How Groups Function Online

Many people mistakenly see ‘Facebook’ or ‘MySpace’ or other social media services as groups or communities in an of themselves.  I hear things like, “The Facebook community…” or “The MySpace community…”  Truth is, Facebook and other social media services are more like online megacities - many diverse communities gathered into an online space.  But, unlike [...]

Measure Causes, Not Results

David Watson, a veteran church planter and part of the Reaching the Online Generation team, writes:
I just received a graduation announcement from a friend’s daughter who is valedictorian of her class. This tells me the results of her education, but not how she got the results. Making the highest marks in school does [...]

One Thing Leads to Another

Tonight I’m participating in a chat with members of a community I found on Plurk.  The group leader read my blog, asked questions, and liked what I had to say.  This is the second time I’ve interacted with them in a private chat environment.  I participate in the discussion as I have things to contribute.
The [...]

Friday Prayer: Deep Wells

In ‘The Shaping of Things to Come,’ Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch create a vivid illustration that captures an important part of Reaching the Online Generation.  In Australia ranches have to be enormous for cattle to roam and find the food they need.  They are so large, in fact, that fencing is completely out of [...]

The Unwritten Rules of Talking About Your Faith Online

I’m starting to get an idea of how and where I can talk about Jesus online. I nudge the boundaries and note when and how people respond. Sometimes they accept what I’m talking about. Sometimes they push back. Here are just a few random observations.
Twitter and Plurk are great places to [...]