How does technology effect your faith? A personal interview

    I interviewed the Baptist Collegent Minister here at the University of Maryland. I asked her how technology has effected how she conducts her faith. She gave many examples of how it helps such as being able to better communicate with students and access resources she often uses to learn more about her faith. Her opinion about how it could negatively effect her faith was that it would be a distraction to things that she could be doing to be more effective in her faith. It seemed that the person themselves could use the technology to enhance their faith or take away from it.

      I think her opinion directly relates to my previous post about the effects of social networking on face to face relationships. The intent of the use of technology is what can get us into trouble. However that does not take away from the benefits it can provide.

“Facebook and Myspace: Complement or Substitute for Face to Face Interaction?”

“Facebook and Myspace: Complement or Substitute for Face to Face Interaction?” is a study conducted for the purposes of determining what kind of effect Facebook and Myspace are having on people’s face to face relationships. The concern is that it could possibly be replacing them, but some argue that they are doing just the opposite, by adding another avenue in order to maintain our face to face relationships.

It made sense for the researchers to concentrate on college students within their study. I think the trend of social networking started with college aged students so with them, they could possibly find more use of the networking sites themselves, in order to draw statistically significant results. College students seem to be the demographic who would actually be using the sites to their fullest extent than compared to other demographics. The users were identified by using either MySpace or Facebook, and how often, as well as comparing their online relationships with their face to face relationships. I think the methods they chose were effective in what they are trying to measure about social networking.

The article uses the term computer-mediated communication (CMC) in order to describe the act of communicating via the internet. There had been many previous studies before this one that had found that CMC has been directly related to less family communication, negative emotions such as depression, and an over all decrease in a persons normal group of interaction. However others seem to have found that CMC caused for more contact with people and in turn increased the face to face relationships of its users. Researchers have found that it boils down to the intent of the user.  CMC must not be used as a substitute for face to face relationships but when used to enhance face to face relationships, it is actually an effective tool. CMC does not just include social networking, but also communication such as email. When focusing on social networking we must consider its specific features such as personal profiles, and public associations to other people.

The results of this study make for an interesting observation. Age and class standing did not cause for significant differences in social networking patterns. However when comparing the rate at which people were maintaining friendships verses meeting new people, they found a defining line. Only 8% of the students said they used social networking in order to form new relationships, but 75% were listed as using Facebook and MySpace to maintain the relationships they already had. I think their results prove that social networking is improving face to face relationships and not replacing them. People are not trying to shut themselves off from the real world in order to be defined by their internet relationships, but are using the internet in order to enhance their relationships in the real world. When using Facebook and MySpace for this purpose, it can be measured further on how this method is effecting the relationships. Are relationships better when they have some kind of CMC involved in maintaining it. Can it be proven that social networking sites are improving the person as a result of improving the person’s relationships?

Personally I have found that social networking is definitely enhancing my face to face relationships. Even people who I know I will see at least once a week, I usually have some type of social networking relationship with them. It keeps me connected and updated on what is going on in their life through features such as photos, status updates, and events posted. I am guilty sometimes of letting social networking replace the phone communication between my family members that live far away. I think that would be an interesting study. I would like to know how communicating via social networks effects the quality of long distance relationships compared to talking on the phone. It is important I think to include all forms of communication, when it comes to relationships.

The findings of this article, compared to my own personal experiences as well as what I have learned in this JOUR289i class, are directly related in my opinion. Technology itself can be very helpful. It can make our relationships, jobs, and hobbies more effective and enjoyable if we allow it to. However, misuse of it, or even just a lack of understanding its purpose and uses can cause problems. We have to be educated and be able to determine the best way it can be applied to our individual lives; with different aspects of it, in this case, social networking, that same principle can be applied.

Kujath, Carlyne L. "Facebook and MySpace: Complement or Substitute for Face-to-Face Interaction?"     CYBERPSYCHOLOGY, BEHAVIOR, AND SOCIAL NETWORKING 00.00 (2010): 1-4. Web.

Photos

The flower picture is my photo that I took during class. I chose it because I love color. Outside that day was pretty gloomy day so I wanted to find something that would show a brighter side to the day. I chose to make the flower take up most of the picture so that you could not see the grayness of the sky.

This  photo of the android phone open to a bible app in front of a Bible is a photo that I created to illustrate my topic of faith and technology. I chose to take the picture at this angle to be able to see more of the text in the Bible even though you cannot read it. It represents the text that is available in the Bible app itself and how much information it is actually holding, considering the text that we can see from just one page of the Bible. I also put the phone in front to show that android phones may seem a lot more readily accessible and more appealing to read than the book itself, even though you are getting the same information from both sources. 

      This photo is a depiction of how you can see a lot more of technology than of written text, however still showing that the written text is not completely gone. I am using the positioning of the android phone to not only show the Bible being in the phone through app but also the computer itself being in the phone as well.

Partner Report--Stalking via Social Networks

Natalie Gaudette and Keshauna Lewis

Partner Project Final Report

Are social networks enabling stalkers?

Stalking is all ready a major problem, but has the internet made it easier? For our project, we decided to focus on how social networks and online communities may be bringing the bad guys too close and too able to access information about us.

According to the National Center for Victims of Crime (NCVC), 3 in 4 stalking victims are stalked by someone they know. Going off that statistic, and the fact that we know of the people in our class, we decided to start with the class twitter accounts. With the class twitter accounts alone, more than ¾ of the people we were following had their full name on their account; about half had some sort of location, varying from specifics like the University of Maryland, to a more general Maryland, USA. We also did a search of students affiliated with the “UofMaryland” twitter page. The most information that seemed to be readily available were academic majors, hometowns, and current locations. Very few people had security settings so their tweets were open to the public to see. This information linked with other findings can bring a stalker dangerously close. 

We then moved to Facebook, and using the information we got off of the twitter accounts, continued to search for more information about our classmates. The main link to access their pages was our network affiliations with the University of Maryland. If they were not listed in the network and we could not recognize their faces in a picture, chances are we did not find them. Most classmates had some form of security settings, such as only being able to see their personal interests and friends in common as well as photos. Our shared online network with the University of Maryland allowed us to view information such as full name and age including the year they were born, while others listed their education, employment history and current living location. 

Oddly enough, there were a few students who had their phone numbers and a home address listed. Obviously, there are sights such as google maps and other gps sites that can bring a stalker directly to a person’s home with an address without them having to leave their computer. Not only that, there are upcoming sites such as Nabe Wise which are trying to give users a first look at a prospective neighborhood they would possibly plan on moving to. A classic example of a source a stalker can use to better acquaint him or herself with another person’s environment from information obtained through facebook. After looking at this data it appears that being part of an online network makes us vulnerable to stalkers. Although it is a good way to get to know your peers and meet new people in your near by communities, it seems that because networks include a vast amount of people, it welcomes those with ill intentions and makes it easy for stalkers to find out where we are.

To take it a step further based on the statistic that most victims know their stalkers, and that about a third are stalked by their current or former stalkers, another angle we took was what information we could find about people by actually being “friends” with them on a social networking site like Facebook.

We chose one person in particular, and looked at every aspect of his account in the ways a stalker would if they were trying to get information about them. To start, Facebook allows users to “subscribe” to friends’ statuses. Meaning, when you “subscribe” to someone’s profile, you get a text with their status, and that text gets sent as soon as it’s posted onto their profile. There’s actually another application that possibly going through that allows you to subscribe to someone’s entire profile, so you’d get a text update about EVERYTHING that person puts on their profiles. From status updates, to posting pictures, to commenting on other people’s profiles, it’s a stalker’s dream come true (especially if the stalker is a current partner that wants to watch and control the victim’s every move).

Some things we were able to find on this particular person’s profile would be of great use to a stalker. These things are very simple, and not things that most people would think could be revealing information, but to a stalker, they can be extremely vital information. As we talked about before, statuses can notify people where you are, and what you’re doing, which can make it easy for a stalker to follow you and show up wherever you are.

Though we surprisingly found someone’s home address on their profile (which wasn’t blocked by any kind of security settings), most people only put their email address, thinking that that won’t really do much for people to do harm against others. However, according to the NCVC, 46% of stalking victims experience at least unwanted contact per week, and combined with the statistic that 1 in 4 report being stalked through the use of some form of technology, it is very obvious where emails come into play.

Another revealing aspect to a Facebook profile is your photos. Your albums can often have pictures of pets, prized items like cars, and pictures of people who are close to you like your family or friends.  Because these people are tagged and also have Facebook pages that can be accessed it provides an endless trail of information. In addition , there is a theme of types of pictures that are posted by college students such as high school graduation day, college events, family vacations, and romantic relationships. These types of themes give a stalker a better idea of where to find a person base on their activities and hang out pots such as college sports games and dorm rooms. Stalkers are notorious for damaging their victim’s home, car, property (like pets), as well as family and friends. 

Also, many people post their hometowns, their high school, college, and work places, making it easy for stalkers to identify information on other networking sites (including your school’s pages) that can help them to find you in person without you even knowing they’re coming. Comparing this information with the backgrounds illustrated on the photos can allow a stalker to come dangerously close.

All in all, we saw that with our research, there is a lot of information that people willingly put out there on social networking sites like Facebook, as well as many others, that can really help those out there who have malicious tendencies. This really poses the question about what you should really have on your profile. It seems as though everything we put out there could potentially victimize us, even when we do have privacy settings on our profile. 

Source:

Katrina Baum et al., (2009). "Stalking Victimization in the United States," (Washington, DC:BJS, 2009).http://www.ncvc.org/src/main.aspx?dbID=DB_statistics195

O’Dell Jolie, “Facebook testing a ‘stalker button’” (September 2010) http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/social.media/09/03/facebook.stalker.button.mashable/index.html

Privacy of church leadership

    Privacy is a very complex topic when it comes to the web and wireless devices. There many security features, established to allow the users to protect their personal information. However, some things are always bound o be leaked or misinterpreted, or just blatantly open for public access. Here are a few examples.

Apparently a Liberal Democrat tweeted his personal opinion about the Scientology church and caused quite a raucous in his online community. As a position holder he had been expected to behave more sophisticatedly then casually calling a certain faith “stupid”. Now, even though this was his personal twitter account, he was still scrutinized and for his behavior by some. However on the other hand, he created quite a fan base. His online followers increased significantly after this incident became public. Oddly enough, one tweet, one random thought he decided to post had such a great effect on him, all because some one was personally hurt and decided they wanted disciplinary actions to be enforced. Understanding that becoming position holder in most organizations comes with a certain level of personal responsibility, but was trying to fault this man for an opinion posted on his personal twitter account a breech of his privacy? Now, I understand that because it was posted it was available for all to read, and maybe changed public opinions on the gentlemen and his beliefs but was it necessary to take disciplinary action? This brings us into our next point, how the media uses personal information of church leaders to shape public opinion.

I found a post that summarized the accusations of 10 well known black pastors over the years. It exposes lawsuits about sexual abuse, divorces due to adultery, among other less than honorable issues. Airing this dirty laundry does not only give a public opinion about the men themselves but also their faith in general. All these men were black of a various denominations of the Christian faith. Some accusations were not proven, though other were. Is it fair, though they are public figures, to publish aspects of their personal lives as a reflection of their performance in ministry. I have not really found the best way to answer this question. I think that because faith plays a big part on how Christian specifically are to govern their lives it is unfortunate to see leadership in such situations. However, should a leader be judged by these scandals alone. In my search for information on this topic it seemed that that rumors and lawsuits and unfaithfulness were the most populous and easy to find news. I think the successes of these leaders should e published as well their shortcomings so that the readers can develop their own opinions instead of the ones given to them by the media, through exposing private information.

Over all, I think we all have situations in our lives that we would not want published. The Liberal Democrat councillor did not care to be challenged about his personal tweet, but understood the nature of his comment, although he did not think it would get that much recognition. He was being judged as a councillor for something he was saying as a man with an opinion, not a leader trying to sway public opinion or purposely offend a particular person. I do not know what would happen if everyone tried to complain about every offensive remark made online about their faith. I do not see the use of worrying about it at this point. On the other hand, when it comes to individual people and information about their personal lives used to reflect an entire faith itself is where we can go wrong and cause more damage then necessary.

sources:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jul/20/councillor-inquiry-stupid-scientology-tweet

http://atlantapost.com/2010/10/01/scandals-at-the-alter-10-black-church-leaders-whove-incited-controversy-and-doubt/10/

Helpmate.com

       Helpmate.net is a website for Helpmate Technology Solutions. A company who provides products and information on how churches can use technology to make their current plans of actions for their ministries more efficient. It is proof that there has become a demand for technological assistance within churches and this site was created to make that available.

Helpmate.net meets several qualifications of what it takes to be a credible website. The very first thing I notice is the format of the website is well put together. In some cases looks can be deceiving so format cannot be the only credible characteristic. The URL begins with “http://”, giving it a legitimate web address. At the bottom of the web page I noticed a seal labeled “accredited business”. It shows the reader that the sight is created by a proven company. There is also a copyright note showing that the website creator has reason to protect his or her information from being reproduced without punishment. They give ample amount of contact information so they are willing to be contacted solely based on the content of their site. I would approve helpmate.com as being a credible site.

source:

http://www.helpmate.net/

http://www.ehow.com/how_2112227_determine-website-credibility.html

Online Etiquette and Religious Social Networks

Online Etiquette is definitely an important aspect of some of the various religious social networks. Some of the more broad social networks such as facebook and myspace may have provided the resources for some specific interest groups to form online communities, but others have felt it necessary to create their own network. There have been incidents of things said and done specifically on these social networks that offended some in the Muslim culture. In retaliation Millat facebook was created, which is similar to the original but obviously catered to those who are apart of the Muslim faith. It is a classic a example of online etiquette having a negative impact, and it seems as though some religious communities see it necessary to try to create an online space void of such behavior. However is may not always work out as planned.

It seems a social network catered to a specific interest group, especially when it comes to faith, would maintain a sense of unity and mutual support but that is not always the case. Some Christian networks have moderators in place to help remind it’s members that their sights were created to bring fellow believers together and not tear them apart. However some sights have become a platform for religious debate. Of course they were not originally created for this reason but a lack of online etiquette has produced this annoying habit. Even those opposed to all faith have chosen to use these religious specific social networks to share their anti-faith opinions with believers. On the other hand, in the same arena there are those of have found some Christian networks to be very inviting and engaging to be able to converse with others who share their common belief. They give them a sense of belonging by welcoming them into their online community. A clear example how good and bad online etiquette can change the opinion of a person’s view of not just the person who is “saying” the words, but the entire sight as a whole.

Sources:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2600615/top_10_christian_social_networks.html?cat=15

http://techie-buzz.com/tech-news/pakistanis-launch-muslim-facebook-called-millat-facebook.html

Past and Present

Religion has allowed for much progression over the many years of its existence. Its messages have not been hushed by time as well as the vast technological advances in society, but it seems the exact opposite is occurring. Before religion decided to convert to the practices of technology it was still a thriving society of people. Religion has been its own culture for many centuries. Belonging to certain religions, for some, literally effects their daily lives. Some pray on various occasions, and others do not eat certain foods at certain times. Many religions meet on a regular basis, some even multiple times a week. It has always been a big commitment and passion to many people even before technology came into the picture.

  Before streaming video, dvd recordings, podcasts, and ebooks there was the printing press. Books were the major source of communicating religious messages before the 20th century. Religious leaders would travel to teach and have no source to magnify their voices for easy hearing for crowds, except there ability to shout aloud.  However it seems that technology is being credited for making what was already present in religious practices, ten times better. However, religions are being careful not to completely sell their souls to the resource.

There are certain aspects of religious cultures that participants are making sure that technology will not overtake. They want technology to enhance and not replace their methods that have been passed down for many generations. For example, some preachers have begun to use power point presentations with their messages. Before, everyone had to do their best to follow along with just simply listening to and watching the preacher himself alone. Now the preacher did not sit down and let the power point preach for him, but uses it as a tool to guide the congregation and keep them engaged while he preaches. It seems to keep the younger generation more interested and make it easier for the older generation to retain the information while following a visual summary. On the other hand there are certain rituals of the Jewish culture that have not been allowed to be tainted by technology, such as hand writing certain scrolls by those holding a specific leadership position in the faith. It keeps certain areas authentic, and exclusive to the religion itself. It portrays the message that while the religious culture is choosing to adopt some technological resources it is still maintaining its original purpose and beliefs.

  One aspect that all religions have in common, is that they are trying to teach a message as well as a mindset to people. Those who choose to participate are always gathering and wanting to learn and teach as much as possible about their choice of faith. In the past, there were not as many ways to communicate those messages as there are now. In a sense it showed the true commitment to those who practiced, because it was not necessarily a luxurious experience as it is portrayed now with enhancing audio and video resources as well as television, radio, and the world wide web.

Keshauna L

Techno-Faith?

       Techno-faith is a term I have chosen to use to describe the use of technology within a religious culture. It’s all about what technology is doing in the lives of those have expressed a specific religious belief that is evident in their day to day lives.  Has technology, in any way provided effectiveness or ineffectiveness in religious methods, and in what way? What does the faith culture have to say about technology? I hope to provide the religious perspective of this diverse tool.

Personally, my faith is a big part of my life. It has helped to shape who I am as a person today, and will continue to greatly effect me in the future. If technology is playing such a big part in something that I choose to make a priority, its safe to say that it’s important to know what effects it is having. I have been a Christian since I was a small child, and grew up in a Christian culture my entire life. Over the years I have seen many technological involvement in the methods of my faith. I want to know what its doing and why, as we continue to utilize it in various aspects of not only our Jesus culture, but others as well.

  For this very reason I chose this topic of religion so that I can find out what role technology plays in all the various faiths around the world. I would define religion as an organized belief in a higher power beyond humanity, characterized by methods of living, literature, and rituals. Could this possibly be an area that different religions will have similar opinions about, although they maintain different beliefs. I hope to find out how technology has contributed to those who have chosen to expressively live against religious beliefs. Has the religious culture’s relationship with technology affected their views in any way? I want to know why the religious cultures have chosen to partake of the opportunities technology has to offer and are there religions out there that are opposed to the idea that technology and religion can work hand in hand. Being that there is such a variety of beliefs around the world I hope to find many different ways technology has formed a new techno-faith culture. Meaning, has technology been adopted in many religious rituals? I wonder if any conclusions can be drawn about whether technology has effected the rate at which people are joining religions. What do the religions have to say about this techno-faith?