Tim Berners Lee, World Wide Web inventor, delivers keynote speech at 3GSM.
Open Gardens (which you can access here regularly on my blog roll) has posted excerpts from the keynote speech given yesterday by Tim Berners Lee at the 3GSM - the world's premier mobile event. Berners Lee (who is credited with inventing the WWW) summarizes the next evolutionary step in the convergence of new media technologies by saying, "we are at an epic point in telecommunications history, when the mobile platforms discussed here, and the Internet platforms which have enabled such a spectacular growth and innovation, are poised, if we manage this well, to merge." (Phone/Web Convergence) You can link to a written draft of the speech here.
His observations include the assertion that Mobile technology will make the Web completely ubiquitous in the near future. Furthermore, Berners Lee advocates an open Web rather than a "walled garden" (thus Open Gardens) by using Web technology as a foundation for new innovation rather than permitting it to become a controlled environment with a proprietary ceiling.
As Christians (both leaders and laypersons) we find ourselves at a unique juncture in the history of human communication. Since we carry the Gospel, we have something significant to communicate. One of our challenges is to harness Internet technologies, not to control them, but to use them for the spread of the Gospel, the equipping of believers and as a service to the Kingdom of God. Additionally, we must learn to embrace Web 2.0 technologies and utilize them effectively. Resisting technological communication advances is unwise and will only relegate Christians in the near future to the place of having our lights under a basket. (Matthew 5:15)
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I hope this juncture will also be the oportunity not only to take over what others invent and do, but also to make a difference. Sometimes we are tempted to be as successfull as others. To measure that success we compare. But comparisons are mostly just the basic of discontent. The other temptation, to focus in to the system, instead of the godly given task, is big.
So, I hope this juncture will be a good reason to remember, what God told us to do with the web, concerning our ministry and to make difference, so people get attracted.
That thought accompanies me since weeks: “What makes the difference in my life and my ministry.”
With Love
Thomas
Thanks for this! The opportunities for Christian Ministry and Web 2.0 are huge. It is a startling stat that only 10% of Christian websites have Web 2.0 apps and yet most 12 - 25+ year olds are connecting through Web 2.0. I have written a post on this called, ‘Ministry Engagement with Web 2.0 that you might like to check out at: http://brownblog.wordpress.com/2007/01/23/hello-world/
Mark, thanks, I’ll check out your post and I’d love to know where you get the 10% stat so I can verify & use it.
Thomas, hello from afar - grateful the Web unites us instantly. Got a skype from Switzerland this morning…made me want that bluetooth!
Mark, one other thing - additionally, you might want to check out a post I did in 2006 on Web 2.0 and church. I’d give you the permalink but it’s a three part series so you can just search my site for Web 2.0. The reason I refer you to it is because, although written only a few months back, it underscores how rapidly web technologies are diffusing. When we talked about YouTube back then, few knew what it was. And many had heard of Wikipedia but not wiktionary and now all the rest. Your thoughts and comments are always welcome.