It has also provided a way to stay in touch with friends from my past who might otherwise get lost in the busy-ness of day-to-day life.

I agree with the idea that Twitter is a value added. If managed properly it can also be a useful resource for your job or career development, but if not it can quickly take over your life.

I have developed a lot of followers who are runners. Many of them only use Twitter at a personal level and often are engaged in (to me) pointless drivel back in forth, almost like an IM service. I also have a lot of non-profit people and organizations that I follow that are much more “professional” about their tweets and provide valuable resources to me throughout the day.

Like every other thing in our lives, Twitter can become what we want it to be. All things in moderation and self-control are important!

crossn81s last blog post..CSA #4

i’m glad to see this out there — because it’s definatelly worth considering.

blessings.

carmens last blog post..More God-talk in Twitter, film and television

In any case, even if I had used an ad hominem abusive (the brand of ad hominem I imagine you imagined?), that doesn’t change the fact that I see no merit in the idea that this application of technology aids in the development of a short attention span.

As the one who brought up the idea, the burden of even the slimmest proof lies on you. I see no evidence to support the claim, so to defeat my position, the best start is to have at least some evidence that we can review. It would be like if I claimed that I had received a visit from space eels. You have no reason to believe my claim on the surface of it, so in order for me to begin to convince you, I would need at least some evidence to show you in order to demonstrate the validity of my claim. At that point, you’re free to draw your own conclusions based on the merits of my case.

But until I present a case, you have nothing to judge. The same holds true for me and the idea that we have anything to fear from Facebook statuses.

The Danes last blog post..20081119.ChurchLies

“Luddite: one who is opposed to especially technological change”

“ad hominem: marked by or being an attack on an opponent’s character rather than by an answer to the contentions made”

Now back to my clay tablet and the woolly mammoth roasting over the fire pit…

I speak more along these lines in the more recent status-update discussion.

I’m not sure how either reading or writing status updates contributes anything toward a short attention span or a lack of focus. I don’t see any merit in that classification and would guess that it comes out of a typically Luddite sort of conservatism.

The Danes last blog post..20081119.ChurchLies

Anyway, I now have to return to work, where my focus will be for the next few hours!

As far as the elevation to quote-unquote celebrity status in our own minds, I’m not certain how that is substantially different from commenting on a post or writing for a blog. People express themselves in these forums because they either believe or hope that their thoughts are valuable enough to be consumed by the mass culture out there. I’m not sure that necessarily ties into celebrity imagination though. I personally believe that my thoughts on things are worthwhile and can benefit the world—but I don’t think either that that makes me special or that this translates into any kind of celebrity for me.

I mean, do you feel like a celebrity just because I responded to your comment? Probably not. It’s the same with Twitter or Facebook.

The Danes last blog post..20081119.ChurchLies

And isn’t the reading of Twitter throughout the day deepening the need to be entertained constantly? A relevant quote from Carl Trueman: “The frothy entertainment culture in which we live is a narcotic: not only is it addictive, so that we always want more; it also eats away at us, skewing our priorities, rotting our values as surely as too much sugar rots our teeth.” (Read the whole thing at
http://www.reformation21.org/counterpoints/understanding-the-times/trapped-in-neverland.php ).

Twitter elevates us to celebrity status in our own minds, imagining that everything we do is worthy of note by others, no matter what they are involved in. It makes publicizing what we are doing more important than what we are doing. And reading others’ twittering reduces our attention span on our work, families, studying, God’s Word, and the important things of life, so that we can be entertained. It increases our ties to electronic devices and couch-potato status. I don’t think it is a healthy thing to be involved in, mentally, emotionally, physically, or spiritually. If you start to get twitchy when you can’t twitter, better rethink it!

Minnesota Attorneys last blog post..Blog Law 101: Keeping Your Blog Legal

Nathan

Nathan Creitzs last blog post..June Recap

It’s interestesting that you mention the early church – as I use Twitter or Facebook I try to image how Paul or Peter would have used the same tools if they were to establish the early church in modern times.

Good stuff.