Besides Forums, which we talked about last time, there are other ways to communicate with each other using our website. One of them is Instant Messaging. Some of you are familiar with the concept as you have used Instant Messaging from AOL, MSN, Yahoo, ICQ or one of the other programs out there on the Internet. Our website has such capability too.

To use this ability, you first need to have an account on the website. If you do not have an account when you come to www.cbnc.net, you will be logged as as an Anonymous user. This account can browse most parts of our site at will. However, many of the communication features require an account, which gives you an identity on the website. It's very easy for you to make an account which gives you a place to share information, photos, and more with other members.

If you do not have an account, click on the "Create an Account" link on the left-hand side of the home page. Fill out the simple form and click the "Create Account" button. A message will be sent to the webmaster for validation as we want only our members to have accounts. Some features like the Directory, financial statement, and list of who is online, are only viewable when you are logged on with your account. I will talk more about accounts in an upcoming post.

When you are logged in, you can see a list of other members who are logged on by scrolling to the bottom of the home page. It is on the left hand side. If you want to communicate with anyone there, click on their name. You will see that person's profile including any pictures they have posted. Under the person's name there is an "Action" bar that allows you to see recent posts they have made, send them a personal message, see past messages, or send an instant message. Click on IM and you will see a new window that allows you to type in messages that the other user will get in immediately. You can then hold a conversation just like in any instant message program.

If the person you want to talk with is not online,  use the Directory link at the top of the screen. Then find the person and click on their name. You then will have the same options as mentioned above. If they are not online you will only be allowed to send them a personal message. The personal messages appear on the home page above the calendar. If you have no messages you will not see this section. You can also setup your profile so that any private messages are also sent to your email account so you can see it right away, even if you are not logged on to the website.

You will also find other places to communicate on our website. Some News Items will have a place to discuss what you have read. All of the calendar items allow for discussion. So there you have some places to start to share your thoughts and questions. If you do not have an account, make one and see what new things you will find. Send some messages to friends or staff and lets all get in the habit of communicating regularly. See you soon, Ray~

In my last entry (which was also the first), I mentioned that one thing I like about our church website is that it allows for discussions and forums. I also mentioned that as a congregation we have not used them much. Part of the reason is that only a fraction of our congregation accesses the website on a regular basis. I have seen a steady growth of usage, especially after we posted more picture albums. Many people have come to look at the pictures of the recent Woman's Retreat.

Another reason we may not have used forums or other communication tools on our website is that we do not know how to use them. I hope to remove that obstacle, at least partly, in this posting.

So, you might be asking, what is a forum? The concept originally comes from ancient Rome. In a Roman city, the forum was the very symbol of civic life and the nerve center of the community. It was the place where all the signs of municipal pride were gathered in one place, and which expressed the feeling of belonging to the Roman world. People went there to listen to government officials to find out what is happening. People also went to speak to their friends. The area where they spoke was the center court yard.

 As the years went by and technology allowed communication from remote points, the concept of the forum changed. A forum could be a radio or TV program, area in a newspaper, a computer bulletin board or website in which two or more people may openly discuss ideas.

On our website there is a link to the Forum area at top of most web pages. Yes, you are right. There is no link from this page. That is because the web logs are separate sections of the website and have a different format. You also will not see any of the links in the Fun & Games and Devotionals areas. But they will be there in the rest of the pages. When you click on the link it takes you to a new page. Currently there are six forums: Site Forum, Public Prayer Requests, Worship Song Lyrics, Sermon Discussion, Bible Discussions, and My Testimony. 

So then, let's get back to that question I asked above. What is a Forum? A discussion forum is a place for church members to post messages. Each forum contains a number of topics, and each topic contains a number of posts. Since it is common to mix up these three ideas, here's a concrete example to help.

Our site has a forum called "Public Prayer Requests" where all prayer requests should go that you wish to share with the congregation. You can go to this forum and add a new topic called "Please Pray for Bill" to request prayers. This topic will automatically contain the one post that you added when creating the topic. Another member can come to this topic and reply to the original message with words of encouragement. Now the topic of Bill's prayer request has two posts.

Just to note, if you have a prayer request that you do not want to share with everyone, there is a link at the top of the Forum page where you can send a confidential prayer request to the pastor. There is also a link there to request a new forum be added. Only the Administrator can add new forums. But anyone can add topics or posts to existing Forums.

Go ahead and give it a try. If you have questions or comments you can attach them to this web log. Next time I will talk about other forms of communication on our website including Instant Messages, Private Messages, and discussions that can be had in other areas of our web site.

Blessings, Ray~

So you found me. I was hiding here in the profile page just minding my own business and now you are here. Welcome. One of the features I like about our church website is that it allows for discussions and forums. Sure, we have not made much use of them yet, but they can help us communicate our thoughts and feelings with one another outside of church meetings. It is also good for posting announcements, prayer requests and other important information.

Another feature is called web logs, which is what you are reading now. As the webmaster, I decided to pioneer this form of communication to talk about some topics that might not fit well as news items or even forum postings. I also thought I might use this space to just say stuff that clogs up my brain, and may prove as some food for thought in your brain.

To start the ball rolling, I thought I would define my role at www.cbnc.net. I am the Webmaster. A couple of people have already asked me what is a webmaster.  The Internet encyclopedia www.webopedia.com defines webmaster as:

An individual who manages a Web site. Depending on the size of the site, the Webmaster might be responsible for any of the following:

Making sure that the Web server hardware and software is running properly

Designing the Web site

Creating and updating Web pages

Replying to user feedback

Creating CGI scripts

Monitoring traffic through the site

I know you may not understand all of the above, but I think you will get the general idea. I do not work with the hardware and software on the web server since this is handled by ThisChurch.org, a web server company that specializes in church web sites. They also have defined the basic design, though they have given me lots of options as to where things are placed. And I can make custom modules and my own "free-form" web pages. So I do have lots of power as to what is displayed.

One way to add interesting information is called syndication. This is where content from some other source is added to our website so we can enjoy it without going to some other place. The Devotionals, Christian News, Family Resources, and Christian Answers of the Month are all examples of syndicated material. The gospel presentations also are provided by outside sources.

Much of my job is adding calender entries, news items, pictures, and finding other syndicated material that might be of interest. I also answer emails, monitor traffic, and write new web pages for special content that is not a part of the standard web server package. I am always on the lookout for outside material, but even more important than that is inside material. If you lead a ministry or have information about the church that would be good for others to see, I would love to have you send it to me. The more information the better.

OK, that is enough for today. I will have more to say in future days, so check back when you have a hankering for some brain food and see if what I am dishing up is of any interest to you. You can also post your own thoughts on what is here and stimulate the conversation some more. See you soon,  Ray~