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What, Facebook Worry?

Last week Facebook got a little more deeply into bed with the rich, but dorky kid from Redmond. The PR hasn't been the best for them.

Tomorrow (November 1), Google launches OpenSocial. As O'Reilly Radar's Brady Forrest says, it's "a new open API for social networks. The new standard will allow developers to create Facebook-like apps on any social network site that implements it with the same calls." Scoble asks, "Will Google "Friendster" Facebook?" And adds, "(Facebook) are about to meet their biggest competition yet."

There are a lot of partners jumping on the OpenSocial bandwagon as TechCrunch notes, "Orkut, Salesforce, LinkedIn, Ning, Hi5, Plaxo, Friendster, Viadeo and Oracle" and developers that "include Flixster, iLike, RockYou and Slide." Arrington comments, "The timing of OpenSocial couldn’t be better."

The kid from Redmond just might not think so. And that supposed 15 billion dollar Facebook valuation? It may have dropped by a billion or three.

UPDATE: Arrington comments today (Nov 1),

Google may have just come out of nowhere and checkmated Facebook in the social networking power struggle.

MySpace and Six Apart will announce that they are joining Google’s OpenSocial initiative. Silicon Alley Insider reported the MySpace rumor earlier today. We’ve confirmed that from an independent source, as well as the fact that Six Apart is joining. Per the update below, Google has also confirmed Bebo is joining.

Busy Allelon Day

We've been hard at work on the Allelon site redesign and had hoped to have it up for my birthday...well not actually for my birthday, but on the same day, All Saints Day (which I've always felt was rather appropriate). Some software issues have delayed our progress by at least another two weeks, so today I've been hard at work (as have my compatriots in Vancouver and Boise) at updating our present site.

Tomorrow, Part Two of Al Roxburgh's interview with Brian McLaren will be up as video and as a separate audio podcast. It will also be available on iTunes in m4a format with chapters and graphics. Part One, which was released as a video interview in early October, will be up on the site as an mp3 and will also be available from iTunes as an m4a.

The final segment of the interview, Part Three, will be up with the launch of the redesigned site.

Have a wonderfilled All Hallows Eve - and a fabulous All Saints Day.

Random Randomness

Raising Up Some Dental Floss

When I think of Montana, I always think of dental floss. Probably too much listening to this guy in my misspent youth. (I need to check and see if his stuff is available from iTunes.)

So. Why am I talking about Montana. Well. Triple D, Brian Mullins and I sat down with the returning-to-Canada-from-the-Bahamas, Jordon Cooper at a restaurant called Montana's on the airport strip. We were grabbing a quick dinner together. Five hours later we realized we were some of the last people in the restaurant when they dimmed the lights on us. 'Twas great to finally meet Jordon and Brian - and always good to be with the most gracious person in the blog world (and in pastoral ministry in Toronto), Triple D. He has his own review of the evening here. And we all missed Pernell and Jared. Jordon's Soularize stories made us all wish we'd been with him. (Although I'm happy to have missed the sharks and sea lice. Yikes!)

TSK and Brian McLaren

Jordon brought up TSK's review of McLaren's book, Everything Must Change. Darryl and I asked him what he was talking about, it wasn't out yet. We were both still awaiting it. We were so convincing (I offered to bet Jordon the price of his dinner that we were right) that Jordon almost believed it hadn't been published. Turns out he was right and we were wrong. Something he's probably used to by now.

It would seem that Google Reader missed TSK's review - which was an update of an earlier post. Both Darryl and I are GR users. (I had discussed the McLaren review with Andrew @ Seabeck - and had been expecting it soon.)

Andrew does a great job of being gracious in his review. He expresses his concerns in a humourous and honest way - and points at some other writers to help the rest of us consider what Brian is talking about. It's well worth the read.

On my 52nd birthday, November 1st, Part Two of the 3 part interview with Brian will be up at Allelon. We are making it available as both a Flash video and an audio podcast. Part 1, that is a discussion of dealing with criticism is available here.

Reflections on Luke 10

Paul Fromont has a great post on this passage, Sitting at a Luke 10 table in Cyberspace. For those of us returning from the Missional Order un-conference, it is particularly appropriate. (Speaking of which, check out Brother Maynard's post on the MO from today.)

Letters from Kamp Krusty

Our part of the interweb's Krusty Kurmudgeon, Brant Hansen comments on the "latest computer rankings" of the top churches in the United States of Amerigo Vespucci. You'd be an idiot not to be a regular reader of Brant's. Though many of us are idiots who do read him regularly. (Read the comments.)

OS X Family Pack...

...has just arrived @ 11am ET. I wonder if Triple D has his copy yet. Guess I'll find out later today.

Is Facebook evil?

Microsoft invested 240 million in Facebook last week. A quarter of a billion dollars. For a 1.6% share of the company. Which means that a company, hardly out of the toddler stage (3.5 years old) has an apparent market value of $15 Billion. But that's not why I think Facebook may be Evil.

Why did the Great Satan MSFT spend so much for such a small portion of the Book of Faces? They want access to you. And when I say you, I mean all of you poking, super poking, candy corn sending, tickling, cuddling, wall writing, Facebookians.

Here's what Microsoft says on one of their innumerable interweb pages;

With more than 41 million registered users in over 55,000 regional, work-related, collegiate, and high school networks, Facebook, the Internet’s leading social networking site, helps people meet and share information online the same way they do in the real world. In fact, Facebook ranks as the sixth-most trafficked site in the United States.

I've highlighted the relevant bits. While you are busy "sharing information online", Facebook is tracking you, your information and your habits. The Book of Faces is becoming one gigantic database of likes, dislikes, wants, hopes and dreams. All with easy electronic access to 41 million registered users. In 55,000 mini-networks, that cluster around particular likes, dislikes...you get the drill.

This is how my friend, Terry Heaton puts it, in his post Facebook's gamble is, to be kind, sinister,

As a student of life, culture and media, little surprises me anymore and especially when it involves humankind’s propensity to greed. Much of the reaction to the Microsoft/Facebook announcement yesterday is making my caution flags ripple unfurled in the wind, because it has “greed” written all over it.

Terry quotes an Advertising Age article,

Facebook is keeping mum about exactly what it is unveiling at the Nov. 6 event, but ad-industry executives familiar with the company’s plans said the social network is looking to better use the data its users voluntarily offer up on their profiles. Of course, that much seems like a no-brainer (although it’s actually not easy to implement). But less obviously, a couple of industry executives familiar with the company’s plans suggest Facebook could use some of what it knows about people — and their relationships with others on the site, what is known as the “social graph” — to target them off Facebook (emphasis Terry's) as well.

Doc Searls writes,

Facebook's users are not its customers. They're the targets to which Facebook's customers aim advertising. In old media this was no big deal. But Facebook isn't just a "medium". It's a vast walled garden where the social activity of members and visitors constantly improves the ability of advertisers to "target" both. (emphasis added)

The Facebook $15 Billion valuation is based on what you Facebookians are worth to marketers desperate to target consumers they can no longer easily access by traditional media exploits. Those of you who self-identify as Christians on Facebook can expect to be receiving targeted email from Zondervan, Christianity Today, EMI Music et al. Using information you may have thought was only viewable by people within your mini-network.

Here's what Facebook has to say about the data you provide them with in your content sharing, interactions and other Facebookian habits,

By posting User Content to any part of the Site, you automatically grant, and you represent and warrant that you have the right to grant, to the Company an irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, fully paid, worldwide license (with the right to sublicense) to use, copy, publicly perform, publicly display, reformat, translate, excerpt (in whole or in part) and distribute such User Content for any purpose on or in connection with the Site or the promotion thereof, to prepare derivative works of, or incorporate into other works, such User Content, and to grant and authorize sublicenses of the foregoing. You may remove your User Content from the Site at any time. If you choose to remove your User Content, the license granted above will automatically expire, however you acknowledge that the Company may retain archived copies of your User Content. (emphasis added)

Oh. I should add. I'm a casual, occasional Facebookian myself. But I'm considering deleting my account. Though "The Company" will still have "archived copies" of my "User Content."

Addendum: Please make a point of reading all of Doc's and Terry's Facebook posts - and the other posts they link to. If you are going to use Facebook, you need to be aware of who and what you are dealing with.

UPDATE: John Santic points to this site in the comments, Does What Happens in the Facebook, stay in the Facebook?

Your Morning Shocker

I'm ready for church. As soon as I hit publish in ecto, I'm out the door. Heading for a building with a steeple. I may blog the experience. Or not.

UPDATE: OK. True confession time. I've been to the this particular church twice this year. Both times, my dear daughter has led the music team. (Kaili has been a faithful attender and is actively involved in the youth ministry.) I love to see kids actually engaged in this part of the service - and the music set was a great combination of contemporary (non-JIMB) worship and hymns. When Kaili began Be Thou My Vision a cappella, another confession, I choked up - couldn't sing 'til almost through the first verse. ('Tis my favourite hymn. Must be those Celtic genes.)

The sermon focused on worship. It was well delivered but left me rather cold. Worship, according to the sermonizer, was centred around the church experience. Imbi commented afterwards, when I expressed my not humble and possibly, not accurate opinion, that of course that's how I would react as my own focus is more missional in context - and I believe true worship can occur in many ways and places.

'Twas great to connect with old friends. I do admit that the gathered community part of the church is very attractive - but the leadership focus still seems attractional - and that I don't find attractive.

Tonight, Imbi and I are checking out a church that's about a 30 minute walk from us. (We'll drive because of the rain.) We feel the need to be part of a larger community (this church is not large at all and is a neighourhood replant as the building has been an ethnic church for many years - and that mono-culture is moving north - as most mono-cultures seem to do in Toronto). I'll let you know how that goes.

Oh. And today is Reformation Sunday. You would know that to, if you were a faithful reader of my favourite theology prof on Guam, Brad Boydston. One of the ECC blogging mafia that I regularly read. (This wonderful mafia includes Erika Haub, Scot McKnight, Susan Arnold - on a six month blog hiatus, Brad Bergfalk, John Frye and even Jamie Arpin-Ricci qualifies.)

UPDATE 2: Imbi appreciated the whole evening service. I appreciated the teach/preach. Music was a little sloooowwwwww pour moi. And the one hymn I knew (and love, Immortal Invisible) was played at half speed. But we will go back. It's in our community and though few in numbers, there are good people with a heart for the neighbourhood there.

ECC = Evangelical Covenant Church...in case you were wondering.
Update 2.5 - I managed to leave Erika Haub out of the ECC mafia. My only excuse other than ADD (an ever present help in times of trouble, as John Stanko puts it), is that I was in such a state of confusion by not only going to a church service, but going to church services twice in one day, that I simply forgot.

A Few Bloggers to Note

Coming out of the Seabeck un-conference Missional Order event, a number of bloggers have come into focus. The Bjerkanders, Lori and Rickard, the abisomething herself, Peggy Brown (who did such great work on the Virtual Voices Wikiklesia Project - and has some of the best pics from the un-conference), Northumbrian Pete Askew (sort of, since Pete's only managed to put up a first post) and fellow traveller with my wife and myself, Glenn Hatcher - we only discovered our shared roots with Glenn upon meeting at Seabeck.

Glenn, blogging with his wife, Phyllis shared this quote on his blog earlier in the week.

"Christianity started out in Palestine as a fellowship; it moved to Greece and became a philosophy; it moved to Italy and became an institution; it moved to Europe and became a culture; it came to America and became an enterprise." - Sam Pascoe, American scholar*

*Note that this quote is also attributed to the former chaplain to the US Senate, Richard Halverson.

Mac OSX Leopard and Why I'm a Terrible Human Being

It seems that Purolator (who used to use the slogan "When its just got to get there") had to do some kind of Corrective Action to my Leopard shipment. And at 5:34 this morning, it went "To the Hub." I hope it's having a good time. 'Cuz it didn't leave the Hub to come be with me. Sniff.

Then I got an email from Triple D, who told me he didn't get his either. That made me feel better. I'm a terrible human being. (In his case, Purolator claimed his was delayed due to the weather. Wow. It was raining today. I'd hate to know what happens when there's an actual storm.)

Brant's Rule #94

Let's make this simple: Here's a Manliness Quotient list of activities, from Manliest to Girliest:

1) Me, boldly leading you, a leading leader of visionary leaders.

2) You, listening quietly to me boldly leading you.

3) You, teaching conversationally, among people who know you, who are allowed to challenge, ask, clarify, and teach you, too.

Friend, be a man, stand up, and do number 2.

An excerpt of an excerpt from Brant Hansen and his 417 Rules of Awesomely Bold Leadership. I'm getting tired of waiting for the book and conference tour.

How Did I Miss This - Missional/Incarnational is all about the Branding

I firmly believe that as the missional and incarnational approaches become the prevailing models for the Church, we will need the power and clarity of good identity branding. If we ignore it, we leave a key component of growth off the table.

(Sarcasm alert) And good grief, we missional folk wouldn't want to leave anything off the table, now would we. That wouldn't be hospitable. (I must confess that I find the first sentence in the quote to be simply astounding. Read on.)

I kinda wish my friend Mark hadn't sent this to me. I think he's read me enough to know that it's such a slow pitch, I'd be bound to take a swing at it. (There I go with baseball metaphors again.)

Much of my response is covered in my series, Marketing the Church, which I wrote 10 months ago. The above comic is from Part One. Links to the rest are in the right side bar.

Let me be blunt. If you're really going to talk about missional and incarnational, you aren't going to talk about branding and marketing, or, dare I say, church growth. This article is also worthy of Napoleon Dynamite's favourite epithet. (That's three times in 24 hours that I've referenced the same ND line.) And is another example of how missional is being applied as the new new. "Hey, if we say it's missional, it must be missional." Not.

Somehow this seems to fit with my Good Grief and Havel et al posts.

I also think you should read Dan Edelen's post at Cerulean Sanctum on Willow Creek. It seems to me that it deals with much the same mindset.