Great reads from around the web on December 15th

I come across so many great conversations, ideas, and resources all over the web every day. Here are some of the most interesting things I’ve found recently (as of December 15th). You can join the conversations in the comments, or click through to the original posts to find what others are saying.

To follow more of the things I find online, you can follow @amysampleward on Twitter (which is just a blog and resource feed), or find me on Delicious (for all kinds of bookmarks).

• Shareable: The Open Source Guitar – So many good pieces to think on from this post (thanks for sharing it with me, Billy!) Here's just on that's got me thinking: "We're now beginning to experience a shift from a global-objective index of needs and providers to a personal-subjective one." Check it out and let me know which ideas get you thinking, what your reactions are, and what you want to do with this concept!
• Networks and Hierarchies: A Typology of Digital Activism Today | techPresident – "A few weeks ago, powerful corporations like Mastercard, Visa, and PayPal weren't very concerned with the hacktivists and pranksters on 4chan. Now, thanks to the tactical success of Operation Payback's DDoS attacks, they are. The U.S. government also has its own problems with networked activists. After massive leaks of documents on the Iraq and Afghan wars and diplomatic cables from around the world, Wikileaks has demonstrated that it is a formidable threat to American legitimacy and power. These are but two recent examples of how decentralized digital networks can have dramatic effects on centralized hierarchies. However, these two alternative structures of human organization can interact in a variety of ways, both mutually beneficial and destructive. Below is a typology of how networks affect hierarchies in the digital world. In their interactions with hierarchies, members of networks can act in the following roles."
• Facebook Privacy for Nonprofit Organizations | Idealware – "Facebook seems to generate a lot of discussion about the way it handles privacy and security, and not without reason—personal data protection is worth some scrutiny, and Facebook has a questionable track record in this area. However, these issues don’t apply in the same way to nonprofits who have an organizational presence on Facebook. Organizational data is, by definition, far less personal than the information an individual might trust to the site, so you’re much less likely to want to keep it private. But there are other privacy concerns for nonprofits that use Facebook—even if your own privacy isn’t a big concern, it’s important to think of your constituents’ privacy. What does that mean for you? We talked to a few experts and condensed their advice into this article. We’ll take a look at the issues you most need to be concerned about one at a time."
• Teach Parents Tech – I'm having so much fun playing with this new template from Google – it filters videos and other resources and pulls them together for the person you want to help get tailored tech support. And it's fun! Check it out – anyone you want to share it with?
• eCampaigning Ideas | Advocacy Online – "This year's edition of eCampaigning Ideas includes eight great case studies put forward by groups using our software in a number of countries worldwide. Each case study includes background information about the issue and the campaign, key learnings, benchmark numbers, and outcomes. We hope you will download the file, find some useful information, and be inspired!"