Strategy
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2 Online “Identity” Challenges – Part 1 – Education

Posted by John Saddington on Feb 4, 2009

mmorpg

There are a number of challenges that face us as we begin to engage more deeply into the online space. There are certainly more than 2 critical issues but these two have repeatedly cropped up on my radar and I’d love to both inform and discuss how best to manage them.

We are Educators First, Technologists Second

For some of you the acronym MMORPG is already in your vocabulary and the above image is simply “funny.” For some of you, this might actually be your first encounter with the acronym, and here’s the challenge:

Which one’s more true? Is it dependent on the institution or the individual?

MMORPG stands for “Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game.” [Read more here if you're curious!] That is the real and right definition. The problem is that many, who have never seen this, may now believe that it stands for “Many Men Online Role Playing as Girls.”

That is incorrect. The second one is a “joke.”

But do you see the connection? You see the issue? We must constantly be aware of the many different interpretations and “definitions of identity” of the tools, technology, and the way we use them. There are “right” definitions and “uses” and then there are “wrong” ones, generally speaking.

As a result, we must constantly be educating people about how to use technology and technology’s identity as properly understood, interpreted and used. We must be educators. People don’t ask for guidance, they need it. We are those vehicles.

What do you think?

Check out Part 2 of the 2 Part Series Here!

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John Saddington

John is the Chief Editor @ The 8BIT Network and Senior Blog Junkie here at ChurchCrunch.He enjoys Triple-Tall Americanos, developing Wordpress Themes, and a few other Random Things.

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15 Responses to “2 Online “Identity” Challenges – Part 1 – Education”

  1. Amanda_Sims
    Wednesday, February 4, 2009 at 3:31 pm

    I think you're totally right. @brandondonaldson tweeted some stats yesterday about ages of online users. The senior generation (ages 70 and up) has the highest rate of growth in the online community. They don't even know what LOL is, let alone PWN or WOOT or anything else. When we, for whom use such terms is second nature, encounter those to whom such terms are a foreign language, we have a responsibility to slow down and be careful to be clear to EVERYONE. It takes patience to slow down, it takes creativity to educate about such things. But I agree with you that it IS necessary.

    Reply
    • human3rror
      Thursday, February 5, 2009 at 1:30 pm

      Haha. I had actually planned on using PWN in an upcoming post today… and i was like… no… that just won't do…

      Reply
  2. NicCharalambous
    Wednesday, February 4, 2009 at 3:54 pm

    everyone way overestimates the computer savvy (and social media savvy) of average people. The church needs to remember to always meet people where they are at. In front of the times is just as bad as behind the times ….

    Reply
    • human3rror
      Thursday, February 5, 2009 at 1:30 pm

      right on. my bad. i do this often.

      Reply
  3. Ancoti
    Wednesday, February 4, 2009 at 4:12 pm

    Never assume that people know the technology as well as you. But never assume they do not. Berst is to keep in touch and ask them while you are trying to decide if you can educate tem (or they can educate you).

    Reply
    • human3rror
      Thursday, February 5, 2009 at 1:30 pm

      so true. i think i often take this for granted…

      Reply
  4. phillip Gibb
    Wednesday, February 4, 2009 at 8:55 pm

    ok it's time for me to come clean, I am actually a real person who only knows half of what I pretend to know. I know I know you thought I was a bot.

    but seriously I assume that there are a lot of fakes out there who may or may not be malicious. I just hope that there arnt too many Christians faking it online.

    Reply
    • Jim
      Thursday, February 5, 2009 at 1:29 pm

      You are not a bot?! I'm crushed.

      Reply
  5. human3rror
    Thursday, February 5, 2009 at 12:13 pm

    but aren't we all dear sir…?

    ;)

    Reply
  6. Jim
    Thursday, February 5, 2009 at 1:27 pm

    I'm finding a lot of value in talking to my customers about the thought-process behind social media tools,platforms,etc. There is a huge learning curve for me and for them. I get a lot of "that's way over my head."I've had to break stuff down and practice explaining it to my parents. It's going to take a while.

    Reply
    • human3rror
      Thursday, February 5, 2009 at 1:31 pm

      keep it up! it's worth it!

      Reply
  7. Jim
    Thursday, February 5, 2009 at 1:30 pm

    true,true…

    Reply
  8. Jim
    Thursday, February 5, 2009 at 1:32 pm

    i still tend to over communicate because there is so much traffic in the old brain freeway these days. My poor, dear wife…sigh.

    Reply

  1. 2 Online “Identity” Challenges - Part 2 - Ownership - ChurchCrunch

    [...] This is part 2 of a 2 part series on Online Identity Challenges. Check out part 1 here. [...]

  2. Welcome to the World’s Largest MMORPG - ChurchCrunch

    [...] For the uninitiated MMORPG is an acronym for “massively multiplayer online role-playing game” think “World Of Warcraft”, and if that does not do it think “playing games on the internet” or as my wife would put it “wasting time”. [Editor: You could go here too!] [...]