Internet for Everyone

Here is an ambitious for-profit attempt to open the door to Internet access to the half of the world that doesn't have access currently. Their mission, "to make the Internet accessible and affordable to everyone on the planet." Check them out at www.o3bnetworks.com.

Spam Attack

I'm sorry if you received messages from "Erelene Alford." That was a spam attack and the profile was banned which deleted any messages you may have received.

Social Networking: Next Trend

Here is an interesting report on how social networking will soon evolve. Thanks to the folks at Asia Media Notes...

Forrester: Social Web To Evolve Due To Portable IDs
Posted: 27 Apr 2009 09:03 PM PDT

Transforming the world of online media and marketing, technologies that enable a portable identity will soon allow consumers to bring their identities with them across the Web, according to a deep-dive study on the future of social media from Forrester Research.

What’s more, IDs are just the beginning of this transformation, in which the Web will evolve step-by-step from separate social sites into a shared social experience, according to the report’s key author, Forrester analyst Jeremiah Owyang.

“Consumers will rely on their peers as they make online decisions, whether or not brands choose to participate,” Owyang explains in the report. “Socially connected consumers will strengthen communities and shift power away from brands and CRM systems … eventually this will result in empowered communities defining the next generation of products.”

Brands anxious to exploit the flurry of social activity presently face one key challenge: social information about people, their profiles, and their friends is locked up in separate networks.

But, according to Forrester, the social web is about to evolve from a few social network sites into a consistent backdrop for every online activity. Portable social IDs and the changes they enable will transform how consumers, brands, and social networks interact, according to Owyang.

In the next stage of social evolution, starting later in 2009, technologies like OpenID and Facebook Connect will let individuals traverse the Internet with their social connections along for the ride.

The boundaries of social networks and traditional sites will blur, making every Web site into a social experience.

Next year, meanwhile, as sites begin to recognize people’s personal identities and their social relationships, they will customize visitors’ experiences based on their preferences, their behaviors, and who their friends are.

In addition to enabling more intense social applications, in this stage social networks will absorb features of email and become a base of operations for everyone’s online experiences.

Further into the future — in about two years, Forrester predicts — as social networks become the repository for identities and relationships, they will become more powerful than corporate Web sites and CRM systems.

“Communities will become the driving force for innovation,” according to Owyang. “As a result, brands will cater to communities, resulting in a power shift toward the connected customer.”

Presently, among the U.S. online consumers who visit Facebook, LinkedIn, or MySpace at least monthly, 42% must juggle at least two social network IDs, according to Forrester, while 63% of those in social networks are also logging in to discussion forums — again with a separate ID.

Ultimately, the new browsers and identity technologies will let consumers choose to surf the Web and see what sites their friends have visited — and what they thought of the information there.

Biola Media Conference

4/27: Great time on the CBS Studio lot this Saturday. Great job Peggy, Kathleen, Scott et al! The connections were fun...good to see Scott Edge, Larry Frenzel, Doug Weiss, Joey O'Conner, Nathan Bluedorn, Charlie Matz and more! Solid keynotes, good workshops. I was particularly taken by Joe Esterhas' story...amazed at the power of God to reach into a dark place to bring someone into the light.

LEVERAGE event at International Bible Society

4/20: We are going into day #2 of the first VSN LEVERAGE event. World-class "visual innovators" Graham VerMooten, Shane Sooter, Chuck Quinley, Doug Maddox and Evan Davis are working with leaders from six global organizations to help them explore fresh ways to leverage the power of visual story in the context of their mission. Special thanks Rich Blanco, Peter Torry and the International Bible Society for co-sponoring this event. Pray with us that the great ideas generated here will translate in specific realities over the next 6-12 months.

The day that changes everything

He is risen! He is risen indeed!!

Living My Life as Story

I just read the first two chapters of "To Be Told: God Invites You to Coauthor Your Future." Already I must commend it. Our lives are meant to be Christ-centered adventures. Too often we settle. "If I live my life for Someone more important than myself and I have sacrificed, nobly risked, been humbled, learned, grown, and given, then my life is headed toward a glorious ending."

The Most Popular Screen

Six in 10 people around the world now have cell phone subscriptions, signaling that mobile phones are the communications technology of choice, particularly in poor countries, according to a U.N. report published Monday. By the end of last year there were an estimated 4.1 billion subscriptions globally, compared with about 1 billion in 2002, the International Telecommunication Union said.

Spotlight :: Hearing Everett

The Taber clan watched VSN member TC Johnstone's docudrama "Hearing Everett" last night. Wow! Transformational storytelling at its best. A tragically, beautiful story beautifully told about one family's relentless pursuit of God's will. Great work TC. See the trailer on TC's page or go to www.hearingeverett.com.

Documentaries Effecting Change

Christianity Today posted an interesting article on the power of the documentary to call for kingdom action. It looks at "Call + Response," "Pray the Devil Back to Hell," and "As We Forgive." Take a look for your self...
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2009/february/25.40.html

God in the Movies

In partnership with the Grove Center, the Veracity Project and Rock Harbor Church we experienced a rich day this Saturday exploring spiritual truth in film. Through teaching, discussion, meditation, scripture and film we discovered God in the DNA of all great story. We learned our lives are epic stories and we must lean into our story by faith each day.

Spotlight :: ORU MultiMedia Institute

VSN Member Don Eland leads the MultiMedia Institute at Oral Roberts University. VSN members Alex Muirhead, Melissa Blum, Susan Vincent and Jose Rose are students in the program. Jared Buswell is one of the instructors. The MMI provides top-notch hands-on training in various multimedia. Don and his team are excellent people. Check them out at www.orummi.com.

The Godfather of Networking

I had the privilege of spending a half day with Eddie Waxer last week. God has used him in a unique way to grow a global network of sports ministries. It is highly missional, relational and effective for the kingdom. He has been coaching VSN in the area of growing a network that becomes a move of God's Spirit. There is great power in finding ways to collaborate so more people have an opportunity to know Christ.

Spotlight :: Global Short Film Network

VSN members Doug Weiss and Scott Santee give leadership to GSFN. They have developed a fresh approach to reach the world’s skeptical media-savvy individual. By presenting universal themes in a short film format, the questions raised in the films engage the viewer on a profound level. In addition to providing training, GSFN finds and develops quality short films. Check out more on Doug's or Scott's page.

Spotlight :: Whitestone

Whitestone Media is led by VSN member Mike Joens. While they do a variety of work, they have a passion to produce quality 2D/3D cartoons for the kingdom. They are producing a series of webisodes about a professor ("Theo") to teach children to know and live scripture. "Theo’s Good News" is the first one out of the block. Check it out on Mike’s page. Great work Mike!

Walking in faith in 2009

As I take extra time at the beginning of each New Year to seek God's face, I'm drawn constantly to the necessity of faith. When I look back to see where I've been, it is obvious how much the Lord desires my trust in Him. As I plan and pray, I'm reminded to go where the greatest faith is required, because that is where I'll experience the greatest blessing. May you walk in faith and expectancy in 2009.

Merry Christmas

May you enjoy the Reason for the season! God's grace to you. May His joy by your joy as you contemplate the most amazing of gifts.
Clyde

Spotlight :: City on a Hill

VSN Member Shane Sooter leads City on a Hill Productions. They have been making high quality visual stories that address faith and the heart since 2003 (H20, Storm). Their six episode series "Easter Experience" will release in 2009. It is visually stunning...take a look at some of the clips under the video page (Visual / Videos). Great work City on a Hill!

Spotlight :: Media Village

VSN member Graham Vermooten directs Media Village Productions. MVP has become a key player in providing a voice for the body of Christ. Traveling the globe, media teams are becoming God's scribes in the 21st century. Stories of transformation and Gospel proclamation regularly leave the editing suites of Media Village Productions are quickly dispatched to the most distant places around the globe. Many productions are translated into languages representing the major linguistic groups of the world. Media Village is currently based in Cape Town, South Africa

Spotlight: Freedom Films

Freedom Films Productions was founded by Tom Silkwood (VSN member) in Chiang Mai, Thailand in 1989. Tom had served as a missionary in Thailand since 1980. During the first nine years of ministry in Thailand, after becoming familiar with the culture and language, he recognized the need for cultural sensitive, media materials after seeing how multimedia materials impacted the peoples of Asia.

Beginning on a small scale producing simple filmstrips and slides, Tom moved into producing promotional videos for fellow missionaries. This led to developing teaching videos and documentaries for other missionaries in NBCM who had need for this type of material. As word spread that he had the equipment and was capable of producing this type of material, other missionaries became interested in having material produced. Duplication of these materials opened the door to broader service and the Christian community began to ask for various materials to be produced.

This progressed into an interest from different ethnic groups who, in the past, had only been the recipients of whatever multi-media teaching material was available for general use, or whatever missionaries could afford to have produced for them. They began coming to FFP with ideas of their own, asking for materials for their specific ethnic group. These Christian leaders became co-laborers in developing culturally accurate material. All this was accomplished from a garage-sized office up until 2001.

NBCM began construction of a 4-story building in 1998 called the Christian Resource Center. The entire second floor of this facility was designated for Freedom Films Productions who designed the area specifically for media production. The building opened in 2001 and Freedom Films Productions moved in. Tom hired more staff and FFP became a leading service center for multi-media productions in the region. The most dramatic change made in the ministry was to add a video studio and editing department. The first programs produced in the FFP studio were video CD’s sent into a nearby closed country. Eight million copies were made of these programs. Being one of the largest studios in Northern Thailand, FFP is also assisting other Christian organizations in producing TV broadcasts and non-broadcast materials. These weekly TV broadcasts have been reaching millions of people per month in Thailand and surrounding regions with the message of Christ.

In the year 2000, Freedom Films Productions became an official Regional Center for Good News Productions, International. The purpose of each Regional Center is to produce media materials for that particular region. Currently, FFP is in a growth stage of ministry. More equipment is needed to facilitate the work. The studio is in use a majority of the time by either our own staff or other Christian groups who are given appointed time slots. The editing department is at work editing and duplicating productions.

Due to growth and expansion, FFP is seeking Christian partners with the same vision for reaching Asia through media. The potential for this ministry is far-reaching. We at Freedom Films Productions have the vision and the heart.