Google Rules!! My thoughts

Theology After Google

These are just some of my thought on the “What Would Google Do?” by Jeff Jarvis
• The book begins stating that if you give people control they will use it
o This is very true but it only works for the informed individual. How can a person take advantage of resources if they don’t know how to use it? Computer literacy and internet literacy is complicated to the mind that doesn’t understand technology. What about the group of people who can’t afford computers and don’t have readily access to technology? What about the people who are not only impoverished but are in a climate that generates fear so that accessing public resources is equated to risking one’s life? What about those people who are faithful to their old and beat up phone refusing to upgrade to a phone that would allow them to access the internet? Is human intuition and curiosity that strong? Are people willing to be empowered simply because they are invited to? Is empowerment an innate or transferable ability? Can people who fall into these categories really ask the question, what would Google do? Or is our first task to tell them what Google is and teach them how to use Google?

In conclusion, you can’t empower the uninformed simply by giving them control. You must educate the person and introduce them to the tool you have given them before they can ever use or even responsibly control anything. People only like to control things that they understand. Those things that are beyond understanding are useless. I believe that these are the types of people that come into church frequently and this is what they are met with. They are met with useful but useless information. The information would be good if the people actually had a computer or had a mean to use a computer or even had training. There has to be a preliminary effort to provide a technological consciousness to the people we are offering the new developments of our society.

• Another statement says “when you hand over control you start winning” pg 21

o I can agree with this statement. I think it is really appropriate for ministry but dangerous depending on the leadership or ecclesiastical structure you find yourself in. Some traditions pay their leaders to keep control and take control. Some people, especially pastors, bishops, and the like, are paid to listen to the people but still do their own (which they call God’s) will. So, my question then speaks to the definition of winning. What does the author mean?

• About the worst and best customer and their role in your business or success

o This statement is absolutely correct but difficult in praxis. Your worst customer has the potential to get on your last and only nerve. Your worst customer cost you the most time and really doesn’t communicate in a way you would prefer. It takes a level of humility to deal with your worst customer. I do believe however that if the church can understand the genius in actually listening to the complaints of the people they would be better off. The solution, in the book, was not necessarily to make the exact change as much as let the people know you were listening to their dilemmas, problems, and challenges. When the people received a response that indicated that the representative actually listened to their complaint, the customer was drawn into an attitude of joy and delight. The key is listening to your customers, both good and bad. For the church, the key is to listen to your criticism and your celebrations. They can end up being a great blessing for your ministry

• Be a platform (page 32 of Theology after Google)

o This concept was so important to me. It is so applicable. The reading suggests creating a place for people to free address their problems and freely express their gifts. That is what Google does. It offers freedom. The church can learn a very valuable lesson from this. I currently pastor a young adult church and one of our methods is to provide a space for people to express their gifts. People take ownership when they are free to express. Expression improves as opportunities stabilize. Freedom becomes productive when it is offered in a religious space. I am not talking about the freedom that accompanies many people who are drunk with power. I am speaking of the humble freedom that allows the individual to humbly articulate, courageously express, and proudly display. BE A PLATFORM; YES!!! This is the key to building ministry and touching lives.

• “Make sure every possible bit of information that anyone could want to know about you in on the web, searchable by Google” (page 44 of What Would Google Do? By Jeff Jarvis)

o This is a rule that draws a fine line between private and public. Jeff Jarvis seems to believe that virtual or cyber publicness is the same as reality. I disagree with every fiber of my being. When you are always a public person there is no time for private. I believe that there are some things that should be kept private. As a preacher and all preachers should know this, the people can’t put up with being able to search out and search up your whole life. Now, if we are talking about the new and improved life, put it on the internet. If we are only talking about the life that people can see, put it up on line. If we are talking about the stuff that will cause people to publically, privately, and virtually persecutes us; the stuff that will empty out the building that has a 25,000 payment due every month; the place that continues to be the sources of the funding for the electricity that runs the computer; DO NOT PUT IT ON LINE. The statement above says “every possible bit of information.” I strongly disagree for, and not limited to, the reasons I mentioned above!