The SysAdmin Trap

The SysAdmin Trap

In mid-2008, Terry Childs, the (then) System Administrator for the City of San Francisco, was called into a meeting with the COO (his boss); the CIO of the SF Police Department; a Human Resources representative; and, unbeknownst to Terry, by phone, a few of the engineers he managed. He was ordered to share the system passwords for the network. He made them up. Subsequently challenged with this fact, he refused to reveal the passwords, ending up in a city jail cell.

The Softer Side Of Security

The Softer Side Of Security

This article was first published on the NTEN Blog in April of 2010. As the technical staff at our nonprofits,.

Why I Don’t “Like” Facebook

Why I Don’t “Like” Facebook

Big changes are happening at Facebook, and they mean that what you do and say, on and off of Facebook, is now being more heavily tracked and more broadly shared. If you think that your Facebook data is somewhat private -- e.g., shared only with friends and people you specify -- you are wrong.

Putting The Tech Back In Nonprofit Technology

Putting The Tech Back In Nonprofit Technology

We're all back from the Nonprofit Technology Conference, where nine of the ten Idealware bloggers congregated, along with some 1,440 of our peers in the nptech community. What a gas! NTC, as we call the conference, is what high school would have been like if everyone had been a member of the popular clique. The combination of peer education and celebration of our common interest in saving the world with heart and technology make for an exuberant occasion. And I can't say enough about the awe and appreciation I have for Holly, Anna, Annaliese, Brett, Sarah and Karl, and the amazing event that they recreate year after year for us. But, enough gushing.

Hearts and Mobiles

Hearts and Mobiles

Are Microsoft and Apple using the mobile web to dictate how we use technology? And, if so, what does that mean for us? Last week, John Herlihy, Google's Chief of Sales, made a bold prediction: “In three years time, desktops will be irrelevant."

Who can’t wait for Dad to get back from NTC…

Who can’t wait for Dad to get back from NTC…

... even though I haven't even left yet?