John Palfrey would probably call himself a “digital settler,” someone comfortable enough with technology to help open up the new realms of pervasive digital media and online social networking. I just heard him speak about the emerging population of “digital natives,” those among the 1 to 3 Billion people born after 1980 with access to the new web and/or mobile technology and who have been exposed to the ways and means of its merger with daily life. ("Digital immigrants" make up Palfrey's third and largest clump of the human population--those of us slowly struggling to make their way in the post-email new world.)

For anyone working with youth in schools or youth-serving community organizations, Palfrey’s Born Digital, Understanding the First Generation of Digital Natives, is essential reading. Since reading it last winter, I have found myself referring to it repeatedly in planning meetings about on-line privacy and security on our sites, the constructions of line identities, how advocacy and services can mesh with everyday social networking as experienced by young people today.

To see what it’s all about, before mentioning any websites, I’ll start by just passing on this youtube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79IYZVYIVLA&feature=related.  

I’m back to using two computers regularly. My trusty laptop now frequently just sits on my desk. While traveling around, my shiny new, lightweight Ubuntu netbook (a Dell mini 12) connects to the Internet, has Open Office, Remote Desktop, and enough other stuff that I am fine. I’m not here to sing the virtues of Ubuntu; I want to talk about the challenges of having data on more than one computer.  

I am not by nature a tech tools junkie. I tend to stick with what works for longer than my peers and database designs colleagues. That said, I am always on the lookout for something new that really works. Balsamiq Mockups fits that category for creating screen mockups as part of a design process.  

At Thanksgiving time of year, we are supposed to reflect on things we take for granted. I want to acknowledge that I tend to take some of my desktop tools for granted. Case in point this morning: don’t take your browser or you web mail for granted.  

Back in September, Peter Campbell kicked off a discussion about project management in the idealware.org blog. I wanted to pick up the thread by focusing in on Basecamp. Among project management-related tools, Basecamp has the buzz. It is quite common when we start a new project, that someone from the team involved will have used it and know their way around it.  

The Massachusetts Nonprofit Network will hold its first annual conference Friday October 24 at Bentley College in Waltham.  

These days, having an “Intranet” comes up a lot as a requirement for website projects. I’m using the term advisedly to refer to a range of needs for private space for organizing campaigns and collaboratively developing ideas.  

Note: previously posted on http://www.idealware.org/blog/, where Steve is now a regular contributor

Is it just me, or is everyone redoing their web site all of a sudden? This summer, we had a rash of requests to talk about web site options. I am writing this after a neighbor who has never previously talked tech with me literally stopped me in the street about her organization’s site.  

Moving our office this summer, we ended up having a gap between moving out and moving in. I got many questions about what we did with all our servers while bridging the gap. Fact is, though we use many such things, most of it is out there in the “cloud.”  

Data security has been in the news again lately with new stories about stolen laptops (Anheuser Busch) and credit card break-ins. Its easy to slip into the mindset that nothing is safe so why bother. One point of vulnerability that has been on my mind lately is passwords.