BookPastor >> "Networked Theology" (Heidi Campbell and Stephen Garner)

This review was first published at Panorama of a Book Saint on Dec 7th, 2016.

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TITLE: Networked Theology: Negotiating Faith in Digital Culture (Engaging Culture)
AUTHOR: Heidi Campbell and Stephen Garner
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2016, (192 pages).

Digital devices have become ubiquitous throughout the world. It has redefined how we communicate, how we interact, and how we live. For many people, technology has become so integral that one cannot live without it. An outage could easily shift people to panic mode. Its attractiveness can become an addiction in itself. In faith matters, digital media and technology has not only redefined how we practise our faith, it is taking us on a whole new direction. This means we need to learn how to engage this new environment wisely and appropriately. This new digital era has invaded and affected the way we learn, do outreach, teach Christian Education, do Church, and share faith concerns. This is why we need to take the technology seriously and to think of constructive ways to engage with it, about it, and through it.

BookPastor >> "The Wired Soul" (Tricia McCary Rhodes)

This review was first published on July 20th, 2016 at Panorama of a Book Saint.

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TITLE: The Wired Soul: Finding Spiritual Balance in a Hyperconnected Age
AUTHOR: Tricia McCary Rhodes, PhD
PUBLISHER: Colorado Spings, CO: NavPress, 2016, (216 pages).

Technology is now everywhere around us, with us, and following us. For many people, it is quickly rewiring our brains and changing the way we talk, think, travel, and traipse. While positively, we get more and better information in ways quicker and more efficient than ever before, there are negative consequences as well. People tend to remember less, choosing to let their phones and digital devices record or save all their personal details. They are more forgetful and less willing to learn the old school way. Many choose to simply Google their information, as if the first try is the answer to their questions. While finding content is easy, discerning is not so easy. Where are our reference points? On what basis do we decide which is right, which is wrong, and which is appropriate? We live in a technologically connected world. According to author and professor Tricia Rhodes, we are living in a "hyperconnected age." Contrasting her own carefree escapades in the past, she compares what it was to live then and now. Her children are digital natives but she is not. She calls herself a 'digital immigrant' and is poised to see how the digital world is changing not only the way we live but the people we are. Her key thesis is that our digital habits have direct link to our formation into Christlikeness. On lifestyle, we are asked what the first thing we do when we get up. On habits, we are asked about our reaction when we hear our phone beeps. On reading, how has our attentiveness be sustained in a world of WiFi and Internet connectivity? On prayer, how is our level of patience and waiting been changed? On presence, how have our ability to connect with people been affected? On information overload, we wonder why we are so tired in the first place. These and many more are the negative consequences of technology manhandling us and we allowing it free reign on our lives. This has let to our brains been re-wired by technology. A key discovery in brain plasticity research is that "cells that fire together, wire together." Such brain cells are fired up together when one uses technology. If that is the case, technology is directly influencing the way our brains function. Thankfully, we do not need to be sucked in by the technological whirlpool. Rhodes propose a way not only to counter the negative effects of technology but to intentionally work toward Christlikeness. She updates the spiritual discipline of lectio divina and applies them in this book for a technological age. Briefly, the four disciplines are:

BookPastor >> "Understanding Media" (Marshall McLuhan)

TITLE: Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man
AUTHOR: Marshall McLuhan
PUBLISHER: Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1994, (368 pages).

This is a classic by the late Marshall McLuhan, whose most famously coined the influence of media on society as: "The Medium is the Message." First published in 1964, this book has been republished several times due to the relevance and powerful insights McLuhan has on understanding the nature of media and its effects on people. Born in Edmonton, Alberta Canada, he was a former Director of the Center of Culture and Technology at St Michael's College, the University of Toronto. Influenced by the writings of GK Chesterton, he converted to Catholicism in 1937. His work on media and its effects on culture has become a standard reference in universities offering courses on media ethics and technology influences upon culture. The key conviction lies in studying the culture by studying the influences of media.

"Examination of the origin and development of the individual extensions of man should be preceded by a look at some general aspects of the media, or extensions of man, beginning with the never-explained numbness that each extension brings about in the individual and society." (6)

Comprising of two parts, McLuhan in Part One lays the theoretical foundations of his thesis. Beginning with the now famous chapter, "The Medium is the Message," he contrasts the electric bulb as "pure information" and "medium without a message" versus other mediums that essentially "shapes and controls the scale and form of human association and action. Mediums like movies that shape public opinions; paintings that enchant people; and technologies that compel people to behave in "uniform and continuous patterns." He argues:

BookPastor >> "The Shallows" (Nicholas Carr)

TITLE: The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains
AUTHOR: Nicholas Carr
PUBLISHER: New York, NY: WW Norton, 2011, (286 pages).

Is the Internet a boon or a bane? Are the hidden consequences of using (or overusing) technology? What if we fail to distinguish the limits of technology? What if we lose our ability to discern what can or cannot be handed down to technology to do? Author Nicholas Carr's concern can be summed up as a key point in the dark prophecy of Stanley Kubrick's 2001, a Space Odyssey:

"As we come to rely on computers to mediate our understanding of the world, it is our own intelligence that flattens into artificial intelligence." (224)

His concern has been shared by many authors. Marshall McLuhan's famous work, Understanding Media argues that technology effects can alter "patterns of perception steadily and without resistance." Hal the supercomputer takes away control from words into humans. The pathologist, Bruce Friedman confesses that reading long articles on the web or in print has become more difficult because he has grown accustomed to skimming articles. People click more than read. Their brains are being changed from the inside out as they become used to new powers of technology. Scientifically, it is proven that the human brain has plasticity that diminishes the older one gets. Carr begins to introduce the benefits of literacy, affirming like Walter Ong, that "writing heightens consciousness."I find chapter 4 particularly fascinating as Carr describes the "deepening page" of how people's literacy is aided by writing platforms. The Sumerians etched words into tablets of clay. In 2500BC, the Egyptians manufactured papyrus by pressing down wood fibers so that writers can scratch or put words on paper. Wax tablets enable the writing and erasing, thus enabling the reuse of tablets for multiple usage. With the invention of the printing press, force is exerted to transfer ink to paper. People in those days also read slowly and laboriously, just like Ambrose who read silently. Deep reading facilitates deep thinking. Carr comments on reading as follows:

BookPastor >> "Unfriend Yourself" (Kyle Tennant)

This review was first published at Panorama of a Book Saint on Feb 1st, 2012.

conrade

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TITLE: Unfriend Yourself: Three Days to Detox, Discern, and Decide About Social Media
AUTHOR: Kyle Tennant
PUBLISHER: Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2011, (89 pages).

It started with a school paper that the author proposed as "How should the Church be using social media?" Curiously, the author's professor urged the author to remove the first word. Just one word launched the author into a whole new area of research as far as social media is concerned.

Should the Church be using social media? As a "technology pessimist," Tennant begins with a critical view primarily to make people stop and reflect on why they are using social media in the first place. Slowly but surely, he urges the reader to think carefully about whether they really need to be on the social media in the first place.

This little book takes a critical look at the ubiquitous social media icon: Facebook. In a world where many people simply hop onto the social media bandwagon without asking why, or simply because everyone else is doing it, Tennant helps us to understand why it is important to look before you leap. He constantly reminds us that he is not bashing Facebook per se. Instead, he is calling upon readers to think critically, and to recognize the limitations of social media.

He offers a three-fold challenge for readers over a three day Facebook fast weekend. Firstly, unplug and start the process of detoxification. Recognize what Facebook can do and not do. Facebook friends are very different from face-to-face friends. He then goes through some false promises that people have of Facebook.

1. "Media are amoral."
2. "It's ok to make it all about you."
3. "Community can be found anywhere."
4. "Nowhere is somewhere, and it can be anywhere."

These promises are not viable on the Facebook medium. The chief concerns surrounding uncritical use of Facebook is summarised as follows:

• Facebook provides a tempting platform for one to present themselves as more important than others.
• Facebook is the modern fig leaves that cover up our sinful selves
• Facebook is a powerful tool for self-promotion.

Secondly, he urges readers to discern what is best for them, and to discern and discover the pros and cons of social media. He points out that bad old sin lurks in the social medium. Digital communications is a convenient and easy cloak to hide our real selves from others. In other words, how can we build real community if we only showcase the nice parts of ourselves?

Thirdly, Tennant challenges readers to decide what is best for themselves. This final section is worth the price of the book. Instead of simply blasting away the use of social media, Tennant provides some suggestions to redeem the way we use it. 

Closing Thoughts

Tennant openly admits that he is a 'technology pessimist.' He prefers to err on the side of caution. Personally, I feel that this book is an important contribution to check the tsunami of interest and uncritical use of social media. Many have argued against the use of Facebook using statistical data and expert advice.  What Albert Borgmann and Neil Postman have done at a scholarly level to argue warnings about technology using us, Tennant has done for the layperson. The observations in the book is a reminder to us again that technology, social media such as Facebook needs to be on a leash. Uncritical usage of social media is like a pit-bull terror let loose, devouring others, and finally us. 

One need not agree with all the pointers, but I urge readers to keep the warnings fresh as they use Facebook. If all self-control fail, when all self-discipline is gone, then do the best thing for ourselves: Unfriend ourselves from Facebook.

Ratings: 4.5 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book is provided to me free by Moody Publishers and NetGalley without any obligation for a positive review. All comments offered are freely mine.

BookPastor >> "Alone Together" (Sherry Turkle)

TITLE: Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other
AUTHOR: Sherry Turkle
PUBLISHER: New York, NY: Basic Books, 2011, (360 pages).

This book underlines Sherry Turkle's concern about how the tools we use are shaping us. In trying to understand the way young people think, the author over several weeks organized pizza parties in the Boston area so that she could tell stories of how people were living in the virtual world. She witnesses a changing understanding of identity. She explores the consequences of a totally networked life and the evolution of robotics. So over 15 years, Turkle notices first hand how technology has shaped, shaken, and seduced the nature of relationships among friends, family, parents, children, lovers, and so on. We can be free to work anywhere but we can also be lonely everywhere. She asserts that machines are no longer about their capabilities but about our vulnerabilities. Texting is preferred to talking. Multitasking has become the norm. People are connected but loneliness continues unabated. Machines can do many things for us, but for Turkle, the straw came when a Scientific American reporter was so convicted that the day would come where a machine will become a man's best friend. As she describes the reasons why people expect more from technology and less from each other, she maintains a quest not only to ask why but also to propose a path forward.

Written in two parts, Part One talks about the growing "Robotic Movement" which is increasing more solitude and also creating new intimacies with machines. From young, children were given toys that seem to project a cuddly and personal object, like Furby that seems to have feelings. The Tamagotchi appears like a real thing that we need to clothe, feed, and take care of. Virtual pets take a lot of time to maintain. There are also discomforting toys like female dolls that seem to verbalize reactions like a real woman, especially when it deals with sexual matters. Some people use electronic toys to live with their self-centeredness. Parents let their children return each day to an empty house where the babysitter is often the television, computer games, or the Internet. Responding to people who insist that friendship is possible with robots, Turkle argues that such a tactic demeans the true meaning of friendship. No matter how much programming we can do, there is no replacing conscience, ethics, and the fundamental communion among people.

Part Two deals with the networked environment which solves the problem of bringing people closer but also creates a new situation. People are constantly connected and always busy. In an always-on world, what do we do when we have free time? We will probably be checking our emails, texting, or doing something on the Internet. We can be connected but we can be absent at the same time. Put the phone on the ear and we have already isolated ourselves from the people around us physically. The way programs like "Second Life" enables people to live in a fantasy world totally separated from the world. Turkle notes the following "New State of the Self," how technology has changed us:

• People's attention seems somewhere when they are connected in front of us
• People can be connected to many others on the Internet, that they are infusing face to face meetings with interruptions from cyberspace
• People are increasingly using multitasking as the way of life to do many things; that relationships can easily turn into an item on a To-Do list

People are growing up tethered as their lives are more and more public knowledge. The search for identity gets confused as people are "forced" to post personal details just because it is the norm. What is true on social media? Is the avatar used an appropriate representation of self? Apologies on Facebook do not count for much because real confessions need to be in person. There is the anxiety over strangers making comments on our walls and the threat of breaches of privacy.

Sherry Turkle is the Abby Rockefeller Mauze Professor of the Social Studies of Science and Technology at MIT. She has been warning us of the negative consequences of technology but does so in a manner that does not discredit the advantages of technology. In fact, she uses it extensively too. What is important is to recognize that Internet relationships are not necessary the "ties that bind." Rather, they tend to be "ties that preoccupy." We need to ask what Kevin Kelly has been asking: "What Technology Wants?" Chances are, technology is going to get what it wants. Technology is still developing, and Turkle thinks it is still the early days. The mood to adopt is "cautiously optimistic." She reminds us once again that at our best, our thoughts about technology should not be about what technology can or cannot do, but about thinking of things that TRULY MATTER. Relationships. How technology is changing that, we must constantly ask and adapt.

One Facebook Post (A Positive Experience)

This is a heartwarming story that tugs at the heart. It shows how one Facebook post can change a young kid's life. It began with a mother feeling devastated a her autistic son who invited his classmates for his birthday party but none showed up. She poured out her grievances on Facebook and before long, the town took notice. Watch this clip and be inspired. This is one use of social media that truly brought about a positive feeling about humanity.



conrade

The Problem with Reading Screens Before Bedtime

Here is a warning. If you are regularly checking your emails and reading on digital screens before bedtime, remember that it is important for sleep. I enclose three links for your reading pleasure, hopefully not within 1 hour before bedtime.

Link 1 - "Reading On A Screen Before Bed Might Be Killing You" (Huffington Post)

Link 2 - "We’re All Doomed: Using Your Smartphone Before Bed Can Cause Cellphone ‘Hangover’" (Time)

Link 3 - "This is what happens to your brain and body when you check your phone before bed" (Business Insider)

The Problem with Facebook

This makes sense.

Part 1 - The Problem with Facebook



Part 2 - The Problem with Facebook - Part 2



conrade

BookPastor >> "#lightwebdarkweb"

TITLE: Lightweb Darkweb: Three Reasons To Reform Social Media Before It Re-Forms Us
AUTHOR: Raffi Cavoukian
PUBLISHER: Homeland Press, 2013, (192 pages).

As social media becomes mainstream media of communications and interactions, many are hyping up the merits and power of the new web media. From Facebook to Twitter, Google+ to apps on our smartphones, people communicate quickly and frequently, putting their whole lives on digital media at the expense of privacy and self revelation. In the recent case of the suicide of BC girl, Amanda Todd, bullying has taken on a cyber dimension. It takes a perceptive individual to start asking questions:

• How do these new phenomena affect people, especially children?
• Is it safe to share anything on social media, even with privacy filters?
• What are the pros and cons of a digital lifestyle?
• What can be done to guide children and young people on the Internet offerings and the seductions that come with them?
• Is "free" really free?
• What does it take to use digital media to help create a peaceful society, a sustainable earth, and a caring people?

These questions and many more are covered in this book cleverly titled, "Lightweb Darkweb."  Several months ago, Amanda Todd made headlines in Canada as a victim of cyberbullying. The author begins the book with a simple dedication to Amanda Todd. He then wastes no time to question the rising obsession with all things social media, and why people are so free to share everything about what they do, how they live, and what they are feeling at any time. As one who has lived through a "banana phone" and now embracing a smartphone, Cavoukian, a song writer, a ecology advocate, an entrepreneur, as well as a recipient of the prestigious Order of Canada asserts three reasons for reforming the current social media climate before it is too late.

First off is Safety. The unpublished letter to Facebook from the author and others, touches on the problem of the high cost of the free use of Facebook.

"Known security gaps in a proliferating host of mobile applications have converted mainstream social media sites into highly effective devices for predators and abusive bullies. And in what can only be described as the cruelest irony, Youtube now sells advertising on Amanda's desperate video cry for help, while in a well-documented trend, her Facebook memorial page was desecrated. Facebook has become a brand feared by parents, when it should be one they can trust. We appeal to you . . . . to lead industry-wide adoption of systemic security to block predators and abusers from accessing kids on major social media platforms, starting with Facebook itself." (15)

Amid the conveniences and efficiencies of social media, the problems are many. What about unintended audiences accessing our private information? What about unsupervised use by minors? What about the peer pressure that arises out of using or not using Facebook? For these, Ann Cavoukian sets forth seven foundational principles which deserve our reflection.

1. Proactive not reactive; Preventative nor remedial;
2. Privacy as the default;
3. Privacy embedded in the design;
4. Full functionality: Positive-Sum, not Zero sum;
5. End to End Lifecycle Protection;
6. Visibility and Transparency
7. Respect for User Privacy.

Safety concerns also applies to cell phone usage, physical health as well as long term behavioural effects.

The second reason to start doing something about social media is Intelligence. When it comes to learning, we need to understand the difference between "healthy individuation" vs "unhealthy enculturation." Cavoukian borrows from many researchers critical of the way social media is changing the new generation. Sherry Turkle warns against the inability to experience solitude in an always ONLINE lifestyle. Nicholas Carr criticizes the deteriorating ability of people in "deep reading and comprehension" as they delegate learning to machines. Dr Dimitri Christakis highlights the negative aspects of prolonged stimulation of brains. Neil Postman gently reminds us that there is a cost in everything. The Internet gives us something, it also takes away something. Do we know what we gain and what we lose when we use the Internet? Other observations include:

• widespread lack of critical thinking and motivation to learn among University students;
• statistics showing more and more people wishing Facebook had not existed;
• compulsive sharing of private information online;
• recording and sharing everything;
• loose language on social media that cannot be easily censored;
• social media selling private information for profit;

The third reason is sustainability. It has to do with the conservation and wise use of earth's resources and social responsibility. For every iPhone or smartphone gadget, we need to remember the high cost of cheap goods. What about cheap labour by people living in the harshest and inhumane conditions to produce our modern technological toys? Are manufacturing facilities hurting the environment? Are there ways to stay green even as we advance our technologies? What about recycling programs and the reuse of electronic goods?

Thankfully, after expounding on the dark side of the Internet and technologies, Cavoukian gives some helpful tips on the light side. Here is a short list that I find helpful.

1. Safety
1. Data protection of information of minors
2. Default setting of privacy information to be closed rather than opened
3. Limiting; Unplugging on a regular basis; 
2. Intelligence
1. Using online media to promote offline activities
2. Coordinated learning with school groups or community teams
3. Learn the pros and cons of new media on a regular basis.
3. Sustainability
1. Ask questions about the devices we use
2. Support your local organization that fights for free and fair labour and sustainability projects
3. Vote with our bucks

I concur with Cavoukian that we need to reform social media before it reforms us.

conrade

Warning if You Take Photos With Your Smartphone

It is convenient. It is easy. It can also be very costly. With the introduction of GPS technology on our tablets, our computers, and our smartphones, we can easily expose our identity and our exact location to strangers. Check out this video.



Here are some tips that you can use to make sure your information you post online remains private.

1. Beware of any addons you install on your browsers. If you are unsure, always say NO. 
2. Note that many free programs out there often has a "recommended" installation option to simplify things for you. Do NOT choose the recommended option. It is actually for THEIR benefit, not yours. 
3. Turn OFF your GPS if your smartphone has one.
4. Ensure that your Facebook or Twitter accounts have a strong privacy settings. If you are unsure how to do that, this link can give you some idea.
5. Avoid putting sexy or suggestive photos on the web. You never know if some of your "trusted" friends can blackmail you in the future. Again, never say never. 
6. As a rule of thumb, always remember that convenience often comes at a cost. In modern social media terms, the cost is the loss of privacy.
7. Finally, be wise when it comes to putting information online. If unsure, don't.

Remember, if you are planning to use your smartphone to take pictures and post it on social media, do turn OFF your GPS first.

conrade

A Prank Too Far

I woke up this morning to a shocking piece of news. The hospital receptionist who were tricked into transferring a phone call to the nurse in charge of the Duchess of Cambridge's medical care have committed suicide. What began in some stupid fun and childish prank ended in tragedy. It was simply a prank too far.

Kate's hospital nurse pranked by Australian DJs

The news is everywhere. I went on Twitter to do a search on the word "prank" and all the tweets happen to be on this unfortunate suicide. Many are disgusted. So am I. When I think about it, with the media focus and hunger getting more uncontrollable each day, horrible things are going to happen. We have seen how the paparazzi was blamed for the death of Lady Diana. We have seen how the photographs of William and Kate's private vacation were illegally taken. We have seen how every piece of news on the British royalty commanded premium public viewing.

For all the invasion of privacy and the unethical practices done by certain media members, this latest suicide is a result of a prank too far. Sadly, this case reminds us that it is only a matter of time before it takes a tragedy to instill some semblance of discipline and proper behaviour among media people.

1) Unequal Public Footing

Some people may be saying that it is all in "good fun" when two Australian DJs impersonated the Queen of England in their call to the private British hospital. For all their shock at being put through, and their excuse of a poor imitation of royal voices, the fact is that the hospital staff are not trained at public exposure as much as radio DJs. Radio DJs interact with people all over all the time. Not private hospital staff. At the onset, any prank, or any attempt to have "good fun" represents an unequal footing in the first place. For anyone who says that the suicide victim, Jacintha Saldanha has taken her mistake too seriously, I will refute by saying that the radio DJs have not taken the deliberate invasion of privacy serious enough. Even if the DJs are to say that they welcome pranks by others on them, it does not mean that people like Saldanha has given people a blank cheque to prank them any time.

Key Point: What is fun for one may not be fun for the other.

2) Social Media Play and Replay

In the old days, news come at longer and more infrequent intervals. Sometimes, people will need to wait till the next day before the latest edition can be read. Moreover, one cannot rewind the news and replay them as freely as we can right now. The social media and the modern Internet has changed all that. News comes through at up to the second speed. It can be put onto Youtube, to be replayed over and over again at any time. It can be quickly distributed worldwide. Anything private can be placed in public spheres within a matter of seconds. Once it is out there, it stays there.

I was appalled to see how the royal pranks continue to be played and replayed on national television. Put on Youtube, it gets viewed by the millions. Imagine the agony Jacintha Saldanha had to tolerate each time her voice was replayed by anyone, anywhere, and anytime?

Key Point: What Goes Out to the Internet Stays There. Be careful what you put there. 

3) Is It the Hospital's Fault?

While we may not know the full details, some may accuse the hospital for its lax of security. I think it is unfair to blame them. With the gloomy reminder of Lady Diana herself being a victim of invasion of privacy, surely the authorities and the royal family security team would have put in place steps and processes to protect the royal family more. While their due diligence may not be perfect, why try to exploit loopholes and then point to the hospital and the security staff as their fault?

Yes, the hospital's processes may need to be improved. The ease of a telephone call being put through may need to be addressed. Yet, if there is no initial trigger, none of it will have happened right? Give people the benefit of the doubt. Do not presume and make innocent hospital staff members look bad. Many are basically trying to make ends meet.

Key Point: Even if one can break through security checks, it does not absolve one from the crime.

4) Privacy Matters

This is a case of a prank too far. It is unavoidable. Stupid. Childish. Inappropriate. Whatever you call it, the golden rule applies. Jesus has said,

"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." (Matthew 7:12)

You do not need to be a Bible believer in order to see the relevance of Jesus' teachings. Remember that pranks can hurt. No matter how the interpretation of fun is, this suicide is a grim reminder that a prank too far leads to fatal consequences. Here is what I strongly suggest.

• Stop replaying the "royal prank"
• Australian DJs Mel Grieg and Michael Christian are to apologize, quit their DJ jobs, and to stop mentioning anything pertaining to the prank
• The rest of us take note that privacy matters are serious matters
• Have fun but not at the expense of other people
• Pray for the family of the bereaved
• Respect the privacy of the royal family.

May the press, the media, and all on social media do the most sensible thing. Respect the privacy of others as much as you want others to respect your privacy, and those of your loved ones.

With prayer for the family of Jacintha Saldanha.

conrade

Simple Gift of Compassion

By now, many of us would have seen the simple story of a NYPD cop buying and putting on a pair of boots on a homeless man. Officer Lawrence DePrimo has been hailed a "hero," a "good cop" and "one of New York's finest." All because of a single act of compassion, of selfless giving, and a reminder that there are many less fortunate than he is. This caught the eye of an Arizona tourist, Jennifer Foster who snapped a picture and posted it online. The rest is history.

You can watch the interview here or below.

 

Since the picture was posted at the NYPD Facebook page here, it has been viewed millions of times. In social media terms, the photo has gone viral. Here are some of my thoughts.

#1 - Compassion begins with Self-Awareness

Knowing that the weather is cold, one experiences the reality of what it means to be shivering. In life, we all know that our human body is susceptible to the fluctuations in temperatures. Whether it is too hot or too cold, or when our bodies are subjected to sudden changes in temperature, we fall ill easily. Officer DePrimo recognizes how cold the weather was, and personally knows how it feels not to have socks or boots. He is aware of the conditions he is in.

#2 - Compassion Needs Action

Seeing and knowing that it is cold is not enough. What then are we doing about it? In truth, Officer DePrimo could have just walked past and do his own duties. Yet, he did something that is out of his own initiative. He talked to the homeless man lying on the street. He asked questions. He reconnected to his own reactions to cold. He remembered that there is a shoe store nearby. He went to the store asking for Winter boots. He returned to check the shoe size with the homeless man. He paid $75 for the boots. He took the boots, knelt down, and put on the boots on the homeless man. One action leads to another.

#3 - Compassion Thrives Unnoticed

For all the nice things that have been said about the NYPD good cop doing a good deed, I feel that there is a danger of people blowing things out of proportion. For that matter, cops around many cities will be hard-pressed to follow the act. Moreover, how are we to distinguish copycat acts? How do we distinguish a genuine compassionate act, instead of one that is being acted out for the purpose of fame? True compassion must always be something done quietly, unnoticed, and covered with an utter reluctance to be famous or for anyone to know about it.

Jesus has said that we need to learn to give in such a way, that we let not our good deeds be publicized too widely. Let our left know not what our right hand is doing. True compassion is done in the name of God, not in the name of self. True compassion is practiced for the good of men, not for the reputation of self. True compassion must be willing and honest.

#4 - Do a Good Deed Yes, but Give from the Heart, not for the Camera

Finally, let me encourage all of us to give from the heart during this Christmas season. It is not the quantity of things we give out. Neither is it whether it was appreciated or not. As long as we give from the heart, let God take care of the rest. Whether our acts go viral or not, we will continue to show kindness.

Let compassion lead to action. Let action lead to the betterment for all.

conrade

A Tale of Two Stories

Every media has its own bias. No matter how big or how small, there is always a biased perspective. That is why we need at least two points of view. With the Palestinian and Israeli violence going on right now in the Middle East, the war has also spread from the battlefields to the Internet world. Call it propaganda or misrepresentation the other side, the truth is, people are prone to have a strong first impression when the news is dramatically described. Let me share just one example.

Story #1 - A Pro-Palestinian Bias

There is a map that has been circulated widely on the Internet recently. It certainly makes the Israelis look bad. The way the visual goes is that the problem lies in only one party. Israel is the bully.

Story #1 - A Pro-Palestinian Bias

Story #2 - A Pro-Israeli Bias

Check out the next story, which is pro-Israeli. It addresses each of the four maps individually, calling it a misrepresentation of facts.

1. Map 1 (1946): No State of Palestine but the British Mandate
2. Map 2 (1947): The U.N. Partition Plan - never came into existence (where the Palestinians openly reject the plan.
3. Map 3 (1949-67): Jordanian West Bank, Egyptian Gaza (map changes due to Arab aggression and Israel retaliation)
4. Map 4 (2000): Omitting the key facts

Story #2 thus proposes a new map.

Story #2 - Pro-Israel Bias

Who is correct? You tell me.

c

Stand Up Against Cyberbullying

Sad news. One more death due to online activities.

I remember as a young boy I enjoy playing football (or soccer in North American contexts). A few of us will come together to form two teams. Sometimes, it will be divided on the basis of class names. Other times, it will be based on ethnicity, nationality, or sometimes in random ways. We always have fun kicking the ball around, scoring goals, and cheering our own team. On one of those days, a tall bully a few grades older will invade the pitch, kick the ball far away, and taunt us little ones. We can do nothing about it. He is a mean bully.

I remember asking myself why such weirdos exist. Actually, weirdo is too nice a term. Why then do such nincompoops ever exist! Go pick on people your own size!

A) The New Media for Bullying: CyberBullying

Fast forward thirty years, and I see that bullying on the pitch has moved on to a new platform. The bullying is the same, but the medium has evolved from offline to the online world. With the ubiquitous Internet and social media, it has become very easy for all people to get onto the world wide wide at the click of a button. Software has become so easy to use, intuitive to understand, that young children are unwittingly putting numerous photos and their own personal information online for anyone to see. Friends see it. Teachers sometimes know it. Parents may even peek it. In such an open space, bullies lurk.

This week, one girl becomes a sad case of cyberbullying that begins with cyberstalking or online threats. Using her own photos against her, one anonymous guy threatens her with bullying. Last month, Amanda Todd, a teenager from Port Coquitlam, posted a video of her "hell," with music on the background and flipping little notes online, she described her journey of being bullied, humiliated, and ostracized, that led her to changing school, taking antidepressants, counseling, and even contemplating suicide. She even created a special video on cyberbullying. Two days ago, Amanda Todd was found dead in her home. She took her own life.

A Facebook page has been setup to remember Amanda Todd.

B) We Need To Stand Up Against All Bullying, Especially Cyberbullying

We need to stand up against cyberbullying. We need online vigilantes who are constantly on a lookout for any acts of bullying. Things like speaking out against bullying.

• The exerting the power of anonymity and using threats on vulnerable persons. (If you are man or woman enough, show yourself!)
• Unfair comments that are without base.
• Using someone's private information against that person. (Hello! What's private remains private.)
• Counter each act of bullying with warnings and advice. (Don't let the bullies steal all the limelight)

In an online world, rules remain the same in many ways. Behind every posting is not just a digital piece of data. It is a person. It is a person who deserves to be treated fairly and with dignity. Our likes or dislikes of that person do not necessarily define who or what that person is.

Jesus teaches us the golden rule of relationships.

"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." (Matthew 7:12)

You don't have to be a Church goer to practice it. You do not even need to profess your faith before you work it out. The teaching applies to all. After all, this helps us to be better people. Why not, folks?

C) We Are What We Feed

A story was told of an old man telling a story about human nature to his little grandson.

Grandpa: "You know, in every person, there are two animals inside, one gentle and the other ferocious."
Child: "Grandpa, what animals are they?"
Grandpa: "One is a lamb, and the other is a wolf."
Child: "Oh. Tell me who will win, grandpa?"
Grandpa: "The one we feed."

We are what we feed upon. William Butler Yates once said, "We had fed our hearts on fantasy, the heart's grown brutal from the fare." If we feed on fairy tales all the time, our perspective of life may take on similar expectations. Likewise, if we feed on violence and online activities that feed our fleshly desire for power and control, we will grow into people that mimics our online behavior.

In an age of social media, technology use is not going to go away anytime soon. It may never go away. What is needed now is to draw up rules of engagement. Better still, instill in people when they are young the right way to use technology. This is a task for all teachers, parents, leaders, and all who are concerned for the future of our nations.

conrade

---

Links to Resources against Cyberbullying

• If in BC, call 1-800-SUICIDE or go to this website.
• Stop Cyberbullying (link)
• CBC article on cyberbullying (link)

Catching the Snakehead

The big news yesterday was the catching of the ferocious top predator, the Snakehead fish. Since putting the video more than three weeks ago, on Youtube about this invasive "Frankenfish," many in the lower mainland have expressed fears of how this fish can potentially decimate the entire fish population in Burnaby lake. If this fish breeds and swims to rivers and other parts of the water channels, it will wreak havoc on the entire ecosystem, not just the precious salmon population. For nearly 27 days, park officials, researchers, and volunteers, comb the entire lake (or some say lagoon), using nets, partially draining the lake, to catch this elusive fish. At one point, many have said the video was a hoax. Yesterday proved that it is an authentic video. There is really a snakehead on the loose. It has been captured. Here's the proof.

Captured 8 June 2012, (Photo Credit: ctv.ca)

Deemed a top predator in North America, this foreign fish from Asia and Africa, eats up literally anything smaller than itself. When in their natural habitats, the alligators, crocodiles, sharks, and bigger fishes, can easily gobble them up. Unfortunately, in North America, snakeheads reign supreme, which is why park officials and environmentalists are especially concerned. The only way this fish ever existed in the lake is due to irresponsible individuals releasing them illegally. Popular among some Asians, the snakehead fish is a delicacy, often sold in local Asian supermarkets. For some reason, someone has decided to buy it alive as a pet, and then release it in a public park.

I believe this incident has taught us how fragile our ecosystem is. Mess with it and we are in for big trouble. It is time to call for a ban on any live imports of such fish. The only good snakehead fish in North America is a dead one.  I love my salmon.

Three lessons from this Snakehead saga

Firstly, I marvel at the power of social media. Put on Youtube, the social media spreads the news far and wide. This is an excellent example of how social media can be used for good. Thankfully, the response from the authorities is quick.

Secondly, catching the fish needs teamwork. This also means leadership. I believe the BC authorities have learned a lesson from their counterparts in Maryland down South. They have had a devastating experience with the Snakehead on the loose. It was so bad that they had to kill everything in the waters just to rid the snakehead. Even then, there is no guarantee they have eradicated the problem completely. Leadership comes from being humble to learn from others, be open to consider appropriately the facts brought to attention, and then to do something about it. Thankfully, this fish was caught even after adopting a host of methods and patience to catch it. Sometimes I wonder, if the fish is smart enough to evade capture for another month, perhaps, it can slip away unnoticed?

Finally, things brought to attention normally get the most attention. Left untouched, unreported, it will simply be left alone to do the damage while we are all sleeping. This snakehead is a dangerous fish and rightfully it needs to be captured urgently. What about sin in us? Do we need to bring it to attention? Or are we content to let it fester, uninterrupted, simply because it is hiding under the covers of normalcy?



 


One snakehead launches a torrent of visitors and officials to the lake. Thanks to the quick action by the authorities, this invasive fish is caught before further damage is done. Bye snakehead. Outgunned, outmanuevered, outplayed, the snakehead has no chance. Lest it has laid eggs.

conrade

Ten Things I Learn About Using FaceBook

I have been thinking recently about how social media has changed the way we live. Years ago, I was still happily maintaining different emails for work, for home, for Church, and for other social groups. Nowadays, one Facebook account essentially blurs the line. Perhaps, forever. I confess that I was a social media skeptic initially. I held off being active on Facebook, and resisted Twittering for two years. Then I caved. Still, there was a little reticence in my participation. After all, I thought that social media is more a waste of time and a platform for self-publicity, and worse, narcissistic sharing of one's life that paints only the nice parts of what we want to share. Authenticity is painted almost always with a brush of sunshine and smiles.

Facebook me or else..

Life is not like that. I reflect a little bit about social media today, and here are ten things I learn about using Facebook. I use (+), (-), and (+/-) to indicate the somewhat positive, negative, or neutral of using FB.

1. Number of Friends Do not Equal to Your Worth (+/-)
   I look at some of my Facebook friends and their friends exceed a thousand people! I know of some movie stars whose friends run in the hundreds of thousands. With my tiny group of friends, am I worth less than these popular friends? There are times in which I feel like I am an unknown. There is always a temptation to think of ourselves as less worthy on the basis on the lack of friends or the lack of interaction with existing friends. Yet, the fact is that not everyone is on Facebook. Maybe, it reflects the peers of mine who are mostly Facebook averse. After all, Facebook is a recent phenomena, and one needs not be surprised that numbers of friends on the social media varies for all kinds of reasons, and that does not determine one's worthiness as a friend.
   Still, I admit it makes me question myself when someone else posts a simple word, "Happy" and receives 100 likes, while my hard work in presenting some truth hardly merits any responses.
   
2. So Close But Yet So Far (-)
   It takes a click on the button "Accept" in order to connect with a Facebook friend. One can share lots of details on Facebook, but at the end of it all, the person is still a distance away. No emoticon can equal a handshake, a smile, or a warm hug.
   
3. You are What You Reciprocate (+/-)
   Years ago, some of my friends told me about the time needed to invest on social media before reaping any dividends. The minimum was 20 minutes a day. Now, I think it is measured in hours. As I observe the interactions happening on Facebook, there is an underlying principle that the key to participation begins with you. If you participate in commenting on other FB friends, there is a higher likelihood of of reciprocal comments on your own posts.
   
4. You Truly Get to "Keep In Touch," Finally! (+)
   I label this a plus. It is so common to say to one another to keep in touch. Although we take down our telephone numbers or email addresses, chances are, unless there is a need, most people have very little incentive to actually keep in touch. Like, why keep in touch with a friend from Australia unless you happen to visit Australia?
   
   FB has changed that. It has become easier to keep in touch, as everyone regardless of their location in the planet sees the same posts at the same time on the same platform.
   
5. Narcissism Without Regret (-)
   One peeve of mine is to see a lot of people posting only their strengths, their good news, nice pictures, and suppress their other side. Like movie stars with heavy makeup, many FB personal postings are simply about the "nice" parts of themselves. One case in point is the "LIKE" facility in Facebook posts. There is no UNLIKE button. Perhaps, this has swayed people's ability to talk negatively about themselves.
   
6. Privacy? What Privacy? (-)
   I am increasingly skeptical about the kinds of privacy arguments some people have. Each time Facebook changes their privacy settings, some people vehemently complain. Yet, having looked at the kinds of information people share willingly on social media, I cannot help but laugh at the whole irony of it all. People are exposing themselves more than what anything FB can or cannot do.
   
7. People Just Like to Share Themselves (+/-)
   This follows from the last point. I am amazed how much information people reveal about themselves. I am still old-school, where I do not want to expose all my life on social media. I notice that people do like to share about themselves. I have seen people confessing in public about them playing with their digital gadgets when sitting on the toilet, and for that matter, revealing intimate parts of their diet, their health conditions, and even their relationships with other friends!
   
8. An Evolving Cultural Mixpot (+/-)
   I am still trying to understanding the way different cultures play out on the FB platform. Some people are prolific indeed. They write short quotes that are witty and compelling. Others basically rant away like speaking to a dead log. Still there are others who are caught in the deep throes of sadness and talks in a way that only their "real" friends understand. Across continents, across nation states, across religious and non-religious persuasions, it is hard to perceive the true meaning of the posts. There are others who simply forward news articles without sharing anything about themselves or their opinions. There are also those who share so much of themselves that reading them makes me feel like I am intruding on their privacy. Here is what I do not understand.
   
   Why do some FB "stars" hardly say anything but the followers and responses come fast and furious. Each comment they make breaks records. Some share 50 posts without a single comment. Others make one comment and gets more than 50 likes or responses. Strange.
   
9. High in Contact but Low in Context (+/-)
   It is hard to understand people apart from what they type. FB has a powerful way to enable people to make contact with one another, but very inappropriate for any indepth discussions. I call this "High in contact but low in context." FB lacks the basic nuances of sound, facial expressions, or verbal articulations of a real heart to heart communications.
   
10. There's a New Addiction in Town (-)
    Finally, how we use FB on a day-to-day basis reflects our level of addiction to it. If you update FB once a day only, you are probably old-school. If you update as and when you have time, or during specific FB time of the day, you are trying to balance real life with social media life. If you are constantly checking or updating your FB status more than once every hour, I call you a FB Addict.
    
    One classic test of whether you are a FB addict is this: What are you going to be doing when FB is down?

A Negative Thought from the naysayers (From wallpapers.net)

I know, I know. The higher number of (-) may probably explain that I am old school. I'm still learning ok?

conrade

Cultivating INLINE Behaviour in an Online World

One of the things that is needful in our interconnected world is the wisdom on how to use social media. There are tonnes of books that talk about the steps to get onto social media, techniques on gaining followers, advertisement snippets, and all kinds of methods to up one's profile in world gone online. As I ponder on the new world, I cannot but help think about what Jesus will do and say if Internet and social media had been available back then in the first century. Remember John 17:15 where Jesus says: "My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one"? Chances are, the online world will be included with the "world" used by Jesus. How then do we practice being in the world but not of the world? Being online is one of the most recognizable marks of our current era. Think about this. According to Toni Birdsong and Tami Heim (incidentally, they met on Twitter), people spend 110 billion minutes a month on social media. Some have even used the Internet platform as a way to evangelize. One popular website talks about 4 principles for 21st Century evangelism.

1. Think Digital
2. Think Social
3. Think Mobile
4. Think Storytelling.

@StickyJesus

I have no beef against any of these Internet evangelists. They all stem from a deep love to share the love of God in Jesus. My main concern is whether the drive can be sustained. I am wary of the race to try to keep up all the time, telling ourselves we need to connect constantly with newer technologies at greater speed using many different kinds of devices. I admit. After the initial novelty and fanfare, I get bored. I become more exhausted than excited, more skeptical than hopeful. Don't get me wrong. Birdsong and Heim are right on so many counts. They are correct in identifying the potency of the new social media platform. They are spot on with regards to the need to understand the new world of Twitter, Facebook, and all things social media. They are to be commended to bring a sense of Jesus awareness in a media that is secular and dangerously filled with all kinds of worldliness. Many other things they have written deserve our attention.

• We may be fixated on social media updates but only Jesus sticks to our hearts, if we allow Him to
• Social media may be filled with glittering images, but there is only one true light
• The world constantly changes, but the love of God never changes.
• Jesus came not to inform but to transform us
• Being holy is better than being awesome
• God has given us a mission to share the gospel, including using online means

Readers can find more updates about their book and resources at www.stickyjesus.com. 

My Thoughts

It is one thing to be fascinated by the online world, but we need to recognize the motivation that leads us, not the fascination that drives us. The online world is mostly glittered with images and visual stimulation that is temporal and fleeting. All it takes is a click of a LOGOUT icon, or an Internet disconnect, or a power trip, and our entire online world gets darkened and blacked out. For anyone who spends hundreds and thousands of hours online, there is a risk of substituting visual images for real images, digital replacement for an analog life, and an electronic version instead of a real version. 

For me, I believe we need to take on an "inline" mentality when working or thinking about online/offline circumstances. Being inline means we are constantly aware of two things. Our audience as well as ourselves. We know the limits of social media, what it can and cannot do. Being inline requires us to have an astute knowledge of expectations placed on our online and offline relationships. Being inline means we speak in a manner that is understood, and we listen in a manner that is respectful. It is one thing to open a social media account and start typing away our own life. It is yet another to observe an "inline" attitude, to share according to what the Spirit is prompting us to.

Being inline means we notice our own online patterns, and constantly seek to ask ourselves how that glorifies God, and how they lead to loving our neighbours more. How then do we grow our inline behaviour in an online world? Let me suggest 5 ways. I will use the acronym SPACE as a way to incorporate an inline mentality in an online world.

1) S = Sabbath

Make a point to rest ourselves from the online world. Being connected all the time is not healthy emotionally. Learn to work six days and rest one day. We will not only do our own minds a favour, we enable our family members to look forward at least to one day a week where our eyes will be on anything other than the computer, the tablet, or the smartphone screen.

2) P = Prayer

The online world is largely a visual stimulant. We are easily attracted by moving Youtube clips or sound bites that try to garner our attention. Learn to shut our eyes on a periodic basis and to utter a short prayer. Think of God. Read Scripture. Remember the things of God as written in the Word of God. Intercede for one another.

3) A = Addiction-Awareness

The online world tempts us with the addiction to do more rather than to be more of ourselves. We are tempted only to share positive sides of our lives. We keep most of our negative parts to ourselves. We can easily become addicts to popular videos that have gone viral, or are constantly on a search for articles that give us an adrenaline rush. One quick tip with regards to checking our addiction is to record how many times per day we are checking or giving updates on our social media account. A few times a day is good and healthy. Many times each hour may be way too much.

4) C = Community

Ask not what the Internet can do for you, but what you can do for the community THROUGH the Internet. This is perhaps one of the least practised in an Internet world of I-Me-Myself. Social media is an insidious platform for self-promotion.  From personal updates on our blogs to self-publishing of books, almost everything revolves around ourselves. Learn to use our social media resources to share about the needs of the world around you, or the communities you are in.

5) E = Exercise

Last but not least, one of the biggest problems for an online world is that we have a lopsided use of our body parts. Our fingers do most of the typing while our feet becomes more or less stationary. Our eyes are constantly bombarded by visual images and digital pixels while our ears receive silence. Our bodies are often in a seated position more than any other positions.

Take a walk. Smell the roses. Listen to the birds. Breathe in fresh air from the park.

Let us learn to incorporate an inline behaviour by giving ourselves the SPACE we need.


Conrade Yap, (Dr), D.Min.

Google's New Privacy Policy - 3 Big Concerns

TITLE: Google's New Privacy Policy - 3 Big Concerns
Date: 27 Jan 2012
Written by: Conrade Yap

This week, anyone who uses Google products will have received a new privacy policy that can be read here. Whether you use GMail or Blog from Blogger.com. Whether you work with Google Docs, or use Google Maps to navigate to your destinations. Whether you search with the ubiquitous Google search engine, or use Google Android operating system, you are automatically bounded to such conditions. Those who do not agree will have to simply stop using the services altogether.

I write this article with concerns about 3 things which I will elaborate later below. Safe to say, we are now increasingly trapped in a conundrum of "damned if we do, damned if we don't." In other words, even if we refuse the privacy agreement, do we really have a choice? Mind you, transferring all of our information from Google to non-Google services is no easy matter.

Snapshot of Google promises as they launch new privacy policy