Am I a digital native?

[acomplishedartis]

On internet communication and regarding the new models of digital natives, we have to face the fact that now many persons that are taking good advantage of the internet have great possibilities to be no longer a consequence of their immediate physical surroundings. They are millions of media buffs using blogs, wikis, chat rooms, video-conferences, personal broadcasting, and informative web-pages and there are tons of online forums growing excessively fast. The easy accessibility puts the tools required at everybody's fingertips, all one needs is a computer and a network connection.right?


We are really coming into an age where knowledge, power, and productive capability will be dispersed worldwide than at any time in our history. This new type of communication is breaking traditional forms to classify individuals and it is putting popular wisdom even lower. For the ones who take a really good advantage out of it freely, this new type of communication can be able to make them even more capable than traditional ways of learning at institutions full of limitations, intermediaries and bureaucracies.


When connected online, now we have more content, variety and different voices, but less time for assimilate them. What if millions of internet users are mostly over entertaining themselves on things with very little avail?, What if millions of internet users don't have the skills and mind frames to stay away of irrelevant content and the persuasive temptation of praise of thousands of other users (for doing whatever)...?
But on the other side...
What If there is people that are taking the best advantage of it; studying hard, relating well and complementing strong relationships.


I believe there can be a balance between online and 'face to face off-line' interaction; to make eye contact with people we love is awesome. However, when we speak, what matter the most is content. And if we are able to deliver this content as clearly as possible, online communication can work. We can be able to access both, we don't have to strictly chose one over the other ('online' over 'off-line' communication), if we have the capacity to get online, we can organize ourselves well by only seating in front of a computer screen for a very worthy reason.


In the end of the day some people make better classifications (or categorizations) of others, we all have to categorize, but we should be careful with many of this digital natives. Truth is that there is some few people using online communications and some others that don't whom simply live life very different, away from the rest of the world because a revelation from above. A revelation of absolute truths from a series of ancient books called the Scriptures. On this present age of history many already have got to know about these truths through the internet. And what is for sure is that all these special people deserve a whole new box (category) to throw them into.

[chav]

Hi Moises
Interesting post ,I see you have been doing a lot of reflecting as usual. Love the idea of being a 'digital native' though.
Dave

[Kat]

Dan 12:4  "But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase."

Hi Moises,

Yes I see this as being a time when knowledge has increased by leaps and bounds and a great deal of it is because of the readily availability of the internet and other digital devices. If you are not a "digital native" you will get left behind real fast.

As you stated, "I believe there can be a balance between online and 'face to face off-line' interaction."

Yes there should be balance with this as in all things. It can be easy to let the innumerable amount of digital things available to interfere with our "face to face" relationships. So I try not to let my 'need' to use the internet to take away from those precious moments I have to share direct communication with family and friends.

Good thoughts for the times with live in.

mercy, peace and love
Kat

[Stacey]

Deu 11:26  Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse

That's what the Internet is.

As far as people reading and not posting goes, I do it all the time. I post when and where I want to put my 2 cents in, that's all there is to it. Some folks might be shy or just not want to or for any number of reasons. I wouldn't read to much into folks not posting.

I think L. Ray Smith is a perfect example of someone who has used the Internet as a great tool to reach people all over the world in a positive way. As we all know, there are more than a few folks that don't see it that way.

[jopie]

Hi Moises.
Thank you, I enjoyed your post.

I don't post much but I read a lot, and I really don't  type  well.
It would take me a long time just to type what you have written, besides, English is my second language.

There is so much food for thought here in the forum that I find my self just happy taking it all in.
I am just so glad to be part of all of you as I am somewhat starved for fellowship.
My wife, even though we have a good marriage, does not want anything to do with The Lord any more.
We were in the Pentecostal Church all our live.

I read in a post some where:
"Don't doubt in the darkness what God has given you in the light".
So we hang in there for I know that we are called according to His purpose, it's God who's doing the work.

Blessings to you my brother.

John.

[cjwood]

moises. my dear brother. you have been blessed with an awesome mind. i also enjoyed your thread very much. it would be great to hang out with you again. and, everyone else too!

claudia

[mharrell08]

I believe there can be a balance between online and 'face to face off-line' interaction; to make eye contact with people we love is awesome. However, when we speak, what matter the most is content. And if we are able to deliver this content as clearly as possible, online communication can work. We can be able to access both, we don't have to strictly chose one over the other ('online' over 'off-line' communication), if we have the capacity to get online, we can organize ourselves well by only seating in front of a computer screen for a very worthy reason.

There are still aspects of human interaction that you can't get online:

* Tone of voice
* when people speak with their hands, to demonstrate a point
* eye contact (helps convey sincerity)
* face mannerisms (smiling, seriousness, etc)
* body language in general - sometimes you can tell someone is really bothered before they even say a word or someone is lying but the truth is 'written on their face'

With online communication, we're always limited in some aspects. With face to face, there is little doubt to fully understanding someone. When I meet forum members at conferences, I never assume I truly 'know them' beforehand. I like to wait, see and talk with them, before making any personal discernment about who they are. And even then, it's only over a weekend, so I'm only getting a small sample of their personality.

Those are just some thoughts on the matter. This is an interesting post Moises, thanks.


Marques

[Joel]

I grew up as dumb as a rock.
But I can see where the Lord is working in my life to make me what he wants me to be.
I can see where the new technological advancements of today can be both a blessing and a curse, a real curse if all one is attracted to is the seeder lures and traps that can pull you down the road to destruction.

I have been using the internet for a comparatively short time, about nine years. I spent a vast amount of time in the beginning just getting use to the internet and learning how to navigate the many options one has when you go on line. I got really bored and disillusioned with it all a few years ago.

That is when the Lord lead me to Ray's site and I began reading the material at  bible-truths.com. It all started with a search about John Haggee. At first it was difficult not be able to see Ray, and that is where I believe God gives us the Spirit of discernment, as a wittiness to the truths he wants us to incorporate into our lives.

After much reading with a mind that has been opened I got to see what Ray is really all about, and what his motives and his endeavors are. All of which are a real blessing to me these days.

I can also see how that not everyone is as blessed as others when it comes to finding the Truth. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Joel

[acomplishedartis]

Thanks marquez.
Yes I agree with you on those points. You have encourage me to bring out some of the causes for why I wrote that peace of my post that you quoted. I have thought on it already for long, so I have decided to make a list of the negatives aspects and the positive ones of online communication,


First I want to put clear that I contrasted 'online' and 'off-line' communication and not as people tent to say 'online' and 'real life' because online communication IS also part of real life! I know it's obvious but maybe we still are not able to assimilate it, because it is still very new.

The way communication works well is saying the right idea at the right time while understanding well the needs of the ones who will receive our message, right?. So we usually have to communicate on according with what is the best way for the ones surrounding us. That is why day to day interactions can be able to greatly reinforce norms and sets of believes and types of lifestyles that preserve group unity. Either 'online' or 'off line' communication, both are just tools available to deliver messages.


*SOME NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF ONLINE WRITEN COMMUNICATION:

• you can't see body language in general (like face mannerisms (smiling, seriousness, etc), when people speak with their hands...), (by marquez)
• you can't hear the tone of voice (by marquez)
• lack of eye contact (helps convey sincerity) (by marquez)
• sometimes you can tell someone is really bothered before they even say a word or someone is lying but the truth is 'written on their face' (by marquez)

.

• our backs and our eyes get tired after a while
• we are still on a weak state and some physical contact (like even pats of encouragement) can be necessary
• our grammar skills can play against us very often and make it harder for us to be understood
• the dependence of an intenet connection
• we can't see others stature, color skins, certain physical aspects like injuries, social symbolic representations like clothing, hair styles, etc. we can't hear the speaking style, smelling
• with off-line communication it is more easy to encourage others when they are down

I have heard that the content of the words that you are using is not the determining part of a good communication, and that the "how you say it" has a major impact on the receiver. This have some truth on it, and this is the reason why so many people are brain washed and deceived by people that tell them wrong content in the right way (we all know about the many charismatic pastors). The truth is that 'content' is just as important as how do we deliver our messages. We never chose what we want but what we prefer! God have to cause us to prefer good or if not we are just going to follow our weak heart and always prefer evil.

If we are able to deliver content as clearly as possible, online communication can work. Now, here I go,


*SOME POSITIVE ASPECTS OF ONLINE PERSONAL COMMUNICATION:

• less stereotypical assumptions that can cause misunderstandings (I am not saying that all of us do it, but at list in my case I have seen that people (including myself sometimes still) have a tendency of stereotyping people ideologies by their age, by their gender, by their income, by their ETHNICITY and even by their outlook which give us high possibilities to be mistaken. Now more than ever the world is shrinking (mainly because online communications) and we hate to think that we are just little, little dots in a huge, immense sea of people. So it is understandable and normal that we try to make sense of this chaos by making classifications and many times un-carefully throwing bunches of people on different mind created boxes.)

.

• Many of us (on this forum) have grown influenced by the mass media (with movies, marketing-advertising, tv-shows, etc) and their many wrong symbolical representation, sometimes even with out noticing we judge others by their physical appearance taking on account this symbolical representations as a pattern, we have been told that external beauty is strictly related with health and wisdom and many other kinds of wrong representations that are hard to overcome. So somehow it is often easier for us to connect here on a more spiritual way if we have not yet overcome the mass media wrong symbolical representations

.

• when we write what we are thinking we have more time to think about it, and put it clearer. Poorly structured communication can prevent the receiver from accurate interpretations, and this happens even more easy off-line since there is many of us that doesn't have very good live speeching skills

.

• it might be a better way to deliver complex content. Think about it, when something is writen and saved online for everybody to see they can access this at any time they need it, and digest it at their own rhythm  

.

• it is true that ''sometimes you can tell someone is really bothered before they even say a word'' but also sometimes someone might look bothered when he is not, and it is just tired or thinking or distracted. Physical signs can many times be tricky, a lot of people looks doesn't match with how they really are, when I was on a bt conference I realise this once again. Also this external appearance thing is even more clearly to see with people that is born with 'special capacities'

.

• When talking face to face there can be an oversaturation of information because we are receiving too many message at the same time. Also this is more common when trying to understand complex themes

.

• Online communication is a very good tool available that God have put on our hands at this time of history, I believe that since the beginning of the first communities of followers of Jesus' teachings, only until now it is possible for more believers to stay together and encourage each other

.

• with online written communication we are less likely to believe lies that somebody can be able to tell us (by physical speech) on a very subtle, well structured, and persuasive way

.

• Online communication many, many times saves us time

.

• it is also possible to personally perceive what somebody is really all about, and what are his motives and his endeavors (by Joe)

As I said before I believe there can be a balance between online and 'face to face off-line' interaction and that we don't have to strictly chose one over the other (still, some have no choice but to chose one over the other).

I remember that Arcturus once said: ''most relationships in this wicked age, have profit, not prophet, as the adhesive in the relationships of carnal man''. The most important relationship that we have are with our spiritual brothers and sisters. I am all for off-line interactions, I have even travel far for visiting a couple brothers.

Also, respecting understanding others better, either our online or off-line identity does can change. As Ray say: ''you will BECOME WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT!''  -  ''If you think about God and His ways and His law, you can accomplish things, you can build things and you can acquire fruits of the spirit and so on. Because the law is spiritual.''

I have hear many popular comments putting down 'online relations' as not real or as a waste of time or as something plastic and fake, however this happens all the time with 'off-line relations' too. The thing is that this way of communication is still very new, and we don't like things that we can't comprehend. I once hear the advance to don't do or say anything (that matters) online that you would not do off-line.
Well, after all this talking, i hope to help us to let us see how REAL online communication is; People buy, sell, trade, give, donate, and receive gifts online, There have been lawsuits, suicides, abuses, serious misunderstandings and roots for violence because online causes , BUT also, good and respectful knowledge and information have increased
and We still here to prove it.

[Samson]

Hi Moises,

You requested that I make a comment on this Thread. Don't know of how much value it's going to be. When considering the Internet only, all by itself, even without Facebook, You-Tube, Twitter, Email, My Space; etc, if ones motive and desire is to seek Truth, it(The internet) is a very valuable tool. It was and Is true in my case. I didn't have access to any information about the Eventual Salvation of All and those Authors that promote it until spending time on the internet, first at the Public Library in Early 2007 followed by the subsequent purchase of My first computer in Late 2007(November). Prior to internet access & use, I never heard of L Ray Smith, Andrew Jukes, Louis Abbott, Gary Amirault, Alexander Thomson, John Wesley Hanson, Adolph Knoch, Ernest Martin, The Concordant Literal Translation, Rotherhams Emphasized Bible, Young's Literal Translation, The meaning of Aion & it's deriviatives, William Barclay(Universalist Greek Scholar), Hosea Ballou and more. There are no Libraries or Book stores or any individuals known to Me that offered any of this information pertaining to the Eventual Salvation of All and How God will successfully "Prune" all of Mankind that have ever lived and continue to live like the pruning of a Luzurian Tree in order to Correct & beautify them.

By the knowledge obtained through Internet Access, I've experienced the opportunity to meet John Popovich and Walt. I've had phone conversations with Kat, Joe Hillsbororiver, Marques, Antaiwan, Linny, Brenda and a few others that no longer have Forum Membership. By written form, I've conversed with Moises, Eggi, Dawidos, Kat, Arcturus, Hillsbororiver, Bobby Proctor, Linny, Janine, Indiana Bob and others throughout the last three years.

Several Years ago, I had 3 years of Phone Marketing experience working for The Manhattan Club Timeshare Suites, so I have some ability in discerning some personal aspects from an individuals Tone of Voice. The written word is much more difficult to determine a Person's true message & intent, unless they stay within the Spiritual aspect of the message they are attempting to convey. Enough of My gibberish, below I copied & pasted comments I found valuable from other members Posts in this Thread.

From Kat: Yes there should be balance with this as in all things. It can be easy to let the innumerable amount of digital things available to interfere with our "face to face" relationships. So I try not to let my 'need' to use the internet to take away from those precious moments I have to share direct communication with family and friends.

From Marques: With online communication, we're always limited in some aspects. With face to face, there is little doubt to fully understanding someone. When I meet forum members at conferences, I never assume I truly 'know them' beforehand. I like to wait, see and talk with them, before making any personal discernment about who they are. And even then, it's only over a weekend, so I'm only getting a small sample of their personality.

From Moises:     * Many of us (on this forum) have grown influenced by the mass media (with movies, marketing-advertising, tv-shows, etc) and their many wrong symbolical representation, sometimes even with out noticing we judge others by their physical appearance taking on account this symbolical representations as a pattern, we have been told that external beauty is strictly related with health and wisdom and many other kinds of wrong representations that are hard to overcome. So somehow it is often easier for us to connect here on a more spiritual way if we have not yet overcome the mass media wrong symbolical representations

.    * When talking face to face there can be an oversaturation of information because we are receiving too many message at the same time. Also this is more common when trying to understand complex themes

.I remember that Arcturus once said: ''most relationships in this wicked age, have profit, not prophet, as the adhesive in the relationships of carnal man''. The most important relationship that we have are with our spiritual brothers and sisters. I am all for off-line interactions, I have even travel far for visiting a couple brothers.

Also, respecting understanding others better, either our online or off-line identity does can change. As Ray say: ''you will BECOME WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT!''  -  ''If you think about God and His ways and His law, you can accomplish things, you can build things and you can acquire fruits of the spirit and so on. Because the law is spiritual.''

                        Take Care, Samson.