Google gears logo

Wordpress 2.6 is out and it sports a new link in the top right that says Turbo. I clicked it and discovered that it speeds up the interface via Google Gears – a technology that caches files in order to speed web-based apps. So far so good.

The biggest drawback to Wordpress so far (especially on my powweb server, 1and1 hosting seemed to respond a bit better) is it’s long response time. It’s slow. But, in my cursory tests of the admin interface it seems much speedier. Way to go Wordpress and Google gears developers!

We’ve used MyChurchEvents for a few years now as our (Bethel’s) online calendar solution. They offer a decent service…minimal downtime, easy enough to train volunteers on how to use. However, they have a few strikes against them:

• No ability to track usage (I’ve asked multiple times)
• Extremely limited access to calendar data in usable format (e.g., no APIs)
• Layout is cluttered
• It’s very much a web 1.0 app
• It’s slow (relative to Google)
• They still charge $60/year

By my count, that’s six strkes against them…that’s enough for two outs. Here’s the out I found…

I’ve been looking for an alternate online calendar solution for over a year now and just recently began testing Google Calendar. We’re planning to move it into production this Fall, but you can take a sneak peak at what it may look like now if you’re interested.

Problem 1: the Aspire website is woefully lacking pertinent details…when clicking the “Tour” button, I’m sent to a page that says “This feature is coming soon…” Note the image below. Screen shots are great, but there’s no explanation about this fitting over an existing Shelby DB or if it is all new.
Solution 1: Hire a web design firm (like Stepframe!) They will help you present your website and email communications more clearly and effectively (and there will be no more “coming soon” pages).

Problem 2: the products (Arena and Aspire / Shelby and Aspire) appear in competition.
Solution 2: Take the plunge and lose the legacy aspects of Shelby (it was designed by programmers for programmers), and create a single web-based application.

I would love to see Shelby aspire to modernity!

Are people making use of internet audio? I’d say so. I would like to know how people are listening to it…on their computer? ipod? other?

1. to write
2. to teach
3. to recommend
4. to interact
5. to develop an eye for what is meaningful
6. to be known
7. to influence
8. to glorify God

Regarding reasons 7 and 8 above, the blog medium is used by all ages, but most likely to be read by the younger generation. A blog is another tool in your belt for making disciples. It is the responsibility of the older, wiser, and more mature disciples to learn how to best communicate with the younger generation.

There is plenty of content on the Internet that does not glorify God. You can contribute God-honoring content to the Internet via a blog.

Finally, blogging is a way you can contextualize Deuteronomy 6:4ff.

As for the technical side of things, I’ll be pointing our pastors to WordPress. We may host our own in the future, but really, why should we when someone else is already doing it for free? (OK, so we could customize it). Show me your desire/commitment to blog and I’ll show you the blogging management system.

Here’s a great video presentation on what a blog is (great for the non-technical types):

A few weeks ago, one of our recently installed digital soundboards (Yamaha LS9) was having trouble booting up. It kept referencing a missing file of some sort. After a few days of unsuccessful troubleshooting with Yamaha, Chip received permission from them to open the unit and peek inside. This is what he saw:

Fortunately for us, Chip is amazing. He used warm soapy water and cleaned out the spilled coffee from the chassis as well as on the circuit boards. He gave them time to dry, buttoned up the board and viola! it booted right up! Thank you, Lord!

Accidents happen. You might think the moral of the story is that you can reduce the damage accidents cause by not mixing liquids with electronics. Indeed, that is a corollary. But the true moral of the story is that Chip Roebuck is amazing!

The remaining questions are designed to help you focus your website purpose.
c. Why do you want a website for your ministry?
d. What purpose of your ministry will a website help achieve?
e. What content will the website offer?
f. Who is your target audience for the website?
g. Why would the target audience go to the website? and as a follow-up, ask a disinterested person in the target audience for an honest answer.
h. What would the target audience do at the website?
i. What percentage of the content is date-sensitive?
j. Who will manage/maintain the date-sensitive content on the website?
k. How will the Gospel inform this website? How will the website help advance God’s Kingdom?
l. Based on answers to above questions, what can the website you want to create offer that is not already offered through Bethel’s existing web infrastructure

As I’ve noted before, WordPress is a great tool for quickly launching websites that can be maintained with no HTML\CSS knowledge required. Add Bethel’s Children’s ministry to the list.

• It can play multiple types of media (flv, mp3, etc.)
• It supports playlist functionality with thumbnail images (playlists can even be of mixed types of media)
• It reads my podcast xml file “right out of the box” and populates a playlist of sermon mp3s

Props to Jeroen Wijering for such a great, open source, flash-based media player!