I monitor the NPtech del.icio.us tagstream with avid interest, and notice that there are now several blogs devoted to harsh critiques of the nonprofit sector.  These bloggers often take aim at nonprofit technology practitioners in particular:



Some are more vitriolic - and funnier - than others. In the long run, I think that civil discourse is our best hope, but there's no denying that a well-written rant is much much more entertaining to read.  And there's no doubt that these bloggers are often right on target.

I do hope that the nonprofit watchdog bloggers will not be too swift to pour out the vitriol. Heaven knows that it can be gratifying to have a tantrum of moral outrage! But let's all review the principle of proportionality in just war theory.

Meanwhile, all of us in the nonprofit sector should consider ourselves duly warned. The internet is making it easy for just about anyone to be a citizen journalist or a whistleblower - and just about anyone can be a target. On the whole, transparency and accountability are good things for our sector; I hope that we can keep it that way, by exercising moderation.