Meet the Idealware Bloggers Part 5: Michelle Murrain
The last installment of the Meet the Bloggers series is with Michelle Murrain. Unfortunately we didn't get the chance to sit down together in person at the Nonprofit Technology Conference this year but we plan to remedy that at the next one in Atlanta.
Michelle Murrain
On Connecting Nonprofits & Technology
Michelle's work with nonprofits and technology began in parallel. Her college major was in Biology, but even then she was focused on computers and the tech end of things. At the same time she was also on the board of a Gay/Lesbian organization but didn't do technology for them because it was before nonprofits knew or cared much about the potential of technology. It wasn't until ten years later when Michelle, now a professor, was working with local women's health organization who they decided that they wanted to get on the web that it really came together. This was in the early nineties when things were very (very) expensive and even hosting was out of reach for many nonprofits. A student intern working for with them had the bright idea to set up a Linux box in Michelle's office on campus, which was connected to the internet. They set up a server in the corner of her office that the organization could get to and update their web site via phone modem. So this was the experience for Michelle marrying technology and nonprofits and also her first foray into Open Source with Linux, which at the time she installed from floppies. It was still several years after that before nonprofit technology really got established and became her focus.
On Blogging
Starting with a personal blog in 2003 to vent about Iraq war Michelle was an early adopter. In 2004 she realized that there were things to say about technology and that she had a unique perspective so she began a Typepad blog on tech. After taking a break to go to seminary in 2005-06 she started sharing her thoughts with her current blog Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology (http://www.zenofnptech.org). Then Idealware blog came along and she joined in to share her knowledge with the Idealware community.
The Magic Wand Question
One of the questions I asked in each interview was this: If you had a magic wand that could transform one aspect of nonprofit technology in an instant, what would it be and why?
One thing Michelle feels very strongly about is that Nonprofits need to get out of mindset of purchasing and buying and paying for software themselves. She would change the way they approach this and create greater collaboration on tech purchases and solutions. She feels that by working in concert nonprofits can find things that work for a broader group and at less individual organizational cost.
She offered an example. If 10 shelters got together and spent one tenth of the money they could set up a solution to case management or something and would get the same benefit at a fraction of the cost by sharing purchasing and development.
One of the real world ways funders could encourage this is by directing the nonprofits they help to find efficiencies of scale and promoting those efforts with matching funds.
The Next 5 Years
Looking forward to the next five years, Michelle is most excited by the way people are beginning to understand that things should be open. Open as in operating systems, open data and sharing openly in the social network space. Based on open standards, the idea that the data should move place to place easily is a breakthrough that is beginning to grow in all areas. In the past it has been a huge problem for nonprofits the way data has been held in silos and cut off. But she feels we are at the point now where the barriers to movement are technological not a mindset of vendor lock. There are still a few hold out but in general she see that the trend will only continue and believes that in 5 years everything will be open - source, data and standards.
Personal snapshots
First thing you launch on your computer when you boot/in the morning?
Email first, and second is twitter client
Is there a tech term or acronym that makes you giggle and why
Not really.
Favorite non-technology related thing or best non-techy skill?
Science Fiction writing, which is not yet published.
Which do you want first - Replicator, holodeck, transporter or warp drive?
Warp Drive - I want go into space and see what's out there.
Michelle Murrain
On Connecting Nonprofits & Technology
Michelle's work with nonprofits and technology began in parallel. Her college major was in Biology, but even then she was focused on computers and the tech end of things. At the same time she was also on the board of a Gay/Lesbian organization but didn't do technology for them because it was before nonprofits knew or cared much about the potential of technology. It wasn't until ten years later when Michelle, now a professor, was working with local women's health organization who they decided that they wanted to get on the web that it really came together. This was in the early nineties when things were very (very) expensive and even hosting was out of reach for many nonprofits. A student intern working for with them had the bright idea to set up a Linux box in Michelle's office on campus, which was connected to the internet. They set up a server in the corner of her office that the organization could get to and update their web site via phone modem. So this was the experience for Michelle marrying technology and nonprofits and also her first foray into Open Source with Linux, which at the time she installed from floppies. It was still several years after that before nonprofit technology really got established and became her focus.
On Blogging
Starting with a personal blog in 2003 to vent about Iraq war Michelle was an early adopter. In 2004 she realized that there were things to say about technology and that she had a unique perspective so she began a Typepad blog on tech. After taking a break to go to seminary in 2005-06 she started sharing her thoughts with her current blog Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology (http://www.zenofnptech.org). Then Idealware blog came along and she joined in to share her knowledge with the Idealware community.
The Magic Wand Question
One of the questions I asked in each interview was this: If you had a magic wand that could transform one aspect of nonprofit technology in an instant, what would it be and why?
One thing Michelle feels very strongly about is that Nonprofits need to get out of mindset of purchasing and buying and paying for software themselves. She would change the way they approach this and create greater collaboration on tech purchases and solutions. She feels that by working in concert nonprofits can find things that work for a broader group and at less individual organizational cost.
She offered an example. If 10 shelters got together and spent one tenth of the money they could set up a solution to case management or something and would get the same benefit at a fraction of the cost by sharing purchasing and development.
One of the real world ways funders could encourage this is by directing the nonprofits they help to find efficiencies of scale and promoting those efforts with matching funds.
The Next 5 Years
Looking forward to the next five years, Michelle is most excited by the way people are beginning to understand that things should be open. Open as in operating systems, open data and sharing openly in the social network space. Based on open standards, the idea that the data should move place to place easily is a breakthrough that is beginning to grow in all areas. In the past it has been a huge problem for nonprofits the way data has been held in silos and cut off. But she feels we are at the point now where the barriers to movement are technological not a mindset of vendor lock. There are still a few hold out but in general she see that the trend will only continue and believes that in 5 years everything will be open - source, data and standards.
Personal snapshots
First thing you launch on your computer when you boot/in the morning?
Email first, and second is twitter client
Is there a tech term or acronym that makes you giggle and why
Not really.
Favorite non-technology related thing or best non-techy skill?
Science Fiction writing, which is not yet published.
Which do you want first - Replicator, holodeck, transporter or warp drive?
Warp Drive - I want go into space and see what's out there.
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