In this final Geeks & God podcast, Rob and Matt say their farewells. We talk about what we've learned, what we've loved, and how far this podcast has come since it's first episode over 3 1/2 years ago. We also tease what's coming next for The Geeks and talk about some new life directions. Thank you all for the awesome years in this podcast community. God bless you and your ministries!

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Drupal is a powerful tool to build websites. But, for most church tech volunteers and staff looking to build a good church website it isn't the easiest tool for the job. Drupal provides a framework to build a site. For developers this is fantastic flexibility to build amazing sites. Your typical church tech person isn't a developer crafting sites for a living. read more

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While we were attending the Design 4 Drupal Boston Drupalcamp we had a chance to sit down with Nathan Smith the creator of the 960 grid system and a developer for Fellowship Tech the company behind the popular church management system Fellowship One. In the interview Nathan talks about grids, learning drupal, and some of the new developer stuff going on with Fellowship One and their new REST API.

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On this week's podcast we deal with a topic that's much more difficult than it sounds: What to do when you have a combined church and school ministry organization and you need to build a website? We lay out all the decisions, issues, and dilemmas that occur when you try and reconcile these and actually code your website. But, before all that, we tackle a listener's heavy theological question with a very non-theological answer.

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Have you ever felt like a website was able to help you make the decisions you wanted to make without work on your part? That it was aware of who you are and fed you the right context sensitive information for you. That's what we talk about in this weeks episode. When we share content on the web it can often be one message displayed in one way. That can be hard to do because different people come from different places. This week we talk about being user aware and give some simple ways we can all get started.

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Are you ready to talk about something controversial? This week we talk about church politics and your site. Church politics are apart of virtually every church project and it's something many people dread. Church politics are often unavoidable. This week we talk this dirty little world, how it can affect your site, and what you can do about it.

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What looks simple but is really a complicated costly pain? Electronic Newsletters. While they look simple and straight forward on the surface they've been known to cause developers to shriek and have sleepless nights. But, churches want them and rightfully so. This week we talk about electronic newsletters, what works, what doesn't, and how to do them effectively. Before we dive into E-Newsletters we talk about the book "The Reason Your Church Must Twitter" and we have Dean Simmer on as a guest.

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On this week's Geeks & God, we get down to some nuts and bolts of basic website design concepts in an effort to help you improve your church or ministry website. We give 60 tips from the utter basics to more advanced concepts that will tweak your brain or remind you of some long-forgotten standard practices. Before we dive into the tips, Rob talks about his extended time away from technology and challenges you to consider an extended technology sabbath for the health of yourself and those around you.

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In a recent episode we talked about our top 10 technology concerns in the church. One of our points was the underutilized technology in churches. This week, we dive into that topic and talk about underutilized technology in areas that are generally not focused on. Some places the church is on the cutting edge. Some other areas are virtually ignored and have so much potential to aid in the mission of the church.

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Joomla! is powerful and popular Content Management System. In the world of Content Management Systems, Joomla! is the primary competition to drupal. This week we sit down with Amy Stephen of the Joomla! community to talk about Joomla!, where it's going, where you can learn about it, and how you can get involved with Joomla! development. Before we dive into Joomla! we have an interview about the American Bible Society. Come join us on another Geeks and God podcast.

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When it comes to bible software Logos is considered by many to be the choice. For two decades their software only ran on Windows and that was enough to keep many people from switching to a Mac. Last year they released a Mac version of their popular software and this week we review it. The fun with Logos doesn't stop there. Rob talks about speaking and attending the BibleTech09 conference, put on by Logos, and we have an interview with Logos founder and President Bob Pritchett.

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Listener feedback is one of the elements to the Geeks and God community we love the most. The podcasts listeners have so many great things of their own to share. We had so much good listener feedback we decided to turn it into this special edition episode. If you have something to share with us please give us a call at (206) 984-3694 or send us a email at geeksandgod at gmail dot com.

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On this week's podcast which was recorded at the Bibletech 2009 Conference, Rob is joined by Gabe Taviano from the God's Mac podcast. We start by talking all about the work that Gabe is doing in the realm of Christian tech, including a focus on his new meetups called Digital Disciples. After that we talk about the role of technology in our lives as believers. read more

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Web services are powering the next generation of popular and useful Internet tools. When you think of twitter in an Adobe AIR app, Facebook on an iPhone, or reading blogs though Google Reader you're thinking of API's in action. This week we dive into the world of web service APIs, what they are, and how developers can take advantage of them. This is where they web is going, are you on board?

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Facebook is all the rage in our culture. Facebook usage seems to be jumping in leaps and bounds. With its popularity is it a place your church should be active? If you church decides to setup a presence on Facebook how should it do that? In this weeks episode we try to help you answer these questions while talking about statistics, culture, and the technology powering these solutions.

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For the past few weeks we have been on the Geeks World Tour. Well, it didn't really cover the world but, we did rack up thousands of airline miles. In this tour we covered 2 conferences that each had a unique vibe and atmosphere. The first was the Interactive Church Conference where we focused on talking to church leaders about technology. The second was drupalcon dc which is the drupal developer conference. This week we talked about what we learned, the importance of Christians being at secular conferences, and where we are taking the Geeks and God Conferences from here.

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Let's face it, the world is going mobile. While there are hundreds of millions of people with broadband internet there are billions of people with mobile phones. As mobile phones get high speed internet and people start to use it more the number of people who access high speed internet on mobile phones is expected to pass the number of people who access it from a desktop. The world is going mobile. This means mobile phones are really important to churches. In this episode we start the conversation about mobile devices and church websites.

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Have you ever wondered what makes a good website theme? Ever wondered what makes a module or plugin good? How about what makes a good site architecture? In the episode we attempt to describe what makes these good solid designs. The things we talk about are things anyone can do. They aren't some special technique or secret knowledge that only the elite of web development know.

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Are you ready to learn some of our drupal building secrets? In this episode we dive into the drupal 6 modules we use and provide some recipes for how we combine and configure them to create the features we build into sites. Or, you can think of this as Rob giving away a bunch of his drupaly secrets. Before we dive into this fun topic we talk about Free Mission Websites, a new Geeks and God community initiative to help missionaries with their web presence. This isn't just the Rob and Matt working on another project. This is something that every member of the community can get involved with. Curious how you can help? Head on over to http://freemissionwebsites.com and find out. read more

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This week on the podcast we hack your iPod and force you to listen to an episode about Security. After seeing way too many websites and web servers become compromised this year, Rob and Matt decide to tackle the basics of what you can do to keep your site and server secure. We talk about generating, storing, and remembering passwords, locking down your server environment, keeping your website up on it's security releases and finally what to do if you get hacked. read more

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Communication is a cornerstone to a successful ministry. No where is this more apparent than in tech related ministry where geeks and leadership staff have to communicate well to be successful. In this weeks episode we look at communication between tech teams and leadership staff, talk about some of the pitfalls, and dive into how we can do it well.

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Have you ever wondered what pieces of technology you can't live without? We were recently asked this question and decided to dive into the topic. In this episode we talk about the tech we can't live without, what tech we wish we could live without but can't, and more. We want to know what technology you can't live without and what technology you wish you could live without. We shared ours and now we would love to know what you think. Please let us know in the comments to this episode.

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Have you ever seen a tech project go up in flames? I'm not talking about an exploding server but when a whole project simply fails. We've experienced failure and watched train wrecks happen on projects over the years. In this episode we dig into different causes we've seen for tech projects to fail. Our intention isn't share train wreck stories to but share the failures we know of so you can learn from them. Oh, and did we mention, there are two free drupal theme training seminars coming up? One in New York and one in Metro Detroit? Details in this episode.

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Ever wondered how DNS works? If you don't know what DNS is you're not alone. It's one of the important keys to making the Internet work. Without it you wouldn't be able to type geeksandgod.com into your browser and get here. In this weeks episode we talk about what DNS is and some different ways it touches churches and ministries.

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Are you ready for a controversial topic? One you could possibly disagree with. If so, fasten your seat belts and prepare to dive into the Whiz-Bang factor. In this episode we dive into the topic of church marketing, how it compares to communication, and where that hits on technology. Marketing and technology seem to be two of the hot topics of the day and have a rather large intersection church. In this episode we dissect that intersection. read more

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Are you ready to learn what's under the hood in the new look Geeks and God website? In this episode, that's packed full of juicy details, we talk about upgrading the site, how we built the new features, migrating away from the drupal audio module, some modules that made what we did a lot easier, and so much more. So, come join us for a drupal case study as we walk through GeeksandGod.com.

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We're back with a whole new look! After weeks of neglecting our day-jobs, we've hammered the geeksandgod.com website into submission, moved it to Drupal 6, added a bunch of new features, and hopefully made it more useful for everyone. On this comeback episode of G&G, we talk about everything we changed and updated and exactly why we did it. Before we talk about the site, however, we have an exciting announcement! I'll give you some hints but you'll have to listen for the details. read more

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We made it! Yes, we've finally arrived at the century mark here on Geeks & God: It's episode 100! On this week's episode, we celebrate this milestone by looking into the future of both Geeks & God and technology as a whole. We start the episode with some more talk about free Dreamhost web hosting for non-profits then continue with some talk about the future of the podcast and this website! We're taking some time off until December 1, 2008 while we redesign the site. read more

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Church Management Systems, also known as ChMS, are used daily but thousands of church leaders all over the world. They help churches organize the information floating around their churches and manage the activities that can quickly clutter your brain. But, what happens when churches want to tie their Church Management Systems in with the Content Management Systems that run their websites? Or, when a church is curious about building a Church Management System with a Content Management System? read more

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How often do we sit back and do just enough to get by? In school it's easy to be a C student. At work it's easy to do enough to keep your job. But, is that what we should strive to do? This week we discuss excellence, what the bible teaches about it, and how that applies to our everyday life and that job that most of us don't like. read more

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Twitter is a powerful phenomenon that's changing the way we send and receive messages. Email and instant message haven't gone away but are starting better fit their intent rather than being all inclusive messaging systems. In this weeks episode we explain what twitter is, how it's being used, and talk about some ways it can be useful for ministry. Before we dive into twitter we have listener feedback to talk about that includes more than a couple useful products and ideas. So, come join us for another information packed episode of Geeks and God.

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Starting a business for ministries can seem a little bit overwhelming for many. There are the ins and outs of running a business on top of managing church clients. This week we dive into starting a ministry based web business. While we focus in on starting a web based business, much of what we talk about applies to any ministry support business. If you're interested in starting a web business, even if you think it's something of a pipe dream at the moment come join us. Part of what we talk about is how to ease into your business.

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On this week's episode we take a 3 pronged approach to keeping your website safe. Having a secure website isn't just about keeping hackers and bots out (although that's true too) it also includes keeping your site safe from random disasters and from human error. That's why, this week, we cover security updates, backing up, and creating a 'sandbox'. But, before all this, we share some listener suggestions by introducing you to Vidblaster, a cool streaming service, and Web Empowered Church, a free church CMS package!

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Is your website set to fit into the future of drupal development? When you create solutions for your site are those solutions aligned so you can easily update to the next version of drupal and follow the drupal trends of the day? In this episode we explore this idea, provide you with some places you can follow the drupal trends of the day, and talk about a few trends that are current future of drupal. Before we dive into the drupal goodness we talk about a few topics that even our non-drupal audience can appreciate. We start with more conference stuff, talk about podcasting software, dig into free screencasting software, and talk about securing your online persona. Come join us for another information packed episode of Geeks and God.

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This weeks episode is another one we didn't expect to happen. After the Geeks and God Conference we received some great audio comments about the conference. When we listened to them we decided to put together a conference wrap-up episode. But, this episode took a twist. At the conference we learned about a service called Mogulus which is a great avenue for video on the web and we built a G&G Live portion of the site. When we recorded the episode we were live and on the scene with listeners from around the world. Those listeners even suggested our opening topics. So, come join us for a Geeks and God episode with a twist.

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After one day at the Geeks and God conference we decided to record the episode that was never planned to happen. In this episode John Wilkerson, from the Jesus Geek Podcast, joins us where we talk about conference in the realm of churches and ministries. Just as the picture suggests, we recorded this episode relaxing outdoors in Robs backyard. Come join us for a relaxing episode where we chat about conferences.

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Have you noticed how unproductive the technology we love can make us? We start twittering and loose track of time. Or, we get into instant message conversations that distract us from doing the work at hand. How so often we feel like we got a lot done but didn't really accomplish very much. In this episode we talk about being productive and using technology to help us be productive. This isn't just a matter of what technology we use but how we use the technology that's out there in an effective manner to get things done. Before we dive into getting things done we talk about some listener feedback and the lack of pictures of Christian living on the Internet. Could the new Geeks and God flickr group be part of the solution? Come join us for another fun filled episode and find out.

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After months of sitting on drupal 6 we're finally talking about it. There is a saying in drupal which describes the differences between versions. "The drop is always moving." When drupal goes from one major release to the next expect and enjoy significant changes. We start off attempting to explain this philosophy and then dive into some of the new and exciting changes. If you're a module or theme developer this release is like a breath of fresh air compared to drupal 5. With each new release things get better and better. This new release has more new good stuff in it than we could begin to cover but we try to hit on some fun big points like the theming, new features in core (actions rule), performance improvements (like a mac each new release is faster on the same hardware), and more. We finish it off with a little peak into what we might get in drupal 7, the version currently being developed by the drupal ninjas. So, come join us for another fun filled episode where we get dunked in a tank of drupal fun.

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Changing web hosts can be a real pain. The logistics alone are enough to stop someone from making the switch. In this weeks episode we walk though changing web hosts. We start with how you know there is better out there and when you should change. It turns out, when you look at the market, there are a lot of opportunities for churches and ministries to be on more cost effective solution. Then move on to walk through a fast way to make the switch keeping your downtime as small as possible. This is our 8 step method. Before we dive into changing web hosts we talk about using a CSS framework and the new drupal starter module called blueprint. Come join us for another roaring episode of Geeks and God.

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Are you ready to drink a new flavor of tasty kool aid? This week we talk about jQuery, the JavaScript library bundled with drupal. If you've wondered how drupal has those resizing text fields, it's autocomplete fields, and drag and drop interfaces we need to look no further than jQuery. It's what's making the magic happen. read more

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This may be the most controversial episode of Geeks and God to date. In this episode we say, "Go Green!" and we're not routing for our school colors. This is an episode about technology and our interactions with the ecosystem we live in. We talk about why it matters and talk about a start to what we can do about it. If you are itching to respond to our episode links or the topic in general we ask that you listen to the episode first. For some reason this topic seems to bring out a lot of arguments. It's become a political fire zone. It's a topic filled with opinions and passion. We attempt to take this topic outside the usual context and this difference matters. In an effort to share some love of Gods creation, what ways do you see that we can live in better harmony through technology with this ecosystem we live in? Before we dive in to this firestorm topic, we respond to some listener feedback including an opportunity to look at word of mouth in the online world.

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In this weeks episode we have a little fun. This week we talk about web applications and services that rock our socks off. These are some of our favorite sites and services to use. Now that we've shown you ours, what are your favorite web 2.0 sites and services? Yahoo Pipes, Tumblr, Twitter, Good Reads, Remember The Milk, Photo Color Schemer, Stripe Generator, Splashup, Pandora, iLike, Skitch, Stumbleupon, Bright Kite, Mint, Live Maps, Zoho, Slide Share, Jott, Skribit, Evernote, Sky Drive

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Have you ever tried to remotely explain something to someone and just wish you could show them? Have you ever put a tutorial online and wanted to show them rather than write your way through something? If you have then creating screencasts is an answer to your problem. Screencasts are a powerful and user friendly tool for sharing video from your computer screen. Instead of screenshots accompanied by writing they are video accompanied by audio. In todays episode we talk about where screencasts can be a powerful tool for the church, a workflow for creating screencasts, and the tools needed to make them. Before we dive into screencasts, Matt and Rob talk about the way they view web creations differently and how these different perspectives play into the things they build.

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The fshbwl was a unique project for many reasons. It was one of the occasions where Matt was the project lead rather than Rob. In building it we did some things differently than we'd ever done before. And, it was built in more than a week but well less than 3 months. In this weeks episode we discuss building a website in a different way. Some modules are different, parts of the approach are different, and a number of the things on the site turn out differently. This even leads Matt and Rob to discuss their differing views on inline content. Differing views? Could this be a royal rumble? But, before we dive into building the fshbwl we talk about building a site in a week. Is this a contradiction from what we talked about just a few weeks ago? You'll have to come listen to find out.

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We've been asked how we created GeeksandGod.com a number of times and always shied away from talking about it. It's not that there was some deep dark secret or that we didn't want to share some super sweet technique. It was nothing like that at all. To be frankly honest, we just didn't think GeeksandGod.com was a very good example to share with people. In this episode we take our case study in a different direction. We talk about how GeeksandGod.com started, where it has come, what we did, what that meant, and how we would do things different now. We, also, talk about a lesson that we hope every developer learns and we see embodied in GeeksandGod.com everyday. Before we dive into another case study we talk about widgets. Those fun little programs that can actually have a purpose. Come join us for another fun filled and action packed episode of Geeks and God.

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Have you ever looked at a website and wondered, "How did they do that?" In todays episode we explain how we built MuddyRiverMedia.org. You've been asking us for years how we built certain sites. Most of the time we shy away because so much of the fun stuff is site specific. This time around we dig in, we talk about modules, we talk about theming, and we talk about the concepts where we got into some crazy site specific scripting magic. There is less than many of you would think. read more

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Today we start a brand new series in which we look at specific Drupal based CMS websites that your hosts, Rob and MF, have built. The idea here isn't to promote ourselves as site builders, but instead, to give you an inside look at the things we consider when building sites and to give you some behind the scenes info on how we build them. Today we start with MuddyRiverMedia.org, a recent site built by Mustardseed Media. The episode was originally supposed to contain info on both concepts and hands-on geek skillz, but Rob talked too much, so it's broken into 2 episodes, todays lays out the conceptual with special guest Mark Fogerty, owner of MuddyRiverMedia.org All that plus listener feedback on this week's G&G

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The most important step in building an awesome church website happens before any development work begins. This is the preproduction step. If you're going to hire a contractor, this step happens before you go looking for one. If you are going to have a team in your church build the site, this step happens before you meet with them. In this episode we talk about the ins and outs of website preproduction. This step can mean the difference between a so-so site and one that rocks your socks off. read more

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Sometimes it's all about the money. In this case, it's about the transaction. Online donations are something many churches are asking about. In an effort to make it easier to give we are always looking for ways that fit the lifestyles of our members. Today we talk about online donations and even get into ecommerce, for those churches that want to sell their stuff. Online transactions can be no small deal. When we factor is transaction fees, software, payment gateways, and all services involved online transactions can quickly escalate into a hairy mess. In this episode we cover the ins and outs of ecommerce. Before we dive into ecommerce, have you ever herd of Internet Evangelism Day? It's a day for the church to focus in on using the Internet well to spread the word. We talk about this day, which is coming up April 27th, and we answer more listener feedback.

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Education is a key element of the church. We have sermons in our worship services. We have bible studies. There are apologists who study science and logic then teach what they learn. In this episode we talk about taking teaching virtual, and I don't mean the kind of teaching where you have to wear equipment or have an avatar. Online teaching is not new to technology or the education world. We explore bringing a new form of education to the church. Before we dive into online education, we respond to a ton of feedback from our listeners. Come join us for another episode of Geeks and God. Maybe you'll learn something.

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