Posts Tagged: social media

social networking — 2 Comments
28
Sep 09

Social Networking: It’s not a right, it’s a privilege

I know I’m probably in the minority here, but to me social networking is not a right, it’s a privilege. What I mean by that is just because someone puts themselves out on the internet via social media tools like twitter or facebook, it does not mean that they are obligated to connect with you. I know some people that follow everyone on twitter that follows them and others that accept every friend request they receive on facebook. Some actually do both. I choose not to. I know I lose several followers on twitter as a result, but I actually believe that it’s up to me to choose how I use social networking sites--there is no golden rule I am to follow.

I don’t follow people on twitter just because they follow me. I have tried doing that and have lost a lot of great conversation and nuggets of wisdom through being bombarded with a bunch of tweets I really wasn’t interested in seeing. No offense to my fellow twitterers, but I really only follow people that are relevant to my present calling in ministry, those that challenge and stretch my thinking and way of doing things, and those that I have conversed with previously. Twitter is a two-way connection. I don’t want it to be solely about me and my life or you and your life. I want to use twitter to bridge the gap between my life and your life. I’m getting to the same point with my facebook friends. I’m pairing down my facebook friend’s list to include only those people I am really connected with, or those that will engage in dialog and respond to comments. I can’t tell you how frustrating I find it when someone posts something on twitter or facebook, yet never responds to any of the replies. At that point it’s not about networking and building relationships, it becomes about you and how great you are.

I had a chance to meet a truly great person today named Rob Dale (@robdale). Back when I started using twitter about a year ago I searched for fellow church planters. Rob was one of the hits I got back in that search and is someone I consider privileged to know. He is the pastor of Capital City Biker’s Church in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Our backgrounds and ministries are very different. If I passed Rob on the street, I probably wouldn’t think to myself, “That’s a guy I need to know.” However, after all of the encouragement he has shared with me over the past year and having had a chance to meet him in person this morning, he absolutely is someone I am so glad I got to know. He stretches my thinking and causes me to look at ministry and people a different way. Just because Pastor Dale was using twitter and categorized himself as a church planter didn’t give me the right to enter into a relationship with him. Knowing the fact that after riding somewhere around 4,000 on a Harley from Ottawa to California he was gracious enough to sit with me for two hours and chat, I know it is a special privilege to be able to meet with him during his busy schedule. It reminded me of how much value the people I connect with on twitter and facebook add to my life and how humbling it is to know that they have taken time out of their day to stay updated on my thoughts and experiences.

So, if I don’t immediately follow you back on twitter, or if I’m not your friend on facebook I hope you’ll understand why. It’s nothing personal. It’s just that I value my relationships (twitter/facebook/real space) and I use social networking tools to stay connected with people--not as a tool to get others to know me. It’s not about my arrogance or your status. It’s about the privilege of getting to know certain people that eventually become part of my journey rather than a bunch of anonymous people I know by @blahblah or facebook.com/whatsmynameagain.

As I know a lot of you use social networking in different ways, please post your contrasting perspectives as a comment. I’d appreciate knowing how you utilize social media for networking and if you see it more about networking with everyone or building meaningful relationships with select people.

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technology / the idea camp — 1 Comment
4
Mar 09

The Idea Camp: Post-camp Thoughts…Technology And Social Media

social-media-techOne of the things I was really looking forward to at The Idea Camp was a chance to hear people bouncing ideas off of each other, especially in the area of merging technology with the church. In the end, not a lot of ideas were really opened up, but many people came with lots of questions. In particular, the questions were about technology and social media.

It seems that people are hearing about twitter, yet not quite understanding it. It seems some are hearing about facebook, but not quite getting it. Unfortunately, I truly believe that if we don’t keep up with the pace of tech and social media we will get left behind. Some are willing to let the rest of the world pass them by.

I must admit that as technology oriented as some people think I am, I am really behind the times. I started with myspace and didn’t like it, but found that the kids in my youth ministry wouldn’t return calls or emails, but would reply to myspace messages. Then I tried facebook about 2 years ago and hated it. It was so plain and everyone else’s page looked the same…it was homogeneous with no personality. However, I soon realized that once again, friends that wouldn’t respond to email or phone calls, were responding to facebook messages. So, I adapted and have learned to like facebook because it is convenient and I can update through my cell phone while on the go. Next came twitter, which was just so boring and voyeuristic. I signed on with twitter July 31, 2008 and after barely breaking 100 followers last December, I now have over 770--an increase of about 670 followers in just the past two months. I’m not even really trying. It’s taking off like crazy with more new connections being made daily! These are people I wouldn’t ordinarily get to meet without a tool such as twitter.

iphone-thumbnailAt some point, with cell phones such as the iphone being able to do just about everything a notebook computer can do, email will be obsolete completely and even sms messaging could fall by the wayside as twitter and facebook take over.

As speakers were on the main stage, we in the live audience and all viewing the streaming webcast could use cell phones to text message the speakers with a question that would get answered. Programs and schedules were not printed and distributed online in advance of the gathering. Off-site meetings for lunch were coordinated via tweetups. It was quite a sight to see so many people moving along the conference halls knowing where they were going because they were plugged in.

The Idea Camp protwitter-logo-thumbnailved to me that I need to stay connected with others and continue to develop my networks. I got a chance to connect with several people that I had only known through twitter such as: @charlestlee, @djchuang, @jonathanhochan, @cynthiaware, @laurencetom, @marcpayan, @gregatkinson and @scotthodge. Social networking facilitated conversation and connection, but I have to admit that meeting face-to-face really solidified these friendships. I am now a real face that had a chance to engage with them in dialog and vice-versa. Even some people that I had not connected with previously, but followed on twitter came up to me and introduced themselves such as @joshchow and @nellechang.

I’m learning a lot through my journey in social networking and using technology and new media. have a funny feeling that we haven’t even scratched the surface yet and there are more exciting new ways to connect coming on the horizon. I’m looking to implement some of these technologies for open communication within our church plant later this August.

Do you have any takeaways from The Idea Camp in regards to tech or social media? Maybe you have an interesting way you are implementing tech into your ministry? I’d appreciate seeing your ideas so please comment with them!

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