Techrights logo

IRC: #techbytes @ FreeNode: Wednesday, August 19, 2020

Join us now at the IRC channel.

schestowitz> title modified to avoid unknown filters.Aug 19 01:04
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:04
schestowitz> this is primarily intended for you, not your readers, but it is in theAug 19 01:04
schestowitz> public domain.Aug 19 01:04
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:04
schestowitz> a lot of this is hypothetical, it may give you some ideas though.Aug 19 01:04
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:04
schestowitz> you have a server solution, which isnt a bad one, but it isnt a desktopAug 19 01:04
schestowitz> solution. it doesnt even support bash. i use du with --exclude, thatAug 19 01:04
schestowitz> isnt in the busybox version (busybox, im told, is what alpine uses. iAug 19 01:04
schestowitz> use it sometimes as well-- but not for du).Aug 19 01:04
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:04
schestowitz> alpine is not a desktop solution. so you use debian, but you alsoAug 19 01:04
schestowitz> recognise that systemd is a major problem. hey now, ive spent no moreAug 19 01:04
schestowitz> than a few days turning the thing im describing into a way to make aAug 19 01:04
schestowitz> debian live did WITHOUT systemd as the init. hooray.Aug 19 01:04
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:04
schestowitz> but theres devuan, right? of course i dont support devuan. ive remixedAug 19 01:04
schestowitz> it as well, but mostly refracta, which is by far the best devuan distro.Aug 19 01:04
schestowitz> if not for refracta, devuan probably still wouldnt have a live dvd.Aug 19 01:04
schestowitz> thats pretty amazing when you think about it.Aug 19 01:04
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:04
schestowitz> so ive used this on devuan. ive used this to remove systemd as init fromAug 19 01:04
schestowitz> debian-- without devuan repos. ive done the same with trisquel. thatsAug 19 01:04
schestowitz> pretty amazing.Aug 19 01:04
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:04
schestowitz> i will justify (for information purposes, not to try to convince you toAug 19 01:04
schestowitz> make exactly the same choices) each of the decisions ive made aroundAug 19 01:04
schestowitz> this, even including the reason im not working on it right now-- but youAug 19 01:04
schestowitz> might.Aug 19 01:04
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:04
schestowitz> at some point, you may get tired of recommending shittingAug 19 01:04
schestowitz> fuck-the-user-type distros to people. you might want a nice desktopAug 19 01:05
schestowitz> distro you can believe in.Aug 19 01:05
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:05
schestowitz> i think assholex is doomed, the question is when, im still usingAug 19 01:05
schestowitz> gnu/assholex now, with a focus on removing shithub. you CANT (forAug 19 01:05
schestowitz> reasons ive written long essays on) remove shithub entirely. its inAug 19 01:05
schestowitz> everything. hopefully that will change. but for example-- no github, noAug 19 01:05
schestowitz> desktop. no microsoft libffi, no microsoft python or pypy. no microsoftAug 19 01:05
schestowitz> zlib1g? no gui! no microsoft harfbuzz? no gtk! no microsoft perl? -> noAug 19 01:05
schestowitz> C COMPILER! fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.Aug 19 01:05
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:05
schestowitz> but saying no as much as we sanely can (opinions vary) is better thanAug 19 01:05
schestowitz> just bending over and taking it. since there are no organisationsAug 19 01:05
schestowitz> fighting this, maybe in the future you will want to-- or youll meetAug 19 01:05
schestowitz> someone that wants to.Aug 19 01:05
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:05
schestowitz> and youll want to minimise the work involved.Aug 19 01:05
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:05
schestowitz> i know how the best devuan distro is made. fsr has a remaster tool suiteAug 19 01:05
schestowitz> called refracta tools. he installs devuan. then he goes through aAug 19 01:05
schestowitz> checklist of many different things. he changes all of them-- MANUALLY.Aug 19 01:05
schestowitz> then he snapshots the system. refracta creates a live iso.Aug 19 01:05
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:05
schestowitz> if you use xorriso to make the iso it can hybridise it. otherwise if youAug 19 01:05
schestowitz> use something else, you can hybridise it with isotools from syslinux--Aug 19 01:05
schestowitz> thats what i do. once its a hybrid iso you can make a bootable usb justAug 19 01:05
schestowitz> by using dd to write the iso to usb. my tools do that stepAug 19 01:05
schestowitz> automatically-- they even download theAug 19 01:05
schestowitz> "source" iso (the BEFORE iso) for you.Aug 19 01:05
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:05
schestowitz> refracta hosts full isos. then they delete the old ones. thats terrible.Aug 19 01:05
schestowitz> no archives, no history.Aug 19 01:05
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:05
schestowitz> so i fixed that by making the whole thing automated. you can justAug 19 01:05
schestowitz> distribute the script instead of the iso. it takes 20 minutes to run,Aug 19 01:05
schestowitz> not including download time. if the iso is downloaded it doesnt downloadAug 19 01:05
schestowitz> it again. you have to delete it if you want it to try to.Aug 19 01:05
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:05
schestowitz> so you can make 5 or 10 versins of this script, and its like 5 tinyAug 19 01:05
schestowitz> downloads-- all of which work on the same source iso (one big download)Aug 19 01:05
schestowitz> -- huge timesaver. much more efficient than downloading isos.Aug 19 01:06
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:06
schestowitz> a guy from the uk used to run the script (he didnt understand it, heAug 19 01:06
schestowitz> just used it) to make the isos, which he would archive online. that wasAug 19 01:06
schestowitz> a bonus-- its not needed, it was for convenience. the script makes aAug 19 01:06
schestowitz> copy of itself onto the iso. he ran it from the wrong folder, so thatAug 19 01:06
schestowitz> feature didnt always work. i never got around to fixing that.Aug 19 01:06
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:06
schestowitz> but he didnt even know how it worked, and still got it to createAug 19 01:06
schestowitz> bootable remastered isos-- automatically. im very proud of that. hes notAug 19 01:06
schestowitz> a coder. hes an archivist.Aug 19 01:06
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:06
schestowitz> then i had a tool i made (which the remaster tool sort of grew out of)Aug 19 01:06
schestowitz> that was like diff but for bootable isos. i wouldnt tell him that i ranAug 19 01:06
schestowitz> it on his iso and mine, and it would md5sum (it could sha256sum too)Aug 19 01:06
schestowitz> every file in the big sfs and the other files, looking for differences,Aug 19 01:06
schestowitz> and list any. this kept him honest. i trusted him, though it was aAug 19 01:06
schestowitz> matter of "trust but verify" im proud of the iso compare tool. it wasAug 19 01:06
schestowitz> written in fig. it wasnt perfect, but it worked well.Aug 19 01:06
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:06
schestowitz> if i made a few changes, i didnt want to do like fsr and do a bigAug 19 01:06
schestowitz> install, then snapshot then test.Aug 19 01:06
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:06
schestowitz> i wanted to just rm rf the subdirectory, run the script, wait 20 minutesAug 19 01:06
schestowitz> and run the new iso in qemu. thats it. WAY more streamlined thanAug 19 01:06
schestowitz> refracta development! of course this has costs. for example, if youAug 19 01:06
schestowitz> wanted to change the config of the included browser. doable-- but fullyAug 19 01:06
schestowitz> automated. doing things like that fsrs way was easier. MOST changesAug 19 01:06
schestowitz> however, were nice because once theyre automated, theyre automated. youAug 19 01:06
schestowitz> can worry about something else now.Aug 19 01:06
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:06
schestowitz> i didnt make this for one family of distros. i wanted to be able to useAug 19 01:06
schestowitz> it for almost any distro-- i wanted that much flexibility. some bootableAug 19 01:06
schestowitz> isos use a single sfs (squashfs) on an iso. you have to mount the iso,Aug 19 01:06
schestowitz> mount the sfs, copy the files to a WRITABLE directory (mounted sfs isntAug 19 01:06
schestowitz> writable, mounted iso isnt either) and then change files and put it allAug 19 01:06
schestowitz> back together with mksquashfs and some iso creation tool. ive usedAug 19 01:06
schestowitz> mkisofs, xorriso and one other. the standard 3. cdrecord? no, i thinkAug 19 01:06
schestowitz> thats mkisofs. whatever. its been a year since ive used it. i could grepAug 19 01:06
schestowitz> it for "iso" right now, but again whatever. you only need one, ive usedAug 19 01:06
schestowitz> options.Aug 19 01:07
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:07
schestowitz> the gist of all this, is that "making a gnu/assholex distro" becomes aAug 19 01:07
schestowitz> matter of giving you a filesystem where any file you can change with aAug 19 01:07
schestowitz> script (bash or python or fig) becomes your domain. sometimes a distroAug 19 01:07
schestowitz> uses one sfs, like most debian-based ones. puppy uses 3, and you canAug 19 01:07
schestowitz> make it work with all of those, but mostly i want the main puppy sfs.Aug 19 01:07
schestowitz> also puppy is github mostly, so i wouldnt bother. github was purchasedAug 19 01:07
schestowitz> AFTER i created this. bummer. it still works! but interest in puppy isAug 19 01:07
schestowitz> smaller. i also used it on void-- THAT WAS FUN! void uses a fileAug 19 01:07
schestowitz> formatted as ext3 (shit you not) in an sfs. so i just made it do bothAug 19 01:07
schestowitz> those steps.Aug 19 01:07
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:07
schestowitz> the point you always get to is one where the automated system as theAug 19 01:07
schestowitz> filesystem laid out, you can change anything you want to (alter configs,Aug 19 01:07
schestowitz> delete, add files-- CHROOT IF YOU WANT OR NEED TO but it was DESIGNED toAug 19 01:07
schestowitz> not need chroot! because puppy doesnt always like chroot...)Aug 19 01:07
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:07
schestowitz> if you want to replace systemd you have no choice. by the time theAug 19 01:07
schestowitz> project was called distro-libre, it would use chroot to make it soAug 19 01:07
schestowitz> debian could remove systemd from the chroot and replace it with sysvinitAug 19 01:07
schestowitz> (for debian) or upstart (for trisquel) -- trisquel is fully free (stupidAug 19 01:07
schestowitz> assholes foisting systemd and calling it freedom-- then quoting lennartsAug 19 01:07
schestowitz> bullshit blog to justify it! why not quote nat friedman to justify usingAug 19 01:07
schestowitz> github too? seriously?) so it was nice when upstart made this possible,Aug 19 01:07
schestowitz> but its trisquels fault for sticking with ubuntu through all this.Aug 19 01:07
schestowitz> (another reason theyre a joke. they dont even have a systemd alternativeAug 19 01:07
schestowitz> in the fucking repos!!!!! see why i make fun of them? even debian has aAug 19 01:07
schestowitz> systemd alternative in the repos! fully free as in in bullshit...)Aug 19 01:07
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:07
schestowitz> so a lot of the options i set out to take advantage of, arent options--Aug 19 01:07
schestowitz> puppy falls to github. void falls to github. trisquel falls fully toAug 19 01:07
schestowitz> systemd. debian falls to nazis. devuan falls to their own cult-- ofAug 19 01:07
schestowitz> these, debian is the most salvageable (i do not believe devuan wouldAug 19 01:07
schestowitz> survive without it anyway).Aug 19 01:07
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:07
schestowitz> but just the fact that i could make 7 automated remasters from 7 distrosAug 19 01:07
schestowitz> with several different base configurations (as a single person) is why iAug 19 01:07
schestowitz> designed it like i did. i wanted a tool for ALL DISTROs-- or the closestAug 19 01:07
schestowitz> thing to it.Aug 19 01:07
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:08
schestowitz> what if id used chroot? i did, optionally. for remixing devuan you dontAug 19 01:08
schestowitz> need it-- for remxing debian you might as well, it lets you removeAug 19 01:08
schestowitz> systemd. not as well as devuan does, but devuan does 10x as much workAug 19 01:08
schestowitz> for 1/5 more success. its not a very efficient solution. it IS better,Aug 19 01:08
schestowitz> but it has MUCH higher costs. and they delete their old versions too--Aug 19 01:08
schestowitz> which is bullshit. youre not a debian fork if you destroy your history.Aug 19 01:08
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:08
schestowitz> what if id used bash? i did , where it made sense to. a lot of where iAug 19 01:08
schestowitz> used bash you could easily enough swap other things out-- sometimes theAug 19 01:08
schestowitz> busybox version of sed would crap out, so id just whip up a routine inAug 19 01:08
schestowitz> fig instead of sed. it was easy. the whole thing is done in fig-- illAug 19 01:08
schestowitz> justify that in a moment.Aug 19 01:08
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:08
schestowitz> what if id used python? i did-- fig compiles to python 2, it works inAug 19 01:08
schestowitz> pypy so fuck the python foundation and their user blackmail, fuck themAug 19 01:08
schestowitz> right in the ear. fig also has inline python, so if you WANT to addAug 19 01:08
schestowitz> python code JUST ADD SOME. then you can even wrap that so easily in aAug 19 01:08
schestowitz> fig function if you want to, and call it like a native fig routine.Aug 19 01:08
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:08
schestowitz> but if id used pure python, youd need 5 years of PROFICIENCY in pythonAug 19 01:08
schestowitz> to hack it. and people would be refractoring it all the time-- just likeAug 19 01:08
schestowitz> puppy, instead of worrying about features or usability, theyd beAug 19 01:08
schestowitz> obsessed with making perfect code, not a distro. people have alreadyAug 19 01:08
schestowitz> bitched about puppy devs doing that for years and years now. what a mess.Aug 19 01:08
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:08
schestowitz> if id used pure bash, same problem-- only it would be unfixable. 2000Aug 19 01:08
schestowitz> lines of bash code? FUCK OFF, already its a project only a few devs willAug 19 01:08
schestowitz> ever be able to hack. (most that can wont want to)Aug 19 01:08
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:08
schestowitz> fig makes the whole thing more modular, more easily, easier to swap inAug 19 01:08
schestowitz> python where you want (where its the easy way) and still call it likeAug 19 01:08
schestowitz> fig code.Aug 19 01:08
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:08
schestowitz> function calling_fig_function a b callthiswhatever zAug 19 01:08
schestowitz> now "hello" printAug 19 01:08
schestowitz> nextAug 19 01:08
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:08
schestowitz> now calling_fig_function "parameter" 5 5 "hi"Aug 19 01:08
schestowitz> # you can have zero parameters but one is betterAug 19 01:08
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:09
schestowitz> mastering fig is ridiculous easy compared to gaining the neededAug 19 01:09
schestowitz> proficiency in python.Aug 19 01:09
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:09
schestowitz> but even if you havent mastered python you can extend fig in various ways.Aug 19 01:09
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:09
schestowitz> so once you have enough instructions (1000 - 2000 lines) to do this:Aug 19 01:09
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:09
schestowitz> download source isoAug 19 01:09
schestowitz> open isoAug 19 01:09
schestowitz> open sfs (plural?)Aug 19 01:09
schestowitz> copy sfs contentsAug 19 01:09
schestowitz> download other files you wantAug 19 01:09
schestowitz> change contentsAug 19 01:09
schestowitz> mksquashfsAug 19 01:09
schestowitz> line up files into new iso directory (mostly done from earlier steps)Aug 19 01:09
schestowitz> create bootable isoAug 19 01:09
schestowitz> hybridiseAug 19 01:09
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:09
schestowitz> ^ all automatically, thats going to be one killer bitch of a bash script.Aug 19 01:09
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:09
schestowitz> I NEVER WOULD HAVE WRITTEN IT! i certainly never would have adopted it.Aug 19 01:09
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:09
schestowitz> if you use bash, youll constantly be doing annoying things to get aroundAug 19 01:09
schestowitz> arrays and integers and converting strings and other bullshit-- thatsAug 19 01:09
schestowitz> how puppy is created. messy, and the bar for proficiency is higherAug 19 01:09
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:09
schestowitz> if you do python, it will constantly be "perfected" in meaningless waysAug 19 01:09
schestowitz> instead of being developed-- and the bar for proficiency is higherAug 19 01:09
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:09
schestowitz> if you do it in python 3, youll always be second-guessing every stringAug 19 01:09
schestowitz> (read: filename) it has to process. have fun. plus theyll keep breakingAug 19 01:09
schestowitz> python, because theyre assholes.Aug 19 01:09
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:09
schestowitz> if you do it the way i did, youll get the most done.Aug 19 01:09
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:09
schestowitz> BUT, im more interested in switching to bsd and removing github stuff.Aug 19 01:09
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:09
schestowitz> i already have the perfect tool for REMOVING github stuff-- but theresAug 19 01:09
schestowitz> SO MUCH GITHUB STUFF im focused on that.Aug 19 01:09
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:10
schestowitz> oh yes, ive used it to remix tinycore AS WELL. theres even a littleAug 19 01:10
schestowitz> routine that creates tinycore packages. but id want to change it so itAug 19 01:10
schestowitz> doesnt need mksquashfs (you guessed it-- github).Aug 19 01:10
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:10
schestowitz> im familiar with MANY other remaster solutions. ALL of them involve moreAug 19 01:10
schestowitz> manual work, are less automated, or 10x more complex and harder to learnAug 19 01:10
schestowitz> how to use. or have more dependencies.Aug 19 01:10
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:10
schestowitz> but that doesnt mean that someone who was making their own distro wouldAug 19 01:10
schestowitz> have to do everything the way i did.Aug 19 01:10
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:10
schestowitz> on the contrary-- if they really wanted to do it THEIR OWN WAY, my wayAug 19 01:10
schestowitz> does less to get in their way than anything else that exists.Aug 19 01:10
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:10
schestowitz> the environment i made it for, youd never know if you were using theAug 19 01:10
schestowitz> bash version (gnu) of a util or busybox. you wouldnt know much-- as iAug 19 01:10
schestowitz> designed it to work on every system i remixed with it.Aug 19 01:10
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:10
schestowitz> you kind of have to keep it simple and ridiculously flexible to makeAug 19 01:10
schestowitz> that possible.Aug 19 01:10
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:10
schestowitz> so i think the design is an AWESOME place to start, but if you want toAug 19 01:10
schestowitz> make it more difficult, you have all the options in the world. it wontAug 19 01:10
schestowitz> stop you.Aug 19 01:10
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:10
schestowitz> again, if people want to do this and make it easy on themselves, theyAug 19 01:10
schestowitz> dont even have to use my code if they dont want to. the whole thingAug 19 01:10
schestowitz> WORKS, but its also a CONCEPT and design that should help make MANYAug 19 01:10
schestowitz> different things easier.Aug 19 01:10
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:10
schestowitz> but only if some crazy person WANTS their own distro-- with the leastAug 19 01:10
schestowitz> amount of work possible.Aug 19 01:10
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:10
schestowitz> i would have never had the patience for creating m own distro with theAug 19 01:10
schestowitz> other tools. refractas not bad, but its not automated. its better thanAug 19 01:10
schestowitz> most. but you still have to distribute the iso then.Aug 19 01:10
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:10
schestowitz> thats why i did it like i did. and i wont lie-- if you ever find that--Aug 19 01:10
schestowitz> you know, to have a non-bullshit distro to offer people as a bestAug 19 01:10
schestowitz> example of gnu/assholex over something like fuckbuntu or nazian orAug 19 01:11
schestowitz> githuppy or devuanus, something truly techrights worthy that isntAug 19 01:11
schestowitz> server-only...Aug 19 01:11
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:11
schestowitz> i realise youre way too busy. but then i also had better things to do,Aug 19 01:11
schestowitz> and i wasnt even trying to make a gnu/assholex distro.Aug 19 01:11
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:11
schestowitz> i was really just working on a demo program for fig. ha ha!Aug 19 01:11
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:11
schestowitz> assholex will be bsd sooner or later. but this is easier than justAug 19 01:11
schestowitz> waiting for hyperbola.Aug 19 01:11
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:11
schestowitz> those guys are doing WAY better as far as a long-term solution.Aug 19 01:11
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:11
schestowitz> i wrote this all in one sitting in a little email dialog, i haventAug 19 01:11
schestowitz> checked it for ANYTHING. forgive typos. cheers.Aug 19 01:11
schestowitz> technically speaking:Aug 19 01:11
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:11
schestowitz> fig is one file-- it needs python 2 or pypy to run.Aug 19 01:11
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:11
schestowitz> distro-libre is one file-- you edit it and compile it with fig to run it.Aug 19 01:11
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:11
schestowitz> it does require a few really obvious tools to run, like python and someAug 19 01:11
schestowitz> iso writer (like xorriso) and mksquashfs, unless you do like id like toAug 19 01:11
schestowitz> and remaster tinycore to be based on little compressed ext3 imagesAug 19 01:11
schestowitz> instead. you also need syslinux installed, or at least the isohybridAug 19 01:11
schestowitz> binary from syslinux in your path.Aug 19 01:11
schestowitz>Aug 19 01:11
schestowitz> and thats it!Aug 19 01:11
*rianne__ has quit (Quit: Konversation terminated!)Aug 19 03:58
*rianne (~rianne@host81-154-173-175.range81-154.btcentralplus.com) has joined #techbytesAug 19 03:58
*rianne has quit (Client Quit)Aug 19 03:59
*rianne (~rianne@host81-154-173-175.range81-154.btcentralplus.com) has joined #techbytesAug 19 03:59
*rianne has quit (Client Quit)Aug 19 04:02
*rianne (~rianne@host81-154-173-175.range81-154.btcentralplus.com) has joined #techbytesAug 19 04:02
*rianne has quit (Quit: Konversation terminated!)Aug 19 04:13
*rianne (~rianne@host81-154-173-175.range81-154.btcentralplus.com) has joined #techbytesAug 19 04:14
*rianne has quit (Read error: Connection reset by peer)Aug 19 04:15
*rianne (~rianne@host81-154-173-175.range81-154.btcentralplus.com) has joined #techbytesAug 19 04:16
*rianne has quit (Client Quit)Aug 19 04:18
*rianne (~rianne@host81-154-173-175.range81-154.btcentralplus.com) has joined #techbytesAug 19 04:18
*rianne has quit (Quit: Konversation terminated!)Aug 19 04:25
*rianne__ (~rianne@host81-154-173-175.range81-154.btcentralplus.com) has joined #techbytesAug 19 04:25
*acer-box__ has quit (Remote host closed the connection)Aug 19 06:45
*acer-box (~acer-box@host81-154-173-175.range81-154.btcentralplus.com) has joined #techbytesAug 19 06:46
*acer-box has quit (Changing host)Aug 19 06:46
*acer-box (~acer-box@unaffiliated/schestowitz) has joined #techbytesAug 19 06:46
*oiaohm has quit (Read error: Connection reset by peer)Aug 19 09:31
*oiaohm (~oiaohm@unaffiliated/oiaohm) has joined #techbytesAug 19 09:31
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:03
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:03
schestowitz> some research. not ready to do article. feel free to use any of this. anAug 19 18:03
schestowitz> article is not currently planned.Aug 19 18:03
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:03
schestowitz> good stuff here. ONLY copied stuff that is both relevant andAug 19 18:03
schestowitz> interesting, so this is full of gems. enjoy.Aug 19 18:03
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:03
schestowitz> includes some comments-- it should be pretty clear which ones areAug 19 18:03
schestowitz> comments. there is one parenthetical statement that might not haveAug 19 18:03
schestowitz> enough context, but the style should be different enough that you canAug 19 18:03
schestowitz> spot it without trying too hard.Aug 19 18:03
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:03
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:03
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:03
schestowitz> https://nanoe.org/nonprofits-fail/Aug 19 18:03
schestowitz> Nonprofits Fail – Here’s Seven Reasons WhyAug 19 18:03
schestowitz> Tracy Ebarb Published by Tracy S. Ebarb, CFRE, CNE, CDE, CNC atAug 19 18:03
schestowitz> September 7, 2019Aug 19 18:03
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:03
schestowitz> "A few years ago, during his presidential campaign, Dr. Ben Carson madeAug 19 18:03
schestowitz> the statement that 90% of nonprofits fail within a few years.  While Dr.Aug 19 18:03
schestowitz> Carson’s statement was largely hyperbole, it did call to attention theAug 19 18:03
schestowitz> alarming rate of both nonprofit failure and ineffectiveness. The realAug 19 18:03
schestowitz> data from National Center on Charitable Statistics reveals thatAug 19 18:03
schestowitz> approximately 30% of nonprofits fail to exist after 10 years"Aug 19 18:03
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:03
schestowitz> "It is far too common for autocratic and self-focused founders toAug 19 18:03
schestowitz> establish one core value: “do as I say.”  These nonprofit heads find itAug 19 18:03
schestowitz> very difficult to transfer authority or to share the limelight andAug 19 18:03
schestowitz> leadership with an empowered team.  There is little internal trust, andAug 19 18:03
schestowitz> insufficient values to guard against abuses of power, privilege, andAug 19 18:03
schestowitz> people.  It is also an environment in which many unethical and evenAug 19 18:03
schestowitz> illegal practices can flourish, and often do. These organizationsAug 19 18:03
schestowitz> frequently fail in the first generation, and almost never thrive whenAug 19 18:03
schestowitz> the leader with all of the chips finally cashes them in."Aug 19 18:03
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:03
schestowitz> "There is no ability to adjust programs to match changing situations,Aug 19 18:03
schestowitz> culture, or competition and to compete for donations, volunteers, mediaAug 19 18:03
schestowitz> coverage, or program space."Aug 19 18:03
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:04
schestowitz> Common mistakes  of failing nonprofits fit into the categories below.Aug 19 18:04
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:04
schestowitz> Marketing Only to Large Donors and Not Thinking Smaller Donors are JustAug 19 18:04
schestowitz> As ImportantAug 19 18:04
schestowitz> Small donors are just as important as large donors. Don’t expect donorsAug 19 18:04
schestowitz> to maintain or increase the size of their contribution each time theyAug 19 18:04
schestowitz> give. Thank every donor in every circumstance they donate no matter howAug 19 18:04
schestowitz> much they giveAug 19 18:04
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:04
schestowitz> Michael R. Lestico says:Aug 19 18:04
schestowitz> May 19, 2020 at 11:37 pmAug 19 18:04
schestowitz> I’m retired now, but I considered doing a non-prof. Glad I didn’t. IAug 19 18:04
schestowitz> would have gone down like the Titanic. Nice job.Aug 19 18:04
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:04
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:04
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:04
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:04
schestowitz> https://nonprofithub.org/starting-a-nonprofit/a-brief-history-of-nonprofit-organizations/Aug 19 18:04
schestowitz> A Brief History of Nonprofit Organizations (And What We Can Learn)Aug 19 18:04
schestowitz> Posted by Hana Muslic | Oct 27, 2017Aug 19 18:04
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:04
schestowitz> "A cause many found to be worthwhile was the YMCA. Though theAug 19 18:04
schestowitz> organization had been around for years, in the early 1900s we saw theAug 19 18:04
schestowitz> U.S.’s first significant fundraising campaign come from the minds ofAug 19 18:04
schestowitz> Charles Sumner Ward and Frank L. Pierce, two of the YMCA’s mostAug 19 18:04
schestowitz> prominent leaders. The two developed a system of fundraising that hadAug 19 18:04
schestowitz> never been seen before:Aug 19 18:04
schestowitz> setting a time limit on their campaign for constructing a new buildingAug 19 18:04
schestowitz> in Washington D.C., hiring a publicist to oversee the campaign andAug 19 18:04
schestowitz> seeking paid advertisements from corporate sponsors and celebrities.Aug 19 18:04
schestowitz> Their effort became known as the “YMCA School” of fundraising."Aug 19 18:04
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:04
schestowitz> ^ FSF does this, so does wikipediaAug 19 18:04
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:04
schestowitz> 1940sAug 19 18:04
schestowitz> "The takeaway from this time period is looking at how your nonprofitAug 19 18:04
schestowitz> organization can work with other entities to better a cause. WhateverAug 19 18:04
schestowitz> that looks like for you—working with a corporate sponsor, anotherAug 19 18:04
schestowitz> nonprofit in your community or a for-profit business with a socialAug 19 18:05
schestowitz> responsibility angle—your organization could make a lot of progress. ByAug 19 18:05
schestowitz> collaborating, you can save costs on things like shared infrastructureAug 19 18:05
schestowitz> and administrative expenses, promote each other’s mission on differentAug 19 18:05
schestowitz> platforms and maximize efficiency on getting tasks done. Don’t count outAug 19 18:05
schestowitz> other players when you’re thinking about your next fundraising effort."Aug 19 18:05
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:05
schestowitz> 1970sAug 19 18:05
schestowitz> "Following the massive paradigm shift brought on by the Civil RightsAug 19 18:05
schestowitz> Movement in the U.S. and the cultural resistance to entering Vietnam inAug 19 18:05
schestowitz> 1965, we saw how Americans began to organize and work together to tackleAug 19 18:05
schestowitz> specific issues with a narrow focus."Aug 19 18:05
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:05
schestowitz> "In 1976, Congress passed a bill, supported by the Coalition ofAug 19 18:05
schestowitz> Concerned Charities, that allowed nonprofits to legally spend up to $1Aug 19 18:05
schestowitz> million per year on lobbying efforts. This gave them greater voice inAug 19 18:05
schestowitz> the government. By 1980, the nonprofit sector was being referred to asAug 19 18:05
schestowitz> the “third sector,” and it was influencing the business world."Aug 19 18:05
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:05
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:05
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:05
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:05
schestowitz> https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2015/lessons-failed-nonprofit/32491Aug 19 18:05
schestowitz> Lessons from a Failed NonprofitAug 19 18:05
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:05
schestowitz> "The truth is the American nonprofit sector is easy. There isn’t muchAug 19 18:05
schestowitz> funding, but there are a lot of nonprofits that don’t need much money toAug 19 18:05
schestowitz> operate. There are a ton of nonprofits that operate on less than $10,000Aug 19 18:05
schestowitz> a year. And, if that is your annual operating budget, you really don’tAug 19 18:05
schestowitz> have to risk much to keep your nonprofit running. The nonprofit sectorAug 19 18:05
schestowitz> in America is almost failure-proof. You might not be very effective, butAug 19 18:05
schestowitz> it is very easy for nonprofits to exist in America. Being anAug 19 18:05
schestowitz> entrepreneur in the nonprofit sector is not risky."Aug 19 18:05
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:05
schestowitz> "Volunteers are great for one-day events. But they become less reliableAug 19 18:05
schestowitz> for week-to-week engagement. Life happens. Relying on volunteers makesAug 19 18:05
schestowitz> your programs and organizational work less consistent and tougher toAug 19 18:05
schestowitz> plan. Accept the love, time and creativity from volunteers, but don’tAug 19 18:05
schestowitz> build a program around it. "Aug 19 18:05
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:05
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:05
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:06
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:06
schestowitz> https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/off-the-shelf/why-nonprofits-fail-overcoming-founder-s-syndrome-fundphobia-and-other-obstacles-to-successAug 19 18:06
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:06
schestowitz> Why Nonprofits Fail: Overcoming Founder's Syndrome, Fundphobia, andAug 19 18:06
schestowitz> Other Obstacles to SuccessAug 19 18:06
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:06
schestowitz>  August 10, 2004Aug 19 18:06
schestowitz> Stephen R. Block (San Francisco, California: Jossey-Bass, 2004)Aug 19 18:06
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:06
schestowitz> "The fundamental message of Stephen Block's new book is that executiveAug 19 18:06
schestowitz> directors and other nonprofit managers have a responsibility to ensureAug 19 18:06
schestowitz> that their nonprofits operate effectively. He believes that nonprofitAug 19 18:06
schestowitz> organizations have a duty not to fail —— which translates into a duty toAug 19 18:06
schestowitz> take calculated risks and try new approaches to problem-solving if moreAug 19 18:06
schestowitz> conventional methods have failed."Aug 19 18:06
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:06
schestowitz> ^ i dont agree that they have a duty not to fail-- mission success couldAug 19 18:06
schestowitz> tank the org, org success could tank the mission-- though if they dontAug 19 18:06
schestowitz> want to fail at the mission this sounds like good advice.Aug 19 18:06
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:06
schestowitz> "Block states that since change is inevitable, the goal of managers isAug 19 18:06
schestowitz> to 'ensure that organizational change occurs for the better.'"Aug 19 18:06
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:06
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:06
schestowitz> "The author stresses in his examples the importance of usingAug 19 18:06
schestowitz> "second-order" approaches rather than "first-order" ones. First-orderAug 19 18:06
schestowitz> approaches to change do not require a shift in the usual way of thinkingAug 19 18:06
schestowitz> about a problem or its solution. They focus on the "why" and may oftenAug 19 18:06
schestowitz> equate to applying commonsense logic. Second-order approaches, on theAug 19 18:06
schestowitz> other hand, do require a shift in how one interprets a problem and oftenAug 19 18:06
schestowitz> result in noticeable organizational transformations. They focus on thisAug 19 18:06
schestowitz> question: "What is happening here and now that is perpetuating theAug 19 18:06
schestowitz> problem?" Problem solvers using second-order approaches realize thatAug 19 18:06
schestowitz> they do not always need to understand the "why" to solve the problem,Aug 19 18:06
schestowitz> but may need to initiate change by looking at the current effects of theAug 19 18:06
schestowitz> problem."Aug 19 18:06
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:06
schestowitz> unfortunately there are not more gems because the "article" endsAug 19 18:06
schestowitz> quickly. i think if it were longer we would have more good stuff.Aug 19 18:06
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:07
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:07
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:07
schestowitz> https://www.philanthropy.com/article/What-Happens-to-Charities-When/183709Aug 19 18:07
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:07
schestowitz> February 20, 2003Aug 19 18:07
schestowitz> What Happens to Charities When Foundations Support Trendy Issues -- andAug 19 18:07
schestowitz> Abandon Yesterday's Hot TopicsAug 19 18:07
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:07
schestowitz> By Jennifer C. BerkshireAug 19 18:07
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:07
schestowitz> But while the project's mission is arguably more timely than ever -- theAug 19 18:07
schestowitz> Welfare Reform Advocacy Project estimates that some 30,000 Los AngelesAug 19 18:07
schestowitz> County residents will lose their benefits in the next eight months --Aug 19 18:07
schestowitz> the group has hit an unexpected roadblock: The foundation grants thatAug 19 18:07
schestowitz> financed its work since 1996 have suddenly dried up.Aug 19 18:07
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:07
schestowitz> "We're hearing that this work isn't a priority," says Nancy Berlin,Aug 19 18:07
schestowitz> executive director of the Welfare Reform Advocacy Project. "FoundationsAug 19 18:07
schestowitz> are telling us that they've shifted to other issues: employment,Aug 19 18:07
schestowitz> economic development, and job creation. All of these are very important,Aug 19 18:07
schestowitz> but the cutoff of welfare aid here is going to have a huge impact."Aug 19 18:07
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:07
schestowitz> "open source has won" nat friedmanAug 19 18:07
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:07
schestowitz> "free software movement is dying but it doesnt matter because it alreadyAug 19 18:07
schestowitz> won" luke smithAug 19 18:07
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:07
schestowitz> "The process by which issues and organizations rise in prominence isAug 19 18:07
schestowitz> complex. In the case of welfare and other public-policy issues,Aug 19 18:07
schestowitz> legislative changes spurred nonprofit interest, community-basedAug 19 18:07
schestowitz> organizing, and charitable giving. In other cases, it's the sheer dramaAug 19 18:07
schestowitz> of an issue that causes it to rise to the forefront. The AIDS epidemicAug 19 18:07
schestowitz> that struck in the 1980s became a cause célèbre as Hollywood starsAug 19 18:07
schestowitz> donned red ribbons -- and foundations, along with millions of ordinaryAug 19 18:07
schestowitz> citizens, flooded AIDS organizations with donations."Aug 19 18:07
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:07
schestowitz> "Other trends originate from the current concerns of intellectuals. TakeAug 19 18:07
schestowitz> civil society, for example, a concept that rocked the foundation worldAug 19 18:07
schestowitz> in the late 1990s, but has since seen its support by grant makers drop.Aug 19 18:07
schestowitz> When Harvard professor Robert D. Putnam published an article in theAug 19 18:08
schestowitz> Journal of Democracy in 1995 alleging that Americans were "bowlingAug 19 18:08
schestowitz> alone," meaning that they had become increasingly disconnected fromAug 19 18:08
schestowitz> family, friends, neighbors and democratic structures, his writing foundAug 19 18:08
schestowitz> a large -- and sympathetic -- audience."Aug 19 18:08
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:08
schestowitz> Meanwhile, she says, few grant makers followed the scholarly debateAug 19 18:08
schestowitz> triggered by Mr. Putnam's research, namely that he had overemphasizedAug 19 18:08
schestowitz> national trends and failed to take into account the importance of civicAug 19 18:08
schestowitz> organization at the community level. "That dialogue and debate never gotAug 19 18:08
schestowitz> factored into the foundation decision-making process," says Ms.Aug 19 18:08
schestowitz> Ostrander. "The foundations were off and running."Aug 19 18:08
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:08
schestowitz> Fast forward into the current grant-making cycle, and civil society hasAug 19 18:08
schestowitz> lost much of its trendy luster. For organizations that benefited fromAug 19 18:08
schestowitz> the trend, says Ms. Fellner, that's a tough break. "Money for affectingAug 19 18:08
schestowitz> social change is very scarce, so groups often tended to frame their workAug 19 18:08
schestowitz> in ways that dovetail with the current trend, in this case civilAug 19 18:08
schestowitz> society," she says. "Then the next year, the foundation decides thatAug 19 18:08
schestowitz> they'd rather fund campaign-finance reform or sustainable growth. AndAug 19 18:08
schestowitz> the organization they previously funded finds itself off its realAug 19 18:08
schestowitz> priorities, and with staff for which there is no money."Aug 19 18:08
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:08
schestowitz> -> Ms. Ostrander draws another lesson from the experience: thatAug 19 18:08
schestowitz> trendiness and charitable giving are at some level incompatible. "It'sAug 19 18:08
schestowitz> deeply problematic that trends emerge and disappear," she says.Aug 19 18:08
schestowitz> "Particularly when foundations want to address the root causes of theAug 19 18:08
schestowitz> most pressing issues of our time,Aug 19 18:08
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:08
schestowitz> "even organizations that are able to adapt to the latest lingo oftenAug 19 18:08
schestowitz> find themselves shifting course, or departing from their stated missionsAug 19 18:08
schestowitz> altogether to stay afloat financially."Aug 19 18:08
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:08
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:08
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:08
schestowitz> (and when they have problems, just like with big gambling debts theyAug 19 18:08
schestowitz> then turn to shady deals to try to fix the trouble-- or bad corporateAug 19 18:08
schestowitz> donors, eh?)Aug 19 18:08
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:08
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:08
schestowitz> "Foundations have egos and that's a problem," says Peter Dreier,Aug 19 18:09
schestowitz> director of the Urban and Environmental Policy Program at OccidentalAug 19 18:09
schestowitz> College, in Los Angeles. "The instinct is often to do somethingAug 19 18:09
schestowitz> different, something no one else is doing. There are plenty of groupsAug 19 18:09
schestowitz> out there doing a good job that need more money, but the instinct is toAug 19 18:09
schestowitz> start from scratch."Aug 19 18:09
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:09
schestowitz> "The difficulty is that foundations are an imperfect source ofAug 19 18:09
schestowitz> financing," says Ms. Dyer. "Groups have to spend an inordinate amount ofAug 19 18:09
schestowitz> time chasing money with all sorts of strings attached, and they don'tAug 19 18:09
schestowitz> have a legitimate source of funding for their core operating expenses."Aug 19 18:09
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:09
schestowitz> Where foundations really contribute, she says, is at the level ofAug 19 18:09
schestowitz> research and development. "Some of the best foundations help us to seeAug 19 18:09
schestowitz> the world differently," she says. "They cast the lens in such a way thatAug 19 18:09
schestowitz> we can step back and say, 'What are the issues we really care about?'Aug 19 18:09
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:09
schestowitz> ^ theyre not doing that anymore.Aug 19 18:09
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:09
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:09
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:09
schestowitz> https://nonprofitquarterly.org/10-ways-to-kill-your-nonprofit/Aug 19 18:09
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:09
schestowitz> 10 Ways to Kill Your NonprofitAug 19 18:09
schestowitz> Mark Hager and Elizabeth SearingAug 19 18:09
schestowitz> January 6, 2015Aug 19 18:09
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:09
schestowitz> "there’s no shortage of ways to run your organization into the ground.Aug 19 18:09
schestowitz> Below is just our top ten."Aug 19 18:09
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:09
schestowitz> 3. Poison the revenue mix.Aug 19 18:09
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:09
schestowitz> "Starvation is one thing but an unbalanced mix of resources is another.Aug 19 18:09
schestowitz> The right balance of appropriate revenue streams will nourish aAug 19 18:09
schestowitz> nonprofit, but both concentration on one revenue source and overrelianceAug 19 18:09
schestowitz> on too many can be damaging, if not fatal."Aug 19 18:09
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:09
schestowitz> "Greenlee have argued that diversification can help ward off financialAug 19 18:09
schestowitz> calamity by spreading out the risk to any one income source.3 This helpsAug 19 18:09
schestowitz> to avoid what others have called the “panda problem,” where theAug 19 18:09
schestowitz> environment for a particular type of specialized nourishment becomesAug 19 18:10
schestowitz> hostile (such as sequestration and government grants), endangering theAug 19 18:10
schestowitz> survival of the individual and the species."Aug 19 18:10
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:10
schestowitz> "You might not be able to get your nonprofit to overconcentrate on oneAug 19 18:10
schestowitz> revenue source, but you may be able to get it to spread itself too thinAug 19 18:10
schestowitz> by overdiversifying. First, the infrastructure needed to maintainAug 19 18:10
schestowitz> pipelines for a bundle of income types—such as fundraising for privateAug 19 18:10
schestowitz> donations, locating and applying for grants, and handling theAug 19 18:10
schestowitz> documentation requirements of government grants and contracts—can beAug 19 18:10
schestowitz> overwhelming. Second, not all income types will be a good match for yourAug 19 18:10
schestowitz> mission: thrift shops may be all the rage, but they might not be in lineAug 19 18:10
schestowitz> with the mission of your Riverkeeper chapter. The genius here is thatAug 19 18:10
schestowitz> you look good by cultivating new ways of raising money for yourAug 19 18:10
schestowitz> nonprofit, whether or not it is ready to take on the burden of managingAug 19 18:10
schestowitz> that income stream. People won’t realize any damage this has done untilAug 19 18:10
schestowitz> it is too late."Aug 19 18:10
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:10
schestowitz> "4. Dehumanize your donors.Aug 19 18:10
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:10
schestowitz> Imagine for a moment that you have only one donor contributing to yourAug 19 18:10
schestowitz> operations. Maybe in the early days of your nonprofit this was more orAug 19 18:10
schestowitz> less the case. That person cared about and bought into what you wereAug 19 18:10
schestowitz> trying to do, and you did all you could to keep that donor informed andAug 19 18:10
schestowitz> engaged. You knew that the donor liked coffee but not donuts. You knewAug 19 18:10
schestowitz> that his daughter was in law school, and that he had recently become aAug 19 18:10
schestowitz> grandfather. But you don’t have just one donor—and if you once did,Aug 19 18:10
schestowitz> those days are long gone. Now you have many donors to keep track of.Aug 19 18:10
schestowitz> That provides opportunity to capsize the whole operation."Aug 19 18:10
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:10
schestowitz> "To be sure, a boatload of donors can be important in keeping yourAug 19 18:10
schestowitz> nonprofit afloat. However, understanding and meeting the needs of aAug 19 18:10
schestowitz> thousand donors is dauntingly different from coffee and cash-flowAug 19 18:10
schestowitz> conversation with just one. Your nonprofit will drift towardAug 19 18:10
schestowitz> understanding less and less about each donor and treating each one likeAug 19 18:10
schestowitz> just another mark on the big development tote board."Aug 19 18:10
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:10
schestowitz> the fsf doesnt listen.Aug 19 18:10
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:10
schestowitz> "Treat your donors like cogs, and they will abandon ship in no time."Aug 19 18:10
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:11
schestowitz> "Adrian Sargeant and Jen Shang’s textbook on fundraising notes that oneAug 19 18:11
schestowitz> big reason donors stop giving is because they perceive other nonprofitsAug 19 18:11
schestowitz> as equally or more deserving.4 Fundraising practices and strategy have aAug 19 18:11
schestowitz> lot to do with this. When donors move slowly and subtly from deeplyAug 19 18:11
schestowitz> interested and engaged to distant and detached, your nonprofit willAug 19 18:11
schestowitz> spend more and more time trying to replace those contributors as theyAug 19 18:11
schestowitz> lapse and move on. Fundraising costs will gradually displace spending onAug 19 18:11
schestowitz> programs, and your nonprofit will slowly grind to a halt. MissionAug 19 18:11
schestowitz> accomplished."Aug 19 18:11
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:11
schestowitz> ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^Aug 19 18:11
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:11
schestowitz> "Joseph Galaskiewicz and Wolfgang Bielefeld came at this in anAug 19 18:11
schestowitz> interesting way in their study of Minnesota nonprofits.7 They wanted toAug 19 18:11
schestowitz> measure how embedded a nonprofit was in the local community, but theyAug 19 18:11
schestowitz> didn’t think it would be useful to ask the nonprofits directly. So theyAug 19 18:11
schestowitz> asked other people about the nonprofit. First, they asked local elitesAug 19 18:11
schestowitz> (well-known professionals about town) the extent to which a givenAug 19 18:11
schestowitz> nonprofit provided essential or outstanding services. Second, they askedAug 19 18:11
schestowitz> other local nonprofits the extent to which they exchanged resources orAug 19 18:11
schestowitz> information with the nonprofit in question. As it turns out, theAug 19 18:11
schestowitz> nonprofits with the stronger reputations and network ties were the onesAug 19 18:11
schestowitz> that survived and grew over time."Aug 19 18:11
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:11
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:11
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:11
schestowitz> 7. Stain your reputation.Aug 19 18:11
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:11
schestowitz> One of the greatest assets a nonprofit has is its reputation. It canAug 19 18:11
schestowitz> take many years to build a sterling reputation and only a few minutes toAug 19 18:11
schestowitz> ruin it. So your reputation can play strongly in your favor if you wantAug 19 18:11
schestowitz> to kill your nonprofit.Aug 19 18:11
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:11
schestowitz> Nonprofits get some elements of legitimacy just by beingAug 19 18:11
schestowitz> nonprofits—people trust most nonprofits more than they trust mostAug 19 18:11
schestowitz> businesses. However, frequent scandals and sector fraudsters have erodedAug 19 18:11
schestowitz> much of the inherent trust that nonprofits have enjoyed for so long.Aug 19 18:11
schestowitz> Thus, individual organizations have to build their name throughAug 19 18:11
schestowitz> painstaking quality and careful communication with clients, donors, andAug 19 18:11
schestowitz> other constituents. Once built, reputation can take an organization aAug 19 18:12
schestowitz> long way. People will want to give you money, other organizations willAug 19 18:12
schestowitz> want to partner with you, volunteers will want to spend time helpingAug 19 18:12
schestowitz> you, and qualified staff will want to work for you.Aug 19 18:12
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:12
schestowitz> The quickest way to ruin your reputation is to induce a scandal, maybeAug 19 18:12
schestowitz> by implicating your executive director in some illicit ring. But weAug 19 18:12
schestowitz> understand that not everyone can spawn a scandal. Thomas Jeavons hasAug 19 18:12
schestowitz> suggested another method for eroding the reputation of a nonprofit:Aug 19 18:12
schestowitz> internal sabotage.8Aug 19 18:12
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:12
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:12
schestowitz> 8. Underinvest in infrastructure to support volunteers.Aug 19 18:12
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:12
schestowitz> This one can be really crippling, and many nonprofits take theirAug 19 18:12
schestowitz> operations down a notch or two this way—if not all the way to the grave.Aug 19 18:12
schestowitz> It could be that volunteers really just aren’t that important to theAug 19 18:12
schestowitz> work that you do. Or—and here’s the real trick—they are important, butAug 19 18:12
schestowitz> you act like they aren’t. The truth is, volunteers are vital to theAug 19 18:12
schestowitz> operations of many nonprofits.Aug 19 18:12
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:12
schestowitz> With poor screening and task matching come volunteers who get frustratedAug 19 18:12
schestowitz> working in jobs that don’t really interest them. Without trainedAug 19 18:12
schestowitz> supervision by engaged staff, volunteers are disconnected from vitalAug 19 18:12
schestowitz> programs. When recognition is not tailored to the expectations ofAug 19 18:12
schestowitz> volunteers with diverse motivations and life histories, they can feelAug 19 18:12
schestowitz> unwanted.Aug 19 18:12
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:12
schestowitz> There’s a nonprofit maxim that says, “Volunteers are not free.” To takeAug 19 18:12
schestowitz> your nonprofit down, all you have to do is foster the idea among yourAug 19 18:12
schestowitz> colleagues that volunteers actually are free. It’s easy! VolunteersAug 19 18:12
schestowitz> don’t have to be paid, so what do they need, really?Aug 19 18:12
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:12
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:12
schestowitz> "The smart nonprofit will have one ear to the ground and focus onAug 19 18:12
schestowitz> community needs. The nonprofit with the death wish will look only toAug 19 18:12
schestowitz> requests for proposals and chase dollars into a competitive resource niche."Aug 19 18:12
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:12
schestowitz> the fsf doesnt listen.Aug 19 18:12
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:13
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:13
schestowitz> 10. Think that “good” is good enough.Aug 19 18:13
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:13
schestowitz> or mediocre is good enough.Aug 19 18:13
schestowitzThe term nonprofit is itself bullishit for a lot of reasons we can write about. It's a loaded statement or label like "commercial software".Aug 19 18:13
schestowitz> Hi Roy,Aug 19 18:13
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:13
schestowitz> Many participants are calling for the UPC to continue, at the EuropeanAug 19 18:13
schestowitz> Commission public consultation on "IP action plan".Aug 19 18:13
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:13
schestowitz> https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/12510-Intellectual-property-action-planAug 19 18:13
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:13
schestowitz> Ericsson even went that far to say that the German Presidency shouldAug 19 18:13
schestowitz> issue a "patch" in order to quickly fix the UPC by the end of theAug 19 18:13
schestowitz> year.Aug 19 18:13
schestowitz>Aug 19 18:13
schestowitz> I have tweeted about all those contributions.Aug 19 18:13
schestowitzIf they are only tweets, it's impossible for me to see or cite. I will use your press release.Aug 19 18:13
*liberty_box has quit (Ping timeout: 240 seconds)Aug 19 21:11
*rianne__ has quit (Ping timeout: 260 seconds)Aug 19 21:11
*rianne__ (~rianne@host81-154-173-175.range81-154.btcentralplus.com) has joined #techbytesAug 19 21:16
*liberty_box (~liberty@host81-154-173-175.range81-154.btcentralplus.com) has joined #techbytesAug 19 21:18

Generated by irclog2html.py 2.6 by Marius Gedminas - find it at mg.pov.lt!