DeoWeb Heading con't.

[Paul + Linda Labelle]

Hello Again All,

 

It got late and I didn't finish my thoughts yesterday.

 

Scaling Back DeoWeb

 

I didn't want to leave the impression that some pastors and/or parish staff are the only ones who may have control issues. I notice that in most cases there are one or two people that are doing all the imputing for content in many of the parish. Some have indicated so in this exchange. That was not the idea of DeoWeb as I first understood it. Sure there were suppose to be Site Administrator, but there were also to be Content Managers and Editors that could imput and publish directly. There were also suppose to be authors that would have to submit stuff to someone (presumably the Site Admins) before it got published but the author was to imput the material. I am not sure this is happening much. It sounds like most of us are getting stuff from others and doing the work of adding content to our sites. Please, no criticism intended. I know we are all doing what we can. I know several have talked about how there was enthusiasm at the beginning from people who took the training but then it fizzled, but I am wondering if they all got an opportunity to get their feet wet?

 

 Let me explain using my own example. When DeoWeb first arrived I was at Holy Trinity parish. I was deacon there. Amoung the other things that I was responsible for I became the Site Admin (our parish priest had just got his first computer). There were five of us who took the training. I wanted to get the site up and running so I used every available moment to put stuff on. We were in the middle of renovations and revitalization and stuff so there were not too many moments. The other folks were busy with their lives, some were not all that computer savvy, and then there is what I like to call "Father Says", or in my case, "The deacon says". That is people seems to seek approval for everything they want to do before they do it. Not that it is a rule, it just seems to be the way many of us Catholics operate! So, much of the time it was easier to do it myself than to explain again how to put stuff up. But neither did I insist they try, nor did I 'grant' them access. Control issues.

 

I am no longer at Holy Trinity and to this day the only thing that is on the site is stuff I put on. My sin for not insisting, theirs for not demanding.

 

WHAT DO WE DO?

 

Maybe we could contact those folks that first got involved with us and offer them some space on the site for whatever they are involved with the parish? I will commit to contacting those people at Holy Trinity to encourage them to take over their site.

 

What is the Value of DeoWeb? Why is it Important?

 

It's value is as varied as the imput we have seen to Gerry's question. For some it is an extention of the parish bulletin, for others a place to publish events from the parish and local community. I know for me it is a way to 'shrink' the diocese. With the newsletter I get access to stuff happening around the diocese. I can check on individual parish websites just to keep up, or I can check out mass schedules if I am going to be in the city. It just seems to make us closer. I really don't check my parish website (Our Lady of Hope - Sudbury) that often because I general find out about stuff going on there on Sunday or in the printed bulletin.

 

Another way I find it valuable is with my current responsibilty as Social Justice Coordinator for the diocese. It is a little hard to find that page (it is under English Pastorial Services - on the right hand side of the main diocesan page, under the title 'Social Affairs' if you are interested) but I believe when people are surfing the web that page may turn up when the are looking for justice items. I know I have receive compliments from people in other dioceses for that page ( it may be for my good looks as I have a picture posted there) and for the SSM site in general.

 

Like many I persevere in the hope that somebody, somewhere, is looking at the stuff and learning something or deciding to take some action, or at least becoming better informed.

 

I know Gerry suggested something like facebook.com and we do have 'Comment' tabs on several of the pages and there is a 'Chat' section available. I have run websites before and so (Gerry knows) I am a little nervous about this sort of thing. Very often it is the malcontents, complainers and critics that are the first to use these tools. Not always, but very often. Then we are left with trying to defend our church, our pope, our pastor(s), something we posted, etc. Often there is really no point in trying to do so because the person is so entrenched they are not willing to listen, only argue. I know this has already gone on on the diocesan site from talking to persons, at the diocesan offices, responsible for screening the site. This takes up a lot of time.

 

Sorry to go on so long. Let me raise one final point. The great evil WEB THIEF and JUNK MAIL!

 

Yes, many of parishioners are older folks but even many of the younger ones are reluctant to join or subscribe to a site, or to identify or describe themselves, in case the WEB THIEF finds out too much about them and "steals their identity" or they are plagued with a new source of JUNK MAIL.  We have already had the issue of one person who was asked to join this group, didn't, somehow got signed up anyway and considers that as new source of JUNK.

 

I am sure Gerry will agree in the beginning this was a real problem (at least the junk mail/spam. I don't think anyone had their identity comprimised). I know there has been a beefing up of security on the site but two things remain. The legacy of our early experience, which people at least heard about, and the fact that there is always a better mouse-trap, or security system, but it always cost more money. Right Gerry.

 

I don't know how you counteract this 'Internet Phobia' once it set in but again maybe some brain storming gatherings will come up with some ideas.

 

Would you believe that is all for now?

 

Best regards to all,

Paul Labelle

[Doreen Merkas]

Paul,

 

I appreciate what you said about maybe we could contact those folks that first got involved with us and offer them some space on the site for whatever they are involved with the parish? I will also commit to contacting those people at St. John's to encourage them to take over their site.  I have sent MEMO's but I realize that the personnal touch is warranted here.

 

Out of 10 persons, we have 5 who are actively participating - the basics only are being met - now is the time to see if more people can be involved.  I also was looking around and have a few others that I believe could add a lot to the website and plan to approach them.

 

Thank you for voicing these thoughts!

 

Doreen