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A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Mormon Cybergalaxy

A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Mormon Cybergalaxy. John Dehlin. “Podcasts, and Wikis and Blogs….Oh My!!!”. Why am I here?. Mainstream Church. Dialogue. Too Elevated (Conversation). Sunstone. Too Far Removed (Community). 100,000 to 250,000. Mainstream Church. Dialogue.

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A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Mormon Cybergalaxy

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  1. A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Mormon Cybergalaxy John Dehlin

  2. “Podcasts, and Wikis and Blogs….Oh My!!!”

  3. Why am I here?

  4. MainstreamChurch Dialogue Too Elevated (Conversation) Sunstone Too Far Removed (Community) 100,000 to 250,000

  5. MainstreamChurch Dialogue Too Elevated (Conversation) Sunstone Too Far Removed (Community) Angry Internet Mormon Groups

  6. Who are the future custodians of Sunstone?

  7. Where do they get their information(Sunstone subscriptions)?

  8. What is their community?

  9. So I asked them

  10. “My attitude towards Sunstone is …I get all I need of Mormon thought on the blogs.”

  11. “I know many bloggers think that Sunstone is kind of ‘grey’ (i.e. mainly for old timers who think that things are like they were in the 70’s). I think the unorthodox label is something Sunstone has to show they can get past.”

  12. Internet Forums and Chat Rooms • Anyone can post • Anyone can reply • Big players include(d)… • View from the Foyer • ZLMB • Mormon-l • FAIR • AML • New Order Mormons • Postmormon.org • Exmormon.org(THE juggernaut?)

  13. “Blog” History • Term coined in 1997 • Abbreviation of “Web Log” • “Web-based publication consisting primarily of periodic articles (normally, but not always, in reverse chronological order)” • Blogger launched in 1999 • Evolved to allow replies, syndication

  14. Anatomy of a Blog

  15. Jonathan A. Stapley

  16. Title Links to other blogs Chronological Posts Most Recent Comments Comments

  17. Archives Permabloggers

  18. Detailed comments

  19. RSS Feed

  20. Examples of blog postings… • A link to a recent magazine article or book review is posted, w/ ensuing discussion • That same author is featured a bit later in a Q&A w/ the readers • An upcoming event (General Conference or Sunstone Symposium) is publicized • Key moments of the event are published FROM the event, to the blog (We should be doing this now) • Some big newsworthy event is advertized, and is discussed

  21. Why are blogs successful? • Relatively easy to design and maintain • By carefully selecting “permabloggers”, you can maintain quality • Still allows for 2-way communication • Allows for aggregation through syndication • At the end of the day, “It’s the community, stupid!!!!’

  22. A VERY Brief History of The “Bloggernacle” (LDS Blog Universe) • 11/2002 Metaphysical Elders • 08/2003 Dave’s Mormon Inquiry • 11/2003 Times & Seasons (Group Blog) • 03/2004 By Common Consent • 01/2005 Millennial Star • 01/2005 The Founding Islands create the “Mormon Archipelago” • 02/2005 LDSBlogs.org launched • 07/2005 Bloggernacle Times re-launched

  23. The “Bloggernacle”

  24. “The Big Three”

  25. Times & Seasons • “First large group LDS blog” “Grown up” • Permabloggers have PhD’s or JD’s • “800 lb. gorilla”… “Too big”? • “Acceptably orthodox” • “Very good writers…breadth of interests” • “Create a sense of community around the bloggernacle that in turn benefits them” • “Somewhat insular, aloof” “Self-referential” “Clique-y” • “On the decline”??? “Plateaud”?? • “The reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated” --Mark Twain

  26. Aaron Brown

  27. By Common Consent • Offshoot from Times & Seasons • “Most liberal” of the Big 3 • Recently forged partnership with Dialogue • “Snarkiest, most sarcastic of the big blogs.” • “Boisterous and irreverent at times”

  28. Millennial Star (or M*) • “Most conservative” of the Big 3 • Gospel-based, not necessarily politically • “The White Bread of Mormon Blogs” • “Plays it straight” • Seems to be more open to newcomers, outsiders

  29. Meaningful Difference Between the “Big Three”? “If you were to carefully study T&S and BCC side by side I think you would have a hard time finding a substantive difference in their leanings.”

  30. Less “Sunstoneish”? “Of course, to many LDS members, they’re ALL liberal, since they actually allow/propagate/facilitate free discussion.”

  31. Diversity? “My main complaint is that the bloggernacle’s idea of diversity is having a few permabloggers who went to law schools other than BYU.”

  32. Broad Impact? “Most people still say “Huh?” when I ask them if they know what a blog IS”“Ha! I canﾕt even get my parents to read my stuff.”

  33. The REAL significance of the bloggernacle today

  34. The COMMUNITY “I think as more Americans become more nomadic than their parents, following jobs and school from state to state, we have to replace the traditional neighborhood community with a virtual one. Without the bloggernacle, I wouldn’t have a social network”

  35. “It’s the ECONOMY, stupid!!!” James Carville

  36. “It’s the COMMUNITY, stupid!!!” John Dehlin

  37. The Future

  38. Blog Aggregators

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