alexschwindt.com

why I don't twitter

Yeah, this is pretty much why I don't twitter.  Not that I have people who I boss around, but just because it seems so unstoppably vapid. 

(props to dave ferguson)

t-mobile temptation

So I've never considered considered going with t-mobile.   I used to be a palm/sprint guy until I could finally jump over to the iPhone last year.  I have no intention of switching again. 

No intention at all.  Even though t-mobile is releasing an HTC phone with a fender casing.  A casing that matches my telecaster.  Exactly. 

No intention whatsoever.

(would someone please rip this off for the iPhone?  please)

video and digital storytelling

It's exciting and encouraging to see ministry leaders and church planters begin to grasp how crucial video will be moving into the future.  Missional churches are churches that speak the language of the culture they are in, and in the US culture that 'language' is video.  Now that we're beginning to accept this new reality, I think we need to challenge ourselves to become far more fluent in 'media.' 

Imagine for a moment if you felt called to share the gospel in El Salvador.  Would you take a one-week crash course in Spanish and then hop on the next plane out?  Would you buy a coffee table book about the country from your local Barnes and Noble and assume that would teach you everything you needed to know about the culture?  Of course not.  Yet so many Christian leaders today assume that a video camera and firewire is all you need to create compelling video. 

Speaking 'video' fluently really isn't any easier to master than any other language, and Christian leaders need to stop assuming it is.  If you participate in Christian worship experiences with any kind of frequency you've probably experienced a time when no video would have been better than the embarrassing video that was used.  The intentions were good, but the results were cringe-tastic. 

So how can take our media to the next level?  

church and the web

As I was doing to research on church planting and technology I stumbled upon an article from Christianity Today which reports that 80-85% of people are making their initial connections to a church based on the church's website.  This study is almost 18 months old at this point, so this number may even be higher by now. 

Unfortunately, this statistic 'feels' very true.  I say unfortunately because most church websites today stink.  Many of them feature irrelevant graphic design, confusing navigation, outdated technologies, a shocking lack of basic information and first-time viewer awareness.  As someone who's been designing ministry websites for almost ten years I've found the ratio to be something like seven bad sites to every decent site.  The ratio is something like 15 to 1 for great sites.

Obnoxious (the problem with video games)

This week Microsoft is releasing "Gears of War", easily the most anticipated video game of the year.  It's strange, but I'm not as excited about this as I was 6 months ago.  The reason for this is the more I learn about the game the less I want it.  And the more I want it. 

The graphics look sweet, the gameplay looks killer, and the multiplayer looks like it will probably set the new standard for network fun-having.  I SHOULD be beside myself with excitement.  The problem is that "Gears" is a self-described horror game, and I abhor the genre.  Horror stinks. 

Why is it that the best video game companies refuse to release their best games unless they are so violent and/or scary and/or offensive that the rating system itself has to be reexamined.  It's obnoxious.