There are a number of challenges that face us as we begin to engage more deeply into the online space. There are certainly more than 2 critical issues but these two have repeatedly cropped up on my radar and I’d love to both inform and discuss how best to manage them.
We are Educators First, Technologists Second
For some of you the acronym MMORPG is already in your vocabulary and the above image is simply “funny.” For some of you, this might actually be your first encounter with the acronym, and here’s the challenge:
Which one’s more true? Is it dependent on the institution or the individual?
MMORPG stands for “Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game.” [Read more here if you're curious!] That is the real and right definition. The problem is that many, who have never seen this, may now believe that it stands for “Many Men Online Role Playing as Girls.”
That is incorrect. The second one is a “joke.”
But do you see the connection? You see the issue? We must constantly be aware of the many different interpretations and “definitions of identity” of the tools, technology, and the way we use them. There are “right” definitions and “uses” and then there are “wrong” ones, generally speaking.
As a result, we must constantly be educating people about how to use technology and technology’s identity as properly understood, interpreted and used. We must be educators. People don’t ask for guidance, they need it. We are those vehicles.
What do you think?
Check out Part 2 of the 2 Part Series Here!
I think you're totally right. @brandondonaldson tweeted some stats yesterday about ages of online users. The senior generation (ages 70 and up) has the highest rate of growth in the online community. They don't even know what LOL is, let alone PWN or WOOT or anything else. When we, for whom use such terms is second nature, encounter those to whom such terms are a foreign language, we have a responsibility to slow down and be careful to be clear to EVERYONE. It takes patience to slow down, it takes creativity to educate about such things. But I agree with you that it IS necessary.
Haha. I had actually planned on using PWN in an upcoming post today… and i was like… no… that just won't do…
everyone way overestimates the computer savvy (and social media savvy) of average people. The church needs to remember to always meet people where they are at. In front of the times is just as bad as behind the times ….
right on. my bad. i do this often.
Never assume that people know the technology as well as you. But never assume they do not. Berst is to keep in touch and ask them while you are trying to decide if you can educate tem (or they can educate you).
so true. i think i often take this for granted…
ok it's time for me to come clean, I am actually a real person who only knows half of what I pretend to know. I know I know you thought I was a bot.
but seriously I assume that there are a lot of fakes out there who may or may not be malicious. I just hope that there arnt too many Christians faking it online.
You are not a bot?! I'm crushed.
but aren't we all dear sir…?
I'm finding a lot of value in talking to my customers about the thought-process behind social media tools,platforms,etc. There is a huge learning curve for me and for them. I get a lot of "that's way over my head."I've had to break stuff down and practice explaining it to my parents. It's going to take a while.
keep it up! it's worth it!
true,true…
i still tend to over communicate because there is so much traffic in the old brain freeway these days. My poor, dear wife…sigh.