The launch of Blackbaud's new forums also means the launch of some new blogs. So I'm very pleased to unveil this new weblog, Connections, which will continue some topics from BlogBaud and other writing that I have done in the past. So, what's with the name? Let me try and explain…
One of my favorite television programs growing up was Connections, and it was hosted by science historian James Burke. The premise of the show was that innovation rarely happens in isolation, but instead it usually comes from a series of connected events. One episode explained the connections between the Normans wearing stirrups at the Battle of Hastings and how it led to the modern telecommunications industry of today. (Trust me, it's a lot more interesting than it sounds.)
Many years of first-hand observations have taught me two things: 1) History always repeats itself. 2) Success comes from a series of failures.
If you want to know what is going to happen next, then just look for the pattern in history it most closely resembles. (iTunes is just a repeat of the singles records market from the 50s and 60s.) And very often it takes a lot of trial and error before someone gets it just right. (Edison didn't invent the light bulb. He just improved on everyone else's failures.)
This was a theme that I picked up on in People to People Fundraising when trying to demystify the changing nature of online communities. There are patterns and trends that nonprofit organizations can look to in order to help understand where things are going. Sometimes it's as clear as day and sometimes it's as clear as pluff mud. So when it came to naming this new blog the choice was pretty clear.
This blog will be about making connections between where things have been, where they are now, and where they are going in the future. I'll be sharing some ideas, sharing some photos (like the one above), providing a sneak peek at Blackbaud solutions, and doing some out of the ordinary things every now and then. This will certainly not be the typical marketing puff piece platform masquerading as a personal weblog. That's not really my style anyhow.
So let's get started making connections…
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By Steve MacLaughlin on Feb 20, 2008
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