Great reads from around the web on August 23rd

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 August 23rd). 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).

• Introducing WebAPI ✩ Mozilla Hacks – the Web developer blog – Really excited by projects that help close gaps, provide accessibility, and increase portability of all things webby. Check this out: "WebAPI is an effort by Mozilla to bridge together the gap, and have consistent APIs that will work in all web browsers, no matter the operating system. Specification drafts and implementation prototypes will be available, and it will be submitted to W3C for standardization. Security is a very important factor here, and it will be a mix of existing security measurements (e.g. asking the user for permission, like Geolocation) or coming up with new alternatives to ensure this."
• How to collect email subscribers on your Facebook Page – Have you added a custom welcome page and/or email sign up form to your Facebook Page? If you haven't, John Haydon will tell you how: "From what I’ve seen, most nonprofits have no idea that you can add to your list — that precious database of your supporters, donors or newsletter subscribers — by strategically using a customized Facebook Welcome Page or custom tab. Notice the word “strategically.” Collecting email subscribers on your Facebook Page takes a lot more than simply adding an opt-in form to a tab — you’ll learn how to do that in just a moment."
• Google+ vs. Facebook vs. Twitter vs. … Part 1: T… – Lithosphere Community – "Michael was voted a 2010 Influential Leader by CRM Magazine for his work on predictive social analytics and its application to Social CRM. He's a regular blogger on the Lithosphere's Building Community blog and previously wrote in the Analytic Science blog. 'What I’m going to talk about today, are some of the network properties and social principles behind some popular social platforms. Of course, I will compare and contrast them to the new kids on the block (i.e. Google+), and talk about their behavioral implications.'"
• Grants Maps – I'm a huge fan of maps and I love social impact – check this out: "The Skillman Foundation has partnered with the New York City-based Foundation Center to provide Skillman Foundation website visitors with a custom version of the Foundation Center’s Philanthropy In/Sight data visualization platform, which utilizes Google maps to show the scope and reach of the Skillman Foundation’s work in Detroit."
• Library Value Calculator | Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library – I love this! What a terrific way to help tell the story of your impact in the community – I can see something similar working for all kinds of organizations, schools, and more. "The Return on Investment (ROI) Calculator determines the value of library services in Topeka and Shawnee County based on per capita spending of local and state funding. For every tax dollar you pay, the library returns several to you in reading, research, programs and other services. Here's an opportunity to see your tax dollars at work."