Startup costs are at an all time low, ideas are everywhere, and there are millions of content-creating users out there ready to help out. It's never been a better time to be a webby guy who's into webby things. These are good times. These are the salad days. New services, tools, and sites bubble...

One of the most interesting webby things I get to do here at Blackbaud is produce, host, and edit all of our podcasts. Podcasting is a great way for any organization to create inexpensive social media that is informational, portable, and shareable. We have three different brands of podcasts here at Blackbaud...

I'm really not obsessed with Twitter...well, no more than you are at least. OK, maybe a little more. Either way, I just wrote this article for Fundraising Well and The NonProfit Times , and thought it should end up here on Webby Things. Enjoy! Twitter Makes Relationships Work — Right Now Social networking...

My brain has been buzzing ever since I read the big Google Friend Connect press release yesterday. Social networks form natural silos or walled gardens, and even FriendFeed may not be able to break them down (despite an AMAZING feature set - I've loving you FriendFeed ). This is a big challenge,...

Blackbaud's Conference for Nonprofits in Montreal is off to a brilliant start this morning, and Twitter updates are allowing attendees to share the experience with their followers. The era of microblogging ( Twitter ), lifestreaming ( Socialthing! and FriendFeed ), and mobile broadcasting ( Qik ...

As with most webby-types, I'm becoming hopelessly addicted to Twitter . That said, I have a lot of trouble explaining to skeptics how tiny updates about what people are doing can actually be useful. They don't see that while Twitter appears to be about nothing, it is really about everything ...

We talk a lot about nonprofits using the social web to attract and engage donors, but the concepts trend more towards awareness than action. Using MySpace or YouTube to deliver your message to a broad audience is one thing - getting them to act is another. That’s where SixDegrees.org , AOL Instant Messenger...

I recently ran across a new video sharing site for nonprofits, DoGooder.tv . Very cool. The site is live right now, though in alpha, and allows nonprofits to post high-quality videos for a small fee free. They plan to include more community and online donation functionality down the road, so this is...

Using the Social Web , also referred to as Web 2.0 , is a great way for your nonprofit to reach donors and spread your message. Social sites are built to encourage sharing, and few things are more effective and inexpensive than viral marketing. While maintaining your own Web site will always be a priority...