This weekend we're getting to put Jarbyco through its paces.

If Jarbyco sounds familiar to you it might be because we used it during Innovate08 to allow voting by text during the Film Festival.

Since then we've found a variety of ways to use the texting service. But this is probably our most visible use.

Concept
Create a weekend service where the audience can participate by texting in questions they want immediately addressed by the speaking pastor (Mark Beeson in this case). Obviously all questions won't be answered, but they will still scroll on the screen (if appropriate) so the interactivity is there. A couple random questions are chosen for the audience to pick from. Once the question is picked the speaking pastor answers the question and then the process starts over with another round of questions to choose from.

Solution
Jarbyco Text to Screen. As people enter the auditorium and as the service progresses people can text in questions that go to the big screen. A flash interface not only gives the instructions but also cycles through the questions with nice text effects.

You can also set up an auto response text so the person knows their submission went through.

Here we go...

More details on how it went on the other side...

I was just as excited about the new Blackberry Storm as the next guy. My wife currently uses the Blackberry Curve and it was nice to see Blackberry branching out - taking their brand of business communication to the next level with touch screens and a more "comfortable" and sleek user interface.

Unfortunately, the reviews I have read since the debut have been dismal at best (read this Gizmodo review for a fairly balanced look at the cool features and yet the areas where the phone falls short.)

I haven't even touched the phone yet, but here are a few of my assumption based on the stuff I've read and from talking with friends who have actually tried it out for the 30 day trial period:

• RIM realized they had to keep up with the new touch screen trend powered by the iPhone, HTC Touch phones etc.
• They tried to take their existing functionality and make it work on a touch screen.
• RIM still won't play nice with a Microsoft Exchange Server.
  
• RIM still assumes it has something that can compete with iPhone OS and WiMo (which may have been true in the past but is slowly getting away from them).

Again, just my assumptions. But after reading about the high number of people who have returned their Storm after trying it out - I must not be the only one.

Finding the Application
This whole scenario got me thinking about web strategy and the way we launch new stuff on our websites (either new elements or full on site redesigns).

When we mock things up and present ideas for this new stuff we often do so for reasons like:

• Keeping up with others.
• Keeping up with technology.
• Adding functionality that we didn't previously have or couldn't afford.
• And sometimes to be innovative - to ride the cutting edge of technology and lead by example.

Whatever our reason for adding new "stuff" to our websites, it would be to our advantage to use the Blackberry Storm as a case study. Unfortunately it seems like the Storm was designed to keep up with others and keep up with technology. They undoubtedly added some functionality. But what if they had been innovative and went above and beyond? What if they had built it to do everything the iPhone and WiMo phones could do and then some? My bet is people wouldn't be taking the phone back to the store...

Food for thought...

I recently upgraded to Adobe Web Premium CS4 and I must say it was like going from match to flame thrower.

I've been using Adobe (Macromedia) products since their inception and have see them come a long way. But the changes they make between versions today are consistent and methodical in two areas:

1. New technology: Of course they need to come out with new stuff. Push the envelope. Stretch the imagination. Use the latest technology to make it happen.
2. Ease of use: But maybe more important for me are the upgrades to the work flow. Changes that make regular, mundane processes move fast and efficient.
   

You need a healthy dose of each in a new version of software. But the same goes for just about anything - including your website.

Don't roll something big out on your site unless it has something new to offer and makes the user experience more streamlined (that was free...).

What I'm Geeked About
I currently use Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Flash and the Flash Media Encoder. And while there are numerous enhancements to these programs, I only have time to go over a few.

• Dreamweaver (view top new features here): Amazing new interface that allows you to view a live HTML page inside the design window rather than opening a browser every time. Included content is now connected visually so you can easily get to code pages (CSS, js, SSI's etc.) from the HTML page itself.
• Fireworks (view top new features here): Adobe AIR authoring, improved CSS export and robust PDF export for comps.
• Flash (view top new features here): New object-based animation, inverse kinematics with the bones tool, 3D transformation (sweet), and the Media Encoder now has H.264 support with more options and control over the video encoding process.

I'm thinking I'm in love...

Growing up I remember my church being fairly neutral on environmental issues. It stemmed from the belief that the world would get worse and worse before Jesus returned, so why try to fix somethings inevitable demise?

That was fine with me for a while, but over time it started thinking about it and realized that was a bit non-committal. It was also an easy excuse not to do anything helpful and to inadvertently support behavior that is downright damaging to the earth.

Because of this, I was forced to draw the line in my life and develop a belief as to how "green" a Christian should be. Here's what I came up with:

A Christian should do nothing to damage the earth. If there are simple things you can do to keep damage from happening you should do those things. If there are things being done that are causing damage to the earth there is nothing wrong with lending support to the legal process so that it stops. However, all these things should be done in ways that don't suggest we're worshiping the creation over the Creator. And all should be done with an understanding that what we are doing will not keep the inevitable from happening.

A better illustration might be the way we take care of ourselves. The typical Christian would probably tell you they are "supposed to" take care of the body they were given. We exercise (at least we're supposed to), eat well (at least we're supposed to) and educate ourselves (at least we should). And we do all this knowing that we will eventually die. This is very similar to the way I view the environment now.

BUT! One thing I get more than frustrated about is when Hollywood forces it down our throats as if they have been called to police the earth.

Here are just three examples of movies that push the topic:

Fern Gully: Probably one of the most in-your-face environmental movies out there. Designed specifically for kids, it lays it out there and "scares" kids into living green.

Wall-E: Another kids movie designed to show how humans kill the planet and yet get another chance to fix what they did wrong.

The Day the Earth Stood Still: First off, don't see this movie. You'll regret spending the money. Same green agenda: Humans are idiots that are destroying the planet. All humans must die.

I'm sure there are many more examples out there. I just picked the first three that came to mind.

My last post was a bit harsh. But I was simply trying to help Microsoft see the error of their ways. I mean, they read my blog religiously and will immediately head back to the drawing board the minute they see that people have questions about the functionality of WiMo enabled phones...

Back to Reality
To be fair - I'm not hopping on the iPhone bandwagon just yet (even though its a great phone). There are still some amazing phones out there that don't run on fructose...

One such phone is the HTC Touch HD which is currently in release in other parts of the world - unfortunately not the parts of the world I inhabit.

The Skinny Rundown:

• 3.8-inch wide, WVGA (480 X 800 pixel) display offering a cinema experience on the go.
• Vibrant TouchFLO 3D user interface, responding perfectly to your finger gestures when scrolling through contacts, browsing the web and launching media.
• Surf and download at broadband speed with HSDPA internet connectivity (probably not in this country...)
• Google Maps enhanced by the wide screen viewing platform.
• 5 megapixel camera for quality stills and video.
• 3.5 mm audio jack makes the Touch HDTM compatible with the majority of audio equipment available.

Basically there would need to be a celestial anomaly in order for me to get this phone. Pluto would have to become a planet again and we'd have to discover new rings around Saturn...

Why?
First, the Touch HD is not available in this country yet. And second, Sprint would have to pick up the phone in order for me to have access to it.

But a boy can dream can't he?

I currently run Windows Mobile 6.1 on my Sprint Motorola Q9c and while it has served me well in basic functionality I have to admit I'm getting a bit frustrated with it.

Again - not because it can't do things - in fact the Q9c WinMo enabled phone can do just about everything. The problem is no one cares about that anymore. People are less interested in what something can do and more into how it does it.

Enter the iPhone. Even with some limitations in functionality compared to WinMo phones (fully integrated exchange functionality and laptop tether capability for example) it is still one of the most popular phones out there. Why?

Because it's flippin' cool - that's why! And people want things that are cool. I assume this is why thousands of people develop applications for the iPhone and a much smaller number develop for WinMo phones. That, and it is much easier to develop for the iPhone...

If only there were people at Microsoft willing to admit that form AND function are important. What could WinMo become if that were true?

Take HTC for example. Probably the most innovative UI built on the WinMo platform and it still pales in comparison to the iPhone. Not because HTC lacks the ability, but because they are forced to develop on an inferior platform.

My contract with Sprint is up for renewal in February. At this point I love what we have going with Sprint (in terms of service) but when I look at the available phones out there I grimace at the thought of having to pick one and live with it for another two years...

I was watching my current favorite show last night (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) when I saw the new advertising campaign called "Whopper Virgins." Apparently Burger King is taking Whoppers and Big Macs to small rural areas in Thailand, Romania and Greenland. Once there they will conduct taste tests with people who have never had these sandwiches before. In fact, they don't even have a word for "burger" in their languages.

So it got me thinking...

First, why would you introduce fast food to cultures that haven't already been infected with such unhealthy food choices (just joking...please don't sue me...I'm not wealthy like Oprah.)

Secondly (and more seriously), it made me think about my job, the communications department and how our message is being received by the unchurched - or better said:

How are we being perceived by ministry virgins?

When the unchurched visit our church, our website or receive print pieces in the mail, are we actively working to ensure the message being received is:

• Accessible? Are we presenting content that is easy to find, precise and as straight forward as possible?
• Understandable? People may not understand words like "justified" and "sanctified." Are we using verbiage that people can understand and connect with?
• Relevant? Are we talking to people where they find themselves? In other words, are we too busy talking about what heaven will be like and not offering hope in a failing economy? Are we busy debating the hottest theological topics or helping people on the brink of divorce?

The first step in having kingdom impact just might be knowing your whopper virgins...

I don't know what you dream about, but for me its emerging technologies and the way we can leverage it in ministry.

Last Christmas I purchased an Xbox360 Elite. I got the one with the big hard drive in part because all the other ones were sold out, but also thinking I would fill it up with pictures and home videos. However, pictures can easily be pulled from the network and my AVCHD video has to be converted into another format if it is to be watched on the Xbox360. So it may not have been such a necessary thing...

But that has nothing to do with why I'm geeked. The big win came in November with the release of the new and improved Xbox Live interface.

And no...I'm not talking about the fact that you can arrogantly create an avatar in your own image :).

I'm talking about the partnerships being formed and the interactivity between the Xbox and online services like Netflix. With the new interface you can connect to Netflix and stream video in HD. Simply create a Netflix account, put HD movies in your queue and they become available in your Xbox console menu.

Now I know this has nothing to do with ministry, but I'm looking at the trend and not the immediate reward. In the future, what if the Xbox360 had its own browser? What if you could go to gccwired.com and watch the weekly message in streaming flash video right on your big screen?

Oh...the possibilities!

In the past few months I have had many negative experiences with companies that seem to have lost their understanding of what customer service is all about.

From cable companies to insurance companies to online companies that hide behind "cyber-walls" expecting that their behavior won't be called into question or challenged legally.

But then there are companies and employees that challenge this negative trend.

I posted about GoDaddy.com recently and I'm happy to say that my wife and I had a similar experience at The Cheesecake Factory this week.

As we were enjoying our cheesecake, a waitress walked by with half a sandwich on a small plate. She stopped at the booth directly behind me and said:

I couldn't help but notice the smile on your face as you ate the sandwich you ordered so I made you another half. Hope you like it!

What!?!

In this day and age its nice to see that some companies (people) still understand what really matters in business - serving others well...

I ended up watching ER last night after having stopped for a good long time. But I'm glad I did because every once and a while it is good for me to be forced to think about death.

Over time I tend to put stuff like that on the back burner because it isn't fun to think about.

The problem for me is this:

The farther away I keep the concept of death, the easier it is for me to treat people poorly.

Not 'poorly' as in not loving them. Just not loving them well. It's easier to fall into traps like taking people for granted, choosing not to engage them in conversation, allowing your busy life to become an emotional barrier, etc.

Then factor in that the death on ER was a 5 year old child, and it takes on even more significance.

How many times have I said, "Just a minute." "I'm a little busy right now." "Stop asking me so many questions."

I need to be jolted back into the reality that every day we get with our kids is a gift. Which means every little experience and every little moment with them should be something to enjoy, not get irritated about.

Tucking my kids in before we went to bed last night was a fairly emotional experience for me. And rightfully so...

I'm learning to love like they'll be gone tomorrow.

The other day I was thinking about how drastically different my life is now that I working for the church. And how fast it all changed.

True, I was volunteering in the Communications Department, doing web stuff for a couple years before being hired. But it was literally full time psychotherapist one week, full time web director the next.

At first it appeared to be an easy split - like dropping a bad habit and never looking back. Black and white, not messy at all.

But recently two things have happened.

First, I have started thinking more and more about the mental health field. Not because I want to go back, but because it was such a big part of what I did for so long. I miss the science behind it. Working with people and helping them break out of the fog they were in. Helping them see we all have the ability to control our thinking and behaving - regardless what we are feeling.

Secondly, I've come to realize that I never really left the mental health field. Here's why:

• People are still hurting - even in the church.
• On the website we help people find their next step. For many it is to attend Turning Point and begin working on the big issues in their life.
• For others, Starting Point is the next step. Small Groups are formed so people can find authentic community and come out of the shadows.
• Kids can work through their issues at Turning Point ALL STARS.
• Couple can make good decisions prior to marriage at Beyond I Do.
• People can get get out of debt by attending Financial Peace University.
• And there is even help for those exiting the prison system at Prison Transition Aftercare.
• These coupled with the fact that my department is "Obsessive-Compulsive" about excellence and because we use the phrase "brand schizophrenia" a lot...
  

All this and you can't help but see the cross pollination. The training I had wasn't left behind. I simply entered a new field where the same people and the same problems exist.

Only this time we have the ability to give them what they really need - not just pop psychology (although there are numerous concepts from the field of psychology that are true and helpful).

But we get to give them Jesus, His death on the cross, and a community of people hungry for more of what He has to offer.

I know I'm in the right place.

Ever notice how the level of excellence drops off dramatically the smaller the product, company, church, etc.?

I've become involved in a number of 'fringe hobbies' (term used because of the small number of people actually engaged in them) - the most recent being SCUBA. And it doesn't take long before you realize just how small the SCUBA community really is. Just search for desktop wallpaper, tutorials, videos or other resources.

You'll find stuff, just not good quality stuff. Companies (and individual divers) don't have multi-million dollar marketing departments. They don't pay top design agencies to print their stuff or design their websites.

And so it was when I tried searching for dive logs. I'm still learning so I wanted a dive log for planning a repetitive dive that was simple and helped explain how you moved from the first dive into the repetitive dives.

Of course I found little to nothing. So I decided to make one. Call it my little contribution to the SCUBA community.

I got the majority of my information from:

• Understanding the RDP
• Dive Tables Explained

Let me know if its helpful (and accurate). I'd love constructive criticism - will only make it better in the long run.

How do you find your favorite things?

Is it from TV or newspaper ads, billboards, passed down by your parents, trial and error, word of mouth or something else all together?

For me it has been a little of everything. But I only recently realized the power that word of mouth has on us.

I was chatting with a co-worker about spicy foods when he showed me a package of spicy noodles by the NongShim company. He joked about how a Korean exchange student staying in his home was having his mother ship them to him. Only to find out they were available at a local supermarket in the international foods aisle.

I gave them a try and was instantly hooked. They are now one of my favorite things. Of course the minute you come to rely on something - it disappears. It wasn't long before the supermarket stopped carrying them.

Thank goodness we live in the age of Googlightenment. I did a quick search and found them on amazon.com. 40 packages for around $32.00 - saving us almost 20 cents per package in the process.

What an amazing time we live in where you can instantly have what you instantly desire...okay...I know there is something very disturbing about that statement but we'll leave that for another post.

How do you find your favorite things? And what are they?

I began using Twitter this year. In fact it was the day I left for SXSW in Austin, TX. I figured it was the perfect test to see if it was helpful or not. While on the trip I could tweet about what I was doing and keep the peeps at home up to date on the cool stuff I was learning.

Since then I have had moments where I was ready to give it all up. Only to realize that it wasn't Twitter's fault. I was simply following too many people. After knocking it from over 100 down to a comfortable 35 things have been awesome.

Why?

Well one of the BIGGEST reasons is this:

Twitter transcends typical communication patterns - taking you from 'limited communication' to 'ongoing' or 'continual communication.'

In the past we were limited in our ability to maintain ongoing relationships. Long ago you had to be in the same physical location in order to talk to someone. Then with the advent of the 'corded' phone, two people could be in different places (as long as it was by a phone) and talk to each other. Next, mobile phones allowed us to be more places at more times and talk to each other. Add texting and we can communicate in small snippets with other people very quickly and easily.

But with Twitter, you can update a group of people (those following you) at any time from anywhere (as long as you have a wireless or cell signal) and have people respond to you instantly.

This continual communication is HUGE when you think about it. Talk about doing life with people on a whole new level. Instead of hanging out with someone once a week and getting caught up on their life, you can literally experience each others lives as they unfold.

Now this could get very creepy - so please use some restraint.

I'm just saying - this technology makes it possible for organic beings to communicate and remain connected in ways once thought only possible for machines.

Look how far we've come.

I've been blogging for a while now and for the most part you can't beat the functionality. You get online content management, streamlined text editing engine, pre-designed templates (if you are ok with that) and an RSS feed. Add some "widgets" to your sidebar and the possibilities are endless. And in the case of Blogger its FREE!

But there are some things about blogs that just get downright frustrating. The other day I came up with two that I thought I'd ask you about. So I'll just phrase them in the form of questions:

1. How do you keep good content from getting lost?

Blog posts get bumped down each time you create a new one. Problem is, over time your post becomes lost in the massive post archive list. If it was a great post that people still need to find, it can get a little crazy.

Here are a few things I've tried in the past:

1. Predate the post: If you put a date of 2010 (or any date in the future) on a post it will remain at the top of your blog until that date arrives. Problem: people get sick and tired of seeing it every time they visit your blog.
2. Create quick links: Most blogs already have an archived list of all posts, but the farther away the post gets the harder it is to find. So adding a quick link list in the sidebar for important posts might be helpful.
3. Add search functionality: I recently added the lijit search box to my blog (after a thumbs up from Kem Meyer and Tim Stevens).

2. How do you deal with your content becoming dated and in essence misleading?

The other thing that happens with a blog is that the engine archives the posts as they are. Its like writing a book - the minute you hit publish its old and starts to fall victim to changes that contradict it.

Of course with a blog you have the ability to edit the post. So here are some ways I've attempted to keep content correct:

1. New posts: The simple solution is to just keep posting with new and updated information. Problem: The old stuff is still there and if someone searches for it, they will get the wrong information.
2. Edit the old post: This works if you just have a couple posts that need updating. Problem: The old post isn't published at the top of your blog so people may never realize that the post has been edited.
3. Keep all important info in one post: At some point I created a FAQ post. I update the content on this post when needed and add new content when new questions arise. I also link to it from my website and from the sidebar of the blog. This is my attempt to keep the content current and accessible at the same time.

Other ideas? Let us know!