Social+Networking+-+What+Is+SN+Assignment

Assignment #1
Expected time to complete this assignment: 10 minutes

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After you have attended the webinar and read the blog pages about social networking, your individual homework assignment this week is to contribute to a list of Pros and Cons about the use of __social networking media__ in a faith formation context. ======

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** Please sign in, select the "Edit" button, and add your thoughts __below__. When you are done, be sure to click on "SAVE." I have added the first bulleted item to get you started. ** ======

=PROS =
 * Great way to communicate across cultures and reach people more quickly in a language they can best understand.
 * Social Networking is where the young people are - and we need to evangelize them where they are! outreach to interested or potentially interested person... they "signed in"
 * outreach to interested or potentially interested person... they "signed in"
 * easy to share info, thoughts, experiences with one or more
 * conversation easily broadens
 * Media that will be used by Youth
 * No one needs to feel alone in learning and it is a great way to stay current through sharing data
 * (CJC) Add your comment here
 * Social Networking will allow people in both rural and city/suburban areas to stay connected to and receive information at the click of a mouse from the diocesan office.
 * Social Networking allows busy to people to stay connected personally as well as professionally. (amp)
 * Social Networking is a great vehicle for sharing information through the use of videos, news articles, etc. (amp)
 * Social Networking is a great way to keep up with a Personal __#|Learning Network__(rem)
 * Social networking is a great way to network with other professionals in the field (ESG)
 * Social Networking is a great way to communicate the activity of the Holy Spirit in our Parish Communities
 * Social Networking can be used to create targeted communication for __#|Religious Education__ K-8, Youth Ministry, Adult Faith Formation, Parents, etc. effectively (DJG)
 * Reaching God's people at their convenience.
 * social networking provides a way to see the stream of conversation in one place (mes)
 * BT - It will be really helpful for RCIA folks to continue conversations begun in sessions and scripture breaking.
 * Allows the home bound, the ill, young parents to also __#|participate__ in the conversation! (SKS)
 * JS - Social networking is a great way to share information and learn from many different resources. I especially love videos and ppt with voiceover.
 * Great way to evangelize and catechize in a non threatening way. ajs
 * Social networking can reach more people in less time (ln)
 * good way to begin and __#|continue__ homiletic conversation - er
 * Hold conversations with people who would not normally enter a church (ck)
 * Build a community of believers (TD)
 * Easy for everyone to participate - harder for some to dominate the conversation and easy for the shy to speak up (TD)
 * Reaches people with short, quick bits of information that they can choose to explore further or not.(KBurford)
 * Allows participants to decide how much time they want to devote to something.(KBurford)
 * Might be an effective way to reach out to people who do not have good in-person social skills. (KBurford)
 * Saves me time and energy vs. individual emails or __#|phone__ calls.(KBurford)
 * Great tool for reaching out to others and sharing testimonials.
 * Builds awareness of and connection to the Universal Church.(LA)
 * People can connect any time of the day or night, serving them in their "real" lives. (LA)
 * Yesterday I sent individual emails out to catechists asking them to choose a date for our next __#|training__ session, and afterwards I thought how easy it would have been to do it on a social network site. (JF)
 * Also, social networking would be a great communication tool to inform parishes of new media or on line resources for their adult faith formation, catechists and other groups, rather than going to our website; that is not very user friendly.(JF)
 * The streaming during the week can help keep people aware of ongoing church movements, both locally and worldwide. People share the information and many people are reached. It connects the webpage to people who might otherwise not visit. (TM).
 * Social networking is inclusive of everyone despite gender, age, background, etc. (pg)
 * There is no "back of the classroom." Introverts and extroverts can share their thoughts and ideas. (pg)
 * Provide an opportunity for various members to contribute and network. Allows for persons to connect even in cyberspace.
 * with so many parishes dealing with budget cutbacks, social networking is an inexpensive way to maintain communication with parishioners, while also engaging the "fallen aways" or "unchurched" among us
 * social networking allows for introverts to stop and think of the words to be used before they are emitted, as opposed to face-to-face, where introverts may be overshadowed by extroverts or may need too much time to think of a response relative to the time alloted for a response
 * Social networking sites are where older people are too, not just the young. Technology provides additional tools to reach out to people of all ages.
 * It can provide inspiration and connection for those who are home bound as well as those who may not feel connected to the church anymore. KA
 * Provides a non-threatening "room" for discussion. KA
 * Social Networking can assist with reaching students with different learning styles.
 * Allows a "voice" for those who are more introverted, homebound (PMK)
 * Extends the reach of parish life (PMK)
 * Allows for immediate messages to be shared in your flock. (PMK)
 * Opens doors for those who can't get to a physical place for events/sharing. (PMK)
 * Social Networking is easy
 * More people can be reached in less time - there is always the possibility that each person reach through Social Networking will share what they've read or seen with others, extending our reach even more
 * Tools for prayer, worship and workshops through videos and text can be in people's hands 24/7 helping to enrich their own faith journeys
 * Inexpensive tools with large potential reach that foster community and enable sharing of best practices/minimize reinventing the wheel. Provides the opportunity to use a neutral, familiar, non-threatening environment to engage people 1:1 or groups as Christ did to meet them where they are at. Social media not only can "push" out content, messages, learning but has the ability to "pull" from those with varying interests what they want and need on their faith journeys. Great way to reach not just the faithful but the inactives, fallen-away and those that do not know God so that we can obey Jesus' command to go and make disciples of ALL. (CAS)
 * Very important way to connect/reconnect with Young Adults (PMR) for whom this is the primary mode of communication.
 * With so many different avenues of social networking (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, You tube, etc.) there is literally something for everyone. They are on the social networking tool(s) that interest them most. Using those tools helps us learn their interests and use those interest to bring them closer to Christ. (SCP)
 * This is very important for trying to reach new families, or age groups since we are lacking in a younger generation in the Church. In order to gain that generation, we need to meet them where they currecntly are. (KR)
 * This is another avenue of communication. It is a vehicle for the message, not the message itself, and it provides opportunities for connection, outreach, mass communication and innovation. It invites us to re-envision how we evangelize in a new era of communication.
 * Social media is where most people are spending their time online, so it's a great way to reach them in a natural way. (SO)
 * It's a great way to plan parish-based youth related activities. Members can share their thoughts about a particular event/s (i.e., likes, dislikes) and give suggestions.
 * Social networking offers the opportunity for a learner-centered style of faith formation, rather than teacher-centered .(BW)
 * Reach a target audience quickly and easily (TH)
 * Good for the environment...you can disseminate a great deal of info. without cutting down 1 tree. ( MPA)
 * It's a great way to advertise upcoming events and get people to commit to them (PEM)
 * It's a way of referring people to relevant articles and/or podcasts.(PEM)
 * A great way to stay in contact with people, make new connections and stay current in social trends (JB)
 * Instant access to information
 * easy to stay connected with many people at the same time with being in the same physical place (DJG)
 * easy to use
 * Starting with Pope Benedict and his work with Facebook and Twitter, news from the Vatican is nearly instantaneous. (MM)
 * The Church in its evangelistic efforts has become more transparent. (MM)
 * In a parish having a widely scattered population, social networking can facilitate communication, access to services, and community-building.(CH)
 * Reach those who naturally communicate this way.Adapt to time constraints people live under.Able to dynamically share information: new articles, videos, etc. that can be easily added and found.On demand catechesis.(PN)
 * Mucg larger reach than any other media (TP)

CONS
 * Cyberbullying could be a threat.
 * Need to still comply with Diocesan policies of inter-communication.
 * Some individuals or families do not have access to technology. (amp)
 * Many users are not familiar with #|internet courtesies. (amp)
 * Many people in my parish do not know how to use the tools on the internet (ESG)
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Our diocese does not have policies about social networking ( ESG)
 * difficulty of learning "how" to use the technology
 * plenty of words but no "non-verbal" communication
 * writing that communicates well and accurately is hard work
 * many will feel nervous with technology
 * negative and hurtful comments
 * worry about politics coming into play
 * miss personal contact with each other
 * people may be offended by comments
 * people may have adgendas
 * exclude those who are not comfortable with computers
 * Often people can misinterprete statements made due to their own issues, etc.
 * Some people complain of information overload already and adding additional websites, blogs and other resources might be overwhelming.
 * brief entries are easily misunderstood, especially if read out of immediate context.(mes)
 * Anonymity provides too much opportunity for negativity, instead of constructive statements or suggestions. Possibility of personal attacks.
 * BT - It might be the "one more thing" that drives someone away.
 * Too often cyber-communication can take the place of personal, physical relationships.(SKS)
 * JS - Social networking can become a lonely place if you are constantly dipping in many sites. Best to focus and build friendships
 * If you have a bilingual community, or economically low parish computer access may be limited-may have to post twice in each language-ajs.
 * Priests might not be ready for the technology
 * Working through parish of office sites maybe limited by their network security (ck)
 * Lose the face-to-face connection that leads to a genuine concern for one another when we build community (TD)
 * Too easy to be another "voice in the crowd" (TD)
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">Could come across as impersonal.(KBurford)
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">As with email, need to ask for face-to-face meeting or at least phone conversation if problems arise.(KBurford)
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">Could become another thing on my to-do list if I don’t learn to use it to SAVE time.(KBurford)
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">Too much information or talk about same subject matter can lead to lack of interest, which could result in a loss of a user. As stated in Pope Benedict XVI May 12, 2013 World Day of Communications statement, "At times the gentle voice of reason can be overwhelmed by the din of excessive information and it fails to attract attention...."
 * Balance is needed so that postings are relevant and timely. Err on the side of too few rather than too many messages. (LA)
 * Social networking does not replace, but rather should be aimed at enhancing, person-to-person relationships. (LA)
 * Someone recently started a Facebook page for professional reasons and it was used for social sharing as well as professional resources. The site was shut down because its owner did not want it be place for social networking.(JF)
 * I have heard that social networking places can invite unwanted users or be a place for unwanted communication.(JF)
 * Scheduled postings have to be monitored so they are stopped during seismic current events. Inappropriately "light" or "life as normal" posts sent during a community's attention turned toward a local, national, worldwide or church-wide life-changing events (eg tornado, earthquake, tragedy, etc.) seem cold and callous and affect the view of the church as charitable or caring. (TM)
 * We will need to keep those not savvy with technology in the loop so as to remain inclusive
 * We need to remember that what we put out there is out there permanently. (pg)
 * We need to be cautious when we are posting something that represents "the Church." It may be different than something we would post personally. Who are we representing? (pg)
 * The message is in the eye (or ear) of the beholder. Each brings his or her own interpretation of what is written or said based an previous experiences, etc.
 * social networking is definitely two-dimensional, limiting the expression of "emotive meaning" and allowing for interpretations that may be very different from intended meaning
 * Posts and replies, when used inappropriately, can be hurtful and vindictive.
 * Once it is up it is out there and can "haunt" someone later in life. KA
 * Can be a crutch to not learn to physically reach out to our neighbor. KA
 * Social networking does not always provide the learner with “real-time” clarification. Also, because of the growing use of social networking, many learners have difficulty writing. Verbal learners may have difficulty expressing their views.
 * Leaves an indelible mark that can spread like wildfire. (PMK)
 * Invites "lerkers" and predators in easily. (PMK)
 * Jeopardizes privacy. (PMK)
 * Social Networking might be seen as exclusive instead of inclusive
 * overwhelming amount of information in cyberspace
 * Too much misinformation or false information can lead people down the wrong path
 * Some people may not have enough internet savy to know which sites to trust or not trust
 * Need to be aware of terms & use for each platform and guidelines set forth by USCCB and local diocese. Potential breaches of privacy (access platforms have to your data and your behavior via cookies) and lasting effects of comments made with potential to "go viral". While it is a great way to build community across states, countries and continents, it can also be isolating if people use it as their only "face" of interaction with others vs. physically reaching out to them. (CAS)
 * we still have many folks especially in low socioeconomic parishes without access to technology tools and know how-we can loose them ajs
 * Information overload (PMR)
 * People can't hear your tone of voice and can easily misinterpret something you type or post. (SCP)
 * NOTHING is "private", even if it is only shared amongst friends. (SCP)
 * Very easy to break copyright laws without even knowing it. (SCP)
 * A large problem with social networking is that many people do not feel comfortable with how much information about them is present online. There is little that people can't find online about people such as addresses, phone numbers and now tweets can even share locations. (KR)
 * It can lead to busy-ness for the sake of being busy. It is very time consuming. It can be isolating.
 * Kids and adults sometimes struggle with keeping everything on their pages appropriate for church. (SO)
 * Monitoring the appropriateness of the content added can be a challenge. It can get overwhelming for one person to manage, if it is setup that way.
 * Technology issues (from inexperience with technology to technical difficulties) are more common than parallel issues with in-person meetings (like car trouble that keeps someone from making class) . (BW)
 * Some may not have computer access (TH)
 * It's the wave of the future and of the NOW, but we need to remember that we serve many different generations of the faithful. ( MPA)
 * a particular post can get lost in all of the "stuff" that is out there (PEM)
 * For some "conversations" if you don't log on everyday, the thread is lost. (PEM)
 * It is easy to not be genuine, to assume a personality and characteristics that you think you should be, rather what how you truly are. It can lead to some people being less Christ like-more rude and inconsiderate in an on-line format and to say things that you would otherwise not say because it appears that there are little to no consequences. (JB)
 * can be impersonal
 * possibly not able to be accessed by low income families
 * As a youth minister, I am finding that my teens are using many forms and combinations of social media. There is no one place that I can reach them all. (MM)
 * One has to be careful not to hide behind the anonymity of the internet to misinform or misguide others. (CH)
 * Difficult to stimulate enough interest (demand generation).Curation of material is time consuming. Personal follow up crucial. Ensuring privacy and respect in interactive forums. Still a limited audience. Necessity of constantly checking source material’s availability and appropriateness (problem of links to advertisers and other sites).PN
 * Creating content is not my strong point. (TP)