples of the use of APIs are Google Map mashups.

Web

Web API Open Source RSS

What OpenSocial Means

Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology

NOVEMBER 1, 2007

OpenSocial is a set of APIs. OpenSocial is a set of APIs that handle three different kinds of user data: profiles, social graph (who your friends are) and activities (the stuff of the Facebook news feeds.) And the language of these APIs are standard HTML and Javascript. It’s aimed primarily at developers.

Ning

Ning API Open Source Social Network

Web 2.0 Part Vb:APIs

Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology

OCTOBER 20, 2006

Part Vb:APIs October 20, 2006 This morning, I sat in on the " Great Open API Debate " hosted by NTEN. It would have been nice to have heard from a circuit-rider or "for-little-profit" integrator/consultant type person, and maybe another nonprofit type (a moderately tech savvy ED?)

Web

Web API Open Source NTEN

Speaking of open social networks …

Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology

AUGUST 14, 2008

There are an increasing number of third party apps that can use it (it supports the Twitter API.) The documentation is a bit lacking, and it’s clear that it’s a very new project. So I’m on identi.ca now ( follow pearlbear ).

Social Network

Social Network Open Network Open Source

Integration of CRM and CMS

Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology

JANUARY 14, 2009

This is when actual code is written in the CMS (via module or customization) which calls APIs on the CRM side to perform specific actions, such as adding records, syncing records, grabbing data, etc. Depending on the CRM, some require additional license fees for forms or APIs. Integration. So what’s the right strategy?

Integration

Integration API Drupal Open Source

Google Health launches … and it’s not HIPAA compliant

Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology

MAY 20, 2008

I missed that this whole “Google Health API&# was about storing your health data at Google. It gives me enough pause to trust them with my email. { 1 comment… read it below or add one } 1 amanda 05.22.08 at 12:10 pm Woah. No freaking way.

Google

Google Open Source RSS API

Kintera Connect

Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology

AUGUST 15, 2007

The Connect platform is a set of APIs, starting with the contact and payment sets of entities, that will allow access (via SOAP 1.1) The APIs will be without cost. A couple of annoyances: the documentation for the APIs aren’t up yet, and the sample code they are going to publish is in C# and Java!

Kintera

Kintera Open Source API Platform

Tidbits

Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology

AUGUST 13, 2008

This news is so old it’s embarrassing – NPR opened up their content API. But I still haven’t seen much activity on the sourceforge page, nor does it seem that the code for these new projects is available. So the reality is still pretty far behind the hype. I sure hope the reality catches up. Way to go, NPR!

Open Source

Open Source Hype Badge RSS

SaaS vs. Open Source

Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology

SEPTEMBER 24, 2008

Other times it is more important to have an open API or an app that is properly designed for plug-ins or extensions. For open source, that translates into 10-15 hours of a consultant’s time- less than 2 days- where a vendor can provide unlimited support for an entire year. There are multiple ways to ‘play well with others.’

Open Source

Open Source Open API Software

Tidbits

Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology

FEBRUARY 14, 2008

Developers who code solutions that integrate with Kintera using their open API platform, Connect , can win $15,000 or $5,000 (not the $25 K their big logo seems to suggest – that’s just the total they will award.) Kintera opens a Developers Challenge.

Kintera

Kintera Open Source Wiki Open

MPower Open keeps moving forward

Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology

JULY 6, 2008

2) The customers, as a general rule, check to the open source or open API box on their RFP and then hire the vendor to do the implementation… they just don’t have the technical chops to really dive deep into the software. . “If we build it they will come&# only works in the movies. {

Open

Open Open Source Blogger Press

Varied and sundry before a brief break

Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology

AUGUST 30, 2007

The primer, which will show up in just electronic form, also has a very cool implementation of a great open API that we’ll be crowing about soon (my lips are sealed right now.) Oh, and my consulting practice has a new logo, done by the fabulous ALR Design ! { I keep discovering new and exciting free and open source web platforms.

Mediawiki

Mediawiki Open Source RSS Tech

Open source your Open Social Apps?

Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology

NOVEMBER 21, 2007

The salient quote: Why not roll your own social network, include the OpenSocial API, and have applications, groups, widgets and portals to your site in any number of the “OpenSocial” platforms? Freelance Switch Gavin’s Digital Diner Idealware Jon Stahl’s Journal Lifehacker LinuxChix – Be Polite.

Open Source

Open Source Open Social Social Network

News from NTC ‘08

Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology

MARCH 20, 2008

MPower Open , an enterprise CRM, is both open source, and has great open APIs. I don’t have lots of leisure to go into detail about what’s happening here, but I thought I’d highlight a few things, and then when I get back home, and have time for it all to digest, I’ll write in much more detail.

NTC

NTC News Open Source Convio

Free and open source tool #15: MPower Open CRM

Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology

APRIL 14, 2008

And, it’s got completely open APIs. It’s open source, and it is yet another option for organizations – and it is an open source replacement for Raiser’s Edge. How cool is that? And it’s open source – so someone who really cares can port it to work with MySQL, etc.

Open Source

Open Source Open Tools Free

Speaking too soon

Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology

APRIL 15, 2007

Home About Me Subscribe Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology Thoughtful and sometimes snarky perspectives on nonprofit technology Speaking too soon April 15, 2007 I’ve been doing a lot of thinking since I wrote my post, a few weeks ago , saying I was done with technology consulting. But then, I had something of an epiphany.

Open Source

Open Source Consultant Database RSS

Competing for nonprofit dollars

Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology

DECEMBER 22, 2006

SO much work on fundraising widgets, but so few vendors in the case management space and even fewer providing an open API. We are not being well served by a lot of nonprofit technology. Freelance Switch Gavin’s Digital Diner Idealware Jon Stahl’s Journal Lifehacker LinuxChix – Be Polite.

Open Source

Open Source Nonprofit Kintera Technorati

Vendorspeak

Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology

AUGUST 24, 2007

There are some trends that make it seem that some vendors are beginning to get the picture that we can all work together – open APIs seem to be on the rise. So, of course, everybody is fighting tooth and nail, bit and byte, trackback and comment (and even dollar and cent), to get their piece. That makes me happy.

Open Source

Open Source eLearning Software Comment

Web 2.0 Part IIa: Social Bookmarking

Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology

SEPTEMBER 24, 2006

There are some interesting comparison’s out there – see Notmyself, Phil Crissman , and Jeff Croft for a good review of Ma.gnolia’s open API. at 10:45 am Well, I haven’t found one, but I did find this: [link] So Ma.gnolia now has an API that mirrors del.icio.us Ma.gnolia is a new(ish) social bookmarking tool.

Bookmarking

Bookmarking Web Social API

Women and Technology

Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology

NOVEMBER 15, 2006

When it comes to conversations about things like the innards of APIs (REST or SOAP?), But then, there is the little secret (well, it’s not so secret). When you look at systems administrators, or coders, or net-heads … the women kinda vanish.

Technology

Technology Open Source Nptech Technorati

Twitter and Nonprofits

Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology

APRIL 10, 2008

2 trackbacks } Carnival of Nonprofit Consultants » Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology 04.14.08 I think you make a great point – Twitter is one of those “hey, why not&# tie-ins for non-profits (and non-profit software vendors, as I hear their API is beautiful), but it is still a very small audience.

Twitter

Twitter Nonprofit Demographics Open Source

Web 2.0 Experiments, snafus and stumbles

Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology

DECEMBER 17, 2007

The tools are getting better and better, and one of the hallmarks of Web 2.0 – the APIs, make it all the more simple to aggregate all of someone’s online content. I’m someone who has, since day one, tried my damnedest (and succeeded 96% of the time) to only say by email, or put up, what I would say in a room full of people.

Web

Web Experiment gMail Open Source

Open Source Database solutions part I

Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology

JANUARY 1, 2007

A PostgreSQL database can, like MySQL, be accessed via APIs written for just about all programming languages, JDBC, and ODBC (which I have quite a bit of experience with.) PostgreSQL is also cross-platform, with binaries available for Linux and Win32 from Postgresql.org , and Mac OS via Darwin Ports. at 6:42 am Hi Michelle,?

Open Source

Open Source Database Open Language

Open Source Database solutions part I

Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology

JANUARY 1, 2007

A PostgreSQL database can, like MySQL, be accessed via APIs written for just about all programming languages, JDBC, and ODBC (which I have quite a bit of experience with.) PostgreSQL is also cross-platform, with binaries available for Linux and Win32 from Postgresql.org , and Mac OS via Darwin Ports. at 6:42 am Hi Michelle,?

Open Source

Open Source Database Open Language

See What’s Out There » Blog Archive » Convio Open – Why the Convio Facebook Application blows away Causes

See3

OCTOBER 18, 2007

I will write more about the API later, but everyone is really there to see the Facebook opportunity. My assumption is that you could custom build a Facebook application using the API, but if you wanted to use their Facebook connector, you would have to only have one. Interactivity. All the biggies will be there.

Convio

Convio Application Facebook Causes

NTC Summary, and Nonprofit Technology Consulting 2.0

Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology

APRIL 8, 2007

Home About Me Subscribe Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology Thoughtful and sometimes snarky perspectives on nonprofit technology NTC Summary, and Nonprofit Technology Consulting 2.0 And it’s making me think a lot about what I’m going to start calling “Nonprofit Technology Consulting 2.0″

Summary

Summary Consultant NTC Technology

CRM & CMS Integration: Plone and Salesforce.com

Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology

MARCH 16, 2009

Home About Me Subscribe Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology Thoughtful and sometimes snarky perspectives on nonprofit technology CRM & CMS Integration: Plone and Salesforce.com March 16, 2009 Today, I was reading up on what the Plone community has done with integrating their CMS with Salesforce.com. 2 Jon Stahl 05.01.09

Integration

Integration Drupal Module Open Source

Time to find a fundraising solution that can’t be bought

Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology

AUGUST 6, 2007

Instead, they will have to rely on consultants, or unfortunately volunteers. So my question to you and your colleagues, from our perspective, is what do you want us to do? What kind of vendor would you like us to be? Free software? 2 David Zeidman 08.07.07 at 9:22 am I am not sure that I agree with your analysis.

Open Source

Open Source Blackbaud Time Fundraising

CiviCRM and Drupal (& Joomla)

Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology

JANUARY 26, 2009

Home About Me Subscribe Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology Thoughtful and sometimes snarky perspectives on nonprofit technology CiviCRM and Drupal (& Joomla) January 26, 2009 CiviCRM was the first nonprofit-focused open source CRM (one of only two, at this moment.) I do agree with Jon to some extent.

Drupal

Drupal Open Source API Synchronous

Web 2.0 Part I

Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology

SEPTEMBER 9, 2006

After that, I’ll go under the hood, and talk about things like open APIs and AJAX. { After that, I’ll go under the hood, and talk about things like open APIs and AJAX. { After that, I’ll go under the hood, and talk about things like open APIs and AJAX. { The technologies generally connected to Web 2.0

Web

Web Folksonomy AJAX Hype

Nonprofit Technology

APIs – what, how, whither, and writing

Platforms break open!

Trending Sources

Tidbits

Blackbaud buys Kintera

Platforms break open, part II

My Theory of Practice

Web 2.0 Part Va:APIs

What OpenSocial Means

Web 2.0 Part Vb:APIs

Speaking of open social networks …

Integration of CRM and CMS

Google Health launches … and it’s not HIPAA compliant

Kintera Connect

Tidbits

SaaS vs. Open Source

Tidbits

MPower Open keeps moving forward

Varied and sundry before a brief break

Open source your Open Social Apps?

News from NTC ‘08

Free and open source tool #15: MPower Open CRM

Speaking too soon

Competing for nonprofit dollars

Vendorspeak

Web 2.0 Part IIa: Social Bookmarking

Women and Technology

Twitter and Nonprofits

Web 2.0 Experiments, snafus and stumbles

Open Source Database solutions part I

Open Source Database solutions part I

See What’s Out There » Blog Archive » Convio Open – Why the Convio Facebook Application blows away Causes

NTC Summary, and Nonprofit Technology Consulting 2.0

CRM & CMS Integration: Plone and Salesforce.com

Time to find a fundraising solution that can’t be bought

CiviCRM and Drupal (& Joomla)

Web 2.0 Part I

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