February 24th:
3rd technology session:

TECHNOLOGICAL RESOURCE IDENTIFICATION

present technology resources (see below)
site visit presentations(I want to know who you're visiting and why!)

In order to make good decisions about choosing technology for your organization, you need good information. Fortunately, of all the things that are online, information about technology is probably the most wide and deep.

Below you'll find a series of links to technology resources. Take some time exploring them, looking at the kind of information that's available. For class, identify a couple of sites that you found either extremely useful or unhelpful, and define why. (Feel free to identify other sites, if you like, there are certainly more than I've listed below.)

Be prepared to discuss how you'd make use of such a site in preparing your technology plan. Consider the following:

1. How would you use such a site to help your technology team better understand or look at the options available?
2. How would the information found at such a site make it easier/more difficult to put a plan together?
3. Would you actually make your purchases this way? What would the pros and cons be of doing that for your organization?

Research at least one specific piece of hardware or software andbe prepared to talk about what it's uses might be for your organization, what the advantages and/or drawbacks might be for what your organization would like to do, and how it compares to other similar products.

Take a look at the handout I gave you in the last class about doing online searches, or take some time to work through the search exercises here and here as part of your process.

There are three main areas in which you'll want to take a look:

General Reference Areas
These links will help you by defining terms, by giving you basic information about what this stuff is and how it works.

Hardware and Software Reviews and Advice
These sites do actual reviews of hardware/software/etc., and can help you look at the specifics of choosing one product versus another.

Pricing and Industry Trends
These sites can help you get an overview of what's going on by providing some context, some perspective on how things have changed, are changing, or are likely to change.

HOMEWORK FOR MARCH 10th: review online fundraising links, strategic resources, write strategic plan, site visits. The strategic plan: each student is to generate a one page planning document of key goals and strategies for a technology plan.

Here are comments received from class members...

Yamilett Abejon

Melinda Block

Sybille Canthal

Krissy Davis

Anja Deller

Geoffrey Fleming

Cheryl Giznik

Sandra Jaggi

Jen Jessen

Joy Qi Le

Sarah Nemerovski

Mary Anne Redding

Trisha Shepard

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General Reference Area

http://pcwebopedia.com/ A pretty good overall reference for computer terms.

http://whatis.com/ Not the best visually, but has a lot of excellent links with definitions and links to tutorials. The "Every file format in the workd" section alone can be a huge resource for you in solving problems.

CNet Glossary A good place for bite-size technical computer definitions. For example, look at the explanations of a Peer-to-Peer Network versus a Server and Client. Compare this to the "basic Network Information" area of whatis.com and you'll see that these definitions are considerably less technical in nature. Think about the plusses and minuses of each approach.

PONG -- PC World's online glossary Not as complete as some of the others, but it has a number of definitions that are different from the usual ones you'll find, and it's nicely targeted at those without technical background.

TechWeb A HUGE list of terms, including both specific technical terms and terms in general use by users which don't have "official" status, such as "Black Screen of Death."

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Hardware and Software Reviews and Advice

http://www.peabodylibrary.org/purchase.html The Peabody Institute Library has put together a very nice site on buying a new computer, with some absolutely marvelous links to articles on such things as deciding between Macs and PCs. A bit dated in places, but still very valuable.

Ziff-Davis The largest single publisher of computer information. This site is so massive it's a bit intimidating, but there are a tremendous amount of resources available. Take a look at the Product Guide area, the "How to Buy" area, and the Computer Shopper buying guide area. Take a little time creating systems and see what you discover. Note: Ziff-Davis, like many online sites, has a generally rosy view of technology, and optimism about the depth of the pockets of those who are buying. Think about this in the context of your non-profit, and think about the implications and where this perspective manifests itself.

The CPU Site What are there, like a million different computer processors out there? This site keeps track of them, and tells you the differences between them. More than you'll ever want to know for the context of this class, but in actually putting together purchasing decisions this can simply be invaluable. (Heck, I know this stuff and I can't keep all of these things straight -- they change so fast.)

CMP: Technology Network Here you'll find technology news, reviews, and so forth. (This one could also fit into the trends area below, as could a number of the ones in this section, as there are some sites that take on a lot.) Take a look at some of the news categories, for example, for news about the serial number imbedded in Intel's new Pentium III processor, and the industry perspective on it. How would this contrast with public sector concerns about privacy? How would this impact (or would it) your planning process?

Coyote Communications A great set of links to software that's pertinent to nonprofits. Definitely take some time to look through some of these. Coyote also as a nice bunch of information about resources for older computers which might factor into your planning if you're not blessed with a lot of potential $$ to play with. You might also want to take a look at their tip sheet on databases, which has an excellent explanation of flat versus relational databases.

Tech News has a nice article by Tim Hyatt about affordable computers for nonprofits. He mentions LanBridge, which allows multiple computers on a network to connect to the internet using one modem. Other such products are made by Artisoft (iShare), and others. There a nice list of Windows-based proxy servers (which is what the above is) at Winfiles.com, which is an excellent resource for shareware and other links for Windows-based machines. One good exercise would be to take a look at these and think about when these might make sense for an organization and what the cost and hardware implciations are.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy has organized their advertisers into a really excellent technology guide that breaks things down into such categories as fund-raising software, membership management software, etc.

A new online magazine for nonprofits, nonprofit-tech.org has a nice list of Computer and Technology Links, which are organized in an easy-to-understand format. It lacks context, but is still worth both exploring and watching, as it's fairly new.

Pricing and Industry Trends

PCToday has an absolutely invaluable set of resources, in particular its MarketWatch area. It's worth registering to see, as it shows graphs of technology costs by component over the past year, which can be vitally useful when you're looking at pricing things out. One reason I like these folks is that they'll actually sometimes say in a review that they don't like a product, which is something that's a bit rare.

The Intraware Knowledge Center offers nice overviews of what's happening in the technology industry and in comparing products. A lot of these are the kind o things aimed at larger organizations or companies, but there's a lot here that's good for all levels.

MCI WorldCom's site has some intriguing position papers on where various video telecommunication trends are going. Overview stuff, but if you've got needs such as video teleconferencing, this could be of use.

A class at the University of Alberta has a marvelous Technology in Education section that does a great job of outlining the parameters of the area.

The Society of Information Techology Management in the U.K. has a nice summary of trends in local government technology usage trends gathered from surveys from over 200 respondents. It's a useful baseline of trends, which mirror lots of things going on in the U.S. and there are other useful resources on this site, as well.

Yamilett Abejon
REWIRING THE ARTS ORGANIZATION
J. Matuzak
February 24, 1999

Links to Technology Resources

Summary

Useful Sites:
General Reference-

pcwebopedia - This site was easy enough to read but as you read further the definitions became far too technical to understand ( outside of context), if you are not searching for something specific, it seems to be just a lot of information you can't really apply.

PONG - This was a very witty site, I've bookmarked this one, it was easy enough to understand and took some of the anxiety out of understaing the techno words and equipment.

Hardware and Software

Ziff-Davis site : This site's Product guide was very easy to follow, not too technical, however the Computer shopper buying guide where you can create your own system was very daunting, I found myself having to keep linking back to the product guide section to see what I was requesting. Not very helpful for the unitiated.

Pricing and Industry Trends

I found the Technology in Education site from the University of Alberta to have some good ideas for Implementing Technology in the classroom.. These ideas could be applied to the arts organization.

Melinda Block
Rewiring the Arts Organization
2/10/99
Educational Program Criteria

Sybille Canthal

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Krissy Davis
Technological Resource Identification

Whatis The definitions are more pared down. There are good links in the definitions. (ada, AS/400)

Pong This one kind of drove me nuts. Very limited definitions - I couldn’t find any of the previous definitions I had looked up at other sites (see above). However, the definitions that were there were shot and to the point. I just didn’t find this site very useful.

TechWeb The password drove me nuts.

Peabody Interesting yet a lot of the articles didn’t fulfill my needs. The list of the top 400 desktops was not up. There was not much information on desktops.

Ziff-Davis Besides being visually distracting and irritating, this was a pretty good site. It took some time to search for and get the information that I wanted but when I did get the information it was worth the time.

CMP I did not find this site browser friendly.

Coyote There were lots of cool links but I found it a little cumbersome in finding what I was looking for (MYOB).

Marketwatch(PCToday) I thought this was a groovy site. There was a lot of good information.

CRITERIA FOR A QUALITATIVE ARTS EDUCATION PROGRAM

Geoffrey Fleming
February 24, 1999
Rewiring the Arts
Prof. J. Matuzak

TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES

PCWEBOPEDIA A nice site. Took a while to load, though, I wonder if this would be a big problem for older computers? The “top questions” area was nice, it helped me to understand what other people out there are having problems with. One of the best aspects of their site were the links to other words within definitions, this is infinitely helpful. I also think that there “talk to us” area where you can let them no about problems with URL’s and the such is a great idea.

WHATIS I liked the alphabetical listing makes it easy for even new users to search for definitions. This site had fewer graphics which made it load more easily and more quickly. Like pcwebopedia, it had highlighted words within definitions. An additional plus were the links to other sources at the bottom of the definition search results, a great idea.

CNET Nice simplistic definitions that won’t scare aware people who are relatively new to the internet.

TECHWEB Definitions are easy to understand, and the site loads quickly and with ease.

ZIFF-DAVIS A very slow loader and an overwhelming site. It does have nice links and seems that you could find out everything and anything you would ever want to know about computers and the Net. The deals feature was nice, great to find inexpensive systems, and so was the online class link. It would be great to learn computer programming this way. To do it from your home and your own computer must be a great help for many people.

CMP Interesting site. I see there point but I don’t like the idea of being watched through my computer. I suppose it would be O.K. for business applications, but I would be wary of using such a system from my home personal computer.

COYOTE Yes! This is the site I always wanted to use and did not know it existed. Having access to the information on different programming for not-for-profits is just a great idea. The organization of the site is a bit haphazard and confusing, headings would be nice here. I liked the “older computer resources” area, it seemed like it would be very helpful for organizations who are struggling with the enormous task of either replacing or upgrading their systems.

CHRONICLE OF PHILANTHROPY A nice web site. Easy to use format, but I would like more info., direct links to the other sites dealing with software, etc . . .

PCTODAY Loads really quickly, a nice feature. I like that you can view partial or completely full details on the various computers and accessories. It lets you know what you are truly looking at and who you need to contact as well. Lot’s of great deals here. The “marketwatch” area is good, but not really all that useful. For example, looking at the scanner area, I know I can go out and buy a scanner for $95.00, and their average is up around $400.00. This would scare me a way from even looking further into buying one if I was unaware of better deals elsewhere.

TECH IN ED. Loads easily and is easy to move around in. Its helpful because it tells you where to go to find out more information by listing publications, studies, etc . . . for the different areas.

SOCIETY OF ITM A little hard to follow, probably not for the weak hearted when it comes to computers. Not everything they talk about is defined, probably a site best left to professionals or those with more in-depth knowledge.

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HARDWARE/SOFTWARE Scanner

Nowadays, having a scanner is most useful for almost any organization. To be able to put pictures into their computers and thereby into their newsletters and other publications is a bonus. Also to be able to email copies of photos in your archives to researchers and genealogists is very convenient.

The only drawback is making yourself , or your employees, take the time to learn the software that most come with. Though not easy, you can master it if you take the time. It might be helpful to have a one time session taught by a professional to introduce the new addition to your computer setup.

Though they average in price around four hundred dollars, one can be had for as little as one hundred dollars including basic software.

Criteria for Art ED Programming
Cheryl Giznik
2/10/99

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Technology Resource Links

For review, the technology resource links are divided into three categories:
General Reference Area
Hardware and Software Reviews and Advice
Pricing and Industry Trends.

Question 1
How would you use a site to help your technology team better understand or look at the options available?

For example, the websites, pcwebopedia.com and techweb.com provide an easy and quick definition of specific terms as well as related terms. In addition, new words associated with computer technology are added on an on-going basis that allows the user to keep up to date with computer terminology. The websites also offer links to other websites, latest news and other resources. First, I think that the technology team members should all have basic understanding and definitions of concepts and terms so that they can use and work from as well as being informed about the latest events, products and services. Second, some of the websites (computershopper.com and computers.com) offer comparisons of similar or same types of products in order to select the best product for your organization’s needs and budget restraints. Third, in deciding when to buy, there are also graphs of the cost of products over a period of time that means you can save money and possibly buy a superior model than what you were originally thinking of buying at that time.

Question 2
How would information found at a website be easier/difficult to put a plan together?

I think that it is helpful to look at other technology plans of nonprofits especially ones that are similar to your organization in service, budget and size, but ultimately, it would be a starting point to create a plan based on examples, questions and criteria to ask.

Question 3
Would you actually make a purchase this way? What would the pros and cons be if doing that for your organization?

It depends on the item for purchase. There are also security reasons. Buying on-line may not be secured and encrypted so others maybe able to steal private information about your organization. If the product is something that we already have or know about and we can buy it online safely and has a return policy then, I would probably buy it. If it is something that is new and unfamiliar, I think we would like to test it out first before making a purchase or test drive it. It may also be cheaper to buy on-line versus in the store since there may be a mark up.

The technews.com site is great for nonprofits. I think that many nonprofits may be a little intimidated by other technology computer websites as well as internetnonprofitcenter.com is tailored for the specific needs of nonprofits and offers descriptions of various types of software used by nonprofits. This site is targeted towards them. Many funders are concerned that nonprofits may be left behind with the advancements in technology specially the internet.

I was very interested in the Internet LanBridge, a virtual motion product because it allows nonprofits to hook up several computers on a network by sharing a single modem and a single internet account for little cost.

The connection is automatic; when a user runs a program that needs to access the Internet, such as Netscape or Microsoft Explorer, the host workstation or server will automatically dial out and establish the connection. Individual workstations do not require any changes other than installation of the LanBridge client software. The telephone service and modem being shared can be either regular ones or ISDN for faster access.

A LanBridge site license retails for around $295, but is available to nonprofits, schools and agencies at a discount through Per Scholas.

Example
An organization with ten networked PCs and a 56K modem could provide access to everyone on the site for an initial startup cost of around $500 for an appropriate modem and the LanBridge software, and then ongoing costs as little as $30 per month for an ISP account; telephone service, regular or ISDN, is additional.

Advantages
Low cost (discount for nonprofits through Per Scholas)
Multiple simultaneous use of internet sharing of band width does not result in performance degradation at the user end
Little equipment required: modem, service provider account (telephone service)

Disadvantages
Most of the computers are on the network, not all of them
Ongoing costs like telephone service

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Rewiring the Arts Organization
Review of Technical Resource
Sandra Jaggi

I have chosen to do a technical review on ebase, an Interactive Database for Nonprofit Organizations. ebase is a template for nonprofits that want to manage things such s communication with their members, member history and giving levels. Ebase is based on Filemaker Pro and is available on the Internet at ebase.org. I learned of this service/product during class and was relieved and glad to find it existed. In learning more about the product I realized a few of the positive and negative aspects of downloading ebase and putting it into use for your organization.

First the positive. It is easy to find. It is easy to install. It has an easily accessible support network. It is free. Most especially, it is necessary. In getting our systems and organizations ready for the millennium, it would be prudent to take stock of your database system to see if what you are currently using is the most appropriate and the least time consuming. Donor profiles and donor giving cycles are the most important way organizations, big or small, have of tracking funds which come from individuals. Storage of this information is often overlooked due to greater focus on more “practical” information, such as name, address, phone number, etc. It is critical for organizations to have access to more “impractical” information, such as marriage history, children names, nicknames, what events donors attended and even something as frivolous as what a donor’s favorite flower is. All of this information helps personalize the interactions between a donor and an organization. You can end phone calls by asking them how there daughter____ is doing at U of ____. Or whether or not there pet named_____is doing any better. This information is not to be overlooked and ebase allots for all of this and more.

Now the negative. It is hard to learn and requires extensive training. It is not free. It uses up a lot of memory. It requires an extensive instruction manual of a few hundred pages that you must download and print out. After downloading ebase I was struck by the fact that it is not free and that you will be charged for the use of ebase within one year. The amount of paper generated from the learning manuals is overwhelming. So overwhelming in fact, that I never bothered to print them out and ebase has, so far, never been used by me even though I installed it almost immediately after learning that it existed. It also takes up a lot of room on your systems hard drive. Had I been working on my old computer, I would never have been able to download the program.

I want to learn to use ebase and I hope that I will be able to. I do not believe however, that ebase should be used by smaller institutions, especially when they do not have the hardware to back it up. Purchasing another database program might be more to their liking and easier to access. You can take ebase and use it as a model with which to create your own database. Larger organizations would be better off using ebase. Before the end of the year, I hope to have mastered the database. I will keep you posted…

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Effective Arts Education Criteria
A. April & J. Matuzak
Spring 99
Jen N. Jessen

Links to Technology Resources

General Reference:

pcwebopedia - I found this website easy to follow. Very simple homepage, no annoying advertising or flashing boxes. The font was a good size and not too colorful to disrupt my attention. The general content was easy to understand, but as I searched further I noticed I started to get lost with the “computer verbiage”. Also, my computer is not too fast, and it took a long time to link to another section. I found myself tired of waiting and moving on to the next web site.

PONG - I enjoyed using this site. This is a very user friendly site that would help any individual with computer terms. I would recommend this to friends and probably will use this in the future.

Hardware and Software:

Ziff-Davis site - This site had a lot of clutter and I found myself distracted and forgetting what I was actually trying to locate. The home page is easy to follow and this site does contain a lot of beneficial information.

Pricing and Industry Trends:

MCIWORLDCOM - has a great layout, very easy to understand for non-computer geeks. This site has a lot of good information and explains where to locate tradeshows, how to go to a conference, and even how to join this program. I found the text easy to follow and the color and font were designed well.

Technology in Education, University of Alberta site - was a simple layout, but very user friendly. This site contained great ideas that could apply to a number of nonprofit programs.

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Sarah Nemerovski
February 24, 1999
TECHNOLOGICAL RESOURCES

The tecnological resources that were listed were for the most part very helpful, providing answers to questions, links to other sites, prices, and definitions just to name a few. For any organization but especially a not for profit organization theses sites provide an invaluable and free source of information.

When considering technology for an organization, it is my opinion that sites such as these can only have a positive result. They provide information in all necessary areas. My only hesitation arises with the purchase of the equipment. It appears that most of the sites have a ‘positive’ review of most of the available equipment, for an individual with little knowledge this may pose a problem. I believe that it would be in the best interest of the organization to make up a list of the equipment that they believe will be the most beneficial and then hire an out side consultant to make the final decision. Based upon the organizations needs, the consultant can provide the essential answers.

Sites such as those listed would facilitate the process of a technology plan, as well as provide employees an opportunity to learn more about the technology that is being integrated into their organization.

I would not but my equipment solely off the information received off of web-sites. It is still in my opinion extremely important to speak to a knowledgeable individual regarding a final purchase.

Of the many technological sites that are available, they can only prove to be beneficial to organizations that use them. They provide important and necessary information.

Mary Anne Redding
Rewiring the Arts
Spring 1999
EDUCATION

Plan C
Effective Arts Education Criteria
Targets small community arts organizations and schools
Trisha Shepard
Spring 1999

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