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DALE LATURE'S CONTEXT PAPER

I've begun in earnest mapping out my srtategy for goping about my Context paper. As I had said earlier, much of what some of you talked about your "tradition" and its approach to technology will appear for me in this section, rather than in the Perspective.

What I want to do is think out loud here, to give any of you who see fit to respond as I begin to put this down on paper (or disk). I thought I might as well make use of the capabilities of the interactiveness of this medium. Now realize that I am not "expecting" anyone to offer feedback here---- we all have enough to do. But, just as I would have if we had had the time in Dayton, I am laying out some of the territory I want to cover on this writing project.

My context is basically Ecumenical. This does not mean that I will only work with "ecumenical" organizations, but that I consider all the churches as my "audience/clients/congregation". Ecunet is a good representative in this category, and it is from there that I have my "broad, national level" focus section of my project. I also get some tips and hear stories that help me in the local focus---- such as Paul's North Georgia board, Mardon D.'s "Hoosier" board (EcuTalk), and a guy named Brian Hughes that has some experience in DC and in Pittsburgh with church run BBS's.

The national level is closely akin to the focus of my "A Compuserve For The Church" meeting on Ecunet. There we explore the kinds of things a national, ecumenical online service could, should, or might soon offer. What resources could be shared, what "items" or information could be found, and how could it be accessed?

The local level is for local churches and organizations to do internal communications, communicate with other churches and organizations, and receive help in their own online perusing and communications. Files of various kinds that could help, as well as guides to the larger, wider area of online services, particularly the Internet. Churches and orgztns could also explore online "infomercials" and stories about their ministries as a way to invite online onlookers to explore community with them. They could also do their own kind of experimenting with what kinds of files, discussions, and communication resources to offer.

At both the local and national levels, Online theological education holds promise. Ecunet and/or seminaries (perhaps even via Ecunet like some class I know) holds out possibilities and new opportunites to experiment in education. I envision some integration of Internet resources and theological institutions of higher learning to offer databases all over the world that one could jump from one to another like one big library (The "Gopher" menu system available all over the Net is the model and probably the avenue for this kind of "World Theological Database".

I also want to begin the "market" the idea of Computer Mediated Communications" as holding great promise for the church (also taking care to caution against its dangers) as a tool to building "Virtual Community" as Rheingold descibes it. I want to take care to work on that word "Virtual" in that context. It strikes most as referring to "not real"----- I prefer to see it as "almost" or part of. To my way of thinking, almost and part of are very valuble, just as is face to face. We found out some of the benefits, and I think all who were there felt the need for more of it---whatever you might call it. There is much to be said about the immediacy of response and helping each other think about things.

I would have preferred the notion Pamela had about what we would be doing---- sitting around the computer, experimenting, demonstrating (I never got to show everybody either the Internet interface I had, nor the utilities of Folio views, or even give everybody the copy of the viewers to read the collection of all our notes that I put together. I didn't even get you the file itself. The notion of Pamela's that I particularly wish were true was the one that we would all have laptops<grin>.

My major emphasis in "marketing" or "preaching" "Virtual Community" is the socio-psychological dimension; the way it brings me and others out. I attended CAMCON (Computers and Ministry Conference) in Oct. 1992, and said nothing during meetings, but when I logged on to Ecunet, I was starting meetings, and became known instantly to hundreds of people. It became a pathway to affirming the gifts I have--- something of which I am appreciative of Jobie and Paul for reminding me. There are times when it ftf (face to face) detracts, or "distacts" us by bringing out that part of ourselves that may be too sensitive or misintrepative of the non-verbal cues of others, or a less than proper view of ourselves in certain settings or certain company. I think this merits further study. I hope Carolyn Bohler can finally come on line and offer some insights here.

I also see myself as being able to provide a guide through the maze; the "glut" of information and choices available to us. I've begun to do that with Internet resources (see my branch off of "New technology Review Online" entitled "Internet Places Of Interest"). New hypertext technologies are being developed, and I hope to research some of the "Fuzzy Logic" developments (a kind of "programmed intelligence" which helps us to get the results we want--- such as in database searches. To hit upon a good way to find things which meet our search criteria.) There are also things under development called "InfoBots" (like "robots"), except that these are really programs which a user "sends" out over networks to "find" information of particular content, or even mention. You define your search (perhaps through some kind of "Fuzzy logic" program), then "send it" into the network, and it goes and performs searhes, collects the responses, moves on to other databases, and sends out the same requests, filters out duplications, records the location of each separate piece, and returns to you like some "information go-fer" (indeed, it may have made much use of some "Gopher" menus).

So in this sense, the world of the Internet and other national online services, plus some local BBS's, are part of my context. I meet people along the way who are searching for some of the same things. I just received a "Press Account" for the Genie Service which allows me to explore their "Roundtables" and "Libraries", and they seem to have a lot of creative things happening there (except, for the time being, their interface. They said a Windows navigator is on the way--- yea, even almost done.) My "Online Watch" branch of "New technology Review Online" is my attempt to help give an overview of the resources on the major systems--- more sources of "Infoglut" that I can help "organize, review, and hopefully make less daunting.