Mobile Ministry Magazine

This is the meat of the MMM Mobile Experiment Report, and also where it makes the transition from being just a review of software and online services to one of looking beyond the offering to the ability that it lends. Here's an outline of what is covered in this, Part Two, of the MMM Mobile Experiment Report:

• Additional Setup Items
• Day to Day Use
• Immediate Challenges
• Accessibility versus Versatility

Given the length of this, section of the report, it will be an extra day before publishing the third and final section. This report will also be made available as a singular download (debating on the format of that now). Enjoy Part Two, and please do not hesitate to give any comments to this or Part One.

Part Two:

Having set up the Mobile Web Server application on my device, and creating the Mobile Web Server website, I had to set up some initial pages so that in coming to the site, Mobile Ministry Magazine readers would be greeting with more than just a blank page. There are two parts to setting things up for day to day use; one part is on the mobile device and the other is through a browser (that can be on the mobile device or not; but most might choose not to go that route and just use a separate computer).

Setup on the Mobile Device

On the mobile device, one navigates to the Web Server application and is presented with a series of screens. First, you are asked to insert your user name and password that was set up on the MWS website. There are a few easy to figure out section of the application that is always shown when it is opened from here: Users, Status Message, Statistics, Access Log, Folders, and Settings.

The Users section was probably the one that I spent the most time with initially. There is a default Guest account where one can set Guest access to the MWS; and then from contacts in one's address book, you can set specific users to have ability with a user name based on their name in your address book and a password that you have set for them. I quickly abandoned doing this for a lot of people and just settled on making sure that I had a user group for my family to special sections of the MWS site, and everyone else just got the Guest account.

Truth be told, I spent a lot of time looking at the Access Log. I wanted to see how many people were hitting the site, and it was kind of neat the first few days of the experiment. We averaged about 10 unique users per day and for the most part people did not have issues with logging in (user names are case-sensitive; found that out halfway through the project).

Setup through the Web Browser

There is a setup wizard that one has to access from a device that has a suitable web browser while the mobile web server (MWS) is running. On my end, I used my Nokia N800 Internet Tablet connected to a Wi-Fi hotspot at a local coffeehouse while the MWS was running on my N75.

Two parts of this allow you to set up things like the welcome screen, offline page and message, and get a badge that can be displayed on several websites. After this wizard, there is a control panel that keeps the latter items, and allows for presence updates on the status page. One can change the theme to several types; however they are nothing more than color and banner changes. Unless you want to dig in the mobile device and play, there is no way to create custom layouts or fiddle with the CSS for more customization.

From the web browser one is able to set all types of options and create content and points of contact.

• Home
• Blog
• Camera
• Gallery
• Guestbook
• Contact Me
• Presence
• Web Chat
• Calendar
• Messaging
• Phone Log
• Contacts

By default, guests only see the Home, Blog, Presence, and Contact Me sections. The Gallery has to be setup to either show (share) pictures that are shared from the phone's internal memory, memory card, or both. I found that the Guestbook was a bit of a redundant feature, but it could prove beneficial in some applications. The Web Chat section is interesting as when someone starts a web chat, there is notification on the mobile device of the chat and then an IM-like interface is given. From there chat happens just as it would in any other chat room. The Calendar, Phone Log, and Contacts are pulled right from the mobile device and gives a browser-accessible means to see and edit content. I liked this feature, but wished that there was more granularities so that some users could see "Busy" instead of the specific event. Presence tells the state of the mobile phone such as how long it has been idle, battery life, and a status message. And finally Messaging allows one to send an email or SMS message directly to you as well as see all the SMS and MMS messages that are stored on your mobile device (Inbox and those sent).

One neat feature that is present throughout is the fact that all contacts that appear in various applications such as Calendar and Messaging are linked to their contact card. This contact card shows the last call as well as links to the address book entry. Simple, but really neat.

From registration to setting up the welcome page and basic access rights it took about 30 minutes to get rolling. After that it was just a matter of running the MWS on my device and engaging with people as they visited MMM Mobile.

Day to Day Use

The Mobile Web Server is pretty much a set it and forget it type of application. I let it run most of the day, taking it down in the AM in order to use my mobile device as a modem for my Internet Tablet and desktop. During this time, I updated the status message to point visitors to the MMM Jaiku channel. In pointing people to the MMM Jaiku channel, it was my hope to engage the usual readers of MMM, and the new visitors of the breadth of content related to Mobile Ministry Magazine, as well as engage in some discussions across a social network in a slightly different function than what is normally done in blog-driven websites.

On the downside of the day to day use, the MWS was an inconvenience in terms of the other connectivity that I aspire to have on my mobile device. Usually, I run the Emoze email client and the Jaiku Mobile client. Because of the MWS, I was not able to run these and have a long functioning device. Either the MWS would take over the connections, or the applications would consume too much memory and cause one or all of them to shut down. During the experiment, I only suffered one total device crash, but this was an instance where the hardware specifications of my N75 (which has about 15MB of memory free for running programs at boot) was at the very bottom of what is needed to run the MWS.

Because of this limitation, I was not able to use programs such as widgets to keep me abreast of what was going on at the MWS without opening the application. That being said, it was quite nice to have the server running and not have to think about it unless I needed some kind of functionality that was a bit more than normal.

A small note: the Nokia N75 is a 3G phone, meaning that it has the ability to use a high speed data network called HSDPA. Because of the specifications of this network, the device is able to use applications that connect to the Internet at the same time as using voice functions. While running the MWS, there was no drop off in voice quality or phone functions except for occasional slowness for MMS message processing.

Immediate Challenges

While there were those hardware challenges, the large and more pertinent challenges to using the MWS was trying to keep the same kind of communicative presence that had been done at Mobile Ministry Magazine. Essentially, opportunities to post to the blog, upload pictures, and engage the reading community were all things that seemed a lot easier when connectivity was spread across devices instead of being centered on one device.

For example, whenever I needed to use the web browser on the N75, I had to shut down the MWS because the two applications were too large to run at the same time. This meant that I would have to create a status message saying that the server was down and point people to the MMM Jaiku channel; then initiate a discussion at the MMM Jaiku channel; and then I would be able to continue with using the web browser. Certainly, having a device with later hardware (more memory and processor speed) would have been great here.

Another issue that I found was that in order to publish to the blog, I needed some type of dual connection. Using the MWS made situations of traveling to WI-Fi hotspots a bit of an adventure as now instead of using them just as a rest place, I wanted to be strategic in making sure that I could create a conversation piece around the use of the technology. It was not until later in the experiment that I realized that there would be times that I would be able to use the web browser on the N75 in order to populate the blog. This stretched the mobile device, but creating a blog post where I was able to live blog a sermon and have my notes created on the N75 instantly appear online was quite exciting (mental note: taking a T9 typing class before doing this should be a prerequisite).

Accessibility versus Versatility

This challenge of balancing multiple devices, multiple input methods, and then just the plan fact that a web server can really go with you anytime makes one feel more accessible than ever. The granular level of being able to assign contacts or groups of contacts to various parts of one's mobile device presents a solution that is present already in some enterprise applications such as SharePoint and even commercial ones like Movable Type. But those are PC-focused solutions. Nothing wrong with that, but as mobile devices become more versatile, one should not just assume, but see that a lot more of what we do can be driven from a mobile platform.

The Mobile Web Server is an answer to a question that is not yet asked so loudly yet though. Its not so much an issue of how does one stay accessible, as many connected devices open to you; but it allows you to determine how you want people to connect to you based on the social network that you have built - your phone book. This is more powerful and empowering when combined with a communications strategy and a personality that invites people to want to connect to you. That being said, its not accessibility that is the focus of using the MWS, its versatility. Versatility meaning that you are empowered to take your social network with you, and how they connect to you is determined by you, not by the service that you subscribe to.

This is if you where using the software and service makes a change from being just a piece of software or just another online service. It would be easy to just put the MWS into one of those categories and then judge it based on its benchmarks; but there is nothing to just it against. Nokia's Mobile Web Server is a canvas that if given the network and the hardware (and economies) becomes a canvas that enable the kind of personal computing that was dreamed about in the 1950s when the foundations of the Internet began, and now realized with the fast and (nearly) open wireless networks that most of the world has access to.

Flash Sideshow of MWS Screens, via Share on Ovi

Labels: accessiblity, browser, community, device, internet tablet, Jaiku, mobile, Mobile Web Server, mobiles, mobility, N75, Nokia, review, SMS, software, tech, usablity

Mobile Ministry Magazine has gone mobile. For the next week, MMM will be hosted completely via Nokia's Mobile Web Server on my Nokia N75. This is one part a test of the technology, and another part a means to keep me on top of those things that might lend towards some effectiveness towards those of you who need small intranets within your workplace, but the cost of developing and maintaining on might be out of reach.

View MMM Mobile at: http://mobileministrymag.mymobilesite.net.

Username: Guest
Password: mmmguest

If it says that the server is offline, its probably because my battery is dead or I needed to close the app for a bit, just visit the MMM Jaiku channel as news, notes, and discussion can always be found there.

Now this is really taking things mobile :)

Labels: community, Jaiku, mobile, mobility, N75, software, tech

I am one part a member of Nokia's Blogger Relations team, and have recently been invited to be an S60 Ambassador. Essentially, I speak about Nokia's products to people when I see that there's a need for them. In some cases, I'll get devices or services to try out and then report those findings back to Nokia. For them, it's an effort to see how people are using their devices and services. For me, it's a chance to see how mobile technology can enrich and empower lives.

The better part is that there are relationships that happen. Being able to live in Christ around them makes having opportunities like these presented by Nokia and other companies kinda neat. Here are a few of the recent reports that I filed to Nokia's S60 Ambassador's program. For those of you looking at ways to see how mobile tech fits, this is how I go about learning and applying.

Episode 1: The Young Mother

I went to visit a friend of mine on the other side of Charlotte as she has a 1yr old kid who has provided for several great photo opportunities. She and I talked about her e-learning class that she is taking and some directions that she could go with content for her blog. I recommended the idea of the phone as the literal center of the Internet for the school by using the Mobile Web Server.

First, I had to explain to her what the Mobile Web Server is and what kind of functionality that it opens up. Then, I told her that I could show her what it would look like. So I pulled out my N75 and turned on the Mobile Web Server. We navigated through each of the pages on her laptop that was in front of us, and I showed her how such a setup would make for a different take on distance learning ventures.

She was amazed that my phone could do that and asked why it was that her 3555 was not able to do the same things even though it was a Nokia phone as well. I explained to her that while they were from the same company, that they used different operating systems. One of the applications that she'd become a bit intrigued about is Jaiku; especially its ability to link with the address book for presence notification. That was something that she wanted for her phone. I led her to Yahoo, and there she learned about Yahoo's oneConnect service. Unfortunately, she does not have a mobile [data] plan, and does not see getting one; so downloading that was out of the question.

he problem that she posed to me was how to get more out of a phone like mine without being online. Considering that I do so much online via my N75, that really left me without many words. Other than the Bible, voice, and SMS, the rest really is the Internet. Making my phone compelling towards those who don't need that functionality will have to become another search of mine.

Episode 2: The Church Admin

Monday night is usually bible study at It's a Grind Coffeehouse and that is where I was again this Monday. Having had a successful demonstration of the Mobile Web Server running on my N75 earlier Monday, I decided to pique the interest of one of the administrative workers of my church and get her idea on such a solution.

First, I gave her a small demonstration of the software on my device, and then used my N800 Internet Tablet to show what the site actually works like in a web browser. At that she was impressed, but I could see not convinced at its usefulness. I then changed modes to talking about how there is always some information that one wants to keep personal, but other things, like pictures and availability that would come in handy for some people to know.

I then set my Gallery to show the pictures from my memory card and showed her how that page could be set with permissions. I then showed the Contact, Presence, and Calendar screens and showed that these can be controlled with a simple group that is created on the phone.

She looked at the phone and said "that's interesting. Your phone is a powerful little thing." Powerful indeed, but as a device that connects, its hard to beat.

Related Items:

• Nokia's S60 Ambassador Program
• Nokia's Mobile Web Server
• N75 Live-in Review Update
• MMM's N95 (via Nokia Blogger Relations) Review
• Yahoo's oneConnect service

Labels: Bible, church, community, device, family, Jaiku, mission, mobile, mobile accessories, Mobile Web Server, mobility, N75, Nokia, phone, software, tech, urban, usablity, Yahoo

Last night, I downloaded Nokia's Mobile Web Server onto my N75 and have to say that its am impressive piece of work. Besides being a web server, aka I can run a website off my phone, I can also use it to extend things like my calendar and contacts to friends and family and essentially have a website for direct communication.

That, of course, got me thinking about Mobile Ministry Magazine (MMM) and a route that could be taken with it. Essentially, I was thinking of taking a week to host the site on my phone, and then use the MMM Jaiku channel to supplement things when I need to take it offline (ya know , to turn off the phone or use it for something else).

But before I go off the deep end and really make MMM mobile, I wanted to ask you all of your thoughts. Here is the poll, please place your responses in the comments.

• MMM should stay as it is and the mobile MMM just be an aside
• MMM should go mobile as described above
• Something else entirely (please describe)

Labels: browser, community, device, Jaiku, mobility, N75, Nokia, phone, software, tech

A great post on Jaiku and how it speaks towards the social nature that mobiles and the internet has become is up over at SMSTextNews. Here is a snippet:

...All this so far has been about the utility. The product. The usability. The benefits. In my next (and last) Jaiku-themed piece I’ll cover off the final piece of the puzzle. The thing that, in my opinion, truly makes Jaiku special: The Community...

Labels: community, Jaiku, mobiles, mobility, networking, phone, tech

Earlier this week, I added two new RSS feeds to the MMM Jaiku channel: Biblical Studies and Technological Tools and Lingalinga. Both websites not just hit on technology, but how we should be looking at it through the lens of our Christian walk.

In posting those, I had a thought that I posted there and want to share here as well:

Is anyone getting anything out of these feeds being here? Personally, I was hoping for some discussion of the posts and other discussions, but all it seems to be is a place to catch and read.

I totally understand that the Internet is largely looked at as a type-A deal where only certain people participate. But I wonder sometimes of the use of doing things like the MMM Jaiku channel, which was started as a means to aggregate thoughts and discussions, if no one participates. Thoughts?

Labels: community, Jaiku, tech

Want to keep up with MMM and several other sites via one page (or RSS feed)? Check out the MMM Jaiku channel. Several sites and discussions going on there currently. Here are a few notables.

- Would anyone be interested in a MMM meetup in Charlotte in February?

- I'm sure this is a well known bible study site but I thought I'd share it just in case

- Palmsolo's coverage of BibleTech 2008.

- Pirating of Logos, Wordpress, and other resources.

Some of the websites that have RSS feeds on the MMM channel include:
- Church Tech Matters
- Christian Computing Magazine
- The Digital Sanctuary
- Bible Software Review Weblog
- ESV Bible Blog
- and more

Jump on over or subscribe to the RSS/Atom feed for the MMM Jaiku channel and engage folks with a bit of social networking.

Labels: Bible, BibleTech, community, Jaiku, meetup, mission, mobile, tech

I've got a new Nokia device to talk about some. This one didn't come from Nokia Blogger Relations, but I'll blame them anyways for getting my appitite wet for something even better ;)

I now have the Nokia N75. The N75 was the first 3G enabled Nokia phone to hit the US. It is about as speced out as you can get, except for wi-fi. But unlike my Treo, it does not have a QWERTY keyboard. It will be an adjustment towards getting used to a number pad, but I can tell you that T9 will have to learn quickly else this phone goes to the side, heheheh.

A few apps that are going on here:
- Jaiku Mobile
- S60 Bible Reader (2GB MicroSD card with that)
- Mail for Exchange (for connecting to MS Exchange)

There are a few more apps that I am sure that I'll want to get, but I like to keep things light.

One of the other reasons for going with this is that I want to be a bit more applicable to the 70+million people who this year have chosen a Nokia Symbian device, but want to learn how it can be used for mobile ministry. There's a lot, and just watch us pour it on this coming year towards what we can do.

Happy holidays all.

Labels: Bible, Jaiku, mobile, N75, Nokia, tech

I am sitting on a few issues right now, but really had the thought in my head of asking us to conduct a multifaceted discussion on "the intersetion of faith and mobile technology."

The first part comes from a question that is placed at the MMM channel at Jaiku:

How can mobile technology be improved for your faith endavors?

I really like the idea of using technology as a means to open the door of education to developing and developed nations alike. I've personally been pushing for churches and missions organizations to get behind the idea of the Give One Get One project because it takes the idea of missions from being an aspect of "just sharing faith" to "sharing faith in word, but also giving an action to associate with it."

The key thing is that one must realize that there is no "one stop" solution to mitigating the issues that plague developing and developed nations. As long as there is ego, there will always be a case of the lower class having to fight for the same opportunities that upper class peoples and nations get. The question lies though of us that have: do we really beleive that we are better without making someone else's life better, or is humanity at its best when we give a part of ourselves to help those that have no voice of their own.

Labels: Jaiku, mission, OLPC, tech

In a move that pretty much surprised me personally, but might make for some interesting waves, Jaiku announced at about 12noon EST that they had been purchased by Google.

Now, why post something like that here? The reason it has some significance is that MMM's blog is built using the Blogger platform, which is also Google owned. But the more far reaching reason is that if you already are using various other Google products, then chances are that you might find a solid use for a web service like Jaiku.

Jaiku is one part online community, another part RSS feed aggreator, and another part online presense service. If you will, adding any one of these elements to your church/org/small group's online presense might help to enhance your ability to gather, search, and maintain content.

Of course, there's also the chance for doing a virtual meetup via Jaiku, so that too tickles my fancy.

Labels: Jaiku, mobile

This is a really good review of Jaiku at Symbian in Motion. Though the review really focuses on the mobile application for Symbian users, those looking to employ social networks as part of their outreaching activities can also get some good out of this.

Remember, you can also connect with MMM via Jaiku and keep up with us as we roll around the mobile tech world sharing our faithfulness to Jesus.

Labels: Jaiku, mobile, Nokia

One of the things that I've liked about the N95 is that its let me get back into just browsing the Net, not just reading info. Granted, browsing is fun when there is nothing to do of dire importance and there is just loose time. So what did my rabbit hole bring tonite...

- I started at Jaiku. I wanted to see what some of my contacts were up to. I still think that an Opera widget and a mobile client for every other phone would make this an awesome application for a lot of folks.

- I peeked in on Darla Mack's blog via her Jaiku channel when I saw a post about Nokia's mobile web server. Now this got me thinking that I should move to a Symbian device, and then host MMM on the device. Besides accessible as all get out, it would really kick the mobile notch up a good bit.

- Continued on Jaiku and saw that there is a TUAW channel (for the Apple fans, they should know that site).

- Clicked there and read Robert Scoble talk about giving up the N95 and appreciating the iPhone.

- had another tab open stil to TUAW's Jaiku and got the idea via ijustine and The Remix of Children's Ministry (found via Robert Scoble's site) that its not the tech nor the availabilty that is the issue, just how we want to imagine using it to reach an audience and just going there.

- I managed to come out of the hole though to reinitate the full posts in RSS feeds, and at take a bit more of a thought to moving MMM completly mobile. If the right Nokia device were to come along (the N95's battery and memory issues are the only real hold up for this one), I'd probably do it; which would make that whole planning for MMM to be reinvented in MT4 go to waste a bit...sorry LJ.

- There's not much else that I can say other that since moving to Charlotte God's been heavy. God's been just moving a whole lot, from temporary residency to a job to a possible apartment. God's been extremely gracious and hence my heart being heavy for doing well with MMM. There's a whole lot out there, and God's saw fit to lead me this far - lead YOU this far. It's not like we deserve this, but He's so, so gracious. A few friends can testify to the fact that today I've never been more in awe, thankful, gracious of God's hands in my life. He says, "I know the plans I have for you." I've been walking towards Charlotte and more for 8+ years... there's just a whole lot that just browsing doesn't capture....things that God hands and flow just happen to roll with. I am so not ready for this IMO, but God has saw fit to just dump some grace notes on me. Heavy stuff.

Labels: accessiblity, children, devotion, iPhone, Jaiku, mobiles, N95, usablity

Greetings all, this is probably going to be the last post that I do to MMM via a desktop for a good while. I am settling into my new Southern living and will be trying to get hooked into some income while furthering my settling down. Please do keep me in prayer as there are a ton of loose ends yet to be handled.

To that end, I shall be posting mostly via the Treo or N95. I'll be doing what I can to leverage mobile devices as I just don't have the time or patience to deal with this antiquated desktop of mine. Hopefully, I can get a job soon and I shall parlay this desktop into a 8GB (or 16GB if it is low enough) SD card and a Palm Foleo. I'm pretty much done with all out computing via Windows XP, and MacOS while great is not something I want to take the time to learn more of. The interesting thing is that most of what I have done since my laptop died last March has been saved first on a smartphone, and then backed up to my desktop, so I am pretty much ready to roll in that respect. Given that some online storage products might be able to work, I may end up using those for my needs in that move of computing.

I'll also be trying to leverage MMM @ Jaiku a bit more for interactivity and content. I'd also like to know if it is possible to use social networking as a "first introdcuction" kind of technology, not just something we do after we have connected and known each other. If you have not jumped into the MMM on Jaiku channel, roll on over and get signed up. And if you are in driving distance (or don't mind paying for a flight) let's use that as a means to do lunch :)

Labels: community, Jaiku, mobile

One of the things that I never wanted the blog side of MMM to be was a one man show. I didn't take the postiion that I knew more than another person who is in ministry or who has wanted to know more about using mobile technology within various ministry settings. Frankly, there are just too many people and circumstances out there for me to have that kind of mindsent.

When I started MMM, it was as a means to help aggreate some of the content into one place so that there would be at least one place online that we could go that is talking about how to best use this technology for God's glory. The only problem has been that gathering news and getting together with others around the world who have this heart for Jesus and tech has just been hard and of little (visible to me) success :-/

So you can imagine the bit of joy that I have in announcing that MMM has a channel on the social networking site/service Jaiku. Basically, I see it as a place where we can connect, contribute, and share what all God is doing with all aspects of tech. Seeing that Jaiku is just as well done in a web browser on your desktop, or a mobile browser, or even a mobile application on some devices, there are various ways in which we can connect and share with one another.

This does not mean that MMM is moving completed to a shared content model. To be blunt, MMM wouldn't last very long as there is a 9.9 to 1 ratio of people who visit sites to those who contribute. The point of Jaiku is to connect, and to be able to comment and add when it is appropriate for you. If there is something big happening there, we'll be sure to post about it here at the main site so that others who aren't in the channel or new to MMM would be able to get in on the action.

You do need to create a Jaiku account to comment, but if all you want to do is grab the RSS feed of the channel, that is available too.

So, in the spirit of sharing ministry and a heart for those things tech, visit the MMM Jaiku channel. I hope that this can be a huge blessing and additional resource for you all.

Labels: community, Jaiku

One of the most fun aspects of doing the Nokia Blogger Relations program is that I have been able to experience some different software that I normally wouldn't be able to. Not just the native Nokia apps, but some of the new and fun ones too.

One of them that I get really excited about (no really, see my personal site's last post), is Jaiku. Basically its a "living" contact list. Much like an address book you can add contacts and have immediate contact information, but you can also set presence (so that people know when and how best to contact you), and post small snippets (similar to Twitter) about what you are doing at a given moment.

In a bit of a merge between my personal life and MMM life, I am posting my Jaiku addy so that you can add me to your contact list (and I add you in return) so that we can start doing some neat communicae. Whereas some of you are incredibly busy and might see this as a bit of meandering, its my intent that by Jaiku (and other applications) that we are able to use this tech to bridge those distance gaps, and in some ways effect one another/encourage one another.

My Jaiku Page

Jakiu can be used on Nokia S60 smartphones (the N95, N75, E61i are some examples), and one can also sign up on any computer with a web browser and play with life from there. I really encourage you all to connect with me thru Jaiku, you never know when I might be in your area and want to chat :)

There is another application via the Nokia Blogger Relations program that I'll be talking about in a bit (just reset one of the devices and am getting back in queue with that). But that one too is another one of those apps that faciliate casual computing so that we can encourage one another.

It's another one of those intersetions of faith and tech; this time, I want to be like a stoplight and be a light to point some aspects of the benefits of a tech like this.

Labels: community, Jaiku, Nokia

I've recently blogged about this at my personal site, but wanted to take a somewhat different route here.

At its core, mobile technology is supposed to able more seemless avenues of communication. For some people that has clearly been the case. Some choose phones based on how they handle SMS, web, and email. Rarely do you hear someone saying that they want a phone that has a killer address book. In many respects its a given for the address book and other items to just be there and work.

But if we really thought about how we connect with each other and how we want to communicate, I'd wager to say that for many, the address book is problably the least developed and least used item on a moble device. Sure, it can store tons of numbers, a picture, and with a click or tap get a line of communication to someone. But does the address book really help foster community, or only give a sense of the community that we wish to have?

I've recently started using an online presence service called Jaiku. As a service, it is not terribly complex. It leverages short text messages and links to various types of RSS feeds to give a picture of who you are, and threads by which you can get into and out of different commnities. This is all well and good, but it has this traditional feature of being passive. We wait to be communicated with, or engaged before we create that thread that ends up being community.

Earlier I said that mobile tech only gives a sense of community, it doesn't really look to foster it. So how could an address book foster community? I think a serivce like Jaiku is part-way there. Jaiku has a downloadable application (only Symbian phones currently) that essentially makes your address book into an online presence application. Where you once just had static information and had to contact someone to see if they were available, with Jaiku you set your state, and those in your contact list (buddy list) could see that and be responsive to that state (think like away settings on an instant messaging program).

And just as easy as you can tell someone to not chat to you, this application allows you to set an actual geographic location (based on cell towers) so that those people either within Bluetooth range, or cell tower range would know that you are in the area.

Imagine if you will, taking a trip to minister to a small town, and they know that you are in the area as soon as you get within cell tower range. Sure, they might not have met you before, but because you didn't have to call and say, "hey, I'm 5 minutes from you;" there is the chance for a larger community involvement. Or in the case of ministering to senior citizens, their phone with your information in there and presence set so that they can contact you without feeling as if they interrupted your "young and spiry" way of life.

I am well aware that an application like this will bring up questions of privacy and availablity. But, as I learned recently from a book that I read, we have a God given ability to say no and to turn off those avenues in our life where we do not want people to drive down. As one friend of mine states, "I don't turn my phone on unless I want to make a call because I don't want the unnecessary and disruptive ringing." We have to be managers of the space that we are given, and when the opportunity presents itself, be open to share in the lives of others.

Imagine if every phonebook in every mobile device had that option of being static (as they are now) or organic (online presnece and availabilty like instant messaging). Being able to create lines of community that exist beyond just knowing a phone number or email address, and actively being able to reach into opened areas of one another's lives to encourage and edify. If you will, creating the opportunity for community, the space for the Gospel to be lived. Kinda neat isn't it?

Feel free to add me to your Jaiku contacts, and let's make some God-pleasing community out of this :)

Labels: accessiblity, community, Jaiku, mobile, phone