Did you know your iPhone is tracking you without your consent?

Thanks to the Austrian activist Max Schrems, earlier this week we found out from Business Insider that Apple illegally tracks iPhone users to target them with ads, EU privacy activism group claims in lawsuit. Please read article for full story.

From the article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/kateoflahertyuk/2020/11/16/apple-iphone-tracking-heres-how-to-turn-it-off/?sh=ce7d1c33398a

“A useful guide on how to use Apple’s new privacy features in iOS 14. Within that, I included some steps detailing how you can prevent advertisers from tracking you ahead of the planned opt-in feature—which will hopefully become available in an updated version of iOS 14 in 2021.

So for now, in your Settings, go to Privacy > Tracking. Here you can turn off the ability to allow apps to request to track you across apps and websites owned by other companies.”

In Tendenci there is are no back doors or default accounts. NOT NOW OR EVER. Tendenci takes security and privacy very seriously. You have all of the tools you need to remain GDPR compliant with Tendenci’s open source software. It is entirely your responsibility to use the software responsibly. For example all web sites use cookies. And data does not delete itself. If you haven’t already, please read about GDPR at Tendenci as we share the same values. Privacy is important and it matters.

The Puppy keeps your data safe.

Now is the moment to focus on cyberattacks during COVID-19 times

Cyberattacks during COVID-19 have been more worrisome at a time when virtual learning is at its peak, at a time where countries are encouraging citizens to stay, learn or work from home. It is why NOW is the crucial time to focus on cybersecurity, whether it’s for yourself or your workplace.

COVID-19 Cybersecurity Image by INTERPOL
#washyourcyberhands From the source: https://www.interpol.int/en/Crimes/Cybercrime/COVID-19-cyberthreats

Here is a list of must reads. Let’s take care of each other during these heavy times due to COVID-19

  1. Wash Your Cyber Hands with INTERPOL : https://www.interpol.int/en/Crimes/Cybercrime/COVID-19-cyberthreats
  2. Cyberattacks Disrupt Learning Even More During COVID-19: https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2020/09/14/cyberattacks-disrupt-learning-even-more-during-covid-19.html
  3. Resource Guide for Cybersecurity During the COVID-19 Pandemic: https://www.cisecurity.org/blog/resource-guide-for-cybersecurity-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/
  4. See Cyber Global Infection

Tendenci software can integrate with an LMS (Learning Management System) or MOOC (Massive Open Online Course). If you wish to know more, please give us a call at (281)497-6567 or submit a support ticket. We can’t wait to hear from you.

Stay safe.

Tendenci Surely Is Dazzling WorldWide in the Association Management Software Market

From the article: https://publicist360.com/2020/04/14/association-management-software-market-is-dazling-worldwide-tendenci-personify360-aptify/

THANK YOU to all of the developers out there who are contributing, translating, updating and maintaining a very complex piece of software. AMS software that is inclusive of other languages and cultures, and a team that believes in security and privacy. Lets continue to do good today, and tommorrow even more, together. 

All of the code is on github, documentation on readthedocs, and translation is crowd-sourced on Transifex. Self host or host with us, your choice, your data, your association. 

Check out the update history here!

Data Lakes for Smarter Associations

Open Source is Winning the Internet. Join us to be the BEST regardless of culture or country.

What is a “data lake”?

Data lake – it’s a big, partially structured and differently structured set of data from your association that you can use to answer interesting questions. Think of it like throwing everything in your pantry into one magical cauldron and it comes back with answers. Of course be careful what you ask, as SECURITY IS ALWAYS JOB 1! But it’s cool.

This is how AWS visualizes it:

Source: https://aws.amazon.com/big-data/datalakes-and-analytics/what-is-a-data-lake/

Having been personally involved in politics, analytics, electrical engineering, programming, robotics, public relations and media strategy not to mention the whole entrepreneurship thing, I must to start with a warning; do NOT go overboard.

Luckily Tendenci as your AMS makes this a whole lot easier with all of the ways to import and export data (or your whole database.) And pretty much every report has a structured export as well, from custom forms, donations, event registrations, memberships, you name it. You have FULL ACCESS to YOUR DATA in both flat files and in the actual database schema. For example:

I like this quote from wipro:

If the data in a lake is not well curated, then it may turn into a data swamp, flooding an organization with information.

https://www.wipro.com/en-US/analytics/five-best-practices-to-keep-your-data-lake-healthy/

You can see more screen shots of the built in reporting within Tendenci. Yet let’s be realistic, you are integrating data from many sources and a Data Lake including but not limited to your data on Tendenci might be just the thing. Contact us for more, because we LOVE DATA!

And we’ve got over 20+ years of experience to back it up.

Why not make 2020 the banner year to grow your membership and donations? Because that’s what we THRIVE ON! YOUR SUCCESS!

Tendenci – The Open Source AMS Market Projection is Thriving WorldWide

 

It is great to see again an independent third party rank Association Management Software from a global perspective. As a part of the Tendenci AMS Community, we will let the summary from HTF on market growth and Tendenci’s Global Share speak for itself. 

Tendenci – The Open Source AMS continues to grow globally, we believe, because it is a community much more than anything else. Open Source is the voice of the people – a shared language that brings us together. 

Click here for full story.

BY WILLIAM ANDERSON ON OCTOBER 30, 2019 – HTF

Webinar | Cryptocurrency – What it Means for Companies and Associations involved in International Commerce

Don’t miss this webinar opportunity on OCT. 22, 2019! Guest speaker Ed Schipul, Founder and CEO of Tendenci – The Open Source AMS, will walk you through a SWOT analysis of implementing cryptocurrency within your organization, and why your government may take issue with the practice.

Webinar hosted by the Luxembourg American Chamber of Commerce (LACC)

Register Today!

Why Tendenci Chose Python over PHP

Note: this is a repost from the eschipul.com blog and also lives as a help file on Tendenci.

This blog is a WordPress blog written in PHP. And WordPress, which is written in PHP is a great platform when secured properly.

So why did our team choose to rewrite Tendenci Open Source and in the Python Programming language? It is a question I get asked a lot. We’ve never been a company that likes to talk in the negative if at all possible, yet it is important to talk about the megatrends going on given we work with associations and nonprofits.

Python Growing in Academia
Why Python instead of PHP for Tendenci

Source: https://www.upguard.com/blog/which-web-programming-language-is-the-most-secure

programming vulnerabilities
Vulnerabilities in each language

Source: http://info.whitehatsec.com/rs/whitehatsecurity/images/statsreport2014-20140410.pdf

security-report

Source: http://info.whitehatsec.com/rs/whitehatsecurity/images/statsreport2014-20140410.pdf

Popularity of a language is a trend, and what you want is as many developers familiar and liking the language of your open source project as possible. This means you have a better chance to have a secure web site and therefore a more secure future.

To be fair – as Disraeli said – “lies, damn lies and statistics” – so there is no one perfectly secure language any more than there is a perfectly “safe” hammer. There will always be operator error and programmers make mistakes.

So we’re not saying Python is perfect, and all of us have used most of the other languages on those charts at some point. We’re just saying we are pleased so many other programmers also like Python and Open Source. THAT is the best that can be done to secure your future online. Secure code that you can examine yourself and even host yourself!

Addendum: As I post this on the Tendenci Blog. Given we focus on non-profits, associations, memberships, education, medical, religious – basically the do-good cause-based organizations, I believe it is particularly important that the project is as transparent as possible. Sometimes it is healthy to inform everyone of WHY we made a decision seven years ago. Python was the right call.

Tendenci Continues to Win and Retain Business Clients

Businesses That Use Tendenci

Tendenci’s growth makes it a great value for businesses focused on security and ease of use in a very robust open source project.

It is true that Tendenci is a very large open source project focused on the NPO sector, but value is value and businesses love Tendenci as well. How big is Tendenci? Login to the demo site to see for yourself at https://demo.tendenci.com (please remember the demo site resets every hour for spam prevention).

So it’s great to see all of these clients utilizing Tendenci and continuing to benefit from Open Source!

  1. Trendsetter Engineering Showcases Breadth of Services on their Tendenci 7.2 Responsive Site

    trendsetters-pic

  2. Subsea Technologies Inc. Offers Product Sales and Rentals for Underwater Operations using Tendenci Open Source Software

    Open Source for Business
    Subsea Technologies Launches Tendenci 7.2 site
  3. Ann Iverson Upgrades Online Presence with Mobile Tendenci Website

    Recent Responsive Sites running Tendenci Open Source Software
    Recent Responsive Sites running Tendenci Open Source Software
  4. Brooks Acevedo Attorneys at Law Launch New Site to Educate Home Healthcare Provider

    Recent Responsive Sites running Tendenci Open Source Software
    Recent Responsive Sites running Tendenci Open Source Software
  5. John Surtevant Launches Mobile Tendenci Site to Expand Market Reach

    Recent Responsive Sites running Tendenci Open Source Software
    Recent Responsive Sites running Tendenci Open Source Software
  6. Harris Leasing Upgrades to Tendenci 7 to go Mobile Responsive Nationally

    Recent Responsive Sites running Tendenci Open Source Software
    Recent Responsive Sites running Tendenci Open Source Software

Tendenci is flexible enough to let you turn off modules you don’t need, and SEO friendly enough to make it a great alternative to proprietary CMS systems.

  1. No Proprietary Technology Lock In
  2. No Long Term Contracts
  3. No “Named User” pricing to prevents “Knowledge Silos”
  4. Greater Functionality
  5. Open Source and an Open Community

These are all things that forward thinking companies, not just non-profits, are starting to realize. And the wave of technology continues to compound behind large open source projects like ours (the entire Tendenci community’s). So sayeth the data.

which_web_programming_language_is_the_most_secure_

Source: https://www.upguard.com/blog/which-web-programming-language-is-the-most-secure

 

 

Translations, Client iphone and Android Apps

A few cool things in the land of Tendenci clients and open source users internationally to share.

Client Created iPhone and Android Apps

Kudos to www.hapl.org and the developer Jaime Lossada who created this application for the iphone and android on top of Tendenci. This was completely the work of Jaime so if you have questions please reach out to him directly.

HAPL iPhone App by Jaime Lossada
HAPL iPhone and Android Apps by Jaime Lossada

We just think it’s cool to see what “Open” software enables people to do versus closed-old-world-options.

Translations

And we’ve had a few requests lately for translations via Transifex as well as new languages to add. Transifex it integrates with github and Open Source Projects like Tendenci.

Translations for Tendenci via Transifex
Translations for Tendenci via Transifex

You can check our our Transifex project for Tendenci. It’s crowd-sourced translations for open source projects.