I'm Ryan McGrath, a designer, developer, author, teacher, and speaker. I used to be the Lead UI Engineer at Webs.com; now, I'm doing my own awesome stuff.
In my spare time, I work on various projects (some open source, some not), edit a Javascript magazine (JSMag), and try to help change the world.

If you’ve ever considered throwing together a mailing list to keep the members of your group, project, or organization informed, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better application for that purpose than PHPList, a free and open source newsletter manager.

Setting up a survey on your Web site can be a simple task with LimeSurvey, a flexible and easy to set up tool for conducting a survey.

Linux users have a multitude of choices for personal finance applications, including GnuCash, KMyMoney, Kapital, and others, not to mention being able to run Quicken under WINE. One good alternative that runs on multiple operating systems and manages finances with ease is Moneydance.

When it comes to choosing a Linux distribution, people tend to stick with the major players, such as Ubuntu, SUSE, or Fedora. However, every once in a while a distro comes along that offers a look at Linux in a new and fun way. One such distribution is Dreamlinux, a Morphix-based implementation of Linux that can be run from a single CD or installed on a hard drive. Dreamlinux 2.2 aims to offer a full range of desktop applications while providing a wealth of multimedia tools for easy production of professional-grade media.

Many Web sites host discussion boards to bring together people with common interests, to help diagnose problems, or to gain a following for a project. Popular discussion board software includes phpBB, Invision Power Board, and, on the low end, PunBB. One system that is growing in popularity is Simple Machines Forum (SMF), which offers extended features while keeping to a minimalistic approach.