This is the second post in a series on New Media. Part one was an “Introduction to New Media”; the next posts will include “Dangers of New Media” and “What Should Christians do with New Media”.
In the last post, I gave a brief introduction to some of the types of New Media and how they are changing our culture. In this post I want to tell you how you can best make New Media work for you and how you can best use New Media. In other words, what are the capabilities and limitations of New Media.
Facebook
I am brand new to Facebook; however, I am completely sold on its usefulness. Not for talking with friends in your local area. I think that is a poor use of Facebook. However, where Facebook really shines is in its ability to connect you with old friends. It makes keeping contact with old high school friends, old college friends, friends that have moved away so easy that it is scary.
I think that Facebook can be one of the best communication mediums around if it is used wisely. For example, the only reason I got a Facebook was to be able to read a friend’s blog that is only accessible to people with a Facebook profile, but already old friends have found my account and said hi.
I am also convinced that Facebook offers the greatest possibilities for online discussion by peers. It is not like a blog where one person dictates the topics, but more like a conversation where the topic is flexible and dictated by both parties to a degree.
Blogs
Blogs are also one of the most useful forms of New Media. There are as many types of blogs as there are readers. There is a blog for every topic under the sun from New Age slop to quantum physics. They offer intellectual food and poison so beware what you read. Anyone can write a blog (I am), and the only editing feature is the authors discretion.
One of the best tools for reading blogs is a blog reader. The google reader is the one I use and it works great, but others work just as well. To use an illustration, a blog reader is a newspaper for blogs. Each blog is an article and the newspaper or blog reader gathers them into one place. This makes reading much easier and much more efficient.
One advantage blogs have over Facebook is that is controlled by one person or group. I know I listed the opposite as an advantage for Facebook, but it is true. There are times when one person needs to control the discussion and debate. This gives blogs an editing feature. If a commenter gets out of line he can delete his comments. The relationship from blogger to reader is more teacher-pupil, whereas on Facebook the relationship is peer-peer.
Podcasts
As I said in my last post podcasting is an internet form of the radio, but with a new twist. Shows are archived and can virtually be accessed forever. Once again anyone can make and distribute podcasts.
Podcasts have most use, believe it or not, in higher education. Schools have put their courses on podcasts and uploaded them to the internet to be downloaded for free (usually). Many Christian ministries have put their sermons on podcast; Albert Mohler has an excellent radio program that is converted into a podcast daily.
Most of this post has covered how to benefit from New Media resources. If you want to produce New Media there are far better teachers than me (especially since I am brand new at it).
Later we will look at what are some things to avoid and watch out for with the New Media and also how should we as Christians interact with the New Media.
yes Forrest, author of this blog, just as I made you get a facebook, you made me get a worpress account, such is a way in life (ill be posting the same article on both…. make it easier for whoever wants to read what I write)
Ill be sure to enjoy this little thing on new media…. as you have stated these blogs are always subject to bias.
[...] series on New Media. The two previous posts were “Introduction to New Media” and “The Usefulness of New Media”. The next post in the series is “What Should Christians do with New Media”.There are [...]