Posted by Helen on: 01.07.2007 /
In 2006 Off The Map added a blog network and a discussion board to our site. Helping develop this online community was one of the most fun things I did last year.
In reality my favorite way to interact with others is in person. Communication is easiest when you can see the other person’s expression and hear their tone of voice. It’s generally clear if they’re kidding or being serious and if anything gets misconstrued it can be resolved right away. Online it’s much harder to sense tone. I’ve often seen miscommunication arise because one person cracks a joke and others don’t realize that’s what it was.
In spite of the challenges, my experience with online community is that it can be very meaningful and helpful. I love that it brings people together who may never get to meet in person. This can be huge for anyone who has trouble finding people like them in their local community. I also love that you can’t see other peoples’ skin color, gender or age. I’m curious and like to know these things about people but in the online world I appreciate that they have the choice whether to reveal them or not.
Online communities and local community groups have a lot in common. They can be inclusive and welcoming or clique-y and unfriendly to outsiders. They can invite ideas and opinions which challenge their own or they can have strong ROAAs.
I was struck by the dynamic Jim set up when I first ran across Off The Map’s eBay atheist blog last February. I noticed that he extended a very warm welcome to atheist commenters (who assumed themselves “outsiders’ on a site set up by followers of Jesus). When Christians (”insiders’ — or so they assumed) commented, Jim challenged them with thought-provoking questions. This set up an interesting balance/tension more effectively than I had seen in any other online community where Christians and atheists participate. Usually the people in charge either overtly favor “insiders’ or try to be fair to everyone, which results in insiders being able to intimidate outsiders through sheer force of numbers.
Intrigued by what I saw, I began commenting myself. In fact I commented so much that there were probably only two things that could happen. Either I’d be asked to leave (I half-expected this) or be invited to commit to helping facilitate Off The Map’s online community. I was glad the second thing happened and not the first :-)
My goal for Off The Map’s blog network and discussion board is that we will be a welcoming community which carries on fun and thought-provoking (and hopefully life-changing) conversation. I appreciate everyone who has helped make that a reality throughout 2006.
As we go into 2007, what would you like to see more of, or less of, on our blogs and discussion board? We’re open to launching new blogs. Bear in mind, however, that if you suggest one, we may ask you to help run it. That’s how things work around here!
Comment by: Pam Hogeweide
1 01/8/07 12:12 AM | Comment Link |You are the Blog Queen, Helen! (I’m not worthy, I’m not worthy!)
I think you are doing an amazing job to help bridge people together. This, I believe, is because you are a genuine, humble woman with a huge streak of curiosity. You rock.
As for ideas for advancing OTM’s blogging kingdom, I’ve a kazillion ideas,the blogobilities are unlimited. What about blogs with a focus on:
*profiling obscure churches and ordinary saints found online; that is, for example, how I found Emerging Grace and Decompressing Faith, both are seasoned vets of the faith who are trying to sort out how to navigate the future as Christ followers.
*A blog that focues on social justice and action, revealing ordinary people who are using their small lives to help others overcome injustice. Like a former pastor I know who is helping facilitate a training program for girls in India who are at risk for prostitution.
*A blog about the arts, like books and movies, music,other blogs, etc… arts are the culture mirrors that reflect and influence the condition of our lives. Imagine a blog inviting critique on the Harry Potter phenomena, or The Davinci Code, or Saved! Could be good stuff.
Now all we need are some bloogers who can get the blog done.
LOL - I said bloogers. I crack myself up.
Comment by: Helen
2 01/8/07 10:09 AM | Comment Link |Thanks Pam.
I’ll point out your blog suggestions to Jim. You’re right that we do need ‘bloogers’ to host blogs lol :-)
Comment by: lisa w
3 01/8/07 11:44 AM | Comment Link |Helen,
I’m so pleased you are a part of OTM. 2006 was a great year in large part because you stepped up to the plate and played hard.
We all love you.
Comment by: Helen
4 01/8/07 2:57 PM | Comment Link |Thanks Lisa!
Comment by: Kristi
5 01/8/07 7:03 PM | Comment Link |I don’t know if something like this would be possible, and it’s not exactly a blog idea, but what about some kind of online thing that would work like meetup.org, where OTM blog-followers could identify their community (in some sort of confidential, safe online way) and be able to meet up with other like-minded people to actually dialogue face-to-face? There’s a lot going on in the city (Seattle), but those of us who live out in the county would love to have local dialogue where we could create local, emergent communities without driving 45 minutes and contributing to global warming to do so … I don’t know how to do this but I figure I’ll throw the idea out there, maybe someone else could run with it!
Comment by: Pam Hogeweide
6 01/8/07 9:37 PM | Comment Link |great thought kristi. i’m sure there is a bloggy-person-in-the-know who can intelligently address whether this is doable for OTM. Meet-ups regionally could be cool.
The blogosphere sure does shrink the world, doesn’t it?
Comment by: Helen
7 01/9/07 8:58 AM | Comment Link |Thanks Kristi - it’s a good idea.
Comment by: Jim Henderson
8 01/9/07 9:51 AM | Comment Link |OTM Regional Meet ups hmmmm
maybe we could do something like this -
which areas would we start in?
how would it be formatted?
Comment by: Pam Hogeweide
9 01/9/07 11:01 AM | Comment Link |start with the northwest, that’s the obvious hotspot for otm’ers…and also helen’s homeland… meet up at a pub or coffeehouse…appoint a person to be the meet-up coordinator, find and announce a place to meet, facilitate meet-up and conversation. not a meeting, but a meet-up! people intro themselves and the facilitator could be prepared to navigate meet-up by just helping to welcome people and break the ice. if people are wiling to go to a meet-up they are interested and willing in getting to know others and it will take on a life of it’s own.
I went to a blogger meet-up at a pub here in Portland a few months ago.I had never met a single person in face until that night. I was nervous, mostly because I knew I would be the oldest one there…and I was…but it was sooooooooo cool when someone I had never met quoted my blog to me and told me how my writing has affected them. She and I talked and since then have met for coffee a couple of times. We have both been encouraged by getting to know each other better.
Since I started blogging I have met three people in my community two of which have become good friends (one of them, Lily,
attended the Revolution conference with me.
If there was interest in the Portland area I volunteer to faciliate a meet-up here…but I think to get the word out would require sending something out through the subscription base. Perhaps there can be some more thinking about which cities and facilitators would be ideal and then schedule dates, and then announce it.
I am totally thinking out loud here. But at least I think. And I’m loud. Or am I out? I get them mixed up all the time.
Comment by: NCxian
10 01/10/07 6:05 AM | Comment Link |Pam, I like all your ideas for potentially expanding OTM’s online conversation. I especially like this one, and think I would find myself drawn into this kind of thing:
I considered whether something like this would be going outside the mission of OTM. I think it probably is within the mission, by creating topics around which people of faith and no-faith could safely converse, in order to broaden our understanding of each other.