Social Media and the Church

Web 2.0 Describes the changing trends in

the use of World Wide Web technology and web design that aim to

• enhance creativity & communications

• secure information sharing, collaboration and functionality of the web.

Social Media

Primarily Internet- and mobile-based tools for sharing and discussing information.

•Facebook•Podcasts•Youtube•Blogs•Twitter•File sharing (eg. Napster)

Social Networking

Focuses on building online communities of people who share interests and/or activities, or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others.

Who uses social network sites?• The share of adult internet users who have a

profile on an online social network site has more than quadrupled in the past four years -- from 8% in 2005 to 35% now, according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project's December 2008 tracking survey.

• While media coverage and policy attention focus heavily on how children and young adults use social network sites, adults still make up the bulk of the users of these websites. Adults make up a larger portion of the US population than teens, which is why the 35% number represents a larger number of users than the 65% of online teens who also use online social networks. • source: Adults & Social Network Websites/Pew Internet &

American Life Project

Blogging• A blog (a contraction of the term

weblog) is a website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. "Blog" can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.

• A blog can be either a personal journal, or a series of articles on a related theme.• Journal• Hobbies or interests• Support groups• Faith journeys

• Generally speaking (although there are exceptions), blogs tend to have a few things in common:• A main content area with articles listed

chronologically, newest on top. Often, the articles are organized into categories.

• An archive of older articles.• A way for people to leave comments

about the articles.• A list of links to other related sites,

sometimes called a "blogroll".• One or more "feeds" like RSS, Atom or

RDF files.

• A blog can be set up in a matter of minutes, using a site such as Wordpress or Blogger.

• If you can • use a word processing program, and • fill out a form on a web page,

you have all the skills needed to set up and use a blog.

Feeds

• A Feed is a function of special software that allows "Feedreaders" to access a site automatically looking for new content and then post updates about that new content to another site. •This provides a way for users to keep up with the latest and hottest information posted on different blogging sites.

Blogrolls

• A blogroll is a list, sometimes categorized, of links to webpages the author of a blog finds worthwhile or interesting.

• The links in a blogroll are usually to other blogs with similar interests. The blogroll is often in a "sidebar" on the page or featured as a dedicated separate web page.

Comment Moderation•Comment Moderation is a feature which allows the website owner and author to monitor and control the comments on the different article posts, and can help in tackling comment spam. •It lets you moderate comments, & you can delete unwanted comments, approve cool comments and make other decisions about the comments.

Basics-A Few Blogging Tips

• Post regularly, but don't post if you have nothing worth posting about.

• Stick with only a few specific genres to talk about.

• Don't put 'subscribe' and 'vote me' links all over the front page until you have people that like your blog enough to ignore them (they're usually just in the way).

• Use a clean and simple theme if at all possible.• Enjoy, blog for fun, comment on other peoples'

blogs (as they normally visit back).

Why blog?

•Converse•A website is a monologue, a blog is a conversation•Give the members of your community the opportunity to get to know who you are and what you are passionate about.

•Network •with members of your immediate faith community•with members of the local community•with members of the wider community

•Go Deeper•Expand upon the message that is given on Sunday•Invite dialogue on the issues raised•Engage those that submit comments with conversations with one another

Facebook

•According to Web 2.0 Journal, a full third of Facebook users are aged 35-54.

Why Facebook?

• Accessibility• You can get to know the members of your

community that you “friend” on Facebook• Your community members can get to know you

better• You have the opportunity to spread your

message to their Facebook friends.• You can create a Facebook Group to:

• Post pictures and links • Create events and send out notices• Create discussion forums

Twitter

•The Pew Internet & American Life Project recently surveyed some of the top internet leaders, activists and analysts about the future of the internet. They predicted by the year 2020, the mobile device will be the primary connection tool to the internet for most people in the world.•Over the past year Twitter has grown an astonishing 752.9% to about 4.4 million people.

So what is Twitter? •In short: you have 140 characters to share something about your life or whatever you want. •Who reads it?

•Anyone who ‘follows’ you. Could be close friends, family, those who are part of your church, or complete strangers.

Why Twitter?

• Instant Access• Send reminders and updates about

events• Have a running conversation with one,

or many, of your community members• Share your thoughts and experiences

with others• Ask a question and get immediate

feedback

Second Life

•Second Life (abbreviated as SL) is a Virtual World developed by Linden Lab that launched on June 23, 2003 and is accessible via the Internet. A free client program called the Second Life Viewer enables its users, called Residents, to interact with each other through avatars.

The Anglican Cathedral in SL•In November of 2006, the Anglicans in SL Group was formed. In May of 2007, construction on the Anglican Cathedral in SL was completed, and services have been held there since July 2007. •The Anglicans in SL group now has 557 members, and holds six regularly scheduled services each week, in addition to a weekly discussion group and bible study.

A 2007 Gartner Research study estimated 80% of all active Internet users will have virtual selves by the end of 2011.