Comments on: Convio and Kintera open their APIs but befuddles coders http://www.nonprofittechblog.org/convio-and-kintera-open-their-apis-but-befuddles-coders Confessions of a Non-Profit Executive Director Sat, 13 Mar 2010 11:46:18 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Allan Benamer http://www.nonprofittechblog.org/convio-and-kintera-open-their-apis-but-befuddles-coders/comment-page-1#comment-60953 Allan Benamer Thu, 25 Oct 2007 02:09:32 +0000 http://www.nonprofittechblog.org/convio-and-kintera-open-their-apis-but-befuddles-coders#comment-60953 Agreed, maybe the Convio progress bar tool would be more useful. Like a typical programmer, I always want to goldplate the solution and produce something more slick. I've tried to get into the program myself. I'm not cool enough I guess. It's a bit like being picked last for a team isn't it? What am I, chopped liver? :( Agreed, maybe the Convio progress bar tool would be more useful. Like a typical programmer, I always want to goldplate the solution and produce something more slick.

I’ve tried to get into the program myself. I’m not cool enough I guess. It’s a bit like being picked last for a team isn’t it? What am I, chopped liver? :(

]]> By: Kim Ethridge http://www.nonprofittechblog.org/convio-and-kintera-open-their-apis-but-befuddles-coders/comment-page-1#comment-60886 Kim Ethridge Thu, 25 Oct 2007 00:56:21 +0000 http://www.nonprofittechblog.org/convio-and-kintera-open-their-apis-but-befuddles-coders#comment-60886 "In other words, you can build a progress bar widget with Kintera's "query" method but it would be very difficult to do the same thing with Convio's API. In order to sum up a campaign's pledge total, you'd have to have as many getuser calls as you have users. This is simply impractical for larger databases that may have thousands of users." Convio already provides Convio clients with a progress bar tool that sums up campaign totals. Convio has about 150 "approved" (for lack of a better word) vendors. You're right, it's ashame the rest of you folks can't get equal access to the "open" api. “In other words, you can build a progress bar widget with Kintera’s “query” method but it would be very difficult to do the same thing with Convio’s API. In order to sum up a campaign’s pledge total, you’d have to have as many getuser calls as you have users. This is simply impractical for larger databases that may have thousands of users.”

Convio already provides Convio clients with a progress bar tool that sums up campaign totals.

Convio has about 150 “approved” (for lack of a better word) vendors. You’re right, it’s ashame the rest of you folks can’t get equal access to the “open” api.

]]> By: Allan Benamer http://www.nonprofittechblog.org/convio-and-kintera-open-their-apis-but-befuddles-coders/comment-page-1#comment-57977 Allan Benamer Fri, 19 Oct 2007 15:03:25 +0000 http://www.nonprofittechblog.org/convio-and-kintera-open-their-apis-but-befuddles-coders#comment-57977 @Peter Gulka: Blackbaud going open on the 7x product seems to me to be unlikely but now that they're literally the last major nonprofit CRM vendor out there without an open API, the pressure is on. @Doug Yeager: Thanks Doug for your kind comment. Kintera and Convio are not in market leader positions so they have to innovate. Kintera is definitely on the right track and I'm stunned that their API is so open. I'm still holding off on further analysis pending my registration with both of the API partner programs. @Peter Gulka: Blackbaud going open on the 7x product seems to me to be unlikely but now that they’re literally the last major nonprofit CRM vendor out there without an open API, the pressure is on.

@Doug Yeager: Thanks Doug for your kind comment. Kintera and Convio are not in market leader positions so they have to innovate. Kintera is definitely on the right track and I’m stunned that their API is so open. I’m still holding off on further analysis pending my registration with both of the API partner programs.

]]> By: Doug Yeager http://www.nonprofittechblog.org/convio-and-kintera-open-their-apis-but-befuddles-coders/comment-page-1#comment-57589 Doug Yeager Thu, 18 Oct 2007 23:28:23 +0000 http://www.nonprofittechblog.org/convio-and-kintera-open-their-apis-but-befuddles-coders#comment-57589 Great job Alan! My two cents is that both companies have realized that openness is going to drive the market, and that in a very short time managed to get something out the door. Not bad, even if it is a bit like "openliness" and in the eye of the beholder. The good news: this is version 1 and only will get better. I think Kintera thought that the coding would come from their "partner" community, and didn't even think of the independents and wave of innovation that accompanied the "give it away" pioneers. doug Great job Alan! My two cents is that both companies have realized that openness is going to drive the market, and that in a very short time managed to get something out the door.

Not bad, even if it is a bit like “openliness” and in the eye of the beholder.

The good news: this is version 1 and only will get better. I think Kintera thought that the coding would come from their “partner” community, and didn’t even think of the independents and wave of innovation that accompanied the “give it away” pioneers.
doug

]]> By: Peter Gulka http://www.nonprofittechblog.org/convio-and-kintera-open-their-apis-but-befuddles-coders/comment-page-1#comment-57491 Peter Gulka Thu, 18 Oct 2007 17:09:27 +0000 http://www.nonprofittechblog.org/convio-and-kintera-open-their-apis-but-befuddles-coders#comment-57491 I hope Blackbaud is watching this closely. I really do. With the 7x product on the way out in favor of Infinity development it would seem to me to be a no brainer to stop charging for the API. Here's hoping that my calls do not fall on deaf ears. I hope Blackbaud is watching this closely. I really do. With the 7x product on the way out in favor of Infinity development it would seem to me to be a no brainer to stop charging for the API.

Here’s hoping that my calls do not fall on deaf ears.

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