Karl Otto's Field Reports

Spring is Here!

Karl Otto — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:51:12 -0600

Is everyone enjoying the spring weather? I know I am since I biked to work today.

It's been a good while since I wrote my last field report and so I wanted to keep you guys updated. NTEN was awesome. It was wonderful to meet all of the different people working in nonprofit tech and find out about the hot topics going on now. It was also great meeting up with the VISTA contingent and seeing how everyone's doing. Many thanks to Ben Sheldon for letting me stay on his extra bed when my hotel arrangements fell through.

Workwise, I haven't been up to anything too mind-blowing. I have still been doing client intake along with a bit of Drupal fidgeting and am looking to start a little help/advice blog to assist clients in getting the most out of the services we offer (and giving them an idea of what exactly we are offering). Aside from that, I was doing a bit of graphic design for a fundraiser that has picqued my interest in Adobe Photoshop. I'm a total newbie when it comes to Photoshop, so if guys know of any good guides to learn from then let me know. Also, if you know of any good ways to learn JavaScript, then let me know.

Fingers crossed, I'm planning on extending my VISTA term into the summer with part of my focus learning those two areas a little more in depth. I'm also excited to draw up a summer plan so that I can have more focus on a finished, capacity-building project as well as help the new VISTAs out with their projects. So yeah, things are looking good.

Chicago: You're Stuck Here

Karl Otto — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 13:55:52 -0700

The big story of the week is that I was supposed to speak at a conference in Ocean City, MD about free and low-cost tools for nonprofits. Unfortunately (or fortunately), I live in

Chicago and weather conditions made it impossible to fly out in time to give the talk. Nuts! Then again, who wants to go to Ocean City in February? My next trip is scheduled later next month--which starts tomorrow--for the NTEN Conference in New Orleans. If anybody is getting there on Wednesday, I suggest you go to the NTEN Science Fair if for nothing else than to see the exhibits and take place in the raffle. I got an email from them and it looks like they're giving out a million iPods, but don't quote me on that figure.

Speaking of New Orleans, does anybody need a room(mate)? My organization, Grassroots.org, has put me up at the Sheraton (where the conference is being held), but I'm staying in a double and would like to save some money for them if I can. If anybody's interested in splitting the room, email me at karl@grassroots.org.

Aside from that, does anybody know about good resources for website accessibility? I'm supposed to be researching it in preparation for making our site more accessible, but I'm finding guides that might be more trouble than they're worth. Any suggestions?

Finally, I had a good experience the other day with regards to my position. My roommate was wondering who Grassroots.org gave its services to. I told her that we typically give our services to nonprofits (especially 501c3s). She then told me that her family had just applied for nonprofit status for an organization that centers around her cousin and the rare medical condition that he has. They were looking to make a website for the organization. "Sure," I said, "We can get you that." Yeah, I'm cool. I work at a nonprofit.

"Working from Home"

Karl Otto — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 13:28:56 -0700

Hi Everyone,

So I'm going to continue being good and write a second update report.

When do you finally settle in to an organization? This question is more rhetorical than anything else. I think I'll still be settling until my last day there. Either that or it will remain unsettled. Who knows?

In the wake of my supervisor leaving, it has left everything more helter-skelter than usual. (By the way, I hate helter-skelter things with a burning passion.) This has resulted in me being the bug-fixer for the new website which has given me victories such as modifying my first PHP doc to quandaries such as being expected to modify an RSS feed in that same doc.

I had a good talk with my boss last Monday about being 5 months into the program and what I expected out of the next 7 months. I told her all of the tasks that I had been assigned (some of which she was unaware of) and how I could only put in 40 hours a week since I don't have an internet connection at my apartment yet. (I know that we are only supposed to work 40 hours a week and I'm behind that all of the way, but it's good to have some flexibility in that as well as the option to work extra if you want to.)

One of my big contentions with the talk was that I wanted to make sure that I was making finished products and adding to my technical skillset. The latter makes almost obvious sense professionally as well as personally. The former element has those as well, but there is also a morale element at work, as well. It takes away from your will to work if you don't have something that you can proudly say you did. I'm guessing this is a big issue in the nonprofit world, but I don't want that to prevent me from having the best possible experience with my organization that I can have.

When you're assigned to work with an organization, you can't expect them to take you by the hand, set you at a desk, and guide you along the way to work for a better tomorrow (or whatever). You have to pull yourself along and take a more active role in it than you might have thought originally. There is not only the work. There is also the value of it and the negotiations of managing where you work, how you work, who you work with, what you work on, what you get out of your work, etc. etc. (Let's not even mention the stuff that you have to deal with outside of your work.) That's some serious multitasking and also one of the biggest challenges I've faced being a VISTA.

So here I am, typing in my report at the Chicago Public Library by my house and thinking about what I need to do now and what I want to do later. It can get a little daunting, but I'm doing things little by little so it doesn't get overwhelming. I'm getting stuff done, tomorrow is another day, and all that jazz.

Being a Good VISTA

Karl Otto — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 15:44:39 -0600

Hi Everybody,

This is my first post since...well...my actual first post. Lots has happened to me including a few trips and two moves. I've marked a time to write my update on Google Calendar, so I'll make it a point to pump those reports out.

My work is going crazy. I have the tasks that I'm assigned to including client intake for our programs and developing new content for our new site that will be coming out in the near future. The thing I don't like are all of the loose threads of other ideas/projects that I've had to both take up and drop. Recent developments, including my supervisor recently leaving, will definitely restructure my duties. This situation reminds me of when I used to work at a restaurant. There you had to know how to multitask and know your priorities. Here, it's the same, but also different.

I'm still getting an idea about this organization and how it functions. Being away from the center of Grassroots.org has definitely let me work more independently. (It's definitely a testament to my work ethic.) Unfortunately, it's also made me unsure about the specifications my coworkers accept out of me since a skype message or phone call is much different than an in-person check. I have since learned to care less not about the quality of the work but about what other people think.

But, I'm finally getting settled in. I have an office. I'm getting business cards made as I write. Most of my Americorps benefits are in order. Things are going well, but I promise to go into more detail later.

Good to Be Back,
Karl

Settling In

Karl Otto — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 20:06:57 -0600

Hey everybody.

Don't worry. I didn't forget about my biweekly report. I've just been superbusy what with changing apartments and starting this new position.

So far, I like what I'm doing which mostly involves cramming my head full of web development knowledge. In the last two weeks, I have learned HTML, CSS, and a smattering of Drupal. Along with that, I contributed to a 15 page report on Net Nanny software. Right now, I'm getting set to start working on my first website: a redesign for the NYC-based nonprofit Concrete Safaris. Later, I think we're going to reorganize our content management system for the main site.

Did I mention that I'm in Columbus, too? All of the Grassroots.org staff is getting together for a work retreat (the key word is "work") where we can meet each other, set our priorities for the larger picture of what we are working towards, and have some fun bonding over BBQ in the evenings.

My forecast for this upcoming year is that I am going to enjoy it for the most part and, along with that, learn a lot. Most of the first couple month's is to get into the right mindset and understand the jargon that those steeped in technology take for granted. I think I want to use the wiki as a way to give an idea about what I have learned and also use it as a way to clarify things that might not otherwise be completely transparent (ex. What is a wiki?)

I hope everyone else is doing well.

Ciao,
Karl

First Day(!)

Karl Otto — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 14:24:28 -0600

Hey Everybody,

This is my first Field Report. I have to give one of these every two week--biweekly, it's called--so I'll try to make them bastions of quality information for the masses. See you in two weeks.

Yours,
Karl