During a stimulating conversation about the development of this nonprofit, Software Managers Resource, Inc., I was reminded of an article from the Winter 2004, Volume 11, Issue 4 of the Nonprofit Quarterly e-newsletter. The article by Paul Light is The Spiral of Sustainable Excellence. Paul interviewed members of 25 of the most recognized and successful nonprofits from a study of 250 through the United States. He summarized some of the best practices he encountered. What immediately came to mind during my discussion was the chart comparing goals, threats, questions and capacity-building activities for each of the stages of a nonprofit's development: organic, enterprising, intentional, robust and reflective. While this rubric is specifically tailored to nonprofits similar characteristics are fundamental to successful for-profit business organizations as well. The summary at the end reminded readers that successful nonprofits were to be found in each category of this rubric and that these categories are only to be used as a guide.

Without a Software Center to keep track of and store software media, chaos reigns. Technical professionals are unable to do their jobs when they do not have access to needed media. Those who do find needed media often keep it at the exclusion of others.

If you have ever walked through an IT department you have no doubt seen CDs on desks or software packages on shelves of trusting people. All too often I heard the frustrations when those CDs and packages disappeared, and of CDs strewn on desks being scratched, rendering them useless.

Dan Gillmor has given some hints about his forthcoming grassroots journalism efforts. Having read his book and believing in the new forms of media described in it, I look forward to reading his new blog. Good luck, Dan!