Personalisation – The Internet Filter Bubble and Facebook

This Ted Talk came from Carole reminding me of a blog I wrote for the Big Bible site about Theological Ghettos.  The way the internet works at the moment disturbs me as it edits out the things it believes I don’t want to see.  Google shows me what I want to see.  An algorithm decides what my world should look like.  Google essentially feeds me pictures of Mother Theresa, Desmond Tutu and Eddie Van Halen.  That kind of thing.  Give the people what they want!  And why not?

Facebook recently introduced a change to the way it works.  It has started to push content to your friends when you click “like” or comment upon a post.  I assume this means that every time I click like on a Star Wars meme is is pushed through to some of my friends.  As they are friends with me they must clearly be interested in the same things as I am – this is the logic that Facebook is employing.

This has shattered my internet filter bubble.  The world now looks a little different than before.  In the past week I have discovered that a “friend” of a “friend” likes the EDL.  I’ve seen numerous racist memes.  I’ve discovered that there is a more unpleasant underbelly to the society I am part of.  A less pleasant world that I was happily living without.  No doubt my friends have discovered that I talk about ‘vicar things’ a lot more than they thought previously.

It won’t come as a surprise to you to discover that I am “politically liberal” and so are a large proportion of my friends.  However, Facebook has just let everyone’s guard down.  Everyone is now less able to hide “the real you” from the world of Facebook unless they choose not to engage with it.  Every click potentially outs you as the person who “likes” pictures of fluffy kittens.  Alternatively you may find your more sinister side on display for the world to see as you are “outed” as a secret Belieber.

An Exercise in Collaboration – Daniel

On Tuesday Fr Simon posted on Facebook that he needed lots of different voices reading from Daniel.

I plugged a mic in to pro tools, grabbed a bible and read.  Dropped it into dropbox.  Lots of other people did the same and Simon did the rest.  Social media in action to create resources for God’s church.

 

Guest Post

This month my guest post over at bigbible.org.uk has the word “Cathedral” in the title. This took me by surprise as much as everyone else.

If you want to know why I would be mentioning a Cathedral in a post, why not check it out.

Christmas in 50 Words

This is a beautifully done look at the nativity.

Again this is from Igniter Media who aren’t very open source with their resources.  If you would like a version that doesn’t have a watermark you will have to pay the piper.

A Social Media Christmas

I’ve a few videos to share with you before your christmas services.

If you remember last year there was a social media video of the nativity.  This one is more poignant than the comedy one.

They are both from Igniter Media.  Sadly they aren’t very open source with their resources.  If you would like a version that doesn’t have a watermark you will have to pay the piper.

The Advent Calendar Conspiracy

Have you started opening the windows on your advent calendar? Is there chocolate inside? Wondering if there is more than this? I mean what are we really heading towards anyway? Some tinsel, a new jumper from your mum and a roast turkey? Is that it?? Really?!

Each day we will post a new 30 second animoto video clip juxtaposing the issues we face with wealth and poverty and the consumer culture that surrounds Christmas. What is it, or who is it we are really heading towards this December……

www.facebook.com/adventcalendarconspiracy

Twitter Resurrection

I stumbled upon this video.

The Internet – A Basic Human Right?

I was reading an interesting article from the BBC entitled “The myth of free wi-fi”.  I am a tech savvy guy with more computers and iStuff floating around my house than it is possible to use.  To be honest I’m surprised my fridge isn’t wi-fi enabled – perhaps that is my next step.  My thoughts on social media and faith are well documented.  I believe that the internet a shift in the way information flows that is as significant as the invention of the printing press.  So reading an article on open source public wi-fi was right up my street.  However, what caught my attention was this quote from Sam Churchill:

“But it’s a basic requirement these days, just like water and power in a civilised society, that helps people communicate and keep informed.”

We live in a world of serious inequality.  I struggle to reconcile this quote with the picture above.  Having wi-fi in public spaces is a ‘basic requirement’?  If there is one thing that the article has inspired me to do it is “donate some money to water aid“.

Every 60 Seconds on the Internet

Hat Tip @Jesterstudio

Guest Blogging at BigBible

I have just had a guest blog published at The Big Bible Project. I explore some of the potential theological ghettos that social networking may lead to.