Were you a member of blackbus.org? Then I need your help!

Peter Gulka 3 · April 2016

In 2006 I started the Blackbaud User Society as a kind of social experiment. An alternative to the official Blackbaud forums at the time. It ended up becomeing wildly successful, and by the time I passed it on to other hands to run in 2010, we had over 5000 active members, and a really strong community.

I work for Blackbaud now as an Altru implementation consultant, but an opportunity has come up for a Community Manager postiion at Blackbaud, and I have applied. I want to show the power of what a well run community can do as a means of helping my application for the position. So here's what I need:

1. If you were a member of blackbus.org, please post your story here - when were you a member, and what did that community give you that you wouldn;t have other wise had?

2. Contact someone else who was a member, and ask them to post here as well.

The more attention we can gather, and the more posts in this thread, the bigger an impact we can make in my shot for the job. Of course, if you think I was a terrible community manager, share that too!

Let me know if you have any questions, and I'll monitor this thread, as long as it stays active.

Anne Herbert · April 2016

I am still a member of blackbus and joined it about 7 years ago when I was a new RE user. I have found it to be a great place to ask questions and share information with other RE users, so thanks for all your work in creating it.

Sunshine Reinken Watson · April 2016

I think I found blackbus.org around 2006, but lost touch with it when changing jobs several years later. Back then it filled a gap that I think Blackbaud Community has very recently come to fill. It was a well organized, easy to use user-to-user support community. You did an excellent job forming that website and community back then. It was ahead of its time and a great resource.

James Andrews · April 2016

Posting on the new BB forum, which is the successor to the old BB forum, which you created another BB forum to replace, in order to become the manager of the new BB forum? What better way to prove your value!

Anyway, hat I liked about blackbus was that it was nice to have a non-corporate-sanctioned user forum, well-run, very transparent and responsive.

Also Peter is a good guy and gets jokes, and I believe one time we had a beer together at BBCon. The end.

Peter Gulka 3 · April 2016

James Andrews:

Posting on the new BB forum, which is the successor to the old BB forum, which you created another BB forum to replace, in order to become the manager of the new BB forum? What better way to prove your value!

Anyway, hat I liked about blackbus was that it was nice to have a non-corporate-sanctioned user forum, well-run, very transparent and responsive.

Also Peter is a good guy and gets jokes, and I believe one time we had a beer together at BBCon. The end.

Next youll tell me you dont look like a giraffe.

Barbara Schlichter · April 2016

I joined back in May of 2006, and am still a member. It was a true community, lots of camaraderie, lots of ideas and solutions. I enjoyed the "brother's not watching" concept, it made for a more robust and open forum. BB community should have one more forum -- off the topic, where we can lounge around, spout off, tell some jokes, waste a little time and get to know people a little bit better.

You did a fabulous job Peter, BB would be remiss in not having you as the community manager.
Barbara

P.S. no money exchanged hands for this honest review

Elizabeth Johnson · April 2016

Hi Peter,

I joined Blackbus in October of 2006. I was new to Blackbaud in April of 2006. By October I had finished most of the basic training and was off to find more resources. There you were! It was a great, safe place to ask questions, follow others questions, share documents and procedures. I think our organization even donated one time to remove the ads. I actually still go there, admittedly not as often. But when I'm researching something I would be remiss if I didn't use all my resources. My last posting was on 4/18/16 in the hopes that people are still looking at the job postings there on occasion. I have always been more of voyeur on the forums. I like a challenge and I have found that here in the Community when it was being beta tested (thanks Holly) which is pretty much the only reason why I comment more here than there. I read the new postings daily here (as I did there) and only add when I feel I have something of value.

Thanks for all you have done to help me be a better database admin and best of luck!

Elizabeth

Laura Caswell · April 2016

HI,

I found Blackbus a fantastic resource. I also enjoyed the lounge where non-work was discussed. I joined in 2006. I think you did a fantastic job of bringing it to life and nurturing it along the way. And your knowledge of all things RE is immeasurable. BB would be foolish to not give you this new position.

laura

James Andrews · April 2016

Peter Gulka:

James Andrews:

Posting on the new BB forum, which is the successor to the old BB forum, which you created another BB forum to replace, in order to become the manager of the new BB forum? What better way to prove your value!

Anyway, hat I liked about blackbus was that it was nice to have a non-corporate-sanctioned user forum, well-run, very transparent and responsive.

Also Peter is a good guy and gets jokes, and I believe one time we had a beer together at BBCon. The end.

Next youll tell me you dont look like a giraffe.

that's a dirty lie and you know it.

Elaine Tucker · April 2016

I have been riding the bus since it first started. I LOVED that is was a non-BB forum where we could discuss almost anything and everything. It was a wonderful resource because all the members could post codes, shared documents, solutions and a supportive "shoulder to cry on" when the need arose.

One of the best things about the BUS was that it really filled a need for the users that was not available at that time. It also gave us a user voice with Blackbaud. As a group we could take new ideas and show BB how the ideas would not only make our jobs easer/better, but also make the software better.

I've known Peter since before he created the BUS and he is a great guy, loves to share his knowledge about BB and is also quick learner (remember that 6 to 7 conversion in what - 3 months?), and the Community Manager Position is a NATURAL fit.

Elizabeth Johnson · April 2016

Elaine you were one of the contributers that I loved to follow on the bus! Thanks so much for all the great info you have shared over the years!

James Andrews · April 2016

You know, I just went back over there and there's been actual activity now and then! I stopped checking for a while when there was nothing but spam.

Glen Kendell 2 · April 2016

Peter, this is like asking Elton John to do an audition to see if he can sing or not. Or Dale Chiluly to produce some blown glass to see if he's any good at art.

Blackbus was "the" community site for Blackbaud for years. And you, Peter, made that happen. Not as a job, but as a labor of love. I have just the smallest of inklings of how much devotion and creativity was involved on your part to do that year after year.

Although there is no way to put a dollar figure on it, there can be no doubt that the success of Blackbus and the loyality it engengered toward Blackbaud products during a crucial period of growth in the company was key in making Blackbaud into the company they are today.

Blackbaud should only be so lucky to have you running this community!

Maggie Sis · May 2016

Blackbus.org is still my first go-to to find answers (memeber since 2008 or09) if I cannot find it on blackbuad's site. I also go there to find out other's opinions on everything The Raiser's Edge when I want an unbiase look at things. Job well done Peter!

Michael Sherman 2 · May 2016

Peter, you may also want to post this on The Raiser's Edge Users Group Support Forum on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thereusersgroupsupportforum/

Nicole S · May 2016

I definitely think that blackbus filled avoid that Blackbuad themselves were not filling at the time. For a community to be a helpful resource to users, those uers need to be active. I think that having the inititative to start a group to fill that void says more about Peter than any one of us fully convey. I would definitely say that a community manager who also has the BB knowledge that Peter has would be a tremendous benefit to users.

Peter Gulka 3 · May 2016

You're all too kind. Your checks are in the mail this week.

Barbara Schlichter · May 2016

Peter Gulka:

You're all too kind. Your checks are in the mail this week.

I've moved....I'll send you my new address

Nicole S · May 2016

Barbara Schlichter:

Peter Gulka:

You're all too kind. Your checks are in the mail this week.

I've moved....I'll send you my new address

I'm sure he's used AddressFinder and already has it!

Amy Matthews · May 2016

As a client, I loved using the BUS as a way of finding creative solutions to common problems. I was mostly a lurker, but almost always managed to find the resources I needed, or the support to let me know that I wasn't alone in struggling with something. At the time, there really wasn't the same kind of open, honest, and quite frankly funny discussion going on with the Blackbaud forums themselves. I've been an Educational Consultant for almost two years now with Blackbaud, and I still point students in my classes to blackbus for additional resources.

Were you a member of blackbus.org? Then I need your help!

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