Ed. Note: As we prepare for the 2010 Nonprofit Technology Conference, we wanted share a wee bit of the wisdom our speakers will be serving up, so as not to overwhelm you when you get to Atlanta. We're asking them all to share their answers to five very important questions.

Speaker: Amy Sample Ward, NetSquared

Session: Building Stronger Online Communities Without Losing Your Sanity & Bringing Community Organizing Into Online Campaigns

1. What's the most important trend in nonprofit technology for 2010?

I think the most important trend now is collaboration -- across platforms, across organizations, across sectors. The idea of collaboration in this sense can manifest in many ways: adapting strategies to work collaboratively, leveraging platforms that allow for collaboration across organizational lines, creating new and larger demand for open products and services.

2. Why do you think your session topic is important for nonprofits to address?

I'm speaking in two sessions, but I think they are both important for similar reasons: you don't have an organization, you don't have a campaign, you don't have a purpose if you don't have a community. Both of my sessions focus on best practices, lessons learned, and the things organizations need to know to be community organizers and community builders, on and offline.

3. What's the one thing you want attendees to remember from your session?

Again, my answer here is really the same for both sessions: it's not about you, it's about the community.

4. Which Muppet do you most identify with and why?

I actually had to look up the Muppets to answer this question! And, with the powers of Google, what did I find but a Muppet test!

[Ed. Note: If you want to take the "which Muppet character are you?" test, it's here. Apparently, I am Gonzo. I was aiming for Miss Piggy]

The test results said Kermit.  And, well, I'm okay being Kermit! Green is my favorite color, I grew up in the country (like frogs), and I think I'm pretty good at being a wrangler of characters. :)

5. Where can people follow you online (twitter, blog, etc.)? 

There are lots of ways, but some of the easiest ways to track me down include:

Twitter:
- if you want to chat, follow @amyrsward
- if you just want my content, follow @amysampleward

Web:
- if you want me and my blog, visit: http://amysampleward.org
- if you want me and the whole global NetSquared community, visit: http://netsquared.org
- if you want to read Social by Social (the book I co-authored on using social media for social change) for free or download, visit: http://socialbysocial.com