church web Geek-ness

A "geek" is usually identified from the ranks of the "normal" folk.  Anyone who exhibits what is perceived to be an excess of passion and knowledge about the details and complexities of an issue or process or technology which delves into the areas which are "too deep to fathom or grasp" by the mind of the layperson is determined to be a "geek" in that field.  Mechanics are "car geeks".  Web developers are a particular subset of "computer geeks" (they are classified as Computer Geek by those outside of the technical overall category -- as "web geek" by those who are in Information technology but not trained in Web Development.   I feel like a "Church Web Geek" because of how my interests carry me into territory that spans (and marries)  Web development and Socio-theological issues regarding the Church as a human community.  It crosses over into theology of Church,  and what kinds of community-building structures are most needed in order to enable us to be the kind of Church we feel God has called us to be. 

And so I feel isolated from many who share my theological views because I can't seem to find anybody who wants to explore the impact that data driven websites can have on the functionality and usefulness of Church web sites, or talk about the growing revolution among Web developers in the arena of Weblogging.   MY excitement about Data driven Church Web communities and the possibilities for Weblogs as knowledge sharing and community dialogue in the Church is rarely appreciated(for the most part). And none of it (neither data driven Community applications -- such as disussion forum apps nor the emerging Weblog technologies) seem to Church leaders to be relevant --- at least to the extent that it causes them to become interested in this as a strategy that deserves siginificant attention.  And so it gets ignored.  Churches continue to seriously neglect what I consider to be a responsibility of a Churches:  to include in their endeavor a strategy and intent to relate to the Web and the "people" there as more than peopel for the pew.  To build opportunities for them to relate to one another.    

© Copyright 2003 Dale Lature. Last update: 9/23/2003; 3:37:24 PM.